Welcome to the College of Nurses – News Update.
No. 215 Wednesday 13 Aug
2014
From NZ media this week
Groundbreaking pilot in Hawke’s Bay patient care
A pilot programme involving Hawke’s Bay
District Health Board District Nurses and three General Practices is breaking
new ground in patient care.
http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/groundbreaking-pilot-hawkes-bay-patient-care/5/198337
Nurses support PSA health workers’ industrial
action
Forty six thousand nurses,
midwives, students, kaimahi hauora, health care workers and allied health
professionals from all around the country are sending their support to the PSA
health workers who recently voted to take industrial action.
http://bit.ly/1sSW9Ud
Planned health strike is 'about safety'
Nancy McShane has worked at a Canterbury District Health
Board mental health facility for five years and is angered by what she sees on
the job.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/10369041/Planned-health-strike-is-about-safety
Nurse shortage skips Wanganui
A nursing shortage hitting the country is
skipping over Wanganui due to its small size, Whanganui District Health Board
(WDHB) director of nursing Sandy Blake says.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wanganui-chronicle/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503426&objectid=11306994
Ngā Manukura o Āpōpō Launches Upgraded
Nursing EPortfolio
National Māori Nursing and
Midwifery workforce development programme Ngā Manukura o Āpōpō has launched its
upgraded and new look Nursing ePortfolio.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1408/S00052/nga-manukura-o-apopo-launches-upgraded-nursing-eportfolio.htm
Desperate nurses call for jobs action
Many New Zealand nursing graduates are stacking
shelves or heading overseas due to lack of job opportunities, and the Nurses
Organisation is looking to the Government for something to be done
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/desperate-nurses-call-jobs-action-6054007
8,000 signatures delivered to Minister of
Health
Young nurses, older nurses, student nurses and
newly graduated nurses gathered at Parliament today to support the presentation
of a petition calling for a nurse entry to practice programme for all new
graduate nurses. More than 8,000 people signed the petition, which was unrolled
on the steps of Parliament, fortunately not in high winds. NZNO President,
Marion Guy, and Kaiwhakahaere, Kerri Nuku, presented the petition to the
Minister of Health, Tony Ryall.
http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/8000-signatures-delivered-minister-health/5/199025
Nurse deregistered over relationship
A Hawke's Bay nurse has been deregistered for having
a sexual relationship with a former mental health patient.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/251878/nurse-deregistered-over-relationship
Nurses release more time to care
Nurses have quadrupled the amount of time they spend
with patients during a pilot of a world renowned programme at Auckland City
Hospital.
http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/un-doctored/2014/august-2014/08/nurses-release-more-time-to-care.aspx
Nurses'
access to notes hailed
A trial that gives district nurses remote access to GPs'
notes is expected to be rolled out before April next year.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11306531
Report slams medical
privacy
A damning Privacy Commission review shows snooping doctors,
nurses and even admin workers can access patients' most personal medical
records.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/10367807/Report-slams-medical-privacy
Clinical leadership improving cardiac care
The National Cardiac
Network, which is led by cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, GPs, nurses and other
health professionals, continues to make gains and improve cardiac services in
New Zealand.
http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/un-doctored/2014/august-2014/12/clinical-leadership-improving-cardiac-care.aspx
From international media sources this week
Daylight is best medicine for nurses
For the health and happiness of nurses – and for
the best care of hospital patients – new research suggests exposure to natural
light may be the best medicine. Letting natural light into the nurses’
workstations offered improved alertness and mood restoration effects, as
measured by the study. “The increase in positive sociability, as measured by
the occurrence of frequent laughter, was … significant,” noted authors.
http://bit.ly/Y1V4Ou
Some
Singapore nurses find work 'too hectic'
A move to narrow the pay gap between public- and
private-sector nurses might not stem the flow to private institutions, going by
the views of nurses interviewed by The Straits Times. –
See more at: http://bit.ly/1AbQjzF
Noisy
nurses blamed for sleep loss in Canberra Hospital study
Patients lose two hours of sleep at Canberra Hospital each
night as a result of higher than recommended sound, with noisy nurses mostly to
blame, an internal review has found.
