Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand articles from September 2008

Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand archives from September 2008

Barriers to wellness for mental health clients.(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... I completed my mental health nurse training in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2000 and worked in community mental health before emigrating here with my family in 2007. I now work for a community mental health team in Auckland. Our clients are those...

Standing ovation for Kai Tiaki co-editors.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... I felt very proud of our journal Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand and our outstanding co-editors Anne Manchester and Teresa O'Connor when I received an email from the editor of Nursing Ethics, Verena Tschudin, recently. She wrote: "I was at...

Overseas nurses just as deserving.(LETTERS: TELL US WHAT YOU THINK)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... In response to Lynden Goldstraw's letter in last month's issue ("Nursing badge loses its lustre", p4) I have to say we overseas nurses are just as qualified and deserving as Locally trained nurses to wear the New Zealand nursing badge. We have...

Keep the amusing musings coming!(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... I would just Like to say how much I enjoy the bi-monthly column "(A) musing on Nursing" by Chris Cottingham. His August contribution ("Dot triumphant", p6) was particularly funny, especially the paragraphs around how the Complaints Department...

Keeping two practising certificates.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... I am a general/obstetric nurse and obtained my advanced diploma of nursing and midwifery in 1988. I was always employed as a midwife/ nurse, until the nursing and midwifery councils decided to go their separate ways. When the change came, I was...

How to stop the bullies.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... Your two correspondents in Last month's issue, 2nd-year nursing student Louise Gould and registered nurse Jeannette Robins, clearly articulate how bullying occurs in nursing. Although I am not a nurse, I know a number of nurses, some in my own...

Fertility nurses' skills impressive.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... Alison Gemmell's article "Helping couples achieve a pregnancy", published in July, p25, highlights an important, but relatively small part of the work of the three nurses who work for the Otago District Health Board's fertility service. The...

Volunteer nurses needed for camp.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... Every Labour Weekend for the past 30 years, around 200 people with disabilities, and an equal number of those without, have attended a national camp at Totara Springs near Matamata. Run by Christian Ministries with Disabled Trust, the camps...

The president comments ...
September 1, 2008... "NZNO the heart of health care" is the theme for this year's NZNO conference. As a nurse, I immediately thought of a heart and how it is made up. It basically has four chambers, with some major vessels entering and exiting. The four...

Teething problems with new phone system.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... Last month, NZNO started a roll out of an internet protocol telephone system to link all NZNO offices throughout the country. This new system will give us better conference call facilities and will mean we will be able to stream phone calls...

New Plunket initiatives awarded.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Plunket's 2008 Innovation Eyebright Award has been awarded to a team of Plunket staff from Tuakau. Led by a Plunket nurse of 25 years standing, Judi Gray, the team trialled a concept called Well Child to Well Family....

Migrant nurses frustrated at registration delays.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Survey)
September 1, 2008... Migrant nurses in New Zealand are very keen to share their experiences, with more than 80 percent of those who have responded to NZNO's research project survey willing to take part in in-depth interviews with NZNO's researcher Leonie Walker....

Nursing council changes English language requirements.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
September 1, 2008... From January 1 next year all overseas-trained nurses wanting New Zealand registration will have to pass the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Occupational English Test (OET). This policy includes all nurses for whom...

Changes signaled in aged care--at last.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
September 1, 2008... Health Minister David Cunliffe's announcement earlier this month that minimum staffing levels in aged care should be introduced over time is making good on a commitment he gave last month. When he accepted NZNO's and the Service and Food...

Proposed deal delivers significant increases in primary care.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
September 1, 2008... NZNO has reached a proposed settlement which secures a 9.7 percent pay increase for practice nurses and registered nurses (RNs) and midwives working in primary hearth care (PHC). The settlement involved just two sets of negotiations with the...

Nine weeks only for Herceptin funding.(NEWS AND EVENTS)
September 1, 2008... The decision by Pharmac earlier last month not to fund a 12-month course of the breast cancer drug Herceptin has drawn a mixed response from women's groups and the wider community. Health Minister David Cunliffe said he was satisfied...

Pacific nurses' pilot programme expected to begin in November.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... At least 50 Pacific-trained nurses are expected to enrol in a pilot programme beginning in November, to assist them gain New Zealand registration. According to Ministry of Health chief nurse Mark Jones, it will run in two centres: one in...

Tripartite framework in DHBS signed.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Southland District Health Board)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Relationships between public sector health and disability employers, staff and unions are set to be strengthened, following the signing of a health sector relationship agreement in Parliament earlier this month. The tripartite framework...

