Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 616 Wednesday 26 October 2022
Weekly news round-up of nursing and health information in New Zealand and internationally
New Zealand news
Nurse swaps a 'push and shove' train commute in India's Mumbai for a 7-minute walk in Greymouth
Nurse Chrysantha Pereira’s daily commute in Mumbai, India, was 45 minutes each way, being pushed and crammed into a commuter train. Now she takes a seven-minute walk.
Nurses at three private hospitals strike over pay, conditions | RNZ News
Nurses at three private hospitals in Wellington and Hawke's Bay are on strike until tomorrow morning over pay and conditions.
New Zealand Defence Force's surgical team sets up at Whanganui Hospital - NZ Herald
A group of medical professionals called Whanganui home for a weekend of training and team building.
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) light surgical team completed surgeries at the city's hospital in collaboration with Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand Whanganui.
'Could Do Better': NZ Gets D Grade For Active Transport To School | Scoop News
In global rankings for children's exercise, Aotearoa New Zealand has ... Melody Smith in the University of Auckland's School of Nursing, says.
International news
German University to train 5,000 East African nurses annually - The PIE News
Koblenz University of Applied Sciences in Germany is partnering with African institutions to train 5,000 nurses from East Africa annually, ...
Nurses disadvantaged for volunteering to help with pandemic: Survey - Asia News Network
The Korean Nurses Association conducted a survey on 764 nurses from 245 hospitals across the country between Sept. 19 and 25, which included a total ...
Nurses speak out on needless patient deaths due to short-staffing at US hospitals - WSWS
Nursing shortages lead to horrific working conditions, prompting nurses to speak out against poor nurse-to-patient ratios, causing tragic outcomes ...
Nurse strike threat continues after improved pay offer - BBC News
Nursing unions have criticised an improved pay offer from the Scottish government, saying a strike vote will continue.
The proposed deal is for a flat rate of £2,205 per person, backdated to April.
The growth in numbers of nurses being recruited from abroad in recent years speaks again ...
NHS Confederation
Danny Mortimer responds to the latest analysis from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on international recruitment.
Younger Nurses Rather than Retirees Driving Nursing Exodus in England
The King’s Fund has released new paper that found a “a 25% increase in the number of National Health Service [NHS] nurses leaving their role, with an additional 7,000 leaving compared to the previous year. The largest increase in numbers leaving was seen among the younger nurses, with two thirds of leavers under 45 years of age.”
How to Fix the Nursing Shortage - The Washington Post
The US health-care system needs more nurses. Nursing schools aren’t producing enough graduates, young workers are quitting, and older ones are retiring early. Throughout the pandemic, widespread shortages reduced the quality of care and even cost lives. To bolster the workforce and better prepare for the next crisis, the US must invest in its domestic pipeline and clear hurdles for qualified international talent.
Covid
Covid-19: 16,399 new cases in New Zealand over the last week
There have been 16,399 new Covid-19 cases reported across New Zealand in the past week – up from 14,311 last week.
Emergency/urgent care
Patient suffering brain bleed waited hours in ED as new figures reveal some regions short ...
Overrun emergency departments are facing huge pressure to plug staffing holes, as a growing number of patients face six-hour delays in corridors and waiting rooms.
Investigation launched after patient dies after leaving Christchurch Hospital's emergency department
An investigation has been launched after a patient died after leaving a Canterbury emergency department.
Nurses 'fearful' of working in overloaded hospital emergency departments | Stuff.co.nz
Nursing leaders have major concerns about waiting times in hospital EDs and are demanding action. Daniels, who is also an ED nurse, said following the ...
Woman waited three hours for first assessment in overcrowded ED before dying in ICU
A leaked email to staff has revealed Christchurch Hospital’s emergency department had double the number of patients it was resourced for on the night a woman walked out due to long wait times and then later died.
Summary: Two recent deaths put spotlight on swamped emergency departments, workforce ...
Two deaths reported over the weekend have highlighted the issue of overstretched and short-staffed hospital emergency departments.
Health inequities
Māori Health Inequity Costs NZ$863m Per Year – Expert Reaction
Māori health inequity directly costs the health system $39.9 million per year, according to a new Indigenous-led study.
When researchers added indirect costs of $823.4 million from lost years of life and lost wages, which were mostly borne directly by Māori whānau, the overall cost skyrocketed to over $863.3 million. Māori significantly underutilised primary care, creating an annual saving to the health system of $49.4 million per year. Read more
Health NZ Te Whatu Ora
Health's postcode lottery worse since creation of national health agencies | Stuff.co.nz
New Zealand was promised health improvements with the creation of two new national health authorities, but logos are the only thing that's changed so far, doctors say.
