Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 349 24 May 2017
NATIONAL NEWS
Nurses to celebrate fund's centenary
The 100th year of the New Zealand Nurses Memorial Fund (NZNMF) will be celebrated in Dunedin with a special function in July.
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Pressure injury prevention and management guide launched
The launch of national guiding principles for preventing and managing pressure injuries is being welcomed by Health Minister Jonathan Coleman, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne and ACC Minister Michael Woodhouse.
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AGED CARE
More aged care nurses to meet growing demand
Associate Health Minister Nicky Wagner says the number of registered nurses working in rest homes and aged care facilities has increased significantly since 2011 and is more than keeping pace with New Zealand’s growing need for dementia, hospital and psychogeriatric care.
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DHBs
Portable operating theatres key for NZ hospitals - Mobile Health
Mobile operating theatre units will soon significantly help struggling New Zealand hospitals during periods of high patient surgery demands, Mobile Health chief executive Mark Eager says.
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DHBs as a whole miss five of six Ministry of Health targets
The country's DHBs are on average falling shy of five out of six targets set by the Ministry of Health - but one target has seen a 14 per cent increase over the latest quarter.
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HEALTH FUNDING AND RESEARCH
Economist: Health needs extra $1.1billion - at least
Health funding needs an extra $1.1 billion this year just to maintain current care and cover additional costs, according to research completed by the senior doctors' union and Council of Trade Unions.
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HEALTH AND SAFETY
New Research calls for Personal Injury Commissioner
Changes including establishing a Personal Injury Commissioner are needed to help the hundreds of thousands of injured New Zealanders whose claims are declined each year by ACC, important new research has found.
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HEART DISEASE
Better health services needed for Pacific people at risk of heart disease
Health services in New Zealand need to do more to help Pacific people at risk of heart disease, according to a researcher.
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MENTAL HEALTH
More guidance counsellors not nurses, NZAC says
Employing a nurse in every secondary school to address New Zealand’s lamentable youth suicide problem is ignoring and bypassing already existing resources, says the NZ Association of Counsellors (NZAC).
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Principals and experts support Labour's call for nurses in all high schools
Putting nurses in schools would mean students are getting the mental health help they need before they reach crisis point, an expert says.
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New suicide prevention resource from the Mental Health Foundation
The Mental Health Foundation is proud to share its newest resource, Having Suicidal Thoughts and Finding a Way Back. "If you are having suicidal thoughts, you are not alone," chief executive Shaun Robinson says.
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Mike King: New Zealand's mental health was not ready for the John Kirwan effect
Campaigner Mike King took a stand this week about how the country is tackling suicide issues. Is the mental health system coping with the demands put on it? Talia Shadwell reports.
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Police spend 600 hours a week on mental health callouts
Police spent $36.7 million dealing with mental health callouts in the 2015-16 year but the Labour Party says that is just the tip of the iceberg.
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Bullying Free Week part of the process but still a long way to go
If you thought bullying wasn't a big problem in New Zealand schools and workplaces, think again.
Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson said the country was the second-worst for bullying out of 51 countries in the OECD.
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Tongan youth suicide resource is an NZ first
Young Pacific people are three times more likely to attempt suicide than their Palagi counterparts in New Zealand. Today sees the release of a resource specifically designed for the Tongan community.
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PUBLIC HEALTH
Doctors, nurses and pharmacists debunk myths about flu vaccine
Health experts are calling for people to ignore common misconceptions about the flu vaccine in an effort to reduce the number of New Zealanders getting the flu this winter.
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SOCIAL HEALTH
Poverty in childhood linked to mental health problems: new report
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS) have long been concerned with the impact of poverty on children’s health. The combined effects of inadequate family incomes, high living costs and poor housing conditions can lead to serious and prolonged physical illness.
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Early puberty linked to the poverty trap
Early puberty is "profoundly" more likely to strike disadvantaged children than those from a wealthy home, new research has shown.
Professor Melissa Wake, an Auckland University paediatrician involved in the study, said major hormonal changes at a young age helped fuel the poverty cycle.
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TELEHEALTH AND E-HEALTH
US doctors warn of pitfalls of electronic medical records
Those heading a $75 million project to overhaul the Waikato's health records say it won't result in clinicians disappearing down an IT rabbit hole.
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Healthcare getting closer to home
The accelerating changing face of Kiwi healthcare will in the coming years see health services get closer to where people actually live, a leading national health IT expert says.
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TOBACCO, DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
Grandparents step in as P epidemic spreads
Methamphetamine abuse is now behind almost every case where parents lose custody of their children, the Ministry for Vulnerable Children says
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Support for smoke-free alternatives key to Smokefree 2025 goal
The Government’s recent decision to legalise nicotine for e-cigarette vaping shows just how serious it is about New Zealand Smokefree 2025 goal, according to a group of leading public health researchers.
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YOUTH HEALTH
Youth health and development services are struggling to meet growing demand with scarce resource.
Youth development services are working to prevent mental health concerns from escalating and providing much needed health promotion. However, this work is being side-lined by crisis and urgent social issues. A wealth of evidence from Aotearoa and overseas that shows dealing with issues early on saves money in the long term.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Nurses with dementia should be allowed to keep their jobs, says Royal College of Nursing
Nurses who are diagnosed with dementia should keep their jobs and be allowed to continue caring for patients, the profession’s trade union has demanded.
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Nurse debriefings are 'crucial' but doubts raised over timing
Nurse debriefing sessions can be an effective way to provide psychological support and to learn lessons, RCN congress heard.
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ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Improving insomnia in primary care patients: A randomized controlled trial of nurse-led group treatment
International Journal of Nursing Studies
Volume 72, July 2017, Pages 30–41
Insomnia is a common health problem, and most people who seek help for insomnia consult primary care. In primary care, insomnia treatment typically consists of hypnotic drugs, although cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is the recommended treatment. However, such treatment is currently available to few primary care patients.
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FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH
Problem Gambling and Family Violence in Help-Seeking Populations: Co-occurrence, Impact and Coping
Four hundred and fifty-four clients of problem gambling treatment services took part in a short survey on gambling and family/whānau violence and abuse. There were 370 gamblers and 84 affected others (e.g. partners, other family members and friends). The survey took place from June 2013 to March 2015.
The purpose of the research was to identify the level of family/whānau violence and abuse in people seeking help for problem gambling, and to increase our understanding of these issues. A wide definition of family/whānau violence was used, which included physical violence and coercive control (most often thought of as violence), as well as psychological and emotional abuse (more often thought of as conflict), and sexual abuse.
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FROM THE NURSING COUNCIL
Consultation on accreditation and monitoring
The Nursing Council is consulting on how it accredits and monitors nursing education programmes. The Council is proposing a move away from a “one size fits all” approach to a partnership model with education providers that incorporates risk based or “right touch” regulatory approaches. The Council is proposing a “high trust – high accountability” approach to accreditation and monitoring.
The closing date for submissions is Friday 30 June 2017.
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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 23 May 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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