News bulletin 30 May 2012

on 30 May

Welcome to the College of Nurses – News Update.
No. 105 –  30 May 2012

From NZ media this week 

Undercover boss slams workers' conditions
She is the real undercover boss - and her report slams the elder care industry.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/6995337/Undercover-boss-slams-workers-conditions 

Resthome spy hails saint-like workers
After six shifts working as a carer, Judy McGregor was mentally and physically exhausted.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/6998289/Resthome-spy-hails-saint-like-workers 

Ryman profit fuels row on aged care pay
One of New Zealand's largest rest home providers has reported record profits as debate rages over pay differences at private and public facilities.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/6995353/Ryman-profit-fuels-row-on-aged-care-pay 

Aged care pay inequality a costly fix
John Key says the difference in pay between aged-care workers in the community and those at hospitals is a problem, but fixing it would come at a high cost to the Government.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10808911 

PM: No money for aged care workers
Prime Minister John Key says district health boards will not be given more money to raise the pay of low-paid aged care workers because the Government has other priorities in the health sector.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/6999480/PM-No-money-for-aged-care-workers 

Change to rest home care asset tests
Some nasty Budget surprises have emerged, including cuts affecting teachers and elderly rest home residents
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/6991031/Change-to-rest-home-care-asset-tests 

Budget 2012: Health gets biggest spending boost
The partial sale of state-owned energy companies will pump $88.1 million into hospital redevelopment work as the health…http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10808180 

Budget 2012: Pack of 20 cigarettes to rise above $20
Substantial tobacco tax increases in today's Budget will help vulnerable younger smokers who are the most sensitive to price increases, the Cancer Society says
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10808177 

Experts eye British bid to halve child poverty
Members of an expert group appointed by the Children's Commissioner are floating the idea of a new law to halve child poverty in 10 years.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10808872  

Poverty-stricken kids resort to scavenging
Children living in poverty are taking desperate measures to feed and clothe themselves at schools as families struggle.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7004197/Poverty-stricken-kids-resort-to-scavenging 

Indian nurses protest outside Parliament
More than 100 Indian nurses are today staging a protest outside Parliament after being told they are not qualified enough to work here.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/indian-nurses-protest-outside-parliament-4898240?ref=rss 

Indian nurses protest at Parliament
About 150 Indian nurses protested on the steps of Parliament today, saying they are being denied the ability to work in…http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10807908 

1,000 Indian nurses registered in NZ past three years
In the past three years the Nursing Council has registered 1003 nurses who qualified in India, (318 in 2009-2010, 331 in 2010-2011 and 354 in 2011-2012) to practise in New Zealand.
http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/1000-indian-nurses-registered-nz-past-three-years/5/124247 

Review by NZQA into NZ Polytechnics
NZQA reviews and International Student qualification changes from Nursing Council of NZ Waiariki Institute of Technology is fully committed to ensuring its students have a high quality and enjoyable learning experience while they are in New Zealand.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1205/S00104/review-by-nzqa-into-nz-polytechnics.htm 

Waiariki Institute of Technology Open Letter in Response to Nursing Council of New Zealand Statement of 25 May, 2012
1. Waiariki Institute of Technology (“Waiariki”) is concerned at the statement released on the Nursing Council website today, which makes allegations that are inaccurate and unfairly impact upon Waiariki’s reputation. In particular, the Nursing Council of New Zealand alleges that the Bachelor of Nursing for Registered Nurses “is not a Nursing Council accredited programme”. This is incorrect. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1205/S00136/waiariki-response-to-nursing-council-of-nz-statement.htm 

Two Southland nurses in Dunedin to ease pressure
Under pressure from a higher-than-expected patient load, Dunedin Hospital nursing reached "crisis" point last week, according to New Zealand Nurses' Organisation associate industrial services manager Glenda Alexander. Exacerbating the situation was a ...
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/210402/two-southland-nurses-dunedin-ease-pressure  

International media 

Need A Nurse? You May Have To Wait (USA)
Nurses are the backbone of the hospital — just ask pretty much any doctor or patient. But a new poll conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health finds 34 percent of patients hospitalized for at least one night in the past year said "nurses weren't available when needed or didn't respond quickly to requests for help."
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/05/25/153634317/need-a-nurse-you-may-have-to-wait 

