Registered nurses and midwives are highly skilled professionals who save lives. Research has shown that that the risk of a patient dying in hospital is almost 20 per cent lower when their care is provided by registered nurses.
This is why the ANF continues to lobby politicians, healthcare providers, managers and their accountants to understand that safe workloads and practices, competitive wages, and fair working conditions and entitlements are intrinsically linked to high quality patient, resident and client care and nurse/midwife recruitment and retention. Apart from organising campaigns to improve the health system and patient care, ANF is also here to resolve specific workplace issues and assist individual members with a workplace or professional matter.
If you are not a member, I would encourage you to look around this site, particularly at the benefits and services and consider joining online. ANF's strength lies in its membership of more than 49,000 registered nurses, midwives, student nurses, student midwives and assistants in nursing/personal care workers who all make a valuable contribution to the lives of Victorians. The benefits of strong ANF membership at your workplace and in your unit or ward cannot be underestimated. An analysis of Victorian nurses' disputes clearly shows workplaces with strong membership can resolve issues such as nurse patient ratios, midwife patient ratios, staffing levels, wages, on-call policies, unfair or unsafe shift arrangements and unsafe ward reconfigurations. It is also proven that nurses and midwives have better wages and conditions in workplaces with higher union membership.
If you are a member have a look around this site to find out about forthcoming events in the Calendar, upcoming professional development, Job Rep, OHS and OHS Rep courses at the ANF Education Centre, the ANF Library's services, news, campaigns or current grants, scholarships and awards. In the members' area you'll find pay rates, information about entitlements and ANF policies and position statements.
I hope this site motivates you to become more involved with your profession and your union to improve your ability to provide safe care, working conditions and entitlements by becoming a Job Rep, attending members' meetings, participating in campaigns and joining your relevant ANF (Victorian Branch) Special Interest Group.
I would like to particularly welcome nursing and midwifery students and graduate nurses and midwives to this website. There is a feedback form on this website and we are keen to hear your ideas about how we can support you in the early years of your nursing career.
No matter where you work, what division you are on the register, what your speciality is, or if you are an assistant in nursing/personal care worker employed in private or not-for-profit aged care - the Australian Nursing Federation (Victorian Branch) is your union.
Lisa Fitzpatrick
STATE SECRETARY
AUSTRALIAN NURSING FEDERATION (VICTORIAN BRANCH)
