<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/rss2full.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0">

<channel>
<title>Ncah News and Career Resource Articles</title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/rss.xml]]></link>
<description>NCAH, The Career Resource for Nurse and Allied Health Professional</description>

<atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ncah" /><feedburner:info xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" uri="ncah" /><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" /><feedburner:emailServiceId xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0">ncah</feedburner:emailServiceId><feedburner:feedburnerHostname xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0">http://feedburner.google.com</feedburner:feedburnerHostname><item>
<title><![CDATA[Nurses say no to violence]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 20 May 2013 15:00:26 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/nurses-say-no-to-violence/1773/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/nurses-say-no-to-violence/1773/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Nurse &lsquo;Jackie&rsquo; has been threatened by patients, who have also threatened to hunt down her family.

Jackie has become the face of the new Australian Nursing Federation Victorian branch campaign calling on the State Government to enforce its $21 million pre-election promise to make hospitals safer.

With being punched, hit, pushed, kicked, bitten or threatened with a weapon while caring for patients all common occurrences in emergency departments and wards, Victorian nurses and midwives fed up with these incidents of workplace violence are taking a stand.

There have been two dozen reported attacks on nurses in the past four months in Victoria, and the union expects the tally is actually much higher, with many attacks often going unreported.

ANF Vic branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said the health system was continuing to accept the unacceptable.

&ldquo;Regional and metropolitan nurses and midwives more often than not are left to fend for themselves, sometimes in extremely dangerous situations, they feel abandoned by those with the power to stop the violence and they feel betrayed when they are reprimanded for responding to the situation by calling for security or calling the police,&rdquo; she said in a statement.

&ldquo;When nothing happens when a nurse is hit by a relative because his mother&rsquo;s wait in emergency is too long, when a midwife is threatened by the former partner of a mother who has just given birth, when a nurse is chastised for calling the police when a patient with a severe head injury threatens to throw a heavy metal canister at her, when a nurse is grabbed by the throat of a dying patient with a brain tumour - they believe our politicians don&#39;t care.

&ldquo;If this was happening at Spring Street or any other workplace something would be urgently done about it.&rdquo;

The &lsquo;Say No to Violence&rsquo; campaign calls on the government to implement the 39 recommendations outlined by the Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee&rsquo;s Inquiry into Violence and Security Arrangements in Victorian Hospitals.

The recommendations include implementing standardised Code Grey (unarmed threat or aggressive behaviour that threatens injury) and Code Black (armed threat using a weapon or where there is a serious threat) response.

It also calls for the establishment of an aggression management reference group to coordinate and implement policies and procedures to manage aggressive incidents, and adequate security measures, including response by staff trained in the prevention and management of violence and aggression, in all high-risk departments.

The measures include annual education and training for nurses to prevent and manage violence and bullying with additional specific training for staff working in high-risk areas, and dedicated around-the-clock security personnel in all major emergency departments.

This week, the union placed open letters in Victoria&rsquo;s major metropolitan newspapers and asked for the public to rally to support nurses and midwives by signing a new online petition.

The&nbsp;ANF is also encouraging nurses and midwives to formally report all incidents of violence and aggression and to seek the advice and support of the union, which has an online form making it easier for nurses and midwives to report incidents.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[New Zealand nurse awarded highest accolade]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 17 May 2013 13:47:57 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/new-zealand-nurse-awarded-highest-accolade/1772/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/new-zealand-nurse-awarded-highest-accolade/1772/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[For the past 10 years, Janet Askew has taken her invaluable nursing skills abroad to places where they are needed the most.

The 59-year-old mother and grandmother has nursed at places such as Indonesia, Iraq and Sudan, and next month she will head to Lebanon to work with Syrian refugees in her sixth Red Cross mission.

Now the New Zealand nurse has been awarded the highest international distinction a nurse can receive.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (IRCR) has awarded the Gisborne nurse, who works for the Cancer Society, the prestigious Florence Nightingale Medal.

Thirty-two outstanding nurses from 16 countries have this year been awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal for their aid work.

Janet is the 26th New Zealander to receive the award, now in its 44th year, which recognises exceptional courage and devotion to the victims of armed conflict or natural disaster, as well as exemplary services and pioneering spirit in the areas of public health and nursing education.

New Zealand Red Cross secretary general Andrew McKie said the medal honoured Janet&rsquo;s extensive international nursing experience.

&ldquo;Janet has exemplified the personal qualities of courage and bravery many times during her career,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;The Florence Nightingale Award recognises her outstanding commitment and devotion to duty.&rdquo;

With a background in public health and nursing, Janet has worked in a range of roles throughout the New Zealand health sector.

Janet has also worked as a clinical nurse consultant in the Torres Strait Islands.

Janet&rsquo;s first international mission was in 2003. Since then, she has received the New Zealand Special Service Medal for her work in the aftermath of the Asian Tsunami, the New Zealand Operational Service Medal 2002 and the New Zealand General Service Medal for Iraq 2002.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Budget boost for mental health nurses]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 15 May 2013 10:29:04 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/budget-boost-for-mental-health-nurses/1770/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/budget-boost-for-mental-health-nurses/1770/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP) has received a $23.8 million boost in the Federal Budget.

The Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) and the Australian Nursing Federation welcomed the additional funding, which will ensure the equivalent of 375 mental health nurses will continue to provide clinical services and support for people with mental health issues under the program.

The boost comes after the College called for funding for the program to be uncapped amid concerns mental health patients could miss out on vital services.

The MHNIP received extra funding in last year&rsquo;s Federal Budget but the ACMHN said the funds were not enough to meet demand and were effectively frozen at 2011-12 levels.

ACMHN CEO Kim Ryan said the 2013-14 budget featured a &ldquo;modest increase&rdquo; for the program.

&ldquo;It is clear our calls have not fallen on deaf ears and we are delighted with this modest increase in funding,&rdquo; Adj Associate Professor Ryan said.

&ldquo;We are also pleased that the Minister (Mark Butler) has committed to working with the ACMHN and other stakeholders to consider future arrangements for the program, and we call for this work to begin immediately.&rdquo;

ANF federal secretary Lee Thomas said funding for the program will maintain coordinated clinical care and support services for 60,000 people.

Ms Thomas also commended the government for extra funding for the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer, including $55 million to expand breast cancer screening for women over 70 and $19.5 million for breast care nurses working with the McGrath Foundation, taking its number of highly-trained nurses from 44 to 57.

The budget included $226 million to improve cancer prevention, detection, treatment and research, and to provide better patient care and support.

In his budget speech, Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan said the budget built on the $3.5 billion the government has already invested in cancer prevention, detection, treatment and research.

&ldquo;As a cancer survivor myself, I&#39;ve experienced the high quality treatment provided by our health system but I know more needs to be done to prevent, detect and treat this disease,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We continue the fight against cancer, investing over $226 million in world-leading cancer care. Investing over $100 million in screening for breast, cervical and bowel cancer.

&ldquo;Supporting critical chemotherapy medicines, and investing $23.8 million for life-saving bone-marrow transplants.&rdquo;

Mr Swan said the government was investing $64.6 billion in health funding, including National Health Reform funding for state and territory governments of $14 billion in 2013-14 which will grow to $19 billion in 2016-17.

The budget included $3.7 billion for the government&rsquo;s Living Longer, Living Better aged care reform package, with $1.2 billion in pay rises expected to flow through to the pay packets of Australia&rsquo;s 350,000 aged care nurses and workers from July.

The budget also featured an investment of $14.9 billion over seven years to fund DisabilityCare Australia, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which will assist 460,000 Australians with significant and permanent disability in 2018-19.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Physiotherapists feel the pain of TAC fees]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 15 May 2013 11:57:08 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/physiotherapists-feel-the-pain-of-tac-fees/1771/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/physiotherapists-feel-the-pain-of-tac-fees/1771/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Victorian physiotherapists are being forced to discount their fees below the market rate to treat motor accident victims.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association has revealed figures showing Victorian private practice physiotherapists are the worst paid in Australia when it comes to treating road trauma victims.

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) fee schedule pays Victorian physiotherapists $48.50 for a standard consultation despite Victorian private practices charging $63.90 for a standard consultation.

In other states and territories, the 2012-13 figures reveal physiotherapists working with motor accident victims are paid above $60, with ACT physiotherapists the highest paid on $78.68.

The TAC fees are also 14.9 per cent lower for an initial consultation, at $63.65, compared to Victorian private practice fees at $74.80.

APA CEO Cris Massis said physiotherapists working with the TAC deserve fair remuneration and he called on the TAC to urgently bring its fee schedule into line with current market rates.

Mr Massis said the fee schedule threatens the livelihoods of physiotherapists and impacts on the quality of care for Victorian patients.

&ldquo;A fair and reasonable fee structure, which focuses on early intervention and access to the most experienced and qualified health professionals, will produce the best patient outcomes,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We want to ensure that Victorians who have been injured in a car accident receive the best possible healthcare services.

&ldquo;We believe that they deserve the right to access the most appropriate clinician to manage their health needs.

&ldquo;The APA is committed to achieving optimal patient outcomes and we would welcome the opportunity to engage with the TAC in any way possible that may facilitate a fee schedule review.&rdquo;

A spokesperson for the TAC was unable to comment before deadline.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Dietitians mark profession's past to build its future]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 14 May 2013 16:08:50 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/dietitians-mark-professions-past-to-build-its-future/1769/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/dietitians-mark-professions-past-to-build-its-future/1769/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Australian dietitians must learn the lessons of the profession&rsquo;s past so they can confront its future challenges, according to a leading dietitian.

Professor Susan Ash, an Adv APD and Fellow of the Dietitians Association of Australia, said it&rsquo;s important dietitians understand how dietetics began in Australia in the 1930s, and grew almost from an exclusively female profession, as they now work to combat the challenges of tomorrow.

Professor Ash said passionate leadership, the importance placed on standards of training of dietitians and a very strong professional association all contributed to the profession&rsquo;s success.

&ldquo;It just seemed to me that the seeds of our success today were sown in the past by those three key things,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;I suppose the most important thing was the leadership and vision by a small group of women mostly at that time and how they established a strong association and also lobbied very hard to have the right standards of training in place.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s allowed the profession to grow to be an extremely vibrant profession.&rdquo;

A Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics at the Queensland University of Technology, Professor Ash will speak on the topic at the DAA&rsquo;s 30th national conference in Canberra from May 23-25, with the conference theme &lsquo;reflections for the challenges of tomorrow&rsquo;.

Professor Ash said dietetics was created at a time when women didn&rsquo;t attend university and there was no professional association.

&ldquo;As a western culture we don&rsquo;t value older people often and sometimes it&rsquo;s important to hold up and show the young people just how extraordinary the older people were,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;In their youth, they did extraordinary things and took more risks than a lot of young people do today.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s important to let young people know it&rsquo;s okay to take risks and to go out there and to try and do the right thing.&rdquo;

Professor Ash said it was also essential to understand how the profession was forged as other countries in South East Asia, such as Vietnam and Thailand, work to establish their own dietetics professions.

&ldquo;We are looking to South East Asia and trying to assist countries there to establish their own professional association and also develop training for dietitians,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;In some of those countries there&rsquo;s no profession of dietetics. It&rsquo;s like going back to the 1920s in Australia.

&ldquo;They are facing exactly the same barriers and problems. I think our experience can inform them.

&ldquo;As much as I think they will do things their own way, as a first world country we can assist them not to make the same mistakes that were made in our experience.&rdquo;

Professor Ash said the profession faced future challenges ranging from the increase in lifestyle-related diseases to issues surrounding food supply both in Australia and globally.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[What are the strengths of a great physiotherapist?]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 09 May 2013 09:59:14 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/careers/what-are-the-strengths-of-great-physiotherapist/1766/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/careers/what-are-the-strengths-of-great-physiotherapist/1766/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[The jobs outlook is shining bright in physiotherapy, which is now the third largest allied health profession in Australia. But what does it take for a physiotherapist to stand out from the crowd? The answer could be as simple as having the passion and commitment to go the extra mile, writes Karen Keast.


Australia now counts 24,502 registered physiotherapists among its ranks and the numbers are expected to swell in the coming years in line with Australia&rsquo;s ageing population and the increasing incidence of chronic disease.

The Australian Government has forecast employment for physiotherapists will grow &ldquo;very strong&rdquo; in the next few years as well as in the long term as Australians look towards a cost-effective approach to their health prevention and treatment.

