Working in refugee health
Newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers receive most of their direct healthcare from nurses, so it makes sense that we have an organisation representing nurses working in refugee health. Sandy Eagar, the national chair of Refugee Nurses of Australia says the organisation was founded in 2016 to bring refugee nurses together and provide a forum […]
National campaign pushes for staff ratios in aged care
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) launched a national campaign seeking mandated staff ratios for aged care on 12 May, International Nurses’ Day. Around the country, ANMF members and aged care reform advocates stood united at community rallies aiming to put pressure on federal politicians to address chronic understaffing by supporting legislated ratios and […]
The Welcome to and Acknowledgement of Country
Faye Clarke, a Gunditjmara, Wotjaboluk and Ngarrindjeri woman and ANMF Aboriginal Nurse Adviser talks to the ANMJ about the importance of welcome and acknowledgement of country. One of the small things nurses and midwives can do is to acknowledge, pay homage or show respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people when participating in or […]
Global nursing campaign aims to empower nurses to maximise influence
Nursing Now, a landmark three-year global campaign aiming to improve health and lift the profile of nursing, launched back in February at events in London and Geneva. Backed by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and World Health Organization (WHO), the campaign will run until the end of 2020 to mark the 200th anniversary of […]
Former ANMF Secretary takes her place in Parliament
The ANMF has welcomed the election of a nurse to the federal Parliament in the Batman by-election earlier this year. Nurse and former ANMF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney has made history by winning the federal seat of Batman in Melbourne’s inner northern suburbs and becoming the first nurse in the House of Representatives. Two nurses, […]
A passion for maternal and child health
Three months at her daughter’s bed side in the burns unit at Western Australia’s Princess Margaret Hospital inspired Liesl Baxter to make the life changing decision to go into nursing. “I was surrounded by really strong women who were good at decision making.” A paternalistic upbringing and dominant males in her life, the exposure to […]
Tips to promote better sleep during the day to survive night shift
Our bodies are naturally wired to be awake during the day and sleep for approximately eight hours a night. Working night shifts runs counter to the body’s sleep-wake cycle and can seriously affect your health- not to mention your social life. The sleep-cycle is controlled by a part of the brain known as the circadian […]
Selfcare on shift
A ‘Rest, Rehydrate, Refuel’ campaign aimed at nurses has been launched by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in the United Kingdom. The 3Rs initiative highlights the importance of nurses looking after themselves while on shift and how dehydration can affect concentration and cognitive function. The campaign emphasises that breaks are not a luxury but […]
Not enough time
The feeling of ‘not enough time’ to achieve what is needed in a day can overwhelm the best of us. The stress of which not only affects the time poor nurse or midwife, but their colleagues and patients as well. When it becomes too hard, and too much how do we minimise the effects of […]