elcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 631 Wednesday 1 March 2023
Weekly news round-up of nursing and health information in New Zealand and internationally
New Zealand news
Exploring the duality of nursing services in the New Zealand Defence Force
PhD graduate Maree Sheard, Ngāti Tahinga me Ngāti Paoa, served 22 years in the New Zealand Defence Force as a member of the Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps. Her thesis found the complexity of interactions between the Force's culture and nursing practice behaviours has an impact on the decisions of military nurses.
NZNO commends nurses working in flood-hit areas | New Zealand Doctor
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) commends its nurse, health care assistant and kaimahi hauora ...
Pacific health team heads to Hawkes Bay
A multi-lingual team of Pasifika medics is heading to Hawke's Bay this week.
After carrying out an initial needs assessment in Napier, Hastings and Gisborne over the weekend, the Pasifika Medical Association has decided to deploy a Medical Assistance team.
Christchurch Hospital short by 100 nurses for a single day
Christchurch Hospital was short by more than 100 nurses across shifts on Sunday.
The shortage led to patients being transferred to Burwood Hospital, staff asked to work overtime, nurses moved from other wards and all available pool staff called in.
Understaffed Whangārei nurses requested army support at flu season's peak | RNZ News
Whangārei Hospital nurses asked bosses to bring in the army to help with extreme understaffing at the height of the flu season last year.
Local takes out first ever respiratory lifetime service award - Times.co.nz
Asthma New Zealand nurse and Sunnyhills resident, Ann Wheat, has been recognised as the first recipient of the respiratory lifetime service award in the foundation’s respiratory achievers’ awards.
International news
WA announces primary care nurse practitioner pilot
A pilot to facilitate team-based primary health care by using nurse practitioners is set to begin in Western Australia.
Victoria puts on its gloves in the talent fight for international nurses - Influencing News
In response to ongoing workforce shortages, leading healthcare providers in Victoria are embarking on a large-scale recruitment drive to attract thousands of international healthcare workers to the state.
Australian Cannabis Nurses Association launches to educate, advocate for medicinal ...
A newly formed group with a vision to offer medicinal cannabis education, advocacy and peer support to nurses has launched this week.
How virtual reality wards could help ease pressure on NHS hospitals training nurses
Middlesex University London is calling for similar centres to open up around the UK, but some critics warn the virtual wards can never replace "unpredictable human reactions".
Nurses set for 'intensive' talks with government after strike paused - BBC News
Nurses on the picket line in Birmingham on 6 February ... BBC News. Intensive talks are due to start later between ministers and the Royal College ...
Why are nurses quitting? Ask the nurse no hospital will hire.
In January 2022, 150 health-care workers piled into a Manhattan comedy club. Many hadn’t been inside an entertainment venue in nearly two years, and even now, their heads flashed with images of dystopian nightmare: the body bags and cold storage trucks; the last-ever FaceTime calls; the unvaccinated patients who spewed invective before being hooked up to respirators. More recently, they’d come off long, understaffed shifts in ERs and ICUs across the city. They were exhausted. But they were in the right place
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Internationally trained nurses who came to Canada feel forgotten as provinces recruit abroad - CBC
Delegation from Manitoba hopes to interview 400 pre-screened applications in Philippines
Nurse practitioners in B.C. can now assess crisis patients for involuntary admissions
Change will reduce pressure on ERs, speed up access to treatment: minister
Quebec labour tribunal orders nurses' union to stop threatening mass resignation - CP24
A labour law tribunal has ordered a nurses' union in central Quebec to stop its pressure tactics, which include encouraging its members to resign en masse.
Denmark to relax language requirements for foreign nurses to boost hospital staff
Denmark will streamline language requirements for nurses from outside the EU and attempt to cut processing times for authorisation of foreign medical qualifications in a bid to improve hospital care, the health ministry announced on Thursday.
Aged care / aging population
New Plymouth MP intervenes to find remedy after GP practice's move to drop rest home residents
A solution to an “appalling” decision by a Taranaki medical practice to cut rest home residents from its books is on the cards, says New Plymouth’s MP.
Families in shock after Taranaki rest home residents dropped from medical practices without warning
Taranaki rest home residents and their families have been left scrambling to find a new GP, in the face of a nationwide shortage, after being dropped by their health provider without any warning.
Covid
New bivalent Covid-19 vaccine booster to be available to over-30s
Health Minister Ayesha Verrall has announced a bivalent Covid-19 vaccine - which includes protection against Omicron - will be made available to people over 30.
Covid-19: Why did reported cases rise 10% in the last week?
On Monday, 9100 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the past seven days, an increase of 10% on the week before.
The seven-day rolling average of new reported cases was also up, and so too was the number of people in hospital with Covid-19.