Physiotherapists are the experts when it comes to movement and function, working to assess, diagnose, treat, and to prevent disease and disability through physical means.

But what does it take to be a great physiotherapist?

Australian Physiotherapy Association ACT branch president Jason Whittingham says the difference between a good and a great physiotherapist is a great physiotherapist is someone who works with a holistic patient-centered focus.

Mr Whittingham, who has worked in physiotherapy in the public sector for the past five years, says a good physiotherapist will provide a patient who has lower back pain with an assessment, treatment and a care plan but a great physiotherapist will take &ldquo;the extra little step&rdquo;.

&ldquo;Someone who is a great physio will look at all of the different factors that could be associated with the lower back pain,&rdquo; he says.

&ldquo;We know persistent back pain can be linked to depression and social pressures can also be associated with it.

&ldquo;A great physio would be someone that does a complete assessment who looks at the whole aspect of the person.

&ldquo;If there are issues like depression, then that physiotherapist would assist that person to find access to the appropriate health care.&rdquo;

Mr Whittingham says it&rsquo;s vital for physiotherapists wanting to excel in their career to pursue ongoing professional development and to tap into the resources of the profession&rsquo;s peak body, the APA.

&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s helped me engage with the profession itself and given me those links to ongoing professional development and given me access to those experienced leaders of the profession,&rdquo; he says.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s linking in with colleagues and having mentors and more experienced professionals to assist in someone&rsquo;s development.

&ldquo;I think ongoing professional development is probably one of the biggest things you always need to strive for.&rdquo;

Queensland physiotherapist Darrin Neumann, who has operated a private clinic in Queensland for most of his 28 years in the profession, says he looks for good character first and competency second when it comes to employing a great physiotherapist to add to his team of 12 physiotherapists and eight other allied health professionals.

&ldquo;I really do think it comes down to the character first,&rdquo; he says.

&ldquo;It is a huge range of factors, it&rsquo;s about their work ethic, it&rsquo;s about honesty, it&rsquo;s about the care factor and the desire to put into every patient that you see.&rdquo;

Mr Neumann, who is also chair of APA group Physiotherapy Business Australia, says a great physiotherapist also comes equipped with strong communication skills, both with the patient and with the wider health network.

He says ongoing professional development, being a good team player and having a passion for providing client care are also all essential to becoming an outstanding physiotherapist.

&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t really have a level level of compassion,&rdquo; Mr Neumann says.

&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s really important to try and do the best you can for your patient.&rdquo;

Mr Whittingham agrees.

&ldquo;A great physio will be really patient-centered,&rdquo; he says.

&ldquo;If they won&rsquo;t get it done in the one treatment they will say come back again as the issue will return if it&rsquo;s not dealt with.

&quot;Sometimes you need to step back and really take the time.&rdquo;

Last, but not least, a great physiotherapist is someone determined to bend over backwards to improve their skills base and their knowledge, and in doing so, becoming a leader in their field and an ambassador of the profession.

&ldquo;It takes high levels of clinical reasoning to be a great physiotherapist; so using evidence based from the research and experience and knowledge from other professionals,&rdquo; Mr Whittingham says.

&ldquo;Great physios look at trying to push the boundaries of the profession and explore areas that haven&rsquo;t been as readily documented in the profession.

&ldquo;As a result they become advocates for the profession.&rdquo;]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Census shows overseas nurses on the rise]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 08 May 2013 14:46:25 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/census-shows-overseas-nurses-on-the-rise/1767/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/census-shows-overseas-nurses-on-the-rise/1767/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Nurses and health professionals from overseas look set to play a key role in fending off shortfalls of workers in the Australian health sector, according to recent findings.

Recently released figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the number of overseas born nurses and health professionals has increased in recent years. The data also shows that 33 per cent of nurses in Australia were born overseas in 2011, compared with 25 per cent in 2001.

Most of these have arrived in Australia in the last five years. The proportion of nurses born overseas who were recent arrivals has increased from 9 per cent in 2001 to 19 per cent in 2011.

The findings also show that new source countries are playing a growing role in supplying Australia&rsquo;s nursing and health care professionals, with the geographic profile of nurses arriving in Australia also changing. The proportion of overseas born nurses from the UK has decreased from 36 per cent to 26 per cent between 2001 and 2011. The proportion of overseas born nurses from India increased from 2 per cent in 2001 to 8 per cent in 2011, one of the largest proportional increases over this period.

The findings appear to be confirmed by recent developments in New South Wales. More than 100 people from the southern Indian state of Kerala recently joined the Orange Health Service and the Bloomfield campus in NSW following a recruitment drive aimed at attracting international workers.

Member of the Orange Malayali Association (OMA) executive Sabu Joseph reportedly said his organisation represents 250 people from Kerala and he estimated at least 110 of them were employed in the healthcare sector in Orange and surrounding areas such as Molong.

The ABS also found the medical workforce remains unevenly distributed between the states and territories, and particularly between major cities and remote areas. In 2011, South Australia had the highest rate of nurses, with 1,451.6 per 100,000 persons, followed by the Northern Territory at 1,328.2. Western Australia had the lowest ratio of nurses, with 1,069.4 per 100,000 persons.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Nurse researcher receives international acclaim]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 08 May 2013 16:47:45 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/nurse-researcher-receives-international-acclaim/1768/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/nurse-researcher-receives-international-acclaim/1768/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[A Queensland nurse researcher has received international recognition for her work taking research to the bedside.

Professor Claire Rickard, of Griffith University&rsquo;s Health Practice Innovation program and the School of Nursing and Midwifery, will travel to Prague, Czech Republic, in July to be inaugurated into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.

The announcement coincides with International Nurses&#39; and Midwives&#39; Week this week, which is celebrated around the world to mark the contribution nurses and midwives make to society, and begins with International Day of the Midwife on May 5 and culminates with International Nurses&#39; Day on May 12.

Professor Rickard has received widespread acclaim for her research into acute and critical care, which has been credited for significantly influencing hospital practices.

Professor Rickard, who is the CIB of the NHMRC National Centre for Research Excellence in Nursing (NCREN), has been pivotal to ground breaking research into improving the way 15 million IVs are used in Australian hospitals each year.

Studies show a third of IVs fail while in use due to dislodgement, occlusion (blocking) or infiltration (fluids into surrounding tissue).

The centre&rsquo;s researchers, who have been trialling the use of medical grade superglues to &lsquo;glue in&rsquo; and secure IV drips, are also researching IV flushing to maintain the viability of IVs in a bid to improve patient comfort, length of treatment and escalating healthcare costs.

Professor Rickard said the award demonstrated Australian nursing&rsquo;s coming of age onto the world stage.

&ldquo;This country has had a much shorter history of nursing research when compared to countries such as the USA, however Australia has really begun to catch up now, and in many areas now leads the world,&rdquo; she said in a statement.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a real honour to receive this award, not just for me but on behalf of my team at Griffith, my project manager Nicole Marsh and the nurses we work with in hospitals throughout Australia, especially Professor Joan Webster from the Royal Brisbane and Women&rsquo;s Hospital.&rdquo;

Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing, operates the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame as part of its work supporting the learning, knowledge and professional development of nurses committed to making a difference world-wide.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Crunch time looms for aged care nursing pay rises]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 06 May 2013 10:55:08 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/crunch-time-looms-for-aged-care-nursing-pay-rises/1763/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/crunch-time-looms-for-aged-care-nursing-pay-rises/1763/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Legislation must be passed through parliament before the end of June for the government&rsquo;s pledged $1.2 billion in pay rises to flow through to the pay packets of Australia&rsquo;s 350,000 aged care nurses and workers from July.

Australian Nursing Federation assistant federal secretary Yvonne Chaperon said it&rsquo;s vital the legislation is passed before June 27, parliament&rsquo;s last sitting day in the lead up to the election, to ensure the government&rsquo;s $3.7 billion Living Longer, Living Better aged care reform package is implemented.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really important for us that those bills go before parliament and are passed before the end of June,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;Our concerns are (if the legislation isn&rsquo;t passed) that the money won&rsquo;t flow and our concern is that all of the work that we have put into the Living Longer and Living Better reforms, and it&rsquo;s an incredible amount of work by the aged care industry, will be lost.

&ldquo;I just hope that the senate inquiry listens to all the evidence and weighs it up appropriately. We believe it&rsquo;s good legislation, it&rsquo;s positive for the aged care sector and we hope it&rsquo;s passed.&rdquo;

Ms Chaperon represented the ANF, and joined United Voice, last week to brief the government&rsquo;s senate inquiry into the reforms, ahead of the bills being debated in parliament.

Ms Chaperon said despite some criticism of the plan to tie the wage rise to enterprise bargaining agreements, the measure was the best way to ensure the funds are directly passed onto workers after a similar Howard Government initiative 10 years ago failed to result in increased wages in aged care workers&rsquo; pay packets.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s extremely important that this money reaches the aged care workers and we believe it is fundamental that the way this happens is through enterprise bargaining negotiations or an agreement,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;We think this is the most simple, accountable and transparent way to ensure this money is spent where the money should be spent.&rdquo;

Ms Chaperon said the reforms include exemptions from enterprise bargaining agreements for providers, including facilities which have less than 50 beds.

&ldquo;There are a few providers saying it&rsquo;s erroneous for them because they don&rsquo;t have enterprise bargaining agreements,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;We have a comprehensive database in Australia; across Australia 85 to 95 per cent of facilities around Australia have enterprise agreements.

&ldquo;Those agreements are already in place. We don&rsquo;t see it as erroneous; we see it as a continuing of the status quo really.

&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no obligation for an aged care provider to sign up to the policy.&rdquo;

Ms Chaperon said the union also supported the proposal to remove the distinction between low care and high care.

&ldquo;We support the removal but we don&rsquo;t want these changes to be used to dictate the skills mix to nursing services provided to aged care residents,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;The removal of the distinction reflects the reality that aged care facilities have a mix of low and high care.

&ldquo;We expect more nurses not less nurses to be employed in the sector. Because of the changing nature of aged care and the reforms people will be living in their homes for longer. They will have home care.

&ldquo;However, when they do get to aged care facilities they are going to be older, frailer and sicker so the acuity is going to be higher.

&ldquo;We are saying we want their acuity to be matched with the appropriate qualified nursing care. The same goes for home care.&rdquo;

Under the government&rsquo;s aged care reforms, pay rises of about $46 a week or $2390 a year for registered nurses, $35 a week or $1820 a year for enrolled nurses and $29 a week or $1510 a year for assistants in nursing (AINs) will be delivered by 2016.

For more information visit here.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[A career in midwifery education]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 06 May 2013 10:57:38 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/career-in-midwifery-education/1764/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/career-in-midwifery-education/1764/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Kathleen Baird was drawn to midwifery but a requirement to achieve a nursing degree before becoming a midwife was a disincentive and so she instead became an accountant and auditor.

When the three-year direct-entry midwifery degree was introduced in the United Kingdom years later, Kathleen left behind accountancy to focus on caring for pregnant women and their babies.

Fast-forward a few more years, and Dr Kathleen Baird is now a senior lecturer at Griffith University&rsquo;s School of Nursing and Midwifery in Queensland, where she is helping others achieve their dreams of midwifery through their direct-entry Bachelor of Midwifery degree.

&ldquo;We have lots of people like myself in the Griffith program who have had careers before and are now having a career in midwifery,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;Some of our students also hold first degrees and they have now come into doing midwifery.

&ldquo;I have absolutely no regrets; it was just the right thing for me to do.&rdquo;

Born in Scotland, Kathleen completed her midwifery degree in 1996 and gained experience in all areas of midwifery care before moving into training and education in the UK.

Kathleen left her teaching post at Bristol late last year to take up her position at Griffith, where the philosophy on continuity of care is the same but it begins in the first year, not in the final year of study.

&ldquo;One of the big focuses of the Griffith program is a women-centered focus with continuity of care,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;Our students follow women all of the way through their pregnancy and accompany them through their birth and follow them to the postnatal period too which is really, really important for women.

&ldquo;Our students have to achieve quite a high number of continuity of care. They have got to follow up to 20 women.&rdquo;

The Griffith program, which currently has about 180 students, is also more flexible, enabling either a six year part-time or three-year full-time degree.

