Nursing & Midwifery News – April 2025

From Shane

We all know someone that inspires us and who really makes a huge difference – we are surrounded by incredible people at Western Health! These people demonstrate a deep commitment and sense of purpose, and it is important that we recognise and celebrate them. Nominations for our annual Inspire Awards are currently open and are an excellent opportunity to recognise our very own super-stars and let them know just how much they are appreciated. I encourage you take some time to nominate that special person, people or team prior to 11 April, ahead of the ceremony later this year.

Our nurses and midwives are integral to continuous quality improvement occurring in our clinical departments. If you are a point-of-care nurse or midwife who has played an active role leading a quality improvement initiative within your ward or department, I encourage you to apply for a Joy Turner Memorial Scholarship. There are 5 scholarships of up to $2,000 to support you to attend any health-related conference of your choosing.

It’s hard to believe, but registration season is here again! I encourage you to renew your registration as soon as possible. This year Ahpra have updated their system, so you will need to set up a new portal account using an updated online renewal form and verify your identity via an online biometric identity verification service.

The Safe Patient Care Amendment Bill 2025 is up to the final stage of making its way through the Victorian Parliament. It has passed the Legislative Assembly and is up to the third reading in the Legislative Council. After this stage, if it is passed the Bill will go on to become law. This is expected to occur early in April 2025, and we have plans in place to ensure that we are in a good place to meet these new requirements as quickly as possible once the Bill is passed.

There are a number of important updates in this month’s edition. The Novo Nordisk insulin product changes will impact on many of our patients and may cause some uncertainty, so there is information on what you can do to support your patients to continue to have unimpeded access to an appropriate and comparable insulin as produces are discontinued. Unfortunately, too many of our staff are involved in sharps and exposure incidents each month, so there is a reminder about sharps safety and the things you can do to keep yourself safe. There is also some information about measles, how to ‘spot’ it and put appropriate isolation in place early, as there has been an unusually high number of Victorian measles cases this year.

A huge thank you to you all for your understanding and support through the recent Therapeutic Goods Administration quarantine event for a number of our regularly used alcohol and chlorhexidine products. This was a large and complex quarantine event, and the adaptability, resilience and tenacity of our nurses, midwives and other staff was outstanding. Thankfully the quarantine was lifted fairly quickly after testing determined that the risk of contamination of these products is very low. Whilst this didn’t last long, it was a good test of our capacity to manage a major recall event, and I was truly impressed with the way the Western Health team responded.

Finally, you may notice in the email signatures of the Directors of Nursing & Midwifery and other senior nurses and midwives that there is now a statement that provides a link if you have a professional nursing or midwifery query or matter that you wish to discuss. This has also been included on the Nursing & Midwifery site as well. When you click the link, it allows your query to be triaged and someone on the team will get back to you quickly to provide a response and support as required.

Shane Crowe
Executive Director, Nursing & Midwifery

Introducing TEAMs Working Together

Mental Health Enterprise Agreement update

New Bill to change the Safe Patient Care Act

The Safe Patient Care (Nurse to Patient and Midwife to Patient Ratios) Amendment Bill 2025 to make amendments to the Safe Patient Care Act 2015 has passed through the Legislative Assembly and has had the second reading in the Legislative Council. After the third reading in the Legislative Council, if it is passed the Bill will go on to become law. This is expected to occur early in April 2025.

The Bill proposes amendments to the Act that introduce new ratios requiring:

• 1:1 nurse to occupied bed ratio in ICUs on all shifts for all Level 1 and 2 hospitals
• the introduction of team leader roles and liaison nurse roles in ICUs
• improved staffing ratios in resuscitation cubicles in EDs on morning shifts, bringing morning shifts in line with afternoon and night shifts
• 1:4 midwife to patient ratios in postnatal and antenatal wards on night shifts, down from 1:6
• an in-charge nurse on night shifts in standalone High Dependency Units and Coronary Care Units

There is a proposed implementation period that allows health services to gradually implement the new ratios whilst recruitment is undertaken. The Bill specifies that the new ratios will be rolled out in a staged process comprised of three tranches:

• Tranche 1: 25% of amendments being implemented the day the Amendment Act becomes law
• Tranche 2: 75% from 1 December 2025
• Tranche 3: 100% from 1 July 2026 and ongoing.

