	August 2007 Newsletter Have you told your friends at work about the Nurses & Midwives e-cohort Study? Encourage them to register at www.e-cohort.net

The importance of the e-cohort study for nursing and midwifery The e-cohort longitudinal study will be the first of its kind to examine factors associated with recruitment and retention in undergraduate programs and within the nursing and midwifery professions. It will also be the first to prospectively assess musculo-skeletal disorder (MSD) prevalence and incidence within the nursing and midwifery workforce in a systematic manner, with the potential of developing and implementing cost-effective injury prevention initiatives. This collaboration between researchers with expertise in nursing and midwifery, longitudinal studies and injury epidemiology will find answers to a critical social problem. A predicted shortage of 40,000 nurses in Australia by 2010 (DEST 2002) and an estimated world wide shortfall of health workers of 4.25 million (WHO 2005) limits the capacity of health care systems to provide effective health services in the acute, community and aged care settings. Improved recruitment and retention rates are critical to managing the current workforce scarcity and for assuring there are sufficient nurses and midwives to replace the ‘baby boomer’ generation as they retire from the workforce in the next ten to fifteen years (National Review of Nursing Education, 2002). Your participation in the Nurses & Midwives e-cohort will ultimately help the government, universities and health care authorities to develop effective strategies to prevent nursing and midwifery workforce shortages that have critically damaged the operational efficiency of health care systems, particularly in regional and rural areas. The outcomes will have application across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom as well as to other health professions. DEST 2002. The Nursing Workforce 2010. DEST No. 6925.HERC02A. DEST, Canberra. National Review of Nursing Education. 2002. Our Duty of Care. Study on undergraduate attrition As part of the Nurses & Midwives e-cohort study, 10 universities across two States were asked to provide aggregate data on their Bachelor of Nursing students after the census date of 31 March 2006. Lynda Gaynor and Tamara Gallasch, Honours students in the two States collected demographic data including age range, and proportions of enrolled nurses, males, and part-time students. The results indicated that the age range of students across both states is 17 - 68 years, with just under half of the students aged over 25 years. The proportion of part-time students is higher in South Australia (22.5%) than in Queensland (9.7%). Around 12.7% of students in both States are male. Comparisons were also made between the aggregate number of eligible graduands submitted to the Queensland Nursing Council and undergraduate nursing enrolments in the preceding three years (Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre data). Retrospective analysis of the average attrition rate at Queensland universities was estimated at 24.5%. A paper providing further detail on this study has been accepted for publication in the December edition of AJAN. We will continue to analyse undergraduate data to provide up-to-date information to assist stakeholders. Caring in Aged-Care: a new sub-study of the Nurses & Midwives e-cohort study A study addressing the importance of nurse caring behaviours in the aged-care setting is about to commence. The study is being conducted by Dr Anthony Tuckett, a Registered Nurse and Senior Lecturer with the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Queensland. Karen Hughes will be assisting Anthony with the project. Anthony’s interest stems from caring for the older person in their own home and he completed his PhD exploring information-sharing amongst residents and staff in nursing-homes. “I think research like this, in aged-care, turns the spotlight onto an area of nursing that deserves much more recognition,” states Anthony. “Nurses working in aged-care are very busy, understaffed, and under stress. It's my belief this project will assist nurses, both registered and enrolled, to have a voice about what is important care”. If you work in aged-care and have registered with the e-cohort study, expect to hear from Anthony and Karen soon! Anthony is pictured here with his research officer Karen Hughes Participant Profile: Kaeleen Dingle The Sudanese are a happy, welcoming people who show great courage in the face of adversity Since she graduated from the Rockhampton Base Hospital, Kaeleen has had a varied and interesting career spaning numerous countries. During her time in New Zealand, Kaeleen got involved in the Red Cross which saw her working as a ward nurse in Juba in Southern Sudan. Here her nursing practice took on more of a public health role, with diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and cholera being widespread. Other common presentations included gunshot wounds and injuries from unexploded mines. The country itself is very poor and has experienced much conflict but Kaeleen says “The Sudanese are a happy, welcoming people who show great courage in the face of adversity” In 2003 Kaeleen visited the Philippines to undertake research for her Masters degree which focussed on the costs to families of children under five years of age with respiratory diseases. For this research Kaeleen was awarded the Australasian College of Tropical Medicine Medal. She is currently working on her PhD which is looking at depression and anxiety in those who make an early transition to adulthood. This research is nested in the Mater