Best evidence changes lives
The best evidence available should be accessible to all and is key to tackling poor practice that can do more harm than good, according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), based in South Australia. The institute, which has recently been recognised for improving health for disadvantaged communities, is fulfilling a critical role, assisting health professionals […]
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 […]
Navigating early career nursing
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach when it comes to graduate nurse programs. So what is the best way to ensure early career nurses negotiate their graduate year with confidence? Jessica Gadd reports it’s by implementing a well-designed graduate program and offering a supportive environment. There is no preparing for your first experience of the death […]
Work environment impacts job performance
On-the-job training and performance is significantly impacted by the work environment in hospitals, research shows. Charles Sturt University research analysed work environment, attitude towards organisational change, training effectiveness, organisation citizenship behaviour, non-mandatory training and intention to quit and how these influenced nurses’ job performance. The study involved 486 participants from public hospitals in the ACT, […]
Dramatic drop in hand hygiene compliance
Healthcare worker compliance with national hand hygiene guidelines falls from more than 90 to 30% when they are not being observed, latest research shows. The national mandatory hand hygiene program was introduced in Australian hospitals eight years ago and requires a 70% compliance rate The University of NSW (UNSW) study monitored human and automated methods […]
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 […]
Forging a successful nursing career
National Health Workforce Dataset (NHWDS) figures show almost 16,000 newly registered nurses and midwives entered the professions in 2016. Earlier this year, 26-year-old New South Wales resident Thomas West joined the next generation when he began a 12-month transition program at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney designed to arm him with the skills and knowledge […]