&ldquo;Really the joy of having a part-time course is it allows lots of students to study who probably wouldn&rsquo;t be able to commit to full-time study; lots of mums and people who for family commitments can&rsquo;t work full-time,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a blended learning approach so you do have face to face lectures but a lot of the learning is taught online and with collaborative sessions.&rdquo;

Kathleen said she loved working as part of an internationally recognised program focused on delivering tomorrow&rsquo;s midwives.

&ldquo;I think it is watching the students develop and preparing students to be the midwives of the future,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s also preparing students to be midwives who are supporting women in their choices around the kind of birth they want to have.

&ldquo;Child birth is just such a major event in a woman&rsquo;s life and being able to prepare students to be a part of that is just amazing &ndash; absolutely amazing.&rdquo;]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Australia's nursing, midwifery and allied health stats revealed]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 06 May 2013 11:01:23 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/australias-nursing-midwifery-and-allied-health-stats-revealed/1765/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/australias-nursing-midwifery-and-allied-health-stats-revealed/1765/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[The latest figures are out on Australia&rsquo;s nursing, midwifery and allied health workforce.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency&rsquo;s (AHPRA) March 2013 registration data shows Australia is now home to 346,508 practising nurses and midwives, an increase of 7516 nurses and midwives from December&rsquo;s registration figures, while the numbers of non-practising nurses and midwives is also slightly up from 3377 to 3437.

Under the nurses category, most of the 59,108 practising enrolled nurses (at a figure of 33,736) are aged 46-65, most of the 241,484 registered nurses (at 103,847) are aged 46-65 and most of the 3147 listed as RN and EN (1486) are aged 36 and under.

Under nurses and midwives, most of the 29 ENs (18) are aged 36 and under, most of the 32,825 RNs (22,602) are aged 46-65, most of the 22
listed as RN and EN (12) and most of the 2377 midwives (939) are aged 36 and under.

The figures also show there are 310,899 female practising nurses and midwives and 35,253 male practising nurses and midwives, while 219 did not state their gender.

There are 843 nurse practitioners and 807 registered nurses who can supply scheduled medicines and one midwife practitioner.

There are also eight eligible midwives who can provide scheduled medicines and 166 eligible midwives who are not qualified to obtain endorsement for medicines.

The data, recently released from the 14 National Boards, also provides a snapshot of Australia&rsquo;s allied health workforce.

It shows there are:

* 30,189 registered psychologists, most (10,132) live in New South Wales, most (4409) are aged 31-35 and most (23,680) are female

* 3852 registered podiatrists, most (1238) live in Victoria, most (770) are aged 26-30 and most (1792) are female

* 24,502 physiotherapists, most (7131) live in New South Wales, most (4954) are aged 26-30 and most (16,198) are female

* 27,226 pharmacists in Australia, most (8399) live in New South Wales, most (6077) are aged 26-30 and most (15,817) are female

* 1765 osteopaths, most (905) live in Victoria, most (398) are aged 31-35, there are 627 male practitioners, 601 female practitioners while 537 did not state their gender

* 4627 optometrists, most (1582) live in New South Wales, most (664) are aged 26-30, there are 2214 female practitioners, 2291 male practitioners while 122 did not disclose their gender

* 14,871 occupational therapists, most (4161) live in New South Wales, most (3358) are aged 26-30 and most (13,633) are female

* 288 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners, most (228) live in the Northern Territory, most (55) are aged 46-50 and most (212) are female

* 3999 Chinese Medicine practitioners, most (1610) live in New South Wales, most (576) are aged 51-55 and most (2120) are female

* 13,769 medical radiation practitioners, most (4472) live in New South Wales, most (2736) are aged 26-30, most (9154) are female, and

* 4637 chiropractic practitioners, most (1551) live in New South Wales, most (751) are aged 31-35, and most (2958) are male.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Study examines occupational therapists' role in dietary advice]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 02 May 2013 10:12:30 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/study-examines-occupational-therapists-role-in-dietary-advice/1761/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/study-examines-occupational-therapists-role-in-dietary-advice/1761/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Australian researchers are investigating the role occupational therapists play in providing dietary advice to mental health clients.

University of Canberra and University of Newcastle researchers are examining whether occupational therapists have enough support to provide diet and lifestyle advice, and will explore the types of advice provided and the limits to their advice.

With poor diet a contributing factor to high rates of obesity and related disorders in people with severe mental illness, occupational therapists work to provide healthy lifestyle interventions, including dietary change, to mental health clients.

But early research has found while occupational therapists are confident in providing interventions to promote diet-related skill development and healthy eating education, they face challenges in providing specific dietary advice.

The study involving a small group of occupational therapists identified a need for more training and support in the area while it also highlighted a need for more dietitians in mental health services.

University of Canberra Professor Lauren Williams, an Adv APD who is head of Discipline, Nutrition and Dietetics, said the study found occupational therapists felt they did not have adequate support when it came to providing their mental health clients with specific dietary advice.

&ldquo;When there were clinical conditions present such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease they saw that as a limit to their expertise,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;One of the things that came out of the qualitative research was that people were sometimes confused or overwhelmed by the resources out there and didn&rsquo;t necessarily know where to go to get the best information. There were some out-dated educational tools being used for diet.&rdquo;

Researchers, including Georgia Mahony and Kirsti Haracz from the University of Newcastle and Master of Nutrition and Dietetics student Prue Cunningham, are now surveying occupational therapists who work with mental health clients in a bid to quantify the findings across Australia.

Professor Williams said the online survey has so far received more than 100 responses and researchers are now hoping more occupational therapists will participate in the survey before it closes later this month.

The survey questions occupational therapists on how they interact with mental health clients in relation to diet, how they source nutritional information, and to what extent they believe nutritional guidance is part of their role as occupational therapists.

Professor Williams said the research aims to highlight any gaps in advice or support so that they can be improved in the future.

&ldquo;It might be that we look towards organising training modules and resources for occupational therapists in that field,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;One of the things that might come out of this is a better package of resources for occupational therapists.

&ldquo;It might also be a justification for some extra dietitians&rsquo; positions in mental health.&rdquo;

Occupational therapists who work with mental health clients and want to participate in the research can complete the anonymous online survey here.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[12th Australian Palliative Care Conference - Canberra]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 02 May 2013 16:41:42 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/12th-australian-palliative-care-conference-canberra/1762/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/12th-australian-palliative-care-conference-canberra/1762/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Quality of care at the end of life for all is a topic that affects many Australians. The 12th Australian Palliative Care Conference: Palliative Care &ndash; everyone&rsquo;s business is being held 3 &ndash; 6 September 2013 at the National Convention Centre in Canberra. It&rsquo;s a great time to come to Canberra &ndash; not only will you join over 700 delegates from across Australia and the world in sharing best practice, hearing the latest research, being challenged by keynote speakers and building valuable networks, but you&rsquo;ll get to join Canberra&rsquo;s biggest celebration in 100 years.

There will be an array of local speakers including Ms Ita Buttrose, 2013 Australian of the Year, President of Alzehimer&rsquo;s Australia and Vice President Emeritus of Arthritis Australia, Dr Frank Brennan, Palliative Care Physician currently working in Renal Disease and Motor Neurone Disease in Sydney and is also a lawyer, Professor Colleen Cartwright, Foundation Professor of Aged Services and Director of the ASLaRC Aged Services Unit at Southern Cross University and Professor David Kissane, academic psychiatrist, psycho-oncology researcher and author who is currently the Head of Psychiatry for Monash University.

International speakers include Professor Eric Cassell, Faculty of New York University School of Medicine and Mount Sinai School of Medicine and expert in the care of the dying and the nature of suffering, Associate Professor Amy Chow, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, the University of Hong Kong and Professor Irene Higginson who has a dual training in palliative medicine and epidemiology/public health and is based in the UK and Dr Adrian Hopper, Associate Medical Director for Patient Safety, Guy&rsquo;s and St Thomas&rsquo;, UK.

2013 is Canberra&rsquo;s centenary and the city is celebrating all year with some great events. We&rsquo;re doing our bit too! Join us at the conference when we host a glamorous event in the most iconic venue in Australia: the Centenary Gala Ball in the Great Hall at Parliament House. And the best news is &ndash; it&rsquo;s included in your registration. Registration for the most important event in the palliative care calendar is now open! &#8232;https://www.dcconferences.com.au/apcc2013/registration]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Conference aims to inspire dietitians to embrace future challenges]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 May 2013 13:03:41 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/conference-aims-to-inspire-dietitians-to-embrace-future-challenges/1759/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/conference-aims-to-inspire-dietitians-to-embrace-future-challenges/1759/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[More than 500 nutrition experts from Australia and overseas will converge on Canberra later this month to explore the future challenges facing dietitians.

The Dietitians Association of Australia will hold its 30th national conference with the theme &lsquo;reflections for the challenges of tomorrow&rsquo; from May 23-25.

The conference will cover issues ranging from the future global food supply to new directions and innovations in practice that will help dietitians tackle future challenges, while strengthening the profession and expertise of dietetics in Australia.

DAA 2013 conference chair Kim Crawley said the future holds many challenges for dietitians.

&ldquo;We have a population that is ageing and is experiencing increasing rates of chronic disease and obesity,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;At the other end of the spectrum, some vulnerable populations are experiencing malnutrition. Society is being challenged with how to cost-effectively manage these issues.

&ldquo;The skills and knowledge that dietitians have are well placed to contribute to the solution.&rdquo;

Ms Crawley said the conference will feature a range of sessions focusing on the prevalence of malnutrition, nutrition support and the&nbsp;treatment of malnutrition.

&ldquo;In addition, there are a number of sessions focused on food services and environmental sustainability,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;The amount of available food, our ability to provide a nutritious food supply, and our ability to keep the population adequately nourished are important issues to address to ensure the future health of Australians.&rdquo;

Prominent international and national speakers will discuss topics such as medical nutrition therapy and simple interventions that can improve intake in patients who eat poorly in hospital, and western versus non-western perspectives of nutrition support provided at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

The line-up also includes an evaluation of behaviour attitude knowledge and barriers towards nutrition therapy protocol in ICU, and the results of a trial for reducing weight retention in new mums.

For more information visit here.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Mental health bed shortage behind assaults]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 May 2013 14:06:10 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/mental-health-bed-shortage-behind-assaults/1760/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/mental-health-bed-shortage-behind-assaults/1760/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[A death of mental health acute beds in Victoria&rsquo;s hospitals has been blamed for a spate of assaults on nurses in recent weeks.

Psychiatric nurses have been sexually assaulted by patients at Monash Medical Centre, where&nbsp; assaults broke out just days before management was forced to create a temporary ward for eight mentally ill patients due to drastic undersupply of beds.

The revelation followed reports of violent incidents at Dandenong Hospital and the Royal Children&#39;s Hospital - where a nurse&#39;s hair was pulled out and another was punched in the face.

Australian Nursing Federation Victorian branch assistant secretary Pip Carew reportedly said the attacks indicated unprecedented pressure on the hospital system. She said delays in getting the mentally unwell into the inpatient unit were typically the cause of a rise in violence.

Two nurses were attacked at the Royal Children&#39;s Hospital by an aggressive patient from a low-security ward. It is understood the patient punched one nurse in the face and ripped another&#39;s hair out during a fray in March.

At Dandenong Hospital, a nurse was threatened with a knife and another had part of her breast bitten off and needed plastic surgery. ANF Victorian branch assistant secretary Paul Gilbert said the hospital had left nurses to fend for themselves with no &#39;Code Grey&#39; policy in place to deal with violent incidents.

The nurse&#39;s union lays blame for the assaults at the state government&rsquo;s door, following its failure to honour its pre-election promise of spending $21 million to make hospitals safer.

It is understood that there are currently 24 fewer mental health acute beds than when the Coalition came to power in 2010, according to a recent audit by the union.

The ANF claims many assaults on nurses are not reported.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Physiotherapists criticise cap on self-education]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:47:18 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/physiotherapists-criticise-cap-on-self-education/1756/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/physiotherapists-criticise-cap-on-self-education/1756/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Physiotherapists fear the Federal Government&rsquo;s plan to cap the tax deductibility for work-related self-education expenses at $2000 per person will have far-reaching ramifications for the health sector.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association says the move, which will affect nurses and allied health professionals from July next year, will act as a disincentive for physiotherapists to develop their expertise or pursue specialised education and could also impact on the quality of care for Australian patients.

