Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 456, Wednesday 7 August 2019
NATIONAL NEWS
Inaugural New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards
For the very first time, GPs, nurses, practice managers and pharmacists ... inaugural New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards | He Tohu Mauri Ora.
Nurse, midwife achievements recognised
Ms Scott works with people with sleep apnoea and coordinates the only nurse-led sleep clinic in New Zealand. She is continually looking at ways to ...
South Canterbury District Health Board partners with Ara for nursing programme
Recruitment and training of nurses in South Canterbury has taken a local turn with a new programme and five months in six Timaru-based students are learning the ropes.
Northland GP urges health board to eradicate institutional racism
A Northland GP is urging the district health board to be honest about institutional racism in its health services and stamp it out.
CANCER
New doctors' cancer education, training worse than 20 years ago: study
Kiwi and Australian medical students are receiving lower quality cancer education than they were 20 years ago, a survey has found.
'Every New Zealander should have access to high quality cancer care' - Health Minister David Clark
The government says it's taking a big step in addressing the inequality of access to cancer care across the country.
CHILD AND MATERNAL HEALTH
Study shows Pacific children should live longer than Pākehā - why don't they?
Why Pacific Island children have a lower life expectancy than other New Zealanders needs to be studied, researchers say, after a study found a DNA advantage that should lead to longer life.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change explained: Will we be less healthy because of climate change?
Do you expect an increase in health issues due to the effects of climate change? - a question from Christine in Wellington
Some of the negative health effects of climate change are already upon us, but it’s not all doom and gloom. There is a huge opportunity for better health through well designed action to reduce our emissions and by adapting to the changes we are facing.
DIABETES
Diabetes war going wrong way
The fight against diabetes has gone backwards in crucial areas and a total revamp of official strategy is needed, ground-breaking analysis has found
EDUCATION
Government confirms major overhaul of polytechnics, apprenticeships
The government will merge the 16 polytechnics into a single institute next year and replace all 11 industry training organisations within three years as part of a total overhaul of the vocational education system.
Trades, nurses feeling nervous over decision to merge polytechnics
Trade organisations and a nursing organisation are "nervous'' about what the future holds, following the Government's decision to merge New Zealand's polytechnics.
ETHICAL ISSUES
Abortion law reform: Government announces Bill for 20-week medical test
Abortion law would only require a medical test for women who are more than 20 weeks pregnant, in proposed changes announced by the government this morning.
FOOD, DIET AND NUTRITION
Tax 'junk food', not just sugar to improve healthy eating, study finds
A world-first study has found a "junk food" tax could be more effective in encouraging healthy eating than an excise only on sugar.
PUBLIC HEALTH
New govt regulator to have 'final say' on safe drinking water
The government is proposing radical changes to the way drinking water is managed in this country, with a national regulator setting new water standards.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Career development website launched for practice nurses
The news follows the recent publication of an induction template for new general practice nurses, which was also developed for NHS England by the ...
Province unveils 10-year nursing strategy to fix nurse shortage
The New Brunswick government aims to add 130 nurses a year over the ... training and labour, held a news conference Tuesday to unveil the plan.
Samoa improving vaccine safety after deaths - Nurses' Association
Samoa's health system has better monitoring systems in place following the deaths of two infants last year, the country's nurses' association says.
New Pamphlet Launched Calling Nurses Into to Action to Help Fight Human Trafficking
The International Council of Nurses (ICN), along with the HR Directorate of the Health Service Executive and the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, recently published a pamphlet on what nurses need to know to take action on human trafficking. The pamphlet describes the types of human trafficking, general signs to look out for and which actions to take if human trafficking is suspected. According to a recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, while the number of convictions for human trafficking is increasing, two out of every five countries included in the UNODC report had not recorded a single conviction.
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Increasing cultural competence with LGBTQ patients
Margolies, Liz, LCSW; Brown, Carlton G., PhD, RN, AOCN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Nursing2019: June 2019 - Volume 49 - Issue 6 - p 34–40
Abstract: Many nurses practicing today lack basic education about LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) patient care. How can they better prepare to care for this population? This article provides insight on LGBTQ people, their health risks and disparities, and how nurses can work with LGBTQ patients to improve outcomes.
This article is not freely available but may be accessed through databases and libraries to which readers have access.
