Registered nurses given green light to prescribe medicines starting mid-2025
Registered nurses who complete extra education will be authorised to prescribe Schedule 2, 3, 4 and 8 medicines through a prescribing partnership with a nurse practitioner or doctor, starting in mid-2025, according to an announcement from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). Last Friday, the country’s health ministers approved a new Registration standard: Endorsement […]
‘Pain grows roots’: Women’s pain is not niche – it affects half the population
Every woman has a story. From migraines to pelvic pain, aching bones and muscles to mental and hormonal health, women are living with pain that could be treatable. But they are dismissed, their pain diminished, and they are statistically shown to have worse health outcomes than men. The recent Victorian Inquiry into Women’s Pain and, […]
Broccoli and kale top vegies for lowering blood pressure
If you suffer from high blood pressure, you may want to consider swapping pumpkin and potato for broccoli and cauliflower on your Christmas plate this festive season. Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower have been found to lower blood pressure, in comparison to root and squash vegetables, in middle-aged and older Australian adults […]
Calling all midwives and midwifery students: Take part in a nationwide study shaping future of breastfeeding support
Where do Australian midwives and midwifery students gain critical breastfeeding knowledge and support skills? It’s a question that researchers from the University of Notre Dame’s School of Nursing and Midwifery are currently investigating in a bid to enhance best practices. Exclusive breastfeeding is the optimal nutritional food for newborns and babies under six months and […]
Nurses must be included in shaping digital innovations in aged care
Digital technology can assist aged care nurses to manage end of life in nursing homes, however, ensuring its impact requires better tools, training and ongoing support, according to a new study. Published in the journal BMC Nursing, the study interviewed nursing staff in 15 residential aged care facilities across three Australian states. It found nurses […]
Endometriosis drug Visanne to be listed on the PBS, slashing annual cost in half
For the first time in three decades, Australian women living with endometriosis will have access to a new treatment subsidised by the federal government.
Aged Care Act passes Parliament
The Albanese Government’s Aged Care Bill passed Parliament earlier this week, paving the way for a new Aged Care Act and “once-in-a-generation” reforms to the sector. The new legislation, which will come into effect from 1 July 2025, addresses nearly 60 recommendations from the landmark Aged Care Royal Commission, as it aims to create a […]
New fully-funded Graduate Diploma in Perinatal Mental Health aims to address clinician shortage
Perinatal mental health organisation Gidget Foundation has partnered with Federation University to launch a fully-funded Graduate Diploma in Perinatal Mental Health in a bid to address a nationwide shortage of specialist clinicians working in the field. According to Gidget Foundation, demand for its perinatal mental health services continues to surge, leading to it seeing 30% […]
Firefighters, nurses considered the most trustworthy occupations
Firefighters and nurses top the list of Australia’s most trusted occupations, according to the 2024 Ethics Index. Conversely, real estate agents, federal/state politicians, and directors of foreign companies operating in Australia, are viewed as the least ethical. Now in its ninth year, the Governance Institute of Australia’s Ethics Index involves an independent nationwide survey that […]
St Vincent’s Private Hospital nurses and midwives start industrial action for safe staffing
Nearly 1,000 nurses and midwives across St Vincent’s Private Hospitals’ four Melbourne healthcare facilities began ‘unprecedented’ industrial action this morning for better pay and safer staffing. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch) has been negotiating a new enterprise agreement since June with St Vincent’s Private Hospitals’ management for its hospitals in Fitzroy, East […]