Category Archives: nurses and nursing

Some tips re digging for useful health policy information on the web

April 27, 2012 – 11:35 am

If you want to influence health policy, it helps to be abreast of the latest relevant evidence (in all its forms). But this can be difficult to achieve as so much of the evidence never sees the light of day through publication in journals or other public places (hence the Croakey Register of Unreleased Documents - [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Croakey Register of Unreleased Documents, evidence-based issues, health and medical research, health reform, primary health care | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Helping older patients with chronic diseases to navigate the health system

February 20, 2012 – 9:23 am

How can vulnerable elderly patients be helped to navigate the fragmented health system? In its latest Croakey update, the Primary Health Care Research and Information Service (better known as PHC RIS) reports there is encouraging evidence to suggest that professional health system “navigators” might be able to help elderly people with chronic health problems to [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in aged care, chronic diseases, consumer health information, health reform, primary health care | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Could spending less on healthcare be better for our health?

December 4, 2011 – 6:06 pm

When asked to write about international issues in healthcare for a recent column in The Health Advocate, Dr Patrick Bolton, a National Councillor of the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, identified a few interesting questions, including: Would we get better health returns from disinvesting in healthcare in order to be able to invest more in [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in environmental health, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, health reform, health workforce, Hospitals, Indigenous health, public health | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

A nurse was murdered. Questions are being asked about health service management.

November 25, 2011 – 6:19 pm

A longer version of this article was first published by New Matilda. Jenny Haines, Former General Secretary of the NSW Nurses Association, writes: Walter Marsh has been convicted of the murder of Sydney nurse Michelle Beets. But there are still many questions in my mind about this case and they go to the heart of [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in occupational health | Comments (0)

New guidelines encourage nurses to embrace the potential of social media

November 3, 2011 – 9:59 am

Developments in health and social media are happening at such a pace that it is hard to keep up. The Royal College of Nursing, Australia (RCNA) has released Social Media Guidelines for Nurses, which attempt to move the discussion beyond a risk management approach. Sure, they outline potential pitfalls, but they also include a call [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Media-related issues, rural and remote health | Tagged , | Comments (2)

Early childhood trauma and long-term health

October 10, 2011 – 4:41 pm

The New Yorker magazine ran an illuminating article earlier this year about the impact of traumatic childhoods upon long-term health, both physical and mental. The poverty clinic: can a stressful childhood make you a sick adult? profiled the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, which is billed as “perhaps the largest scientific research study of its [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in child health, childbirth and maternity services, Indigenous health, Media-related issues, Medicare Locals, mental health, poverty, prevention, primary health care, public health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)

A swag of recommended reading on health and medical news

May 13, 2011 – 7:17 pm

Below are some links to recommended reading. They cover everything from the challenged role of doctors, and the federal health budget, to inequality, AMA chest-beating, health policy – and the NT Intervention, the NBN and remote Indigenous health… *** Questioning the role of doctors The Drum and The Conversation have embarked on an interesting collaboration [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in alcohol, allied health care, Australian Medical Association, dental care, e-health, emergency departments and care, Federal Budget 2011, general practice, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, health reform, health workforce, Indigenous health, Journal articles, Media-related issues, mental health, rural and remote health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Some rural health reaction on the budget

May 10, 2011 – 11:27 pm

You can read the announcements on regional spending (many of which pertain to rural health) in the Ministerial statement found here. Below is some preliminary reaction from leaders in rural and remote health. Professor Sabina Knight, Director of the Mt Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health (and a member of the former National Health [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Federal Budget 2011, rural and remote health | Tagged , | Comments (3)

Australia needs physician assistants. So why aren’t we getting them?

April 12, 2011 – 11:50 pm

As you may have noticed, Croakey has recently been running a series of articles examining the potential of physician assistants to improve access to health care, particularly in rural and remote areas. These articles have been positive about the role of PAs. But we know that a number of groups are on the record opposing [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Australian Medical Association, health reform, health workforce, rural and remote health | Tagged , , , | Comments (9)

Why James Cook University is starting a Physician Assistant program

March 31, 2011 – 4:44 pm

This is the third article in a Croakey series examining the potential of physician assistants to help improve access to health care, particularly in rural, remote and other under-served areas. Allan Forde and Sharon Barnwell write: This American term – PAs – has been whispered more around health circles in Australia over the last few [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in allied health care, health and medical education, health reform, health workforce, Indigenous health, rural and remote health | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)