Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand articles from April 2006

Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand archives from April 2006

Don't expect miracles from safe staffing report.(Editorial)
April 1, 2006... Chairing the Committee of Inquiry into Safe Staffing and Healthy Workplaces is a challenging but hugely interesting job. As chair of the Taskforce on Pay and Employment Equity established by the Government in 2003, I was very interested in the...

Gaining dual registration an 'ordeal'.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... I congratulate and feel encouraged by NZNO opening up discussion on the issue of the dual registration of nurses and midwives, through the article, NZNO seeks to resolve dual registration issue (Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, March 2006, p9)...

Board defends honoraria decision.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... At its February meeting, NZNO's board of directors discussed the concerns Diane Penney raised in her letter, Why were honoraria raised? (Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, February 2006, p4) in which she questioned the wisdom of the board's...

Disillusioned with recruitment agencies.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... It was with much interest I read Raewyn Fararg's Letter, Poor service from recruitment agencies, (Kai Tiald Nursing New Zealand, March 2006, p3) on the difficulties she had experienced with recruitment agencies. After 30 years of nursing...

Nursing education changes suggested.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... There are many nurses, myself included, who are very concerned with the falling numbers in the nursing workforce. In her letter, How to solve the nursing shortages (Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, March 2006, p3) Penny Knoesen makes some valid...

Good bye and good luck.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... Since a back disc prolapse (probably due to lifting elderly patients for many years) in 2003, I have been doing relief practice nursing. But now I can't say for sure that I will meet the hours of practice or the hours of education required for...

Competence demands 'over the top'.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... I write in strong support of Sam Mojel's Letter "Paperwork undermines Work Satisfaction" (Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, February 2006, p5). I am a 50-something enrolled nurse (EH) who has been in the system longer than I care to remember....

Childcare costs halt return to nursing.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... With the introduction of the Government's Working for Families package this month, I am in the unusual position of not being able to afford to work. I am a mother of four children--two at school and two preschoolers. I am on parental leave, due...

Raising awareness of school nurses.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... With reference to the letter by school nurse at Kelston Boys High in Auckland, ELizabeth Perales, School nurses not recognised (Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, February 2006, p6), it seems NZNO is not keen to recognise the unique position and...

Living is easy with your eyes closed: this month, the local Te Henga nursing group tackles the issue of scepticism versus cynicism and ponders which quality is more prevalent in the nursing profession.
April 1, 2006... The Te Henga Section of the Marxist Nurses" Union is currently hosting a series of educational and uplifting evenings. Last week we heard Helen Wishnesky--"Red Helen"--on "Scepticism as an inoculant against foolishness, bureaucratic excess and...

Nurse assistant title to stay.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
April 1, 2006... In the wake of its decision to retain the title nurse assistant (NA) for second-level nurses trained post-2000, the Nursing Council is organising a forum for all interested parties on the scope of practice and the level of the NA qualification...

Nurses invited to participate in e-study.
April 1, 2006... This month 12,000 nurses were invited to participate in a major "e-research" study on the nursing workforce. The study, launched last month by Health Minister Pete Hodgson and Labour Minister Ruth Dyson, is a collaboration between researchers...

Caregivers send their pay slips to the Prime Minister.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... National Caregivers' Week Last month was marked by caregivers around the country posting their pay slips to Prime Minister Helen Clark in protest at their low wages. This is the second year that caregivers have taken this action and, in...

Hospice nurses seek public support for pay rise.
April 1, 2006... Hospice nurses seeking pay rates equivalent to public hospital nurses' pay rates took their message to the streets last month in an effort to raise public support for their campaign. NZNO spokesperson Mark Lennox said hospice nurses spoke to...

Women under-represented in unions.
April 1, 2006... More than 55 percent of union members in New Zealand are women and women are more unionised than men, but women are still underrepresented in unions' power structures, a Council of Trade Unions' (CTU) gender audit has revealed. The gender...

Cultural adoption practices need recognition.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Paid parental leave (PPL) should not only be extended to self-employed people; it should also include foster parents who become long-term carers of children under 12 months and parents involved in whaangai adoptions, according to NZNO....

