NurseWest

gwenith, BSN, RN · Aug 16, 2003

QANGO ALERT!!!! ( Quasi- autonomous Neo Goverment Organisation) The best thing to do with soemthing like this is to try and contact the newpapers pointing out how the fat cats are draining the public purse of desperately needed health dollars while not doing anything to address the real issues.

What is the union/Federation doing about this?

bulletproofbarb · Aug 16, 2003

I rang the union about the incident that I was involved with NurseWest and I just got the feeling they really didn't care about the whole NurseWest thing.

gwenith, BSN, RN · Aug 16, 2003

Sorry but typical of the union - here on the east coast too!!!

Then your only other option is the local newspaper - if you want to take it that far. I have seen this goverment blowout of funds so often it isn't funny and it almost sounds like a comedy and would be if it weren't so very very serious.

Like the classic "Yes Minister" show where they had a hospital without patients this is a nursing agency without nurses. Pitch it at the local papers with that twist and I am reasonably certain they will sit up and listen.

bev_w · Dec 9, 2003

Hi Barb,

Like yourself I am amazed at NurseWaste and the fact they are still up and running! After hearing their ads on the radio some friends and I got curious and found a bit out but we are all shocked!! I met them at the Nursing Expo and after a glance at their pay rates am really not surprised no one has joined! Why would you when it undercuts everything that nurses are fighting for? One person I talked to is so disgusted at their pay rates she is actively trying to get a boycott running to stop people from joining them and negating all of the efforts people and the ANF have put work into already.

The worst part is they keep gloating how they are saving money on agency nurses but they aren't - they still book just as many an big whoopy, they are down this month compared to August but it is every other year too - I think it's called summer...?

What the media hasn't really made a deal of but it was published once in the west, was that they have literally spent millions of dollars of taxpayer's money on advertising and salaries for their multiple office staff. For what? They have managed to recruit about 25 nurses and have 18 office staff to place the 25 nurses! Their time is just spent running between hospitals and agencies, it adds a middleman and blows all of this money for what I ask you??

What the public sector is missing out on due to regular incompetent NurseMess staff buggering up the bookings, has resulted in the private sector being fully staffed for the first time in ages and very much enjoying it! So many people I have talked to refuse to work public because it is too risky to deal with Nurse West!

I am incredulous at what I found out, and can't believe they can continue to throw good money after so so bad, and I also can't believe the media has not publicised this information.

I am so angry at yet another attempt to cut nurses down.

Working agency is a freedom that has been hard fought for, and the salaries are not that high when you take into account all you give up to work for them. However, until hospitals recognise that nurses have lives and need to be accomodated as such (ie families) agency is the only forseeable means to keep your skills and income, while working around a family! While I no longer work agency I have done in the past, and fully support people's right to continue. It is also a benifit to ward nurses to have the support of a flexible workforce who can fill your gaps as it is needed.

I would love to hear more about NurseWest if anyone else has more information or even aything positive to say about them, what opinions anyone might share with me.

Bev W, Perth WA

gwenith, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2003

Welcome Bev W!!! We don't have anything like this here in QLD but I would not put it past the state goverment.

We have our own little idiocy in the "thinknursing" recruitment agency. If you want to see a REALLY badly put together website check out http://www.thinknursing.com - WOW!!! I would just leap at the jobs advertised wouldn't you???? :rolleyes:

I applied to do some rural relief nursing through them - now they are screaming out for rural nurses - can you find the contact for rural relief on that website??

Now what I want you WA'ers to do is NOT tell Premiere Beatty about nursewest as he might want one too! :chuckle

bev_w · Dec 10, 2003

Thanks Gwen

I now reside in WA but I am a banana bender too - and have jsut returned form some 'rural relief' in FNQ!! I did get the links and information from the 'Think Nursing' website (our version is 'are you good enough to be a nurse? - ha!) and you're right, it is very user-unfriendly.

I intended to stay for ever but lasted 3 months as the nurse manager plays childish mind games and puts EVERYONE where they don't want to be...viola, a hospital full of unhappy nurses!! Works well.

Don't worry though, I'm sure Mr Beatty has better things to do with his time than surf the web like us :roll

Hopefully NursePest will remain a deep secret from the East.

gwenith, BSN, RN · Dec 10, 2003

Originally posted by bev_w
Thanks Gwen

Hopefully NursePest will remain a deep secret from the East.

Promise?

bev_w · Dec 11, 2003

ha ha! Well I ain't telling!

gwenith, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2003

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

sue_smith · Dec 16, 2003

Hi there!

I am new to allnurses and stumbled across the site when I was looking for information about NurseWest. I am an agency nurse in Perth and feel so angry at NurseWest and their constant stuffing around that I am so reluctant to work in the public sector!

I do still go at a push (especially as work is a bit quieter over summer) and feel so bad for the poor nurse managers! I have myself shown up to 2 shifts and not been told I was actually cancelled, and have also frequently seen people from other agencies doing the same thing! They must be shelling out loads for cancellation fees!

I have also been disgusted recently as NurseWest office staff came up to me when I was on a shift the other day, demanding to know why I wasn't working for them! This is outright solicitation, they had my name and agency from my badge and now I am worried that they will try and block my work or something! Has anyone else had this approach form them? I'd love to hear if anyone is in the same situation and what we can do about it??

:confused:

gwenith, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2003

Hiya - my suggestion would be to take up the matter with your local state Member of Parliment. Make an appointment and go in to see them. Now this works especially well if the person you are seeing is a member of the opposition. Chances are that even if they are a member of the current goverment they will be more than a little interested in such blatant example of "fat cats" as this nurse west appears to be.