Does nurses' role, health or symptoms influence their personal use of ingestible complementary and alternative medicines?

Objectives: To investigate the influence of work-related characteristics, health, health behaviours and symptoms on ingestible biologically-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use within the Australian nursing and midwifery workforce.

Background: CAM use is widespread worldwide, but there is little research into nurses' and midwives' personal use of ingestible CAM in Australia.

Methods: An online survey in 2014-15 used validated instruments and items to examine use of ingestible biologically-based CAM (herbs, foods and vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and other supplements), and the health and work-related characteristics of 5041 nurses and midwives recruited through the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association and professional networks.

Changes to nurses' practice environment over time.

Aims: To examine changes in the nursing practice environment, retention-related factors, unit stability and patient care tasks delayed or left undone, over two periods between 2004 and 2013.

Background: Positive nurse practice environments have been linked to nurse retention and care quality outcomes.

Methods: The collection of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, job satisfaction, intent to leave, unit instability and tasks delayed or not done at six acute-care hospitals across three Australian states, in two waves between 2004 and 2013; results from the two waves are compared.

The rate and cost of nurse turnover in Australia.

Nurse turnover is a critical issue facing workforce planners across the globe, particularly in light of protracted and continuing workforce shortages. An ageing population coupled with the rise in complex and chronic diseases, have contributed to increased demands placed on the health system and importantly, nurses who themselves are ageing. Costs associated with nurse turnover are attracting more attention; however, existing measurements of turnover show inconsistent findings, which can be attributed to differences in study design, metrics used to calculate turnover and variations in definitions for turnover.

Regulated and unregulated nurses in the acute hospital setting: Tasks performed, delayed or not completed.

Aims: Investigate the number and type of tasks performed, delayed or not completed by regulated and unregulated (assistant) nurses.

Background: Assistants in Nursing change the work environment of the nurses with whom they work. As the number of Assistants in Nursing working on acute units grows, it is important to understand how their presence influences nursing care.

Why older nurses leave the workforce and the implications of them staying.

Aims And Objectives: To identify factors that motivate older nurses to leave the workforce.

Background: As many older nurses are now reaching retirement age and will be eligible for government-funded pensions, governments are concerned about the impending financial burden. To prepare for this scenario, many are looking at increasing the age of retirement to 67 or 70 years.

Instability in patient and nurse characteristics, unit complexity and patient and system outcomes.

Aims: To explore key factors related to nursing unit instability, complexity and patient and system outcomes.

Background: The relationship between nurse staffing and quality of patient outcomes is well known. The nursing unit is an important but different aspect that links to complexity and to system and patient outcomes.

Why do older RNs keep working?

Objective: To identify the reasons older RNs (≥45 years) remain in the healthcare workforce.

Background: Despite predictions of early retirements of older nurses, many continue to work past the age when they can gain access to their retirement funds.

Methods: The authors surveyed nurses older than 45 years in New South Wales, Australia.

A comparative review of nurse turnover rates and costs across countries.

Aims: To compare nurse turnover rates and costs from four studies in four countries (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) that have used the same costing methodology; the original Nursing Turnover Cost Calculation Methodology.

Background: Measuring and comparing the costs and rates of turnover is difficult because of differences in definitions and methodologies.

Design: Comparative review.

The Use of Unregulated Staff: Time for Regulation?

Internationally, shortages in the nursing workforce, escalating patient demands, and financial constraints within the health system have led to the growth of unlicensed nursing support workers. Recently, in relation to the largest publicly funded health system (National Health Service), it was reported that extensive substitution of registered nurses with unskilled nursing support workers resulted in inadequate patient care, increased morbidity and mortality rates, and negative nurse outcomes. We argue that it is timely to consider regulation of nursing support workers with their role and scope of practice clearly defined.