Seven reasons not to hit children.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Children are Unbeatable is the title of a booklet produced by the Office of the Children's Commissioner, with support from UNICEF, which outlines "seven very good reasons not to hit children". The booklet, written by Long-time, Wellington-based...

Nurse appointed as organiser in Hamilton.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Long-time NZNO activist, Rhoda Waitere, who is a mental health nurse, has been appointed as an organiser based in Hamilton, replacing Jenny Dorrian. She has had extensive involvement in NZNO as a Te Runanga o Aotearoa NZNO representative, a...

Nursing head achieved major education reforms.
April 1, 2006... For 12 years--from 1966 till 1978--Shirley Bohm (nee Lowe) held the most senior nursing position in New Zealand and was the most senior woman in a male-dominated public service. Registered as a general nurse at Dunedin in 1948, Bohm gained...

Conventions aim to build leadership skills and collective strength.
April 1, 2006... "Members make a difference" is the theme for this year's regional conventions, being held during May and June. "We want to honour the leadership skills and potential of our members," explained NZNO educator and programme organiser, Susan...

Southland nursing leader selected for fellowship programme.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Southland Hospital's Outpatients Department nurse manager Leonard Fritz has been selected as one of only 40 nurse leaders worldwide to participate in the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Fellowship Programme in Management for Nursing...

New nursing director.(Gary Lees appointed)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Experienced United Kingdom mental health nurse Gary Lees has been appointed Director of Nursing and Midwifery at Lakes District Health Board (DHB). He succeeds previous director Cathy Cooney who is now project manager for the Lakes DHB...

Caregiver becomes 10,000th ACE graduate.(Aged-Care Eduction)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Caregiver Heather Hallinan, from St Allisa's Rest Home in Christchurch, is Health Ed Trust's 10,000th graduate. Pictured above (right) receiving her badge and certificate from rest-home manager Bev Rayna, Hallinan began the trust's Aged-Care...

'MIA' recognised.(Missing in Action)(New Zealand Nurses Organization)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... NZNO has been awarded a 2005 Golden Lamp Award by the United States Center for Nursing Advocacy for the depiction of its "MIA"--Missing in Action--campaign in the media. The Center for Nursing Advocacy is a non-profit organisation that...

Do nurse/patient ratios work? Nurse/patient ratios have always been contentious. But the experience of two states--one Australian, one American--which have legislated nurse/patient ratios shows they have a positive impact on nurses' professional esteem and ability to give the patient care they want to provide, and on nurses' political savvy.
April 1, 2006... Nurse/patient ratios are not the panacea to all staffing woes but they do make a considerable difference to both patient safety and nursing morale. Nurse/patient ratios have always been driven by nurses' unions whose members have been committed...

Saving lives and money: safe staffing in health care saves lives and money--this is the International Council of Nurses' (ICN) message next month to mark International Nurses' Day (IND) on May 12.
April 1, 2006... 'There is no doubt. The numbers of health care workers make a difference," said ICN president Hiroko Minami at the launch of this year's IND theme. "Study after study has shown that improved nurse staffing--in numbers and skill-mix--is...

Advancing nursing leadership: developing and equipping nurse leaders is vital if quality health services and good patient health outcomes are to be achieved and maintained.
April 1, 2006... International research shows a positive correlation between the advanced nursing role and quality patient health outcomes. (1,2) However, achieving this is an on-going challenge for nurse leaders faced with limited resources in a tight economy...

Taking the message to the media: identifying nurses and caregivers who are willing and able to speak to the media about NZNO's campaigns is proving an effective means of raising public awareness.(New Zealand Nurses Organisation)
April 1, 2006... NZNO members around the country are discovering new skills as they put themselves forward to speak to the media in support of NZNO's campaigns. Encouraging members to speak to the media is all part of NZNO's aim to raise public and...

