Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand articles from October 2005

Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand archives from October 2005

Campaigning for workers' rights and social justice.(Editorial)
October 1, 2005... Late last month I returned with an NZNO delegation from three days with 900 Australian and New Zealand trade unionists, sharing our experience of transforming unions and the movement into a force capable of advancing the dignity and rights of...

NZNO praised for its stand on the election.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I would like to congratulate NZNO on its position on the general election, informing our members on what we may stand to loose with a change of government. I remember the effects of the Employment Contracts Act all too well and would hate...

NZNO should not deliver propoganda.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... Could NZNO please explain who is paying for the political advertisements that appeared in our workplace last month advising us not to vote for National? Included in these have been postcards produced by NZNO and material put out by the Council...

Touch of humour much appreciated.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... As I opened my September Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand with my usual dutiful reluctance, I was overjoyed to happen upon that rarest of things in the magazine--a hint of levity! What an absolute tonic to read Chris Cottingham's "Essay Wha?"...

Researching nurses' alcohol use.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I am undertaking research into nurses' use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) and how this might affect nursing practice. This project forms part of my PhD study at the University of Auckland. The purpose of this research is to estimate the...

Seeking nurses who trained at Bethany.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... One of the projects the Salvation Army Archives and Museum is currently conducting is to put together records of those people who trained as nurses in our Bethany hospitals, from (year unknown) up to 1973 when the training scheme closed. ...

Rilutek should be subsidised.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... Many years ago as a student nurse, I met two people with motor neurone disease (MND) and I was impressed by the gravity of their situation. There is no known cause of the disease and there was only symptomatic treatment. I was also very...

Compression therapy pilot project underway.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) is funding a compression therapy pilot project aimed at improving the healing time for leg ulcers. Initial reports from the trial are positive. Application of sustained, graduated compression is a key...

O'Malley appointed West Coast DHB director of nursing.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... NZNO's outgoing president Jane O'Malley is going back to the hospital in which she was born--Grey Base Hospital--this time as director of nursing (DON). It was during a recent tour of the West Coast DHB, which stretches from Karamea in the...

New business services manager for NZNO.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Rupa Bala appointed as manager in New Zealand Nurses Organisation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... NZNO's new business services manager is Rupa Bala who joined the organisation as its accountant in early August. She replaces Dragan Radic who left NZNO this month after six years. Bala has had 20 years' experience in financial management,...

Clair becomes CTU vice president Maori.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The nomination of NZNO's policy analyst Maori Sharon Clair to the newly created position of vice president Maori with the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) was accepted at this month's CTU biennial conference in Wellington. The only...

Brown joins CTU.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Eileen Brown )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... NZNO policy analyst Eileen Brown resigned earlier this month to accept a position as social policy analyst/programme organiser at the Council of Trade Unions (CTU). Working for the lead union organisation in the country was an exciting career...

Last year 'very successful' for NZNO.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... The 2004/2005 year was a very successful one for NZNO, primarily because of membership growth associated with the district health board (DHB) pay settlement and cost containment. In his annual report, outgoing business services manager Dragan...

NZNO staff attend Australian union conference.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... Eight NZNO staff, including outgoing and incoming organising services managers, Laila Harre and Cee Payne-Harker, attended the Australian Congress of Trade Union's (ACTU) third organising conference in Sydney last month. Other staff who...

Workplace forum aimed at improving members' pay and conditions.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... The International Council of Nurses' (ICN) World Workplace forum is held annually and this year was in Berlin in early September. New Zealand is one of 11 countries belonging to this forum. The others are the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, the...

Staffing levels in aged care below ministry guidelines.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... Staffing levels in aged care are well below Ministry of Health indicators for safe staffing, according to a just-published NZNO study. In August and September, NZNO delegates at a range of aged-care sites around the country undertook a...

Primary health care nursing models in the spotlight.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... A new Ministry of Health publication spotlights eight primary health care nursing models around the country. The Ministry's Deputy Director-Genera[, Clinical Services Directorate, Colin Feek, said he hoped the publication would illustrate "the...

