Page 683 - Week 02 - Thursday, 20 February 2020

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(2) What in-service training has been given to mental health nurses in relation to the strategy.

(3) What feedback has the directorate received from mental health nurses as to the effectiveness of the strategy.

(4) In quantifiable terms, what have been outcomes of the strategy.

(5) Is the work health and safety training developed under this document included in orientation training for new mental health nurses; if no, why.

Mr Rattenbury: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) No.

(a) There is no specific work health and safety strategy for mental health nurses identified within the Nurses and Midwives: Towards a Safer Culture – the First Step Strategy (the Strategy). One of the Priority Actions of the Strategy is the implementation of the health services’ Work Health Safety (WHS) Strategic Plans. The WHS Strategic Plans are owned and implemented by the health services. A Mental Health Unit has been identified as a pilot site for the Nurses and Midwives: Towards a Safer Culture.

(b) Early in 2020, the project officers for the Nurses and Midwives: Towards a Safer Culture Project (the Project) will liaise with the health services to review the inclusion of prevention and management of Occupational Violence and Aggression (OVA) and Challenging Occupational Behaviours (COB) against nurses and midwives as key elements of their WHS Strategic Plans.

(2) The Strategy does not deliver in-service training specifically for Mental Health Nurses. Since January 2019, the project officers have facilitated 70 sessions informing key stakeholders across Canberra Health Services (CHS), Calvary Public Hospital Bruce (CPHB), the ACT Health Directorate (ACTHD) and other external key stakeholders of the purpose and expected implementation and outcomes of the Strategy. It must be noted however, the project officers did host a specific Mental Health Month Forum for Nurses and Midwives at CHS and CPHB.

(3) The Strategy is currently in ‘Phase 2 – launch and implement’ of delivery. The Strategy has not yet been fully implemented. The expected implementation end date is June 2021. Therefore, feedback is not yet available.

(4) The project officers developed a three-phase approach to enact the Strategy’s Project Management Plan which was endorsed by the Nurses and Midwives: Towards a Safer Culture Steering Committee, the ACTHD Project Sponsor and the ACTHD Project Owner. Under Phase 1 of the Strategy, the Discover and Develop phase, the following papers were developed by the end of 2018:

• CHS WHS Strategic Plan;

• Discussion Paper;

• Strategy; and

• Implementation Plan.

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