ABSTRACT
Introduction and history ................................................................................. 73 Australia-wide laws for safety in nursing practice ..................................... 75 Duty of care owed by host employer ............................................................ 78 Provision of information ................................................................................. 79 Safe use of equipment ..................................................................................... 82 Safe systems of work ....................................................................................... 84 Evaluation and continuous improvement .................................................... 92 Government and health service board responsibilities .............................. 94 Do patients and residents have health and safety responsibilities? ......... 95 Nursing agency duty of care .......................................................................... 96 Hours of work................................................................................................... 98 Demonstrating care for staff ........................................................................... 98 Agency nurses’ responsibilities for health and safety ................................ 99 Survey information on agency nursing ...................................................... 100 Summary ......................................................................................................... 102 References ........................................................................................................ 102
in this chapter is that everyone who works in, or who uses, a health service has a responsibility not only to meet their legal duties but to have a mission and a culture of care. Private organisations, in which this culture of care for everyone (including contract staff) who comes on the business premises is achieved, research has demonstrated are protable, while government organisations achieving this culture of care are more cost effective.
