The crisis of gendered occupational violence and aggression
The global crisis of gender-based violence is inseparable from occupational violence and aggression (OVA) experienced by the healthcare workforce. As most of the healthcare workforce are nurses, midwives, and care workers, the majority of whom are women, there are undeniable gender-based patterns inherent in both linked phenomena. Women face greater risks of violence and aggression […]
Placing mum in Residential Aged Care – thoughts of a nurse/daughter
This article is offered as a personal reflection on my lived experience of placing my nonagenarian mother into residential aged care Of course, my personal lived experience is also inextricably intertwined with me being a nurse of 44 years. As much as I try, these two “personas” cannot be separated, and both are apparent every […]
Gender assumptions and the value of work
The recent Fair Work Commission aged care work value decision confirmed that the work of aged care sector employees and nurses has been undervalued on the basis of gender assumptions.1 The decision sets out a fascinating history of how and why gender-based assumptions about the value of women’s work has permeated Australia’s industrial relations system […]
National midwifery update
“I didn’t know there was a midwife at the ANMF.” At a national conference in 2023, I was excited to run into a midwifery professor I had learned from during my Bachelor of Midwifery. We talked about my journey since my graduate year, and when I mentioned that I had been working for the union […]
Transition from paper records to digital for recording mandatory skills training to improve the quality of staff development data
Practicing nurses and midwives are required to complete frequent mandatory practical training in accordance with their employer workforce requirements.1 “As a clinician, the thought had crossed my mind that if we QR code for so many things now, why do I need to fill in a paper form every time I attend mandatory training in […]
The economic power of nursing care
On 12 May we will celebrate International Nurses Day 2024, themed: Our Nurses. Our Future. The Economic Power of Care. This will highlight the multifaceted impact of nursing on economies, emphasising the undeniable economic value generated by the compassionate care nurses provide worldwide. The economics of care and compassion are how much our profession contributes […]
‘No More Shame’ in disclosing and responding to violence and abuse of older women
Violence against women, in Australia and internationally, is a longstanding and pernicious scourge on all communities. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that one in three women globally have suffered either physical and/or sexual violence from both intimate partners or non-partners in their lifetimes, with the majority perpetrated by intimate partners.1 In May […]
Continuity of Care Programs in midwifery education support future midwives
Continuity of care is where a woman* receives care from the same midwife, or team of midwives, throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.1 It is a marker of high-quality midwifery practice.2 The approach nurtures trust, communication, and often better birth outcomes and experiences for both women and babies.3 Midwifery continuity of care has a […]
Stress of notifications
Earlier this year I had the privilege of representing the ANMF at a symposium hosted by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (Ahpra) exploring the distress and stress experienced by practitioners involved in a regulatory process. The symposium was part of a project undertaken by an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) commissioned by Ahpra and the […]
Empowering Indigenous student nurses: A cadetship journey towards healthcare equity
This piece reflects on the experience of an Indigenous Nursing Cadetship from the perspectives of an Indigenous Nursing Cadet, a Nurse Researcher, and an Executive Director of Nursing. There is value in the opportunity to present individual viewpoints in collaboration as the authors believe in a genuine partnership between health services and Aboriginal and Torres […]