University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP). Kaeleen would be interested in hearing from other participants who are interested in this area of research and can be contacted at the University of Queensland. She also urges people to donate to the Red Cross NEWS from the professions Two significant publications for nursing and midwifery have been produced in the past 6 months. We've included links to them here for interest. National health training package for ENs. Final report of the N3ET (finalised December 2006, published May 2007). Upcoming conferences and events 3 and 4 September 2007 *Endocrine Nurses of Australasia Annual Symposium* Christchurch, NZ 19 to 21 September 2007 *Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses (CATSIN) 9th National Conference* Crowne Plaza HotelÂ Alice Springs NT 26 to 28 September 2007 *Big Bold and Beautiful: ACM Biennial Conference* Canberra, ACT 3 to 5 October 2007 *Australasian Nurse Educators Conference* Wellington NZ 11 to 13 October 2007 Future Directions, Future Challenges ... Beyond Tomorrow *6th International Conference for Emergency Nurses* Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Victoria 12 to 14 November 2007 Recruitment and Retention in the Health Workforce Courtyard by Marriott, Gold Coast, Qld If you attend an interesting conference, we'd be very happy to hear from you so that we can share the information with other Nursing and Midwifery e-cohort participants. Please email Lindy.	Upcoming event? If you have an event you would like to advertise in the next newsletter (due for publication in December 2007) or if you have any other suggestions for the content of this newsletter, please let us know by clicking here to send an email. Â RURAL NURSES & MIDWIVES: VOICE, VIEWS, & VALUES The Australian Rural Nurses and Midwives (ARNM) is undertaking a membership drive to hear more about the concerns of rural nurses and midwives, including enrolled nurses and other health care workers. The information provided by the workforce through this associate membership group is crucial to demonstrate to Government and policy makers that we are able to be truly representative of the views of the rural nursing and midwifery workforce and hence further cement the specialist identity of the role. To assist ARNM in collecting this information, a survey is available on-line at www.arnm.asn.au Keeping in touch! It's really important that we have current contact details for everyone. If you move house, change job, or get a new email address, please let us know by logging on to the Nurses & Midwives e-cohort website and updating your personal details. If you don't know how to do this, click here to find out, or email us for more information. Thought for the day Remember, life is measured not by the amount of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. (Ms Susan Alberti) Study Timeline 2006 * Study commences - recruitment of participants * Regulatory authorities and professional associations contacted for assistance in disseminating invitations to participate to all registrants in 3 countries 2007 * Recruitment continues * Planning for future surveys and publications * Data cleaning and early analysis of baseline survey data 2008 * First papers from baseline data written * Second year survey(s) of participants * Analysis of second year survey(s) and longitudinal trends 2009 * Papers reporting trends identified via baseline and subsequent surveys written * Third year survey(s) of participants * Analysis of third year survey(s) and longitudinal trends 2010 * Papers reporting trends evident from all surveys to date written * Fourth year survey(s) of participants * Analysis of fourth year survey(s) and longitudinal trends Participant's Poem Submitted by Colin Mee in response to e-cohort birthday wishes. Oh yes my birthday You are so sweet Been rushing round On nursing feet Don't the patients Know it's my special day Couldn't for once They throw their bells away So why am I working I hear you ask Why not feet up at home Away from nursing task Forgot to bribe My dear boss So patients gain And me the loss Oops now I'm rambling From exhausted brain Bell has rung And someone's in pain So better go But thank you most kind Will be here next year I'm sure you'll find. New midwifery model in Queensland rural town Goondiwindi Health Services (GHS) are introducing a new model of maternity care in response to identified needs. Midwives will work within the new Goondiwindi Midwifery Group Practice (GMGP). Antenatal and Postnatal l education will be women-focused, community orientated and culturally relevant for Indigenous women. Â Women can expect to know their midwife all the way through pregnancy, birth and post-natally. For further information please contact: Rukhsana Aziz Maternity Services Project Officer Goondiwindi Health Services

August 2007 Newsletter

Have you told your friends at work about the Nurses & Midwives e-cohort Study? Encourage them to register at www.e-cohort.net

The importance of the e-cohort study for nursing and midwifery

The e-cohort longitudinal study will be the first of its kind to examine factors associated with recruitment and retention in undergraduate programs and within the nursing and midwifery professions. It will also be the first to prospectively assess musculo-skeletal disorder (MSD) prevalence and incidence within the nursing and midwifery workforce in a systematic manner, with the potential of developing and implementing cost-effective injury prevention initiatives. This collaboration between researchers with expertise in nursing and midwifery, longitudinal studies and injury epidemiology will find answers to a critical social problem.