Mobile service for Maori launched in Tauranga.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... Western Bay of Plenty Maori can now access a mobile nursing service aimed at detecting illness early, and helping unwell people to better manage their own care in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes. Launched by the Western Bay...

New mental health resource for nursing students.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... A self-directed learning tool for undergraduate nursing, occupational therapy and social work students wanting to increase their understanding of child and adolescent mental health issues has been developed by the University of Auckland. ...

NZNO represented on pandemic influenza reference committee.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... The Ministry of Health's new advisory group, the Pandemic Influenza Reference Committee, had its first meeting earlier this month. The group's purpose is to assess and advise on the capacity of the health services to maintain and provide...

MeNZB nurses attend career expo.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... As the school-based Meningococcal B immunisation programme neared completion in Wellington and the Hurt Valley last month, staff working on the campaign were offered a clinic of their own. A joint initiative of Capital and Coast and Hutt...

Sinking of Marquette to be commemorated.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... The 90th anniversary of the sinking of the British troop ship the Marquette, with the loss of 167 lives including ten nurses of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service, is to be commemorated at the Christchurch Nurses' Memorial Chapel later this...

Former NZNO staffer in Parliament.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Former long-serving NZNO Hamilton-based organiser and educator, Sue Moroney, has entered Parliament as a list MP. She was at number 42 on Labour's list. Moroney, who worked for NZNO for 11 years, has contested the National-held Piako electorate...

Nurse honoured by Cancer Society.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
October 1, 2005... A former Whakatane oncology nurse, Jane Haultain (above), has been made a lifetime member of the Cancer Society. She was honoured by the society in August because of her "hard work, caring nature and dedication to the work of the society and...

'Mia' warmly received at NZNO conference.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(New Zealand Nursing Organization)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Outgoing NZNO president Jane O'Malley with "Mia", a cardboard cut-out symbolic of staff shortages, debuted at NZNO's annual conference last month. Mia was greeted warmly by conference delegates althoug her presence has caused some concern...

Nurse prescribing a reality at last: it's been a long time coming but nurse prescribing has finally arrived. From November 1, nurse practitioners will be able to prescribe within their defined areas of clinical practice. What will this mean for these new prescribers and for the profession?(NEWS FOCUS)
October 1, 2005... Nurse prescribing is finally a reality. After well over a decade of advocating for nurse prescribing, nurse practitioners (NP) will now be able to prescribe a range of medicines. In almost her last act as Minister of Health, Annette King,...

Auckland hosts NZNO conference: more than 200 nurses from NZNO's 11 regions and 21 sections and colleges gathered in Auckland last month for NZNO's annual conference--a conference that featured a number of firsts and farewells.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)
October 1, 2005... NZNO's first conference to be held in Auckland was formally opened with a powhiri from a 40-strong contingent led by Ngati Whatua. Speaking on the behalf of the manuhiri--NZNO's delegates and staff from outside Auckland--Parihaka-based...

Farewell and welcome for Te Runanga chairs.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The conference marked the end of Te Runanga O Aotearoa NZNO chair Anne McNicol's two-year term in office. She told conference she had been privileged to represent NZNO members. "I have been able to reflect to the many people I have interacted...

Telling the story of Fijian nurses' fight for better pay.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)
October 1, 2005... General secretary of the Fiji Nursing Association (FNA) Kuini Lutua received a very warm reception from conference delegates as she outlined the association's fight for better pay, including a five-day strike earlier this year. (See Striking...

NZNO stalwart receives award of honour.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)
October 1, 2005... "A walking encyclopaedia of NZNO history and knowledge" who attended her first NZNA conference in 1968, is the latest recipient of NZNO's highest accolade, the Award of Honour. Stalwart of Auckland NZNA/NZNO for more than two decades, Catherine...

Last election 'most important of our generation'.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)
October 1, 2005... Last month's general election was "the most important of our generation", the president of the Council of Trade Unions (CTU), Ross Wilson, told the 200 conference delegates. It had seen the highest level of activism by union members. While...

