It is often challenging for older adults to make the transition into aged care. Many new residents experience grief as they are leaving behind their homes, spouses and possessions. Being placed into an unfamiliar environment with new people can lead ...
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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 »Education can better equip nurses to ‘go bush’
The healthcare industry is quickly expanding, with longer Australian life expectancies and a growing population lifting demand for skilled nursing clinicians. However, much of this demand is not being met in the bush and more funding and training is needed ...
More »Chemical restraint in aged care – we can reduce use
Fred was a resident with Alzheimer’s disease living at one of our aged care homes. He was a quiet man; in fact, Fred had not spoken for years. Like many people with dementia he became agitated and upset, particularly around ...
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 »24 hours in a Bangladeshi field hospital
A Red Cross field hospital in the heart of the world’s biggest series of refugee camps is the only 24-hour emergency facility to service close to a million people. The morning call to prayer wakes me up at 5.30. I ...
More »Safe as houses? Mitigating the risks for children living on a rural property
In the emergency department, the ‘bat phone’ is reserved for urgent referrals of incoming patients. One busy afternoon, the bat phone rang to advise that a four-year-old boy had fallen off a motorbike.* He'd ridden over a river bank and ...
More »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 not sleeping. After all, the employer is paying for the time that the nurse is at work. This rule does ...
More »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 the greatest rewards as the health industry expands and becomes more complex. The evolution of the industry is being driven ...
More »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 to live. Given the beautiful climate, outdoor recreation is promoted and often includes surfing and swimming. And there are endless ...
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