Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 339 15 March 2017
NATIONAL NEWS
GREAT START BUT FATIGUE SURVEY STILL WANTS MORE NURSES' VOICES
About 3500 nurses have so far taken part in the country's first nursing fatigue survey but researchers are keen for more – particularly mental health nurses – before the survey closes at the end of March.
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Health and Disability Commissioner undertaking public consultation
The Health and Disability Commissioner is undertaking a public consultation about health and disability research involving adult participants who are unable to provide informed consent to participate in the research. Submissions close 30 April, 2107
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AGED CARE
Elderly gay and transgender being forced 'back into the closet' in retirement homes
Elderly people who identify as gay and transgender are hiding their true identities in aged care facilities due to fears of being outed.
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DHBs
Capital charges review may have implications for hospital rebuild
Change is on the cards for the way health boards pay for new hospitals, which may have big implications for the cash-strapped Southern District Health Board.
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DIABETES
Southlanders find diabetes isolating - nurse
An Invercargill-based nurse says many struggle to seek help in Southland when they suspect they have diabetes.
One in four people in New Zealand are pre-diabetic and at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and there are more than 260,000 people with diabetes, more than double the number in 2005.
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Diabetes health programme launched in Upper Hutt
The number of Kiwis living with diabetes has more than doubled since 2005 but a new programme aims to take that number down.
Jumpstart was launched in Upper Hutt on Monday with the help of YMCA Upper Hutt and mayor Wayne Guppy.
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Practice nurse-led diabetic care needed to improve outcomes
Giving patients with type 2 diabetes more time with practice nurses leads to earlier insulin uptake and better outcomes, a BMJ published study has shown.
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DISABILITY
Children's Commissioner calls for universal disability screening for kids at age five
The Children's Commissioner is calling for all children to be screened for developmental and learning disorders when they enter school.
Judge Andrew Becroft said identifying issues early could even out the playing field for children earlier in life, and allow authorities to target resources more efficiently.
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MENTAL HEALTH
Bed shortage for Christchurch mental health patients
At least 25 adult mental health patients a month are having to move out of hospital overnight in Christchurch because of a bed shortage.
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Burnt-out mental health staff raise 'horrifying' concerns about conditions at Christchurch's Hillmorton Hospital
Burnt-out mental health staff at Christchurch's Hillmorton Hospital say they come to work anxious and afraid for the safety of themselves and their patients.
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OBESITY / SUGAR TAX
Treasury sugary-drinks tax reports under fire from health academics
Soft-drink fans will swap to budget brands or other non-taxed junk food if a sugary-drinks tax is introduced, two Treasury reports suggest.
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Otago research suggests child obesity can be tackled by simple sleep interventions
Families who receive brief interventions about how to improve their children’s sleep have infants who are much less likely to be overweight, a University of Otago study has found.
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ORGAN DONATION
Live kidney donations on the rise ahead of law change to fully compensate donors lost wages
More New Zealanders are parting with their kidneys to save the lives of others, with new figures showing a 10 per cent increase on live donations in the past year.
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PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Free visits see more under-13s go to GPs
Free doctors' visits for children under 13 have led to a big increase in the numbers visiting their local GP.
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GPs to boost iron in the community
Betty Clark, first patient to receive an iron infusion at Hauraki Plains Health Centre Ngatea, instead of Thames Hospital with Registered Nurse Lydia Farley.
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PUBLIC HEALTH
Immunisation rates declining in Canterbury's wealthiest areas
Wealthy Canterbury parents are less likely to vaccinate their children than those living in poverty.
The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, reaching the 95 per cent national target, but the uptake in the region's richest suburbs is lower at 92 per cent.
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Global first for rheumatic fever research
The first robust evidence that supports community initiatives to prevent acute rheumatic fever has come from researchers at the University of Auckland.
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Ministry of Health declines funding for HIV prevention study, despite known risks
The Government cut funding for a landmark HIV prevention study despite an internal report outlining the dangers of discontinuing the research, new documents reveal.
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SOCIAL HEALTH
Health benefits of insulation massive - study
A plan to wrap up a government-subsidised home insulation scheme is worrying social policy experts.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
EXCLUSIVE: Ontario to authorize registered nurses to prescribe drugs
The Ontario government will soon authorize registered nurses to prescribe certain medications independently and to communicate diagnoses, Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins said Tuesday.
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WORKPLACE
Exploring the Generation Gap in the Nursing Workforce
Each generation of nurses has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Mix them all together and you can wind up with a nursing staff with enormous talent and abilities but also a tendency to occasionally clash, especially with regard to their different approaches to work.
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RESOURCES ONLINE
Nurse click – Australian College of Nursing online publication
NurseClick focuses on topics related to nursing practice, policy and professional issues. It provides subscribers and ACN members with an interesting mix of articles which cover local, national and international nursing, aged care and health care themes.
March edition available here
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 14 March 2017
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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