Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 617 Wednesday 2 November 2022
Weekly news round-up of nursing and health information in New Zealand and internationally
New Zealand news
Carryer: Voice of a nursing generation - From naive nurse to general-practice sparring partner
New Zealand Doctor
As Jenny Carryer retires from the College of Nurses Aotearoa after three decades of leadership and lobbying, she talks to Fiona Cassie about wins, near-misses and frustrations of the job. (Subscription required)
Ep 31: Reflections on 50 years in nursing
eHealthTALK NZ (Podcast)
Outgoing Executive Director at the College of Nurses, Jenny Carryer, reflects on her time in the role, greatest highlights and challenges, and her vision for the future of nursing.
Passion for public health leads to award for long-serving nurse - Te Whatu Ora | Voxy.co.nz
Congratulations to France Badham who won the Ko Te MÄranga Ora (Health and Wellbeing) category at the recent 2022 NgÄti WhÄtua ÅrÄkei Awards.
EIT Tairāwhiti Valedictorian Says Research Journey Has Been Key To Achieving Master's In ...
Ondrea Gooch has dedicated her adult life to being a nurse and that commitment will be rewarded when she graduates with a Master in Nursing Science and is honoured as EIT Tairāwhiti Valedictorian this week. Read more
Surgeon calls for higher pay, free training for nurses to help cut surgical wait times - RNZ
Allow free training for nurses and pay them more to help relieve the pressure to meet surgical targets, a top surgeon says.
Nurses' Society on Health NZ's recommendations to cut surgery wait times - Newstalk ZB
So Te Whatu Ora, or Health New Zealand, has completed its first big taskforce review and has found a solution to help cut surgery wait times.
Christopher Luxon calls for Government to prioritise more funding for frontline nurses as ... - Newshub
Christopher Luxon says National would consider paying nurses and doctors more if elected into Government as the sector continues to deal with severe staffing issues.
Nationwide strikes: Govt told to give pay parity to community nurses
Nurses in primary healthcare are striking to win the right to be paid the same as their hospital counterparts.
Protests are happening in several parts of the country.
Hamilton nurses take to the streets to fight for pay parity | Stuff.co.nz
Ashleigh McDonald is paid less than hospital nurses for “hard mahi” managing several hundred babies as a Plunket nurse.
Bad weather fails to dampen determination of striking nurses - Otago Daily Times
Frustrated Dunedin nurses walked off their jobs to strike yesterday after an overwhelming number declined a pay rise of less than 3%.
Central Hawke's Bay drivers toot up a storm in support of primary health nurses - NZ Herald
The traffic was noisier than usual at the Tavistock Hotel intersection in Waipukurau on Thursday.
There was tooting, honking, the blaring of airhorns from trucks and the occasional shout-out as motorists expressed their support for placard-waving CHB nurses May Beale, Leisa Sowelu and Bec Mazzeo, who were part of the protests by primary health care and Plunket nurses taking place across the country.
Northland primary health care and Plunket nurses strike for pay parity - NZ Herald
Northland nurses say the region's vulnerable population already struggling to access GPs will be worse off if pay doesn't become a drawcard for experienced workers.
Pay parity pitch for primary health nurses protesting in Palmerston North | Stuff.co.nz
Community-based nurses walked off their jobs for four hours in Manawatū on Thursday in protest that their pay is 10 to 20% less than what Te Whatu Ora hospital nurses receive.
International news
Nurse recruitment drive launched by NHS England amid acute shortages - The Guardian
Campaign celebrates nursing as varied and fulfilling, but union says only higher pay will make lasting difference.
Nurses are working the equivalent of one day a week for nothing, research says - Sky News
Experienced nurses in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland need a pay rise of 45% by 2024-25 just to return their salaries to levels seen in ...
White socks, no jacket, no water: 'Absurd' rules frustrate nurses | The Asahi Shimbun
What happens when an “angel in white” is caught wearing a hint of black?
A 27-year-old nurse working at a university hospital in Tokyo quickly learned the answer.
IELTS, OET score relief opens UK's door for more nurses - The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express
Times are good for nurses dreaming of landing a job in the UK with the Nursing and Midwifery Council making changes in the English proficiency ...
Covid
Covid-19: Peak of latest wave likely weeks away yet - expert
A Covid-19 expert says it may be some weeks before New Zealand sees the peak of what appears to be a slower-building Omicron wave.
Diabetes
New Survey Reveals The True Impact Language Has On Kiwis With Diabetes
A new survey indicates 40% of New Zealanders living with diabetes have stopped talking to family, friends and health professionals about their condition due to a fear of being judged or getting a negative response.
Education
Northland is hoping to plug the healthcare workforce gap
The Taitokerau Regional Skills Leadership Group released its workforce plan at Waitangi this morning.
It identifies healthcare training as a regional skills priority - particularly podiatry, aged care, and oral, occupational and mental health.
