Mel Simkin. Photo supplied
Scrub/scout nurse and perioperative educator, Mel Simkin was ‘a very stubborn child’ – a trait that has served her well in her role as an ANMF Job Rep. ‘I think the makings were there from the beginning’, she says.
Mel came to unionism early: her mother’s close friend was a healthcare whistleblower in the 90s and, as she learned more about this, it inspired young Mel. Then, as a nursing student, she sustained a spinal injury and completed her second-year exams from a hospital bed. When one of her lecturers told Mel she’d never be able to practice as a nurse, she was devastated. Her mum (‘ever the voice of reason’) suggested that she call the ANMF for advice. Mel has been an active member since.
When her graduate position was rescinded due to liability concerns about her injury, Mel again sought ANMF support. ‘I needed ANMF support so early on’, she says. ‘And knowing that what had happened to me was happening to others, that made me want to pay the support forward’. Becoming a Job Rep (and, in her former workplace, an HSR too) seemed a natural choice.
Day to day, the role ‘comes in peaks and troughs’. EBA negotiations are peak times, for example, but at other times, Mel describes it as wearing different but overlapping hats depending on the situation.
‘Education, Job Rep and HSR roles share many commonalities’, she says, ‘and bringing multiple perspectives to the table is so valuable’.
For example, she combines education about the importance of unionism with undergraduate and graduate induction training.
Mel also finds value as a Job Rep in being policy-focused because, ‘that’s where we’re most vulnerable’, she says. ‘If an incident occurs and we weren’t following policy, we can have the finger pointed at us and can find ourselves in all sorts of trouble.
But, if we have good policies and are following them, incidents will be less common and will trigger policy review rather than placing blame on the individual’.
Mel says the best thing about being a Job Rep is being able to help her colleagues. This might mean answering simple questions or directing members to the ANMF for more complicated matters.
‘I’m always there with my union hat on, and my colleagues know that. I think they see their reps as oracles of information, but I like to break it down and show them that you don’t need to
know everything – you just need to know how to find out’.
One of Mel’s most ‘stressful but valuable experiences’ was supporting a colleague through some challenging allegations, which were made harder (in part) by a language barrier.
Mel was able to support this colleague through this difficult time and ultimately there was a positive outcome for them.
Mel encourages any member thinking about it to become a Job Rep (and/or HSR). ‘Our patients, especially our surgical patients, rely on us to be their voice’, she says. ‘But Job Reps and HSRs are the voice of our colleagues, especially those that don’t feel safe to speak up’.
“ You can start out in smaller ways, simply by being someone who asks the tricky questions, encourages others to question, and nurtures knowledge acquisition.”
Mel adds ‘you don’t have to start big by putting your foot down on an issue and making a lot of noise. You can start out in smaller ways, simply by being someone who asks the tricky questions, encourages others to question, and nurtures knowledge acquisition’.
Significantly, she concludes, ‘You won’t be alone. You’ll have Job Rep training, ANMF staff and resources behind you. And you can always go to the ANMF directly – they’ve never let me down’.
