Professional – Page 3 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

March 2023

How primary care can improve antimicrobial stewardship

By He Ako Hiringa

December 9, 2022

Antimicrobial resistance — when pathogens develop resistance to drugs used to fight them — is a serious threat to health care in New Zealand and around the world. Antimicrobial stewardship — ie careful and appropriate use of antimicrobial drugs (including antibiotics) — is vital to preserving the effectiveness of these medicines.

This article explains the key role of primary care in antimicrobial stewardship. There is a clear role for prescribers, but nonprescribers such as primary health care nurses also have an important part to play in supporting the appropriate use of antimicrobials.

November 2022

Biological medicines: Transitioning to Amgevita — a biosimilar of adalimumab

By He Ako Hiringa

September 12, 2022

Most patients taking the biological medicine adalimumab are transitioning to a "biosimilar" version of the drug called Amgevita. This article explains why this is happening, and how nurses in primary care can help smooth the transition.

October 2022

Introduction to biological medicines

By He Ako Hiringa

May 27, 2022

Biological medicines are being increasingly used to treat a range of conditions in New Zealand. Nurses need to understand what they are, how they are used and possible side effects in the patients they care for.

September 2022

Cardiovascular disease — tackling medication adherence

By Jim Vause

April 14, 2022

Managing patients’ CVD risk, medication non-adherence, and improving communication with patients: This article has particular relevance to primary care nurses, including those specialising in long-term conditions, and to cardiac care educators.

August 2022

Hand hygiene: A student nurse perspective

By Keenan D’Souza, Katarina Campbell, Amjad Alsiyabi, Sally Davis, Lucy Hou, Rebecca Zhao and Jackie Williams

March 21, 2022

RNs should be setting an example to student nurses on how to perform hand hygiene to the highest standards.

March 2022

COVID anxiety — helping patients cope

By David Codyre

March 8, 2022

Constant media saturation over the past two years has painted a catastrophic picture of COVID-19. While this has helped drive up immunisation rates, it is having unintended consequences.

March 2022

HOW TO TREAT: COVID-19 in primary care

By Dee Mangin

February 24, 2022

New Zealand can draw on the experiences of health systems around the world that have been caring for COVID-19 patients in the community much longer than us.

April 2022

Workplace support and familiarity are vital for the confidence of new graduate nurses

By Louise Rummel, Sheona Watson, Julie Beck and Jane Kelly

February 8, 2022

New Zealand research on the work readiness of new graduates finds their competence and confidence are boosted by a supportive and familiar workplace.

February 2022

Beyond medicines for gout

By Linda Bryant

December 1, 2021

Gout is a chronic and debilitating long-term condition that disproportionately affects Māori and Pacific people. It needs to be addressed with holistic care, and patient, ongoing relationships with whānau.

The importance of nurse-led foot care

By Heather Woods

November 1, 2021

Nurses in primary care play an important role in managing foot care, especially for elderly, diabetic and disabled patients.

November 2021 vol 27 no 10

Autoimmune disorders – light on the horizon?

By Georgina Casey

November 1, 2021

Autoimmunity occurs where the T- and B-lymphocytes stop distinguishing ‘self’ from ‘non-self’ and begin generating antibodies and immune memory cells against the body’s own tissues.

October 2021 vol 27 no 9

Improving quality in a fracture service

By Claire Budge, Melanie Taylor and Paula Eyres

October 1, 2021

Quality improvement (QI) should be an integral part of health service delivery. As best practice principles evolve and system changes are demanded, services need to be evaluated and assessed to ensure they are being run as effectively and efficiently as possible, while meeting the ever-changing needs of practitioners and their patients.

September 2021 vol 27 no 8

The dangers of Delta

By Georgina Casey

September 1, 2021

Mutations are producing COVID-19 variants more dangerous than the original.

How diaries help ICU patients recover

By Joanne Lomax

August 1, 2021

A patient diary helps bridge memory gaps for intensive care patients, thus helping their psychological recovery.

July 2021 vol 27 no 6

Driving under the influence of prescribed medication

By Georgina Casey and Craig Waterworth

July 1, 2021

Many prescribed drugs can impair a person’s driving, even when they are being taken correctly.

