The economic power of nursing care

On 12 May we will celebrate International Nurses Day 2024, themed: Our Nurses. Our Future. The Economic Power of Care. This will highlight the multifaceted impact of nursing on economies, emphasising the undeniable economic value generated by the compassionate care nurses provide worldwide. The economics of care and compassion are how much our profession contributes […]
Nursing at a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic

Victorian registered nurse Sarah O’Rourke fronts one of nearly 60 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics now running across the country. Funded by the federal government, the clinics were established with the goal of making it easier for Australians to access urgent care, while simultaneously, diverting people from overcrowded emergency departments and easing pressure on public hospitals. […]
Nurse-led vascular access team

A unique Queensland first, nurse-led vascular access team is reducing catheter-associated complications and improving the patient experience. Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service’s vascular access surveillance and education (VASE) service sees specially trained nurses insert peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs), guided by ultrasound. “Years ago, this was traditionally a procedure that was done by medical […]
Nursing on the doorstep: a socialised model of healthcare

Powered by a passion to increase connectivity and decrease stigma around homelessness, primary healthcare nurse-driven organisation OneBridge provides health equity, health education and social prescriptions for individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty. OneBridge Founder and Churchill Fellow, Sonia Martin RN, has been working alongside vulnerable populations for 30 years and was recently appointed National Chair of […]
‘No More Shame’ in disclosing and responding to violence and abuse of older women

Violence against women, in Australia and internationally, is a longstanding and pernicious scourge on all communities. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that one in three women globally have suffered either physical and/or sexual violence from both intimate partners or non-partners in their lifetimes, with the majority perpetrated by intimate partners.1 In May […]
Celebrating nurses and midwives launches on international days – A podcast series exploring their lives

In honour of International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) is inviting you to learn more about the extraordinary lives and views of your fellow nurses and midwives. Launching on International Day of the Midwife, renowned podcaster Nigel Marsh is interviewing nurses and midwives over the […]
Queensland’s inaugural First Nations Midwifery Director driving the change towards culturally safe care

Proud Gurindji woman and midwife Melina Connors has recently been appointed Queensland’s inaugural First Nations Midwifery Director, a historic first not only for Queensland, but for all of Australia. She talks with the ANMJ for International Day of the Midwife on 5 May. What is the role of the inaugural First Nations Midwifery Director for […]
Improving maternity care for First Nations women through midwife led models

Sydney’s Westmead Hospital initiated Midwifery Group Practice (MGP)/caseload care, a decade ago, providing pregnant women with continuity of midwifery care. This gold-standard maternity care involves a team of midwives ensuring consistent care throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period. The demand for this model has grown, highlighting its effectiveness and satisfaction for both midwives and […]
Continuity of Care Programs in midwifery education support future midwives

Continuity of care is where a woman* receives care from the same midwife, or team of midwives, throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.1 It is a marker of high-quality midwifery practice.2 The approach nurtures trust, communication, and often better birth outcomes and experiences for both women and babies.3 Midwifery continuity of care has a […]
Stress of notifications

Earlier this year I had the privilege of representing the ANMF at a symposium hosted by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (Ahpra) exploring the distress and stress experienced by practitioners involved in a regulatory process. The symposium was part of a project undertaken by an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) commissioned by Ahpra and the […]