One in 15 emergency department visits in the ACT linked to extreme weather
Extreme heat and cold are pushing thousands of Canberrans into emergency departments each year and experts predict that a warming climate is poised to intensify the strain across the ACT. The Australian National University-led research found that almost 36,000 ED presentations between 2000 and 2021 were linked to heat, representing 1 in 40 (2.5%) of all visits. That number is projected […]
Australia’s inaugural Respectful Maternity Care conference to address birth trauma
Australia’s first national conference on respectful maternity care will be held in a bold response to the systemic shortcomings exposed by the NSW Birth Trauma Inquiry last year. Hosted by the Maternity Consumer Network, the Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) conference will be held on 6-7 March 2026 in Brisbane, and online for interstate and international attendees. The hybrid event will unite maternity consumers, midwives, obstetricians, researchers and healthcare professionals to champion equity, dignity and […]
Creating healthy habits to drive our daily actions
Healthier lifestyle changes may be less about starting from scratch and more about swapping one habit for another. New research shows 66% of our actions are habitual, indicating that habit, not conscious choice, drives most of our daily actions. The findings from the joint research, conducted by the University of Surrey, University of South Carolina […]
Protect against Ross River Virus risk this summer
Australians are being urged to prevent mosquito bites this summer, with warmer temperatures increasing the risk of Ross River Virus outbreaks. The risk of outbreaks with warmer temperatures is especially heightened in river land and coastal regions, research mapping studies from across the country has found. “When it’s summer holidays more of us are likely to […]
Health span vs life span: How to stay healthier for longer
Australians live, on average, 12 years longer than they remain in good health. What does this gap reveal, and how can we future‑proof our lives to enjoy lasting wellbeing in later years? Australians face a decade of poor health unless they close the gap between living longer and staying well. Researchers have identified an average […]
Tips for your new grad interview
NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) President O’Bray Smith shares some tips for final year nursing and midwifery students in preparation for their new grad interviews. A common mistake that people make when they sit their new grad interview is thinking that we are looking for someone who can diagnose, or an advanced practitioner, and […]
Hospitals unprepared for surrogacy births: Calls for national guidelines
Fewer than one in 10 hospitals in New South Wales and Victoria have policies to guide surrogacy births, prompting urgent calls from experts for national standards. The research, published in the Journal of Law and Medicine, reviewed 112 metropolitan hospitals across both states and found only 10 had surrogacy birth care policies. The lack of clear […]
Modernising My Health Record: Improved access to pathology and diagnostic imaging results
Australia is taking significant strides in modernising its healthcare system with My Health Record. This move is part of a broader effort to ensure better and faster access to health information for all Australians. In February this year, legislation was passed to provide a framework for sharing information with My Health Record by default. This […]
Culturally safe and accessible pregnancy care clinic opens for Aboriginal women in metro WA
A culturally safe and accessible pregnancy clinic is now available for Aboriginal women and their families in Perth’s southwest. The Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) Boodjari Bidi clinic, meaning ‘the pregnancy path’ in Noongar language, was renamed with community consultation and offers culturally safe pregnancy care by midwives supported by maternity Aboriginal Health Practitioners (AHPs). The […]
Landmark reforms expand scope of practice for ACT nurse practitioners
Proposed new legislation will strengthen the role of nurse practitioners in the Australian Capital Territory enabling them to certify cause of death certificates. New legislation has been introduced to give nurse practitioners (NPs), endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), the legal practice authority to issue cause of death certificates and witness non-written health directions. The Nurse […]