Welcome
to the College of Nurses – News Update.
No. 257 24 June 2015
From NZ media this week
Wasp attack victim left unconscious by medicine
mistake
A medical mishap has been
blamed after a wasp sting victim passed out during emergency treatment.
In a decision released on
Monday, Health and Disability Commissioner Theo Baker found a nurse
incorrectly administered the drug promethazine undiluted, causing the patient
to lose consciousness.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/69601694/wasp-attack-victim-left-unconscious-by-medicine-mistake
From International media this week
Assessing Nursing Quality
and Patient Safety11
The use of surveys to assess the working environment for nurses is
considered a tool in tracking and ensuring high-quality outcomes.
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/MAG-317386/Assessing-Nursing-Quality-and-Patient-Safety
Experts say full staff
engagement, training crucial to improving dementia care
Dementia-related behavioral disturbances are
one of the top five reasons nursing home residents are readmitted to hospitals,
according to experts affiliated with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services.
http://bit.ly/1J4l4y1
4 tips for improving communication and helping
nurses get back to the patient's bedside
Nurses are one of the most important assets to a hospital.
They can reduce the likelihood of falls, infections and medication errors, and
improve patient satisfaction. That said, the more hospitals can do to keep
nurses at the patient's bedside, the better.
http://bit.ly/1ez4Gsz
Active clinician support, assistance are critical to
successfully quitting smoking
While primary care providers' simply asking patients with
high-risk smoking histories about their smoking status did not increase
patients' likelihood of quitting, providing more direct assistance -- such as
talking about how to quit, recommending or prescribing nicotine replacement or
pharmaceutical aids, and following up on recommendations -- significantly
improved patients' success in becoming smoke-free, investigators report.
http://bit.ly/1NeBrGX
MERS coronavirus a
bigger threat to Australasia than Ebola, experts say
An
infectious diseases expert has warned Australia is at greater risk from the Middle
East respiratory syndrome coronavirus than it was from Ebola, but Australian
authorities insist the nation is prepared for any cases of the deadly disease.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/69489389/mers-coronavirus-a-bigger-threat-to-australasia-than-ebola-experts-say
In-school health programs led by RNs show success
in reaching students
Integrating a registered nurse into Australian schools to help
students make informed choices about health-related behaviors was successful in
a recent pilot program, according to a recent study published in BioMed
Central.
http://healthtimes.com.au/hub/primary-healthcare/49/research/nc1/in-school-health-programs-led-by-rns-show-success-in-reaching-students/932/
DHBs and PHOs
New Southern District
Health Board to focus on long term goals
The
new structure for the Southern District Health Board will mean more focus on
long term goals, says a member of the newly appointed Commissioner's team.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=11467163
Dunedin Hospital
rebuild to cost extra $100 million
A
day after sacking the Southern District Health Board for a ballooning deficit,
Minister of Health Dr Jonathan Coleman visited Dunedin Hospital and confirmed a
rebuild of the facility could cost an extra $100million.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/69512755/dunedin-hospital-rebuild-to-cost-extra-100-million.html
South Canterbury doctors to offer zero fees for
under 13s
The Zero Fees doctor visit
scheme is being extended to all children under the age of 13 from July in South
Canterbury.
Originally the government
initiative only covered 6-year-olds and under but from July 1 under-13s will
also be eligible for free General Practioner (GP) visits during the day and
after-hours. They will also be exempt from the standard $5 pharmacy charge for
each prescription item.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/69531096/South-Canterbury-doctors-to-offer-zero-fees-for-under-13s
Pharmacy
Medications may not be as effective for Māori
New research shows many medications and
treatments may not work as effectively for Māori and Pasifika as they do for
people of European descent.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/276574/medications-may-not-be-as-effective-for-maori
Telemedicine
Homecare Medical
announced as successful partner to develop and deliver new integrated national
telehealth service
Reaching
the community in new ways with comprehensive health and wellness advice,
support and information.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1506/S00103/homecare-medical-announced-as-successful-partner.htm
Jobs to go in telephone helplines change
The Government's chosen Homecare Medical to run Healthline
and operate other familiar services, including Quitline; Gambling Helpline;
Alcohol and Drug Helpline; and Depression Helpline.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/276625/jobs-to-go-in-telephone-helplines-change
Drugs, alcohol and smoking
Wellington emergency doctor calls for pure ecstasy
to be made legal
The purest form of ecstasy is safer than alcohol and should
be legalised, Wellington Hospital's emergency department head says.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/69462806/wellington-emergency-doctor-calls-for-pure-ecstasy-to-be-made-legal
Injury Prevention Aotearoa welcomes alcohol harm
debate
Injury Prevention Aotearoa
welcomes the debate around reducing alcohol-related harm, sparked by clinical
toxicologist and ED specialist Dr Paul Quigley’s statement about the relative
safety of pure ecstasy (MDMA) over alcohol.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1506/S00109/injury-prevention-aotearoa-welcomes-alcohol-harm-debate.htm
Facebook drug craze 'Russian roulette'
A dangerous Facebook challenge has seen four teens
hospitalised after consuming a handful of prescription pills with alcohol
and police fear it's a matter of time before someone dies.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/69508382/Facebook-drug-craze-Russian-roulette
Obesity
Child obesity
programme funded for South Island
Obesity
treatment will be offered to parents of about 200 South Island children next year.