During this period health services will be exempt from the local dispute resolution process for any breaches of the new ratios for a period of 8 months for the first tranche (i.e. 25%) and 7 months for the second tranche (i.e. 75%).

Once the Bill is passed, Western Health will undertake recruitment as quickly as possible, and we already have the new ratios in place in ICU and our EDs. Realistically it may take some time due to the very-real workforce shortages of midwives across the sector. The good news is that as we do not have significant shortfall of midwives currently, which this will help with supporting implementation as early as possible.

Changes to Ahpra registration renewal portal

Ahpra has recently changed their operating system, and this year you will notice differences in how it works when you come to renew your registration.

Nurses and midwives renewing their registration online, including limited and provisional renewals, will need to set up a new Ahpra portal account using an improved online renewal form. You will need to verify your identity via an online biometric identity verification service.

You will need to move your existing Ahpra account to the new Ahpra portal before you can renew.

Give yourself plenty of time by setting up your new Ahpra portal now.

Once logged into your new online portal, you will be able to access all the current services available to you – however it will look different and will have improved functionality. Services include renewing registration, updating personal details, checking registration status, uploading documents and the ability to track and online application for registration.

New ‘smart forms’ will make it easier and quicker to navigate the application process, showing only questions relevant to your situation.

Hot tips

• Have your Ahpra username and password ready (check last year’s renewal reminder if you’re not sure what your username is)
• Download Google Authenticator to your mobile phone – it’s available for Apple and Android phones
• Use a laptop or desktop computer to set up your Ahpra portal, as the portal is designed for a larger screen
• Have your mobile phone with you every time you log in to your Ahpra portal. You need it for multifactor authentication.

Once your portal is set up, you’ll be ready to renew. Look out for your invitation to renew coming soon.

Watch the how-to video to set yourself up on the new portal or access the Ahpra online help centre for help if you are having any issues navigating the new system.

Flu Vaccinations coming soon

Novo Nordisk Insulin Product Changes

Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk is in the process of discontinuing the following insulin products:

• Mixtard 30 InnoLet and Penfill (insulin neutral + insulin isophane 30/70) – Discontinued
• Fiasp vials (faster-acting insulin aspart) – Discontinued
• Ryzodeg FlexTouch (insulin degludec + insulin aspart 70/30) – Discontinued
• Protaphane InnoLet (insulin isophane) – Discontinued
• Fiasp FlexTouch (faster-acting insulin aspart) – Discontinued
• Protaphane Penfill (insulin isophane) – to be discontinued December 2026
• Levemir FlexPen and Penfill (insulin detemir) – to be discontinued December 2026
• Actrapid Penfill (insulin neutral) – to be discontinued December 2026

The discontinuation does not relate to any concerns regarding product safety, quality or effectiveness.

Pharmacy and Endocrinology have updated quick reference guide (QRG) on the insulin changes and suggested alternatives. The QRG is also available on the Pharmacy Department SharePoint page (Insulin Changeover QRG) and will be updated as more information comes to hand.

Actions for nurses and midwives:

If patients are ordered insulin products that have been discontinued, notify the treating team for review.

If patients are using InnoLet devices at home, refer to a Diabetes Nurse Educator (DNE) for review by submitting a ‘Diabetes Nurse Educator (DNE) IP Referral’.

As stock is depleted, insulin products available on imprest will change.

Due to product availability, the organisation is required to revert to using cartridges/vials with a 50 unit insulin syringe for administration of some insulins such as Protaphane and Ryzodeg (rather than using pre-filled pens with a BD Autoshield pen needle). Refer to the Insulin Prescription, Supply, Storage and Administration Procedure for more information on insulin administration.

