The New Aged Care Act (2025): Reform or reality for nurses?
The Aged Care Act 2024, commenced on 1 November 2025. It has ushered in the most significant overhaul of aged care law in a generation. Grounded in rights, dignity and accountability, it replaces a 25-year-old framework with one built around transparency and fairness for older Australians. For nurses, the largest health professional group in aged […]
Nurse-led model of care poised to tackle Australia’s skin cancer crisis
Australia needs to be innovative when it comes to skin cancer detection by embracing a nurse-led model that could save thousands of lives in the long run, according to a new paper. With the highest melanoma rates in the world – two in three people are diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70 […]
Latest issue of Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing (AJAN) out now
Volume 42, Issue 4 of the Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing (AJAN) is now live. As the official peer-reviewed journal of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), the AJAN is committed to publishing high-quality scholarly work that is of critical relevance to nursing and midwifery audiences in professional, clinical, research, education, management, and policy roles. In this […]
Training hospital staff in person-centred dementia care improves recovery outcomes
Tailored education for hospital staff is improving care for people with dementia, a new Australian study shows. Educating hospital staff in person-centred dementia care leads to better care experiences, greater staff confidence, and improved rehabilitation outcomes for older people, the research found. The study, conducted by UNSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), evaluated a […]
The campaign for a national Human Rights Act
Did you know that Australia has no national human rights framework? Australia has been a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights since 1948, but this has never been adopted into Australian law. There are state and territory-based human rights charters in Queensland, Victoria and the ACT, with legislation introduced in NSW in October […]
Residents in hot, humid regions more likely to have kidney failure
Australians living in consistently hot and humid northern regions are at greater risk of kidney failure than their compatriots in more temperate and less remote locations, researchers have found. University of Queensland researchers investigated the influence of climate zones and geographic disparities on the incidence of patients needing kidney transplants or dialysis. Higher incidences were […]
National Reconciliation Week 2026 theme announced
The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2026 All In has been announced and calls on Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every day. National Reconciliation Week – 27 May to 3 June every year – is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to recommit ourselves to […]
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 […]
New 1800MEDICARE offers free health advice from a registered nurse, 24/7
Australians can now access free health information and advice from a registered nurse from anywhere in the country, 24/7, by calling 1800MEDICARE (1800 633 422). Launched at the beginning of the year, the Albanese Government election committment provides immediate support for non-emergency health concerns, including health informaiton and advice and referral to other services such […]
Cosmetic nurse banned for two years after injecting botox without consultation or script
A nurse who unlawfully injected botox into a patient without consulting a doctor or obtaining a prescription has been banned.