Katie Attwell, The University of Western Australia and Jessica Kaufman, Murdoch Children's Research Institute Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the first ...
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Getting more men into nursing means a rethink of gender roles, pay and recognition. But we need them urgently
Patricia Davidson, University of Wollongong; Caleb Ferguson, University of Wollongong, and Jason Farley, Johns Hopkins University Demand for health care is soaring as the population ages, medical treatments become more widely available and more people live with chronic and complex ...
More »It can be tough getting a GP appointment. Nurse practitioners could take some of the load
Australians are living longer than ever. But these extra years of life come with higher rates of long-term and complex conditions and greater health care needs. The government wants to improve Australians’ access to primary care services. These services would ...
More »Dogs: vicious animal or valuable asset?
As a trauma nurse for more than a decade, I have seen some horrendous injuries caused by dog bites. These have been distressing for the child, families and indeed the staff involved. Much needs to be done to reduce the ...
More »What the budget means for our health and aged care sectors – five ideas to start reform: opinion
After the challenges of funding significant spending on COVID-19, 2021’s $17.7bn aged care reform package and the additional $2.1bn for mental health, it was not unreasonable to expect that 2022’s pre-election budget would be less exciting for health than previous ...
More »Governments must address critical care nursing shortages
With the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting the shortage of nurses, including critical care nursing, governments need to act now to implement measures to ensure there are enough nurses in hospitals to supply quality healthcare and avoid poor patient outcomes. The reasons ...
More »When too much is barely enough: opinion
‘When too much sport is barely enough’ is a much loved satirical credo made famous by the Australian sports comedians Roy Slaven and HG Nelson as they send up obsessed Australian sports fanatics. Something eerily similar seems applicable to the eight ...
More »Why aged care residents with COVID-19 should be transferred to hospital: opinion
More than a third of care residents who have contracted COVID-19 have died.[1] That’s more than 36 times higher than the rest of Australia’s population.If COVID-19 was tearing through schools or workplaces in such numbers there would be uproar and a call for ...
More »Is there an alternative future for aged care?
The coronavirus has been described as a cunning and invisible enemy by virologists and politicians. They should know what it takes! As its genetic code compels it to continually reproduce to survive, the virus effectively seeks out whatever opportunity it ...
More »Beyond COVID-19: How can we prepare the nursing workforce for the new reality?
As a former nurse, it breaks my heart to know that more than 600 nurses have lost their lives fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past month, as part of the Future of Healthcare webinar series, I have spoken to ...
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