Western Health takes out Pride in Health & Wellbeing Award

Western Health recently received the LGBTQ+ Inclusive Innovation Award and Bronze Tier Service Provider Recognition at the Pride in Health & Wellbeing 2025 awards.

Western Health’s Gender, Sex and Sexuality Project team initiated a gathering of consumers, LGBTIQA+ workforce, allies and specialist organisations with the vision of a more inclusive and safe health care system for LGBTIQA+ consumers and workforce in Victoria. The event was an overwhelming success; the passion for improvement in this work was palpable in the room and the ongoing connections have already seen improvement activities start to flow. The Symposium event set the foundation for ongoing collaboration between mainstream and specialist organisations whilst establishing the need for strong policy direction to support his work. We are really proud of what we created and the impact it will have for the Victorian LGBTIQA+ community as a foundation for more equitable health care.

It has been a huge team effort over the past 12-18 months to achieve these improvements, and the tireless work and commitment really demonstrates the team’s and Western Health’s commitment to improving inclusion for our LGBTIQA+ consumers and workforce.

Many thanks to our allies and supporters outside the immediate project team, and of course to the team doing the work; your passion for inclusion and safety for our diverse communities is second to none!

Boost your cultural awareness

At Western Health, we recognise the crucial role cultural awareness training plays in improving equitable healthcare for First Nations people. As part of our Cultural Safety Plan, we have set a target of 100% staff completion by July 2025, but we are currently well below this goal (sitting at 37%).

You can also complete our cultural awareness training on WeLearn to improve your understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and successes.

We strongly encourage all staff who have yet to complete their training to undertake this over the coming weeks. It will become a mandatory requirement soon, so good to get a head start! Let’s work together to build a more culturally safe and inclusive healthcare environment.

Recognise someone that inspires you

The Inspire Awards recognise and celebrate those employees and volunteers who foster a positive workplace at Western Health and whose actions inspire others to live our values.  They enable us to recognise and promote some of the great work being done by our employees and volunteers.

How to nominate

• Visit the Inspire Award page and complete a form before 11 April 2025.

Completing your nomination

Please take a moment to describe how the individual or team you are nominating has positively impacted your experience. or the experiences of others.

Provide examples of how they fostered a positive workplace at Western Health and demonstrated our values: Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence and Safety (CARES) in their work.

Only nominations that address a minimum of three of the values will be considered.

Please be aware that we may share what you say in your nomination as part of the award presentation process, however, your identity as the nominator is kept confidential.

Nominations close on 11 April 2025.

If you have any questions about the Inspire Awards please email [email protected]

Evaluation of recognition and escalation of patient deterioration

Western Health is implementing a new program to support nurses and midwives with the early recognition and escalation of patient deterioration.

All Western Health nurses and midwives are invited to take part in a study which aims to evaluate the knowledge and cultural barriers for nurses and midwives in recognising and escalating patient deterioration at Western Health.

What are we asking you to do?

Using REDCap, we will ask you to complete a survey on three occasions: baseline, 6-months and 12-months. Data to be collected will include demographic information, attitudes and perceptions of patient deterioration and the Rapid Response System. This is a short survey which should take 10 minutes to complete.

We do not anticipate any risks associated with your participation, which is entirely voluntary.

What will happen to the results?

The results of this project will inform the education program “Don’t Wait 2 Escalate”. Findings will be presented as grouped data at academic conferences and informal organisational forums (e.g., Research Week). Data may also be published in peer-reviewed academic journals.

Who can I contact for more information?

If you wish to obtain further information about the study, please contact:

Name: Ms Eleni Kosmidis
Telephone: 0435 190 519
Email: [email protected]

What should you do if you wish to participate?

If you wish to participate, please read the Participation Information Form, and provide a response to this link.

