Evidence Brief: The World Health Organization’s Statement on the antigen composition of COVID-19 vaccines

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) assesses how the SARS-CoV-2 virus’ evolution might impact on COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition and advises the WHO on whether changes are needed to the antigen composition of future COVID-19 vaccines. This helps vaccine developers and decision makers decide on how to commit […]

Evidence Brief: Omicron Subvariant Arcturus

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 (‘Arcturus’) was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 9 January 2023. It was designated as a ‘variant under monitoring’ on 2 March 2023.1 Following sustained increases in reported cases, on 17 April 2023, the WHO designated Arcturus as a ‘variant of interest’ (VOI). The variant has been […]

Advancing women’s health from the frontline

Long-time Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) member Lorna Scott is advocating for improved women’s healthcare as a representative on the federal government’s National Women’s Health Advisory Council. Ms Scott, a women’s health nurse practitioner (NP), midwife and Vice President of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) was appointed to the newly-created federal government’s […]

New Nurse Practitioner Workforce Plan set to ease demands on health and aged care

A Nurse Practitioner Workforce Plan (Plan), which aims to expand the services of highly-trained Nurse Practitioners (NPs), will help address increasing demands for health and aged care and chronic workforce shortages across the country. The Plan, Supported by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, builds on a number of reforms for NPs announced in the […]

Clinical placements need rethink to optimise student learning, study finds

Nursing students rate spending time with patients, performing assessments and observing nurses as they work the most beneficial to their learning while on clinical placement, a new Australian study has found. Commitments that take them away from the patient, such as tutorials and meetings, were less valued. The study, commissioned by the Council of Deans […]

Federal Budget offers pathway for better care delivery

The Federal Budget handed down last night provides a pathway for nurses and midwives to deliver better healthcare across communities, according to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF). The ANMF has welcomed the Albanese Government’s review of the scope of practice of healthcare professionals, including nurses and midwives, along with other key investments as […]