Peak bodies plan 11:30am call for action at Parliament House
Leaders from nine nursing and midwifery organisations will gather in Mural Hall at Parliament House at 11:30am today to press the Federal Government to act on review recommendations.
Those groups want nurses and midwives to care for people using all their skills and knowledge. They argue that change would help ease unprecedented strain across the healthcare system.
The event is listed as a nursing and midwifery media conference. It brings together professional colleges, workforce groups, a union, academic leaders and remote practice advocates in one appearance at Parliament House.
Mural Hall conference lineup
Among the bodies taking part are the Australian College of Nursing, the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses and the Australian College of Midwives.
Also attending are the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation.
The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association, the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery and CRANAplus are also on the lineup.
Together, the nine organisations cover mental health nursing, midwifery, nurse practitioner roles, primary health care, university leadership and remote practice.
The Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives adds an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce voice to the joint call.
CRANAplus brings experience from remote and isolated health settings. Meanwhile, the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery links the event to universities that train future nurses and midwives.
According to the conference notice, the joint message is simple: ministers should implement recommendations already produced by a review, rather than start another process.
At the centre of the push is a call to let nurses and midwives work to the full extent of their training. Supporters say that would allow broader care across hospital, community, maternity, mental health and primary care settings.
Parliament House gives the appeal a national stage, and the 11:30am timing places it squarely in the federal political day.
Several listed groups represent advanced or specialist practice. That includes the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses and the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners.
In addition, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation brings the profession’s major industrial and advocacy voice to the media conference.
The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association adds a primary care perspective, while CRANAplus contributes experience from rural and remote services.
Organisers say the aim is to get the Federal Government to address pressure on the health system by acting on existing review recommendations.
