All of us, the young and not so young, must share that responsibility for rethinking or learning how should we, and how do we, best handle conflicts before they escalate in our day to day lives.

It’s sad that our TV media that night sought to continually replay footage of the incident.

Hopefully it make us all as a community take big steps into the future to continue to adopt the saying, “bullying of any sort is not acceptable” – in our community and in our world.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) is disappointed by the NSW Government’s failure to address the need for nurse-to-patient ratios in the 2018-19 Budget.

The government's welcome investments in healthcare need to be matched by more nurses and midwives to ensure patients receive the best care.

The 950 new nursing positions announced in the NSW State Budget is a step in the right direction, but nurses and midwives urgently need safe staffing levels. That means better, more transparent nurse-to-patient ratios.

NSW public hospitals are facing more patient admissions without enough staffing to meet the demand. Introducing ratios across the state would guarantee there are enough nurses and midwives to give patients the best possible care.

The NSW Government has also failed to clarify where the 950 new nurses will be based, and what skill mix they will have.

Nurses and midwives on the frontline are already run off their feet. How will the government guarantee they will be supported in the future?

This band-aid fix is barely enough to deal with the current staffing stresses in hospitals. It is certainly not enough to deal with the growing demand on our health services in the years to come. International research backs the need for nurse-to-patient ratios – why is this Government still resisting something guaranteed to improve patient care?

Only nurse-to-patient ratios can deliver the best outcome for the people of NSW.

The majority of Australians are touched by the impact of mental health in some way.

Many live with the daily burden of anxiety or depression, or care for a loved one. Devastatingly, thousands of Australians die by suicide each year and many more make an attempt. It is the leading cause of death for Australians between 15 and 44 years of age, but it can be prevented.

There are thousands of people working tirelessly to make a difference in this field and their efforts could not be more urgent. 

Anyone who knows of such a person would no doubt appreciate their achievements, but I would encourage them to take it one step further and nominate them for the Australian Mental Health Prize.

The prize was established to acknowledge those who are doing innovative work in this area, whether they are involved in the industry as a vocation or are advocates because they have been touched by mental illness. 

Acknowledging those who work or volunteer in the industry is an important part of the process to destigmatising mental illness.

Nominations are now open and I urge people to nominate people in your area.

More information and nomination forms can be obtained from www.australianmentalhealthprize.org.au.  Entries close on September 7.

For those who are living with the burden of mental illness every day, thank you for your support.