Diabetes
Better targeted prediabetes care needed - University of Otago
A more targeted approach to the screening and treatment of prediabetes is likely to be more effective at preventing type 2 diabetes and to reduce strain on primary health care sector resources, according to researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington.
Education
Health education school for 600 students opens in Palmerston North | Stuff.co.nz
UCOL was one of only three New Zealand providers that offered a medical imaging degree, and was the fourth largest in terms of nursing students
Te Whatu Ora Health NZ
Middlemore ED targeted by Te Whatu Ora as one of eight national ‘hotspots’
Middlemore Hospital has been identified as a ‘hotspot’ needing extra support before the winter flu season.
Health boss under fire for 'inappropriate' comments criticising National Party
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says the Government is working through “an official process" with outspoken Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand chairperson Rob Campbell, who is in hot water over a social media comment on National’s alternative to the three waters legislation.
Cabinet ministers speak with Te Whatu Ora chair Rob Campbell over political comments
Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand board chairman Rob Campbell has been spoken to by Cabinet ministers after publishing political comments on social media about the National Party’s Three Waters policy.
ED wait times have deteriorated since July, Te Whatu Ora/Health New Zealand chief admits
Te Whatu Ora chief clinical officer Pete Watson admits the health system is still struggling to work through a backlog of patients which has been building since COVID-19 started running rampant in the community.
Health NZ braces for tough winter with plan GPs are unaware of
Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand - is bracing for another tough winter season with eight hospital 'hotspots' set to bear the most pressure.
Palmerston North Hospital ED is on hotspot watch this winter
Palmerston North Hospital’s emergency department has been put on Te Whatu Ora’s “hotspot” list, as it is expected to face a tough winter season.
HDC and disciplinary cases
Nurse accused of being 'sexual predator' fined and censured for behaviour | Stuff.co.nz
An Auckland nurse who sexually “harassed” his colleague has been censured and fined by the health watchdog.
Nurse accused of being 'sexual predator' currently working with students
An Auckland nurse who had previously been sexually “harassing” a colleague is now working as a preceptor for student nurses in his new job, a tribunal has heard.
Woman overdosed after nurse gave five times more fentanyl in error
A dialysis patient was accidentally given an overdose of potent opioid fentanyl, after a nurse mixed it up with an anti-nausea medication.
Legal proceedings considered after nurse sends teenage patient personal messages
A registered nurse has been found to have breached the Code of Health & Disability Services Consumer’s Rights after a patient complained of receiving personal messages.
Health inequity
Breaking the inequity loop
History shows us that the best way to improve Māori health is to support Māori to lead and drive the improvement ourselves. That means more Māori across all aspects of health: not just doctors, nurses and other clinical workforce, but also more Māori epidemiologists, health scientists, health policy experts, and even politicians.
The all-of-population approach has failed for more than a century to address Māori health inequalities. Government policy needs accommodate tino rangatiratanga and allow Māori the resources and time to address our challenges. This includes supporting initiatives such as the Te Aka Whai Ora, the new Māori Health Authority
Maori health
Expert Launches Ground-breaking Therapy For Māori Kaumātua With Dementia
Haumanu Whakaohooho Whakāro – Māori is a type of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) and the first to be specifically adapted for Māori kaumātua.
Primary health care
Patient need the crucial factor: Study of general practice models shows there are no 'stars'
A study into general practice models in Aotearoa New Zealand found patient outcomes were much more strongly linked to patient need than to the type of practice people were enrolled in.
Monthly medical clinic provides care to Pouto residents - NZ Herald
Once a month, grateful residents on the rural peninsula of Pouto make their way to Rangitane Hall, where they are provided with free medical care.
Long-term resident Brian Malam described the service as “excellent”.
Public health
Measles: Health body texting, emailing young people who may be undervaccinated
The country’s leading health body is contacting young people to promote uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, as Aotearoa recently recorded its first measles case in years.
Pregnant Maori and Pacific women getting poor vaccine info, research shows
Some pregnant Māori and Pasifika women are getting poor information on vaccines from health providers, new research shows. Read more
Reports and journals
Paediatric Vaccines
Research Review Issue 53
In this issue, we draw the focus away from COVID-19 and back onto some of our other important vaccine-preventable diseases and wonderful vaccines.
Articles of interest
Predicting behavioural intentions towards medication safety among student and new graduate nurses across four countries.
Fernandez, R., tenHam-Baloyi, W., Mathew, E., Secginli, S., Bahar, Z., Jans, C., Nahcivan, N., Torun, G., Lapkin, S., & Green, H. (2023). Journal of Clinical Nursing, 32, 789– 798. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16330
Aims and objectives
To identify final-year undergraduate students and new graduate nurses’ behavioural intentions towards medication safety across four countries.
Background
Medication errors are a common and avoidable occurrence, being costly for not only patients but also for health systems and society.
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 28 February
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