New Health Minister praises nurses

Saturday was International Nurses Day and new Queensland Health Minister, Lawrence Springborg, has sung the praises of nurses in Queensland, acknowledging the 32, 200 nurses and midwives employed by Queensland Health.
“Our nurses and midwives do an amazing job, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and I recognise this day as an opportunity to formally say thanks,” Minister Springborg said.
Last week, the Minister attended a breakfast with more than 100 nurses and midwives where he said that each day in public hospitals our nurses provide expert care to more than 30,000 outpatients and for more than 8500 people admitted to hospital.
“May 12 is celebrated around the world, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth and International Nurses Day,” he said.
“Every day, nurses in Queensland face challenges that include rural isolation, ageing population, workforce/recruitment pressures, indigenous disadvantage, changing ways of practice, health reform, greater accountability and budget pressures.”
Queensland Health has just awarded scholarships worth up to $5000 each annually to 30 of our nurses and midwives. The Minister said that it is encouraging to see more nurses specialising.
A recent survey showed 70 per cent of registered nurses in Queensland work in a specialist area.
He said that the number of nurse practitioners is also increasing, with more than 100 practitioners working in high priority areas, such as rural and remote health in Queensland Health.
“Nurse practitioners deliver innovative and flexible health care solutions and can reduce patient waiting times to free up doctors for specialist work. I see this as important,” he said.