New York's Hudson Valley employs care managers, IT to cut readmissions (USA)
WASHINGTON – Like soldiers inserted into the battle front, an IT-supported pilot program in New York’s Hudson Valley has embedded in primary practices a network of nurse care managers, who catch patients who fall off physicians’ radar to turn around their health status. http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/new-yorks-hudson-valley-employs-care-managers-it-cut-readmissions 

Home movies bring back the past for elderly patients (UK)
Knitted bathing costumes and weird 1960s fashions in trigger lively debate among those whose minds are winding down
http://bit.ly/KRbooD 

Delivering for our nurses on numerous fronts (Ireland)
MASS retirements, a recruitment embargo and Croke Park proposals, Sheila Dickson's four year stint as INMO President coincided with unprecedented austerity measures. Yet, as the Killarney woman handed over her presidential chain on Friday, she says there have also been some positives along the way too.
http://www.kerryman.ie/news/delivering-for-our-nurses-on-numerous-fronts-3113557.html 

'Hiving off important responsibilities devalues nurses' skills' (Opinion piece) (UK)
News that a West Midlands trust is to extend a scheme whereby unemployed people deliver patient care makes me deeply uncomfortable.
http://bit.ly/L5MPXo   

Work and management 

Surviving in the cruel workplace
Focus on profits before people results in burnout, say experts.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10808621 

Kiwi workers sick of wasting time
The average Kiwi worker wastes up to a day a week on useless tasks, costing businesses $19 billion a year in wages alone.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/6996148/Kiwi-workers-sick-of-wasting-time 

Health and wellness 

Skin deep: the benefits of massage
The benefits of massage are much more than skin deep
http://www.listener.co.nz/lifestyle/health/skin-deep-the-benefits-of-massage/ 

Articles of interest 

Improving patient care in New Zealand hospitals
A team approach to caring for the chronically ill aims to keep them out of hospital.
http://www.listener.co.nz/lifestyle/health/improving-patient-care-in-new-zealand-hospitals/ 

Evidence-based nursing: The EBP rollout process
Nursing Management
May 2012 
Volume 43 Number 5
Pages 14 – 20
The standard approach to implementing a nursing practice change is to assign a group of people within the organization to disseminate the information using bulletin-board notification and in-services or a brief discussion during a staff meeting. This approach typically reaches only some of the staff. As passive receivers of the information, staff members may not assimilate and accept the change, and they may fail to immediately change their practice. This way of attempting to change practice behaviors continues in many organizations despite evidence that it isn't effective.
http://bit.ly/J9WDLS 

Twitter.com can help nurses spread messages quickly, efficiently
Ab Brody, RN, PhD, GNP-BC, is an assistant professor at New York University’s College of Nursing. Pat Iyer, RN, MSN, LNCC, is president of Avoid Medical Errors, a Flemington, N.J.-based company dedicated to helping consumers stay healthy. Andrew Lopez, RN, is a Mantua, N.J.-based nurse entrepreneur, who has several social media businesses.
Their professional nursing lives might be diverse, but all three use Twitter professionally and personally to connect with people who have similar interests.
http://news.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012104300013 

What Nurses Need to Know About Sleep Apnea
Nursing Made Incredibly Easy!, May/June 2012
More than 18 million adults in the United States have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Although OSA can easily be diagnosed and successfully treated, most people aren't aware they have it. We give you the information you need, including how to identify patients with OSA, sleep-related risk factors to evaluate during your nursing assessment, appropriate interventions to consider, and education approaches for the patient and family
.
http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=1328783  

Online publications 

Catheter care: RCN guidance for nurses (PDF 625.0 KB)
Continence is one of the fundamentals of basic nursing care and ensuring continence can significantly increase quality of life and patient dignity. Through this publication, the RCN aims to encourage widespread adoption of the new National Occupational Standards across all NHS and independent health care sectors, by enabling a full understanding of the standards and providing quality care for patients.
http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/157410/003237.pdf 

Investing in emotional and psychological wellbeing for patients with long-term conditions
(2012, 18 March). London: NHS Confederation, Mental Health Network
A guide to service design and productivity improvement for commissioners, clinicians and managers in primary care, secondary care and mental health. For many patients, several physical illnesses will coexist at any one time, and for some a mental health disorder will also be present. In the face of such multi-morbidity and need, focus on the patient journey across the lifespan and across the care system will maximise effective service design and delivery.
http://bit.ly/IbJ4KN 

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 29 May 2012
 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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