Australian Nursing Journal articles from May 2004

Australian Nursing Journal archives from May 2004

Invest in the aged care workforce.(editorial)
May 1, 2004... The long awaited census and survey of the aged care workforce in Australia, Who Cares for the Elders, was recently released by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing. Initiated by Kevin Andrews when he was Minister for Ageing, and...

Attitudes must change.(mail)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I write in response to the letter, 'Dying with dignity' (ANJ, March 2004, p.3). I learnt basic nursing care during my 12-month hospital-based EN training in 1989. After I completed my three-year degree, I completed my graduate year at...

Nurses can bring change.(mail)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I agree with your article 'Power to change' (ANJ, March 2004, pp. 18-21), which suggests nurses should wield greater power in the health industry. If nurses were able to move from being 'invisible toilers' to powerful, respected community...

Nurses lead the way.(mail)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... It was very refreshing to read nurses are being recognised for the pivotal role they can play in providing leadership in health care ('Power to change', ANJ March 2004, pp. 18-21). As a post graduate student in Health Services Management...

Police must act.(mail)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I read with interest M. Jackson's letter ('National action on violence', ANJ, April 2004, p.3). Violence is a regular occurrence in my hospital. Less than a month ago, I was happily working full time night duty in an emergency department....

Network.(Calendar)
May 1, 2004... Epworth Hospital, Melbourne, Group 72-1 reunion Date to be organised. Contact Wendy Fuessel (Hedges) Ph: (03) 5144 4020 Email: wendyfuessel@hotmail.com Prince Henry's Hospital, Melbourne, April 64 If you know the whereabouts of...

ANF and RCNA unite on nursing practice.(NAT)(Australian Nursing Federation)(Royal College of Nursing Australia)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The ANF and Royal College of Nursing Australia have released a joint position statement to define roles in the delivery of nursing care. The Joint position statement on assistants in nursing and other unlicensed workers will assist the...

Call for taskforce on violence.(QLD)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... With violence against nurses increasing in Queensland, the Queensland Nurses Union (QNU, ANF Qld) has called on the state government to establish a taskforce or ministerial review to consider the issue. Following the recent serious assault...

Need a GP? Go to your nearest hospital.(news)(general practitioner)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A new initiative to reduce waiting times in emergency departments will see the creation of free GP clinics adjacent to hospital emergency departments across Australia. The States and the Commonwealth will jointly fund the bulkbilling clinics,...

Discount for nurses.(news)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Freemasons Emergency Department in Victoria is offering a discounted rate for nurses. All nurses who present at the emergency department will have the facility fee of $110-$120 waived and will only be billed for the medical consultation and...

Women's funding grants.(news)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... National non-government women's organisations are invited to apply for up to $50,000 under the Australian Government 2004-05 Women's Development Program. Organisations seeking funds for projects or research relevant to current women's...

$12m win for SA nurses.(news)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... SA nurses who missed out on leave loading entitlements through a pay role bungle will now receive their money after the state government signed an agreement to redeem the holiday miscalculation that has affected more than 7,000 nurses. ANF...

First World Lupus Day.(news)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The first ever World Lupus Day takes place on 10 May, and will focus on the need for improved patient health care services; increased research into the causes of and a cure for lupus; enhanced diagnosis and treatment; and better epidemiological...

Aged care survey findings flawed.(NSW)
May 1, 2004... The first national survey on the residential aged care workforce has been criticised by the NSWNA (ANF, NSW) who have called on policy makers to ignore its conclusion. The survey by the National Institute of Labour Studies is the first...

Private sector nurses stop work.(SA)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Unprecedented industrial action by ANF members at private hospital/health care centre, Sportsmed SA, has led to management improving their enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) offer. After members held a stop-work meeting in protest over...

Agency 'gifts' investigated.(SA)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... SA Health Minister Lea Stevens has announced an investigation into claims that SA nursing agencies are spending millions of dollars providing hospitals and hospital staff with gifts and gratuities. Anonymous claims made to the Health...

