This piece reflects on the experience of an Indigenous Nursing Cadetship from the perspectives of an Indigenous Nursing Cadet, a Nurse Researcher, and an Executive Director of Nursing. There is value in the opportunity to present individual viewpoints in collaboration as the authors believe in a genuine partnership between health services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals to improve health outcomes for First Nations families. It is widely recognised that cultural determinants of health are crucial in addressing health inequities. This includes Indigenous families r ..read more

Women’s health is much more than reproductive and sexual health, says long-time women’s health nurse (WHN) Annette Heather. “As a women’s health nurse you need to have broad experience and understand all aspects of women’s health – it’s not just reproductive health and pap smears. Sexual and reproductive health is only part of women’s health – it’s about the general health and wellness of a woman.” Annette was the 2022 winner of the Australian Women’s Health Nurses Association (AWHNA) Golden Speculum award. The award is two-fold – for recognition of excellence in the provision of women’s healt ..read more

The Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, Vol 41 No 1 (2024): December 2023–February 2024 has just been published. The journal contains peer reviewed articles relevant to nurses and midwives. In this issue read about Early career nurses’ self-reported influences and drawbacks for undertaking a rural graduate nursing program – https://doi.org/10.37464/2024.411.1225 Find out about, The impact of breathing exercises in patients who had open heart operation on respiratory function and exercise tolerance – https://doi.org/10.37464/2024.411.1001 Other research articles include, Qualitative researc ..read more

Translation of evidence to practice is a challenge for all clinical practitioners, and nurses and midwives are no exception.1 This challenge results in nurses and midwives finding themselves without the essential knowledge required to comprehend, apply, and lead clinical research efforts.2 To address this issue, researchers at the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre (RBRC) of the University of South Australia (UniSA) have developed a program for South Australian nurses and midwives to build their research, leadership and evidence-based practice capabilities, titled the Outstanding Workforce Lea ..read more

Nine of Australia’s most outstanding nurses, midwives and organisations have been announced as finalists in the 2024 HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards.   Finalists include a nurse from the Northern Territory who opened the first private nurse practitioners’ general practice in her community after the only medical clinic closed; a midwife from Victoria who created the nation’s first stillbirth support guide for Aboriginal families, and a Queensland-based organisation who developed a new approach to diagnosing and treating Hepatitis C. “We owe a great deal to our nurses ..read more

The federal government has requested landmark pay rises for aged care workers ordered by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) be phased over the next two years, citing concerns including that “large one-off wage increases” could fuel employment shortages across other sectors. Last month, the FWC awarded an historic wage rise of up to 28.5% for direct care workers, including Assistants in Nursing (AINs)/Personal Care Workers (PCWs), in its Stage 3 decision of the ANMF’s Aged Care Work Value Case. It concluded that, for ‘work value reasons’, award rates for direct care employees should be substantiall ..read more

Palestinians in Gaza are suffering one of the worst humanitarian crises of our times. Yet at the heart of Gaza there exists some relief amidst the chaos: the MA’AN Development Centre offering aid, comfort, and resilience in the face of adversity to the Palestinian people. Australia’s Union Aid Abroad APHEDA, founded by nurse and ANF member Helen McCue, supports the MA’AN Development Centre and through its recent efforts raised $600k for direct aid to the organisation. Reporting on where the funds are being spent, MA’AN, highlighted their emergency relief activities which have provided a lifeli ..read more

Exercise can be a powerful tool to fight depression and should be routinely prescribed as part of treatment plans, according to Australian researchers. Activities such as walking, jogging, yoga and strength training were extremely beneficial for treating depression, University of Queensland researchers have found. UQ’s School of Psychology reviewed more than 200 studies looking at the effect of exercise, psychotherapy and antidepressants in treating depression.   “Strength training was found to be an especially effective exercise for younger women, whereas older men received the most bene ..read more

A collaboration between the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) Early Career Transition Programs (ECTPs) team and the Adelaide Nursing School (ANS – University of Adelaide) has led to improvements in the delivery of education for early-career nurses. It has also strengthened consistencies in the delivery of simulation training between undergraduate education and transition programs in nursing. The ECTPs were developed in response to an increasing number of novice nurses joining CALHN. The ECTP includes the formalised Transition to Professional Practice Program (TPPP) and the Supporte ..read more

Professor Megan-Jane Johnstone AO wrote a powerful article that was published online on 10 November 2023 in the ANMJ: “Bombing hospitals, destroying ambulances and the ethics of (un)just war”.1 Johnstone examined ‘just war theory’ and made a clarion call for nurses to take a stand and speak out about the injustices of war. There are daily stories of human suffering that cause us to feel distress and anguish, ie. humanitarian crises involving innocent hostages, civilians, and children in war zones. We may feel empathy toward others who are suffering, but our inability to make a difference can a ..read more