Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 413, Wednesday 5 September 2018
Weekly news round-up of nursing and health information in New Zealand and internationally
NATIONAL NEWS
The future is now at Otago Polytechnic's School of Nursing
The future is now at Otago Polytechnic’s School of Nursing Otago Polytechnic’s School of Nursing has entered the head-turning field of augmented reality.
Otago Polytechnic is working with international company Pearson, which has developed interactive applications that tap into Microsoft’s HoloLens, a headset that incorporates high-definition holograms into a viewer’s surroundings.
Read more here
Waitemata DHB doubles Māori workforce
The Waitemata District Health Board has doubled its Māori nurses in three years, and is set to double its entire Māori workforce.
Read more here
ASTHMA AND ALLERGIES
Auckland asthma expert leads global fight against the disease
In New Zealand more than 521,000 people are taking medicines for asthma one in nine adults and one in seven children. It causes a death here every week.
Read more here
CANCER
Treasury officials suggested dropping national bowel screening programme funding as saving option
Treasury officials suggested halting the expansion of the national bowel screening programme as an option to keep Health Minister David Clark's Budget 2018 wish-list within the $750 million to $770 million range, newly released documents show.
Read more here
CULTURAL SAFETY
Whanganui retirement home Enliven leading the way in cultural care
Presbyterian Support New Zealand's Enliven service for older people has launched a new initiative in Whanganui.
With more residents making the decision to move to a rest home, Enliven has established a new cultural advisory group to ensure staff are equipped with the skills they require to meet elders' increasingly diverse cultural needs.
Read more here
INFECTION CONTROL
HIV prevention drug could be hindered by slow roll out
A promising new drug that almost entirely eliminates the risk of contracting HIV might fail to control the epidemic in New Zealand if not enough people are using it.
Read more here
MENTAL HEALTH
The isolated unwell: how mental illness and loneliness interact
Isolation and mental illness feed into each other in a vicious cycle, leading to further loneliness and illness.
In fact, being lonely in one year predicts depressive symptoms in the following year more reliably than other depressive symptoms.
Read more here
PATIENT SAFETY
Study reveals some patients stopping wrong drugs before surgery
Confusion about what medications patients can take before surgery is potentially putting them at risk a New Zealand study has found.
Read more here
New Study Looks Set to Reduce Harm for Older Patients Facing Heart Surgery
A surprising finding from a major international study involving hundreds of New Zealanders, looks set to reduce major side effects including death among older patients facing cardiac surgery, as well as conserve the use of a precious and expensive resource … donated blood.
Read more here
PUBLIC HEALTH
Calls for improved sexual education with many young Kiwis delaying STI checks
As New Zealand's sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates continue to climb, new research suggests young Kiwis aren't seeking treatment for sexual health issues early enough.
Read more here
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
HOW NURSES CAN PREVENT SOCIAL MEDIA MISHAPS
Nurse leaders should review and revisit social media policies to prevent HIPAA violations.
Read more here
Texas Children's Hospital fires nurse over Facebook post
A nurse at Houston-based Texas Children's Hospital was fired after she posted a patient's condition on an anti-vaccination Facebook page, hospital officials confirmed to Becker's Hospital Review.
The hospital made the decision to fire the nurse after an internal investigation.
Read more here
New review highlights nurses' role in helping reduce health risks of prolonged sedentary time
Sitting for too many hours per day, or sitting for long periods without a break, is now known to increase a wide range of health risks, even if one engages in recommended amounts of physical activity. The health risks of prolonged sedentary time – and nurses' role in reducing those risks – are discussed in an integrative literature review and update in the September issue of the American Journal of Nursing. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
Read more here
One in four nurses drop out before graduating, new research reveals
Trainees being exploited as 'cheap labour', says RCN
Read more here
Moving to a Culture-Driven Organization Can Mean Saying Yes to Tattoos And Pink Hair
A 50-page dress code. A ban on visible tattoos and bright-hued hair. Signed contracts requiring college degrees.
Are these turnoffs to job candidates in today’s workplace?
Read more here
One nurse leader created a millennial nurse mentor role to help her address the needs of younger nurses and improve retention rates.
A millennial mentor can give guidance on the generation's professional development goals
Understanding what millennials want from an organization may be one tactic to improve retention
Read more here
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Impact of After-Hours Telemedicine on Hospitalizations in a Skilled Nursing Facility
David Chess, MD; John J. Whitman, MBA; Diane Croll, DNP; and Richard Stefanacci, DOThe American Journal of Managed Care > August 2018 – Published on: August 14, 2018
Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are increasingly being called upon to prevent avoidable hospitalizations. Primary care provider (PCP) bedside assessment for change of condition in SNF patients is believed to improve care and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, but PCPs are not always available on site in an SNF. This study addresses the potential clinical and financial impacts of an after-hours physician coverage service enabled by technology, TripleCare (TC), to prevent avoidable hospitalizations.|
Read more here
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
Gambling Harm Reduction Needs Assessment
This needs assessment was done as part of the Ministry’s strategy to reduce gambling harm, as required under the Problem Gambling Act 2003.
Research shows that the level of gambling harm in the population as a whole has remained static over the last six to seven years. This means, because the population has grown, so too have the numbers of people who are experiencing harm from their gambling.
More people as are experiencing harm but as a group they remain in proportion with the whole population. Given the level of gambling harm that the research indicates is occurring, improvements in service design and delivery are required in order for services to make a difference.
The needs assessment makes 13 recommendations about problem gambling service design and delivery. The recommendations are responded to in detail by the Ministry in the service plan section of the consultation document: Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm.
Read more here
CONSULTATION
Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2019/20 to 2021/22: Consultation document
The Gambling Act 2003 sets out requirements for an ‘integrated problem gambling strategy focused on public health’.
The Ministry of Health is responsible for developing and refreshing the strategy at three-yearly intervals, and for implementing it. The Crown recovers the cost of developing and implementing the strategy, by way of a ‘problem gambling levy’ set by regulation at a different rate for each of the main gambling sectors. The Act specifies consultation requirements for the development of the strategy and the levy rates.
Consistent with these requirements, the Ministry is now seeking your comments on its draft Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm for 2019/20 to 2021/22 and on the draft levy rates.
The consultation document also refers to the needs assessment required by the Act, which looks at facts and figures relating to gambling harm in New Zealand, and has informed development of the consultation document.
How to have your say
The closing date for submissions is 5.00 pm, Friday 21 September 2018.
Read more 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 28 August 2018
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:
Facebook: Snips Info
twitter: @SnipsInfo
Back to blog entries
Menu