The move also comes as a huge blow to the Australian College of Physiotherapists, which established a two-year Specialised Training Program that costs physiotherapists $13,200 to complete.

The program is open to physiotherapists with recognised post graduate qualifications spanning eight physiotherapy disciplines including continence and women&rsquo;s health, sports, musculoskeletal, gerontology, paediatric, neurological, ergonomics and occupational health, and cardiorespiratory.

Australian College of Physiotherapists president Dr Peter Fazey said the government&rsquo;s plan will serve as a &ldquo;major disincentive&rdquo; to post graduate education.

&ldquo;Fellowship is the highest clinical qualification in Australia and equips graduates to perform high level work as consultants, treating and providing second opinions in the most difficult cases to industry, insurers and in legal proceedings,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;Formal post graduate education, such as the college&rsquo;s training program, is much more expensive to run than short professional development courses, consequently tuition fees are much higher.

&ldquo;Reducing access to post entry level education would have the effect of reducing the standards of the profession not to mention the quality of healthcare provided to all Australians.&rdquo;

APA president Marcus Dripps said the government&rsquo;s figures quoted $900 on average is claimed for educational expenses - an &ldquo;extraordinarily low&rdquo; figure for the health industry.

&ldquo;Registered health professionals are required to undertake at least 20 hours of professional development every year to ensure that they continue to provide excellent clinical care,&rdquo; he said.

Mr Dripps said the purpose of continuing professional development was to ensure health professionals are equipped with the most current and progressive training.

&ldquo;A fundamental aspect of any profession is to embrace lifelong learning, this decision impacts on this,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;Postgraduate physiotherapy master&rsquo;s courses in Australia are already in a precarious financial position due to declining enrolments.

&ldquo;This could push some of those courses out of business if students are unable to deduct their not insubstantial educational expenses.&rdquo;

Dr Fazey said education and professional development, while both important in maintaining and improving skills, are fundamentally different in structure and cost.

&ldquo;Post graduate education and training is not a luxury but a necessity to ensure we maintain the highest standards in all aspects of healthcare,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;It must be encouraged and facilitated or the health of all Australians will be compromised.&rdquo;]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Patch Adams prescribes joy in Sydney]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:08:41 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/patch-adams-prescribes-joy-in-sydney/1757/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/patch-adams-prescribes-joy-in-sydney/1757/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Patch Adams &ndash; the renowned doctor famous for believing that laughter is the best medicine &ndash; will spread his infectious cheer in Sydney this weekend.

Dr Hunter &lsquo;Patch&rsquo; Adams, made famous in the 1998 film &lsquo;Patch Adams&rsquo; featuring actor Robin Williams, will deliver a series of workshops on the benefits of laughter, joy and creativity as an integral part of the healing process at the Australian Traditional Medicine Society&rsquo;s (ATMS) second International Natural Medicine Summit from May 3-5.

Dr Adams, who is based in Urbana, Illinois, in the United States, founded the Gesundheit! Institute, which operated as a free community hospital for 12 years, and he is now behind the construction of a Teaching Centre and Clinic in West Virginia which will offer around-the-clock free care in one of the poorest counties in the United States.

Dr Adams, who has more than 40 years&rsquo; experience working in medicine, will present a workshop titled &lsquo;Living a life of joy&rsquo;, and keynote sessions &lsquo;Can&rsquo;t wait to get old&rsquo; and &lsquo;Medicine for fun, not funds&rsquo; as part of the summit&rsquo;s theme on healthy ageing naturally.

&ldquo;Whether I am speaking to hospital CEOs or university students, my audience is often left in a state of amazement &ndash; amazement caused not by our ideals or the breath of our work but by the passion and persistence we display in pursuing our goals and in living our lives,&rdquo; Dr Adams said in a statement.

The list of high profile international and Australian speakers in the field of natural medicine presenting at the summit includes Dr Joe Muscolino, who will speak on palpation as an assessment tool for orthopaedic remedial massage, Kira Sutherland and Raymond Smith, who will both discuss the role of nutrition and physical activity in the prevention of chronic disease.

ATMS CEO Trevor Le Breton said the summit featured an experienced line-up of clinical practitioners and academics.

&ldquo;This is an exciting opportunity for our members to access some of the key global influencers and thinkers in our industry and to learn from their experience and expertise,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;Members attending these sessions will see first-hand demonstrations from the presenters and should expect an interactive learning experience rarely available in Australia.&rdquo;

For more information visit here.
]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Scheme opens for graduate nurses and midwives]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:46:42 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/scheme-opens-for-graduate-nurses-and-midwives/1758/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/scheme-opens-for-graduate-nurses-and-midwives/1758/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[The 2013 voluntary bonding scheme has opened for New Zealand nursing and midwifery graduates who want to work in hard-to-staff communities and specialities.

The fifth intake of the incentive-based scheme, which is also open to doctors, radiation therapists and medical physicists, pays nurses $2833 after tax and midwives $3500 after tax, at the completion of each of their third, fourth and fifth years of bonded service.

This year&rsquo;s intake will focus on attracting nurses into hard-to-staff nursing specialties ranging from aged care to mental health, theatre, intensive care, cardiothoracic and surgical.

The Health Workforce New Zealand scheme will also work to recruit midwives to launch their careers in hard-to-staff communities such as Northland, Counties Manukau, Waitemata, Hawke&#39;s Bay, Taranaki, Whanganui, Hutt Valley, Wairarapa, South Canterbury and West Coast district health boards and to Southland region and Taupo district.

So far the scheme has attracted 2060 health professionals into hard-to-staff areas and specialities that struggle with longer waiting periods, higher vacancy rates, increased locum use, and that have a greater dependency on overseas trained professionals than their counterparts.

The scheme, which made its first payments last year, has paid more than $7 million to 50 doctors, 288 nurses and 51 midwives, while radiation therapists and medical physicists were only added to the scheme last year and are not yet eligible for payment.

New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall said the scheme has been attracting increasing numbers of graduates each year.

&ldquo;There are now 2060 participants on the scheme and we know they are already making a significant contribution in traditionally hard-to-staff areas,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;The popularity of this scheme means more health professionals are working where we need them most.

&ldquo;Recruiting and retaining front line staff is a key priority for this government and investment in schemes such as this are an integral part of achieving this.&rdquo;

Registration for the voluntary bonding scheme is open until May 24, 2013 here.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Lest we forget non-military nurses]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:23:20 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/lest-we-forget-non-military-nurses/1755/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/lest-we-forget-non-military-nurses/1755/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Australian civilian nurses who served in the Vietnam War are suffering the same physical and mental conditions as other Vietnam veterans but have been forgotten when it comes to compensation and medical treatment.

The Australian Nursing Federation says Australia has failed to officially recognise and compensate the SEATO nurses under the Veteran Entitlements Act (VEA) because of a bureaucratic loophole.

More than 450 Australian nurses, doctors and other health professionals volunteered in Vietnam&rsquo;s civilian hospitals from 1964 to 1972 as part of the South East Asia Treaty Organisation.

The nurses, of which the union says &ldquo;fewer and fewer remain&rdquo;, have since suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, auto immune disease, non-Hodgkin&#39;s lymphoma and cancers.

As Australia paused on Anzac Day to remember the past and present servicemen and women who fought and died in war, the ANF called on Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Coalition leader Tony Abbott and the key independent MPs to formally recognise SEATO nurses.

&ldquo;They tended to shocking injuries, ranging from mine blasts and grenades, bullet wounds and horrific burns from napalm bombings,&rdquo; ANF federal secretary Lee Thomas said in a statement.

&ldquo;The SEATO nurses were sent by the Australian Government to serve in civilian surgical and medical teams in South Vietnam during the war and spent much of their time working in appalling conditions, with a lack of proper medical supplies.

&ldquo;This was a frightening experience for them but in the true ANZAC spirit, it never lessened their courage and resolve to answer their call of duty and treat the sick and the injured.

&ldquo;When they returned home, they suffered the same physical and mental conditions to other Vietnam veterans, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, auto immune disease, non-Hodgkin&#39;s lymphoma and cancers.&rdquo;

Ms Thomas said because SEATO nurses were not &ldquo;technically&rdquo; under the command of the Australian Defence Force, they have since been denied access to benefits and entitlements under the VEA.

&ldquo;This is nothing short of a national disgrace,&rdquo; she said.

The ANF has campaigned for the plight of SEATO nurses for the past 15 years and aims to continue the fight in the lead up to the September election.

Ms Thomas said Australian nurses had supported our troops in conflict zones across the world for hundreds of years, tending to the sick and wounded.

&ldquo;We should never forget the courage of the country&rsquo;s military and civilian nurses,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;These brave nurses are still serving in war zones today in places like Afghanistan, supporting Australia&rsquo;s war efforts and the ANF and our members commend them on their commitment to nursing.&rdquo;]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[New hospital gown ditches breezy back]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:45:11 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/new-hospital-gown-ditches-breezy-back/1752/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/new-hospital-gown-ditches-breezy-back/1752/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[A new wrap-around hospital gown that does away with the opening at the back has been unveiled in the United States.

The gown, which is made of a thicker cotton and polyester blend material, has been designed to keep patients warm and give them privacy while also enabling nurses to have uncompromised clinical access to patients.

The gown, which has been likened to a day spa robe, features an access flap at the back, from the neck to the lower back, and also facilitates clinical access for IVs and other medical lines.

The Henry Ford Innovation Institute and the College for Creative Studies collaborated to create the double-breasted gown which will soon be rolled out at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Institute product designer Michael Forbes said patients disliked traditional hospital gowns and he said the new design gave them privacy.

&ldquo;Our number one goal was to close the backside of the gown with our design,&rdquo; he said in a statement.

&ldquo;A simple change can have a large impact on the patients&rsquo; stay at a hospital. By creating a hospital gown that is safe, stylish and comfortable, we&rsquo;ve made the patient feel more at home, like they&rsquo;re wearing their own garments.&rdquo;

The new gown has been designed to be user-friendly and features three snaps, instead of ties, to close the gown. The snaps can also be adjusted to create an extra-large size.

Since the design was unveiled, the new gown and the hospital have received &ldquo;a lot of attention&rdquo;, according to a hospital spokesperson.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been very exciting for our team at the Innovation Institute at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit,&rdquo; she said.

The creators of the gown hope to licence the design to an existing gown manufacturer so the gown can be made and sold nationally.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Australia's chief nurse Dr Rosemary Bryant: My career as a nurse leader]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:30:29 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/careers/australias-chief-nurse-dr-rosemary-bryant-my-career-as-nurse-leader/1753/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/careers/australias-chief-nurse-dr-rosemary-bryant-my-career-as-nurse-leader/1753/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[How do you become a nurse leader on a national and international scale? Karen Keast profiles the illustrious career of Australia&rsquo;s preeminent nurse leader Dr Rosemary Bryant.


Rosemary Bryant was a teenager contemplating a career post-school when she decided to follow in the footsteps of several of her fellow classmates who were determined to become nurses.

&ldquo;There were three others in my class at school who had a definitive view that they wanted to be nurses,&rdquo; she recalls.

&ldquo;I thought &lsquo;that sounds okay to me. I will try that&rsquo;.

&ldquo;And here I am, 50 years later still doing it.&rdquo;

Today, Dr Rosemary Bryant holds prestigious national and international positions, as Australia&rsquo;s first Commonwealth Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer and as the 26th president of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), working on issues vital to nurses and midwives and also health care provision.

&ldquo;I have been a nurse for a long time,&rdquo; Rosemary says, speaking from her Department of Health and Ageing office in Canberra.

&ldquo;The things I really like about this role (Chief Nurse) and about the ICN role is that I am able to influence what happens to nursing.

&ldquo;That&rsquo;s important for nurses themselves but it&rsquo;s also very important for the standard of nursing care that we are able to provide for the country, which is particularly important for me as a nurse.

&ldquo;I think when I look back on my early years; that&rsquo;s what really drew me to nursing.

&ldquo;Although I really fell into it in a way, the fact that I started in it and made it my career I guess is a testament to how I really started to think about nursing when I was in my early 20s, which was a common time when people did leave.

&ldquo;For me, I could see the difference that nurses could make to individuals&rsquo; lives, both patients and their families.