Let's get to the point - Sharps Safety begins with you

Western Health has seen a concerning rise in the number of preventable occupational exposure injuries each year.  Between March 2021 and March 2025, 721 injuries were reported. A sharp rise in injuries was seen in 2024 compared to previous years with 239 workers injured in comparison to 118 in 2021. To date 42 injuries have already been reported for 2025.

On average 180 workers are being injured each year, equating to 15 every month.

Injuries occur through needlesticks or cuts from other sharp instruments contaminated with infected blood (including blood-contaminated saliva) or when infected blood from a patient comes in contact with the eyes, nose, mouth, or broken skin of a health care worker.  Workers are commonly injured during use and disposal of sharps, cleaning instruments and when handling linen soiled with blood and body substances.

Who’s being in injured?

• 55% Nurses and midwives (393 injuries)
• 39% Doctors (278 injuries)
• 2.5% Cleaners, PSAs and Theatre Techs
• Other work groups including allied health (n=6), dentists (n=7), CSSD techs (n=4)

Types of Injuries

• 80% Sharps (578 injuries)
• 19% Splashes (138 injuries) 86 workers (62%) were not wearing correct PPE
• <1% Bites (5 injuries)

The top 5 locations injuries occurred

1. Operating Theatre – 24% (175 injuries)
2. ED – 18% (130 injuries)
3. Medical Wards – 10% (72 injuries)
4. Birthing Suite – 8% (60 injuries)
5. Surgical Wards – 5% (39 injuries)

Why it matters

Healthcare personnel are at risk for occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens that can cause diseases. These include hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

After an exposure injury occurs, there is substantial personal cost to the individual and financial cost to the health service.

What you need to do to reduce the risk

• Ensure you use a safety engineered devices in the delivery of patient care.
• Never recap sharps.
• Dispose sharps immediately at point of care into a rigid sharps waste bin, don’t overfill or empty sharps containers.
• Ensure safe handling and disposal of clinical waste, don’t compress or hold rubbish bags close to the body.
• Encourage patients to self-inject (e.g. diabetic patients) wherever possible.
• Wear correct PPE when undertaking procedures with risk of splash or spray.
• Reduce hand to hand passing of sharps in surgical settings. Use a ‘neutral zone’ for transfer of devices (22% of injuries in the operative setting are reported to occur when handing or receiving an instrument)
• Health Care Workers who perform exposure prone procedure (EPPs) must be tested at least every three years for blood born viruses
• Raise awareness of injuries by tabling incidents from your area for discussion.

What do you do if you’re injured?

If you experience a needlestick, cut yourself with a sharp instrument, or are exposed to the blood or another body fluid of a patient, immediately follow these steps:

• Wash the site of the needlestick or cut with soap and water.
• Flush splashes to the nose, mouth, or skin with water.
• Irrigate eyes with clean water or saline.
• Report the incident to your supervisor.
• Immediately seek medical evaluation from a qualified health care professional who will assess your risk and obtain consent for testing to be done. The results of your tests are protected under privacy legislation, information is held securely and is not made public.

Contact Infection Prevention if you’d like to discuss how to establish a local action plan, have any questions or would like further information.

Be alert to measles risk to prevent transmission

Measles is a highly infectious illness with a risk of serious complications.

There has been an unusually high number of Victorian measles cases this year, with infections in overseas travellers and now recent local transmission in the western suburbs of Melbourne.

Any adult born since 1966 who is not sure they have received two measles-containing vaccines is at risk. This is surprisingly common in the cohort of people born between 1966 and 1992. Infants under 12 months who have not yet had their first MMR vaccine are also at higher risk.

Presentation may vary, particularly in partially vaccinated people. Initial symptoms typically include cough, coryza (runny nose) or conjunctivitis (the “three Cs”). A downward spreading rash usually follows, with a fever often present at the time of rash onset.

Measles should be considered in patients presenting with fever and rash, especially if they have not had two measles-containing vaccines or have recently travelled overseas. Prompt action should be taken to implement airborne precautions – ensure the patient dons an N95 mask and is isolated.

