Victorian nurses

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

To all the Victorian nurses........ How has the federal spending cuts affected you job, ward, hospital, health service?

[Sezza83, BSN, RN]

Work as a midwife but also as a RN in theatre.

Maternity ward:

1.limit of 1 set of linen and towel for their entire stay, if dirtied, need to fill in a form explaining why.

2. No agency

3. No hiring new staff even though we're really short staffed

4. No overtime

Add 2,3 &4 together & we are forced to close beds.

5. Staff carpark had doubled in cost... So the hospital can make money

In theatre:

1. Surgeries cut (was horrified to learn that a complete oncology list has been wiped, cause you know, if you have cancer the best thing you can do is wait on a waiting list for 12months!)

2. No agency, bank staff, hiring new staff

3. FORCING staff to take annual leave & long service leave

My friend who's in ED says that the state government is looking at getting rid of the psych CAT team. I can imagine a hell of a lot more police shootings if that happens.

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

Yikes. My ward is closing and a theatre that runs 3 sessions a week. Our posts have been redeployed though so no job cuts. Consultants encouraged to take there LSL and excess annual leave. Junior medical staffing cuts. No grads that are finishing going into posts until all of my team have jobs.