&ldquo;I am not doing that on an individual basis now but what I am doing is helping to provide the structure in which nurses can work to their potential and provide that care for the community.

&ldquo;That I think is what is at the heart of every nurse and there are 330,000 of us across the country; that&rsquo;s what I guess drives us.&rdquo;

Born in Melbourne, Rosemary completed her initial nursing training at Brisbane&rsquo;s Princess Alexandra Hospital before spending a few years overseas but she spent most of her clinical career, about 20 years, in Adelaide, where she obtained the position of Director of Nursing at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Rosemary then moved to Victoria and became the Chief Nurse at the state&rsquo;s Department of Health, before relocating to Canberra in 2000, where she held the position of the executive director of the Royal College of Nursing, Australia, for eight years.

Rosemary then went on to serve as the second vice president of the International Council of Nurses from 2005 to 2009, during which time she was also appointed to the newly created advisory role of Commonwealth Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer, which she has now held for almost five years, and was elected president of the ICN in 2009.

Along the way, Rosemary has worked in private consulting undertaking projects on nursing and health, including consulting to the World Health Organisation, and was recognised as a Fellow of The Australian College of Nursing, was made an Emeritus Director of Nursing at Royal Adelaide Hospital and was awarded the degree of Doctor of the University by both the Queensland University of Technology and Flinders University.

Rosemary now advises the Minister for Health and the Department of Health and Ageing on a range of nursing and midwifery issues.

&ldquo;It has a really very broad scope and so that encompasses a very wide range of advice, and advice that is around workforce issues; having the right number of nurses with the right qualifications in the right place is one of the ongoing challenges we have in nursing (world-wide).

&ldquo;And then developing the nursing workforce is another really important area, particularly from the Commonwealth perspective&hellip;because we are facing an increase in the number of aged persons in the community and we are also having an increase in the incidence of chronic disease amongst our population.

&ldquo;If you take just these two issues alone&hellip;it&rsquo;s clear there&rsquo;s a need for one; an increased number of nurses working in those two fields, and secondly; a need for nurses to be sufficiently educated in carrying out those roles.&rdquo;

Rosemary says a range of Commonwealth initiatives have been delivered in the past few years to advance the nursing and midwifery professions, from opening up the Medicare Benefits Schedule and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to nurse practitioners and eligible midwives.

A new funding scheme is also working to support the careers of nurses who work in GP practices, while the Workforce Compact will soon increase the salaries of nurses working in the aged care sector.

As ICN president, Rosemary has spent 12 years on the board of the federation of more than 130 national nurses associations, first founded in 1899.

It&rsquo;s a role she says works to bring nursing and healthcare to the fore, particularly in developing countries.

&ldquo;Nursing in some countries is not as well-resourced or indeed developed as it is in this country&hellip;so being president of the ICN holds quite a bit of weight in many countries,&rdquo; she says.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s important that when I go somewhere, for example I went to Rwanda a couple of years ago, it forces and gives nursing a profile in the country&hellip;not just for nursing itself but for our patients.&rdquo;

In May, when the ICN holds its 25th Quadrennial Congress in Melbourne, Rosemary will step down as president and she also plans to retire from her Commonwealth role within the next 12 months.

As she prepares to bow out after reaching the pinnacle of her profession, Rosemary advises nurses and midwives aspiring to become nurse leaders to equip themselves with a vast range of experience.

&ldquo;One of my fundamental pieces of advice is that you need a very solid clinical background of working and providing nursing care for people,&rdquo; she says.

&ldquo;Also being able to work across different settings and to get a broad base of experience that does really help in terms of consolidating your leadership directions, from my perspective.

&ldquo;And it doesn&rsquo;t hurt to have some leadership training; that&rsquo;s important.&rdquo;

Rosemary says the future of nursing remains &ldquo;very bright&rdquo;.

&ldquo;We are an essential part of the health care system and the challenge probably lies in nurses being able to be more flexible and to enhance their practice and to meet the needs of the community,&rdquo; she says.

&ldquo;If I look back over 50 years of nursing, nursing has changed dramatically.

&ldquo;We have been flexible and adopted but it is going to be even more important in the future.&rdquo;]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Congress provides inspiration for nurse leaders]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:44:57 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/congress-provides-inspiration-for-nurse-leaders/1754/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/congress-provides-inspiration-for-nurse-leaders/1754/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[The upcoming International Council of Nurses&rsquo; (ICN) 25th Quadrennial Congress will inspire nurse leaders to think beyond their boundaries, according to Australia&rsquo;s chief nurse.

As the countdown begins to the May 18-23 event in Melbourne, Australia&rsquo;s first Commonwealth Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer Dr Rosemary Bryant, who is also the 26th president of the ICN, said the event will provide more than 5000 nurse leaders access to nursing innovation, new nursing roles and cutting edge research.

&ldquo;There will be examples of how nurses have been able to implement various programs or carried out innovative research from around the world,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;From my perspective, they are often very inspiring in terms of two things - making you think beyond your own boundaries of your country, and to think beyond your own practice, which gives you ideas to enhance your practice or issues about changing your speciality to another speciality.

&ldquo;Sometimes nurses don&rsquo;t want to do the same job every day for 40 years, so they may look to change what they do, to stay in nursing but to go into a different field.&rdquo;

The Australian College of Nursing will host the congress, last held in Australia more than 50 years ago, which will feature the theme &lsquo;equity and access to healthcare&rsquo;, shining the spotlight on gender equity and the global epidemic of non-communicable diseases.

Dr Bryant will preside over the congress, her last official ICN event, before stepping down from the board of the federation of more than 130 national nurses associations, which represents more than 13 million nurses across the globe, after 12 years.

Speakers at the five-day event will include HRH Princess Muna Al Hussein of Jordan, who founded the School of Nursing of Mu&rsquo;tah University and has worked to establish an effective nursing workforce in the country, and UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa director Dr Sheila Tlou.

Nurses will also have the opportunity to explore a range of sites showcasing Australia&rsquo;s nursing services, range of models of care, nurse workforce design, and clinical settings.

The event will also feature an international student assembly, the announcement of the prestigious Florence Nightingale International Foundation Achievement Award and the Christiane Reimann Prize recipients.

To register for the congress visit here.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Conference: Applying Clinical Governance to the National Standards]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:54:24 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/conference-applying-clinical-governance-to-the-national-standards/1751/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/conference-applying-clinical-governance-to-the-national-standards/1751/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Strengthening safety, quality &amp; consumer partnerships
30th &amp; 31st July 2013, Novotel Sydney Central, Sydney
www.clinicalgovernancestandards.com&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nursing Careers Allied Health subscribers quote CC*NCAH when registering to SAVE $100!

As of 1st January 2013 hospitals and day procedure services across Australia are required to transition to the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.

Attend the not-to-be-missed Applying Clinical Governance to the National Standards for your chance to examine how to drive improvement through clinical governance. You will explore best practice models from around the country that demonstrate excellence on overarching NSQHS standards 1 and 2; safety, quality and consumer partnerships.

Click here to download your copy of the conference agenda

Register today for your chance to participate in discussions on how to:

	
		Establish strong clinical governance frameworks for improved performance
	
		Develop effective consumer partnerships by involving consumers, patients and carers
	
		Evidence procedures and demonstrate enforcement of the standards
	
		Design sustainable systems for the management of regular clinical audits

Featuring expert analysis from:

	
		Carol Bennett, Chief Executive Officer, Consumers Health Forum
	
		Russell McGowen, Board Member, The Australian Commission on Safety &amp; Quality in Health Care
	
		Chris Scott, Chief Executive, Wimmera Health Care Group
	
		Professor Bill Runciman, President, Australian Patient Safety Foundation
	
		Margaret Banks, Program Director, The Australian Commission on Safety &amp; Quality in Health Care + many more!

For more information or to register contact Criterion Conferences on +61 2 9239 5700, visit www.clinicalgovernancestandards.com or email registration@criterionconferences.com. Don&rsquo;t forget you must quote CC*NCAH when registering to receive your $100 discount.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[ANF unveils new Hobart training and research facility]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:32:10 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/anf-unveils-new-hobart-training-and-research-facility/1749/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/anf-unveils-new-hobart-training-and-research-facility/1749/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Australian Nursing Federation has opened the doors to a new $2.5 million training and research facility in Hobart.

The innovative Health Education and Research Centre will enable the Tasmanian branch to deliver training courses, including professional development for the state&rsquo;s nurses, midwives and personal carers as well as training for other health professionals.

It features a replica hospital ward equipped with simulated patients and also includes a lecture theatre, library, conference room and meeting rooms as well as video-conferencing.

The five-level facility, which was built at the back of the heritage-listed ANF building, will also serve as a home for research into workforce planning and development.

ANF Tasmanian branch nurse education manager Dr Lisa Dalton said while the union has always offered professional development training and more recently vocational studies, the new centre was an opportunity for it to extend its services.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really exciting for us and what it will allow us to do is embed the quality and flexibility into the programs that we already have,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;The facilities are so well equipped it will be really beneficial for Tasmania to share those resources.&rdquo;

Dr Dalton said the centre offered a contemporary &ldquo;hands on&rdquo; approach to training with a high fidelity simulation unit.

&ldquo;We have a three-bed nursing ward that feels like a nursing ward and has everything you would find in a nursing ward,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;We program the mannequin and it&rsquo;s actually connected to the typical monitors you would find in this situation.

&ldquo;We can program the mannequin to become unwell and then the students are required to respond to that situation.

&ldquo;Depending on how they respond, we then re-program the mannequin to respond to that.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s quite a sophisticated training suite.&rdquo;

Dr Dalton said the centre, which employs seven nurse educators and was built with the assistance of a $900,000 Federal Government grant, will extend its course offerings to include a Diploma of Nursing next year and will also focus on building up its research portfolio.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Facebook campaign targets jobs for nurses and midwives]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:01:46 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/facebook-campaign-targets-jobs-for-nurses-and-midwives/1750/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/facebook-campaign-targets-jobs-for-nurses-and-midwives/1750/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[South Australian nurses have turned to Facebook to launch a petition calling on the State Government to fund employment for its unemployed and underemployed nurses and midwives.

In its first day, the petition on the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation SA branch&rsquo;s Facebook page received more than 700 signatures and the union hopes the petition will deliver a vital message to the government ahead of the release of its June budget.

ANMF SA branch CEO Adj Assoc Professor Elizabeth Dabars said each year the state has about 1000 graduate nurses, and last year while about 500 secured a placement and another few hundred moved on to the transition to professional practice program, about 200 to 300 nurses were left unemployed.

Adj Assoc Professor Dabars said nurses are now calling on the government to urgently fund employment for graduate nurses and to ensure employment for nurses completing the transition to professional practice program.

She said with the average age of nurses sitting at 44 years and nurses in specialised areas at 55 years, there are forecasts of a mass exodus of an estimated 110,000 highly skilled yet much-needed nurses in Australia within the next decade, with projections about 25,000 will leave the workforce in South Australia alone.

&ldquo;We know that a huge proportion of the workforce is due to retire in the next five to 10 years,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t just sit on our hands and wait for people to leave. We need the graduates to be employed now and for those completing the transition to professional practice program to be fully employed.&rdquo;

Adj Assoc Professor Dabars said despite the jobs shortage it was still vital people pursued careers in nursing and midwifery.

&ldquo;There is a shortage&hellip;but there are going to be plenty of jobs. There&rsquo;s a nursing and midwifery workforce crisis that&rsquo;s right in front of our eyes,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;Now we have got a perfect opportunity, where we actually have some available nurses and midwives but they are just letting them go.

&ldquo;They will pursue alternative career pathways. They can&rsquo;t pay the mortgage or feed the children on air.

&ldquo;When we need them, which is very soon, they simply won&rsquo;t be there.

&ldquo;Then the federal and state governments will again be scratching their heads and being compelled to pour more money into education.&rdquo;

The union is calling on the government to expand the number of graduate and transition to professional practice program positions and to also increase the number of people employed once they have completed the program.

The petition can be found here.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Proposed social media rules for nursing and allied health released]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:40:06 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/proposed-social-media-rules-for-nursing-and-allied-health-released/1746/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/proposed-social-media-rules-for-nursing-and-allied-health-released/1746/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Nurses and allied health professionals should not discuss patients or post pictures of procedures, case studies, patients or sensitive material without obtaining consent in appropriate situations, according to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency&rsquo;s (AHPRA) first ever guidelines for social media.