Winners of services to NZNO and service to nursing and midwifery awards announced at conference.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)
October 1, 2005... As well as the Award of Honour, NZNO's other awards--for services to NZNO and for services to nursing and midwifery--were also announced at conference. Recipients of Service to NZNO awards were: Anne Daniels, Glyn Havill and Marion...

Structural review finally abandoned.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)
October 1, 2005... The epic and at times confusing saga of NZNO's structural review finally came to an end at conference, when delegates voted unanimously and with little discussion to abandon the review. NZNO chief executive Geoff Annals recapped the history of...

Standing ovation marks Harre's departure.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)(Laila Harre )
October 1, 2005... Outgoing organising services manager (OSM) Laila Harre received a standing ovation from conference delegates when she was farewelled by chief executive Geoff Annals on the second day of conference. She had a passion for social justice and...

Fair pay campaign highlights recalled.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)
October 1, 2005... Regional workshops aimed at boosting membership participation in NZNO's campaigns were the focus of the second day of conference. Outlining the new approach, outgoing president Jane O'Malley said her observations of former conferences were that...

Delegates urged to embrace education sector colleagues.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)
October 1, 2005... "We must embrace our comrades in the tertiary section and bring them home to NZNO. Believe me, they need you," NZNO's professional services manager Joy Bickley Asher told conference delegates. She was outlining a campaign to boost student...

New president takes the stage.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)(Marion Guy)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The enormity of the role of NZNO president dawned on incoming president Marion Guy (right) when, just a few days into the role, she was rung by News Talk ZB to comment on nurse prescribing. "That's when it hit me. But it is something I'll have...

Achievements of four-year term highlighted.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... In the Hester Maclean Oration, the traditional speech of the outgoing president, Jane O'Malley outlined some of the highlights of the life and work of that pioneering nurse leader. O'Malley mused on how NZNO today would measure up against...

National Student Unit elects new officers.(CONFERENCE COVERAGE)
October 1, 2005... A second-year nursing student from Christchurch Polytechnic, who came to New Zealand from the United States in 2003, is the new chair of NZNO's National Student Unit (NSU). Jennifer Reid, originally from Chicago, came to New Zealand as part of...

The place of ECT in mental health care: the use of electroconvulsive therapy has been dogged by controversy, misuse and abuse. But it has its place in mental health care, particularly in the treatment of those suffering from catatonia.(PRACTICE)
October 1, 2005... Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the most controversial treatments in medicine. (1) It has a chequered history of misuse and abuse. Some of those who recall having had unmodified ECT, ie without anaesthetic or muscle relaxant, retain...

Becoming a nurse practitioner is an achievable goal: a nurse practitioner believes many nurses practising at an advanced level could achieve nurse practitioner status. She wants to demystify the knowledge and skills needed for this advanced practice role and urges nurses already practising in an advanced role to consider embarking on the nurse practitioner pathway.(VIEWPOINT)
October 1, 2005... There is a perception among many nurses that the nurse practitioner (NP) role is virtually unattainable; that it is a status available only to a selected few. That is not my experience, and through this article, I would like to demystify the...

Minimising mental illness among the nursing workforce: mental health coach Jacquie Kidd hopes her PhD will make a difference for nurses who have experienced mental illness during their practice. She wants to assist nurse managers to become better informed about mental illness and to help them create safe working environments for their staff.(RESEARCH)
October 1, 2005... Working with nurse managers and nursing organisations to improve the mental health of their staff is the long-term dream of mental health coach and PhD candidate Jacquie Kidd. Kidd has worked in mental health since she graduated from the...

A day in the life of an acute hospital psychiatric nurse: trying to predict what might happen during e shift on any one day in an acute inpatient mental health unit is impossible. A nurse must be adaptable and willing to cope with e variety of unplanned events.(PRACTICE)
October 1, 2005... It is 7am, the start of the day shift on a typical day at Middlemore Hospital's 50-bed acute inpatient mental health unit Tiaho Mai. It is hand-over time and the night staff are bleary-eyed as they read out the overnight report. The morning...

