News bulletin 5 February

on 5 February

Welcome to the College of Nurses – News Update.

No. 188  Wednesday 5 February 2014

 

From NZ media this week

Voluntary Bonding Scheme Registrations open
Registrations of interest for the 2014 Voluntary Bonding Scheme have formally opened today announced Health Minister Tony Ryall.
http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/voluntary-bonding-scheme-registrations-open/5/180503

Local nurse in Govt scheme
One of 48 nursing scholarships granted by the Ministry of Health is being given to a graduate working in Wanganui.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wanganui-chronicle/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503426&objectid=11195878

Elective surgery gets boost
Under increasing pressure from a growing backlog on surgical waiting lists, Health Minister Tony Ryall has announced an extra $10 million to fund more elective surgeries.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/9663456/Elective-surgery-gets-boost

Health agency hamstrung on legal high advice
A government agency set up to promote national health awareness is not allowed to provide advice on the use of legal highs because it is hamstrung by the law.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9663491/Health-agency-hamstrung-on-legal-high-advice

Elderly woman's concerns 'not listened to properly' before death - coroner
The concerns of an elderly woman who died of blood poisoning in Wellington Hospital were not properly listened to by medical staff, a coroner has ruled.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11193849

Elderly woman's broken hip left untreated for days
Rest home staff who left an elderly woman's broken hip untreated for several days have been ordered to apologise and will be reviewed by the Nursing Council.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11196143

Maori men hit with prostate cancer care
Maori men are dying at a greater rate of prostate cancer than their Pakeha counterparts because their GPs are less likely to refer them onto specialist treatment.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/9673834/Maori-men-hit-with-prostate-cancer-care

St John price hikes worrying
A price hike for travel in an ambulance in non-emergency situations has been labelled disgusting and hugely unfair on aged-care facilities in southern rural areas.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/9673659/St-John-price-hikes-worrying

Clinic on high alert
Reports of violent clashes at mental health facility after patients smuggle in legal highs
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11195486

Lawyers join fight for clinic
Top legal firm Chen Palmer has been engaged to fight the closure of a community diabetes service after the local health board pulled its funding.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11195474

Parts of hospital 'an infection risk'
A litany of hygiene concerns has been identified at Wellington Hospital - including waiting-room chairs declared an infection risk - with the children's ward among the worst areas.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/9678345/Parts-of-hospital-an-infection-risk

Bone cancer more deadly in NZ
Young adults suffering cancerous bone tumours in New Zealand are less likely to survive the disease than their peers overseas, a study has found.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/9678167/Bone-cancer-more-deadly-in-NZ

Claims about prison healthcare cost 'without factual basis'
"It is disappointing that Sensible Sentencing has chosen to start off 2014, with yet another claim which has no basis in fact" said Rethinking Crime and Punishment spokesperson, Kim Workman, a former Deputy Director General of Maori Health, in the Ministry of Health. He was referring to claims made by Ruth Money, that the amount spent on prisoner healthcare was "obscene".
http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/claims-about-prison-healthcare-cost-without-factual-basis/5/180144

Middlemore Hospital hit by norovirus outbreak
Auckland's Middlemore Hospital is on alert after an outbreak of the stomach bug norovirus.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11196082

Colgate teams up with Plunket and the New Zealand Dental Association to alleviate New Zealand’s cavity count
Early childhood caries is one of the most common and costly diseases of childhood, according to the Report of the Health Committee, and Colgate, Plunket and the New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) are working together to establish healthy oral hygiene habits in Kiwi kids from a young age.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1402/S00001/colgate-teams-up-with-plunket.htm

Study to evaluate best school clinic treatments
A major research project evaluating the effectiveness of school clinics to help prevent acute rheumatic fever in children is underway in three district health boards.
http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/study-evaluate-best-school-clinic-treatments/5/180516

Social health

Homeless problem 'worse than believed'
Figures from an Otago University study into the homeless is only "scratching the surface" and the situation is a lot worse than people believe.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9659887/Homeless-problem-worse-than-believed

Poverty casue of high infant mortality
Wanganui's high rate of infant deaths between the ages of 28 days and one year can be attributed to poverty in our city, a paediatrician says.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wanganui-chronicle/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503426&objectid=11193485

International media

City Hospitals Make Comfort a Priority for Teens
City hospitals are trying to find ways to make going to the doctor a more comfortable experience for teens. NY1's Erin Billups filed the following report.
http://www.ny1.com/content/lifestyles/health/202598/city-hospitals-make-comfort-a-priority-for-teens

Nurses throw support behind medical marijuana bill
Pennsylvania State Nurses Association today became the first medical professional group to register support for legislation that would allow the use of medical marijuana.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/harrisburg_politics/Nurses-throw-support-behind-medical-marijuana-bill.html#dpBvieGc0tIzDPV4.99

Social media

New US Surgeon General’s Report – Ideas for new tobacco health warnings on packs or are different messages required?
The recently released US Surgeon General’s report gives “sufficient” evidence of causality for 13 additional health conditions (e.g., colorectal cancer, diabetes, and stroke from secondhand smoke). In this blog post we ask if such information should be added to health warning labels on tobacco packaging in NZ, or whether other messages could more effectively deter youth uptake and stimulate quitting?
https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/pubhealthexpert/2014/01/30/new-us-surgeon-generals-report-ideas-for-new-tobacco-health-warnings-on-packs-or-are-different-messages-required/

Health and wellness

Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior
Stress symptoms may be affecting your health, even though you might not realize it. You may think illness is to blame for that nagging headache, your frequent insomnia or your decreased productivity at work. But stress may actually be the culprit.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/stress-symptoms/ART-20050987/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=managing-epression&pubDate=01/29/2014&xid=nl_MayoClinicManagingDepression_20140129

Articles of interest

Reducing inappropriate accident and emergency department attendances: a systematic review of primary care service interventions
Background Inappropriate attendances may account for up to 40% of presentations at accident and emergency (A&E) departments. There is considerable interest from health practitioners and policymakers in interventions to reduce this burden.
Aim To review the evidence on primary care service interventions to reduce inappropriate A&E attendances.
http://bjgp.org/content/63/617/e813.full

From the Ministry of  Health

Suicide Facts: Deaths and intentional self-harm hospitalisations 2011
The publication focuses on suicide deaths and self-harm hospitalisations in 2011 and also contains time trend analyses of suicide deaths from 1948 and intentional self-harm hospitalisations from 1996.
http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/suicide-facts-deaths-and-intentional-self-harm-hospitalisations-2011

Professional development

1st Global Conference on Emergency Nursing and Trauma Care
18-21 September 2014
Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ireland

Come and join the 1st Global Conference on Emergency Nursing and Trauma Care to share the latest research, knowledge, ideas, innovations and current developments within nursing and healthcare in both the developed and developing world.

The conference is for anyone involved in the delivery, development and organisation of emergency nursing, trauma care, paramedical and medical sciences. It will address the following themes for which abstracts for oral and poster presentations and symposia are invited by
17 March 2014:

http://www.globaledconference.com/index.html

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 at Tuesday 4 February  2014

If you have any feedback about content - what parts are most useful or what you would like added - please email admin@nurse.org.nz


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