Landmark reforms expand scope of practice for ACT nurse practitioners
Proposed new legislation will strengthen the role of nurse practitioners in the Australian Capital Territory enabling them to certify cause of death certificates. New legislation has been introduced to give nurse practitioners (NPs), endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), the legal practice authority to issue cause of death certificates and witness non-written health directions. The Nurse […]
Midwifery in Motion: Professional Indemnity Insurance for Intrapartum Care
From July 1, 2025, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing introduced a professional indemnity insurance (PII) product for midwives providing intrapartum care. This insurance is available under the Midwife Professional Indemnity Scheme or MPIS and results in a PII product becoming available for all aspects of private midwifery care. Alongside this change to the […]
My Aged Care failing older Australians: Inspector-General report
A significant number of older Australians struggle to navigate My Aged Care, leaving them unable to access the support they need, when they need it. My Aged Care is poorly understood, insufficiently promoted, onerously complex to navigate and not appropriately tailored to the needs of the whole of the target population, a scathing report by […]
Nurse-led support needed for men undergoing hormone therapy for prostate cancer
Tailored, nurse-led support for men undergoing hormone therapy for prostate cancer is urgently needed, according to a new study. Men with prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), also known as hormone therapy, are calling for greater education and more personalised, ongoing support to manage the treatment’s often debilitating side effects, according to a new […]
Australian study explores sexual dysfunction in women at midlife
Almost 50% of Australian women in midlife have poor sexual wellbeing, including a doubling of the likelihood of desire and arousal dysfunction in early perimenopause. There has been substantial uncertainty regarding the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) at midlife in women aged 40-69 years. A Monash University-led study believed to be the largest of […]
A new voice for nursing
The Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH) has welcomed a new nursing representative to its Editorial Advisory Committee, stepping into the role previously held by long-serving member Dr Helen Calabretto – a move that reflects AMH’s continuing support for the evolving needs of nurses. For nearly 30 years, the Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH) has been an important […]
Q&A with Immunisation Nurse Practitioner, Sonja Elia
Nurse Practitioner Sonja Elia, who works in immunisation at Austin Health, talks about her career and specialty.
Why your perfect travel partner might not be your family
As Australians gear up for the holiday season, new research has revealed what really makes for the perfect travel companion, and it turns out, it might not be your family after all. An Edith Cowan University (ECU) study offers an insightful look into the personality traits that can make or break a trip, helping travellers […]
New report links ageism to serious healthcare harms
Older Australians are feeling dismissed, excluded and stereotyped in healthcare settings, putting their access to life-saving care at risk, according to a new report. The Australian Human Rights Commission The age barrier: older adults’ experiences of ageism in health care, report draws on the lived experiences of older patients, their families and sector experts, supported by a comprehensive literature review. Perceptions of ageism are widespread across […]
Australia sees modest pay gap progress as women earn $28,000 less than men
Australia’s gender pay gap continues to shrink, with new data revealing meaningful, though uneven, progress towards fairer and more equitable workplaces. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s (WGEA) 2024–25 Gender Equality Scorecard, released today, shows the national gender pay gap has fallen an above-trend 0.7 percentage points to 21.1%. It means that for every $1 earned […]