Productivity has been a major topic of discussion in recent months after the federal government declared it a national priority.

The ANMF 17th National Biennial Conference - Productivity with purpose: Empowering nurses, midwives and care workers - tapped into this agenda, with more than one hundred delegates from across the country last week gathering on the Gold Coast to help shape the ANMF's focus and action for the next two years.

Opening the conference, ANMF Federal President Sally-Anne Jones said the term productivity was challenging for the professions because human-centred work isn’t easily measured.

“Service roles like ours involve emotional labour, critical thinking and interpersonal care,” she told delegates.

As productivity pressures inevitably grow, Ms Jones urged the professions to be clear about their role in the healthcare system, continue to fight for its understanding, and use the power and influence of belonging to the largest union in the country, to safeguard the health of Australians now and into the future.

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