Mental health unit staff work collectively to solve ongoing overcrowding problems: overcrowding and understaffing continue to beset Wellington Hospital's acute inpatient mental health unit Te Whare o Matairangi. The solution--increased care in the community--will not be found overnight.(NEWS FOCUS)
October 1, 2005... Up to 40 patients sleeping in an acute mental health unit funded for 29 and originally designed for just 24. Clients having to sleep in lounges, the library and on thin mattresses on the floor. Noise revels and the rate of serious incidents...

Celebrating our fair pay anniversary: as we mark the first anniversary of the historic multi-employer collective agreement for public sector health workers, it is good to take stock of the achievements to date.(INDUSTRIAL FOCUS)
October 1, 2005... This month we celebrate the first anniversary of our historic "Fair Pay" settlement in the public sector. On October 7 2004, a pay agreement for most members covered by the district health board (DHB) multi-employer collective agreement (MECA)...

Perioprative nurses' conference aimed to dispel practice myths.(SECTION/COLLEGE NEWS)
October 1, 2005... The Perioperative Nurses' College NZNO 32nd conference held in Palmerston North last month focused on dispelling myths surrounding practice issues, scaling new heights, reinforcing and gaining new knowledge and conquering mountains faced in the...

Section and college delegates' day at conference worthwhile.(SECTION/COLLEGE NEWS)
October 1, 2005... All colleges and sections were represented at the college/section day hen before NZNO's annual conference last month. This year was the fifth year the day for college and section delegates has been hew and this year nearly 50 delegates...

Samoan nurses' association seeks closer ties with NZNO.(BOARD OF DIRECTORS)
October 1, 2005... Seven members of the Samoan Nurses' Association of New Zealand (SNANZ) attended the August board of directors' meeting, with presentations given by president Ula Fatialofa and national secretary SiLoma Masina. The SNANZ executive moved to...

Creating a more transparent process for writing submissions.(NZNO COMMITTEES: BOARD OF DIRECTORS)
October 1, 2005... The board of directors approved a process for preparing and forwarding submissions, including clear direction on the approval role of the board, president and Te Runanga chair. This issue arose following the response of some members to the...

Students seek to increase their visibility.(NZNO COMMITTEES: BOARD OF DIRECTORS)
October 1, 2005... Last month's National Student Unit (NSU) AGM farewelled our former chair Jacqui Bennetts and Tauira Aranui chairperson Natalie Pere. The NSU wishes them the best of luck. The new NSU chair is former vice-chair Jennifer Reid from the...

Latest documents for review.(NZNO COMMITTEES: BOARD OF DIRECTORS)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... This is the final report from the 2003-2005 Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Committee (NMAC). On behalf of the committee, I would like to acknowledge those members, colleges and sections, regional councils and staff who took the time to make...

Hundreds attend Auckland aged-care rally.(SECTOR REPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Hundreds of aged-care workers converged on downtown Auckland late last month to protest about their poor pay and working conditions. Nearly 600 nurses and caregivers who work at Guardian Healthcare Group (GHG) sites throughout the country and...

Blood service deal achieves pay parity.(SECTOR REPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Around 120 NZNO members employed by New Zealand Blood Services (NZBS) have overwhelmingly endorsed a pay offer which gives them pay parity with district health board (DHB) nurses. The vote was 99 percent in favour of the new collective...

Striking for better pay and conditions.(SECTOR REPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Striking aged-care workers gather outside Elmwood Village, one of three McPherson Group facilities in Auckland where workers were on strike late last month and earlier this month. Striking Guardian Healthcare Group workers outside Parklands...

Aged-care settlement reached.(SECTOR REPORTS)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... While hundreds of aged-care workers have been on strike this month, one corporate aged-care provider has reached a settlement with its staff. Strike notice at New Zealand Life Care's three Auckland sites, formerly Methodist Mission Northern...