Emergency/urgent care
Work under way to recruit staff at Christchurch Hospital's under-pressure ED
Christchurch Hospital’s under-pressure emergency department has 16 vacancies for nurses and doctors as management works to urgently fill more than 300 positions across all its services.
HDC cases and disciplinary actions
Nurse suspended after claiming over $200K in benefits from MSD - 1News
A nurse has pleaded guilty to 20 charges under the Crimes Act for claiming over $200,000 in benefits over a 20-year period.
Health NZ Te Whatu Ora
Health NZ decided against relocating nurses to aid under-pressure hospitals | RNZ News
Te Whatu Ora has considered moving nurses around the country to help with extreme demand in emergency departments but decided it was too risky.
New health plan revealed, but benefits of radical shake-up 'will take time'
Health bosses have unveiled the first national plan which will underpin the new health system for the next two years, after the Government promised a radical shakeup of the sector after abolishing district health boards.
Government's interim health plan will not fix staffing shortages, union says | Stuff.co.nz
Covid-19: Extra ICU beds welcomed but nurses plead 'give us more staff'. Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) executive director ...
Minister of Health told to front up on staff safety concerns at Middlemore | RNZ News
Minister of Health Andrew Little needs to front up and answer questions about staff safety in the country's emergency departments, the National Party health spokesperson Shane Reti says.
Health NZ hires new palliative care adviser after care called 'underfunded, neglected mess'
Health New Zealand has hired a senior palliative care adviser, after experts said care of the dying was a neglected, underfunded mess.
Former South Island Alliance palliative care facilitator Jo Hathaway starts in the job on Tuesday.
Understaffed hospitals lose radiology accreditation, but keep accepting patients
The radiology departments at two public hospitals are so understaffed
they have lost accreditation - but are carrying on scanning regardless.
Staff shortages, ageing equipment flagged in summary of problems facing radiology departments
Five of the country’s public hospital radiology departments are rated high risk because of problems such as ageing or poor equipment, lack of space and staff.
Cuts to Dunedin Hospital project pose 'reputational, operational and clinical risk
One of the largest infrastructure projects in the country – the $1.4billion rebuild of Dunedin Hospital – is under pressure.
Health workforce and recruitment
US healthcare workers flock to NZ amid abortion debate - 1News
Healthcare professionals in the United States may be on the way to New Zealand over increasingly restrictive abortion laws in many US states.
Te Whatu Ora decides more migrant nurses would be useful for NZ
A push to get overseas nurses moved onto the green list for immigration. Te Whatu Ora has decided against moving nurses around the country to help ...
Pasifika health
ProCare launches Pacific Health Strategy and Tala-Moana
Leading healthcare provider, ProCare, has launched its refreshed Pacific Health Strategy alongside a new cultural competency app called ‘Tala-Moana’. Read more
Primary health care
Mātauranga Medical welcomes new patients in Kāpiti - NZ Herald
With wait times becoming unbearable at many medical practices around Kāpiti, a new medical practice with an innovative model has established itself and is now welcoming new patients.
Quality improvement systems
Health Quality & Safety Commission Chief Executive Stepping Down
The resignation of Dr Janice Wilson as Chief Executive of the Health Quality & Safety Commission (the Commission) was announced today by Commission Board Chair Dr Dale Bramley.
Telehealth
Telehealth service will expand access to safe abortions, advocates say
Women will have access to abortion medication over the phone from today, when the government rolls out the new national telemedicine service.
Tobacco, drugs and alcohol
Alcohol laws set for change with Government addressing 'booze industry' imbalance
The Government will take on alcohol retailers by tilting the playing field towards communities in licencing decisions, and alcohol sponsorship will be reviewed.
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Health Survey on Abortion Services - Nursing Council of New Zealand
Manatū Hauora (the Ministry of Health) is conducting a survey of abortion services in Aotearoa, and the Nursing Council has agreed to promote this survey through our website.
Reports and Journals online
Infectious Diseases Research Review
Issue 29
Welcome to Issue 29 of Infectious Diseases Research Review.
In this issue we include three papers reporting research on antimicrobial strategies for treating staphylococcal prosthetic joint infections.
GP Research Review
Issue 203
In this issue, a Canadian study shows that a low-carbohydrate, high-fat dietary educational intervention was associated with a reduction in weight, BMI and laboratory outcomes including glycated haemoglobin.
Articles of interest
The article below is not freely available but may be accessed through databases and libraries to which readers have access.
Health literacy assessment in the clinic: benefits, pitfalls and practicalities.
Ellender Claire M., Boyde Mary, Scott Ian A. (2022)
Australian Journal of Primary Health 28, 365-370.
Low health literacy is associated with poor outcomes for chronic disease, and assessing health literacy in the clinic may optimise clinicians’ use of tailored communication techniques. This paper summarises the literature regarding health literacy as an independent predictor of poor outcomes in chronic disease, and describes the tools for assessing health literacy and key methods for improving communication with patients with low health literacy.
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 1 November
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