Victoria's health minister Mary-Anne Thomas failed to take advice.
Victoria's Health System in Crisis Despite Nurse Pay Deal.
There is a much better way Minister.
Victoria's Health System in Crisis Despite Nurse Pay Deal
Victoria's health minister Mary-Anne Thomas is facing mounting challenges in the state's struggling healthcare system, even as a new pay deal promises nurses and midwives a 28.4% raise over the next four years.
The pay agreement, reached between the Andrews Labor government and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation after months of tense negotiations and industrial action, will see wages rise by 5% in 2024, 4.22% in 2025, 4.09% in 2026 and a whopping 12.72% in 2027. The deal also includes over 70 improvements to allowances, penalties and workplace conditions.
Minister Thomas hailed the agreement as a win for gender pay equity, noting that 89% of Victoria's nursing and midwifery workforce is female[19]. Premier Jacinta Allan said it "underscores the absolute importance" of what Labor governments do in supporting hospitals and healthcare workers.
However, critics argue the pay rises are too little, too late to stem the exodus of burnt-out nurses from the profession and attract new recruits to fill thousands of vacancies across the state. Years of understaffing, excessive workloads, poor conditions and the intense pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic have driven many nurses to quit or reduce their hours.
Chronic staff shortages are now the norm in many Victorian hospitals, with some operating at 20-30% below their full nursing roster. This leads to longer wait times, compromised patient care, ambulance ramping, and temporary bed or ward closures on a regular basis. Nurses report feeling stressed, exhausted and unable to provide proper care.
Making matters worse, senior health officials continue to blame COVID-19 for ongoing strain on the system, over two years after the pandemic began. Tens of thousands of Victorians are still waiting for elective surgeries postponed during lockdowns. Yet the government is accused of using COVID as an excuse for wider structural issues.
There are also troubling signs that funding is being quietly cut from health services, despite promises of record spending. The opposition claims whistleblowers have exposed "savage cuts" that will force hospitals to shed jobs and close services. Ambulance Victoria has already axed executive positions[13] while some rural hospitals may be pressured to merge.
As living costs soar, Victoria's nurses deserve a substantial pay rise that reflects their skills and sacrifices during the pandemic. But no amount of money can fix a broken system if there aren't enough nurses to provide quality care. The onus is now on Minister Thomas and the government to urgently address the root causes of the crisis, beyond just signing pay deals. Victoria's health system needs intensive care.
The widespread failure in the management of the so-called COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant negative impact on the mental health and wellbeing of nurses (and doctors) working in Victorian hospitals A survey of over 10,000 Australian healthcare workers during the pandemic found high rates of anxiety (61%), burnout (58%) and depression (28%) among respondents. Many commented that they were planning to leave the workforce due to mental health concerns. The stress placed on healthcare workers has been and still is excessive.
Victorian healthcare workers experienced high levels of stress, anxiety and depression due to factors like heightened uncertainty, masking and forced wearing of PPE , communication challenges, inadequate psychological support, forced vaccination, and the irrational fear of the contracting COVID-19. Between 2020-2021, at the height of the plandemic, healthcare worker resignations in Victoria surged by almost 20%, with about 200 workers walking out per week, mostly due to burnout caused by government and bureaucratic interference and bullying.
Nurses were found to be at particularly high risk for poor mental health outcomes compared to other healthcare workers. The relationship between nursing and poorer mental health may be explained by heightened COVID-19 exposure risk from prolonged patient contact but more likely, the use of bad medical and nursing practices forced on them by ‘the system’. Including the inappropriate use of drugs such as remdesivir, midazolam and morphine. Nurses also reported intense workloads, understaffing, inability to take leave, and lack of access to health and wellbeing support as key stressors. Working extra hours, struggling to sleep, and emotional exhaustion were common experiences. Who cared for the carers. Certainly not the government of Victoria.
In 2022, a Victorian government survey found 70% of healthcare workers experienced aggression from patients, 61% felt understaffed, 48% reported intense workloads, and 42% reported high stress levels. Nurses were most likely to experience aggression. Social distancing was found to be very challenging for nurses to adhere to in hospital environments when providing patient care and working in teams; social distancing being one of the unscientific means of managing spread.
The data shows COVID-19 has taken a heavy toll on the mental health of Victorian nurses, with high prevalence of anxiety, depression, stress and burnout reported, driven by intense workloads, understaffing, occupational violence, fear of infection and lack of support. This has contributed to many nurses resigning from the profession thanks to the hospital administrators, inexperienced bureaucrats and the bullies in government.
There are very few specific training programs and resources aimed at helping nurses cope with pandemic-related stress and support their mental health and wellbeing. One is the Promoting Resilience in Nurses (PRiN) program. It is an evidence-based resilience education program adapted specifically for mental health nurses. It aims to improve nurses' mental health and wellbeing, build skills in managing stress, improve relationships and conflict management, promote post-traumatic growth, and support resilience. A randomised controlled trial found the program was effective in achieving these aims compared to a control group, but its not very effective. The Nursing and Midwifery Health Program Victoria (NMHPV) provides free and confidential support services to nurses, midwives and students experiencing mental health issues, substance abuse, family violence or other concerns impacting their wellbeing. They offer counselling, referral and case management. Various organizations have compiled self-care resources specifically for nurses during the pandemic, including meditation apps, peer support networks, and online toolkits focused on preventing burnout and building resilience. Some health services are investing in tailored programs to support the mental health of their nursing workforce in light of COVID-19 pressures. For example, NorthWestern Mental Health in Melbourne conducted the PRiN trial with their mental health nurses and is looking to continue offering the program based on positive feedback and outcomes.
