Published Tuesday, 03 June, 2008 at 03:34 PM
Minister for Health
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
MORE SPECIALISED NURSES IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS
The Bligh Government will provide an additional $35.79 million over four years to employ more nurse practitioners and train more nurses to work in neonatal intensive care units and special care nurseries.
“Queensland is going through a baby boom right now,” Mr Robertson said.
“Right now, our public hospitals alone are delivering 113 babies a day.
“In 2007, they delivered a total 41,315 newborns. The total including private hospitals was 59,725 – an increase of more than 10,000 on the 2000 total.
“That’s tremendous growth and while the majority of these babies are born perfectly healthy, some do it tough.
“We need a workforce with the appropriate skills to look after those newborns who require special assistance and neonatal and special care nurses play an integral role in their care.
“As a result of this funding injection, Queensland Health will train more nurses to step up and become neonatal intensive care and neonatal special care nurses.
“Right now, there are more than 550 neonatal intensive care and neonatal special care nursing positions and this funding will equip more nurses with these specialised skills.”
Mr Robertson said in addition, the Bligh Government will create another 10 nurse practitioner positions next financial year and another 20 in both 2009-10 and 2010-11.
“That builds on the 20 nurse practitioners who are already in the system with an expanded scope of practice in various locations around our state,” he said.
“These new positions will focus on specific areas of health care such as rural and remote health, mental health, aged care, chronic disease and emergency departments.
“The expansion of Queensland’s nurse practitioner workforce demonstrates our commitment to health system reform.
“We’re building our nursing ranks and expanding their responsibilities within appropriate clinical boundaries.”
Mr Robertson said nurse practitioners are highly qualified registered nurses trained to take on tasks outside the scope of traditional nurses, allowing doctors to focus on more complex duties.
“Their competence for practice is regulated and accredited by the Queensland Nursing Council and the model has worked well in other states and overseas,” he said.
“Ireland, for instance, has many nurse practitioners working in its emergency departments carrying out advanced duties to take more of the pressure off doctors.
“They provide an unprecedented level of support for our medical workforce.”
The extra positions will be allocated based on detailed planning and analysis of service pressures and workforce capacity.
3 June, 2008
MEDIA: Joshua Cooney 3234 1185