Registered nurses given green light to prescribe medicines starting mid-2025
Registered nurses who complete extra education will be authorised to prescribe Schedule 2, 3, 4 and 8 medicines through a prescribing partnership with a nurse practitioner or doctor, starting in mid-2025, according to an announcement from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). Last Friday, the country’s health ministers approved a new Registration standard: Endorsement […]
Overweight overtakes tobacco as highest risk factor for disease
Living with overweight or obesity has overtaken tobacco smoking as the leading risk factor contributing to disease in 2024. Over one-third of the total burden of disease and injury in Australia in 2024 could have been avoided or reduced due to modifiable risk factors, according to the Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024. The study, […]
Last call: nominate for HESTA nursing and midwifery awards
Employers, colleagues, patients, family and friends have until this Sunday to nominate an exceptional nurse, midwife or healthcare organisation for the 2025 HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards. Now in its 18th year, the awards honour the vital contributions made by Australia’s nurses, midwives, nurse educators, researchers, and personal care workers, who improve health outcomes for […]
‘Pain grows roots’: Women’s pain is not niche – it affects half the population
Every woman has a story. From migraines to pelvic pain, aching bones and muscles to mental and hormonal health, women are living with pain that could be treatable. But they are dismissed, their pain diminished, and they are statistically shown to have worse health outcomes than men. The recent Victorian Inquiry into Women’s Pain and, […]
Broccoli and kale top vegies for lowering blood pressure
If you suffer from high blood pressure, you may want to consider swapping pumpkin and potato for broccoli and cauliflower on your Christmas plate this festive season. Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower have been found to lower blood pressure, in comparison to root and squash vegetables, in middle-aged and older Australian adults […]
An update on our Work Value cases
The ANMF currently has two Work Value cases before the Fair Work Commission (FWC). Work Value case – Aged care industry This case commenced in late 2020 and was progressed due to the efforts by the ANMF and Health Services Union. The wages gap between nurses and carers working in aged care and those working […]
Looking after your older self – Caring for your superannuation
In Australia, superannuation plays a crucial role in securing financial stability for individuals in retirement. Australia continues to have a gender super gap, and the gender pay gap contributes to this. Nursing and midwifery are female dominated professions and women face unique challenges that can place them at a disadvantage when it comes to retirement […]
Advanced practice nurses need more support to run nurse-led clinics
Advanced practice nurses running nurse-led clinics across Australia need greater support from all levels to overcome barriers such as overwhelming workloads, new research has revealed. Published in the latest edition of the Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing (AJAN), the study explored the experiences and perceptions of 10 advanced practice nurses who have established and run […]
Nurses needed for study on what deprescribing recommendations should look like
Internationally, there has been an increase in the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medicines (PIMs) where the risks may outweigh the benefits. This rise is partly due to healthcare professionals’ adherence to clinical practice guidelines, which typically recommend prescribing medications for treating and managing diseases. Deprescribing involves systematically reducing or discontinuing PIMs under the supervision of […]
First report on health effects of methane pollution
Australia’s first report on the health effects of methane pollution has been launched, with a clarion call for addressing the health impacts of coal and gas methane emissions. The report, compiled by not-for-profit organisation Healthy Futures, highlights the role of methane in causing and exacerbating climate change. Beyond the immediate climate impact, reducing methane emissions […]