Message from the Chief Executive
In this update, we cover:
- International Nurses Day
- Victorian exposure sites
- STAR Award Winner Soni Palahanickal
- Nursing and Midwifery annual registration renewals
- Extended hours for Respirator Fit Testing
- International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia
- People Matter – how your feedback helps shape Monash Health
- Help improve our care of deteriorating patients
- Eligibility for converting your annual leave
- Managing medication safely
- Interstate/New Zealand conference and education-related travel
- Managers: Workplace Inspections for this quarter are now due
- Coronavirus in Victorian Healthcare and Aged Care Workers (COVIC-HA) Survey
International Nurses Day
Yesterday we celebrated International Nurses Day and I want to acknowledge the contribution of our 7,500 nurses at Monash Health. Throughout the pandemic, despite challenging circumstances, our nurses have provided outstanding care, displaying compassion, agility and resilience.
Over the past year, Monash Health nurses continued to be recognised for their work. Kate Sandry was named Emergency Nurse of the Year by the College of Emergency Nursing for her advocacy work on nurses’ mental and social wellbeing, and neonatal nurse Anna Kidman was awarded “Best Oral Presentation- Nursing” at the annual European Academy of Paediatrics Societies Congress.
At Monash Health, our 2020 Nursing and Midwifery Awards and Scholarships (NAMAS) highlighted a wide range of significant achievements in nursing and midwifery practice across our health service.
While the pandemic disrupted the NAMES award ceremony in 2020, the popular event will return this year, and we look forward to celebrating nursing and midwifery excellence at Monash Health. Please take some time to read about our deserving 2020 winners here.
To all our nurses – thank you. The difference you make in the lives of those we care for is immeasurable.
Victorian exposure sites
A public health response is underway after a man who completed his hotel quarantine in South Australia returned to Victoria and tested positive.
Several potential COVID-19 exposure sites have been identified. Please review the exposure site list regularly, and if you have visited a listed site during the potential exposure timeframe, read the advice here.
This is another reminder that COVID-19 is still with us. Please stay vigilant, follow your standard precautions and observe COVID-safe measures.
STAR Award – Soni Palahanickal, Food Services Manager
At Tuesday’s Employee Forum I had the pleasure of announcing the winner in the Managing Wisely category of our Q1 STAR Awards – Soni Palahanickal, Food Services Manager at Dandenong Hospital.
Soni has been with Monash Health for more than ten years and has built a reputation for being helpful, kind and empathetic.
COVID-19 brought change and uncertainty to the kitchen at Dandenong, but Soni supported the team during this time, helping to ensure that patient service was never compromised.
If you know someone like Soni, who deserves to be recognised, head to the STAR portal and nominate them today. For more information on the STAR program, you can visit the Monash Health COVID-19 website.
Thank you for the care you provide every day.
Andrew Stripp
Chief Executive
Key messages
Nursing and Midwifery annual registration renewal due
All registered and enrolled nurses, midwives and nurse practitioners, please ensure you have applied to renew your registration before the expiry date on Monday 31 May.
Renewing your registration can be done simply via the Australian Health Practitioner Regulations Agency (AHPRA) website.
This is a requirement under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. If you do not apply to renew your registration on time, it will lapse, and you will not be able to practise as a nurse or midwife. Learn more here or visit www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/.
Respirator Fit Testing: Extended Hours
We are happy to announce that fit testing hours will be extended from 10 May 2021, to give priority cohorts greater flexibility in completing their fit test ahead of the 1 June deadline.
Thank you to over 4,000 employees who have completed fit testing since December.
All priority cohorts must have completed their mandatory fit test before 1 June 2021. If you were required to undertake PPE training and are required to wear a P2/N95 respirator as set out in the tiered PPE compulsory standards (see here), you are required to be fit tested. Read more on the updated RPP hub.
International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia
Employees are invited to join Monash Health’s 2021 celebration event of International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), taking place on Monday 17 May at 2pm on Webex. The event has been organised by the Monash Health Equity and Inclusion’s LGBTI+ Subcommittee.
The IDAHOBIT event will be an opportunity to listen to the lived experiences and engage with guest speakers Jun Soong, a member of the Monash Health Gender Clinic’s Consumer Advisory Panel, and one of our Monash Health employees, Scott Hili, along with his co-stars of the local production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical: Blair Salmon and Jason McMurray.
The virtual celebration will see our guest speakers offer valuable insights into the importance of gender identification, their personal experiences of the impact of discrimination and the changing behaviours that help prevent discrimination towards the LGBTI+ community.