Read more: http://bit.ly/1pMSPrB
Project
to boost research training for Thai nurses
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A new project involving the University
of Michigan and an institute within Thailand's Ministry of Public Health will
help provide research training for nurses and other health professionals. –
See more at: http://bit.ly/Vjrn9x
Aged care
More Maori consider rest home care
The Maori Party co-leader says more whanau
Maori are considering the idea of going into rest homes.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/251447/more-maori-consider-rest-home-care
DHB specific
Uncertainty still rife in area hospitals
Staff
at Hutt Hospital say the management restructure with Wairarapa Hospital has
left them in the dark and created uncertainty about their jobs.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wairarapa-times-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503414&objectid=11304629
West Coast leads Australasia in systemic
fight against infections
In a first for Australasia,
the West Coast DHB is using software in both its hospitals and general
practices that could help identify any superbug outbreaks and will track
resistance to antibiotics.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1408/S00026/west-coast-leads-systemic-fight-against-infections.htm
Rural health celebrates strategy launch
The Rural Health Alliance
Aotearoa New Zealand (RHĀNZ) has achieved a milestone by launching its Strategy
for Healthy Rural Communities. RHĀNZ is a first for New Zealand, bringing
together multiple rural sector organisations with a focus on rural health.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1408/S00038/rural-health-celebrates-strategy-launch.htm
Public health
Major fears as measles outbreak hits North
Measles
has arrived in Northland with health officials worried about a much wider
spread of the potentially dangerous disease because of the region's
historically low immunisation rate.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11307606
Ebola alert for health workers
Health
workers are being urged to look out for the deadly Ebola virus in New Zealand
as the disease continues to spread overseas.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/10352399/Ebola-alert-for-health-workers
NZ begins Ebola checks on travellers from
West Africa
New Zealand border officials intend screening
anyone arriving from West African countries afflicted by the deadly Ebola
virus, which has claimed almost 1000 lives since March.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11306938
Social health
Poor housing impacts families, report says
High and rising rents, poor and deteriorating rentals and few
rights for tenants are the key issues facing low-income families, a new report
says.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/10376553/Poor-housing-impacts-families-report-says
Drugs, alcohol and smoking
New website reaches New
Zealand’s hidden problem drinkers
People
struggling with their alcohol use now have a new online place where they can go
to get help anonymously from others with similar experiences.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1408/S00043/new-website-reaches-new-zealands-hidden-problem-drinkers.htm
Election 2014
Labour boosts primary health care with $60
million
A Labour Government will
invest $40 million a year to support GPs providing free or low cost visits to
some of our most vulnerable communities, Labour Leader David Cunliffe says.
http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/un-doctored/2014/august-2014/06/labour-boosts-primary-health-care-with-$60-million.aspx
Mental health priorities for the upcoming
elections
Health inequalities for
Maori and Pacific people and alcohol-related harm are two of six issues
psychiatrists want political leaders to put on their list of priorities when
forming the next Government.
http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/un-doctored/2014/august-2014/06/mental-health-priorities-for-the-upcoming-elections.aspx
Election forum on
public health
The
Wellington Branch of the Public Health Association warmly invites you to come
along to this pre-election forum on public health. We have a great line-up of
candidates and Linda Clark will be the MC. It is promising to be an informative
and entertaining evening.
Tuesday
26 August 2014
NZ Film Archives, Taranaki St, Wellington
http://www.pha.org.nz/documents/413-election.pdf
HEALTH - Taking the nation's temperature
If health issues have been sometimes absent
from headlines, it doesn't mean there are none or that there are no differences
between the political parties. There are - and they're sizeable.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/election-2014/issues/251403/health-taking-the-nation's-temperature
Labour's
health plan cost queried
A battle has erupted over the affordability of
taxpayers funding GP care for the elderly after Labour pledged to make their
doctors visits free.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10369843/Labours-health-plan-cost-queried
Social media
Nurses Will Reap the Benefits of Wearable Tech
Wearable technology is all the rage - not only
among consumers, but also among professionals in healthcare and medicine.
