Opinion

Nurse naps: what are the consequences of sleeping on the job?

There is an obvious employer expectation and condition of employment that when nurses are at work they are awake and…

Postgraduate study unlocks professional advancement: opinion

Job opportunities for nurses are growing faster than the workforce as a whole, and nurses with postgraduate qualifications will reap…

On the safe side: nurse manager talks drownings in Australia

Queensland is known as the Sunshine State. Its hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters make it an attractive place…

Sexual assault by patients: what is a nurse’s duty of care?

Once a patient assumes an in-patient status in a hospital, it thereby creates a duty of care concerning protection of…

A quick chat with… a diabetes nurse

A relative latecomer to nursing, Cherie Whitbread talks comfy shoes and chili mud crab. Which hospital do you work at…

Duty of care: where does a nurse’s responsibility end?

The potential liability of health services, hospitals, day surgeries and clinics does not, depending on the nature of the treatment…

Whistleblowing: what leads a nurse to make the call?

A number of human factors influence the way managers within organisations address patient safety concerns. One is wilful blindness. The…

Eating away at anxiety: the foods that can help

Anxiety is the most common mental disorder in Australia. It is estimated that one in seven people in any 12-month…

Identifying signs of intentional injury in children

History tells us that intentional injury is not a new phenomenon: in 1860 a French pathologist Auguste Ambroise Tardieu wrote…

Army nurse leads new research into PTSD

A new study into the intimate relationships of Australian Army personnel sent to war zones will reveal the triggers most…

Opportunity knocking

The federal government’s budget boost to healthcare spending will create more jobs in the sector, opening positions in management and…

Graduate nurses face frustration in gaining registered nurse experience

There are challenging times ahead for the nursing workforce due to the increasing global nursing shortage and the continued marked…

Monitoring nutritional status of cancer patients boosts outcomes

Malnutrition in cancer patients is often associated with loss of lean body mass and can be caused by a combination…

Opinion: five IT challenges impacting the healthcare industry

The healthcare industry has been faced with a flood of challenges over the past several years. These challenges run the…

Notes on a nursing scandal

Directing another nurse to write inaccurate notes is a serious matter, as this case study illustrates. The making of nursing…

What is food intolerance, how is it diagnosed and what can be done about it?

Food intolerance is the name we give any adverse reaction to a food or food additive that is not caused…

Nursing an alternate career direction: education

When I walked into the Royal Brisbane Hospital in 1982 to begin my nursing training I didn’t dream I would…

Opinion: inexpensive hearing aids may not benefit consumers in the long run

On World Hearing Day – 3 March 2017 – while global initiatives were being rolled out to advocate for people with…

Exploring risks of using wearables and apps for fitness pursuits

Connected health technologies such as wearables and apps are designed to increase individual engagement in self-care and health management. For…

What nurses can do to understand and prevent youth suicide

Imagine your busy household, on a Tuesday evening. Your children are watching TV, you are tidying away the dishes after…

Law offers no protection: when unplanned pregnancy leads to litigation

A man sues his partner after she falls pregnant and gives birth, alleging she lied about her contraception. The birth…

Getting the skinny on dietary fat: the good, the bad and the fantastical

Learn to separate the fat from fiction with this quick guide. Once upon a time, fat was the enemy. Eating…

Power to the people: training the healthcare trainers in Myanmar

The story of one nurse’s mission to empower communities in conflict zones by teaching them first aid. My name is…

No place like home: exploring the potential of community nursing

Could community nursing be the solution to the ever-growing hospital bed shortage? Many hospitals across Australia regularly struggle to cope…

Opinion: confronting mental illness stigma is essential to saving lives

It’s a new year! We have a new health minister with a personal understanding of mental illness and Australia has…