The Priscilla cast members will also share a performance from their hit musical, which will be included during the IDAHOBIT event.
Date: Monday, 17 May 2021
Time: 2pm to 3pm
Venue: Webex Events
To join the event and for more details, please visit the IDAHOBIT event page.
People Matter – how your feedback helps shape Monash Health
The Victorian public sector’s annual employee opinion survey, People Matter, will return next month, with all Monash Health employees invited to participate.
We want to hear from you and your colleagues about how we can make Monash Health a great place to work.
The independent People Matter survey provides a safe and anonymous way for you to tell us what you think and experience in the workplace. It will give you the opportunity to have a say about things like job satisfaction, career development, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion.
Stay tuned to the intranet for updates on People Matter – remember, People Matter is your chance to have your say, help inform us and make long-term decisions for the organisation. Read more here.
Help improve our care of deteriorating patients – fill out a brief survey
Medical emergency recognition and response systems, such as Medical Emergency Team (MET), are a crucial part of our care for deteriorating patients. To ensure we maintain the most effective approach, please take a few minutes to fill out our brief Medical emergency recognition and response teams survey.
The information gained will help us plan and improve care for vulnerable patients.
Eligibility for converting your annual leave
Recently, we have seen tragic circumstances playing out across the world. Some employees have asked about converting excess annual leave to pay to support family overseas. We understand that you may have loved ones facing difficult circumstances and wish to support them.
Eligible Monash Health employees can cash out excess annual leave.
We encourage you to take annual leave, as it is important to take time to relax, unwind, and have a break from work. However, we understand that in exceptional circumstances, employees may wish to cash out their excess annual leave.
Some employees with excess annual leave may be entitled to cash out the annual leave in accordance with their Enterprise Agreement (EA). Each EA has its own definition of excess annual leave. Please refer to your relevant EA to determine whether you are eligible.
The following Enterprise Agreements may be eligible:
- Allied Health Professionals Enterprise Agreement 2016-2020
- Biomedical Engineers Enterprise Agreement 2018-2022
- Dental Therapist ,Dental Hygienist and Oral Health Therapists Enterprise Agreement 2018-2022
- Health and Allied Services, Managers and Administration Workers Enterprise Agreement 2016-2020
- Jessie McPherson Private Hospital (Nurses & Midwives) Enterprise Agreement 2016
- Jessie McPherson Private Hospital (Support Services) Enterprise Agreement 2018
- Medical Scientists, Pharmacists and Psychologists Enterprise Agreement 2017-2021
- Mental Health Enterprise Agreement 2016-2020
- Nurses and Midwives Enterprise Agreement 2016-2020
For more information on eligibility and how to cash out excess leave, please visit the People and Culture Intranet page – Excess Annual Leave.
Managing medication safely
The preparation and administration of medication is a core activity that our patients rely on us to get right every time.
During Accreditation week, assessors will want to see clinicians safely prescribing, dispensing and administering appropriate medicines, as well as monitoring medicine use.
Interstate and New Zealand conference and education-related travel
Interstate and New Zealand conference and education-related travel no longer require Chief Executive approval. Line managers can now provide approval as appropriate.
Employees requesting to attend such conferences must consider the risks involved. If conditions change and you cannot return to Victoria or need to self-isolate on return, you will need to take annual leave if remote working is not an option.
Managers: Workplace Inspections for this quarter are now due
Your workplace inspection form is available in Protect.
Please read the quick guides available on the Safety Intranet Page:
For help and support in completing your workplace inspection, please refer to the Occupational Health and Safety Intranet, call the OHS Advice Line 959 46140 or email safety@monashhealth.org
Coronavirus in Victorian Healthcare and Aged Care Workers (COVIC-HA) – Survey
Clinical researchers across Monash Health, Alfred Health and Monash University (including Professor Rhonda Stuart) are asking employees who work in any area within the health services to participate in the Coronavirus in Victorian Healthcare and Aged care workers (COVIC-HA) Cohort Study.
The COVIC-HA study aims to understand and monitor the ongoing psychological and physical impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees working in the Victorian healthcare setting.
This brief survey will only take about two minutes to complete and can be accessed using the link below:
https://redcap.helix.monash.edu/surveys/?s=CMC7XT3FJJ
Respondents who complete this survey will be eligible to enter a prize draw to win one of five $50 digital gift cards.
All managers are requested to share these updates with their teams and discuss at stand-ups and handovers. Please print a copy and display it in communication books and on employee noticeboards.
As advice and information evolve, please consult the latest updates and visit the Department of Health and Human Services and Monash Health COVID-19 website for employees regularly for the latest.