Decades of advocacy for NPs
In the late 80s, early in my grad year, I recall telling my mum I was puzzled that the most experienced nurses were the furthest from the bedside. Pathways to promotion led away from clinical practice to management and education roles. The 90’s saw the introduction of Clinical Nurse Specialists and Clinical Nurse Consultants, followed […]
Developing digital health capability in residential aged care
Recommendation 68 of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety Report1 outlined implementation of digital technology and My Health Record into residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Progress on implementation of Recommendations2 focus on My Health Record (MHR) and several funded projects to support registration of MHR and electronic medication charts.2 Further projects are […]
A big heart
This article discusses reflections from staff and family (who consented and contributed to this article); and provides an insight into clinical collaboration to assist a person accessing voluntary assisted dying (VAD) to become an organ donor. The NSW Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Act (2022) allows an eligible adult to access medical help to end their […]
Embracing Forensic Nursing: Bridging Healthcare and Justice
As a nurse practitioner, I love working in the unique niche area of forensic nursing. This specialised area allows me to apply clinical nursing skills alongside forensic science principles for patients who experience acute and potentially long-term consequences associated with violence, particularly after sexual assault and or domestic violence assault. This role balances my passion […]
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 […]