Adj Prof Jackie Hanson, Chief Executive
R U OK? Day
Today is R U OK? Day and this year the theme is “I’m Here to Hear”. R U OK? Day is a wonderful initiative, creating an opportunity and environment to check-in with people to see how they are doing. The focus this year on being available to listen is such an important one. By actively and genuinely listening to one another we can offer a lifeline to those who may be struggling, ensuring that they feel heard, valued and supported.
R U OK? Day is about taking time to notice if someone you know has been acting differently or saying things differently. Maybe they have seen more withdrawn, overwhelmed or struggling to see a positive side. I encourage everyone today to have a conversation with these people and to ask them the question “R U OK?”.
Throughout this week Metro North have been holding events including staff information sessions on how to ask R U Ok? See below for R U OK? events for the remainder of the week:
Thursday 14 September 11.30-12.00pm
Meet R U OK? Ambassador Anita Hogan, Caboolture Register now
Friday 15 September 10.00-11.00am
R U OK? How to ask, Redcliffe Education Centre Register now
Friday 15 September 1.00-2.00pm
R U OK? Here to Hear wellbeing session. Redcliffe Education Centre Register now
Also, look out for our Wellbeing Coordinators today who will be roaming across the facilities to promote the “Here to Hear” message. If you would like more information on R U Ok? Day, including a workplace guide, see Metro North’s extranet R U OK? resources.
Cultural donation for Metro North
Uncle Alan Parsons recently donated a beautiful boomerang to Metro North. As a member of the Stolen Generation, Uncle Alan has been an important consumer advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for people with a disability. The boomerang will be framed along with a description of its cultural significance and displayed in on Level 14, Block 7 RBWH. Thank you, Uncle Alan for donating this wonderful symbol of Aboriginal culture.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice
The date for the Voice referendum has been announced – Saturday 14 October 2023. On this day Australians will have their say about whether to change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing a body called the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
I encourage everyone to educate themselves on the upcoming referendum and have their say on Saturday 14 October. You can find
out more information at voice.gov.au.
Compassionate Care Principles
Last week I spoke about the Metro North Compassionate Care Principles and this week I would like to focus on Principle 1: Flexible visiting hours across Metro North inpatient facilities.
This principle is centred around the idea that the presence of family and friends can alleviate a patient’s anxiety, stress or loneliness, contributing to their recovery and overall wellbeing. Flexible visiting hours at our facilities increases the opportunities for visitors to provide comfort and reassurance to their loved ones while they are in our care. The flexibility also enables visitors to be able to plan a visit, despite other commitments such as work or care for young children. Flexible visiting hours can also assist hospital staff as they can co-ordinate patient visits at times that don’t impact on when therapy or treatments are taking place.
I encourage staff across all facilities to ensure flexible visiting hours are available where possible as it can make such a difference to a person’s care during their time with us.
Have Your Say Survey
In the 2 years since our 2021 Have Your Say Survey, 23 of our teams have shown exceptional dedication and commitment by significantly increasing their engagement scores by over 30%. This is a testament to the incredible work each one of you does, day in and day out, to make Metro North an organisation that thrives on collaboration, innovation, and excellence.
A particular mention goes to the Dialysis Unit at North Lakes and the Technical Support Team within Digital Metro North which increased their engagement from 16.5% and 17.2% in 2021 to 67.1% and 63.6% respectively in 2023.
As we celebrate these remarkable accomplishments, let us also use this as an opportunity to learn from their experiences. Let us continue to collaborate and share best practices across our organisation, so that every team can achieve their fullest potential.
Messages in a bottle
One of the messages in a bottle I received in the Have Your Say Survey was from a staff member at The Prince Charles asking me to look at changing the rules regarding shoes, particularly the colour. There is a Metro North Nurses and Midwives: Professional Dress Standards policy that incorporates what shoes should be worn and this is under review. My position, as someone who enjoys wearing a variety of shoes, is if your shoes meet required Occupational Health and Safety standards the colour etc is to be personal choice. This will be reflected in the new standard. Thank you for your feedback.
There have been 4 or 5 messages that ask for recruitment practices to not just be values based but also skills based. I would like to reassure you that while there is a values-based approach it is one of a number of components including skills and qualifications. You may have seen the recent message from the Queensland Health Chief Human Resources Officer which referred to changes to the Recruitment and Selection Directive that outlines that we should be recruiting the person best suited to the position. If after selection it becomes evident that there may be issues, then positive performance plans should be developed and actioned.
Kind regards,
Jackie.