Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 565, Wednesday 20 October 2021
Weekly news round-up of nursing and health information in New Zealand and internationally
New Zealand news
Nurses accept latest pay offer from DHBs by huge majority
Nurses have accepted the Government’s latest offer as part of long-running negotiations over pay and conditions.
DHB nurses settlement will hemorrhage nurses from not-for-profit aged care
The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) congratulates DHB nurses on the settlement of their pay claim late last week, but says that the settlement will result in a hemorrhaging of nurses from the aged residential care sector.
Ten Taranaki midwives are faced with losing their jobs after they refuse to get vaccinated
Ten Taranaki midwives are set to lose their jobs after indicating they will not be getting vaccinated against Covid-19.
Midwives have until October 30 to get the vaccination.
International news
Violence Against Health Care Workers Escalating
In contrast to the cheers experienced in the early days of the pandemic, health care workers are facing increasing threats, violence and assaults.
While hospital executives acknowledge that workplace violence existed before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, many feel that resulting stresses from the pandemic have exacerbated the problem. Additionally, the “lack of behavioral health resources can spur violence as patients seek treatment for mental health issues and substance use disorders in ERs.” Hospitals have increased security, provided de-escalation training and issued pleas for civility.
Nursing schools see applications rise, despite COVID burnout
First year nursing student, Emma Champlin, poses for a photo in her clinical laboratory class at Fresno State on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, in Fresno, Calif. Champlin said that like many of her classmates, she saw the pandemic as a chance to learn critical-care skills and to help at a time when those abilities are needed. Credit: AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian
Nurses around the U.S. are getting burned out by the COVID-19 crisis and quitting, yet applications to nursing schools are rising, driven by what educators say are young people who see the global emergency as an opportunity and a challenge.
Study compares three types of state legislations aimed at ensuring adequate nurse staffing
Across the nation, states are grappling with alternative approaches to address the heightened problem of low nurse staffing in hospitals. A new national study finds that while legislation to mandate hospital nurse-to-patient staffing ratios is associated with a significant increase in nurse staffing, two other popular approaches – mandating public reporting of nurse staffing levels and hospital staffing committees that include frontline nurses – have had little or no impact on nurse staffing levels.
Study highlights nurses’ experiences of dealing with death in the ED
A Flinders University study has highlighted the challenges and shortfalls in support for our nurses who regularly deliver end-of-life care and comforti bereaved family members in often crowded and chaotic hospital emergency departments (EDs).
What's next for unvaccinated, unemployed healthcare workers?
A growing number of hospitals and health systems have mandated COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, leaving questions about what's next for a trove of unvaccinated healthcare workers who've been terminated or resigned.
Aged care / Aging population
Study predicts spike in Māori dementia
Dementia will cost New Zealand nearly $6 billion a year by 2050 and one in four New Zealanders will die with the condition, according to a University of Auckland study for Alzheimer's New Zealand, Dementia Economic Impact Report 2020,
Covid-19
Watch: Health Minister Andrew Little on hospital preparedness for Covid-19
Health Minister Andrew Little says the hospital system is preparing to handle Covid-19 cases, along with progress in home isolation and therapeutic medicines.
How Primary Care Will Cope With More Covid Cases At Home – Expert Reaction
New Covid-19 cases will recover at home in the near future, with GPs, nurses and other primary care staff taking on a bigger role in managing the pandemic.
Covid-19: Thousands of infections a week, even at 90 per cent vaccination rate
Thousands of people will be infected with Covid-19 every week even with vaccination levels at 90 per cent, and hospitals face being overwhelmed once restrictions are eased and borders opened, the Government says.
Covid-19: Ashley Bloomfield says shorter home isolation periods likely for vaccinated
Those who contract Covid-19 despite being fully vaccinated are likely to require shorter periods in isolation, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says.
Covid-19: 4 per cent of cases fully vaccinated, only 3 hospitalised
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield revealed only 4 percent of the cases in the Delta outbreak are fully vaccinated.
