Australian Nursing Journal articles from November 2003

Australian Nursing Journal archives from November 2003

A government out of touch.(editorial)
November 1, 2003... The ANF has just held its 6th Biennial National Delegates Conference. There was considerable debate at the conference around industrial relations issues. Listening to the debate, a pattern started to emerge. First we had the Cole Royal...

Pay rural MPs less!(mail)
November 1, 2003... In saying rural nurses should accept lower wages than those working in the city, Tony Abbott has shown he is clearly out of touch with the nursing workforce. Registered nurses are registered nurses wherever they are located. They are...

Empathy for 'unhappy student'.(mail)
November 1, 2003... I am writing in response to the letter by unhappy student 'Learning to write essays?' (ANJ, September 2003, p.3). I empathise deeply and am saddened that yet another potentially good nurse has been lost to academic game playing. On...

Validate theory in practice.(mail)
November 1, 2003... With regard to Mr Lloyd's comments, 'Be proactive' (ANJ, October 2003 p.3), I recognise the need for a stronger evidence basis for contemporary practice and am a firm supporter of tertiary-based undergraduate education. However, I have...

Nurse educators should be proactive.(mail)
November 1, 2003... I can't imagine why students, such as the one referred to in Lucas Lloyd's letter 'Be Proactive' (ANJ October 2003 p.3) are frustrated! It would appear that the main focus of some so called 'nurse educators' is to enable their students to...

Practitioners and scientists.(mail)
November 1, 2003... In a vignette published by the Australian Nursing Journal (ANJ, October 2003 p.22) entitled Nurses' practice not evidence based, it was proposed that there is a 'significant lack of evidence to support a large proportion of nursing...

Networks.
November 1, 2003... Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital, Group 76A reunion 23 November 2003, Contact Sheena Lawson Ph: (03) 8405 8412 or Cheryl Rizzetti (nee Campbell) Ph: (03) 5428 3334 Email: sheena.lawson@nh.org.au or cheryl.campbell@pvchs.org.au St. Andrews...

SA nurses win multi-million dollar claim.(news)
November 1, 2003... [SA] More than 7000 public sector nurses are celebrating after the ANF SA Branch reached an agreement with the SA government to pay nurses more than $10 million in back-pay for periods of annual leave. ANF SA Branch Secretary, Ms Lee...

ANF slams moves to ban nurses' right to strike.(NAT)
November 1, 2003... [NAT] ANF Federal Secretary Jill Iliffe has slammed federal government plans to ban nurses, teachers and university staff from striking, describing the plan as 'undemocratic' and 'redundant'. The plan was first flagged in a 2003/04...

Nurses respond to HCCC investigation.(NSW)
November 1, 2003... [NSW] Concerns about patient safety raised by nurses from the Campbelltown and Camden hospitals in Sydney's western suburbs have been the subject of an investigation by the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC). The HCCC...

November vote for EBA likely.(NT)
November 1, 2003... [NT] Nurses are expected to vote in early November on the outcome of enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) negotiations between the ANF NT Branch and the NT Government. NT Branch Secretary Denis Blackford said discussions underway...

NSW doctor in midwifery a world first.(news)
November 1, 2003... Associate Professor Sally Tracey graduated in October from University of Technology Sydney with the world's first professional doctorate in midwifery, Dr Tracey will lead the development and implementation of new models of midwifery cam in NSW,...

Helping in Tanzania.(news)
November 1, 2003... Eight volunteers including nurses and midwives from Melbourne's Mercy Hospital for Women travelled to Tanzania in October to build a dispensary. The dispensary will be built and fitted with medical equipment at a cost of $20,500. It is expected...

WA nurses learn forensics.(news)
November 1, 2003... A pilot 13-week forensic nursing course at WA's Notre Dame University will train nurses to gather evidence in hospital emergency departments to help victims of crime and the police in cases such as sexual assault, domestic violence and child...

