Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 624 Wednesday 21 December 2022
Weekly news round-up of nursing and health information in New Zealand and internationally
New Zealand news
Thousands of nurses set for a 14% pay rise | Stuff.co.nz
About 30,000 Te Whatu Ora nurses will receive a big pay rise next year, putting them on par with their Australian counterparts.
Te Whatu Ora agreed to the equitable pay rates last year, but it was put on hold
when unions began a legal challenge to the back pay part of the settlement.
Government Welcomes Progress On Nurses' Pay Equity | Scoop News
The Government welcomes the Employment Relations Authority interim order on nurses’ pay equity following Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand’s application. This means the rates agreed a year ago can be paid, Health Minister Andrew Little says.
Nursing graduate following in parents’ footsteps
Campbell Thompson’s parents were the inspiration for him to make a career change to become a nurse.
Health professionals say residency fee prohibitive: 'It's all really expensive'
From yesterday, they moved onto the Green List of those able to apply for residency straight away rather than having to work here for two years first.
But some worried the cost could get in the way
Many hospital patients waiting 24 hours for a bed - Nurses Union - 1News
The Nurses Organisation says many patients are waiting 24 hours or longer for a hospital bed, as pressure on the health system ramps up.
Nurses, doctors warn of long waits for healthcare during festive season - NZ Herald
Nurses and doctors are urging people to stock up on medication and avoid dangerous activities these holidays lest they face long waits for ...
Medical staff 'really stressed' as Starship hospital's security ramps up for Baby W
A mother whose son had an operation on the same day as Baby W is fuming the level of security at Auckland’s Starship children’s hospital has been beefed up to “unreasonable” levels because of anti-vaxxers.
Lymphoedema therapy could be offered elsewhere due to lack of services
More patients with the chronic condition lymphoedema could be "offered the opportunity" to be treated at a hospital outside their district or privately, due to a lack of services in every region.
ACC eyes scan funding shake-up after $112m blowout amid lack of public health capacity
ACC is moving towards a shake-up of how it funds tens of millions of dollars of scans for patients.
International news
Philippines urged to address exodus of nurses as NZ offers medical workers residency
MANILA, Philippines — An organization of nurses called on the government to address the problem of migration of health workers following New Zealand's offer of residency to overseas nurses and midwives.
'We've had enough': UK nurses strike over 'real concern' within the profession - YouTube
Jenny McGee, an ICU nurse who treated Boris Johnson, says UK nurses are striking because they've "had enough" of being "terribly understaffed".
Florida's nursing pipeline is broken as many would-be nurses fail their exams
Tampa Bay Times
Pass rates on the national licensing exam are the lowest in the nation, with dire implications for health care
Nurses pledge tougher new strikes as NHS crisis deepens - The Guardian
Nursing union gives ministers until Thursday to open pay talks as first signs emerge of bid to end dispute and prevent NHS collapse.
Oliver Dowden firm on pay as nurses warn of more strikes - BBC News
The government has said it is "resolute" on pay after nursing unions threatened to escalate strike action if ministers do not join talks within 48 hours of Tuesday's walkout.
American Samoan nurses strike over failure to honour promised pay rises
About 50 striking nurses have held a protest in American Samoa over their employment conditions.
The protest yesterday follows some nurses at the LBJ Hospital who walked off the job on Friday after discovering their pay was lower than they expected it to be.
Aged care
Review of adult decision-making capacity law is 'long overdue'
Deciding what you eat for dinner can make all the difference to your dignity and value as a person – especially when you live with dementia.
But under current dementia care frameworks there are too many grey areas, says Alister Robertson, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014 at the age of 60.
Covid
Covid-19: Cases climbing as health system heads for a Christmas crunch
Healthcare professionals in holiday hotspots are bracing for an influx of Covid-19 patients, with one modeller warning Christmas week could see one-in-20 people infected.
Covid-19 hospital cases in Christmas wave have potential to be worst yet, modelling shows
A possible peak in the number of people in hospital could be driven by older people getting the virus for the first time.
School teachers most at risk with highest rates of Covid-19 infection, data shows
School teachers and child carers have had the highest Covid-19 case rates among any occupational group in Aotearoa, according to new data from the Ministry of Health.
Cultural safety
Cultural safety on lesson list for nursing recruits - Waatea News: Māori Radio Station
New immigration settings come in tomorrow giving nurses and other health professionals a fast track to residency
Health NZ Te Whatu Ora
Provisional Improvement Notice Issued To Gisborne Hospital Ward Five | Scoop News
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says it has supported the issuing of a provisional improvement notice (PIN) to Gisborne Hospital’s Ward Five in response to health and safety concerns arising from unsafe staffing levels.
Omicron, lack of staff blamed for ongoing surgery delays
Surgical waiting lists are getting worse in several parts of the country, despite moves by the government to try to shrink them.
Patient safety
New data shows it is safe to have surgery in Aotearoa New Zealand
The Perioperative Mortality Review Committee has released two new tools today, examining the safety of surgery in Aotearoa New Zealand and giving health care professionals access to highly detailed information about surgical outcomes.
Legislation
Published 15 Dec 2022, Updated 15 Dec 2022 - Therapeutic Products Bill
Public submissions are now being invited on this Bill
Published 15 Dec 2022, Updated 15 Dec 2022 - Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Community Participation) Amendment Bill
Public submissions are now being invited on this Bill
Articles of interest
International recruitment of mental health nurses to the national health service: a challenge for the UK.
Phiri, P., Sajid, S., Baykoca, A. et al.
BMC Nurs 21, 355 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-01128-1
The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has been dealing with a shortage in the nursing workforce for the past few decades. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and post-Brexit effects, it is important now more than ever to concentrate on recruiting new staff and retaining current staff in the National Health Service. The increasing demand for mental health services stresses the importance of prioritising recruitment of mental health nurses. One of the main strategies being implemented to combat this shortage is the recruitment of internationally trained mental health nurses. Whilst this is a favourable solution, the multiple challenges this proposal brings makes it hard for the National Health Service to practically implement this to increase staff numbers. In this discursive position paper, we consider the difficulties the National Health Service is currently facing in terms of recruiting mental health nurses and then discuss the importance of and need for international recruitment including the strategies that are currently being implemented. The challenges and obstacles associated with this proposed resolution will also be addressed.
Factors associated with selection of practice in primary care and rural health among medical and nursing students in China.
Fan Victoria, Guo Mary, Hou Jianlin, Talagi Deveraux, Ke Yang, Wang Weimin (2022)
Australian Journal of Primary Health 28, 556-563.
https://doi.org/10.1071/PY21271
Background: China has a shortage of physicians and nurses in primary care and rural health. This study explores factors that influence the choices of medical and nursing students in China to select a career in primary care, or in rural health.
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 of 20 December
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