A predicted shortage of 40,000 nurses in Australia by 2010 (DEST 2002) and an estimated world wide shortfall of health workers of 4.25 million (WHO 2005) limits the capacity of health care systems to provide effective health services in the acute, community and aged care settings. Improved recruitment and retention rates are critical to managing the current workforce scarcity and for assuring there are sufficient nurses and midwives to replace the ‘baby boomer’ generation as they retire from the workforce in the next ten to fifteen years (National Review of Nursing Education, 2002).

Your participation in the Nurses & Midwives e-cohort will ultimately help the government, universities and health care authorities to develop effective strategies to prevent nursing and midwifery workforce shortages that have critically damaged the operational efficiency of health care systems, particularly in regional and rural areas. The outcomes will have application across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom as well as to other health professions.

DEST 2002. The Nursing Workforce 2010. DEST No. 6925.HERC02A. DEST, Canberra.

National Review of Nursing Education. 2002. Our Duty of Care.

Study on undergraduate attrition

As part of the Nurses & Midwives e-cohort study, 10 universities across two States were asked to provide aggregate data on their Bachelor of Nursing students after the census date of 31 March 2006. Lynda Gaynor and Tamara Gallasch, Honours students in the two States collected demographic data including age range, and proportions of enrolled nurses, males, and part-time students. The results indicated that the age range of students across both states is 17 - 68 years, with just under half of the students aged over 25 years. The proportion of part-time students is higher in South Australia (22.5%) than in Queensland (9.7%). Around 12.7% of students in both States are male.

Comparisons were also made between the aggregate number of eligible graduands submitted to the Queensland Nursing Council and undergraduate nursing enrolments in the preceding three years (Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre data). Retrospective analysis of the average attrition rate at Queensland universities was estimated at 24.5%. A paper providing further detail on this study has been accepted for publication in the December edition of AJAN. We will continue to analyse undergraduate data to provide up-to-date information to assist stakeholders.

Caring in Aged-Care: a new sub-study of the Nurses & Midwives e-cohort study

A study addressing the importance of nurse caring behaviours in the aged-care setting is about to commence. The study is being conducted by Dr Anthony Tuckett, a Registered Nurse and Senior Lecturer with the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Queensland. Karen Hughes will be assisting Anthony with the project.

Anthony’s interest stems from caring for the older person in their own home and he completed his PhD exploring information-sharing amongst residents and staff in nursing-homes.

“I think research like this, in aged-care, turns the spotlight onto an area of nursing that deserves much more recognition,” states Anthony. “Nurses working in aged-care are very busy, understaffed, and under stress. It's my belief this project will assist nurses, both registered and enrolled, to have a voice about what is important care”. If you work in aged-care and have registered with the e-cohort study, expect to hear from Anthony and Karen soon!

Anthony is pictured here with his research officer Karen Hughes

Participant Profile: Kaeleen Dingle

The Sudanese are a happy, welcoming people who show great

courage in the face of adversity

Since she graduated from the Rockhampton Base Hospital, Kaeleen has had a varied and interesting career spaning numerous countries. During her time in New Zealand, Kaeleen got involved in the Red Cross which saw her working as a ward nurse in Juba in Southern Sudan. Here her nursing practice took on more of a public health role, with diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and cholera being widespread. Other common presentations included gunshot wounds and injuries from unexploded mines. The country itself is very poor and has experienced much conflict but Kaeleen says “The Sudanese are a happy, welcoming people who show great courage in the face of adversity”

In 2003 Kaeleen visited the Philippines to undertake research for her Masters degree which focussed on the costs to families of children under five years of age with respiratory diseases. For this research Kaeleen was awarded the Australasian College of Tropical Medicine Medal. She is currently working on her PhD which is looking at depression and anxiety in those who make an early transition to adulthood. This research is nested in the Mater University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP). Kaeleen would be interested in hearing from other participants who are interested in this area of research and can be contacted at the University of Queensland. She also urges people to donate to the Red Cross

NEWS from the professions

Two significant publications for nursing and midwifery have been produced in the past 6 months. We've included links to them here for interest.