Too few nursing places.(news)
November 1, 2003... Only 210 new nursing places in regional universities have been announced in the Federal Government's 2003/04 budget allocation, despite 4,681 eligible applicants for nursing missing out on university places this year. A government report has...

National Psychology Week.(news)
November 1, 2003... During National Psychology Week, 9-15 November, psychologists throughout Australia will showcase the ways that psychology can make a difference to people's lives. The Australian Psychological Society will be holding a range of activities...

WA nurses want 15-20% pay rise.(news)
November 1, 2003... Nurses in WA will seek a pay rise in excess of the 3% proposed by the State Government, ANF Branch Secretary Mark Olson has said. An ANF survey revealed nurses want a 15-20% pay rise over two years. Nurses are due to enter talks with the...

Australians pay more as health spending grows.(NAT)
November 1, 2003... [NAT] The latest report on health expenditure in Australia shows the nation's health costs are growing rapidly, now consuming 9.3% of GDP, the highest level ever. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report shows...

Premier's letter to nurses causes fury.(NSW)
November 1, 2003... [NSW] In a controversial move, NSW Premier Bob Carr has written to public sector nurses to inform them that the anticipated $1.6 million raised through gaming tax would be used to guarantee additional funding for the state's public...

Medicare.(NAT)
November 1, 2003... [NAT] Unions and health and community groups around Australia marked the 20th birthday of Medicare on 1 October. In Victoria, 300 save Medicare balloons were released; with health union leaders calling on the federal government to return...

HESTA is the super fund for health and community services people.(Australia's super fund for nurses)
November 1, 2003... It's a special kind of person who dedicates their career to taking care of others. And it's a special kind of super fund that dedicates itself to taking care of those people. HESTA cares about your industry and the people who work in it....

Nurses offer phone advice.(TAS)
November 1, 2003... [TAS] A new phone triage service in Hobart is set to relieve the pressure on the state's GPs, as nurses undertake phone advice and treatment to people after hours. More than 80% of the state's GPs plan to divert calls to the service,...

CATSIN conference report.(NAT)
November 1, 2003... [NAT] 'There were many wonderful and inspirational speakers at the 5th Annual conference of the Congress of Aboriginal and Tortes Strait Islander Nurses in Cairns 1-3 October 2003. The theme for the conference was 'Are We Making A...

De-stigmatising children's mental health issue.(news)
November 1, 2003... Child and youth mental health workers at the Mater Health Services Brisbane are helping de-stigmatise depression and other mental health issues affecting children with Queensland's first interactive child and youth mental health website. Visit:...

Breast cancer campaign targets men.(news)
November 1, 2003... The National Breast Cancer Centre has commenced the 'Boys do cry' public health campaign to support men and boys who are affected when women they love are affected by breast cancer. The campaign provides men with practical advice on dealing...

Abbott bullying university staff onto individual contracts.(news)
November 1, 2003... University staff could be forced onto individual contracts that undermine existing pay and conditions under the federal government's new rules for higher education funding. ACTU President Sharan Burrow said the funding package announced in...

Kidney patient mentor group.(news)
November 1, 2003... People facing a long waiting time for a kidney transplant with no support was the catalyst for the formation of a new group of volunteers and patient mentors by The Australian Kidney Foundation. The Kidney Care Program operates in 30 renal...

WA nurses win award for Bali.(news)
November 1, 2003... The inaugural Bali Nursing Fellowship awards in WA have been presented to a married couple who helped out in the aftermath of the Kuta bombings. Nurses Barry Morley and Kate Simpson supervised the evacuation of 55 victims of the blast and...

PM silent on maternity leave but ACTU test case offers hope.(NAT)
November 1, 2003... [NAT] Prime Minister John Howard has continued to argue against paid maternity leave despite pressure from the Sex Discrimination Commissioner and the ACTU. Writing in the Age newspaper in October. Mr Howard said although the Sex...

Sun reduces MS risk.(news)
November 1, 2003... Australian researchers have found that higher sun exposure during childhood and early adolescence is associated with a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis. The research published in the British Medical Journal found that MS is more common in...