Leading ED doctor says no quick fix to current healthcare crisis as severe staffing issues ...
A leading emergency department doctor believes more needs to be done to deal with the staffing shortages crippling the sector while also valuing and retaining current employees.
Acting PM Grant Robertson defends NZ's health system after string of deaths amid severe ...
The Acting Prime Minister is defending New Zealand's health system after a string of high-profile deaths as emergency departments grapple with severe staffing shortages. Read more
Little forced to defend health system with lengthy wait times and stretched workforce
The government has once again been forced to defend its support of the health system, in the face of lengthy emergency department wait times and a workforce under immense strain.
More than 100 recommendations to cut surgery wait times - but some could take years to implement
A taskforce has delivered 101 recommendations to cut surgical wait times - but no targets for when they will be achieved.
Amid a health crisis, this new plan hopes to ease surgery waitlists
There are not enough doctors and nurses to immediately clear through the backlog of surgeries while wait lists continue to grow.
Staff believe doctors' letter could finally force change at 'unsafe' Middlemore
Middlemore staff believe losing teaching accreditation may be the only way to force change at the “unsafe” hospital, following an open letter from senior doctors that said it was so slammed it should not teach medical fellows.
Tauranga Hospital pumps $1.5m into new Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory - NZ Herald
Tauranga Hospital has pumped $1.5 million into creating an extra Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory as demand for specialised heart-monitoring services soars.
Society's donations boost Taupō Hospital - NZ Herald
Children attending appointments at Taupō Hospital will be forgiven for wanting to stay a little longer in their consultation rooms.
Two rooms in the Taupō Outpatients Clinic have been adorned with scenes from local author Donovan Bixley's Looky Books.
Network established to provide voice on health care in Hokonui
The Hokonui region has become one of two places on the South Island to trial what healthcare may look like under the health reforms.
Mental health
Suicide in NZ: Significantly lower number of people taking their own life
The number of New Zealanders lost to suicide has dropped significantly, with the latest statistics showing the rate to be the lowest seen in the past three years.
Pharmacy
Pharmac aims to fund meningococcal B vaccine for babies, teens and young people
Pharmac is proposing to widen access to the meningococcal B vaccine, giving thousands of Kiwi infants and young people protection against a potentially fatal disease.
Primary health care
New Timaru medical practice aims to address issue of patient waiting lists | Stuff.co.nz
Family doctor Martijn Phaff and registered nurse Nicole Kennedy opened the Blue Penguin Medical Centre on Preston St last week, the pair meeting when ...
Public health
Te Manawa Taki Hepatitis C Symposium: Partnership in the community key to hep C elimination
Community service and health providers from across the motu gathered at the Te Manawa Taki Hepatitis C Symposium at Hamilton’s FMG Stadium yesterday evening.
Respiratory
'New resources empower whanau management of asthma'
New resources now available from the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ aim to empower families to better manage children’s asthma.
Social health
'A meal or a GP visit': Families struggling with cost of living will add to health system woes
The rising cost of living is expected to add pressure to the chronically understaffed health system as poorer families struggle to shoulder ballooning costs for essential items, fall further into poverty and add to the rising tide of illness.
Tobacco, drugs and alcohol
New Otago trial using mindfulness and ketamine to treat alcohol issues
A new study is investigating whether low doses of ketamine combined with a mindfulness programme could help people struggling with alcohol.
Reports and Journals online
The mental health nurse’s handbook (NHS)
This handbook is a resource for mental health nurses and their employers to guide their preceptorship and supervision conversations, helping to focus on some key areas of practice. It is intended as a brief practical guide and provides links to other important and helpful resources.
Articles of interest
The impact of COVID-19 on nurses (ICON) survey: Nurses' accounts of what would have helped to improve their working lives.
Ball, J., Anstee, S., Couper, K., Maben, J., Blake, H., Anderson, J. E., Kelly, D., Harris, R., Conolly, A., & the full ICON Study Team (2022).
Journal of Advanced Nursing, 00, 1– 15. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15442
Aims
To use nurses' descriptions of what would have improved their working lives during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.
Development, implementation and evaluation of a Professional Practice Model: A scoping review.
Doleman, G., & Twigg, D. (2022
Journal of Nursing Management, 1– 16. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13820
Aim
The aim of this study is to synthesize available literature describing the development, implementation and evaluation of a Professional Practice Model.
Background
A Professional Practice Model is an overarching theory-based framework that depicts nursing values and defines the structure and process of nursing care. No research has synthesized available literature on this topic in recent times. Read more
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 25 October
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