Australians have rated Nurses as the most ethical and honest profession each year for 21 years in a row (1994-2015) source. Whether nurses deserve that reputation or not, I’m pleased that the other stereotypes of nursing (eg: selfless angel, sexy nurse, Nurse Ratched, subservient nurse, murderous nurse, zombie nurse, etc) haven’t overwhelmed the public perception that most of us are honest and ethical.
“Ethical and honest” is a pretty good reputation for the nursing profession to have. A reputation to be proud of. A reputation worth defending.
These organisations are cosignatories to a media statement calling for amendments to Australian Border Force Act 2015 https://meta4rn.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/150620-joint-statement-australian-health-groups-call-for-australian-border-force-act-to-be-amended.pdf
As per media statements released over the last few days [here, here and here], it may soon become illegal to be ethical and honest for nurses, doctors and allied health staff working in Australia’s immigration detention centres.
Australian Border Force Act 2015 acts to silence honesty and to out-trump ethics with a threat of two years jail for advocating for patients. This is very dangerous territory.
Toni Hoffman Australian of the Year Awards 2006. Image source: http://www.australianoftheyear.org.au
Less than a decade ago a nurse in Bundaberg, Toni Hoffman, was commended in a Queensland Public Hospitals Commission of Inquiry thus:
I would also like to pay tribute to certain people whose care, passion or courage was instrumental in bringing to light the matters covered here. First and foremost of those is Ms Hoffman. She might easily have doubted herself, or succumbed to certain pressures to work within a system that was not responsive. She might have chosen to quarantine herself from Dr Patel’s influence by leaving the Base or at least the Intensive Care Unit. Instead, and under the threat of significant detriment to herself, Ms Hoffman persistently and carefully documented the transgressions of Dr Patel.
For being ethical and honest Toni Hoffman won some praise and copped a whole heap of flak. Only Toni can tell us whether her personal costs were offset by the public benefits. However, if a nurse working in any of Australia’s detention centres is faced with comparable ethical concerns, speaking honestly about it could cost them two years in prison.
That’s a high cost to pay.
What’s the sense in making it illegal to be ethical?
End
As always, your comments are welcome below. If I’ve totally misunderstood the legislation and you can explain to me how preventing health professionals from advocating for their patients is a good idea, you’re VERY welcome to leave a comment.
Paul McNamara, 20th June 2015
Short URL: meta4RN.com/ethical
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