ATSI health scholarships.(news)
November 1, 2003... Applications are being sought for the Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarships Scheme, aimed at increasing the number of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people working in the Australian health care system. The scholarships are worth up to...

New dementia nurse consultants.(news)
November 1, 2003... NSW Health Minister Morris Iemma marked the start of Dementia Awareness Week in September by announcing $4 million for 10 new specialist nurses. The dementia clinical nurse consultant positions will give expert advice, education and support to...

ACTU competition for students.(news)
November 1, 2003... The ACTU Worksite For Schools website is running a competition for school, TAFE and RTO students--Student ideas for a fairer Australia. To enter, students must explain how they would make Australia fairer. Ideas can be related to employment,...

Computer savvy nurses.(WA)
November 1, 2003... [WA] Over 1000 nurses in metropolitan WA have taken up the opportunity to do free computer courses offered by the WA ANF, and regional nurses will soon have the opportunity to do so. WA ANF Branch Secretary Mark Olson said it was an...

Art of delivering.(WA)
November 1, 2003... [WA] Midwifery students at Edith Cowan University promoted their profession with an art exhibition in October. Designed to enhance learning by utilising creative learning processes, the exhibition featured sculpture, painting, and song...

Nurse TV has arrived!(VIC)
November 1, 2003... [VIC] After six months in the making, a new television series starring Australian nurses is ready to hit the big screen. The brainchild of Nick Bird, an RN with a passion for nursing and filmmaking, Nurse TV is a 13 part series that...

Global warming deaths rise.(world)
November 1, 2003... About 160,000 people die each year as a direct result of global warming, with the number set to double by 2020, according to scientists at a recent Moscow conference on climate change. Professor Andrew Haines from the London School of...

Migrating nurses outnumber Brits in UK.(world)
November 1, 2003... For the first time in the UK, nurses from overseas have outnumbered locally trained nurses, accounting for over 50% of new professional registrations in 2001-2002 according to a report by researchers from Queen Mary University College in...

NZNO fair pay campaign follows Queensland nurses.(world)
November 1, 2003... The New Zealand Nursing Organisation has modelled its current 'fair pay' campaign on the Queensland Nurses' Union (QNU, ANF Qld) 2003-2003 campaign. NZNO industrial adviser Glenda Alexander said the QNU campaign showed that: 'being visible and...

Increase staffing levels to recruit.(world)
November 1, 2003... NHS human resources managers have been advised to increase staffing levels and reorganise work to improve nursing morale and recruitment. The advice comes after a report commissioned by the Department of Health found that understaffing ranked...

UK looks to standardise nursing procedures.(world)
November 1, 2003... Everyday nursing procedures could be standardised across the UK if projects piloted by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) are rolled out across the nation. Director of modernisation at NPSA, Helen Glenister, said standardising some...

Personality key to nurses job satisfaction.(world)
November 1, 2003... Employers could improve their selection Practices by having information on a nurse's personality, a Taiwanese study has found. The study found that personality was a key indicator of future job satisfaction and could therefore be used to help...

CATSIN makes a difference.(professional)
November 1, 2003... The Congress of Aboriginal and Tortes Strait Islander Nurses (CATSIN) held their 5th annual conference in Cairns during October. More than 100 nurses attended the conference and beard papers on a range of topics, from ways to improve the...

Global approaches to industrial relations: report from Berlin: a delegate at the 13th International Industrial Relations Association World Congress in Berlin, ANF Federal Industrial Officer Nick Blake joined experts from around the world to discuss industrial relations in the global economy.(industrial)
November 1, 2003... With national borders and domestic laws becoming increasingly irrelevant and workplace change accelerating, presenters at the Congress examined how employment arrangements, obligations and rights could be structured in this emerging global...

Residential aged care and a home-like environment.(clinical update)
November 1, 2003... Introduction In a residential aged care setting, where the stay of clients is expected to be long term, the provision of a home-like environment assumes great importance. An atmosphere reflecting a home-like environment is probably the...

