| 1. |
Position title: This depends on the qualification and may
include Practice Nurse (Enrolled Nurse) or Practice Nurse
(Registered Nurse). |
| 2. |
Term of employment period: If the practice wishes
to employ the practice nurse for a limited period (eg, 12
months), this must be clearly stated in the contract. If no
term of employment is stated, termination of the employment
contract will require the period of notice required by law. If
a probation period is intended this also needs to be clearly
stated. Under Work Choices the probation period may be
up to six months. The basis of the employment should be
specified, ie, full-time, part-time or casual.
Full-time — maximum 38 hours per week or 76 hours
per fortnight or 152 hours per month, plus reasonable
additional hours.
Part-time — varying periods normally up to 20 hours per week.
Casual — those employed for short intermittent periods and normally for not less than two hours for each period of work. |
| 3. |
Remuneration: Includes salary, allowances, loadings
(including casual loadings) and other like items specified in
the employment contract or relevant award. The Australian
Fair Pay Commission is expected to publish a wage review,
prior to November 2006, which may cover practice nurses. |
| 4. |
Superannuation: Currently, employers are required to pay
a minimum of 9% of the nurses’ ordinary time earnings into
a superannuation fund. Ordinary earnings are the wages,
allowances and loadings that a nurse would normally receive
on a week to week basis. |
| 5. |
Hours of work: The contract should outline this and include:
• the days on which the practice nurse is to attend work
• the hours to be worked
• whether the nurse is to work a 19-day month and get an
accrued day off
• rostering arrangements. |
| 6. |
Annual leave: Minimum of four weeks annual leave per
12 full months of employment, in accordance with the
Standard, with a loading of 17.5% of ordinary pay. |
| 7. |
Personal/carer’s leave (including sick leave): 10 days
paid leave per year for full time employees, in accordance
with the Standard. |
| 8. |
Long service leave: Paid leave at the completion of a period
of employment and can vary between states, and is based on
ordinary time earnings governed by the state legislation. |
| 9. |
Confidentiality and privacy: The employer should provide
details of the relevant legislation on this area and how it is
implemented within their organisation. All nurses comply
with state and federal legislation regarding confidentiality
and privacy. |
| 10. |
Termination of employment: Length of notice to be given
to the employee is set out below:
Period of continuous service period of notice
| 1 year or less |
1 week |
| 1 year and up to 3 years |
2 weeks |
| 3 years and up to 5 years |
3 weeks |
| 5 years and over |
4 weeks |
If employee is over 45 years with not less than two years
continuous service, an additional period of notice is required.
Payment in lieu of notice, notice of termination by the
employee, time off during the notice period and statement of
employment should be included in the contract. |
| 11. |
Public holidays: Nurses are generally entitled to 10 to 13
public holidays per year depending on the State in which
they work. If a nurse is required to work on a public holiday,
penalty rates apply from 100% to 150% on an hourly rate.
Otherwise the entitlement relates to a day off without loss of pay. |
| 12. |
Study leave: Recognises that a nurse is required to
undertake professional development activities in order to
keep up to date with advances in nursing practice. This
varies across awards ranging from three to five days per
annum to a specific number of hours per week. |
| 13. |
Bereavement leave: two days paid leave for each
occasion on the death or serious illness of a member of the
employee’s immediate family or household. |
| 14. |
Parental leave: 52 weeks of unpaid leave for permanent
employees and eligible casual employees. |