Notify the Infection Prevention team of anybody that is suspected or tested for measles. Clinicians should also notify the Western Public Health Unit promptly on 1800 497 111.

Antenatal Indicator Added to AIR (Australian Immunisation Register)

Maternal immunisation is critical in protecting pregnant women and their babies from serious illness and severe complications from vaccine preventable diseases.

From 1 March 2025 legislative changes mean it will be mandatory for all vaccination providers to report to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) information about whether an individual was pregnant at the time of vaccine administration. This includes vaccinations for COVID-19, seasonal influenza, vaccinations given under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) or for travel.

What does this mean for me?

• Women aged between 10 and 65 years of age will be required to answer Yes or No when asked if pregnant when they receive a vaccine.
• At Western Health an accredited nurse immuniser will ask you this question and record the response.
• Records are confidential and this information will not be disclosed to your manager.

Why has this change been implemented?

The collection of antenatal data is important as it ensures that the AIR contains a complete and reliable dataset to enable the monitoring:

• of immunisation coverage and administration
• the effectiveness and safety of maternal vaccines and vaccination programs, such as the NIP, influenza and other respiratory vaccines.

How does vaccination in pregnancy protect my baby?

Getting vaccinated at any stage during pregnancy allows protective antibodies to pass through the placenta to the baby to ensure they are protected from birth and in their first few months of life when they are most vulnerable. Babies cannot be vaccinated against influenza until they are 6 months old and don’t complete their vaccination course against whooping cough until 6 months of age.  There is extensive evidence showing the safety of the recommended maternal vaccines in pregnant women.

Influenza and pregnancy

Influenza is a viral infection that easily spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can cause severe illness and life-threatening complications, such as pneumonia, heart damage, and other organ damage.

When you are pregnant, changes to your immune, heart and lung functions make you more vulnerable to severe illness from influenza. Even healthy women with an uncomplicated pregnancy can develop life-threatening influenza. Other complications can include premature labour (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or stillbirth (baby born not alive). For young babies, influenza infection can cause pneumonia and can even lead to death. Babies under six months of age are more likely to be hospitalised with influenza than any other age group.

Getting vaccinated every year protects you against new strains of the virus and also reduces the risk of spreading influenza to your baby.

More information is available at:

• Mandatory reporting changes to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)
• 2025-influenza-flu-vaccination-consumer-fact-sheet
• Pregnancy & Newborn vaccinations
• Influenza vaccine and pregnancy
• Why should you vaccinate against influenza in pregnancy

Introducing Western Health Care Connect

Western Health has introduced Western Health Care Connect (WHCC), a new system that gives clinical staff an easier way to see patient information in one place.

• WHCC pulls together data from different hospital areas—such as emergency, inpatient, and outpatient visits—into a single, easy-to-read page.
• Important details like vital signs, diagnoses, allergies, alerts, and discharge summaries are displayed in widgets with the page.
• The information updates in real-time or when a patient is discharged, helping staff make quicker and better-informed decisions for patient care.
• The WHCC page also lets users customise what they see and apply filters to focus on the most relevant information.
• The WHCC page is available on the table of contents for all clinical staff.

What’s next:

Optimisation of the WHCC page is based on feedback from our clinical staff, pathology and radiology integration and expansion to other health services.

Training material, including a short video to introduce the page are all available in the Quick Reference Guide on the Digital Health site.

Joy Turner Memorial Scholarship applications open

Joy Turner was a Director of Nursing & Midwifery at Western Health from 2014 until 2020, and sadly passed away in March 2023. During her time at Western Health she made long-lasting impacts through her significant leadership to the nursing workforce. She was a strong advocate for our patients and staff, and mentored many people to support their development.

Western Health offers the Joy Turner Memorial Scholarship Program on an annual basis to support frontline nurses/midwives who are involved in local quality improvement initiatives, to attend a health-related conference. The scholarship of up to $2,000 is awarded annually to five point-of-care nurses/midwives to reduce the cost burden related to attending a health-related conference.

