Australian Nursing Journal articles from August 2002

Australian Nursing Journal archives from August 2002

Senate report: A positive start.(Editorial)
August 1, 2002... The Senate Inquiry into Nursing report, The Patient Profession: Time for Action, has been released. There are a large number of recommendations -- 85 in all. Generally, the recommendations take up the issues which nurses have been concerned...

Letters to the editor.
August 1, 2002... Email us! The ANJ welcomes letters via email. Contributions of no more than 300 words should be sent to: anj@anf.org.au Not all perioperative areas are like this After reading 'Unfriendly environments discourage newcomers', (ANJ, July...

Figures show massive decline in post basic education. (News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Enrolments in post basic nursing courses in Australia fell by 37.1% between 1995 and 2000, according to the latest edition of Australia's Health. (1) The fall, from 6577 in 1995 to 4134 in 2000 was mainly due to due to substantial...

'Patient profession' running out of patience: Senate Inquiry. (News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Inadequate pay and unsympathetic and inflexible working conditions are the major factors forcing nurses to leave the profession, and the profession is running out of patience at the perceived lack of action to address these issues. These...

Rally shows strength of support for QNU campaign. (News).(Queensland Nurses Union)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Over 3000 Queensland Nurses Union (QNU, ANF Qld) members held a mass rally outside the State Parliament on 12 July to show their support for the QNU's campaign to rebuild nursing as an attractive career option. The rally, part of the...

Indigenous health needs more appropriate services. (News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Australia needs another 650 nurses and 500 doctors to begin to address the appalling health problems of indigenous Australians, a recent draft Federal Health Department report reveals. The workforce assessment report, prepared by advisors...

Tax information for nurses. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... It's tax time again and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is providing extra tax information for nurses, with summaries of taxation rulings explaining claims nurses can and cannot make. The ATO website at: www.ato.gov.au gives access to...

Kissing with confidence? (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... American doctors are warning individuals with food allergies to be careful who they kiss. Researchers surveyed 379 patients with food allergies and found 20 had experienced immune responses, including breathlessness, itching and blistering,...

Write and win $1000. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Win a $1000 voucher to further your professional development with the Centre for Remote Health and the Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia. Simply write about your experiences as a rural or remote health practitioner in 1000 words or...

September attack sparks baby boom. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Last year's terrorist attack on New York appears to have triggered a worldwide baby boom and bulging birth rates in NSW confirm the global phenomenon is affecting Australia. The Daily Telegraph reports that the Hunter Valleys Maitland Hospital...

APHEDA announces raffle winners. (Briefs).
August 1, 2002... Congratulations go to ANF Vic Branch delegate Cassie Torney who won first prize in this year's Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA raffle. Cassie, from Wyndhamvale in Victoria, won a world trip for two. The raffle raised an outstanding $72,100 for APHEDA's...

Pay rise needed to keep returning nurses. (News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The recruitment of 460 nurses back into NSW's public hospitals is a welcome step, but a significant pay rise is needed to keep them there, the NSW Nurses' Association (NSWNA, ANF, NSW) says. The NSW Government announced at the end of June...

Assault forces security review. (News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Health provider MercyCare is reviewing security at a WA remote community after a nurse was severely assaulted in July. The nurse, the sole health care provider to about 200 people, was approached by two female members of the community for a...

Darwin Private leads way with salaries. (News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... ANF NT Branch members at Darwin Private Hospital (DPH) applauded an Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) decision to approve an application on 2 July, to vary the Hospital's nursing pay rates. ANF NT Branch Secretary Paul...

Working time today. (Briefs).
August 1, 2002... The Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research will host a major conference to consider issues around working time. Working time today: Threats and opportunities for business, family end community life, on 16 August at the University...

Extra places target transitional aged care. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The Federal Government announced the creation of 550 flexible aged care places in July, aimed at providing more transitional places for older Australians leaving hospital. The new places - targeting people with high or specific needs, such as...

Committee decides on HRT safety. (Briefs).(hormone replacement therapy )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... In response to a recent US report questioning the safety of combination hormone replacement therapy (CHRT), an Australian expert committee convened by the Therapeutics Goods Administration recommended that CHRT was still an appropriate...

Nurses need more childcare places. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Nurses working in Blacktown public hospitals, in NSW, say they will have to resign if more childcare places are not found for their children. NSW Nurses' Association (NSWNA, ANF NSW) Assistant Secretary Brett Holmes said Blacktown's childcare...

The shape of things to come. (News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital opened its new state-of-the art intensive care facility in July. The service is located on a hot floor which includes the hospital's 22 operating theatres, neonatal intensive care unit, delivery and birth...