Educational level of nurses affects patient mortality.(research)
November 1, 2003... A new study published in JAMA has found each 10% increase in the proportion of RN's holding a bachelor degree was associated with 5% lower mortality rates. The study analysed the outcomes of over 200,00 patients in 168 hospitals in...

Nurses reduce pain and improve self-care.(research)
November 1, 2003... A study to assess the effectiveness of nursing interventions has furred a direct association between RN hours and pain management, with a higher percentage of RN hours associated with decreased patient distress and pain, less falls, and a...

Positive focus revolutionising mental health.(research)
November 1, 2003... A new program focusing on strengths, rather than deficits, is revolutionising mental health care in an acute setting in New Zealand. Since the 'Strengths' model was adopted by the acute inpatient mental health unit at Timaru hospital and...

Place of hope & healing: Victorian RN Tracey Heath had visited Bangladesh, Thailand, India and Africa to observe numerous World Vision projects. Then she travelled to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, to the Fistula Hospital established by Dr Catherine Hamlin. She counts this visit as once of the most amazing experiences of her life!.(working life)
November 1, 2003... It was 10.30 am when my friend and I arrived at the Fistula Hospital. As we entered the ground we were greeted by a small group of very young girls, who were sitting outside the hospital on wooden benches. It wasn't long before Catherine Hamlin...

Nurses at the forefront of change: nurses representing more than 130,000 ANF members from across Australia met in Hobart in October. They discussed a range of industrial relations, professional, health and education issues and were inspired to work for change.
November 1, 2003... The Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research and Training (ACIRRT) has applauded the ANF on its achievements and urged it to share its expertise with the wider union movement. Speaking at the 6th ANF Biennial National Delegates...

More support needed for distance education.(Focus: distance education
November 1, 2003... Distance education is the way of the future and should be better supported by governments, according to a NSW nursing academic. Heather Latham, lecturer and course coordinator of the Bachelor of Nursing program offered by distance education...

Grandmother runs 300km to aid research.(Focus: distance education / aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Many grandmothers will be remembered for teaching their children to knit, embroider or cook family favourites, but not 63-year-old NSW grandmother of nine, Kay Worrall. Granny Kay, as she is now widely known, donned her framing shoes and...

CPR in hospices poses ethical challenge.(Focus: distance education
November 1, 2003... A new international study into the resuscitation of hospice patients has found the majority of staff were unhappy about policies advocating active resuscitation in palliative care settings. Reporting on the UK study, Dr John Costello told the...

Chronic conditions and vaccinations send elderly to the doctor.(Focus: distance education / aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Most older Australians visit their GPs for high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and immunisations/vaccinations, according to a new report from the Sydney University and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The report found 93% of older...

HRT link with dementia.(Focus: distance education / aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... The latest study into the effects of HRT has found the increased likelihood of developing dementia among women taking HRT. The study into thinking ability, memory and dementia in 4,500 women found women taking HRT were twice as likely to...

Eden comes to OZ.(Focus: distance education / aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... The US system of aged care known as the 'Eden Alternative' is offering training programs to people in Australia wishing to implement the Eden philosophies in their workplace. The philosophy advocates developing a 'human habitat', which...

New distance ed course.(Focus: distance education / aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... The CancerNursing.org site has launched a new course entitled 'Graseby Syringe Drivers in Palliative Care', which is free to interested nurses. To find out more go to www.cancernursing.org.

Aged care nurse practitioner trials under way in Victoria.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Three projects are under way in Victoria to assist in the development of protocols and clinical practice guidelines for nurse practitioners (NP) in aged care. The project sites include a high-care residential facility, a sub-acute and...

Distance education helps Canada's shortage.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Charles Sturt University (CSU) is using distance education to help address the critical shortage of nurse in Canada with more than 100 nursing students graduating since the course commenced three years ago. Working in conjunction with The...