Western Health recognises our bedside nurses and midwives are critical members of the healthcare team, and their involvement in quality improvement initiatives is essential to improve patient outcomes, reduce errors, and enhance overall patient experience. Nurses and midwives are often in the best position to identify areas that need improvement and develop innovative solutions. Nurse/midwife-led quality improvement initiatives have been proven to increase patient satisfaction, reduce healthcare costs, and improve the overall quality of care.

The involvement of bedside nurses and midwives in quality improvement initiatives is crucial to drive meaningful change and continuously improve patient outcomes.

Eligibility:

The Joy Turner Memorial Scholarship Program is open to all point-of-care nurses/midwives employed at Western Health who have played an active role leading a quality improvement initiative within their ward.

Applicants must provide evidence of the quality improvement initiative, together with a letter of recommendation from their ward manager.

Scholarship Award:

Every year, a scholarship will be awarded (up to $2,000 each) to five point-of-care nurses/midwives to reduce the cost burden related to attending a health-related conference.

The funds will be reimbursed directly to the scholarship recipient once confirmation of conference registration and payment has been received. The scholarship recipient will be responsible for making their own arrangements to attend the conference.

Application process:

Please complete the application form and return it and supporting documentation to [email protected]. Applications for will close on Friday 25 April 2025.

ACN launches Microcredentials

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) has recently launched ACN’s Microcredentials, which are bite-sized courses designed for busy nurses looking to expand their expertise.

In just ten weeks, you can gain practical skills that can be immediately applied in your role. Plus, microcredentials allow you to earn credit towards Single Units of Study or Graduate Certificates, letting you test the waters before committing to a larger qualification or work towards it at your own pace.

You can choose from a range of topics, including:

• acute chronic and other respiratory conditions
• respiratory health,
• chronic disease assessment,
• wound care,
• leadership,
• management,
• breast cancer,
• Parkinson’s disease,
• embryonic and fetal development,
• pregnancy, antenatal and pregnancy complications, and
• maternal health.

Whether you’re looking to refine your clinical skills or step into leadership, there’s a microcredential for you.

If you are interested please click here to learn more and enrol.

Childcare opportunity at the new Footscray Hospital

Our new Footscray Hospital project partner Plenary Health has secured an exciting childcare centre operator for our new Footscray Hospital site.

The new childcare centre will offer convenient, high-quality care for Western Health staff and volunteers, and the local community.

Expressions of Interest (EOI) now open 

Plenary Health will officially announce the childcare provider in April, but you can submit an Expression of Interest form to be among the first to receive enrolment updates.

Read more on the New Footscray Hospital staff intranet page.

Westwards nurses making a difference across the State

Western Health’s Westwards program continues to build strong partnerships with health services across Victoria, ensuring that Western Health nurses can support workforce needs while gaining valuable experience in diverse clinical settings. Currently, we have agreements in place with Mercy Werribee, Great Ocean Road Health Services, East Wimmera Health Service, and Southwest Healthcare (Warrnambool) allowing our nurses to contribute their expertise where it’s needed most.

Most recently, one of our nurses Zhihui was seconded to Lorne Hospital (pictured above), where she played a vital role in delivering high-quality care to the local community. Her dedication exemplifies the spirit of the Westwards program—supporting both our nurses’ professional growth and the broader healthcare system.

“Lorne Hospital is a great place to work at. I met amazing colleagues there, learned a lot from them and the experiences in working there, and we had a really good team work there. At the same time, I also enjoyed the beach in Lorne, which was really beautiful. Working in Lorne Hospital is such an amazing experience” – Zhihui Wu

Western Health nurses are making a difference across the state, helping to meet Victoria’s healthcare workforce demands with skill, compassion, and professionalism. It is also allowing us to proactively grow our nursing workforce in anticipation of the planned growth over the coming years.