June 2021 vol 27 no 5

Unsafe practice: How nurses recognise and respond to unsafe practice by their peers

By Wendy Blair

June 1, 2021

NZNO professional nursing adviser Wendy Blair, RN, PhD, shares a summary of her research on the extent nurses in New Zealand recognise and report unsafe practice by their peers.

June 2021 vol 27 no 5

‘Double, double, triple-checking’

By Margaret E Hughes, Gayle M Rose and Henrietta Trip

June 1, 2021

How do registered nurses with disabilities or impairment manage their work and ensure they practise safely?

June 2021 vol 27 no 5

Nursing support for people with mild mental health needs

By Helen Duyvestyn

June 1, 2021

What can a nurse do in everyday practice to support a person with mild depression and anxiety? A clinical nurse specialist recommends a variety of practical tools and advice.

May 2021 vol 27 no 4

Why are experienced nurses leaving work?

By Janine Ellison

May 1, 2021

Experienced nurses are quitting the profession in droves. What’s driving them out and what might keep them working in acute care?

May 2021 vol 27 no 4

Still much to learn on clotting and COVID-19 vaccines

By Georgina Casey

May 1, 2021

A link has emerged between certain COVID-19 vaccines and blood clotting. The risk is very small, and, depending on the country, could be far outweighed by the risks of the disease.

