Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 440, Wednesday 10 April 2019
Weekly news round-up of nursing and health information in New Zealand and internationally
NATIONAL NEWS
Could Nurse Practitioners fill gaps in rural health sector?
A quarter of all rural medical practices are short of a GP - but is a solution already there?
Jenny Carryer, Professor of Nursing at Massey University joins Kathryn to explain how Nurse Practitioners are already doing the work of GPs out in the regions.
New nursing graduate shares her passion for making a difference
Kat is a new nursing graduate who has chosen mental health and addictions ... Why not, if those nurses up in Auckland could do it, why couldn't I.
Toi Ohomai graduate becoming a nurse to help vulnerable patients
Being guided by a big heart and a determination to advocate for family and Māori health, one nurse has made the final leap into making a difference in her community.
NZNO strongly supports gun law change
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) strongly supports the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Bill introduced to ...
CULTURAL SAFETY
Palmerston North doctor writes about being Muslim to educate Kiwis
A doctor from Palmerston North wants his Kiwi friends and colleagues to understand what it means to be a Muslim.
Following the Christchurch mosque attacks, Dr Syed Ahmer, a psychiatrist at Palmerston North Hospital was inspired to write the list in an attempt to educate people about his religion.
DHBs
New members sought for Clinical Council
The Clinical Council was established in 2017 as a vehicle for clinicians to provide a strategic clinical perspective and advice on plans and initiatives important to the people living in the communities being served by MidCentral DHB (MDHB). Due to two resignations from the initial Council, we are seeking two new clinicians who offer a fresh perspective, and who are enthusiastic, driven and proactive in their engagement with the Council, the wider DHB and the community.
Whakatāne health recruitment programme wins award
... Whakatāne Hospital in 2013, aimed to improve the recruitment and retention of doctors, nurses and other health professionals in rural New Zealand.
ETHICAL ISSUES
ChalkTalks: Nurses must be at centre of decisions about end of life choice, says NZNO
New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation’s Kerri Nuku was a panel member of Health Central’s ChalkTalks panel discussion on the End of Life Choice Bill and said nurses must be included in any legislation and conversation that involves end of life care.
Read now >>
Dr Sinead Donnelly: Canada shows euthanasia soon extended to more than the terminally ill
COMMENT: As the time approaches for Parliament's Justice Committee to report back on David Seymour's euthanasia and assisted suicide bill, it is timely to carefully review the impact of legalisation in countries like Canada, often cited by Seymour as exemplary.
Tensions and hot tempers over euthanasia law
Analysis by anti-euthanasia group Euthanasia-Free NZ found about 85 ... Hospice New Zealand and Palliative Care Nurses New Zealand, who also ...
No agreement and disappointment after lengthy End of Life Choice bill hearing
It took 16 months, almost 40,000 submissions, and a nationwide tour of 14 cities.
The result was a report that found no agreement on whether the End of Life Choice Bill should be passed, made no substantive recommendations, drew few conclusions and disappointed those on both sides of a hard-fought debate.
FOOD, DIET AND NUTRITION
Better diet could prevent 1 in 5 deaths globally: NZ exceeds intake of red meat and sugary drinks
One in five deaths in New Zealand can be blamed on a bad diet.
A new research paper in leading journal found that around 11 million people died globally in 2017 due to poor choice in diet.
HEALTH INEQUALITY
New project targets woeful Pacific health stats in NZ
Scientists in New Zealand are hoping a new project to develop the use of cutting edge genetic research will improve woeful health problems in the country's Pacific people
Optometrists want end to cataract 'postcode care': 'It's affecting people's quality of life'
Optometrists are calling for an end to unequal access to cataract surgery - saying too many Kiwis are being left to suffer.
HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES
Telehealth on the rise
Telehealth is increasingly being used to connect clinicians within and between New Zealand’s hospitals and to reach into people’s homes, a new survey reveals.
PHARMACY
Medicine information leaflets now available in te reo Maori
A series of medicine information leaflets for New Zealand health consumers - My Medicines - is being made available in te reo MÄori.
My Medicines leaflets are developed by a team at Canterbury District Health Board made up of doctors and pharmacists, and a non-medical person to help keep language simple.
Cold and flu medicine restrictions tightened to prevent 'misuse' among teens
Certain cold and flu medicines are now only available to buy from a pharmacist in a bid to crack down on people abusing them.
PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
One in 10 shy of asking doctors if tests are necessary
One in 10 Kiwis don’t feel comfortable asking their doctor about whether a treatment or test is necessary, a survey by Consumer NZ and the Council of Medical Colleges has found.
PUBLIC HEALTH
More than three-quarters of people with measles not vaccinated
More than three-quarters of New Zealanders infected with measles have not been vaccinated.
GP clinics, pharmacies now stocking this year's flu vaccine
Stocks of flu vaccine are now available across the country, health authorities say.
From this week, influenza immunisation is available at GP practices and some pharmacies and is free for pregnant women and those aged 65 and over.
Immunisation plea after spike in Taranaki 'flu cases puts three in intensive care
Three people with influenza were admitted to intensive care at Taranaki Base Hospital, it has been revealed.
One person remained in the ICU on Wednesday, and the spike in the number of 'flu cases coming through the doors of the hospital's emergency department has prompted a the Taranaki District Health Board (TDHB) to urge people to get immunised.
Why you shouldn't avoid the flu vaccine
It's official – as of April 1, it is "flu vaccine" season.