Public sector nurses commence industrial action.(TAS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Tasmanian nurses in the public sector will commence industrial action after voting to reject the government's enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) offer. ANF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Neroli Ellis said nurses rejected the offer because...

Nurses strike over workloads.(WA)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Nurses in south-west WA have begun a series of rolling strikes in protest over the state government's reluctance to respond to their calls for reduced workloads as part of their negotiations over pay and conditions. 'This action is over...

ARCHI scrapped.(news)(Australian Resource Centre for Healthcare Innovations)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The federal government has said it will stop funding ARCHI (Australian Resource Centre for Healthcare Innovations) in June. ARCHI's executive director Charmaine Weeks has warned against the move, saying ARCHI 'is more relevant than ever' with...

Support for graduates.(news)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Nurses in their first year of work in a rural or remote area can link up with other first year health professionals through the new Graduate Assistance and Partnerships Program (GAPP). The program aims to establish a communication network...

Midlife resource.(news)(Jean Hailes Foundation)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A new health resource for health professionals working with women at midlife in rural and remote Australia has been launched by the Jean Hailes Foundation. Entitled 'Midlife', the kit offers evidence-based information on issues such as...

Big holes in safety net.(news)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Data obtained under Freedom of Information laws reveals more than 260,000 individuals and families will be left without extra help to pay out-of-pocket medical expenses under the federal government's new Medicare arrangements. While the...

Federal Court win for Alcheringa nurses.(VIC)
May 1, 2004... The Federal Court has determined that a Swan Hill hostel unlawfully discriminated against eight enrolled nurses (RN Division 2) who were dismissed after refusing a management directive to administer medications to residents. Justice Ryan...

Nurses launch campaign.(ACT)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Nurses working in the ACT public sector have rejected the government's enterprise bargaining offer, and launched a hard-hitting publicity campaign. ANF ACT Branch Secretary Colleen Duff said nurses rejected the offer because of 'perceived...

Bed closures commence.(VIC)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Victorian nurses have been forced to close beds in a bid to protect nurse to patient ratios. ANF Vic Branch Secretary, Lisa Fitzpatrick, said nurses remembered what it was like to work in understaffed wards in the 1990s and would not let the...

Labour force data is important.(professional)
May 1, 2004... I recently completed the nursing labour force survey attached to my renewal of registration form from the ACT Nurses Board. Some of the questions were straightforward but others were more difficult. Working for a trade union didn't seem to...

Improved benefits for retrenched employees: employees on federal awards are set to receive improved redundancy entitlements. Nick Blake outlines the changes.(industrial)(Australian Industrial Relations Commission)
May 1, 2004... The ACTU has won improved compensation for people who are retrenched or made redundant, with the Australian industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) recently increasing the benefits for redundant employees covered by federal awards. In an...

The world is loud but nurses remain silent.(issues)
May 1, 2004... Nursing leaders occupy all levels and areas of the health care spectrum, from nurse unit manager positions to policy development and management for the World Health Organisation. Yet when new enterprises emerge, or major health-related...

More than just bandaids: the emerging role of school nurses.
May 1, 2004... Public awareness of the importance of health promotion and early intervention programs has seen the number of school nurses in Australia almost double in recent years. School nurses are now employed across the age spectrum, and are busy working...

Bupivacaine usage for post-operative bladder spasm.(clinical update)
May 1, 2004... Abstract Successful pain management following bladder surgery in children is often complicated by bladder spasms. Although current management for bladder spasm, such as opioids, sedatives, anticholinergics, and epidural anesthesia can be...

Respect & reconciliation: to acknowledge Reconciliation Week commencing on 27 May, the ANJ spoke to nursing student Emily McBride about her Indigenous inheritance; the way Indigenous nurses can help reconciliation; and how a rural and remote scholarship has made her studies possible.(working life)(Australian Nursing Journal)(Interview)
May 1, 2004... Being sick during her final year in high school on the south coast of NSW instilled in Emily a curiosity and appreciation of the role of the health professions. It was then she decided she wanted to give something back to the community; and,...