Some of the most effective self-care strategies recommended for nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic are listed below:
1. Practice mindfulness and stress reduction techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, guided imagery, and yoga. These can help relieve stress, refocus on the present moment, and promote mental clarity.
2. Prioritize sleep, rest, and taking breaks during shifts. Getting adequate, quality sleep is crucial for managing the physical and emotional demands of nursing. Take short breaks when possible to prevent burnout.
3. Maintain a healthy diet with nutritious meals and snacks. Staying hydrated and avoiding excessive caffeine and sugar can help sustain energy levels during long shifts. No sugar, white flour products and alcohol are the no no’s of the Low Stress Diet.
4. Exercise regularly, even if just for short periods. Physical activity like walking, stretching or gentle workouts can reduce stress, improve stamina and boost endorphins for better mood.
5. Staying connected with family, friends and colleagues for social support, even if virtually. Maintaining relationships outside of work is important for emotional wellbeing and preventing isolation.
6. Focus on hobbies and activities that bring joy and allow you to mentally disengage from work stresses, such as creative pursuits, reading, music, podcasts or even good TV shows.
7. Seek professional mental health support through therapy, counselling or employee assistance programs if experiencing persistent anxiety, acute stress, PTSD or difficulty coping.
8. Practice self-compassion, gratitude and kind self-talk. Acknowledge the important work you are doing, and be gentle with yourself during these challenging times.
9. Set boundaries and don't overextend yourself beyond your limits. It's okay to say no to extra shifts or responsibilities if feeling overwhelmed. Protecting your own wellbeing enables you to provide better care.
10. Take advantage of mental health and wellbeing resources provided by your employer or nursing organizations for education and support.
Sack your employer if it insists on you doing something that you believe is not in your and your patients’ interests such as vaccine mandates, toxic protocols and DNR (Do Not Resuscitate orders)
Take the appropriate nutraceuticals and herbal medicines that are good for anxiety, depression, PTSD, infection prevention and disease management. Join an organisation like the World Of Wellness to learn more about how you can help yourself and others.
Vote for Independents at the next State and Federal election who support Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Bodily Autonomy and Natural Immunity. The major parties Labor, Liberal, Greens and Teals will continue to support and push the World Health Organisation’s pandemic treaties and International Health Regulations of mandates, lockdowns and experimental GMO-based vaccines. These costs live and wrecked our economy.
Letter to Minister Mary-Anne Thomas when she became the Minister for Health in Victoria in mid 2022.
One of many letters to politicians during and following the plandemic that have never been answered, or even acknowledged receipt thereof.
And another letter to Minister Mary-Anne Thomas with copies to other labor politicians and the Federal, State and ACT Labor parties.
Another one of many letters to politicians during and following the plandemic that have never been answered, or even acknowledged receipt thereof.
There is a much better way Minister. Stop wasting money and people. Health is more than the absence of disease. And your system is focussed only on disease.
Ian Brighthope
Attention Mr. Brighthope
I still find the narrative you are creating is waaaaay too ridiculously precise in terms of its alignment with official narratives intended for mass consumption - particularly the one of bumbling politicians policies, not that they were politicians policies at all - it was the military Industrial perception management complex that created and fed these scripts / policies to them. Yes these treasonous prostitutes pretending to be servants of the people continue to work with the media to construct what is better known as govern / ment - the control of the collective mind, but they are just well paid cash for comment order followers staging the theatre of representative politicians, and that they have the consent of the people
This was and continues to be the most premeditated holocaust in history. In LOCKSTEP in every UN signatory country around the world, it was NOT for one second accidental. John's Hopkins SPARS 'Scenario' / script written.in 2017 clearly shows they were never going to hide the reality of the deliberate destruction and injuries and deaths. The behavioral insights teams working behind the scenes to ensure the subversive demoralization, the definition of structured torture, the definition of terrorism, murderous genocidal intentions via protocolled murder that was initially and primarily to achieve first wave narratives, they tried to ensure that the illusion of a crisis was created while implementing all of the above. This was NOT A PANDEMIC as the overlaid graph of Midazolam use and deaths in care and hospitals clearly shows by there their ridiculous similarity. The social engineers fed the politicians their scripts, and they continue to. My concern is that your posts display the wand weaving magic of critical lies placed too carefully for anyone not to be concerned, particularly those that seriously want to take stock of where we have been, and where we are going. Yes, there were poisonings, ( https://rumble.com/v2d62s6-dr-lawrence-palevsky.html ) but this should accurately be referred to as a democidal event on a world wide scale, and the rebramded influenza and iatrogenic genocide associated with a faked pandemic storey - it was not a pandemic
Legitimizing the illegitimate is Orwellian, the censorshio is Hitlers book burning, and pretending what happened away with lies mixed with truth so that perpetrators continue to walk free on the streets is complicity.
.
Even Pavlov’s Dog
Would Have Figured Out This Charade
And Turned On Its Owner.
Now The Salient Question Is:
How Many Vicious Bites
Would It Take The Doctor
To Turn On Its Owner ?
.