Welcome to the APNA Newsletter

8th August 2011

APNA Jobs Site launches
The APNA Jobs Site is now live. This forum will allow you to advertise vacant positions and search for employment opportunities for nurses easily. For a limited time it will be free to advertise so jump on and start using it now.
To advertise a job you will need to click on the Employer section, register your details, then add a job. Please select the FREE option so you don’t get charged. For any questions, comments or glitches, please email admin@apna.asn.au.
Click here to go to the APNA Jobs Site

APNA membership offer
3 months free offer ends this week
New members join APNA or get your colleague or friend to join this week and you will get 3 months free – that’s a 15 month membership for the price of 12. Download and complete this flyer, add your details as the referring existing APNA member and you’ll both get extensions on your membership. Click here for form.
This offer has been extended despite the expiry date on the form, and we will accept applications until this Friday 12th August so get in quick!

FREE CPD folder just for shopping online
Spend more than $100 in the APNA Online Shop in August and you will receive a CPD Folder for free. The folder is a handy way to maintain and record your CPD, and keep your certificates safe and organised. Hot items are the General Practice Nursing Textbook, APNA polo and collared shirts, Roadmap for the Future CD Rom and more. Start shopping now!

APNA Endorsed Courses
Saturday 13th August - Gympie, QLD
Sunshine Coast Division of General Practice presents two workshops Crossing Cultures- The Hidden Story and The A-Z of Indigenous Health Checks. Key learning objectives are to give an awareness of cultural history, understand the requirements of the Indigenous Health Check, and to gain knowledge of the local resources available. More...

Wednesday 10th August- Sydney, NSW
Central Sydney GP Network present a 2.5 hour Dermatology Seminar which will enable attendees to identify common rash presentations in the paediatric population and implement the current best practice management and provide appropriate education and support for the carers of the patient, outline the current best practice for acne treatment and provide appropriate education and support for the patient, and educate the patient on the risk and consequences of skin changes and the importance of early intervention. For more information or to register can contact CSGPN directly on 02 9799 0933. More...

August to December - National tour
AGPAL presents a national Satellite Navigation workshop which will tour from August to December 2011, starting in Brisbane on Thursday 25th August. Key learning objectives will be to educate practice staff on the new RACGP 4th Edition standards, to understand the difference between 3rd and 4th Edition standards and identify the national standards incorporated into the 4th Edition standards. More...

Expressions of interest sought: Osteoporosis professional for national summit
Building Healthy Bones Throughout Life
Thursday 20th October- Sydney
Osteoporosis Australia is hosting a major summit which will review and debate current issues around calcium, vitamin D and exercise in relation to bone health. The summit aims to develop clear recommendations and an implementation plan for promotion of bone health in children and young people, adults and the elderly. If you would like to represent APNA at this summit, please submit a short statement of interest and your background to editor@apna.asn.au.

SNOMED Roadshow
This roadshow will be visiting Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth, aimed at providing information and guidance to those who are involved with or considering implementations of SNOMED CT-AU. It offers practical information, delivered by experts in the field. See the flyer for more details.

Your registration certificate now available online
Australia’s health practitioners can now print a copy of their Certificate of Registration in a new online service launched by AHPRA in July. The new service was developed in response to practitioner feedback. Since the service launched three weeks ago, more than 2000 health practitioners have gone online to print a copy of their certificate. This new service complements the hard copy Certificate of Registration which AHPRA continues to mail to all health practitioners when they renew their registration each year. More...

About AUSDRISK
The Australian type 2 diabetes risk assessment tool (AUSDRISK) is a short list of questions to help both health professionals and consumers assess the risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the next five years. AUSDRISK is endorsed and provided by the Department of Health and Ageing. Patients aged 40–49 years (or 15-54 years for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) with a ‘high’ AUSDRISK score are eligible to attend a Type 2 Diabetes Risk Evaluation by their GP. The tool is available as an online interactive template with a risk level calculator.
Download it here or email health@nationalmailing.com.au or phone 02 6269 1080 to order printed copies.