Wood smoke a killer.(world)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Indoor wood smoke is killing more women and children in developing countries than HIV or malaria, according to a study by international development agency, ITDG. The report: Smoke--the killer in the kitchen reveals respiratory disease...

UK nurses plan to move on.(world)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A survey of nurses in the UK has found almost one third of domestically trained nurses intend to leave their employer in the next two years. Even higher, but perhaps under standably, was the number of international nurses in the UK (45%) who...

Substance dependence a 'disorder'.(world)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Substance dependence is as much a disorder of the brain as any other neurological or psychiatric disorder, according to a new report published by the World Health Organisation. The report, Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and...

HIV/AIDS in the Pacific.(world)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Australia should assist its Pacific neighbours to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, the United Nations AIDS program head, Peter Piot, has warned. While the prevalence of AIDS remained relatively low in the Pacific, there has been a dramatic...

Good antenatal care is saving lives.(world)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Over 70% of women worldwide have access to skilled antenatal care, according to UNICEF and WHO. The authors of the report: Promises, achievements and missed opportunities say it shows efforts to extend the reach of antenatal care around the...

Scottish nurses afraid.(world)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The RCN UK is urging all NHS organisations in Scotland to develop whistleblowing policies after a survey found 60% of nurses felt unable to report poor patient care, with 42% of these nurses fearing retribution if they did. RCN UK Scotland...

Vaccine autism link retracted.(research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A controversial report linking autism with the combined MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella has been retracted by ten of the 13 original authors. In a statement published in The Lancet, the authors state: 'We wish to make it clear that...

Low fat dairy may prevent gout.(research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A high intake of low fat milk and dairy products may protect against gout, according to new research published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The 12-year study of almost 50,000 men in Boston, USA, found men with a high intake of...

Two drugs better than one.(research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Combination therapy for the treatment of early breast cancer is more effective than using tamoxifen alone, according to new research published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The double blind study of almost 1,500 postmenopausal...

Early antibiotics aids outcomes.(research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Giving older patients antibiotics within four hours of arrival at hospital for treatment of pneumonia reduces the length of hospital stay, and may reduce the chances of dying, according to new research. Examining the medical records of over...

Herbal HRT trial.(research)(hormone replacement therapy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Australian doctors are set to trial a new herbal combination that may help relieve symptoms of menopause. Thousands of Australian women already take herbal supplements to relieve their symptoms, and the number is increasing amid controversy...

Cool relief from theatre lights.(Focus: surgical/perioperative/education)(use of arctic cooling vests in operating rooms)
May 1, 2004... Working with patients suffering severe burns is getting nurses hot under the collar in the operating suite at Royal Brisbane Hospital (RBH). To minimise the risk of the patient developing hypothermia, the operating room temperature is...

Build a portfolio as you learn.(Focus: surgical/perioperative/education)
May 1, 2004... Portfolios have been used successfully in other disciplines for a number of years, and are now being used to record the skills and accomplishments of nurses. (1,2) The school of nursing and midwifery at Flinders University in South...

Inaugural award for perioperative nurses.(Focus: surgical/perioperative/education)
May 1, 2004... A NSW nurse educator has won the inaugural Australian College of Operating Room Nurses (ACORN) award for excellence in perioperative nursing. Menna Davies won the award for her significant and sustained contribution to perioperative...

Want $10,000? Work in aged care?(Focus Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Three hundred $10,000 scholarships are available to nurses working in aged care in rural and regional areas. Funded by the federal government and administered through Royal College of Nursing Australia, the scholarships are designed to...

Medication and transplants.(Focus Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... New research suggests many transplant patients do not take their medication regularly, and many health professionals are not aware of the level of non-compliance. Papers published in Transplantation suggest 22% of kidney transplant patients did...

