News bulletin 5 December 2012

Welcome to the College of Nurses – News Update.
No. 132,  Wednesday 5 December 2012   

From NZ media this week 

Dementia rest home shuts down
A Christchurch dementia rest home is shutting its doors after losing the backing of health authorities because of failings in its standard of care. 
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8034652/Dementia-rest-home-shuts-down 

Men's health focus of big national hui
Maori men's coalition Mana Tane Ora o Aotearoa will hold its second national conference at the Marlborough Convention Centre in Blenheim from tomorrow until Friday.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/8031642/Mens-health-focus-of-big-national-hui 

Report seeks action on disabled rights
Heavy criticism has been levelled at government agencies over New Zealand's poor performance in disabled people's rights
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/8030254/Report-seeks-action-on-disabled-rights 

Specialists cite DHB's sore points
Operating-theatre staff turnover, bullying, competitive recruitment between Southland and Dunedin hospitals, and an offensive advertisement at Southland Hospital have been highlighted in an annual union report.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/8036205/Specialists-cite-DHBs-sore-points 

Waikato DHB volunteers gift $500,000 worth of time
Volunteers gifted 38,720 hours of their time this year to help patients and the public visiting Waikato District Health Board’s hospitals and continuing care facilities.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1212/S00011/waikato-dhb-volunteers-gift-500000-worth-of-time.htm 

New Zealand Blood Service to Develop Major New Facility in Christchurch
The New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is to partner with Ngai Tahu Property to develop a major new facility on Christchurch’s old Addington Railway Workshops site.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1212/S00009/blood-service-to-develop-major-new-facility-in-christchurch.htm 

Status of Waikato DHB Women’s Health - Putting Women’s Health First
The NZ College of Midwives is very encouraged to read the Review Panels recommendations of the Status of Waikato DHB Women’s Health and commends the DHB for commissioning the report.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1211/S00116/putting-womens-health-first.htm 

Study targets emergency dept workload
A pilot study is looking to slash the amount of taxpayer money spent on people who present at the emergency department instead of their GP or an accident clinic.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/8011345/Study-targets-emergency-dept-workload 

Nursing, midwifery assns concerned about Health Workforce NZ
Nursing and midwifery associations, seriously concerned about the performance of Health Workforce New Zealand (HWNZ), have identified areas in which improvement is required to restore health workforce confidence in HWNZ’s ability to meet its core functions. The signatories to an open letter - the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, the New Zealand College of Midwives and the College of Nurses Aotearoa [NZ] – believe that greater rigour and engagement by HWNZ is required to ensure health workforce planning meets future health service need.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1211/S00128/nursing-midwifery-assns-concerned-about-health-workforce-nz.htm 

Survey of health workers due out
Progress in reinstating clinical leadership to New Zealand hospitals will be gauged with the release of a health worker survey next week.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/237009/survey-health-workers-due-out 

Immunisation target reached
Greater collaboration between health services has seen 90 per cent of the district's babies being immunised on time - one of the Whanganui District Health Board's health target successes
http://www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/news/immunisation-target-reached/1640792/ 

Woman recovering from spinal operation received 'sub-optimal care'
A woman who lost sensation in her feet after a spinal operation was let down by her surgeon and a registered nurse, the Health and Disability Commissioner has found
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10851712 

Advice needed on helping suicidal
Blair Edwards told three people he wanted to end his own life before he was found dead in his Christchurch flat. The 26-year-old's self-inflicted death has sparked a formal recommendation to the Health Ministry by Coroner Sue Johnson
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8028144/Advice-needed-on-helping-suicidal 

Dead patient's lost notes might have altered treatment
A rest home failed to keep proper paperwork on events surrounding the death of a grossly overweight resident, before losing her notes.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/8026033/Dead-patients-lost-notes-might-have-altered-treatment 

Patient says nurses were rude, slow
A complaint from an Inglewood woman about her treatment at Taranaki Base Hospital adds to the growing number of patient gripes received by Taranaki health services this year.Janet Morresey was admitted to hospital last Thursday with a badly fractured leg and claims her nurses were rude and took a long time to answer the bell.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8026420/Patient-says-nurses-were-rude-slow 

Patient disgusted by ward-mate
Toni Korff was a patient in ward four at the same time as Janet Morresey, who last week told the Taranaki Daily News her nurses were rude and took a long time to answer her bell.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8036327/Patient-disgusted-by-ward-mate 

Medics on mission to ease pain
A group of Waikato medics are on a mission to stop young people suffering back pain in silence.Led by Waikato Hospital rheumatologist Dr Douglas White, the group is working to diagnose and treat Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/8017107/Medics-on-mission-to-ease-pain 

Surgical mesh problems persist
Victims of complications with surgical mesh continue to come forward despite an investigation four years ago that ordered improved training for surgeons.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10851360 

Child-porn doctors still work in medicine
An Auckland GP convicted of possessing images of child abuse is among the criminal medical professionals allowed to keep working.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/8025145/Child-porn-doctors-still-work-in-medicine 

 International media  

Various factors motivate RNs to pursue BSN degrees
Different factors motivate registered nurses to return to school and get a BSN or higher degree, including career and professional development as well as interest in enhancing social welfare skills, a study showed. Researchers noted that support from employers and educational institutions also played a role. The findings appear in the Journal of Professional Nursing.http://news.nurse.com/article/20121128/NATIONAL02/112100007

 Blessing Hospital pilots transitional care program to keep patients from returning to hospital
Blessing Hospital hopes a new program reduces the number of patients. A new transitional care program aids patients at high risk for readmission to the hospital. Dena Nokes, a Blessing Care manager, makes in-home visits to patients who may struggle with their conditions after they have bee released from the hospital. She ensures they understand when to take medications and monitors clients' medical maintenance. That allows Nokes to handle client issues or seek answers from other agencies without patients being readmitted to the hospital.
http://www.whig.com/story/20176634/blessing-hospital-pilots-transitional-care-program 

New Tool Aids Patient Information Exchange for Skilled Nursing Facilities
The Keystone Beacon Community serving central Pennsylvania, one of 17 federally funded communities across the nation serving as model sites for comprehensive use of health information technology, has developed a tool to enable skilled nursing facilities to share patient information, whether it is a paper or electronic health record 
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/skilled-nursing-facilities-health-information-exchange-45282-1.html 

Commons row over NHS nurse numbers
Falling nurse numbers demonstrate neither patients nor the NHS are safe under the coalition, Labour has claimed. 
http://www.nursingtimes.net/5052336.article?referrer=e1  

'It's a calling': Life as a pediatric hospice nurse, social worker
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- When Mary Spicketts talks about her job as a pediatric hospice nurse, the question is bound to come up: “How can you do that?”
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/11/pediatric_hospice_workers.html 

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