The health providers and pharmacists amongst you will probably share my slight sense of apprehension – the extra workload that this places on everyone in the business is not insignificant, but the benefits are undoubtedly worth it. New Zealand is hoping to vaccinate 1.2 million of us, and I will be one of the first to line up.
Pregnant women urged to get early flu shot
Scientists are issuing a flu season warning, following research that shows flu hospitalisations are much higher among pregnant women.
RESPIRATORY
Asthma and respiratory health resources in Te Reo Māori for health professionals and patients.
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation have released a series of resources in Te reo Maori
RURAL HEALTH
Commitment to rural health hubs delights sector
The organisation representing rural doctors and nurses today said the Minister of Healths commitment to rural health training hubs had the opportunity to revolutionise rural health service delivery in New Zealand
Rural health training hub could be antidote to shortage of regional healthcare workers
Graduate doctors often take jobs where they fall in love. So could training student GPs rurally keep them in the regions?
SOCIAL HEALTH
The essentials poor Kiwi families give up first
The first thing to go in households struggling for money are trips to the dentist.
The second is spending on clothes and shoes.
Next, families cut back on meat, perhaps buying cheaper cuts, and less of it.
TOBACCO, DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
Teen smoking rate drops to a record low, survey finds
The number of teenage smokers has hit an all-time low, a survey has found.
The survey, conducted by Action for Smokefree 2025, found only 1.9 per cent of students aged 14 and 15 years reported smoking on a daily basis.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Nurses! Don’t under-sell the complexity or importance of our work
Professor urges nurses to become more savvy about promoting their clinical expertise
WORKPLACE
3 steps you can start implementing today to maintain open lines of communication with the patients you serve
Effective communication has long been one of the most important skills you can possess in healthcare. In today’s patient-centric healthcare environment, these skills have never been more challenging to practice—or more important to master.
9 Ways New Nurses Can Develop Strong Leadership Skills
Before graduating with my BSN, I knew I didn’t aspire to bedside nurse for long. I had my eyes set on nursing leadership early on in my career. After two years of inpatient nursing on a medical/GI floor, I started taking graduate level classes towards obtaining a master’s degree in nursing administration with hopes of becoming a nurse manager.
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
This article is not freely available but may be accessed through databases and libraries to which readers have access.
Gierach, M, Knuppe, M, Winterboer, V, Randall, R. Creating a culture of caring: A collaborative academic‐practice approach to clinical education. Nurs Forum. 2019; 1‐ 6. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12340
Strong academic and practice partnerships are needed in the ever‐changing health care environment. Sometimes an invisible barrier exists between clinical practice and academia; academic‐practice partnerships are a way to bridge this barrier. Since 2008a team‐based model of clinical education known as the Culture of Caring (COC) has brought together three academic institutions with a large hospital system to develop a unified clinical experience and curriculum that improves the student, provider, and patient experience. In the COC model the team consists of academic‐practice leaders, clinical instructors, staff nurses, and students. Together they engage in a structured curriculum that is integrated into both the clinical environment and the academic setting. Each week of clinical the students focus on a topic that is paired with journal articles and learning activities that allow the team to engage in learning that is applicable to the clinical practice environment. The learning activities allow students to engage in learning about evidence‐based practice and quality improvement initiatives that are taking place on the unit. The implementation of this collaborative approach to a clinical nursing education model has had a positive impact on the working relationships between the academic partners and clinical practice leaders.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
Epilepsy Consumer Experience Survey 2018
The Ministry of Health is working with an advisory group to improve services to people living with epilepsy in New Zealand. To do this we developed a consumer survey to help understand what is important to people with epilepsy, and particularly how to ensure community and health services meet their needs. We wanted to understand what services worked well for people with epilepsy and those that they thought needed improvement.
The survey was available online for three months, from February to May 2018, and could also be completed in hard copy.
Progress on Gambling Harm Reduction 2010 to 2017: Outcomes report – New Zealand Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm
Summary
Overall, the outcomes presented in this report show progress has been made in reducing gambling harm and inequalities in New Zealand. However, since approximately 2012 the downward movement in harm levels has plateaued. A range of research-based explanations for these outcomes has been identified and presented. Research has shown that the plateauing in harm reduction is not unique to New Zealand.
Progress has also been made across all of the 11 objectives set out in the Ministry’s integrated Strategy in a number of the areas, although challenges to further progress have been identified.
These results imply that the current harm reduction activities should be reviewed and reinvigorated if the aim is to further reduce levels of gambling harm and inequities.
Progress on Gambling Harm Reduction 2010 to 2017: Outcomes report – New Zealand Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm
Summary
Overall, the outcomes presented in this report show progress has been made in reducing gambling harm and inequalities in New Zealand. However, since approximately 2012 the downward movement in harm levels has plateaued. A range of research-based explanations for these outcomes has been identified and presented. Research has shown that the plateauing in harm reduction is not unique to New Zealand.
Green Prescription Patient Survey 2018 Report
This report presents the findings from the 2018 Green Prescription (GRx) adult patient survey, conducted for the Ministry of Health from March to May 2018.
The GRx patient survey allows the Ministry to monitor the performance of the GRx initiative each year. The ongoing success of the programme is measured against eight key performance indicators (KPIs), developed by the Ministry. This measurement is also used to provide feedback to the 17 contract holders around the country.
Green Prescription Active Families Survey Report: May 2018
The Green Prescription (GRx) Active Families programme has grown out of the nationwide GRx initiative for adults, responding to requests from primary care for something similar for children and young people. There are 15 contract holders throughout NZ.
CONSULTATION
The following documents matching your alert criteria have been published.
Public submissions are now being invited on this Bill
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 2 April 2019
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