Midwifery--a workforce under pressure: the past 15 years have been turbulent for the midwifery profession. What's the state of play for the workforce now?
April 1, 2006... Midwifery is a profession under pressure--from heavy workloads, worsening shortages and an ageing workforce; from the constant glare of publicity; and from public statements calling for a review of maternity care delivery. Late last year...

Ethical staffing--there can be no compromise: safe staffing is an ethical issue. Nurses need moral courage and organisational support to ensure they work in an environment where they can practise ethically and patients receive the best care possible.
April 1, 2006... Safe staffing is about the right number of nurses with the right kinds of skills, at the right times, for the right patients in the right environment. The Committee of Inquiry into Safe Staffing and Healthy Workplaces, arising from the 2004...

International Nurses' Day: 12 May.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... "Caring for nurses and midwives--NZNO is the only New Zealand nursing organisation affiliated to ICN. It proudly supports its nearly 40,000 members with a full range of services, and empowers its members to actively campaign to achieve their...

Caring for the frail and dependent elderly: caregiver Janet Butler has had many years' experience working with the elderly and loves her job. She would just like her wages to recognise her true value.
April 1, 2006... The reason I stay working as a caregiver is because I enjoy the job and the residents and patents I care for. You certainly wouldn't stay for the wages." Janet Butter has worked at Lonsdale Hospital and Rest Home in Foxton for nearly eight...

A passion for gerontology: valuing all the members of the staffing team is the secret to running a successful aged-care facility, says Lonsdale nurse manager Dorothy Moore.
April 1, 2006... Dorothy Moore, the new nurse manager at Lonsdale Hospital and Rest Home in Levin, is passionate about gerontology and committed to running a facility where residents feel safe and happy, and staff gain some real job satisfaction. Moore...

What does pay and employment equity mean? What on earth is pay and employment equity? And why do nurses need to understand it and its application in their workplaces?
April 1, 2006... Pay and employment equity is a term bandied around a great deal. But what does it actually mean and what is its relevance to nurses and their working environment? The Taskforce on Pay and Employment Equity (PAEE) was set up in 2003 to advise...

Committee of inquiry must make enforceable recommendations.
April 1, 2006... The current focus for all staffing issues is the work of the Committee of Inquiry (CoI) into Safe Staffing and Healthy Workplaces but the board would like to see an improved flow of information to members about the process of the CoI. The board...

NZNO representation at international forums.(New Zealand Nurses Organization)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The South Pacific Nurses' Forum will be held in Samoa in September and NZNO will be represented by president Marion Guy, chief executive Geoff Annals and Te Runanga 0 Aotearoa NZNO chair and vice chair Brenda Close and Des Canterbury Te...

Award nominees wanted.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Te Runanga 0 Aotearoa NZNO is wanting applications for the Akenehi Hei Memorial Award, instituted by Te Runanga several years ago to honour the memory of Akenehi Hei, one of the country's first Maori registered nurses. The winner of the...

Te Tiriti 0 Waitangi is new wording.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Te Tiriti 0 Waitangi is going to replace the words "principles of the Treaty of Waitangi" in NZNO's strategic plan and in all NZNO policies and documents. Te Runanga 0 Aotearoa NZNO had reviewed initial advice given about wording in NZNO...

Colleges congratulated.(Accreditation of Nursing Colleges)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... NZNO sections will no Longer have to have an accreditation programme as a prerequisite to becoming an NZNO college and colleges will no longer have to undergo a biennial procedural audit, following decisions made at the meeting. The board...

Conference planning underway.(BOARD OF DIRECTORS)
April 1, 2006... Initial planning for NZNO's annual conference has begun, with initial discussion about using Martin Luther King's most famous quote, "We have a Dream" as a possible theme. This was to augment last year's theme of Freed to Care, Proud To Nurse....

National role for Cancer Nurses' Section.(New Zealand Nurses Organisation links with Ministry of health)
April 1, 2006... Formal links between NZNO's Cancer Nurses' Section and the Ministry of Health, particularly in relation to the Government's Cancer Control Strategy, were established during a meeting in February. The meeting in Wellington also aimed to...

