K (and please feel free to call me Kim),
In response to your letter dated 15th October, will you please note (and answer), the following (in writing - I’m not requesting a meeting, I’m requesting a comprehensive written response):
1. I was abused and threatened with the Code of Conduct for voicing legitimate safety concerns by Nurse Manager X. You have the full details of this in writing, there’s is nothing more I can add. Queensland Health had my complaint about this on the 20th September 2009, almost 4 weeks ago. I will not (on the advice of solicitor Susan Moriarty), be having any further private meetings with Nurse Manager X until it is formally addressed, so please investigate this issue, and address it.
2. Please respond re whether or not it acceptable for acute psychiatric in-patients to be transported (in Queensland Health sedans), to outside appointments without a nurse escort.
3. Please respond re whether or not it is acceptable practise (for X Hospital), to report nurses to the Queensland Nursing Council, in regard to allegations that have already been investigated, and officially/fully dismissed.
4. Please respond re whether or not it is acceptable practise (for X Hospital), to seek (and obtain), further witness statements, in relation to matters/allegations that have already been investigated, and officially/fully dismissed.
5. Please respond re whether or not it is acceptable practise for a nurse manager to be in receipt of an opened email that officially clears a nurse of all wrong doing (for around 2 months), and not “Action” that information.
6. Please advise me of an acceptable time frame, after which a nurse who is the subject of serious allegations, can expect to receive original, signed and dated witness statements.
7. Please respond re whether or not it is acceptable for an alleged serious assault against a patient, to be left un-documented in the patient’s medical chart (by the nurse in charge of the shift, who is also the source of the complaint).
8. When a nurse politely raises a safety concern, is it acceptable for a nurse manager to threaten them with the Code of Conduct as a consequence?
9. Will you please advise me if there’s anything in this official/legal Queensland Government document:
http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/resources/pdfs/harassment_code2004.pdf
. . . re your responsibility to pro-actively research harassment, bullying and abuse (via tools like independent and confidential staff surveys), that you don’t understand. And for your convenience and ease, I suggest page 9. Will you then respond as to whether or not you are willing to carry out a survey of this type (in the X Hospital Mental Health Unit), given that I am formally reporting to you that at least four staff have confided in me re their extreme distress, but have not authorised me to break their confidentiality (due to fears of retribution).
10. I’m officially informing you that I consider my working environment in the X Hospital Mental Health Unit to be unsafe, because many staff are feel that if they physically restrain aggressive/violent patients (even according to official ABM policy), they are at risk of accusations (of undue/unauthorised force), and a long term suspension from work. I am also officially informing you that there is major disquiet about reporting these fears, related to concerns about management retribution. Therefore, I’m asking you to conduct an independent and confidential review/survey of the staff in this unit, one aimed at identifying these very real fears, and addressing them (via canvassed staff suggestions for addressing them). Please respond.
I don’t need psychological counselling. I don’t need Employee Assistance. I don’t need meetings with you. I need concrete, written responses that actually answer and address the questions that have been asked - and so does (I may add), the rest of Queensland.
So, K, when framing your response, could you please cut and paste each of my individual questions (1 through to 10), and then place your answer underneath. That should provide clarity and transparency. I’ll send a reminder in a couple of weeks, if I’ve not heard anything in the meantime.
As for my attitude (which you allude to), maybe when Queensland Health shows respect and support for its own “Code of Conduct” (and its employees), by directly answering these extremely urgent and dangerous problems/questions, then I can assure you (most certainly), you will get an equal measure of respect from me.
Regards, Kim
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