Welcome to the College of Nurses – News Update.
No. 208 Wednesday 25
Jun 2014
From NZ media this week
Shortage of cancer
specialists looming
Health boards are failing to attract and keep
radiation cancer specialists, with the Ministry of Health warning of a serious
shortage as cancer patient numbers are tipped to rise steeply over the next
decade.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/10184623/Shortage-of-cancer-specialists-looming
NZ healthcare system among world's best -
study
The New Zealand healthcare system is one of the
most effective in the world, according to a recent study.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11278358
Health programme under
attack
The chief financial officers of district health
boards have written a group letter to express what they call their severely
diminished confidence in one of the Government's flagship health programme.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/247598/health-programme-under-attack
Better health services in
schools help student wellbeing
Results from
the latest Youth 12 Survey reveal considerable variability in health services
for New Zealand secondary schools.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1406/S00091/better-health-services-in-schools-help-student-wellbeing.htm
School health finding spurs extra funding
More than 1 in 10
schools have access to little more than first aid, research shows
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11277640
New National Health Index system improves
patient safety
Health Minister Tony Ryall has welcomed the success of
an information technology system that helps healthcare providers find the right
patient quickly and easily.
http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/un-doctored/2014/june-2014/19/new-national-health-index-system-improves-patient-safety.aspx
Deaths of mothers and babies avoidable
More than a third of mothers who died during child birth in
2012 could have been saved, a report indicates.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/10170062/Deaths-of-mothers-and-babies-avoidable
Disabilities on rise in ageing NZ population
The number of New Zealanders with a disability has risen to
nearly a quarter of the population.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/10169862/Disabilities-on-rise-in-ageing-NZ-population
International media
New Illinois law taps retired doctors, nurses
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) -
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation aimed at bringing doctors and
nurses out of retirement to help as volunteers in free medical clinics.
http://www.kwqc.com/story/25836498/new-illinois-law-taps-retired-doctors-nurses
Bringing Nurses Back to the Bedside: How
Novant Health Tripled Direct Patient Care Time
In 2010, inspired by statistics from Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health leaders decided to
investigate the amount of time the system's nurses were actually spending at
the bedside during their 12-hour shifts.
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/bringing-nurses-back-to-the-bedside-how-novant-health-tripled-direct-patient-care-time.html
Nurses Speak of Patient
Connection
Lyn Payne has treated countless patients
in her eight years at Mease Dunedin Hospital. She says some stand out, like one
particularly grumpy and demanding patient.
http://health.wusf.usf.edu/post/nurses-speak-patient-connection
Nurses play critical role in responding to
global resurgence of pertussis
Pertussis
(whooping cough) is on the increase in the United States and around the world
-— and nurses play an essential role in educating parents and patients about
the safety and effectiveness of pertussis vaccination, according to a new
paper. Caused by infection with Bordetella pertussis bacteria, pertussis has
been increasing in recent years. Worldwide, there are an estimated 50 million
cases of pertussis and 300,000 deaths. Pertussis is a major cause of death in
infants worldwide.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140613130459.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_health+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Health+News%29
Hospitals look for ways to
ground ER 'frequent fliers'
DAYTONA BEACH — Paul Thurlow had finally landed a job, but he found himself
in a bed in Halifax Health Medical Center's emergency room.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20140618/NEWS/140619468?p=1&tc=pg&tc=ar
Mass.
Nurses Association: Fight for hospital reform is officially under way
The debate about hospital reform is about to
show up in lawn signs, advertisements and conversations throughout the state
after the Massachusetts Nurses Association said they had received more than
double the required signatures to put two initiatives up for ballot vote.
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/health-care/2014/06/mass-nurses-association-fight-for-hospital-reform.html
DHB specific
Best And Worst District
Health Boards for Clinical Leadership
Four district
health boards (DHBs) need to take urgent remedial action to improve the way
they involve senior doctors and dentists in health decision-making, according
to the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS).
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1406/S00076/best-and-worst-dhbs-for-clinical-leadership.htm
Bond plan attracts 11 medicos to Bay
Eleven
doctors and nurses are heading to Hawke's Bay, having signed up to a voluntary
government scheme.
