Natalie Berniard. Photo: supplied
Natalie Berniard’s mother suggested she consider a career other than nursing ‘because nursing has traditionally been undervalued and underpaid’. She also encouraged Natalie into nursing, saying that ‘if you want to always be able to work doing something that’s rewarding and that you love, study nursing.’
Natalie’s mother is a fourth-generation nurse, so the young Nat listened to her, followed her passion for caring and became the fifth generation member of her family to find a career in nursing. She also joined ANMF on her mother’s advice, though she admits it took her a while before she realised the full power of the union.
‘My mum was a fantastic nurse and midwife who wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries for better conditions,’ Nat says, ‘and I admire her so much. She has always been a role model for me, especially in my nursing career.’
‘I even liked the bleach smell!’
It probably helped that as a child Nat ‘just loved the hospital,’ she says with a laugh. ‘Being there intrigued me. I even liked the bleach smell! I was impressed by the way the nurses looked after people, especially when things were often difficult and so unpredictable.’
Now an associate nurse manager at Monash Health, working in anaesthetics and recovery, Nat has been nursing for 28 years. Her career started at the old Royal Adelaide Hospital with her first grad placement in ICU – ‘which really was a baptism of fire,’ she says. But she loved the challenges, variety of care and teamwork, and knew immediately that she was in the right job.
Originally specialising in ICU nursing, Nat embraced its many challenges – including looking after Bali Bombing Victims in 2002. ‘Removing pieces of shrapnel from patient’s bodies was very confronting,’ she recalls.
Over the years, Nat has worked in many different areas including surgical wards, burns, ED and as a surgical and anaesthetic liaison nurse. But she eventually followed her heart and husband to Melbourne to work at The Alfred ICU. Later, looking for a lifestyle /shiftwork change and something closer to home, she transitioned her critical care skills into anaesthetics and recovery and has been a perioperative nurse since 2007.
Natalie Berniard during the 2024 public sector EBA campaign. Photo supplied
The benefits of being a Rep
Unable to let nursing remain ‘undervalued and underpaid’, Nat is now a health and safety rep (HSR), an ANMF Job Rep, and an ANMF (Vic Branch) Councillor. Her passion is people – not just the people she cares for as a nurse, but the people she works with.
‘Being a Job Rep and an HSR is to be able to be the voice for people who don’t want to speak up or who feel they can’t speak up when something’s not right,’ she says. She believes that the role of a Job Rep can sometimes be seen as controversial in the workplace but she always tries to communicate ‘that we are a team, and I’m here to use my knowledge and resources to work with management to help improve workplace conditions and outcomes.’
Admitting that she ‘was quite naive at first about the union and what resources it had’, Nat jokes that she thought it was just for indemnity insurance.’ It wasn’t until she had a significant issue in her workplace that was affecting many staff that she thought ‘rather than complaining, I need to try and do something about this.’
‘Speaking to her was like a breath of fresh air. I thought: there’s someone out there who understands, who has the resources and legal knowledge, and who can help.’
When Nat eventually realised she could ask ANMF, help came in the form of Assistant Secretary Maddy Harradence, who at the time was an ANMF organiser. ‘She was awesome,’ Nat says. ‘Speaking to her was like a breath of fresh air. I thought: there’s someone out there who understands, who has the resources and legal knowledge, and who can help.’
Maddy eventually talked Nat into being a Job Rep, though she admits she was hesitant at first. ‘I didn’t know what it meant. It sounded like a lot of work, and I just wanted help with this issue. But Maddy helped me to see that ours was just one of many issues at our workplace and that I would have more strength with the Job Rep title to implement the EBA and to seek assistance in the future.’
Convinced, she recruited ‘a couple of friends to be Job Reps together, as there were no Job Reps to cover day shifts’. Her first delegates conference was a revelation, Nat says. ‘I figured out we could make the rules. Any member can make a motion to change something and have a say. It was really eye-opening to realise that.’
Recently, Nat and fellow Job Reps have achieved 100% ANMF membership in their workplace. ‘We loved that with the assistance from ANMF we could acknowledge our awesome nursing team and reward our colleagues for all the amazing work they do on a daily basis,’ she says.
Stepping up to Branch Council
It was Maddy Harradence, again, who convinced Nat to stand for Branch Council. Finding herself at a turning point in her career, she was ‘hesitant and naturally scared of the unknown’ but she also knew she was ready for a new challenge. ‘I loved that Maddy, Lisa and the ANMF had faith in me and could recognise my passion for people and the workplace.’
If becoming a Job Rep/HSR and attending the delegates conference was eye-opening, joining Branch Council is next level, Nat says. ‘There is so much that goes on behind the scenes. There’s an immense workload happening in the background in so many different areas all around the state, and I think the ANMF is too often an untapped nursing and healthcare resource’.
She knows that it can often feel insular in your own workplace, but says reading the Branch reports makes ‘you realise there are similar issues elsewhere, and the Branch is the brains trust of how to deal with those issues. It has the strength behind it of an amazing support crew and so many resources to help nurses and midwives in all areas of work and life. It’s just so impressive.’
‘It has been so amazing to feel empowered, to have a voice, and to give back what the union has given to me.’
Nat is grateful that she ‘took a leap of faith that has proven to be such an invaluable opportunity. It has been so amazing to feel empowered, to have a voice, and to give back what the union has given to me.’
This is Nat’s second term on Branch Council and says she feels ‘privileged to be a representative for perioperative nurses.’ As a councillor, she has met the premier to discuss nursing and elective surgery during the COVID pandemic, participated in media campaigns and in the planned surgery reform program.
For Nat, one of the best things about being on Branch Council is being able to connect with and learn from people in other workplaces. She recognises that ‘this respect for shared knowledge strengthens the ANMF and helps to build solidarity amongst nurses and midwifes.’
Reflecting on her own career Nat is ‘proud of how far nursing has come’ – especially after hearing the stories from her mother’s era! ‘Being on Branch Council allows me to see and advocate for this amazing progress, and in a small way be involved with continuing to support a better future for all nurses and midwives.’
