Nurse alleges bullying, abuse
May 27, 2008, smh
A NURSE broke down while giving evidence at an inquiry into hospitals, saying management bullied staff at Blue Mountains Hospital.
Jane Morley, a midwife at the Katoomba hospital for 21 years, wept yesterday as she told the Special Commission of Inquiry into Acute Care Services in NSW Public Hospitals that maternity staff were forced to take cord blood from newborn babies for testing without knowing why.
She had been talking about heavy workloads - in the past fortnight she worked an 18-hour and an 11-hour shift back to back. "Another thing I want to talk about is the bullying that goes on in the system," she said, breaking down.
Asked by the commissioner, Peter Garling, SC, if the bullying was between colleagues or from the top down, Ms Morley replied: "It's vertical."
"We get … abuse and threats … Most recently we were told that we would suffer disciplinary action if we didn't start collecting [cord blood] from every delivery regardless of whether there was an issue or not."
Mr Garling suggested she speak to his staff confidentially about the bullying allegations.
Natasha Wallace
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- Dear Fellow Bloggers, For some time I have thought about starting a left of centre news and commentary service and I have tried to do this by using email. But as some good, but email overloaded friends have suggested, a better way to go may be by blogging. So here it is! Jenny's Red News. My primary interests are left of centre politics and the very important question of how can we get left of centre parties, groups and grouplets in Australia working together more co-operatively. The right of centre predominates politics in this country at the present time, and they are on the march. We on the left of centre need to work together more co-operatively and constructively to put the left of centre agenda out there, for the perusal and consumption of the Australian people. Particular topics that will be reported on and on which comments are welcome are: Industrial relations - Opposition to Workchoices Refugee and Asylum Seekers Human Rights Civil Liberties Opposition to the Welfare to Work Changes Health System Reform Aboriginal Health and Reconciliation Jenny Haines posted by JENNY'S RED NEWS at 12:50 AM 0 comments