National health training package for ENs.

Final report of the N3ET (finalised December 2006, published May 2007).

Upcoming conferences and events

3 and 4 September 2007

Endocrine Nurses of Australasia Annual Symposium

Christchurch, NZ

19 to 21 September 2007

Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses (CATSIN) 9th National Conference

Crowne Plaza HotelÂ Alice Springs NT

26 to 28 September 2007

Big Bold and Beautiful: ACM Biennial Conference

Canberra, ACT

3 to 5 October 2007

Australasian Nurse Educators Conference

Wellington NZ

11 to 13 October 2007

Future Directions, Future Challenges ... Beyond Tomorrow
6th International Conference for Emergency Nurses

Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Victoria

12 to 14 November 2007

Recruitment and Retention in the Health Workforce

Courtyard by Marriott, Gold Coast, Qld

If you attend an interesting conference, we'd be very happy to hear from you so that we can share the information with other Nursing and Midwifery e-cohort participants.

Please email Lindy.

Upcoming event?

If you have an event you would like to advertise in the next newsletter (due for publication in December 2007) or if you have any other suggestions for the content of this newsletter, please let us know by clicking here to send an email.

Â RURAL NURSES & MIDWIVES: VOICE, VIEWS, & VALUES

The Australian Rural Nurses and Midwives (ARNM) is undertaking a membership drive to hear more about the concerns of rural nurses and midwives, including enrolled nurses and other health care workers. The information provided by the workforce through this associate membership group is crucial to demonstrate to Government and policy makers that we are able to be truly representative of the views of the rural nursing and midwifery workforce and hence further cement the specialist identity of the role. To assist ARNM in collecting this information, a survey is available on-line at www.arnm.asn.au

Keeping in touch!

It's really important that we have current contact details for everyone. If you move house, change job, or get a new email address, please let us know by logging on to the Nurses & Midwives e-cohort website and updating your personal details. If you don't know how to do this, click here to find out, or email us for more information.

Thought for the day

Remember, life is measured not by the amount of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. (Ms Susan Alberti)

Study Timeline

2006

* Study commences - recruitment of participants

* Regulatory authorities and professional associations contacted for assistance in disseminating invitations to participate to all registrants in 3 countries

2007

* Recruitment continues

* Planning for future surveys and publications

* Data cleaning and early analysis of baseline survey data

2008

* First papers from baseline data written

* Second year survey(s) of participants

* Analysis of second year survey(s) and longitudinal trends

2009

* Papers reporting trends identified via baseline and subsequent surveys written

* Third year survey(s) of participants

* Analysis of third year survey(s) and longitudinal trends

2010

* Papers reporting trends evident from all surveys to date written

* Fourth year survey(s) of participants

* Analysis of fourth year survey(s) and longitudinal trends

Participant's Poem

Submitted by Colin Mee

in response to e-cohort birthday wishes.

Oh yes my birthday

You are so sweet

Been rushing round

On nursing feet

Don't the patients

Know it's my special day

Couldn't for once

They throw their bells away

So why am I working

I hear you ask

Why not feet up at home

Away from nursing task

Forgot to bribe

My dear boss

So patients gain

And me the loss

Oops now I'm rambling

From exhausted brain

Bell has rung

And someone's in pain

So better go

But thank you most kind

Will be here next year

I'm sure you'll find.

New midwifery model in Queensland rural town

Goondiwindi Health Services (GHS) are introducing a new model of maternity care in response to identified needs.

Midwives will work within the new Goondiwindi Midwifery Group Practice (GMGP). Antenatal and Postnatal l education will be women-focused, community orientated and culturally relevant for Indigenous women. Â Women can expect to know their midwife all the way through pregnancy, birth and post-natally.

For further information please contact:

Rukhsana Aziz

Maternity Services Project Officer

Goondiwindi Health Services