After
a two year investigation into obesity treatment programmes, the Triple P
Lifestyles programme, was recommended by the South Island Alliance of district
health boards (SIA), Canterbury DHB planning and funding general manager
Wayne Turp said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/69506987/child-obesity-programme-funded-for-south-island
Articles of interest
Effects of a reduction
in the number of short intervals between work shifts on heart rate variability:
A prospective field study of female nurses
Susanna
Järvelin-Pasanen … et al
Introduction:
Shift work is one of the most serious occupational risk factors for health
problems such as cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, shift work disturbs
sleep and alertness and impairs recovery from work, especially if the time
between work shifts is insufficient. The aim of this study was to evaluate if a
reduced number of short intervals (i.e., less than 11 hours) between
work-shifts would result in better recovery indicated by sleep time heart rate
variability reflecting the psychophysiological recovery. Methods: Participants
were 39 female shift-working nurses with the mean age of 45 years. The study
design was a prospective within-subject study with a one year follow-up. The
24-hour heart rate variability recordings supplemented with questionnaires were
performed twice. First, while working in the old shift schedule with frequent
short intervals between work shifts, and again after one year of a working
schedule with a reduced number of short intervals between work shifts.
Statistical analyses were conducted using liner mixed models. Results: The
comparison between the initial shift system and the schedule with the reduced
number of short intervals between work shifts caused an increase in heart rate
variability parameters reflecting mainly parasympathetic activation of the
autonomic nervous system (i.e., RMSSD, HF power and HF power in normalized
units) (p < .001). Conclusions: In conclusion, our results suggest that
reducing the number of short intervals between work shifts is an effective way
to enhance the physiological recovery during the sleep. This study demonstrated
that the recovery of autonomic nervous system from shift work can be promoted
by implementation of ergonomic recommendations
http://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/cns/article/view/6765/4312
Caring for Adult Patients with Suicide Risk:
A Consensus Guide for Emergency Departments
The
National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention estimates that up to 20 percent
of suicides could be prevented with the implementation of interventions in
emergency departments. Caring for Adult Patients with Suicide
Risk: A Consensus Guide for Emergency Departments is a new
resource to promote a continuum of care, safety, and well-being for ED patients
treated for suicide risk. Developed in collaboration with a panel of ED
professionals, the Guide provides consensus- and research-based practices in
decision support, initial interventions, and discharge planning.
http://www.sprc.org/edguide?sid=46617
From the Ministry of Health
Kia Piki te Ora Suicide Prevention Programme
Evaluation Final Report
Suicide and suicidal behaviour continue to be a major public
health issue in New Zealand. Each year more than 500 New Zealanders take
their lives and there are over 2500 admissions to hospital for intentional
self-harm. The latest statistics in 2012 show that almost one in five completed
suicides were Māori suicides and the Māori youth suicide rates were 2.8 times
higher than non-Māori youth.
http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/kia-piki-te-ora-suicide-prevention-programme-evaluation-final-report
Indicators for the Well Child/Tamariki Ora Quality
Improvement Framework March 2015
The Ministry of Health, in
partnership with sector experts, developed the Well Child / Tamariki Ora
Quality Improvement Framework, drawing on New Zealand and international
research.
The Framework has three
aims: focusing on family/whānau experience; population health and best value
for the health system; and setting quality indicators to audit health system
performance.
This is the fourth Well
Child / Tamariki Ora quality indicators publication, and shows areas of
excellence and areas for improvement. The quality indicators help support the
Ministry of Health, DHBs and providers of Well Child / Tamariki Ora and related
child health services to identify and prioritise areas for national and local quality
improvement.
http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/indicators-well-child-tamariki-ora-quality-improvement-framework-march-2015
Lung Cancer
Multidisciplinary Meeting Toolkit
The National Lung Cancer
Working Group developed this toolkit to help DHBs implement high quality
multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs) specifically for lung cancer patients.
With the aim of bringing
together best practice for a high quality lung cancer MDM, the working group
has adapted the Guidance for Implementing
High Quality Multidisciplinary Meetings (Ministry of Health 2012), to produce this toolkit.
http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/lung-cancer-multidisciplinary-meeting-toolkit
Professional development
Obesity and Recovery: A Nursing Perspective Conference
29 - 30 October 2015
Rydges Sydney Central
Attend this conference to become more informed about the
pathology of obesity and methods for maintaining a healthy weight. Hear experts
in preventive medicine, psychology, neuroscience, paediatrics, endocrinology,
physical fitness, nutrition and surgery discuss the causes, treatment and
prevention discuss this key health issue. Concepts include:
Why do some people become obese and others not?
What drives people to overeat?
Energy in versus energy out: the science of metabolism
Why does childhood obesity often have lifelong effects?
Common myths of fad diets
Why is it so difficult to maintain weight loss?
How is a decision made to undergo surgical interventions?
How to conduct a therapeutic conversation with an obese person
Learn more
Now is the time for all nurses and midwives to become fully
informed about this topic of growing concern. Book Now!
http://bit.ly/1Tt1YEH
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
23 June 2015
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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