Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 625 Wednesday 11 January 2023
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
After 30 years at the helm Jenny Carryer stepped back from leading the College of Nurses Aotearoa this year. Fiona Cassie talked to her about the wins, near-misses and frustrations of the job.
Primary health champion Chiquita Hansen off to Southland | Stuff.co.nz
Palmerston North-based primary health champion Chiquita Hansen is heading to Southland.
Chief executive of the primary health organisation Think Hauora since 2013, Hansen has been appointed regional wayfinder for Te Whatu Ora/Health New Zealand for Waipounamu/Southland. Read more
Student nursing leader calls for more representative workforce | Stuff.co.nz
Manu Reiri says his backstory is too common among Māori, and his career too uncommon.
Born into generational poverty, Reiri is embarking on a nursing career to join a workforce that he’s convinced must be better supported to be more homegrown and representative of Māori and Pasifika. Read more
A call to build a global strategy to ensure our healthcare system can withstand future pandemics
Data has shed new light on the extent of nurses leaving New Zealand's workforce.
The findings from Te Whatu Ora shows nurses exiting the workforce across nine district health boards have roughly doubled in the year to August - in comparison to the same time period five years ago.
International news
Group secures $900k for nurses - Fiji Times
THE Sangam College of Nursing was given $900,000 to pay for 154 intern nurses and 20 retired nurses during the COVID pandemic last year.
The I.C.U. Nurse: A Symbol of Endurance - The New York Times
An alphabet soup of respiratory illnesses has been spreading misery across the United States, once again pushing hospital staff to the brink. But Gena Oppenheim, an intensive care nurse in Santa Monica, Calif., was taking it all in stride last week as the bed count at Providence Saint John’s Health Center continued the ominous rise that had begun around Thanksgiving.
NYC faces 'enormous public health calamity' as nurses at Mount Sinai hospitals plan strike
NYC faces 'enormous public health calamity' as nurses at Mount Sinai hospitals plan strikes which could see gravely-ill babies moved elsewhere and ambulances turned away
7,000 nurses at two of NYC's largest hospitals go on strike - CBS News
Nurses at two of New York City's largest hospitals walked off the job Monday in a dispute over pay and staffing levels after a weekend of negotiations failed to produce deals for new contracts, with talks falling apart overnight, CBS New York reported.
Washington needs 6k new nurses. This new program could help — a little - KUOW
There are lots of vacant jobs out there for registered nurses — in Washington state, about 6,000 of them. That nursing shortage can mean hospitals have to hire travel nurses at expensive rates, or sometimes they’re not able to staff all of their beds, which can lead to long wait times for patients.
Saudi Arabia draws in Malaysian nurses with opportunity to grow - Arab News
KUALA LUMPUR: When Mohammed Amran Azizan decided to leave Malaysia and work in Saudi Arabia as a nurse, it was a leap of faith for him.
Rishi Sunak signals he is open to discussing this year's pay with nurses - The Guardian
Rishi Sunak has declined to rule out reopening this year's pay deal for nurses when ministers meet health workers' leaders for talks on Monday, ...
‘Intolerable’ NHS crisis to continue until April, health leaders warn
Ministers urged to recall parliament amid warnings patients are dying needlessly due to inaction
Nurses' union 'could accept 10% pay rise' - The Guardian
However, the PA news agency reported the union could be willing to accept a pay rise of about 10%. In an interview with the Times' Past Imperfect ...
'Experience is always a teacher': What nurses have learnt after three years of Covid-19
SINGAPORE - It took more than two years for deputy director of nursing Patricia Yong and her intensive care unit (ICU) nurses to finally regain their footing after the Covid-19 pandemic upended their workflows and worsened the manpower strain in healthcare.
B.C. government covering costs for internationally educated nurses to deal with staffing shortage
The B.C. government is waving the up-front application and assessment fees for internationally educated nurses.
Covid
Clinical study shows 'booster needed to protect against Omicron'
A clinical study investigating immune responses to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in New Zealanders has demonstrated the importance of a booster vaccination on immunity to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infections.
