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APNA’s Aged Care Student Nurse Placement Program
Australia is facing a shortfall of registered nurses (RNs) in aged care. One way to address this challenge is to inspire student nurses at the start of their careers to choose to work in this exciting sector over other settings. APNA is doing just that through our Aged Care Student Nurse Placement Program, funded by the Australian Government.
APNA steams ahead with its advocacy work
As 2023 draws to an end, it’s time to reflect on a busy year at APNA and to celebrate the dedication of all primary health care nurses, whose work supports the health and wellbeing of our communities.
APNA’s Workforce Survey - The times they are a’ changing
Primary health care (PHC) nurses are finally finding their voice. APNA’s Workforce Survey is being heard in all the right places. Things will never be the same again.
Momentum is building – but more progress to come
2023 has been a significant year for primary health care nurses, and for APNA.
Transition to Practice goes global
Picture this: I am sitting at my desk checking my emails and am surprised to spot one from the World Health Organization. I open it to find that APNA has been invited to speak at an international conference on primary health care (PHC) policy and practice being held in Kazakstan. My heart is racing. It's not every day that an opportunity such as this presents itself!
Empower your patients to build healthier habits
Most people know they need to move more, eat better and sleep well to improve their health, but taking the first steps to change these behaviours can be challenging. The RACGP Healthy Habits program can help health care professionals support patients looking to create and sustain these positive lifestyle changes.
Culturally safe sharing of knowledge
Early interventions lead to better outcomes for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the ‘Culturally Safe Sharing of Knowledge’ Nurse Clinic in Darwin was established when local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members asked for more information to be shared with them so that their families could also learn more about CKD, management and prevention at a much earlier stage.
Nursing and the law - How to protect yourself
What happens if a nurse’s mistake at work causes a catastrophic outcome for a patient? Are they likely to lose their registration to practice? Every nurse should understand their ethical and legal obligations, for their own safety and for the safety of their patients.
Diabetes in Australia and how primary health care nurses can help
Diabetes is impacting millions of lives across Australia. At some point in their careers, most primary health care (PHC) nurses will be required to provide diabetes care and manage the disease’s impact on patients and their families. APNA is working with the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care to help build workforce capacity in PHC through the Nursing in Primary Health Care (NiPHC) program to ensure PHC nurses have opportunities to broaden their skills to make an impact on population health outcomes. Find out how you can expand your scope of practice and help to reduce the impact of one of the 5 priority areas – diabetes.
APNA Supports Singapore Study Tour
Fellow APNA staff member Rebekah Cox (Transition to Practice Program Coordinator) and I travelled to Singapore for 15 days in June 2023. We travelled with 54 nursing, occupational therapy and design undergraduate students and seven academic staff from Federation University Australia, Monash University, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the University of Canberra.
The future of PHC nursing - Nurses as the champions of change
With all the recommendations of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce (SMT) accepted by the Commonwealth Government, will primary health care (PHC) nurses finally see meaningful change? Will they soon get a chance to work to their full scope of practice in multidisciplinary teams to provide world-class patient-centred care? In the third article in our series that looks to the profession’s future, we ask three advocates of multidisciplinary PHC what they think.
Disability advocacy - Standing up for the choices and rights of people with disability
The National Centre for Disability Advocacy (NCDA) was established in 2022 to provide resources and support for disability advocates across Australia. Funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Social Services, the NCDA supports a network of 60 organisations that deliver independent advocacy to people with disability. We encourage primary health care teams to learn about the disability advocacy services that are available, so that they can share this information with patients who may benefit.
Break a leg – Not good luck if it’s osteoporosis!
Primary health care (PHC) nurses can play an important role in supporting patients with osteoporosis to manage their condition. More importantly, if they are aware of all the risk factors associated with osteoporosis, PHC nurses can assist with preventative measures to help their patients avoid fractures and poor bone health.
Shining lights of primary health care nursing
A nurse who has spent decades bringing high-quality, community-led health care to remote-area Indigenous Australians and a social scientist and nursing professor who has fundamentally changed the way primary health care (PHC) nurses provide vaccinations have both been recognised for their monumental contributions to PHC nursing in Australia.
Evacuation planning - How to help vulnerable people prepare for natural disasters
Australia is in for a long, hot summer and the risks associated with climate change include increased heatwaves and bushfires. Climate Action Nurses has created a series of Evacuation Planning Checklists to share with individuals and communities so that vulnerable people and their carers can prepare and stay safe during an emergency situation.
Highlights from the 2023 APNA Festival of Nursing
The 2023 Festival of Nursing ran in late July and left a trail of inspiration, knowledge and renewed passion in its wake. The new-look national conference format, hosted by APNA, was a resounding success, attracting nurses from across the nation to Perth. Attendees were treated to a jam-packed 3 days of education, motivation and networking opportunities that left them invigorated and better equipped to face the challenges of the profession.
