NPAQ has been busy onboarding new Branch Secretaries and Delegates throughout QLD. 

We would like to introduce you to Tania Taylor, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Geoff Stevens, The Prince Charles Hospital and Bronwyn Witeri, Gladstone Hospital.  

If you wish to nominate as an NPAQ representative at your workplace, we would love to hear from you.  Email Aenghas Hopkinson-Pearson, State Secretary at [email protected]

Margaret Gilbert, Acting President

NPAQ recently received a letter of demand from QNMU’s lawyer regarding our advertising and our lawyers have replied making it clear that we will not be intimidated.   

Letter from QNMU Lawyers  24 November 2020 

NPAQ’s reply 27 November 2020 

A lot has happened this year, there’s no denying that. Part of what we were looking forward to this year was negotiating the EB11 to try and get better working conditions and wages for all Queensland Health Nurses. 

Last week, Queensland Health confirmed, in what we believe to be a completely horrendous way to treat frontline staff, that the EB11 negotiations have been delayed for one year.  Please see the letter attached.

Last week NPAQ’s State Secretary spoke to ABC about the importance of PPE fit testing for nurses after discovering this was not happening in some of QLD’s busiest hospitals.

NPAQ partnered with Insightfully to run an extensive membership survey between October 1 - 13.  

Tracy - For the first three months of my nursing career, a strange thing happened. I was invisible to another nurse on my ward. It was like I had my own Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak. She didn’t make eye contact with me, couldn’t hear me speak and side swiped me while walking in the hall. On night shift, when we were alone, she would not even answer my questions about caring for patients (but don’t worry, I’m persistent- I found a way to get answers from another ward).

Two babies from separate households die of suspected drug overdoses north of Brisbane

Des Houghton reported in The Courier-Mail on 12 June the shocking death of two young boys from suspected drug overdoses in separate tragedies north of Brisbane. The deaths have again raised questions about failures by the Child Safety department to protect vulnerable children.

What does this proposed law mean for nurses?

NPAQ wants to fight this bill to ensure nurses' registrations are protected, patients are protected and nurses' jobs are protected and not substituted for unendorsed carers. 

Today, NPAQ Secretary Cath Seaver wrote to the Minister for Health seeking free parking for QLD nurses and health professionals.