The NSW Upper House is holding a Parliamentary Inquiry into Registered Nurses in NSW nursing homes.
The inquiry is a result of the groundswell of community concern about the threat to registered nurses in nursing homes.
Submissions to the inquiry closed on Thursday 23 July but there will be public hearings throughout August.
Have a look at the terms of reference for the Inquiry: 2015 Terms of Reference: Registered nurses
Briefly, the Inquiry will consider:
- the safety of residents
- the adequacy or otherwise of nurse to patient ratios in aged care
- the way serious medications are handled in nursing homes
- the role of RNs in preventing hospital admissions
- the need for further regulation and minimum standards for Assistants in Nursing (AiNs) and carers
- possible cost-shifting within the health system.
Some key perspectives you can bring to the Inquiry:
- Your own experience working in nursing homes, in whatever capacity, and your perspective on the role of the registered nurse
- Your own personal experiences – positive and negative – with loved ones in nursing homes
- Your experience working in public hospitals and dealing with local aged care facilities.
July 24 2015: The Inquiry has now closed to submissions. There will be public hearings throughout August: see the Inquiry page.