Covid patients at Middlemore Hospital will soon be triaged in a tent
Middlemore Hospital is planning to set up a tent to triage Covid patients as early as next week, as Auckland braces for a surge in cases.
Covid-19: What the ever-changing ICU bed numbers tell us
OPINION: Super Saturday could have been a flop.
The fact that it wasn’t is largely down to Jacinda Ardern. Her message that vaccinating yourself is about protecting whānau, about taking one for the team, is what made Kiwis turn out in droves.
Ancestors help launch Maori Language Commission's COVID awareness campaign
Messages from Maori leading the response to the deadly influenza pandemic more than a century ago are being shared by the Maori Language Commission as part of its COVID awareness campaign. Extracts from articles published in Maori language newspapers are being translated and shared ahead of this weekend’s Super Saturday Vaxathon.
Home isolation progressed without Māori or Pacific clinical leadership consulation - Pasifika GP network chair
A South Auckland doctor is warning home isolation could result in greater spread of the virus particularly in areas where homes are overcrowded and vaccination rates are low.
Approval for third Covid-19 vaccination brings relief to immunocompromised
On Tuesday, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the Covid-19 technical advisory group had recommended the extra dose for people aged 12 and over with severely compromised immune systems.
Frustration as EDs unable to administer Covid-19 vaccine
Most hospital emergency departments are not offering patients Covid-19 vaccinations even though it's a perfect opportunity to reach people normally outside the health system.
High BMI independently associated with death and longer ICU stay for COVID patients
In patients with COVID-19, a high body mass index (BMI) is associated with an increased risk of death and prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay, according to a new study.
How many people get 'long COVID'? More than half, researchers find
More than half of the 236 million people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 worldwide since December 2019 will experience post-COVID symptoms -- more commonly known as 'long COVID' -- up to six months after recovering, according to researchers. The research team said that governments, health care organizations and public health professionals should prepare for the large number of COVID-19 survivors who will need care for a variety of psychological and physical symptoms.
Health funding
Te Putahitanga o Te Waipounamu announces new fund to encourage innovation and resilience
Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu is proud to announce the Whānau Ora Innovation and Improvement Fund, which last week approved $626,000 of funding to 13 agencies across Te Waipounamu. Pouārahi/CE Helen Leahy says that the fund was co-designed earlier this year by Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu and its Whānau Ora partners - the agencies that deliver the Whānau Ora Navigation approach. These partners range from marae and papatipu rūnanga, to hauora providers, NGOs, and community and social service organisations - the key to their success is their credibility across their communities.
Respiratory
Asthma education goes online to fight health inequity
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ (ARFNZ) today launched the Sailor Digital Classroom, a brand-new free online tool to teach primary school children about asthma.
Ministry of Health reports
Kia Manawanui Aotearoa – Long-term pathway to mental wellbeing
Kia Manawanui Aotearoa – Long-term pathway to mental wellbeing (Kia Manawanui) is the Government’s high-level plan for transformation over the long-term. It outlines the next steps for further implementation of the changes required to support the mental wellbeing of New Zealanders.
Kia Manawanui Aotearoa – Companion Document
This publication presents the He Ara Oranga recommendations and identifies the Government’s approach to each.
Articles of interest
What can we learn from citation metrics? Measuring nurse researchers in Australia and New Zealand. (Editorial)
J Adv Nurs. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15035
Jackson, D., Usher, K., Durkin, J. and Wynne, R. (2021),
Nurse researchers are under increasing scrutiny related to measures regarding performance, productivity, quality and excellence. In addition to internationally recognized citation metrics such as the Hirsh Index©, within many countries various metrics and measures are in place and these are used to judge and rank the performance of researchers through research assessment activities (Haigh et al., 2015). Read more
Training to support end of life nursing practice: End of Life Law for Clinicians
Nurses have a significant role in caring for and supporting patients nearing the end of life.
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 19 October 2021
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