Emergency Department nurses of Flinders Medical Centre drive wellbeing initiatives

Each Friday, nurses working in the Emergency Department at Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia don vibrant scrubs to uplift the mood in the consistently hectic and high-stress ward. This uncomplicated gesture to boost morale is just one of numerous initiatives led by ED nurses to enhance the overall health and wellbeing of staff members. […]

Industrial relations expert supports reform to gig economy, labour hire

New protections are needed to account for the emergence of the gig economy and the rise of labour hire operators, says an Australian academic in Industrial Relations who has given evidence to the Senate Inquiry into the Closing Loopholes Bill. “The Closing Loopholes Bill will help address wide cracks in Australia’s regulatory framework, which have […]

Digital camera and AI algorithm can now detect facial palsy

Computer scientists have developed a new diagnostic tool using artificial intelligence (AI) and a digital camera to detect facial palsy, with 98% accuracy, including the patient’s gender and age. Researchers from Iraq and Australia say the tool can reduce diagnostic errors that often occur with the common and treatable neurological disorder, caused by an impairment […]

Nursing students can now access supported clinical placements in aged care

Bachelor of Nursing students can now apply for supported clinical placements in aged care through the federal government’s new Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placements Program. The program involves clinical facilitators providing specialist support to nursing students, who must complete a minimum of 800 hours of clinical placement as part of their courses, while they are […]

Telehealth reform key to making voluntary assisted dying work long-term, clinicians say

How can voluntary assisted dying (VAD) be improved across Australia over the next two years? According to hundreds of clinicians working in the field who attended the country’s first national VAD conference in Sydney last week, run by charity Go Gentle Australia and VADANZ, improved access to telehealth, which involves some consultations via phone, video […]