Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal

Critically ill patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) often require many invasive procedures and medical devices (Martin and Mathisen 2005). While these interventions are a necessity, they can potentially cause patients a great amount of pain and discomfort, often leading to restlessness and agitation (Langley et al. 2011).

Due to the rapidly increasing demand for healthcare, driven by an ageing population and the rising cost of technology, Australia is facing the challenge of sustaining a health workforce to meet this demand. In the most recent Health Workforce Australia (HWA) Report (2014) a predicted shortfall in the supply and demand of critical care and emergency nurses was reported.

The physical assessment of postoperative patients is a crucial and potentially lifesaving skill that may be improved with the use of a mnemonic to guide assessment structure.

Jointly initiated by Monash Children's and The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), The Victorian Children's Tool for Observation and Response project known as VICTOR (www.victor.org.au) is a sector-led project funded by the Victorian Paediatric Clinical Network.

The prevention of perioperative hypothermia is a responsibility of all members of the perioperative team. Nurses are well placed to have a central role in implementing strategies to reduce perioperative heat loss, which is associated with a host of adverse outcomes (National Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Supportive Care 2008).

Parental presence during the induction of anaesthesia remains a controversial issue related to family centered care which is highlighted through discrepancies in observational studies, beliefs and current practices.

The Australian College of Perioperative Nurses (ACORN) have developed a set of standards to guide clinical practice within the perioperative setting. The ACORN standard 'Management of accountable items used during surgery and procedures' (ACORN 2016) details a process for perioperative nurses to follow when undertaking a surgical count.

In 2014-15 there were 10.2 million hospitalisations in Australia, and approximately 2.5 million of those admissions required surgery. As such, perioperative safety is crucial to patient outcomes (AIHW 2016).

"A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse educated to a post graduate Masters level and authorised to function autonomously and collaboratively in an advanced and extended clinical role' (Queensland Government 2011).

Nurses insert and care for more than two billion intravascular (IV) devices globally each year. A wound is created for each IV insertion, and the wound cannot heal while the IV remains.

The publication of peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and books have become an important hallmark of the professional, academic, social and scientific credibility of the nursing profession.

Like many experienced midwives and nurses I have a plethora of experience spanning over 13 years. I completed my nursing degree in my home town of Derry City, Northern Ireland before completing my Post Graduate Degree in Midwifery at Queens University, Belfast.

Diabetes is fast becoming one of the biggest epidemics in the world. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Australia where approximately 1 million Australians have been diagnosed with the disease. Natalie Dragon investigates why Diabetes has become so prevalent and what is being done about it.

In February 2017, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) handed down a decision which cut penalty rates for employees in the retail, hospitality and fast food industries. In particular, it cut the level of penalty rates for working on Sundays and public holidays by 25% to 50%.

International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day, celebrated on 5 May and 12 May respectively, are when nurses and midwives are acknowledged for the job that they do and also thanked for the vital care they give to their patients, their patients' families and each other. Yet while nurses and midwives are good at taking care of others, sometimes they can fall short of taking care of themselves. When celebrating nurses and midwives during May it is important to take time to acknowledge your own achievements as a nurse and/or a midwife, but also review what you are doing to care for yourself...

As nurses and midwives it's our job to look after the healthcare needs of others. Caring is the fundamental core of what nursing and midwifery is all about and is what we do well for our patients, their families, and each other.

British nurse Georgie Carroll moved to Australia seeking adventure and inadvertently discovered a hidden talent for making people laugh.

Preparing nursing students for authentic person-centred practice demands an awareness and understanding of Australian culture and history and the impact of these things on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Nurses and midwives play a central role in ensuring effective healthcare for Aboriginal patients in urban, rural and remote locations. However, at times they feel underequipped to fully support Aboriginal patients and their families with the skills and knowledge and resources available (Dwyer et at 2014).

Research undertaken in mainstream Australian studies show that the overall rate of medication non-adherence has been reported to be high, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia leading to adverse and critical health outcomes (AIHW 2010).