Small acts, lasting impact: ED nurse Carly Hickson on finding her purpose
From stabilising critical patients to mentoring graduate nurses, Victorian emergency nurse Carly Hickson says the greatest rewards in nursing often come from the simplest acts of care. Chatting with champion Paralympian Kurt Fearnley on the Nurses & Midwives Health podcast Why They Do What They Do, which uncovers the inspiring stories of everyday nurses and […]
Workplace violence and aggression: What can we actually change?
Health and maternity care systems across Australia are facing challenges in ensuring the health, safety, and wellbeing of the nursing and midwifery workforce. Workforce shortages, an ageing workforce, and challenging working conditions are affecting staff health, safety, and retention.1,2 Workplace violence can arise from complex interactions between patients and families, workers, and healthcare environments, but […]
From clinic newbie to primary care nurse — Three years of lessons for new graduates
I’ve worked in primary healthcare for three years. My first year focused mainly on chronic healthcare plans. In my second and third years, I moved interstate and stepped into a full‑time primary health nursing role. The work changed completely. If you’re moving from hospital or community nursing, expect a different pace, broader tasks and workplace […]
A voice for remote nurses and midwives in union leadership
Heidi Crisp’s career in nursing and midwifery evolved through a series of pivotal moments – some joyful, some heartbreaking – that has ultimately led her from a Sydney hospital ward to remote Aboriginal communities, and now to the leadership of the ANMF Northern Territory Branch. Crisp began her nursing career after studying at the University […]
Digital health can’t hug a patient – but it can improve care
As artificial intelligence (AI), virtual care and digital technologies redefine Australia’s health system, nurses and midwives must be at the centre of the conversation to ensure innovation strengthens patient care without replacing the human touch. That was the message from chair of the ANMF’s Digital Health Advisory Committee, Alice Kett, who outlined the union’s evolving […]
‘Forced, tricked or trapped’: How nurses and midwives can help uncover modern slavery
At St Vincent’s Health Australia (SVHA), a pioneering project is equipping nurses, midwives and other frontline clinicians with the tools to identify and respond to the often-hidden signs of modern slavery. Funded through the Federal Attorney-General’s Department, The Anti-Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Project developed a practical screening tool and online education modules, co-created with […]
‘Aged care is not fixed’: ANMF calls for further reform
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has launched a major national aged care campaign calling on the federal government to address the country’s deepening aged care crisis. Unveiled at Parliament House in Canberra this morning, the ‘Australia needs care you can count on’ campaign is calling on the federal government to deliver urgent reforms, […]
‘It’s the most diverse job I’ve ever had’: What do Australia’s school nurses do?
School nurses play an important role in supporting the health and wellbeing of children and young people, yet across Australia there is no consistent national approach to how school nursing is delivered, according to new research. Speaking at the recent Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) Festival of Nursing in Melbourne, researchers Anita Moyes […]
ANMF calls for mandated staffing ratios to ‘finally fix’ aged care
A new survey of the aged care workforce has revealed the sector is still struggling with chronic understaffing, rising workplace violence and a lack of transparency over government funding.
UTS to make VR violence prevention training mandatory for nursing students
In an Australian first, the University of Technology Sydney will make immersive virtual reality training in aggression and violence prevention mandatory as part of preparation for clinical placements. From 2027, all first‑year nursing students at UTS will undertake mandatory VR training in violence-prevention before they go on placement. The decision comes amid growing concern about the frequency of violence in healthcare settings. A recent report from the NSW Nurses and […]