Nurse still in the profession after 65 years
It is hard to imagine nowadays but when Pamela Butler trained as a nurse in the 1950s part of her education involved scaling, cleaning and filleting a whole fish before cooking it for teachers to taste and score. The then 17-year-old undertook her training at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children at Camperdown, now The […]
Nurses and midwives recognised
More than a dozen nurses and midwives from across Australia have been recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List for their significant contributions to advancing the professions and improving healthcare. The awards acknowledge Australians from all walks of life who have made a difference to society through their work. Nurse ethicist Dr Megan-Jane Johnstone, […]
Q&A with a male midwife
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), men made up just 1.6%, or 448, of the 28,211 employed registered midwives in 2015. The ANMJ spoke to New South Wales-based Clinical Midwifery Educator (CME) Daniel Evans about why he chose to pursue the non-traditional career path for men and what he loves about […]
Pill testing at music festivals could reduce harm for first-time users the most
The introduction of pill testing at music festivals is likely to be more effective in reducing harm among people trying ecstasy for the first time than experienced users, new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has revealed. The study also found regular ecstasy users do not have a better level of knowledge than novices regarding […]
Blowing the whistle
What drives nurses and midwives to turn whistleblower and report wrongdoing outside their organisation? What ramifications surface personally and professionally in the aftermath? Robert Fedele investigates. “If you’ve got a gut feeling that something is wrong it probably is wrong,” says Toni Hoff man, perhaps Australia’s best-known nurse whistleblower. “Even if it takes a bit […]
ANMF compares health policies of major parties as federal election looms
The ANMF has analysed the health policies of the major parties in the lead up to this Saturday’s federal election to find out where they stand on key issues. It includes an overview of health policy announcements and funding commitments unveiled throughout the election campaign across areas such as aged care, Medicare and mental health. […]
Nursing and midwifery research makes impact
When the opportunity arose to lead the evolution of Australia’s innovative Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre three years ago, Professor Marion Eckert grabbed it with both hands. “The most exciting part is we’re really trying to foster an enthusiasm for nurses and midwives to lead and embrace research and in particular translational research to make […]
ALP pledges to start taking action to address aged care crisis
The Australian Labor Party (ALP) has promised to start taking action to improve the current crisis in aged care, including increasing staffing levels and skill mix and ensuring there is a registered nurse (RN) on duty 24/7, if elected at this Saturday’s federal election. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten released a statement yesterday outlining Labor’s plans […]
My Mum – My Inspiration
Why we enter into a profession of our choosing differs for everyone. My motivation to become a nurse was because of my mum. Not only was she my inspiration, she also helped me to understand why the union is so important for our professions. My mother, Pamela Butler, has been a nurse for more than […]
Nurse ‘Trailblazer’ helps improve aged care
A Canberra-based nurse practitioner (NP) who developed an innovative model integrating specialist palliative care into residential aged care in a bid to give people more dignity and choice at the end of life was recently named the inaugural Health Minister’s Nursing Trailblazer following Australia’s launch of the global Nursing Now campaign in Sydney. Established by […]