Day surgery effective for cataracts.(Focus Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Having cataracts removed as a day patient was just as effective as staying overnight in hospital, a recent Cochrane review has found. Most of the patients reviewed had similar levels of vision four months post-operatively, regardless of whether...

New device for incontinence.(Focus Briefs)(St. John of God Health Care)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A team of doctors and nurses in western Victoria is changing people's lives through the implantation of an artificial urinary sphincter. The urology team at St John of God Health Care in Ballarat have surgically implanted around 120...

Protocol beats nausea and vomiting.(Focus: surgical/perioperative/education)
May 1, 2004... A protocol developed recently by nursing staff at Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in SA has been very successful in the management of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Research shows more patients are concerned about PONV than any...

Carotid surgery prevents stroke.(Focus Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... People who have carotid endarterectomy surgery within two weeks of a 'presenting event' could reduce their risk of stroke postoperatively, according to a new study published in the Lancet. Men aged 75 and over were the most likely to benefit,...

Hints for bowel cancer patients.(Focus Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Researchers from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital's (SCGH) Centre for Nursing Research and Edith Cowan University (ECU) have developed a resource to help bowel cancer patients prevent or better manage bowel problems after surgery. ECU...

Pressure ulcer resource.(Focus Briefs)(National Institute of Clinical Studies )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS) has launched a new pressure ulcer resource guide. The guide draws together evidence-based work being undertaken across Australia to improve pressure ulcer care. It provides access to the latest...

Designer nurses.(Focus Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Nurses at a UK hospital have helped design a storage tray that could reduce sharps injuries in operating theatres. After testing a prototype, nurses at the Royal Preston Hospital gave manufactures ideas for improvements. The result is a...

Cartilage transplant improves knee mobility.(Focus: surgical/perioperative/education)
May 1, 2004... Nurses in the operating suite at the Mercy Hospital in WA are helping keep the state's young sportspersons 'on the field' by assisting with a procedure to implant new cartilage cells. Cartilage transplantation is a relatively new technique...

Equipment management yields big results. (Focus: surgical/perioperative/education).
May 1, 2004... An initiative in central equipment management at the Prince Charles Hospital Health Service District (PCHHSD) in Brisbane is allowing the hospital to maximise its use of essential equipment, with real benefits to patients and staff. The...

Promoting Refugee Health.(books)(Book Review)
May 1, 2004... Promoting Refugee Health The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Inc, $60.00 ISBN 0 9585657 6 7 www.survivorsvic.org.au A handbook for nurses, doctors and other health care pros caring for people from refugee backgrounds,...

Tears on my Pillow: Australian Nurses in Vietnam.(books)(Book Review)
May 1, 2004... Tears on my Pillow: Australian Nurses in Vietnam Narelle Biedermann Random House Publishing, $29.95 ISBN 1 74051 199 9 Most books on Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War rarely allude to the role of nurses, but 43 Australian Army...

Demystifying science in nursing.(Focus: surgical/perioperative/education)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Sciences are very much part of the nursing curriculum, with human biosciences involving anatomy and physiology, and clinical sciences involving pathological conditions and treatment, integral components. But learning science can be...

Calendar.(Calendar)
May 1, 2004... May Lung Health Promotion Centre at The Alfred, Melbourne, Victoria 12-14 May, Introductory Course in Asthma Education 15 May, Preparing and Presenting an Education Program 24-25 May, Principles and Practice of Spirometry ...

Going incognito.(Ged)
May 1, 2004... Have you ever been in hospital? Did you tell them you were a nurse, or did you try to hide it? I have always tried to hide the fact that I am a nurse, but I wonder wily. Funny isn't it? I think it is because I am worried I will get treated...

Carry on nursing ...(cartoon)
May 1, 2004... ... Actually I'm a nurse great! really? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'll leave you to it then. but I really don't know that much You'd better not know more than me. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]