AHPRA has released its proposed social media guidelines, which will act as a generic policy spanning all 14 National Boards, for public consultation.

The social media guidelines warn registered health practitioners against breaching their confidentiality and privacy obligations and also cautions against breaches of their professional obligations.

The two-page policy advises nurses and allied health professionals to present information on social media in an unbiased, evidence-informed context and not to make unsubstantiated claims.

The proposed policy, which forms part of the common guidelines and codes of conduct for all registered health practitioners and students in Board-approved courses, focuses on professional obligations and obligations in relation to advertising for social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, personal websites, discussion forums, message boards and blogs.

The public consultation paper emphasises the social media policy provides guidance from a regulatory perspective, and refers practitioners to other sources such as peak health professional organisations for social media guidance beyond its regulatory role.

The draft policy covers legal restrictions on advertising under the National Law and general guidance about good practice and practitioner behaviour, while outlining that the principles of professional behaviour and ethical conduct apply whether in person or online.

&ldquo;The National Boards&rsquo; responsibility in relation to social media is to clearly articulate how the obligations under the National Law which focus on protecting the public apply to social media,&rdquo; it states.

&ldquo;The National Boards&hellip;are proposing an approach which addresses the regulatory issues related to social media, consistent with the Boards&rsquo; role, but which does not unnecessarily restrict the use of social media that is unrelated to a practitioner&rsquo;s professional life.&rdquo;

Once finalised, the document will apply to 530,000 registered health practitioners across Australia, spanning professions including occupational therapy, medical radiation, nursing and midwifery, optometry, osteopathy, pharmacy, physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

The consultation paper is available here. Public consultation closes on May 30, 2013.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[How nurses can nourish themselves through shift work hours]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:46:35 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/careers/how-nurses-can-nourish-themselves-through-shift-work-hours/1747/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/careers/how-nurses-can-nourish-themselves-through-shift-work-hours/1747/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Research shows job stress and shift work is contributing to obesity among nurses in America. While there is no known study linking obesity to shift work in Australia, nurses can take proactive steps to keep the extra kilos at bay and ensure they stay healthy for peak performance not only at work but in their every day lives, writes Karen Keast.

Nurses are the experts when it comes to taking care of others but nurses, especially those working shift-work, are often too busy and too tired to care for and properly nourish themselves.

A study out of the United States last year found nurses working shift work and longer hours are more stressed and in roles requiring less physical exertion and movement.

As a result, the research showed shift working nurses are more likely to be obese than their underweight or normal weight colleagues.

The University of Maryland&rsquo;s School of Nursing study, published in the Journal of Nursing Administration, found 57 per cent of the 2103 female nurses surveyed in the study were obese.

&ldquo;Long work hours and shift work adversely affect quantity and quality of sleep, which often interferes with adherence to healthy behaviour and increases obesity,&rdquo; lead researcher Kihye Han said.

Researchers say the evidence should prompt a re-think of nurse scheduling and they also argue the importance of nurses being able to nap in the workplace to stave off the effects of work-related sleep deprivation, in a bid to reduce fatigue and boost energy for healthy behaviours.

Previous research also shows unfavourable nursing schedules not only have an impact on nurses&rsquo; health but also on hospitals and their patient care outcomes.

In Australia, while there is no known study examining the effect of shift work on nurses&rsquo; waistlines and overall health, the Australian Nursing Federation has acknowledged it&rsquo;s more challenging for nurses working shifts to include regular exercise, maintain a healthy diet and achieve adequate amounts of rest.

The ANF advocates for longer breaks between late shifts and early starts, and also urges shift working nurses to keep fit and healthy.

The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) advises shift workers to eat from the five food groups &ndash; fruit, vegetables, lean meats, reduced fat dairy, breads and cereals - outlined in the recently updated Australian Dietary Guidelines.

Dietitians Association of Australia spokesperson and Accredited Practising Dietitian Natasha Meerding says there are no set recommendations for what shift workers should eat and at what times, instead it comes down to personal preference and lifestyles.

&ldquo;It might suit some to have an evening meal at around 6pm with their family before going off to work, followed by a light meal mid-shift when they have a break, and some other healthy snacks, then to have breakfast when they returned home,&rdquo; she says.

&ldquo;It may suit others to have breakfast prior to work, a light meal mid-shift and then dinner on returning home. Eating patterns vary greatly from person to person.&rdquo;

Ms Meerding says shift workers can face problems ranging from weight gain to weight loss along with difficulty falling asleep and high blood pressure.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard enough for people working nine to five but shift workers have it even harder than the rest of us,&rdquo; she says.

&ldquo;There are things that can be done to prevent those issues - eat from the five food groups and get some activity in most days.&rdquo;

A community dietitian based in Hobart, Ms Meerding says it&rsquo;s important to eat healthy, meet the recommended number of serves for each food group and advises against any dramatic increase in the volume of food consumed while working shifts.

Workplace environments can also have a big impact on how shift workers eat.

Ms Meerding says vending machines, filled with high fat, high sugar drinks and food, and staff rooms with biscuit barrels and cakes often lure workers into making poor choices when tired.

She says &ldquo;healthy&rdquo; vending machines, filled with pots of tinned fruit, crackers and cheese, sandwiches and instant microwaveable meals, are being trialled and could soon be on the way, in the meantime it&rsquo;s important for organisations to provide ample fridge space for employees to store healthy food, introduce blenders for making smoothies, and add microwaves to heat food.

Ms Meerding advises nurses cook up and freeze batches of healthy meals at home, such as curries and pasta bakes with lots of vegetables, legumes and lean meat, to take to work in small portions.

&ldquo;Avoid large meals, they can cause heart burn and make you feel sleepy and sluggish,&rdquo; she says.

Employees can also work together to introduce fruit bowls; where staff buy a large batch of fruit and organise a kitty where employees can pay for the fruit they eat.

Ms Meerding suggests shift workers snack on fruit and low fat yoghurt, dry roasted nuts, wholegrain crackers and reduced fat cheese, vegie sticks and dips, while they should also drink water and avoid consuming too much caffeine, cola and energy drinks.

&ldquo;Even though you might feel tired, large amounts of caffeine can disturb sleep,&rdquo; she says.

&ldquo;It stays in your system for eight hours.

&ldquo;You might be tired and exhausted but you need to stop drinking it at least four hours before going to sleep, and aim to have no more than 400mg of caffeine; the equivalent of less than four instant coffees.&rdquo;

Ms Meerding says it&rsquo;s also important for shift workers to move away from their work stations when they have a break, and either walk around the ward or up and down stairs to boost their energy levels.

She says shift workers who often struggle to include physical activity in their day can combine activity with social catch-ups on their days off, such as going to the gym or walking with a friend.

Choosing healthy options will not only give nurses longer lasting energy, keeping them alert and better equipped to carry out their professional duties, regardless of the time of day or night, it will also keep nurses healthier in the long term.

&ldquo;What we eat is definitely important,&rdquo; Ms Meerding says.

&ldquo;We know it prevents things like cardiac disease later in life and getting certain cancers.

&ldquo;Eating healthy and staying physically active is the best thing we can do for our own physical and mental health.&rdquo;

For more information visit the Federal Government&rsquo;s Eat For Health website and there are recipes and tips for smart eating at the DAA website.

For more individualised advice seek out an APD.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Victorian paramedics' dispute sours]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:37:16 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/victorian-paramedics-dispute-sours/1748/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/victorian-paramedics-dispute-sours/1748/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Victorian paramedics are the highest trained paramedics in Australia but are paid up to 30 per cent less than their interstate colleagues, according to the ambulance workers&rsquo; union.

Paramedics have taken protected industrial action with work bans, ranging from wearing campaign t-shirts on the job to refusing any upward relieving of managers&rsquo; roles, after the latest negotiations in the eight-month wage dispute turned sour.

Ambulance Employees Association Victoria general secretary Steve McGhie said members rejected a recent offer for a pay rise of 2.5 per cent which included no other changes to the current EBA.

But Mr McGhie said members would accept a 2.5 per cent deal with arbitration on wages only but the union was yet to receive a response from Ambulance Victoria.

&ldquo;2.5 per cent would buy some peace in the industry until the outcome of arbitration,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;If it went off to arbitration the respective sides can argue their case and the industrial umpire can decide.

&ldquo;We think that&rsquo;s a fair and proper process.&rdquo;

The union has launched a campaign Facebook page and has also received more than 8000 signatures on its online petition to Victorian Premier Denis Napthine.

The petition states Victorian paramedics achieve the best cardiac arrest survival outcomes, diagnose and treat serious medical conditions such as heart attack, stroke, anaphylaxis, meningococcal disease and sepsis.

&ldquo;They perform advanced clinical skills such as placing patients into an induced coma (Rapid Sequence Intubation) and the surgical insertion of an airway (Cricothyroidotomy),&rdquo; the petition states.

&ldquo;They also deliver Australia&rsquo;s most advanced pre-hospital management of obstetric emergencies and subsequent care of mother and baby.

&ldquo;They are constantly advancing their skills with cutting-edge clinical interventions such as 12 Lead ECG and thrombolysis for heart attack patients, as well as new intravenous drug and fluid therapies.

&ldquo;Despite this Victorian paramedics are the lowest paid in Australia and many are considering moving interstate where they will be paid up to 30 per cent more to practice their skills.&rdquo;

Mr McGhie said the state&rsquo;s ambulance system faces a major crisis.

&ldquo;I think paramedics are pretty angry, they are frustrated and they are disappointed,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;They think they are being undervalued by Ambulance Victoria and the state government. There&rsquo;s no goodwill in the system.

&ldquo;Unless it&rsquo;s addressed appropriately I think we have got major problems ahead of us in the ambulance industry,&rdquo; he said.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Physiotherapists strengthen falls prevention work]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:45:43 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/physiotherapists-strengthen-falls-prevention-work/1745/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/physiotherapists-strengthen-falls-prevention-work/1745/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Physiotherapists are working at the forefront of falls prevention, helping older people to bolster their strength and their balance and to continue being active.

Physiotherapy New Zealand (PNZ) is raising awareness of the success of physiotherapy in the prevention of falls and treatment post-falls amid research showing a targeted physiotherapy exercise program can reduce the risk of falling between 17 and 35 per cent and the rate of falls by 22 to 27 per cent.

The move comes as the Health Quality and Safety Commission shines the spotlight on falls prevention, with its month-long April Falls promotion, in a bid to reduce falls - a major cause of hospitalisation and one of the top three leading causes of injury-related death in the country.

PNZ president Gill Stotter said physiotherapists are essential when it comes to falls prevention and treatment post-falls.

&ldquo;The majority of falls happen at home or in the community so simple steps taken to prevent falls in this environment will have a big impact,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;Those over 65 have a higher risk of falling, often because of decreased balance and strength, poor eyesight or even the medicines they&rsquo;re taking.

&ldquo;A physio can work with them to improve strength and balance and discuss ways to continue being active. Some physios will visit the home to assess any risks.&rdquo;

The 2012 Cochrane Review on interventions for preventing falls in older people highlighted group and home-based exercise programs, home safety interventions, multifactorial assessment and intervention programs, and Tai Chi as some of the key measures to prevent falls.

Other research shows the Otago Exercise Program, developed in New Zealand, is a cost effective intervention for preventing falls among independently living older people, according a PNZ document.

&ldquo;The program consists of a core set of exercises overseen and progressed by a physiotherapist, however the patient does the exercises independently on a daily basis,&rdquo; it states.

Funding for the program was cut in 2009 but the initiative is still being used overseas and across New Zealand in private practises and in group settings.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[RDNS telehealth project could be expanded]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:02:26 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/rdns-telehealth-project-could-be-expanded/1744/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/rdns-telehealth-project-could-be-expanded/1744/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Royal District Nursing Service&rsquo;s (RDNS) innovative telehealth pilot project will be evaluated amid hopes it could be rolled out to assist more older Victorians to remain in their homes for longer.

The Happy, Healthy and at Home project has connected 50 older people living independently, including a 94-year-old client, to nurses for their medication management for the past two years.

The pilot project will end in June, when RDNS and La Trobe University&rsquo;s Australian Institute for Primary Care and Ageing will evaluate its success and consider the potential for the project to be expanded for a range of uses.