The scheme
bonds graduates from New Zealand institutions to a set time period in return
for payments being made to their student loan account.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11278236
DHB in desperate rush to
rein in debt
Wrestling Capital & Coast District Health
Board's debt into line has been described as "landing a jumbo jet plane on
a postage stamp", as its budget deadline looms.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/10184625/DHB-in-desperate-rush-to-rein-in-debt
Transparency
key to new boss' philosophy
Waikato District Health Board's new chief
executive has promised transparency will be part of his management philosophy.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/10184777/Transparency-key-to-new-boss-philosophy
Demand for surgery funds outstrips supply
People denied elective surgery are turning to the Taranaki
Community Health Trust for help, but demand is starting to exceed the trust's
supply of funds.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/10170110/Demand-for-surgery-funds-outstrips-supply
Public health
Smoke gets up diners' noses
Kiwi diners are being exposed to large amounts
of secondhand smoke even when they choose to sit inside restaurants, a study
shows.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11277650
Smoke gets inside, study
finds
Going out for
dinner tonight? Unless you want a lungful of smoke, take a table away from the
door.
A study of
Wellington eateries has found many patrons sitting inside restaurants are
nearly as likely to be exposed to second-hand smoke as those sitting out with
the smokers.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/10179949/Smoke-gets-inside-study-finds
Social health
MPs grilled by school kids
Political
parties at Grey Lynn School vow to get children involved in running country
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11276049
'Tick for Kids' to tackle child poverty
A consortium of 33 child advocacy groups is
working to make the welfare of the nation's children a priority in this year's
election.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/element-magazine/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503340&objectid=11275855
PHA says Tick for Kids on election day!
The Public Health Association is proud to be a
partner of the Tick for Kids election campaign being launched in Auckland at
lunchtime tomorrow.
http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/un-doctored/2014/june-2014/17/pha-says-tick-for-kids-on-election-day!.aspx
Social media
Would a sugary fizzy drink tax reduce health
inequalities? Probably Yes
A possible tax on sweetened sugary beverages
(SSBs, and in particular sugary carbonated soft drinks) is topical
internationally. This blog considers some economic theory around prices and
demand, epidemiological predictions, and then a recent Australian study on the
topic. The bottom line is that such a tax would probably be good for health of
all groups in NZ, but particularly the poorest New Zealanders. Such a reduction
in health inequalities is an added advantage in a country where health
inequalities remain an important problem.
https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/pubhealthexpert/2014/06/19/would-a-sugary-fizzy-drink-tax-reduce-health-inequalities-probably-yes/
Work and management
How to
Communicate With Your Manager - A Guide for Nurses
Talking to your manager is about as fun as
having a root canal treatment. Depending on his or her temperament, it can also
be a pleasant experience. It will fill you with dread if they are notorious for
their difficult personality. Still, you need to be able to talk to your manager
despite any misgivings you may have.
http://www.ausmed.com.au/blog/entry/communicating-with-your-manager
Health and wellness
What are
the Effects of Shift Work?
Anyone who has worked in nursing for more than
five minutes has encountered the problems of shift work. Some people actually
like working the night shifts, getting closer to their patients and further
away from their supervisors. Most nurses, though, are not as fond of evening
and night shifts for a variety of reasons.
http://www.ausmed.com.au/blog/entry/what-are-the-effects-of-shift-work
5 Ways to
Get a Better Night's Sleep
Sleep. Florence Nightingale got by on four hours a
night and Thomas Edison said it was waste of time.
Although it's still somewhat unclear exactly why we need it --
it's a fundamental ingredient that is essential to sustain normal levels of
cognitive skill. Things like memory, the ability to learn new information,
speech, and understanding written material, all rely on the quality of your
sleep.
http://www.ausmed.com.au/blog/entry/5-ways-to-get-a-better-nights-sleep
Articles of interest
The
Role of Incentives in Nurses’ Aspirations to Management Roles –
OBJECTIVE:
The objective of this study was to describe findings from a study examining
nurses' perceptions of incentives for pursuing management roles.