Better Maori health serviced needed.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... The prevalence, severity and burden of mental fitness among Maori continue to be greater than the rest of the population, with over half of Maori experiencing a mental illness at some time in their tires. According to the 2006 New Zealand...

Photo essay presentation draws international praise.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Conference notes)
September 1, 2008... A presentation on the background to the publication of the aged-care photo essay in the May 2006 issue of Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand and the subsequent fallout, by co-editors Anne Manchester and Teresa O'Connor, received a standing ovation...

Pondering Clark's legacy at nursing council.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Marion Clark resigned from Nursing Council)
September 1, 2008... The Nursing Council hopes to have a new chief executive by the beginning of 2009 to replace Marion Clark who left this month (see p11). Council chair Bev Rayna said advertising for a replacement would begin this month and the position would be...

Canterbury nursing shortage.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... With the numbers of nursing vacancies at Canterbury hospitals skyrocketing over the last two years, particularly over the last few months--currently 211 vacancies and affecting most areas--Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) has launched a...

Recording NZNO history.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(New Zealand Nurses Organisation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... A special centennial history of NZNO, including its earlier manifestations as the New Zealand Trained Nurses Association, NZNA and NZNU, is hoped to be published by Christmas 2009. Recently appointed writer of the history book,...

Mockford wins travel award.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Nurse co-ordinator for child and youth health, rural and community services, at Waikato District Health Board (DHB), Andrea Mockford, has won the 2008/09 Margaret May Blackwell Travel Study Fellowship. Mockford's role at the DHB primarily...

HPCA Act review workshops this month.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 )(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... The review of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 continues this month, with three open workshops in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. The purpose of the workshops is to assist the drafting of the Director-General's...

ICN appoints David Benson as new chief executive.(NEWS AND EVENTS)(International Council of Nurses)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... The International Council of Nurses' (ICN) consultant in nursing and hearth policy, David Benson, has been appointed ICN's new chief executive officer, replacing Judith Oulton who is stepping down after 12 years (see interview, p23). He will...

The challenges of regulating nursing: after a decade as chief executive of the Nursing Council, Marion Clark is crossing the Tasman. She reflects on her time as head of the country's regulatory body.(NEWS FOCUS)
September 1, 2008... The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance (HPCA) Act--its development, its implementation and its fallout among nurses--has dominated Marion Clark's time as chief executive of the Nursing Council. Now the new legislation is bedded in and...

How effective is ECT for those with borderline personality disorder? What can help improve the quality of care for patients with borderline personality disorder and major depression? Two nurses who specialise in this field examine the use of electroconvulsive therapy, in terms of patient care and cost savings.(PRACTICE)(Case study)
September 1, 2008... Use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) has a poor outcome, some reported findings and anecdotal clinical experience suggest. (1) Patients with a rear or assumed co-morbid BPD are less...

Pain, morphine and addiction: fear and misunderstanding about the nature of addiction may be stopping many patients getting the proper relief they need from chronic pain.(PRACTICE)(Case study)
September 1, 2008... Mrs S* is in her 80s and over the years has become progressively more immobilised from rheumatoid arthritis, compounded by osteoporosis. She is in chronic pain which has recently intensified as a result of compacted vertebrae. The drugs of...

Addressing underlying mental health issues among general hospital patients: a high proportion of patients presenting to hospital with a physical illness or serious injury will have an underlying mental health issue. A well-established liaison psychiatry service at Aukland's North Shore Hospital is working to ensure these problems are addressed.(PROFILE)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Making the general hospital more attuned to the needs of patients with mental health problems and reducing stigma is the aim of a consultation liaison psychiatry service that has been running at Auckland's North...

Reluctant academic thrives in teaching world: looking back over more than half a century since she started nursing, a renowned nurse educator charts the course of her career through revolutions in education as well as personal crises.(PROFILE)(Personal account)
September 1, 2008... "Good morning, nurse--it's 5 o'clock!" remember this wake-up call very well. Regardless of when I had gone to steep, this call meant that I had to get up, shower and dress in the Christchurch Hospital nurses' uniform--initially a pink dress,...

Influencing health policy: nurses can play an effective part in influencing health policy, if they develop the necessary skills and the confidence to use them.(PROFESSIONAL FOCUS)
September 1, 2008... Hearth policy is for ever changing as new systems are developed, new facilities are commissioned and new technology is introduced. Nurses have a responsibility to become politically aware and be involved in all levels of policy development,...

