Nurse practitioners (NPs) and advance practice nurses (APNs) are the lifeblood of health systems across the globe. However, models of care and legislation that set the boundaries of the APN and NP role differ considerably. Nurse practitioners (NPs) and advance ...

Extra hospital and nursing home beds alone won't improve health care, according to the nursing profession. More beds without more nurses makes no sense and will do nothing to improve the health of the aging population. But it could make ...

Study finds interrupting nurses while they are tending to patients’ medication needs increases the chances of error. Nurses could soon be seen walking the wards wearing “do not disturb” signs to cut down on the number of interruptions while trying ...

New standards have been developed to better prepare nurses and midwives on child protection, reports Annie May. A nurse for more than eight years, Kate* would struggle to put a number to the lives she has helped save or make ...

What is the best available evidence regarding preoperative evaluation and preventive measures to control surgical site infection? Clinical bottom line Surgical site infection (SSI) is a serious complication of surgery and may be associated with increased length of hospital stay ...

Preparing for another wave of H1N1 influenza is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of infection control, writes Judy Forest. As we move into flu season, those working within the residential care sector must be prepared for ...

Healthcare workers are more likely to become infected with influenza than members of the general population, yet vaccination rates among staff remains low. Annie May reports. Experts are calling for a mandatory signed declaration for all staff refusing the flu ...

What is the best available evidence regarding the effectiveness of examining the umbilicus of an infant? Clinical bottom line The umbilicus represents a significant portal of infection into the body of an infant, especially within the healing period of the ...

There is an urgent need to reduce the burden of mental illness in Australia’s indigenous communities, reports Annie May. Mental disorders are the second leading cause of disease burden among Australia’s indigenous people after cardiovascular disease. Yet indigenous people do ...

Isolating extremely unwell psychiatric patients remains a common practice despite being seen as a measure of last resort. Genevieve Costigan reports on a project that has seen it significantly reduced. A pilot project in an inner city Melbourne hospital has seen ...