Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 544, Wednesday 19 May 2021
Weekly news round-up of nursing and health information in New Zealand and internationally
NATIONAL NEWS
International Nurses Day: Whitireia Nursing Tutor Highlights Smartphone Risks In Nursing ...
Smartphones are a part of nursing education. Student nurses use smartphones to access textbooks, pharmacology resources, standards for practice and lots of other knowledge as part of their everyday learning. Particularly while they are in practical sessions, and need to quickly fact check what to do next in clinical situations.
A night in the life of a nurse on the NICU
Yesterday was International Nurses Day. Against the backdrop of months of stalled pay negotiations, Roxie Mohebbi, a former Auckland ICU nurse,
Concerns training of Covid-19 vaccinators being 'rushed through' amid shortages
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) agreed it's not the correct approach. "There are many roles for unregulated support workers that do not ...
Address The Nursing Workforce Gap - NZMA
Nurses are amongst the most valued and respected members of our community.
NZ's nursing workforce in crisis, say advocates
Advocates say the proposed state sector wage freeze is ill-timed with concerns that more senior nurses will soon be lost overseas.
Pay restrictions after year from hell a bitter pill for Kiwi nurses
Remember lockdown? Baking sourdough, quality time with family and pulling the dog around the block five times a day.
For registered nurse Mafile'o Talakai the experience was vastly different.
'It is a crisis': Nurses at breaking point ahead of plans to strike
Porirua nurse Angela Crespin is sick of rationing patient care and working short-staffed shifts at Kenepuru Community Hospital, and is prepared to strike to show it.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Leveraging technology to support the future of nursing
Nurses make up the largest healthcare workforce in Australia and have continued to work tirelessly on the frontlines of the pandemic. Studies have reported that nurses face a high level of occupational stress because of increased expectations, lack of professional skills and minimal support from employers.
The future of nursing 2020-30: 4 key report takeaways
Over the next decade, nursing will demand a larger, more diversified workforce prepared to provide care in different settings, address lasting effects of COVID-19, break down structural racism and the root causes of poor health, and respond to future public health emergencies, according to a May 11 report from the National Academy of Medicine.
Former Chief Nursing Officer for Wales says nurse leadership must help shape a more just and equitable health-care system
“We nurses and midwives must insert ourselves in every level of decision-making and shape what the future holds for us as professionals and not let others speak for us. We must advocate both for our role and for how we can best meet the needs of our patients.” This is the message that recently retired Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, Jean White, has for her colleagues.
Ontario invests $35 million in nursing programs, adding 2000 positions to the sector
TORONTO -- The Ontario government announced a $35-million investment in nursing education programs, which they say will add 2,000 nurses to the health-care system.
US gives $7.4 billion for more school nurses, better public health
The federal government is providing $7.4 billion to hire more school nurses to vaccinate children, to create a service corps for health care, and to boost ...
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Parents delay rushing kids to hospital due to lack of care for siblings — study
Rural and Māori children are more likely to suffer from severe appendicitis than urban and non-Māori kids, research has found. Read more
Lifeline records busiest month with children as young as 11 feeling suicidal
Children as young as 11 are contacting Lifeline feeling suicidal as the helpline records its busiest month. Read more
New figures show one in five children in households where food can run out
One in five children are living in households where food can run out, and one in three are living in unaffordable housing, according to the latest child poverty indicators report. Read more
COVID-19 / CORONAVIRUS
Some DHBs to vaccinate whole communities in one go
Small settlements along the Whanganui River are in line to get their Covid-19 vaccinations in one go, possibly before the end of the month, as more details of how rural areas will be vaccinated emerge.
Covid-19 vaccine update: 120,000 New Zealanders now fully vaccinated - Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins
The number of Covid-19 vaccination doses in New Zealand should hit the half million mark in the next two weeks, Minister for the Covid-19 Response Chris Hipkins has revealed
COVID-19 Healthline nurse reveals the challenges of phone consultations
A New Zealand COVID-19 Healthline nurse has revealed the challenges of helping clients over the phone instead of in person. Nurse Lois Yamuta ...
