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.  

Mater Health, which runs eight hospitals across Queensland, ordered frontline doctors and nurses to reuse disposable face masks. The controversial practice has now been ditched after it was questioned by The Courier-Mail.

It has come to our attention that NPAQ members have received an email from Associate Professor Lynette Cusack, Registered nurse and midwife Chair of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (Read here)

We have concerns regarding the imputations of this message during this professionally challenging time. Please familiarise yourself with its content.

The NPAQ State Executive has written to the Premier regarding arrangements to cope with this potential pandemic. Read the letter here.  They have their concerns, and we would like to hear yours. We intend to send further correspondence regarding your direct feedback.

Just because we are hoping it is not as bad as everyone seems to be making out, doesn't mean that we can simply "wait and see" without preparing for the worst. We are not criticizing the Premier but we are pleased that a response is finally being put into place. However, preparation levels are varying wildly between facilities.

NPAQ has the right to represent QLD Nurses

Before you get too excited about the Margaret Gilbert case, we have won the opening round, but it clearly establishes that NPAQ has the right to represent you because NPAQ is an industrial association (a trade union), the same as the legacy nurses union.