25 Jun	Access to care continuing to improve across a range of health indicators New health data released today shows continued improvement in access to care across a range of health indicators.
18 Jun	Funding "boost" continues dangerous under-funding of aged care The Health Minister’s funding "boost" for aged residential care continues underfunding to the sector and will continue unsafe practices and short staffing, which is putting vulnerable residents at risk, NZNO says.
16 Jun	Labour to make maternity scans free Labour will add free maternity scans to the Medicard alongside three free doctor’s visits a year, so every pregnant woman gets the care she needs.
29 May	WellSouth Statement on Budget 2026: a missed opportunity Budget 2026 is a missed opportunity for primary care, and for the communities that depend on it most, in particular our rural people and practices.
29 May	Updated - Nurses on front lines of Ebola outbreak at serious risk In response to the gravely concerning and escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) warns that nurses and other frontline health workers are being put at serious risk and left fearful for their safety.
27 May	Health NZ committed to safeguarding patient information Health New Zealand welcomes the reports released today into the Manage My Health (MMH) cyber incident and is committed to ensuring all possible steps are taken to safeguard patient information.
22 May	More New Zealanders could benefit from funded vaccines from 2027 Pharmac is proposing changes that would give more New Zealanders access to funded vaccines from 2027, including expanded access to the flu vaccine for young children.
21 May	It’s not just the wallet: How the gender pay gap can hurt women’s bodies While many aspects of New Zealand’s enduring gender pay gap have been discussed, its physical impact on workers has been largely overlooked – until now.
21 May	Bupa nurses take pay equity claim over historic wage discrimination NZNO nurses working at Bupa aged residential care homes throughout Aotearoa New Zealand have raised a pay equity claim to address historic gender-based wage discrimination.
20 May	Waikato Hospital adds 10 forensic mental health beds Ten new forensic inpatient beds have been made available at the Regional Forensic Psychiatric Service at Waikato Hospital to expand forensic mental health capacity for adults in prison or on remand in Health New Zealand’s Midland region.
18 May	Strong gains in two-year immunisation target for Tamariki Māori Health New Zealand is welcoming a significant increase in Māori immunisation rates, with full immunisation at 24 months rising from just over 60 per cent in late 2024 to 71.5 per cent at the end of last month.
15 May	New global report shows empowering nurses is key to saving lives and strengthening health systems As the world marks International Nurses Day, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) is calling for urgent investment in nursing, supported by a major new global report, Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives, that presents seven key nursing powers.
14 May	Lakes and Whanganui nurses still waiting for Holiday Pay a decade on Photo by Fin Ocheduszko-Brown at Whanganui Chronicle Nurses at Lakes and Whanganui districts are calling on Te Whatu Ora to explain why after a decade of redress, they still don’t know when they will receive their full Holiday Act remediation payments, NZNO says.
13 May	Recognising the extraordinary contribution of nurses International Nurses Day is an opportunity to recognise the extraordinary role nurses play in caring for New Zealanders at every stage of life, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.
12 May	Government’s decision to scrap fees free scheme will lead to further student exodus The Coalition Government’s decision to scrap the fees free policy for third year tertiary students has left nursing tauira outraged
30 Apr	BroPilot grounding digital tools in whānau, culture, and care A passion for his Māori culture and a desire to make AI accessible to everyone inspired Troy Baker, Senior ICT Specialist, Health New Zealand to develop BroPilot – a culturally grounded way of working with Microsoft Copilot that reflects Māori values, whakaaro, and real lived experience.
29 Apr	Heartbreaking tragedies were avoidable - NZNO Analysis by a media outlet, published today, finding health care staff shortages were contributing factors in the deaths of 11 babies is a national and avoidable tragedy, NZNO says.
28 Apr	CTU launches Roving Health and Safety Representatives policy on Workers’ Memorial Day The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi has today launched our Roving Health and Safety Representatives policy at the Workers’ Memorial Day commemoration in Wellington, with further events held across the motu in Manawatū, Christchurch, and Otago.
24 Apr	“The 80s Calling”: New national campaign challenges outdated HIV stigma Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey today launched Health New Zealand’s “The 80s Calling”; a provocative new campaign designed to reduce stigma, normalise conversations about HIV, and support people living with HIV.
23 Apr	Government’s attack on Māori health raised at the UN Concerns over the Coalition Government’s active reversal of policies designed to improve Māori health outcomes were raised at the United Nations in New York this morning.
16 Apr	Tribute to Professor Lester Levy’s service to healthcare Health New Zealand Chief Executive Dr Dale Bramley is paying tribute to Health NZ Board Chair Professor Lester Levy, who finishes in the role at the end of the month.
10 Apr	Chronic health care assistant short staffing harming vulnerable patients Te Whatu Ora’s attempt to cut costs by requiring health care assistants to carry out cohort patient watches is harming vulnerable patients and staff, NZNO says.
9 Apr	New group education clinics speeding up knee and hip surgery care Health New Zealand is rolling out a new group education approach for people waiting for hip and knee surgery in north and west Auckland, resulting in more patients being seen sooner.
25 Mar	National Diabetes Roadmap launched to improve care, prevention, and quality of life Health New Zealand has launched a new National Diabetes Roadmap (‘the Roadmap’) to improve care, strengthen prevention, and support better health outcomes and quality of life for people living with diabetes.
24 Mar	ACT should leave nursing to professionals and medical evidence Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says ACT MP Todd Stephenson has dismissed the Nursing Council’s draft code of conduct - which proposes strengthening cultural safety, whānau-centred care and te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations - as political ideology.
23 Mar	UK report reflects ICN warnings on international recruitment ripoff — now countries must act together The International Council of Nurses (ICN) warmly welcomes a new report from the UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global Health and Security that recognizes the huge sums saved by high-income countries who recruit abroad and acknowledges the severe harms caused by unethical recruitment from fragile source countries left without nurses.
20 Mar	HPV self-test boosts cervical cancer screening ‘across the board’, new study confirms Making human papillomavirus (HPV) self-testing available to all women increases the number of people screened for cervical cancer, a new study led by researchers from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington has confirmed.
19 Mar	ICN at CSW70: Violence against nurses is a gendered crisis threatening global health The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has warned that violence against nurses is a global gendered crisis that threatens health systems, patient safety and workforce sustainability
17 Mar	Additional winter health care workers a drop in the ocean of need The Government’s announcement today of 378 extra staff to help hospitals cope with winter demand is a drop in the ocean of what patients need, NZNO says.
12 Mar	Funding change will ensure more consistent emergency care for New Zealanders A simple change in how ambulance medicines are funded is set to create more consistent emergency care.
9 Mar	Questions over dilapidated and cramped renal unit forced to ration dialysis The Health Minister must explain why after years of concerns from nurses about Christchurch Hospital’s barely functioning dialysis unit, he only stepped in late yesterday when life-saving treatment had to be rationed, NZNO says.
3 Mar	Hospitals and health workers should never be targets The right of health care workers to provide care during international conflicts must be protected, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
2 Mar	Public and Mental Health Nurses settle collective agreement Health New Zealand welcomes the ratification of the two Public Service Association (PSA) Public and Mental Health Nurses collective employment agreements for Auckland and the Rest of New Zealand.