New implementation guidelines for GPs to use video consultations
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and RACGP Oxygen last Friday launched new guidelines to assist general practitioners and their practice teams to select the most appropriate operational solutions in setting up video consultations in their practice. Read full article here.

Free mental health training for communities affected by disaster
beyondblue is working with communities affected by disaster to provide free Community Support Training on mental health and wellbeing. Research suggests that the majority of people (80 to 90 per cent) affected by a disaster such as a flood, cyclone or bushfire, will recover from the experience without assistance from a mental health professional. As communities enter the recovery phase, it is important that those who do start to experience mental health problems are identified early, and given support and access to help.
The Community Support Training three hour workshops are conducted by beyondblue accredited facilitators and focus on raising awareness of risk factors for depression, anxiety and related disorders after a disaster, and providing support for promoting positive mental health and wellbeing within a community.
To find out more about a Community Training Session in your area contact Bella Burns or Katie Griffin at beyondblue on 03 9810 6100 or visit www.beyondblue.org.au.

Incontinence set to grow by almost 2 million by 2030
Commissioned by the Continence Foundation of Australia (CFA), The economic impact of incontinence in Australia has found that more than 25% (6.5 million) of individuals will be dealing with some form of incontinence by 2030. The rapid escalation reflects Australia's ageing population. Incontinence is faced by millions of Australians and more prevalent than arthritis, anxiety disorders or asthma. For those experiencing incontinence it is important to understand it is a common condition that a healthcare professional can treat. More...

New NPS enewsletter
e-learning @ NPS is a new quarterly enewsletter from the Educational Design and Support team at NPS. e-learning @ NPS is designed to keep health professionals, students and universities up to date with relevant NPS products. The digital newsletter contains news and updates about NPS online learning resources available to health professionals, NPS events, publications, new products, projects and partnerships that may be of interest to you. Subscribe here.

Problem drinking in general practice
Current issues in alcohol is the theme for the August edition of Australian Family Physician, the journal of the RACGP, and includes the following feature articles; Binge drinking, Problem drinking – detection and assessment in general practice, Problem drinking – management in general practice, Risky drinking among young Australians – causes, effects and implications for GPs, and Alcoholic liver disease – assessment and management.
All articles are available to read online.

Honorary membership of NPS – call for nominations
Do you know someone who has made an outstanding long term contribution to quality use of medicines and medical tests? In 2010 the NPS introduced this new category of membership to publicly recognise those individuals whose service and achievements in improving quality use of medicines and medical tests have been outstanding and are worthy of recognition.
Contact us for nomination info and form by emailing editor@apna.asn.au. Suggest who APNA might nominate, or if you would like APNA to support your nomination of a colleague, please submit your completed form by 5pm Wednesday 17th August.

Special rate for ASUM ultrasound conference
ASUM is the peak body for medical ultrasound in Australia and NZ
Ultrasound is used by a wide variety of medical specialists including medical imaging
specialists, medical doctors and allied health professionals. ASUM’s Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), will this year be held at the Melbourne Crown Conference Centre 8th to 11th September. As a way of welcoming professionals who have not previously attended the ASM, the Society is offering a first-timer price of $350 which includes all sessions, two workshops (depending on availability), all delegate material, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. This price includes a one year membership to ASUM.
Please note: The standard non-member registration fee is $1430 – so this represents a saving of nearly $1100 on the conference alone.
For more information please visit www.asumcongress.com.au or contact ASUM on 02 9438 2078.

Nominate the best and brightest in your workplace! Hesta are searching for the people, projects, and initiatives from Australia’s primary health care workforce deserving of recognition and reward for outstanding performance.
Make a nomination by 14 August 2011. Three great awards, endless opportunities, three amazing prizes, deserved recognition. Be part of the HESTA Primary Health Care Awards in 2011. Visit www.phcawards.com for more information.

7th Annual ADMA National Conference
Partnerships for Chronic Care: Patients, Services, Policy - 25th to 26th August, Canberra
The 2011 ADMA conference is being held in collaboration with ACT Health and will include various presentations on national policy issues, services and programs. Conference program and registration form here.