Fish protects against Alzheimer's.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Eating fish once a week can protect against Alzheimer's, a new US study suggests. Researchers studied 815 adults for almost 4 years, finding those who ate fish once a week had a 60% lower chance of developing Alzheimer's than those who ate it...

Aged care nursing boost.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... A new project in Tasmania aims to improve recruitment and retention of nurses in aged care by offering them better support. The 'Building Connections' program, developed in response to a 2002 study which found only 30% of nursing students said...

Nursing goes Orange.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... In an effort to improve education access in the bush, two new nursing courses will be offered by the University of Sydney Orange campus in 2004. The three year Bachelor of Nursing and four year Bachelor of Nursing (Indigenous Health) will be...

Older carers suffer health problems.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Researchers from Deakin University suggest the needs of older carets should concern all health care professionals and policy makers, with a study of the mental and physical health of older carers in the Australian community revealing 63% have...

RDNS offers distance ed course.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Applications for the Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Science (Home and Community) offered by RDNS Helen Macpherson Smith Institute of Community Health and La Trobe University close 14 November. Contact the Course Coordinator on (03) 9479 5926...

New project to improve palliative care for people with dementia.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... With dementia set to become one of Australia's biggest health problems in the next 20 years, NSW researchers have launched a three-year $383,000 project to develop specialist palliative care programs. The project involving the University...

Not just an ordinary person: spiritual reminiscence and memory loss.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Memory loss and dementia are conditions feared by many older people and their families. A number of commonly held views about dementia assume that a person with dementia is unaware of, and unable to communicate with others. Much in the...

Aged care gets high profile in demonstration projects.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Aged care has received much attention in the latest phase of a nationwide project to improve management and clinical practice in hospitals. As part of the National Demonstration Hospital Program (NDHP), projects aimed at improving health care...

Men struggle to cope in nursing homes.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Nursing homes can represent a very feminised world to older men, leaving them at risk of depression, according to a researcher at the University of Western Sydney. Anthony Brown, a researcher with the university's Men's Health Information...

The Work/Life Collision.
November 1, 2003... Barbara Pocock Federation Press, $39.95 ISBN 1 86287 475 1 As carers, nurses will find much of interest in The Work/Life Collision, in which labour researcher Barbara Pocock talks about the collision between work and care and its...

Australian Government Directory of Services for older people 2003-04.
November 1, 2003... Dept of Health and Ageing ISBN 0 642 82289 (1) print ISBN 0 642 82290 (5) electronic A description of services designed to assist older people and their carers in looking for employment, improving health, getting care, managing finances,...

Nurses assist hospital discharge and avoid readmission.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... A recent study in Toowoomba (Qld) has demonstrated a nurse liaison role can assist in the treatment and rehabilitation of older people after discharge from hospital, with one private hospital achieving a readmission rate of less than 1% since...

No violence program wins award.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... A program addressing workplace violence at Colbran Lodge, part of the Royal Freemansons Homes of Victoria, has won the Best Individual OHS program award in the 2003 Better Health and Safety Awards for Residential Aged Care. Colbran Lodge...

Distance ed helps nurses get the most out of health information.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Janette Gogler was working as a registered nurse and nurse educator when she developed an interest in heath information. After managing a few projects in clinical pathways and casemix, she realised a better knowledge of e-health was...

Correction.(Focus: distance education/aged care nursing)
November 1, 2003... Two-year nursing degree in Tasmania The contact number for information on this course published in October ANJ was incorrect. The correct number is (03) 6324 3318

Calendar.
November 1, 2003... The College of Nursing (incorporating the NSW College of Nursing) Distance education courses for RNs The College of Nursing, Locked Bag 3030, Burwood, NSW 1805 Ph: (02) 9745 7500 Tailored education programs for health professionals ...

Caring about.(Ged)
November 1, 2003... Just a few weeks ago, I took part in a workshop. It was very well attended by doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and health administrators. The theme was quality in healthcare. When we hear the word 'quality', most of us...