Welcome to the College of Nurses – News Update.
No. 83 – 7 December 2011
From NZ media this week
DHB members want alcohol abuse action
Members of Wellington's district health boards have united to denounce New Zealand's drinking culture, saying health service staff despair at the "entirely avoidable costs".
http://bit.ly/v7Ec9v
New Zealand nurses 'working for free': Union
New Zealand District Health Board nurses have worked more than 11,000 minutes for free since November 14.
http://bit.ly/sjUfyl
DHB wages war on workplace bullying
Ignorance of workplace bullying appears to be a "Nelson syndrome", says a consultant commending the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board for addressing the problem.
http://bit.ly/sXpwaM
Midwife rules to change
The Health Ministry is set to change the way independent midwives report to district health boards, an expert medical witness has told a coroner's inquest in Wanganui.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10771200
Tribunal slams nurse's conduct
A male nurse who formed an "inappropriate relationship" with a "very vulnerable" psychiatric hospital patient has admitted bringing his profession into disrepute.
http://www.starcanterbury.co.nz/news/tribunal-slams-nurses-conduct/1191866/
Boost in national preventive health targets
The latest quarterly results for the six National Health Targets have been published.Health Minister Tony Ryall says there is good improvement in the preventive health targets for quarter one 2011/12 – particularly with better help for smokers to quit.
http://bit.ly/ufUdqT
DHB among nation's best at helping smokers quit
South Canterbury District Health Board is among New Zealand's best at helping people who want to quit smoking.
ttp://bit.ly/tFPGUJ
International media
For-Profit Nursing Homes Have Low Staffing and Poor Quality of Care
According to a study published online in advance of print publication in Health Services Research, the largest for-profit nursing homes in the nation deliver considerably lower quality of care as they often have fewer staff...
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/238517.php
Physical Environment, Workgroup Cohesion Play Significant Roles In Nurses' Ratings Of Quality Of Patient Care
While nurse-to-patient ratios are widely recognized as an important factor in determining the quality of patient care, those ratios are not always easy to change without significant cost and investment of resources...
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/238473.php
Norovirus outbreaks 'should be managed in single rooms'
Cases of norovirus should initially be managed in single rooms and bays in a bid to prevent whole hospital wards being closed, new guidelines recommend.
http://www.nursingtimes.net/5038532.article?referrer=e1
Shortages in the health system (Fiji)
THE Ministry of Health has set retention strategies for doctors and nurses and a training plan to address some of the shortfalls in the health sector.
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=187280
Nurses too busy due to cuts - RCN Scotland
Half of nursing staff say they are too busy to provide the standard of care they would like to because of cuts to the “backbone of the NHS”, a survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Scotland found.
http://www.nursingtimes.net/5038592.article?referrer=e1
Young people should be able to 'text' school nurses
Young people want to be able to directly text, call or email their school nurse for healthcare advice, according to a report for the government
http://www.nursingtimes.net/5038625.article?referrer=e1
Benefits of health worker migration flow one way - to us
Australia has saved almost $640 million by poaching doctors from some of the poorest countries in Africa.
http://bit.ly/t9Y2Wj
Learning Assessment Tool IDs R.N. Educational Needs
Pediatric procedural sedation education needs identified through questionnaireTHURSDAY, Dec. 1 (HealthDay News) -- A learning needs assessment (LNA), which evaluates the knowledge of registered nurses (RNs) on procedural sedation for pediatric patients, is able to help identify knowledge deficits and differential needs, and can be a useful tool for providing continuing education, according to a study published in the December issue of the AORN Journal
http://www.physiciansbriefing.com/Article.asp?AID=659349
Safer prescribing in prisons guide published
The Royal College of GPs has published the first ever guidance on safer prescribing in prisons.
http://www.nursingtimes.net/5038143.article?referrer=e68
Public health news
New study looks at mental illness in families
Are any of your family members affected by mental illness? The University of Otago, Christchurch wants to talk to you.
http://bit.ly/uoKLhh
Work and management
Resolving family and work conflicts
Conflict is a normal and necessary part of any healthy relationship, whether it’s a relationship with your romantic partner, another family member, a friend at school, or a colleague at work. However, the way you choose to handle these conflicts can make the difference between harming a relationship or making it stronger.By learning the skills you need for successful conflict resolution, you can face disagreements at home and work with confidence and keep your relationships healthy and growing.
http://helpguide.org/mental/eq8_conflict_resolution.htm
Online resources
Competences: for nurses undertaking bimanual pelvic examinations (PDF 592.3 KB)
Nurses working in sexual and reproductive health are increasingly extending their role, benefitting both the nurses and their client groups. The ability to carry out pelvic and bimanual examinations is now a key requirement for nurses working in these specialisms in primary, secondary and community care. The purpose of this competency framework is to ensure that women requiring a pelvic exam are cared for safely and that training and assessment processes are in line with local guidance.
http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/417489/004134.pdf
Reports online
Social and Economic Costs of Violence—Workshop Summary
The "Social and Economic Costs of Violence-Workshop Summary" released by the Institute of Medicine presents a comprehensive framework for thinking about the impact of violence, exploring costs beyond the direct economic effects of violence.In the Institute of Medicine publication, Rachel Davis, Project Director for UNITY, makes the case for violence prevention as the single most effective way to promote economic development. In addition, UNITY Co-Chair Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith highlights the importance of understanding the definition of violence within its cultural context in performing data analysis.Download "Social and Economic Costs of Violence-Workshop Summary" to learn more about successes and challenges in calculating the direct and indirect costs of violence.
http://www.preventioninstitute.org/component/jlibrary/article/id-315/127.html
Articles of interest
Focus - Leading the way
The development of leadership skills is a fundamental responsibility of all nurses and midwives, writes Loretto Grogan
http://www.inmo.ie/Home/Index/7509/9514
Training Peers Improves Social Outcomes for Some Kids with ASD
NIH-funded Study Finds Engaging Peers in Social Skills Intervention May Be More Helpful than Training Children with ASD DirectlyChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who attend regular education classes may be more likely to improve their social skills if their typically developing peers are taught how to interact with them than if only the children with ASD are taught such skills. According to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, a shift away from more commonly used interventions that focus on training children with ASD directly may provide greater social benefits for children with ASD. The study was published online ahead of print on November 28, 2011, in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
http://1.usa.gov/ubQapq
The above information has been collated for the College of Nurses Aotearoa (NZ) Inc by Linda Stopforth, SNIPS and is provided on a weekly basis. It is current as at Tuesday 7 December 2011.
If you have any feedback about content - what parts are most useful or what you would like added - please email admin@nurse.org.nz
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