Neonatal nurses work towards college status.(New Zealand Association of Neonatal Nurses)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The New Zealand Association of Neonatal Nurses' (NZANN) executive committee, at its meeting in Wellington last month, continued work on our application to become an NZNO college. Our association now has nearly 500 members. This is a...

Keeping safe as a new graduate.(Borderline personality disorder patient care)
April 1, 2006... I am the Te Runanga proxy member for Tamaki Makaurau, the Greater Auckland region, and a new graduate working in mental health for atmost six months. I work for Pathways, a non-government agency in Papakura, as a community living support (CLS)...

Regional annual general hui underway.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Kia ora mai tatou i nga ahuatanga o te ra. I encourage all Te Runanga members to watch out for panui that indicate where and when your regional annual general hui (AGH) will be held. The national executive komiti agreed in February that...

News from Te Runanga's Greater Auckland region.(Health Promotion)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Tamaki Makaurau, the Greater Auckland region, is NZNO's largest region, with 700 Maori nurses as members of Te Runanga. Tamaki Makaurau had its first regional meeting earlier this month, where we shared whaka-whanaungatanga and some common...

Building relationships at Parihaka.(Parihaka International Peace Festival)
April 1, 2006... As a model of relationship, PAUA extends beyond NZNO, reaching broad social, political and economic networks. A recent example of this was NZNO's participation in last month's Parihaka International Peace Festival, which took place at Parihaka...

Fair play for nurses and midwives.
April 1, 2006... Fair Play for Nurses and Midwives is the theme for this year's district health board (DHB) multi-employer collective agreement (MECA) campaign. It was endorsed at a meeting of 18 of the 21-strong national committee of DHB delegates last month...

Wairarapa workers share concerns.(Occupational safety and health)
April 1, 2006... Last month 200 people attended a multi-union meeting in the Masterton Town Hall. Workers from a range of sectors, including forestry, construction, aged care and hospital, came together to discuss some issues workers in the Wairarapa are...

Mercy Hospital.(registered nurses salary)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Mercy Hospital members ratified a package that includes a two-year term, from March 20 2006 and puts registered nurses (RNs) on the top step of the salary scale at $26.93 an hour. This is well above the district health board (DHB)...

Education days.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The region's first two education days for the year were held in Dunedin last month. The days focused on getting members involved and working with members' issues. Delegates found sharing experiences and learning from the challenges of other...

Senior nurses in Otago's rural hospitals.(rural hospital nurse pay)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... All nurses, except senior nurses, in three of Otago's rural hospitals, Dunstan, Clutha Health First and Oamaru, got pay parity with the DHB MECA last year. Following recommendations from Otago DHB director of nursing Teresa Bradfield, who is...

Calvary Hospital.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... A long-standing dispute, left over from last year's negotiations, over the term of the CA for members at Calvary Hospital Southland Limited, has been concluded successfully, resulting in three months' back pay.

Bargaining underway.(NEWS FROM THE SOUTHERN REGION)
April 1, 2006... Bargaining has been initiated with St Winifred's Hospital to renew the CA. Staff are being surveyed on claims and issues for these negotiations. Meanwhile, negotiations are underway at Rannerdale War Veteran's Home, Archer Village and with...

Marking International Nurses' Day.(NEWS FROM THE SOUTHERN REGION)
April 1, 2006... The Grey Hospital Workplace Committee is to mark International Nurses' Day (IND) on May 12 with an evening walk through Greymouth to raise public awareness of safe staffing issues, in keeping with this year's theme "Safe Staffing Save Lives"

Wage increases.(aged-care sector nurse pay)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Some members in the aged-care sector in Canterbury received wage increases last month with the increase in the minimum wage to $10.25 an hour. Those employers should be ashamed that they continue to pay their employees such low wages in an...

Canadian unionist benefits from New Zealand experience.(medicare system privatization)
April 1, 2006... New ZeaLand's experience of increased privatisation, decreased unionisation and the growth of for-profit care in health has galvanised a visiting Canadian trade unionist to do more to stop the erosion of Canada's Medicare system and to thwart...