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July 2004 Aged care not fixed yet The ANF has met with the Department of Health and Ageing to discuss funding for nurses and other aged care workers in the May 2004 Federal Budget. An additional 400 undergraduate nursing places each year for four years will be distributed to universities that can demonstrate they promote aged care nursing in their curriculum, although all universities can make application for places. These new places may provide an opportunity for enrolled nurses (ENs, RN Div 2s) to have their prior learning recognised and apply to complete an undergraduate nursing course. There will also be 4,500 additional vocational education places in 2004-05 (and up to 15,750 places over the next four years), and funding for 1,500 ENs to undertake medication administration courses in 2004-05 (with up to 5,250 places available over the next four years). Nurses and other aged care workers should start talking to their employers now about the training providers who will deliver this education in their residential aged care facility. Information will be on the internet so visit the government website and look for the link.(1) The ANF also participated in a meeting of the National Aged Care Alliance in early June (see www.naca.asn.au). Following the meeting, the Alliance concluded that the Budget 'patched up residential aged care in the short term, while paying some attention to a number of key issues', but did not set out effective long-term solutions to the underlying problems in aged care. The Alliance identified some of the issues requiring action including:
The ANF is working with the other professional nursing organisations who are members of the Alliance, including Royal College of Nursing Australia, and Geriaction, to have these issues addressed.(3) References |