The telehealth project involves a remote broadband monitoring system which features a purpose-built hand-held device with a large video conferencing touch screen, connecting clients with nurses at the RDNS customer service centre at Camberwell.

RDNS projects and business development executive general manager Stelvio Vido said there was enormous potential for the high-speed broadband technology project to be expanded.

&ldquo;We are pretty excited about it,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We are currently using it for medication management but we can see many other potential uses for it.

&ldquo;We could use it for remote monitoring of clients with chronic conditions, where regular monitoring of key vital signs can be used, for health coaching, for general support to clients in cases of the palliative care sense - it has a range of applications.&rdquo;

Mr Vido, who will speak about the project at the Ageing Asia Investment Forum (AAIF) in Singapore next week, said clients involved in the pilot had also embraced the use of telehealth.

&ldquo;Some of them enjoy the technology aspect and being a part of something modern and forward looking,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;The oldest client to use the technology was 94. It&rsquo;s amazing just the age of the clients using the service and it really does debunk the urban myth that older people can&rsquo;t embrace technology.

&ldquo;That hasn&rsquo;t been our experience.&rdquo;

Mr Vido will outline the benefits of the telehealth project at the AAIF, an international platform designed to showcase leading products and services targeted at the needs of the 1.2 billion ageing baby boomers in Asia-Pacific region.

The forum comes as Australia&rsquo;s population aged over 65 years is tipped to grow from 2.1 million people today to about 7.2 million by 2051, representing one quarter of the population.

Mr Vido said many countries across the globe were also facing the pressures of caring for an increasing ageing population.

&ldquo;This (forum) is an opportunity for RDNS to demonstrate that Australia is up there in terms of telehealth initiatives,&rdquo; he said.

Mr Vido said the benefits of &ldquo;virtual nursing&rdquo; included eliminating some of the need for travel and as a result enabling clinical staff to care for more clients.

&ldquo;This is just one example of us looking at what opportunities technology offers in a way that doesn&rsquo;t compromise the client-nurse relationship,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;Telehealth is not replacing the human element.&rdquo;

The Happy, Healthy and at Home project was one of 12 projects to share in the Victorian Government&rsquo;s $4 million Broadband-Enabled Innovation Program (BEIP), helping to promote the use of broadband in a bid to revolutionise access to healthcare for regional and rural patients.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[New children's hospital comes to life in Queensland]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:03:19 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/new-childrens-hospital-comes-to-life-in-queensland/1743/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/new-childrens-hospital-comes-to-life-in-queensland/1743/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[More than 1600 nurses and allied health professionals will be employed at Queensland&rsquo;s new $1.5 billion children&rsquo;s hospital when it opens its doors to the state&rsquo;s littlest patients later next year.

The Queensland Children&rsquo;s Hospital (QCH), which will combine the services of the Royal Children&rsquo;s Hospital and Mater Children&rsquo;s Hospital under one roof, is taking shape on land in South Brisbane next to the Mater Hospital.

The 12-level specialist public paediatric hospital will feature 359 beds, 3500 rooms spanning 80,000m2 of floor space and will include all existing services as well as featuring new clinics to treat obesity, pain and allergies, and a new renal unit.

The construction also comprises a new $130 million Academic and Research Facility, an energy plant, refurbished accommodation for the Children&rsquo;s Health Foundation, space for family accommodation, improved road access, a multi-level basement car park, a helipad for emergency access, and an Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Service building.

The final concrete pour recently marked the completion of the structure and the focus will now shift to the internal fit-out of the facility.

Children&rsquo;s Hospital and Health Service CEO Dr Peter Steer said the QCH will be a world-class facility once completed.

&ldquo;I think the facilities are a very special thing and it will be really quite exceptional,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We are looking to make an impact on health care for this country and this community.&rdquo;

Dr Steer said while staffing numbers are yet to be finalised, more than 1100 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses and 500 FTE allied health professionals are expected to be employed at the new hospital.

Dr Steer said staff at the Royal Children&rsquo;s Hospital and Mater Children&rsquo;s Hospital will be able to apply for positions at the state-of-the-art facility and he expected there would be further employment opportunities to add more nursing and allied health staff.

&ldquo;Obviously we have great staff here and we would be keen to retain staff from both hospitals at the moment,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We genuinely think there will be room for us to recruit new staff. We want the best people and we have got some great people working in Brisbane.&rdquo;

The QCH has been designed to replicate a living tree with a network of trunks and branches.

Dr Steer said the hospital will feature a family-focused design with most overnight beds located in single rooms with an ensuite and carer&rsquo;s bed, alongside family-friendly waiting facilities and recreation spaces.

&ldquo;We have spent a lot of time looking at the accommodation to support the needs of the accommodation of families and I think that takes a lot of pressure off the staff as well,&rdquo; he said.

Dr Steer said QCH will also serve as the hub of a state-wide children&rsquo;s health service network.

&ldquo;I think there&rsquo;s a great opportunity for nursing staff and allied health staff who are interested in outreach care to rural and remote communities,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We are looking at partnering a network of care across the state.&rdquo;]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Injuries from falls now claims more lives than car accidents]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:08:27 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/injuries-from-falls-now-claims-more-lives-than-car-accidents/1740/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/injuries-from-falls-now-claims-more-lives-than-car-accidents/1740/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Falls among older people now cause more injury-related deaths than car accidents.

A new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, Hospitalisations due to falls by older people Australia 2009-10, shows the number of hospitalised injury cases due to falls is drastically rising, up more than 5000 people aged 65 and over in 2008-09 to reach 83,800 in 2009-10.

&ldquo;Falls are the cause of a substantial number of injury-related deaths in Australia, more numerous now than transport crash fatalities,&rdquo; the report states.

It found the estimated incidence rate of fall injury cases in aged care facilities was almost six times as high as that of older people living at home, while 70 per cent of hospitalised falls occurred in either a home or aged care facility.

The average length of hospital stay after a fall was 15.5 days while one in every 10 days spent in hospital by an older person was directly attributable to a fall-related injury.

Research shows about one-third of older people living at home in Australia experience at least one fall in a year, and the AIHW report shows the most common cause is slipping, tripping or stumbling on the same level rather than falling from furniture or steps.

Fall risk factors include social-economic factors, age, sex, medication use and predisposing medical conditions such as Parkinson&rsquo;s disease, stroke, incontinence and vision problems, according to research.

Hospital admissions, for any reason, also increase an older person&rsquo;s risk of falling, while older people experiencing a fall and developing a fear of falling also increases their risk of falls.

The AIHW report shows about a third of fall injury cases resulted in injuries to the hip and thigh, with most of those hip fractures, while head injuries accounted for one in five hospitalised cases and were more common in men than women.

The AIHW report is the sixth in a series of reports on hospitalisations due to falls by older people and analyses fall-related hospital separations data from the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD).]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Rebuild of Christchurch hospitals to begin within months]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:55:54 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/rebuild-of-christchurch-hospitals-to-begin-within-months/1741/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/rebuild-of-christchurch-hospitals-to-begin-within-months/1741/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Construction of a new facility for older people&rsquo;s health will spearhead the epic redevelopment at New Zealand&rsquo;s Burwood and Christchurch hospitals.

In the wake of the devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, the largest hospital build in the history of the country&rsquo;s public health service, which comes with a price tag of more than $600 million, has been given the green light with site clearing at Burwood Hospital to begin in the next few months.

Burwood Hospital will receive a new facility for older people&rsquo;s health comprising nine 24-bed wards and adult rehabilitation, with a planned completion date of 2015.

Christchurch Hospital will receive a new expanded intensive care unit and emergency department, purpose-designed space for children, eight new operating theatres, inpatient wards and new outpatient facilities, with works set for completion in 2018.

Together, the two hospitals will have an extra 159 beds, taking the tally to 938, and an extra eight operating theatres, taking the total to 24 operating theatres.

&ldquo;This project will give a tremendous boost to doctors, nurses and other health professionals as well as the general public,&rdquo; Health Minister Tony Ryall said.

&ldquo;Christchurch will have world class facilities once the rebuild is complete.&rdquo;

Canterbury District Health Board chair Bruce Matheson said constructing the older person&rsquo;s facility at Burwood was the first priority.

&ldquo;We now have clear priorities and the expectation is that the first of our new facilities at Burwood will be open in two years,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;This is a very challenging time-frame and one we intend to meet.&rdquo;

CDHB had been planning to redevelop its health services since 2008 but the damaging earthquakes stalled progress.

About 106 beds were lost due to the closure of two floors in the Riverside Block at Christchurch Hospital, while around 200 buildings and over 1200 rooms required repairs.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Plan for rural Victorian nurses to perform X-rays]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:03:49 +1000]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/plan-for-rural-victorian-nurses-to-perform-rays/1742/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/plan-for-rural-victorian-nurses-to-perform-rays/1742/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Victoria could follow in the footsteps of other Australian states where nurses at small rural hospitals receive training to perform X-rays.

In a move met with opposition from radiographers, amid reports about 300 radiographers Australia-wide are searching for employment, Victoria&rsquo;s Department of Health is finalising guidelines for rural hospitals to apply for permits to train nurses to perform X-rays limited to extremities.

The move comes after a 2009 pilot program involving three nurses at Lorne, who participated in a 10-week radiography course in South Australia, was labelled a success.

Victoria already has about 100 health professionals, mostly GPs, who have trained to provide radiography services.

Australian Nursing Federation Victorian Branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said there needs to be strict rules governing the use of nurses performing X-rays.

Ms Fitzpatrick said hospitals should first be required to demonstrate that they have attempted to employ radiographers.

&ldquo;We want to ensure that nurses aren&rsquo;t taking on radiographers&rsquo; work,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;We think it&rsquo;s important to recognise the expertise of radiographers&hellip;it isn&rsquo;t possible to learn in a 10-week course what a radiographer learns in four years of undergraduate study.

&ldquo;We want to ensure that hospitals where they should be employing their own radiographers do so and that they don&rsquo;t seek to use nurses as a cheaper option.

&ldquo;At the same time, we have got the issue of wanting to ensure that patients in rural Victoria who do need access to less complicated radiography services, are not being treated as second class citizens.&rdquo;

Ms Fitzpatrick said hospitals should also be transparent and inform patients when registered nurses, and not radiographers, are providing patients&rsquo; radiography services.

As part of the program, she said the radiography course needs to be comprehensive, accredited and applicable nation-wide while nurses will also need access and support to receive ongoing professional development in the field.

&ldquo;We just want to make sure that there are fences put around it, that the community understands the services and who is providing the service, that we are not in any way putting radiographers out of work and ensuring that those best qualified are offering radiography services,&rdquo; she said.

Ms Fitzpatrick said she believed nurses in other states, such as Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia, were already providing X-rays in some rural and remote hospitals along with&nbsp;physiotherapists.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Queensland's nursing casualty list escalates]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:59:18 +1100]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/queenslands-nursing-casualty-list-escalates/1739/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/queenslands-nursing-casualty-list-escalates/1739/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[The axe continues to fall in Queensland amid figures showing at least 700 public sector nursing and midwifery positions have been cut and more than 3400 positions culled at Queensland Health.

The Queensland Nurses&rsquo; Union has released its latest &lsquo;cuts list&rsquo; which shows the State Government has axed 705 full-time equivalent (FTE) nursing and midwifery positions and 3477 FTE jobs at the health department.

But the union expects more jobs will be culled and estimates the tally could go as high as 1000 to 1500 FTE nursing and midwifery positions.

QNU assistant secretary Des Elder said he had never experienced such a large scale attack on health services and the nursing profession.

Mr Elder said the positions had been abolished right across the board, from senior nursing positions through to &ldquo;massive cuts&rdquo; to the intake of graduate nurses into the public system.

&ldquo;We have had some really quite traumatic things happen to some of the new grads in relation to being offered employment, moving to a city and then being told their contracts aren&rsquo;t going to be fulfilled and there&rsquo;s not going to be a job for them after all. That&rsquo;s really disillusioning,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We are also seeing senior nursing positions being abolished.

&ldquo;To provide good governance and manage good quality care, we think that is going to be compromised because there isn&rsquo;t the capacity in the system for those remaining senior nurses to fulfil their obligations.&rdquo;

The union&rsquo;s extensive casualty list includes 71 FTE positions at Cape York, comprising five Directors of Nursing from remote facilities, five nursing positions at Emerald, 23 FTE nursing positions at Toowoomba Hospital and 40 FTE nursing positions at Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service.

