The government celebrated a $7.1 billion surplus in its pre-election budget but nurses were less than cheery. While the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) said promises to work on a national youth mental health strategy and assurances for aged care ...
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Some would rather die than go into care: royal commission hearing
Some people would rather die than go into residential aged care facilities. This is according to UnitingCare Australia’s Claerwen Little, who told the commission about the findings from Uniting’s research into community perceptions of aged care. They found, among other ...
More »The first witnesses are called: royal commission Monday
“I’m sure if I had taken Bob to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in the state he was in, I would have been reported to the police." That's how Oakden whistleblower Barbara Spriggs recounted the injuries her late husband sustained at the ...
More »Meet Helen Haines: the indie nurse running for Indi
If nurse and independent candidate for the Victorian federal seat of Indi, Helen Haines, makes it to Canberra this year, we can be sure she won’t fall foul of last year’s most popular piece of the constitution: section 44. As ...
More »Give us a reason to come home: Australian-based Irish nurses show solidarity with strikers
The major union representing Irish nurses has announced two extra days of strike action, taking the total to seven 24-hour strike days for the month of February. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) is seeking a pay rise of ...
More »“We create a lot of problems by what we do to women in hospital”: home birth in the spotlight
The Royal Hospital for Women in Randwick, NSW, is offering a homebirth option for low-risk pregnancies. One of only 14 public hospitals across the country currently doing so, the new scheme provides the support of two experienced midwives at no ...
More »Calling it out: the role of the whistleblower in aged care
Blowing the whistle or 'dobbing in' a manager or work colleague for illegal or unethical behaviour might seem at odds with Australian culture, but that’s the service a Melbourne-based company is providing for a range of businesses. In the current ...
More »Unauthorised access to medical records: just don’t do it
An increasing number of hospital and health services are collating, storing and utilising medical and nursing records in electronic databases. These databases are usually protected with individualised passwords which can be monitored and checked to preserve patients’ privacy and ensure ...
More »Tip of the iceberg? The neglect and abuse seen in residential care is simply the most visible part of a larger problem
The Royal Commission into Aged Care needs to go beyond the urgent problems of residential aged care to look at the full formal system of care and support. We need to ensure we can increase staffing levels in residential care ...
More »Cameras in aged care rooms: privacy vs peace of mind
The Minister for Aged Care has indicated the installation of cameras in all aged care homes is on the table following the airing of the second part of a Four Corners investigation into the sector, but industry reaction has been tentative. ...
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