WHO warns of most transmissible Covid-19 subvariant, questions China's data
World Health Organisation officials have expressed concern about a new Omicron subvariant of the coronavirus - its most transmissible yet - while also urging China to be more forthcoming with its data on infections and deaths amid a recent surge there.
New Omicron XBB.1.5 variant surging in US, CDC says no indication it causes more severe disease
A new Omicron variant – XBB.1.5 – is surging in the US, with the Centres for Disease Control projecting it accounted for about 40% of US Covid cases in the last week of December.
Covid-19: New variant nicknamed 'Kraken' detected in New Zealand
The new sub-variant of Covid-19 Omicron has been detected in New Zealand, the Ministry of Health says.
Health NZ Te Whatu Ora
Wellington Hospital acute patient unit closed due to staff shortages | Stuff.co.nz
A 10-bed acute observation unit at Wellington Hospital closed briefly this week due to staff shortages, staff have confirmed.
Covid sick leave squeeze on top of almost 10% vacancy rate at Te Whatu Ora Waikato
Almost 10% of jobs at Te Whatu Ora Waikato are vacant and the gaps are further widened by staff off sick with Covid-19.
A health expert is worried about the significant shortages, and a nursing leader says it’s “pretty bleak” and impacting patient care.
Hundreds of promised Christchurch Hospital staff car parks unlikely due to 'cost escalations'
Christchurch Hospital nurses are “extremely disappointed” to learn plans to build hundreds more “long overdue” staff car parks may be shelved.
Health research
'Health agencies working together to harness full potential of clinical trials'
The country’s lead health agencies will explore system-level changes to maximise the benefits of clinical trials, based on recommendations from an independent research report.
Read more
Health system
Crash survivor says short-staffed Tauranga 'like a war hospital' | Stuff.co.nz
Rebecca Miller survived a crash which left the other driver dead but says she’s traumatised by her treatment at Tauranga Hospital – which she compared to a war hospital
Midwifery and maternity
Warrior for birth honoured for services to midwifery
After assisting at more than 600 births, practising, teaching and mentoring midwives, Colyton farmer Priscilla Baken has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Primary health care
GPs training in gynaecology procedures to combat shortfall in senior staff
Nelson GPs are training in gynaecological procedures to ease pressure at the hospital caused by a shortfall in senior staff.
Public health
Monkeypox vaccination available to eligible people from next week
A vaccine for people at risk of monkeypox (mpox) will be available to those eligible, under prescription by a medical practitioner, from next Monday.
Articles of interest
Developing a national primary care research network: a qualitative study of stakeholder views.
Pigden Abigail, Stokes Tim, Crengle Sue, Dowell Tony, Hudson Ben, Toop Les, McBain Lynn, Arroll Bruce, Gill Emily, Betty Bryan, Atmore Carol (2022)
Journal of Primary Health Care 14, 338-344.
https://doi.org/10.1071/HC22081
Introduction: Primary care research is critical to address Aotearoa New Zealand’s (NZ) health sector challenges. These include health inequities, workforce issues and the need for evaluation of health system changes. Internationally, primary care data are routinely collected and used to understand these issues by primary care research and surveillance networks (PCRN). NZ currently has no such infrastructure.
Aim: To explore health sector stakeholders’ views on the utility of, and critical elements needed for, a national PCRN in NZ. Read more
Coffee and conversation gets new staff up and running
American Nurse (online). December 2022
Takeaways:
Coffee and Conversation, a novel approach to in-service education, serves as an efficient and effective method for providing specialty-specific education and training, improving nurse knowledge, and building staff cohesion.
It helps preceptors orient and onboard new staff using timely, focused, ongoing continuing education. 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 10 January
If you have any feedback about content - what parts are most useful or what you would like added - please email admin@nurse.org.nz
For more up to date news and information follow SNIPS at:
Facebook: Snips Info
Twitter: @SnipsInfo
Back to blog entries
Menu