The value of clinical supervision in nursing and midwifery
Clinical supervision educator, clinical supervisor and mental health nurse Julie Sharrock credits the reflective collaborative practice of clinical supervision as the reason she has been able to maintain a successful clinical career over almost four decades. “If I had no place to wash off the emotional grind, the emotional challenges and the cognitive and ethical […]
Brexit fallout drives UK hunt for Australian nurses
A visiting UK roadshow recruiting Australian nurses to work abroad within the National Health Service (NHS) marks the latest sign of shifting strategies to fill more than 41,000 vacant nursing posts in the wake of uncertainty triggered by Brexit. Dubbed the “British Nursing Job Fair”, the national recruitment drive spruiks a one-stop shop where “suitably […]
Nursing education under review
The federal government has announced a review of nursing education will start this year. The last independent review of nurse education was in 2002. Minister for Regional Services Bridget McKenzie said the Educating the Nurse of the Future review would examine the preparation and education of nurses to ensure they continued to meet the expectations […]
Surviving your first day of clinical placement
A Placement Educator at Flinders University’s College of Nursing & Health Sciences in Adelaide, Registered Nurse Deb Hastings helps student nurses navigate their way through real-life professional experience. Clinical placements provide students the opportunity to transfer theory into practice and hone their skills for future practice in nursing or midwifery. Placement Educators like Deb assist […]
Q&A with Nurse Practitioner Chris Helms
On 12 December each year the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP) holds Nurse Practitioner Day to mark the endorsement of the first NPs in Australia – Sue Denison and Jane O’Connell – back in 2000. Almost two decades on, more than 1,700 Nurse Practitioners are endorsed with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. […]
The changing face of nursing uniforms
Nursing uniforms have transformed dramatically over the past century on the back of emerging trends, demand for practicality and comfort, and strict workplace policy. As a fledgling student nurse at Flinders University in South Australia in the late 1980s Kate Anderson remembers donning a yellow pinstriped dress and white stockings and shoes, all topped by […]
Five tips on finding your nursing speciality
There may come a point in a nurse’s career when it’s time to specialise. But with multiple specialities to choose from, how do you find one that’s right for you? Why specialise Specialising in a field of nursing can create numerous professional opportunities resulting in greater work satisfaction. Benefits include: Yet discovering your passion for […]
Q & A with Phil Della
Head of Curtin University’s School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine Professor Phillip Della was presented the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Honour at the Western Australian Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards earlier this year. Professor Della is arguably most well-known for his position as Chief Nursing Officer of Western Australia from 1999 to 2008. In this role, […]
A nurse’s journey back to study
Perioperative nurse Karen Neaton contemplated returning to study for several years but always found the prospect ‘too daunting’. Once her children finished school and moved out of the family home, she decided it was finally time to take the plunge and pursue further education. The last time she had undertaken study was in 1991 when […]
The knowledge of ageing nurses
Registered nurse Shirley Allott retired a few months ago, aged 65, after spending the past two decades working in aged care. Her body began showing signs of decline years earlier, with hearing and vision loss and arthritis increasingly problematic. “Some years before I got hearing aids I denied my hearing loss and when I got […]