Private growth little comfort for public health sector. (News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The Federal Government's $2.3 billion annual expenditure to increase the uptake of private health insurance has done little to relieve the pressures on the public health system, according to the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare...

Addressing indigenous health research. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) signed a five-year collaboration agreement on indigenous health research in July with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Health Research Council of New Zealand. NHMRC CEO...

A Tony for the worst employer. (Briefs).
August 1, 2002... In US theatre circles the Tony awards are considered prestigious. However, for Australian unionists the new Tony award is less of a tribute. The NSW Labor Council plans to give its inaugural Tony award - inspired by Workplace Relations Minister...

Petition shows support for pay claim. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... More than 122,000 people signed the NSW Nurses' Association (NSWNA, ANF NSW) petition which was handed to the State Government on 28 June. Part of the NSWNA's What's a nurse worth? campaign to solve NSW nursing shortages through improved wages...

Star hospital suffers stress of fame. (Briefs).(Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, made famous by the television series RPA, has become a victim of its own success. Nursing staff report people are travelling for up to two hours to visit the emergency department because they consider it...

Course closure blow to nurse re-training. (News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Tasmania's chronic nursing shortage has been exacerbated by the closure of the only course that allowed former nurses to retrain. The two private providers of the theoretical component of the course, Independent Health Care and Northern...

Extra funding targets back injuries. (News).(preventing back injuries in nurses)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The Victorian Government has provided an extra $1.5 million to its Nurse Back Injury Prevention Program after preliminary results of a prevention campaign showed a massive reduction in injuries. A La Trobe University analysis of back...

Working against sexual harassment. (News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... ACTU President Sharan Burrow, Victorian Equal Opportunities Commission Head Diane Sisley and State Law Reform Commission head Marcia Neave launched an independent coalition of Victorian women's groups Working Against Sexual Harassment (WASH) -...

Study identifies aged care issues. (News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... A two-year study looking at issues affecting RNs providing residential aged care has recommended their wages be made comparable to those offered in other areas of nursing and said that conditions must be made more attractive and flexible to...

Warning to pill crushers. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... UK nurses who crush pills for nursing Homes residents could be liable for any resulting harm, according to a University of Bradford pharmacy lecturer. David Wright said a recent study found 61.3% of nurses admitted to crushing or opening...

Free bus and train travel on the table. (Briefs).(transportation included in nurses' benefits package)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Free bus and train travel passes for UK nurses will form part of next year's package of pay and benefits measures, UK Health Secretary Alan Milburn said recently. Pay negotiations would also see individual health trusts given greater autonomy...

Repeating the same medication mistakes. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Although US hospitals are doing a better job of reporting medication mistakes, they continue to repeat the same errors, according to findings released in May by the US Pharmacopeia (USP). The USP report showed that the 41,296 errors reported in...

A professional images? (Briefs).(beauty contest focusing on professions)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... A UK TV company is about to launch a new national beauty contest with a difference. Britain's sexiest will see viewers vote for their favourites in different professions, including nursing. The week-long series, which will feature five men and...

AIDS epidemic spreading faster than ever. (World News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The HIV/AIDS epidemic is spreading faster than previously believed possible and will kill 68 million people in the next 20 years, UN health experts warn. A report released in July by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)...

Low levels of hospital nurses linked to patient deaths. (World News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Hospitals staffed with more qualified RNs are safer for patients and deliver higher quality care. These are the findings of a major US study, led by the Harvard School of Public Health. Researchers used data from 1997 for 799 hospitals in...

ACTU pushes to improve retrenchment and redundancy. (Federal Industrial News).(Australian Council of Trade Unions)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The ACTU will shortly make an application to increase redundancy and retrenchment benefits for employees covered by Federal Awards. The current maximum entitlement available under Federal Awards is capped at eight weeks payment after...

A warm welcome in Bougainville. (This Working Life).(civil war, health care, and nursing in Papua New Guinea)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Townsville RN Sharyn Klein went to Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, in March as part of an AusAID ENT surgical team. Here, Sharyn describes same of her experiences in a society struggling to rebuild itself after the anarchy of civil war almost...

What does HealthConnect mean for nurses? (Federal Professional News).(electronic medical record database project)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments, are funding a two-year project researching a model for a national health information network, HealthConnect will involve consumers consenting to some or all their health providers accessing...

Clear guidelines needed for underage drinkers. (Research Update).(substance abuse treatment procedure)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Emergency departments should establish clear guidelines for assessment and referral pathways when children or adolescents present with acute alcohol intoxication or self-posioning. This is the conclusion of NSW research which looked at the...

Death risk higher in private for-profit hospitals. (Research Update).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Patients in private hospitals run for profit have a higher risk of dying than those in private not-for-profit hospitals, according to a major Canadian study. Researchers reviewed a decade of data obtained on 38 million patients at 26,000...