"Wearables" demonstrated at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
ranged from smart watches from Pebble Steel andRazor Nabu, to fitness and sports tracker watches like Sapphire Wellness Watch, Salutron LifeTrak, Hot Watch, ZTE BlueWatch and Casio STB-1000 Sports Gear. Also making a mark was eyewear
like Google Glass and Oculus Rift and heart rate monitors positioned in bands, watches
and earphones.
http://community.advanceweb.com/blogs/nurses_18/archive/2014/08/05/nurses-will-reap-the-benefits-of-wearable-tech.aspx
Articles of interest
Overseas
qualified nurses in Australia: reflecting on the issue
The migration of international nurses is a growing
phenomenon and will continue in response to global nursing shortages.
Historically, nursing has been depicted as a ‘portable’ profession, or one
which enables individuals to move across inter/national borders. This
‘portability’ of nursing is supporting skilled nurse migration around the world. However, nursing practices learned by Overseas
Qualified Nurses (OQN) in their home countries may differ to the role and
expectations of the new country in relation to scope of practice, professional
and legal environment, accountability, professional autonomy, health care
technology and inter-professional relationships.Relatively little is known about the experiences of OQN in Australia and
particularly, about those from non-English speaking backgrounds. Supported by
international literature and personal experiences, this paper describes the
adaptation process and challenges faced by OQN in beginning a new life in
Australia.
http://www.ajan.com.au/Vol31/Issue3/31-3.pdf
Nurse practitioner
prescribing practice in Australia: Confidence in aspects of medication
management
The findings of the 2010 national survey of nurse
practitioner (NP) prescribing in Australia related to confidence in prescribing
are reported. A significant correlation between years endorsed as a NP and
prescribing confidence was found. NPs in Australia were significantly more
confident in the prescribing aspects of commencing a new medication than
adjusting or ceasing a medication prescribed by others. These findings are
discussed in relation to promotion of the quality use of medicines and
identification of potential strategies to promote the ongoing positive
evolution of NP practice in Australia.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijn.12237/abstract
Newsletters
The
Department of Corrections newsletter in March focused on health services
provided to those incarcerated and featured a number of prison nurses
http://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/latest_news2/2014/march_2014.html
New publications
Nurses employed by GPs. RCN guidance on good
employment practice (PDF 443.5 KB)
Publication
code: 004853
Publication
date: 11 July
2014
ISBN: 978-1-910066-33-1
Abstract: This guidance
has been developed to provide all nursing staff, practice managers, GPs and other
stakeholders with a framework to support nurses employed in general practice.
It includes information and links to the essential elements of good employment
practice.
http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/584829/004583.pdf
Consultations
Consultation on qualifications for Registered
Nurse scope of practice
Consultation
on the qualifications prescribed for the registered nurse scope of practice
The Nursing
Council of New Zealand (the Council) is considering an alternative pathway to
registration as a registered nurse - a preregistration master’s degree in
nursing.
The Council
is consulting with interested individuals, nurses, representatives of nurses,
nurse educators, and others in health and education sectors (stakeholders)
regarding the possible inclusion of a preregistration master’s degree in
nursing as a prescribed qualification for the registered nurse scope of
practice.
The Council
values the views of stakeholders and encourages you to respond to this
consultation before 12 September 2014.
The
consultation document can be downloaded here:
http://www.nursingcouncil.org.nz/News/Consultation-on-qualifications-for-Registered-Nurse-scope-of-practice
From the Ministry of Health
Palliative Care and Māori from a Health
Literacy Perspective
Health literacy refers to
the degree people can access and understand health information to make informed
and appropriate health decisions. This report focuses on the health literacy
experiences among Māori and their whānau carers who use palliative care.
There is a limited amount
of New Zealand research into the Māori experience of palliative care and issues
of access. The report focuses on gaining a better understanding of ways to
increase access to, and the quality of, palliative care services for Māori
patients and their whānau by strengthening health literacy.
http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/palliative-care-and-maori-health-literacy-perspective
Professional development
New Zealand Healthcare
Summit 2014
This
year's event is a forum focusing on innovative models of care that form
guidelines and policies, plus a focus on health priorities including: diabetes
/ obesity, ageing, mental, Māori health, and other major health priorities.
1-2 October 2014
Aotea Convention Centre
http://www.activebusinesscommunications.com/healthcare/index.php
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 12 Aug 2014
If you have any feedback about content - what parts
are most useful or what you would like added - please email admin@nurse.org.nz
For more up to date news and information follow SNIPS at:
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twitter: @SnipsInfo
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