Nurses meet after redundancies

NURSES at a Melbourne maternity hospital will meet today to consider what action they will take after four mothercraft nurses were made redundant.

The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) said management at the Mercy Hospital for Women gave the four mothercraft nurses one week's notice of their redundancies and they worked their final shifts last Friday.

ANF Victorian branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said the nurses were a vital part of the midwifery team and the loss of the jobs would have an impact on hospital services.

"These mothercraft nurses are a vital part of the midwifery team that is already stretched because everyone knows the nurse patient ratio in maternity services needs to be improved," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

Mothercraft nurses look after babies with special needs, such as premature babies. They also undertake baby health observations, assist new mothers with breastfeeding and help new parents with baby care education.

"If these mothercraft nurses are forced to go, the midwives will be further stretched ... which will lead to a whole range of preventable health problems occurring when the mother and baby leave the hospital," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

In May, the hospital moved from East Melbourne to a Heidelberg site next door to the redeveloped Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre.

"It's no good spending $81 million on bricks and mortar rebuilding a state-of-the-art health facility when hospital executives are making experienced nurses redundant.

"The Mercy Hospital can't boast that it's providing mothers and babies with state-of-the-art-health services if they let these mothercraft nurses go," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

ANF members at the hospital will meet at 2pm (AEDT) to consider their response to hospital management's decision to make the positions redundant.

Article from www.news.com.au