Markey, K. , Tilki, M. and Taylor, G. (2019), Resigned indifference: An explanation of gaps in care for culturally and linguistically diverse patients’. J Nurs Manag. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/jonm.12830
Aims
To develop a theory that explains students and registered nurses’ behaviours when caring for culturally and linguistically diverse patients’.
Background
Despite ongoing calls for improvements to the quality of patient care, the continued reports of substandard care to patients from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds are concerning.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
Achieving Equity in Health Outcomes – Summary of a discovery process
Summary
This report provides a brief summary of phase one of the Achieving Equity Work Programme: The Discovery Phase. The aim of the discovery phase was to identify where practical and coordinated effort could be undertaken to achieve a measurable shift in health equity in the next three to five years.
Common challenges and opportunities for achieving health equity in Aotearoa/New Zealand have been explored through an examination of the literature, a review of evidence and consideration of what people said needs to be tackled in the health and disability system,
The insights gained through this phase of the achieving equity work programme contribute to a shared understanding of challenges facing the health and disability system in addressing health equity. These in turn highlight opportunities for further collaboration and coordinated practical action.
Sustainability and the Health Sector
The health of individuals and communities is linked to the quality of the environment we live in. The health sector deals with the negative effects on peoples’ health from a degraded environment, but as a large collection of organisations also contributes to that degradation. The health sector will similarly be burdened by the effects of climate change at the same time as being a major contributor to carbon emissions in New Zealand. Because of this the health sector is well positioned to take a lead role in improving environmental practices and mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change in New Zealand.
This publication aims to support and encourage the health sector to take an active role in incorporating sustainability practices and reducing carbon emissions. It highlights the wide-ranging benefits of sustainability and provides ideas of how health facilities in New Zealand can reduce their environmental footprints and contribute to the transition to a sustainable, low-emissions world. It also acknowledges that a multi-agency approach is required to effect change, and signals that the Ministry of Health intends to continue to work with District Health Boards and other agencies to create a knowledge base of evidence and expertise to facilitate sustainable thinking throughout the health sector.
CONSULTATION
Online gambling in New Zealand: public discussion document
Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand)
Government of New Zealand
This Discussion Document seeks your feedback on a framework for online gambling in New Zealand.
The government is interested in what you think it should take account of as it develops its official policy on online gambling, as well your reaction to the specific options set out in this document.
Part of the purpose of this consultation is also to test our assumptions and to gain more information and evidence to assist us to develop final policy proposals. The information you provide us can be anything you think supports your position – personal anecdotes, data, or simply an explanation of your perspective and why you care.
The closing date for submissions is Monday 30 September 2019. There are a number of ways to have your say (refer to Appendix D at the end of this document to see the submission form). See page 35 for more information on how to take part, how to opt to keep your submission private, and what happens next.
REPORTS ONLINE
A window on the quality of Aotearoa New Zealand’s health care 2019
A view on Maori health equity
30 JUL 2019
Health Quality & Safety Commission (NZ)
Health Quality & Safety Commission (NZ)
The Minister of Health has stated that the health sector should commit to achieving health equity for Maori across the life course and to meeting the obligations of te Tiriti o Waitangi. This report aims to support the health system to meet these requirements.
Window 2019 provides an evidence-informed discussion, framed around three key questions: What are the health inequities between Maori and non-Maori? Why are there health inequities between Maori and non-Maori? How do we resolve health inequities between Maori and non-Maori, and advance Maori health?
Window 2019 analyses available health system data on equity of access to and quality of health services and the equity impact of quality improvement initiatives. It compares Maori and non-Maori data at five stages of the life course – maternity and birth, childhood, youth, adulthood and old age.
In reading and reflecting on Window 2019, it is important to take a systems view of health equity. This involves thinking about how systems create and maintain health equity and inequity, and how systems can be changed to better meet the needs of those they are not serving well. It is important to recognise that this document reflects the start of a conversation involving Maori, and the health and other sectors. We expect a range of work to emerge from this discussion, both for the Health Quality & Safety Commission and for others.
Throughout Window 2019, a range of views is presented in boxes from those with specific expertise in the issues briefly covered, including aspects of Maori health, advancing Maori health and protecting Maori health.
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 6 August 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
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