The list also details more than 30 FTE nursing positions axed at the Royal Brisbane and Women&rsquo;s Hospital, the impending closure of the Moreton Bay Nursing Care Unit for aged care residents with 71 FTE nursing positions to be lost, more than 70 FTE nursing positions at Princess Alexandra Hospital and more than 60 FTE nursing positions at Townsville.

Mr Elder said it was not yet clear if nurses who had lost their positions have found other work in the private sector but he feared many nurses nearing retirement age could &ldquo;call it quits&rdquo;.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s our nurses who will keep the health system going in the next couple of decades,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;If we lose them along with the training of graduate nurses at the other end.&hellip;I think we have created a recipe for some really quite dramatic shortages in the provision of professional services.&rdquo;

Mr Elder said nurses and other health professionals were initially surprised and angry at the extent of the cuts but are now working amid &ldquo;a culture of fear&rdquo;.

&ldquo;People are being careful about what they say or do,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s a real concern in our health system that really relies on openness and dialogue to ensure best practices are maintained.&rdquo;]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Occupational therapist rebuilds lives in Bangladesh]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:29:18 +1100]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/occupational-therapist-rebuilds-lives-in-bangladesh/1734/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/occupational-therapist-rebuilds-lives-in-bangladesh/1734/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Occupational therapist Alison Hardman was walking the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea with a colleague when a discussion came up about a not-for-profit organisation that works to repair bodies and rebuild lives.

Six years later, the Melbourne OT, who specialises in hand therapy, has visited Bangladesh four times, where she has volunteered her time to train local occupational therapists to assist patients in the aftermath of reconstructive surgery.

This year, Interplast Australia and New Zealand is celebrating 30 years of sending volunteer surgical teams across the Asia Pacific region where it has introduced more than 500 surgical and allied health medical program activities across 25 countries in the region, including 21,000 life-changing operations all free-of-charge to underprivileged patients.

&ldquo;(This colleague) had recently returned from a trip where he had visited a rehabilitation facility and thought that there was enormous capacity for Interplast to become involved in the training of local occupational therapists,&rdquo; Alison recalled.

&ldquo;The Interplast surgical team was providing training to the local surgeons, however there was no formalised link or referral structure between surgery and therapy; a step that we know is really important to achieve the best outcomes for the patients.

&ldquo;He was very impressed with the rehabilitation facility, and the work that they were currently doing and was keen to develop a partnership with the rehabilitation facility.

&ldquo;Over the next few days we formed a rough plan of how we may be able to assist the local therapists develop their capacity to treat patients post plastic surgery intervention and took these ideas back with us to Melbourne.&rdquo;

Since then, Alison has taught local therapists about new surgical techniques, postoperative therapy regimes and the fundamentals of hand therapy in a bid to help therapists with their ongoing work treating a variety of complex patients, ranging from adults and children with severe burn contractures to those with congenital malformations.

As part of the Interplast Hand Therapy Working Group established in 2007, Alison has worked alongside the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed in developing hand therapy services; helping hand surgery patients to not only be self-reliant but also valuable contributors to their communities.

Alison, who has worked as an OT for 12 years after achieving her Bachelor Degree in Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) and now works as the senior clinician and stream leader of plastics at The Alfred Hospital, said volunteering with Interplast was a rewarding experience, helping patients including children with severe burns.

But Alison said it was also incredibly satisfying watching local therapists grow professionally.

&ldquo;My favourite memory...is of a local therapist who was helping in the burns unit,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;I saw him teaching the doctors how to perform range of movement exercises to a patient post-contracture release.

&ldquo;The doctors were really engaged; it was at that point that I realised that this program was really working, the therapists had gained confidence in their skills and were not only able to appropriately treat patients, they also had gained the confidence to teach and educate others on the importance of postoperative therapy.&rdquo;

Alison has recently completed her Masters in Public Health and hopes to use her skills to continue to assist the program and possibly to develop similar training programs in other countries.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been very fortunate to be able to go back a few times to Bangladesh and see the positive impact that the program has had,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;In the end I think it is one of those experiences in life where you take away more than what you give.&rdquo;]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Agency work helps optometrist see Australia]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:16:25 +1100]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/agency-work-helps-optometrist-see-australia/1735/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/agency-work-helps-optometrist-see-australia/1735/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Agency work has given optometrist Marlene Xiao a chance to explore Australia.

Born in Singapore, Marlene moved to Australia in Year 10 and went on to achieve her four-year Bachelor of Optometry at the University of New South Wales.

It was then she began work at a private practice in Sydney but three years later, she decided she needed a change of scenery.

Marlene ventured into agency work and has not looked back.

Her work with recruitment and healthcare services provider Medacs Healthcare has taken her across Tasmania and Queensland in the past 18 months.

Speaking from her current month-long work placement in Perth, Marlene said locum work enabled her to pursue her passion for assisting people with their eye health while also helping her discover new parts of Australia.

She said Medacs Healthcare covered the cost of her accommodation and flights, and she found she had ample time to sightsee on weekends.

&ldquo;Last year I did quite a lot in Tasmania and at the end of last year I was in Townsville and this year I have been in Tasmania again,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;I am enjoying it because it&rsquo;s more private practices and they are not numbers-based, they are more clinical-based.&rdquo;

Medacs Healthcare Group recruits nurses and allied health professionals in Australia across public and private sectors and has a global reach with offices also located in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and South Africa, and it also operates in India and the Middle East.

Marlene, 27, now has her sights set on locum work in Darwin, and she said the experience of agency work has prompted her and her partner, who is also an optometrist, to consider establishing their own private practice one day in Tasmania.

&ldquo;I am quite taken with Tasmania,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really laid back and the people are really friendly. There are lots of things to see and do in Tasmania.&rdquo;

Marlene advised other allied health professionals considering agency work to take the plunge.

&ldquo;You need to get a good agent and communicate really clearly about what you want and where you want to go,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;You can always go back to full-time work so don&rsquo;t be afraid to take the leap.&rdquo;]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Agencies leverage worker attraction schemes]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:35:42 +1100]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/agencies-leverage-worker-attraction-schemes/1736/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/agencies-leverage-worker-attraction-schemes/1736/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Agencies are increasingly fielding enquiries from overseas healthcare and medical practitioners and in some cases promoting Australia as a destination following moves to fill labour shortfalls.

One agency is medical recruitment agency Ochre Recruitment, which has offices across Australia, and is actively promoting Australia and New Zealand as destinations to overseas workers following the streamlining of visa applications for overseas medical workers through medical recruitment schemes.

It is understood nurse applications are being processed faster than usual to deal with current skills shortages.

&quot;This is news because there are excellent medical career opportunities in Australia,&quot; a medical recruitment official said in a media statement about the schemes. &quot;The increased need for medical workers in some areas of Australia is acute.&quot;

Agencies are now able to promote the schemes, which include: Medical Practitioner Visas; Employer Nomination Scheme; Labour Agreements; Skilled Regional Sponsored Migration; Skill Matching Visa; Business Visa; Skilled Independent Visa; the Working Holiday Visa Maker Scheme.

For nursing positions, applicants are checked by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC). The Medical Practitioner Visa is available to radiologists, doctors or specialists in a medical field and is good for four years to candidates sponsored by an Australian employer.

Meanwhile the Employer Nomination Scheme and the Labour Agreement Scheme allow employers to hire nurses to work permanently if they meet minimum criteria and the Skilled Regional Sponsor Migration Scheme allows workers to be recruited who are willing to work in low population areas.

A Skills Matching Visa Scheme is also available to medical workers with special skills and is offered by a state or territory government or business, while the Business Visa Scheme is available to medical workers sponsored by a business.

The Skilled Independent Visa Scheme is available to unsponsored medical workers who score sufficient points on a test. There is also a Working Holiday Visa Maker Scheme that is available to medical workers aged 18 to 30 who want to take a working holiday in Australia.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Protests brewing over sex health clinic closures]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:40:00 +1100]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/protests-brewing-over-sex-health-clinic-closures/1737/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/protests-brewing-over-sex-health-clinic-closures/1737/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Protests are brewing following a decision to cut 32 jobs from a Brisbane sex health clinic, amid concerns the move will see a surge in the rate of sexually transmitted diseases in Queensland.

Brisbane Sexual Health, which is part of community health centre Biala House, sees 13,000 patients, including 600 patients with HIV/AIDS, each year.

QNU secretary Beth Mohle was highly critical of the decision.

&ldquo;These sexual health clinics, especially this specialised one at Biala, provide an essential service to the people of Queensland, especially in the surveillance of and fight against sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.&rdquo;

&ldquo;This clinic is a walk-in highly specialised service, which is provided free of charge and patients with urgent needs are prioritised. In fact, apart from the many thousands of lives saved and improved over the years, hundreds of millions of dollars have also been saved by this surveillance and rapid intervention service.&rdquo;

It is also understood Queensland Health has suggested clients at the centre simply go to their local GPs for HIV drugs.

However with a limited number of GPs certified to prescribe HIV medications, the move was untenable, said Mohle.

&ldquo;The idea that this type of work can be left to general practices in the suburbs is ridiculous. To be quite frank, most GPs are not geared for providing this type of specialised service and never will be. It is just another attempt to cost shift to the Federal Government and blow the consequences for the people of Queensland.&rdquo;

A former specialist sexual health nurse at the centre reportedly said it provided an important service comprising non-judgmental health professionals, free treatment and anonymity for patients.

He warned cutting the service was shortsighted, adding that when a person is diagnosed with HIV, it costs the government approximately $20,000 to $25,000 dollars in drugs, laboratory testing and medical services per year for the rest of their lives.

At the time of writing a rally to protest Queensland Health&rsquo;s had been planned to take place outside the clinic on Wednesday March 27.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Study calls for psychological screening of farmers with metabolic syndrome]]></title>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:05:23 +1100]]></pubDate>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/study-calls-for-psychological-screening-of-farmers-with-metabolic-syndrome/1738/]]></link>
<guid><![CDATA[http://www.ncah.com.au/news-events/study-calls-for-psychological-screening-of-farmers-with-metabolic-syndrome/1738/]]></guid>
<description><![CDATA[Health professionals should screen for depression and anxiety as well as physical factors when it comes to detecting and treating metabolic syndrome, according to the results of a new study.

In her two-year Deakin University doctoral study, health psychologist Nicole Jeffrey-Dawes found higher rates of metabolic syndrome, a group of factors that raises the risk for heart disease, diabetes and stroke, among farm men and women compared to the general population.

Ms Jeffrey-Dawes has recommended GPs and primary care nurses use a simple self-report measure, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), when detecting and treating metabolic syndrome in a bid to improve health outcomes.

The two-year study used data, collated through the Sustainable Farm Families program, involving 357 participants in the first year and 256 in the second year.

Ms Jeffrey-Dawes, who is based in Kununurra in the East Kimberley region of northern Western Australia where she works as a youth mental health practitioner for Anglicare WA, found depression was linked to the development of metabolic syndrome, while both depression and anxiety were involved in the maintenance of metabolic syndrome.

Ms Jeffrey-Dawes said farm men and women often have poorer health outcomes and experience unique economic, environmental and psychological stressors compared to the general population.

&ldquo;In primary health care, when people come in and they might be meeting three of the five factors for metabolic syndrome, rather than treating the physical symptoms they should also actually screen for depression and anxiety, and have treatment with a psychologist alongside it,&rdquo; she said.

&ldquo;It makes sense. When people are depressed they are less likely to eat properly and exercise because they just don&rsquo;t feel like it.

&ldquo;If that&rsquo;s treated alongside the physical symptoms the chances are they will improve their physical outcomes.&rdquo;

Ms Jeffrey-Dawes said it was important to consider a holistic approach to health.

&ldquo;The holistic nature of physical health is a big one. We can&rsquo;t look at treating the physical symptoms without looking at the psychological aspect of it and looking at the whole person.&rdquo;

Ms Jeffrey-Dawes will present the findings of her study at the inaugural Australian Psychological Society&rsquo;s Health Psychology Conference 2013 being held in Cairns from April 5-6.

About 120 delegates are expected to attend the two-day APS conference with the theme &lsquo;improving community and individual health&rsquo;.]]></description>
</item>

</channel>
</rss>