We are incredibly proud of our Westwards nurses!

New Footscray Hospital update

There is a lot happening as the move into this wonderful new building gets closer:

Quick Reference Guide Template & Submission Form 

A new PPG’s, QRG’s, and Equipment Manuals section is now live on the NFH intranet site. While content is still being created, the section currently includes the NFH PPG and QRG Frameworks, a one page guide to PPG Revision, Submission & Dissemination for NFH, and the QRG Template and Submission Form for facility-wide QRGs.

New and updated PPGs for NFH, as well as facility-wide QRGs, will be added in the coming months. The NFH QRG Template is available for local areas to create their own QRGs.

Move Update 

We’re excited to share that plans for the patient move are well underway! While the exact date hasn’t been confirmed yet, we are preparing for a one day move on a Wednesday.  We look forward to sharing more details with you soon.

You may be interested in the thorough planning and testing that will inform our move date decision.  We have:

• Conducted Patient Audits – to understand the numbers, acuity and move requirements of patients;
• Conducted traffic analysis – to determine the most suitable day of the week for the patient move;
• Tested move routes – landing upon a move route to the new site that mimimises traffic disruptions; and
• Developed the draft Order of Move – the logical, controlled, sequence for all departments to relocate to the new hospital.

We are currently:

• Preparing a Draft Clinical Move Activity Management Plan – which details activities to be undertaken to minimise the number of patients requiring transfer to the new hospital;
• Developing Local Clinical Move Plans – a collaboration with Operational Readiness Working Groups to develop the approach and details of the patient transfer;
• Liaising with key local stakeholders – on any planned events or works that may impact the move;
• Stepping through the move with a non-emergency transport provider at the current and new hospital; and
• Identifying roles required to support the patient move – clarifying Command Centre roles and move teams including Clinical Move Leaders.

Training & Orientation Update 

• Upskilling training
  Upskilling training, as identified for select areas in the local training requirements, is now underway!  Western Health’s Education and Learning Team is rolling out upskilling training where required, and will also provide support during the patient move and in the weeks after the move.
• Automated Medication Cabinet training
  Automated Medication Cabinet (AMC) training will use a blended training approach, combining online learning with hands-on, face-to-face sessions.The AMC online training package will include engaging videos, simulations, and quizzes, taking approximately 45 minutes to complete. This will be available from May.
  Practical, in-person AMC training will take place at the current Footscray Hospital, using workflow simulations taking 60 minutes. To ensure staff are fully prepared and confident in using the system, attendance at a hands-on training session is highly recommended. These sessions will allow staff to interact directly with the cabinets, enhancing engagement, skill development, and confidence.For relevant staff, AMC training will be co-ordinated with NFH training.
• NFH training
  More than 4,000 staff and volunteers will be trained onsite in advance of the move to the new hospital.  NFH training will involve:Step 1 (Online) – completion of an orientation package in WeLearn.  This package will provide an overview of the precinct: the buildings, the facilities, how to get there, how to move around, and how to work in the new precinct: emergency management, meeting rooms, looking after the building, contacts and support. It is planned that the Training & Orientation Champions group will commence the online part of their training from May.Step 2 (Onsite) – completion of the local training requirements identified for each department.  This will include an onsite tour which involves general orientation to the building and amenities, together with orientation and training in the local area where you spend most of your time.Please stay tuned for more training & orientation updates. The Training & Orientation page on the NFH intranet site is the central location for information.

People Readiness Support

A dedicated People Readiness Team from People, Culture and Communications is providing extra support to leaders and teams to help with the operational changes of this transition, as well as any personal challenges. Click here to find out more about their WeLearn module or book to attend a workshop.

Upcoming Events 

• Preparing to vacate your area – Corporate Records Q&A sessions  An opportunity to ask questions about corporate records storage or disposal, both physical and digital records, is planned to support local area move readiness.