BACKGROUND:
Upcoming retirements of nurse managers and a reported lack of interest in
manager roles signal concerns about a leadership shortage. However, there is
limited research on nurses' career aspirations and specifically the effect of
perceived incentives for pursuing manager roles.
- See
more at: http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/JournalArticle?Article_ID=2474470&Journal_ID=54024&Issue_ID=2474173#sthash.45j9R1EG.dpuf
How to Be
a Master Preceptor
Nursing school provides a great framework for
medical knowledge, but nothing prepares a nurse for their actual work like
orientation.
http://www.ausmed.com.au/blog/entry/how-to-be-a-master-preceptor
Substitution
of physicians by nurses in primary care: A systematic review and meta-analysis is a recent study published as open access in
BMC Health Services Research. In many countries the substitution of
physicians by nurses has become common, especially for chronic and multi-morbid
patients. This research explored the evidence on the clinical effectiveness and
care costs of this practice in primary care by reviewing and analysing the
literature on the subject. The results suggest that "Nurse-led care seems to have a positive effect on patient
satisfaction, hospital admission and mortality". Recommendations are
made for further, more rigorous research on the subject.
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:214
doi:10.1186/1472-6963-14-214 Published: 12 May 2014
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/14/214/abstract
Publications and Reports online
Medical cannabis background paper
Elsa Koleth from the NSW Parliamentary Research Service has
prepared this background paper on Medical Cannibis. The paper considers the key legal issues involved,
including the relationship between Commonwealth and State laws. It then
discusses parliamentary, scientific and other legal research, and includes the
state of affairs in other countries such as the USA. Canada and Israel. There is an extensive bibliography covering 2008-2014 literature on every
possible aspect.
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.nsf/key/Medicalcannabis/$File/Medical%20cannabis,%20Issues%20Backgrounder%20June%202014.pdf
From the Ministry of Health
Health Literacy and the Prevention and Early
Detection of Gout
A fairly good level of
health literacy is needed to prevent or manage a long-term health condition
such as gout. Health literacy is generally defined as the capacity to access,
understand and use health information and services in order to make informed
health decisions. The quality of practitioner communication and the
user-friendliness of health services are also factors that influence health
literacy.
This publication reports on
a project that looked at effective approaches to strengthen health literacy in
relation to the initial prevention and early detection of gout. Gout is a
serious condition, but knowing the risk factors can help prevent it or recognise
it early. It also helps to know that gout can be treated effectively with
appropriate medication and other measures to prevent further attacks. Research
has shown that these messages are generally not well communicated or
understood.
The project focused mainly
on Māori as a population group with a high incidence of gout compared with some
other groups. Among other things, the report includes:
findings from discussions
with focus groups that included gout sufferers and their whānau, and with a
range of health professionals
recommendations for
improving health literacy in relation to gout.
In response to the initial
findings, 5 resources were developed during the project. The report and
resources would be useful for a range of people, from those experiencing gout
or at risk of developing it (and their whānau) to health professionals involved
in the prevention or management of gout. The Ministry has published 2 of the
resources (‘To Stop Gout’ booklet and ‘Are you at risk of gout?’ pamphlet) on
the Goutpage in the Your
Health section.
http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/health-literacy-and-prevention-and-early-detection-gout
Professional development
Conference to champion new models of care
The Long-Term Conditions Clinical Network and
The Health Navigator Charitable Trust will host the second international
conference championing new models of care for people and communities with long
term conditions. There is increasing recognition among clinicians and policy
makers about the impact of long-term conditions on acute demand, escalating
healthcare costs and overloaded hospitals. Over the last forty years, the
health needs of our population have changed dramatically, yet the health system
remains predominantly focused on acute conditions and the provision of acute,
episodic care.
http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/conference-champion-new-models-care/5/193678
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 24 Jun 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
For more up
to date news and information follow SNIPS at:
Facebook: Snips Info
twitter: @SnipsInfo
Back to blog entries
Menu