Shifting focus of legal matters
As I was preparing for this last legal issues editorial that I will be writing for the journal, I was conscious of the shift in focus of legal matters concerning health professionals over the years. With few landmark civil cases in recent years, the main arena for scrutiny of professional practice and conduct has been […]
Tasmanian nurses and midwives secure historic wage increase
Tasmanian nurses and midwives working across the public sector have accepted a historic wage increase, the highest secured in more than a decade, after striking a deal with the state government earlier this week. The wage increase, which will bring nurses and midwives in line with, or even above the national average, comprises average pay […]
Australian maternity models of care: A comprehensive overview
Around 1,000 maternity models of care were used across 251 maternity services in 2023, according to a report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AHIW). The report, Maternity models of care in Australia 2023, is the third national release of data on various maternity ‘models of care’ accessible to women across the […]
Digital professionalism includes using artificial intelligence (AI) for safety and quality outcomes
How we perform our jobs and the choice of resources we use to inform our decisions are constantly changing. Graduates will now use artificial intelligence (AI) tools in their future careers, and it needs to be embedded into curricula and linked to student graduate attributes. Consequently, as educators, we need to model safety and quality […]
‘The Black Mist and the Ban’: More than 130 organisations urge government to sign Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Seventy years ago, on 15 October 1953, the first nuclear weapon tested on mainland Australia was detonated on Emu Field, south of the APY Lands of South Australia, as part of Operation Totem. No consent was sought, or given, by any Anangu (Aboriginal people) in the region for the use of their lands. The two […]
Positions vacant: The unintended adverse effects of ‘nurse influencers’ on nurse recruitment
School leavers have more career options available to them now than ever before. Female leavers who traditionally account for most of the student nurse cohort are actively being encouraged to consider careers in a wider range of fields. With predictions of a nursing shortfall of 85,000 in Australia by 2025 and 123,000 by 2030, how […]
NPs made to wait
After more than a decade of lobbying and advocacy, the May Federal Budget saw the introduction of funding for long-awaited reforms for NPs and for, most importantly, the people for whom they provide care. But the joy felt following the Budget announcement was short-lived, as NPs, yet again, have been made to wait. Health Minister […]
Psychosocial hazards in the spotlight
Work health and safety (WHS) laws are largely harmonised across Australia through a set of uniform laws (the model WHS laws). All states and territories other than Victoria have implemented the model WHS laws. Victoria has similar duties under its Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic). Under these WHS laws, a person conducting a business […]
Speaking up against injustice and unfairness
Speaking up against injustice and unfairness, even when others around me remain silent, is a value I hold close to my heart. My name is Justin Nixon, and I am a registered nurse and a whistleblower who raised concern over the unethical practices I witnessed firsthand while working in the cosmetic surgery industry. My experience […]
Suffering in silence: The reality of elder abuse
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines elder abuse as “a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.”1 Abuse can be financial (manipulation of financial decisions, seizing of assets), psychological (threats, name-calling, belittling), social […]