Nurses In Tasmania Face The Axe

Image via WikipediaIt was reported in Saturdays edition of 'The Examiner Newspaper' that about 37 nurses will lose their jobs at the Launceston General Hospital when their contracts expire at the end of December. The nurses in question were alerted when the rosters for January were released on Friday.

John Kirwan, Northern Area Health Service Chief Executive stated that not all positions involved were full-time. In a somewhat 'odd' statement, he said that, "....some were leaving...." due to a budget of $28 million budget cut. I find it ludicrous to suggest that even a few of the nurses involved would be leaving of their own volition.  He then had the audacity to suggest that some nurses were "....finishing up for personal reasons."

Back in the late 1980's when I was a Student Nurse, the concept of 'Career Structure' was

instigated. Most of us saw this for what it was....even before it started. I won't bore you with all of the gory details but one example was taking the rostering and other administration duties being taken away from Charge Nurses. The responsibility went to three Registered Nurses who probably weren't the safest nurses to have on the ward. Their wages were doubled and the rosters were a disaster. This mentality went on to affect every other aspect of nursing with the same shambolic administration results. Basically, positions that didn't exist were being created for nurses who weren't up to scratch on the ward. This has resulted in an almost unbelievable 'bulge' in middle-management.

For over a decade it has been common practise to employ nurses, be they newly-trained

University Graduates or from interstate or overseas, on three month contracts and verbally reassured that their future was solid. This is all very well but the University Graduates have their H.E.C.S. fees to pay off. Added to this is the fact that banks won't give nurses on a three month contract a housing loan. This happened to a friend of mine who had been strung along for five years like this. He returned to the U.K. in understandable disgust.

Nerolli Ellis, the state secretary for the Australian Nurses Federation described the situation as "....absolutely devastating." This is the same rhetoric that Ms. Elllis has been serving up to nurses for way too long and they are now seeing her in a different light; namely in that she is seeking a career in politics having stood for pre-selection to the Liberal Party at the last election.

The Labor and Green Parties are yet to comment. This entire fiasco has simply just happened despite well-attended protests; a first for the state. Interestingly, Ms. Ellis did not attend the meeting in Burnie on Tasmanias North-West coast, unlike Mr. Will Hodgman, the only politician that I have heard speak with real and genuine vigor, facts and empathy. Ms. Ellis did have an excuse but it was so lame that I can't recall it word for word

As if to rub salt into this gaping wound, nurses in Victoria are protesting for wage increases while Tasmanian nurses are fighting to maintain a wage!

If you care at all about this debacle, post your thoughts on Twitter with hashtags #politas and #nursingcuts. If you wish to contact relevant politicians, inbox me on Twitter @scotsbob

Related articles

• Nursing and Politics in Tasmania (socyberty.com)
• Vic nurses dispute back to umpire (news.theage.com.au)
• Vic nurses agree to stop industrial action (news.theage.com.au)

Facebook and Google Plus

Image via CrunchBaseDon't worry, readers, I'm not going to launch into a mind-numbing rundown of Facebook and Google Plus or, indeed, Facebook versus Google Plus. I can't because I simply don't know about them at that sort of level. I shall simply be commenting on my experiences over the last week or so.

Just over a week or so, I gently stepped into the world that IS Google Plus. Before I knew it, I had over 200 people in my various 'circles' and had been added to just over this number in other peoples circles. This initial influx seemed, on the surface, to be great for a self-confessed computer idiot.

After a few days, I decided to delve further but was disappointed to discover that 'this is it.' You have your profile and can share whatever content that you wish. The trouble is, that you soon vanish into the realm of 'me and everybody else.' There is nothing that you can share that hasn't been shared before or can be shared elsewhere. I did, however, find that Twitter was the most successful way of drawing attention to Google Plus.

After spending some time flitting between Facebook and Google Plus, it struck me.

The only major differences between Google Plus and Facebook, the only difference is that Google Plus seems to have a lot more articles of 'substance' as opposed to Facebook where people can share anything from a flying ant to a fuzzy, framed quote from someone that they probably haven't heard of.

I then discovered that you can have a Google Plus Business Page. I should have done it the other way around but I didn't so I'll be onto promoting my business page in the upcoming week.

So....I have no beef with Facebook or Google Plus. I would, however, take this opportunity to weigh up

what Facebook and Google Plus offer and don't offer. The biggest advantage that I've found is that if you have a purpose outside of socialising, Google Plus is not for you. If you're looking at sharing and receiving more purposeful and long-lasting media, then Google Plus IS for you.

At the end of the day, it is not a time-consuming task to operate both Facebook and Google Plus together....and I would most definitely recommend this.


Related articles

• 4 Excellent Examples of Creative Google+ Business Pages (hubspot.com)
• How to Optimize Your Google+ Business Page [Free Ebook!] (hubspot.com)
• Google+ Business Pages (smallbusinessmavericks.com)
• HootSuite Integrates Google+ Pages Into Social Media Dashboard (readwriteweb.com)
• If Google+ Facebook equals X. Find X? (marketing.yell.com)
• Is Google+ or Facebook Better for Business? (pcworld.com)
• Facebook vs Google: What The People Say (stateofsearch.com)
• This Is Why Google Is Scared Of Facebook : Its All About Data (thetechnologycafe.com)

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I Read The News Today, Oh Boy

As you may or may not be aware I have recently launched two online newspapers, both focusing 
on difffering areas of Tasmania and all that goes with it. Being a musician and music buff in general, my firt newspaper to be launched was adventurously named. "Music In Tasmania"  The second newspaper was simply called"Tasmania Today,"

Both newspapers are heavily dependent on Twitter. With regards to "Tasmania Today" I have access to a wealth of information pertaining to Tasmania, including up-to-the-minute news releases from local newspapers & television stations, Police Tasmania and almost every politician in the State.

"Music In Tasmania" has (predictably) turned out to be a tougher task on the administration front. My 26 years as a professional musician told me that I would have to do some chasing. So I did. I contacted as many Tasmanian musicians as I was able on ReverbNation and MySpace advising them about my upcoming venture. The only Tasmanian musician that I didn't contact was Rod Fritz as his online presence & 'reachability' is second to none. Without any great deal of work on my part, Rod has been the 'featured article' on three occasions thus far.

Out of all the Tasmanian musicians that I wrote to, I received ONE response. That response came from Argusband from Hobart. As I alluded to earlier, I wasn't at all surprised at the lack of response from Tasmanian bands. Things haven't changed in the live circuit since the mid-90s. Bands are content doing a gig every week or so to the same crowd. To my way of thinking, music isn't a business to them. Having said this, if they're happy enough doing this, then best of luck to them.

So....I have put my backup plan into action. "Music In Tasmania" is now titled "Music And Arts In Tasmania." There is a wealth of easily accessible and breathtaking stuff to present to you.