Workforce challenges an obstacle to Covid-19 vaccine roll-out
Although parachuting nurses into rural communities and public holidays, had somewhat slowed ... South Auckland Pasifika healthcare provider comes full circle with vaccine roll-out * Happy healthcare workers get their Covid-19 jab.
Covid 19 coronavirus: 'Vaccinator assistants' to fill 4500-hole in vaccination workforce
The Ministry of Health plans to fill New Zealand's 4500-vaccinator shortage by training people to become "vaccinator assistants".
Covid-19 vaccine plan review: Auditor-general says 'real risk' of prolonged roll out
Major doubts about whether everyone will be vaccinated for Covid-19 by the end of the year have been raised by Auditor-General John Ryan.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield responds to critical report on Covid-19 vaccine rollout
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says he is aware of the risk outlined by the Auditor-General's review about completing the vaccine roll out on time, however, he is confident they are on track.
HEALTH SYSTEM
Health sector needs nearly $22.2 billion just to 'stand still'
New Zealand's health sector needs just under $2 billion in extra funding – or $22.2b in total – from this year's Budget, just to continue functioning.
INJURY
'Entirely preventable': Kiwis hospitalised because of sunburn, study finds
More than 160 Kiwis and Aussies have been so badly sunburnt they were admitted to burns units and almost one in five of those people needed surgery.
MAORI HEALTH
ACC acknowledges commitment to Māori health outcomes with proposed new strategy
ACC is laying down a commitment to transform and improve Māori health outcomes through their proposed new strategy, Whāia Te Tika.
West Coast DHB mulls free Māori health checks
The West Coast District Health Board is exploring the idea of free health checks for all Māori in their 50th year.
OBESITY / SUGAR
Using 'food havens' to reduce high obesity rates in low socioeconomic neighbourhoods
A new concept in food environments, the food haven, developed by AUT researchers at the Child and Youth Health Research Centre, aims to reduce high obesity rates among MÄori and Pacific peoples. Read more
PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
More Dietitians Needed In Primary Health Care To Ease The Burden Of Preventable Diseases
More dietitians needed in primary health care to ease the burden of preventable diseases on a health system at breaking point
PUBLIC HEALTH
Flu jab rolls out to New Zealanders under 65 after month-long delay in schedule
The country's influenza vaccine rollout kicks off for under-65s from Monday, after global manufacturing resulted in a month-long delay to the programme. Read more
REPORTS AND NEW PUBLICATIONS
Nursing workforce standards
These standards have been created to explicitly set out what must happen within workplaces to ensure the delivery of safe and effective patient care. Their launch marks the first time the RCN has set out detailed expectations for employers, regulators and national organisations to support patient safety and enable the UK’s nursing workforce to deliver safe and effective care.
ONLINE JOURNALS
COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand
The Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand has published its special issue on COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand. This issue contains articles looking at Kaumātua in the time of COVID-19, changes to New Zealanders' grocery shopping, the impact of COVID-19 on health research in New Zealand, rethinking Pacific community responses in Aotearoa and many other topics.
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Effects of nurse-to-patient ratio legislation on nurse staffing and patient mortality, readmissions, and length of stay: a prospective study in a panel of hospitals
Prof Matthew D McHugh, PhD, Prof Linda H Aiken, PhD, Douglas M Sloane, PhD … et al
The Lancet
Published:May 11, 2021DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00768-6
Substantial evidence indicates that patient outcomes are more favourable in hospitals with better nurse staffing. One policy designed to achieve better staffing is minimum nurse-to-patient ratio mandates, but such policies have rarely been implemented or evaluated. In 2016, Queensland (Australia) implemented minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in selected hospitals. We aimed to assess the effects of this policy on staffing levels and patient outcomes and whether both were associated.
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 of 18 May 2021
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