Aged care pain management needs improving. (Research Update).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Nursing home residents are experiencing chronic pain which is either not recognised or not treated effectively, according to a new Australian study. Researchers studied 917 nursing home residents in 15 northern NSW nursing homes between...

More work time control improves women's health. (Research Update).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Women who have little control over their work time have poorer health and more psychological distress than those with greater aspects of job control, Finnish researchers have found. Researchers questioned 1490 men and 4952 women on their...

The assessment and care of the patient with secondary limb lymphoedema. (Clinical Update).
August 1, 2002... Introduction It is estimated that 30% of individuals who undergo cancer surgery and/or radiotherapy will go on to develop secondary limb lymphoedema, a chronic swelling of the limb (shown in figures 1 and 2). (1,2) The condition can also...

Australia's privacy legislation: a guide for nurses.
August 1, 2002... Recent changes to Australia's Federal, State and Territory privacy legislation have left many nurses confused about their roles and responsibilities. In this article Fiona Armstrong looks at the changes and outlines how nurses can apply privacy...

Gender differences surround heart attacks. (Nursing Focus).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Men and women experience different physical symptoms when they have heart attacks, respond differently to those symptoms and have different ways of seeking treatment, according to La 'Probe University research. Dr Helen Aikman, a lecturer...

IP videoconferencing - the next step in online course development. (Nursing Focus).(Internet Protocol )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Melbourne's RMIT University offers a flexible approach to the undergraduate bachelor of nursing program using online materials which give people in rural areas the opportunity to undertake study in their region. Recently, RMIT has added to...

Conference focuses on electronic health records. (Nursing Focus).
August 1, 2002... Some of the world's most sought after speakers on electronic health records will feature at the 10h Annual Health informatics Conference in melbourne on 4-6 August. The speakers will include: C. Peter Waegemann, an international leader in...

Virtual patient improves critical care assessment. (Nursing Focus).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... A virtual patient is helping Monash University postgraduate nursing students to develop their critical care knowledge and pit their assessment skills against experts in the field. Debbie Kiegaldie, nursing lecturer and acute care...

Graduate online. (Nursing Focus).(online education service for continuing medical education)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Nurses interested in furthering their careers in the health industry can now enrol and complete graduate courses entirely online with the launch of a new education website. The site is part of the e-Healthcare consortium, a joint...

Shaping the health care of tomorrow. (Nursing Focus).(encouraging nursing research)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Two of Victoria's leading organisations in teaching and health care joined forces to encourage nursing research when the Alfred Hospital and Deakin University formally launched the Alfred/Deakin Nursing Research Centre in May. The launch...

Watch where you surf. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The Internet may be the first port of call for many people seeking health information, but how reliable is the information found there? University of Sydney researchers looked at the use of the words 'vaccination' and immunisation' in the first...

Nursing in a hi-tech world. (Briefs).
August 1, 2002... Queensland University of Technology is calling for abstracts for the Nursing in a technological world conference to be held in Brisbane 1-4 July 2003. This international gathering wilt explore current and emerging issues that impact on nursing...

Cancer Answers online. (Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Australia's first online cancer directory will help patients and health professionals work their way through a myriad of information to find the right services for their needs. The Cancer Answers website is a directory which allows searches...

Aged care education gets boost. (Briefs).(Gerontic Nursing )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... La Trobe university launched its new Clinical School of Gerontic Nursing at Bundoora in July. The new school aims to increase the retention rate of gerontic nurses already in the profession and the numbers of new nurses seeking careers in this...

Award breathes life into PhD project. (Nursing Focus).(lung cancer treatment research)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... An innovative approach to the care of lung cancer patients has earned an Edith Cowan University (ECU) student the Karrakatta Club's Dame Mary Gilmore Award. Kristina Medigovich -- a second year PhD student from the School of Nursing and...

A matter of ethics.(nursing ethics)
August 1, 2002... In 2000, the Australian Nursing Council, the ANF and Royal College of Nursing, Australia, agreed to undertake a joint project to review the Code of ethics for nurses in Australia, first developed in 1993. The value statements are now complete...

Calendar.
August 1, 2002... Certificate In Natural Fertility Education 4, 11, 25 August; 6, 13, 28 October Wise Woman Business, Kerry Hampton, Ph/Fax: (03) 9830 5280 Email: kerryhampton@iprimus.com.au Website: www.wisewomanbusiness.com The NSW...

Confessions of a clinical educator. (The Federal President Reports).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... I have a confession to make. I have been a clinical educator for nearly seven years. What's so bad about that you ask? Well it occurred to me that I had not actually taken a patient load or done a full clinical shift since I started in this...