The rewards and frustrations of nursing's top role: leading the international nursing community has its rewards and its challenges. The outgoing chief executive of the International Council of Nurses reflects on some of those she has faced.(NEWS FOCUS)(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... Outgoing International Council of Nurses' (ICN) head Judith Oulton steps down from Leading the world's nursing community at the end of this month with both satisfactions and concerns. The decision to Leave was difficult--"ICN is a fantastic...

Jack up or jackpot? Joint action committees are gearing up for business in district health boards across the country.(INDUSTRIAL FOCUS)(Multi-Employer Collective Agreement)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A critical part of the 2007 NZNO/District Health Board (DHB) National Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA) was the commitment by the parties to a partnership agreement. The essence of this agreement was an...

Hui shows leadership.(TE RUNANGA)
September 1, 2008... Rangatiratanga -- to be the lead consultant in Maori health Aotearoa" was the theme of last month's Te Runanga o Aotearoa NZNO annual general hui, attended by more than 100 people. From Kaitaia in the north to Bluff in the south, they included...

Bridging the infection gap.(SECTION/COLLEGE NEWS)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The NZNO National Division of Infection Control Nurses' 27th annual conference in Hamilton list month had the theme "Infection control: bridging the gaps". The three-day conference was attended by 165 registrants...

Online forum produces lively discussion.(SECTION/COLLEGE NEWS)
September 1, 2008... The Nurses for Children and Young People section began an online discussion forum earlier this year. This forum (www.nzno.org.nz/Site/Sections/childyoungpersons) is a vehicle for children's nurses throughout the country to talk about ethical...

NZNO recommends Plunket deal.(SECTOR REPORTS)(New Zealand Nurses Organisation)
September 1, 2008... Plunket's clinical and administration staff will get a 4.5 percent pay increase under the proposed collective agreement reached at negotiations over the last two months. If ratified, the agreement will be for 11 months from August 1 and...

New agreements at blood service.(SECTOR REPORTS)
September 1, 2008... Two separate agreements, one for nurses and donor technicians (DT) and the other for team leaders, have recently been ratified by NZNO members at the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS). The nurses' and DTs' corrective agreement (CA) covers...

Work on Oceania agreement continues.(SECTOR REPORTS)
September 1, 2008... Work is well underway on developing a draft national collective agreement for union members working for the newly-formed aged-care chain Oceania. Eldercare and QualCare merged to form Oceania, which has 62 sites around the country. For the...

Board considers dispute over name change for college of practice Nurses.(BOARD OF DIRECTORS)
September 1, 2008... The board of directors has intervened in a dispute over the New Zealand College of Practice Nurses' NZNO plan to change its name to the New Zealand Cortege of Primary Health Care Nurses NZNO. The college of practice nurses had proposed the...

Suitable nominees wanted.(BOARD OF DIRECTORS)
September 1, 2008... The board wants expressions of interest from suitable candidates for positions on the Health Information Strategy Action Committee, the National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability, and the Ministers' Advisory Group for Pacific Island...

Pacific rules accepted.(BOARD OF DIRECTORS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... The board has accepted an alteration to its standard section rules to enable the Pacific Nursing Section to have a mix of ethnic Pacific representatives on its national committee, rather than one group dominating. The two Largest Pacific groups...

NZNO to remain member of mental health body.(BOARD OF DIRECTORS)(New Zealand Nurses Organisation)(World Federation for Mental Health)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... NZNO is to renew its affiliate membership of the World Federation for Mental Health. The mental health nurses' section supported renewal of membership. Resource documents had been useful to the section and in assisting NZNO support...

No formal support for GST off food campaign.(BOARD OF DIRECTORS)(Goods and Services Tax)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... The board decided against tending NZNO's support to the Residents Action Movement (RAM) campaign to remove gst from food items. West Coast board member Kyle Webster, in a written statement to the board, called for its support for the...

NZNO'S board members.(BOARD OF DIRECTORS)(New Zealand Nurses Organisation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NZNO's board of directors at its May meeting. Denise McGurk Justin Moore (college/section representative); Brenda Close, Te Runanga o Aotearoa NZNO; Billy Stewart Tai Tokerau (subsequently replaced by Melinda...

Board to look at rewarding its members.(BOARD OF DIRECTORS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... The board has asked for a paper to be prepared for its October meeting on options for a board sitting fee, its costs, risks and implications, including tax issues. The decision came after discussion on a recommendation that board members should...

District nursing framework endorsed.(BOARD OF DIRECTORS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... The board has endorsed the district nurses' section policy framework for a quality district nursing service. The framework grew out of a 2006 section national survey which asked "District nurses--where do we fit?" In July last year, the...