When :  1:00pm – 1.30pm, Wednesday 9^th, Wednesday 16^th and Wednesday 23^rd April

Where : Teams link

Queries: [email protected]

Applications open for MACH Health Services Research Future Leaders Fellowship

Applications are encouraged from fully qualified clinicians (including nurses and midwives) who are keen to use Health Services Research (HSR) to approach practical healthcare problems and take a step towards becoming a leader in innovative care.

The MacHSR Program Future Leaders Fellowship supports a select cohort of front-line clinical staff from MACH-affiliated health services to explore a problem pertinent to their health service through HSR training and solutions. Each Fellow will be released from clinical duties for one day per week for one year, on a flexible basis and without detriment to salary. Formal HSR training will be offered to all Mac HSR Fellows with registration for the University of Melbourne Introduction to Health Services Research subject.

The 2025 is currently accepting applications. This will be the fourth annual cohort, the program continues to support frontline clinicians in enhancing their health services research skills, with a focus on creating evidence-based solutions to addressing real-world healthcare challenges. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues.

Explore the projects and achievements of our current MacHSR cohort and alumni, and learn how you can participate in the program before applications close on 28 April 2025.

Benchmarking Best Care

The latest benchmark reports from the Health Roundtable that go up to December 2024 have recently been released, that show how our delivery of Best Care compares to other health services across Australasia.

Let’s look at how we perform in the area of pressure injuries. The following data looks at Western Health’s rate of Stage III, Stage IV, unspecified and unstageable pressure injuries, and suspected deep tissue injury.

Pressure Injuries:

The rate of hospital acquired pressure injuries has continues to be low when compared to our peers. The last 2 quarters we have increased a bit from being an exemplar, but we are well within expected rates when compared to our peers.

Emerging Evidence

The Western Health Library Service is a great source for locating the latest nursing and midwifery related evidence based practice and research.

Latest articles of interest:

• A cross-sectional survey of patient safety culture in an emergency medicine division. 2025. Contemporary Nurse. Full Text Western Health Author
• Barriers and enablers to effective weight management for people living with overweight and obesity: A rapid scoping review. 2025. Obesity Reviews. Full Text Western Health Author
• A contemporary approach to improve understanding of the midwifery student continuity of care experience: designing an infographic using appreciative inquiry. 2025. Contemporary Nurse. Full Text Western Health Author
• Individual, Social and Environmental Factors Influencing Medication-Taking Among Adults of Vietnamese Heritage With Type 2 Diabetes Living in Australia: A Qualitative Study. 2025. Clinical Therapeutics. Full Text Western Health Author
• Rethinking Experiences of Birth in Our Operating Theatre (REBOOT): A Qualitative Study of Patient and Staff Experiences of Birth in the Operating Theatre. 2025. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. Full Text Western Health Author
• Healthcare related barriers and enablers for weight management among pregnant women with overweight and obesity: a rapid scoping review. 2025. BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth. Full Text Western Health Author
• Psychosocial well-being and diabetes distress in the transition to motherhood among women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. 2025. Sexual & reproductive HealthCare. Full Text Western Health Author
• ‘Every woman deserves that’: A qualitative exploration of the impact of Australia’s national maternity strategy. 2025. Women & Birth. Full Text Western Health Author
  
• The preparedness and readiness of rural and remote primary care midwives working in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review. 2025. Women & Birth. Full Text Western Health Author

Upcoming library workshops

All of these workshops are free. Click on the links to register to attend:

• 15 April (9.30-10.15am) Earning CPD using CINAHL (Online)
  This session will explore search techniques and examine publication types such as Evidence-Based Care Sheets, Quick Lessons and Continuing Education Modules. Hosted by EBSCO
• 22 April (2-3pm) Overview Of Ovid Databases. Searching, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and Emcare (Computer Training Room, Level 2 WCHRE Library, SH)
  This face-to-face workshop will explore the various searching features offered by our suite of Ovid Databases. A free workshop hosted by Eve Hutcheon. Clinical Services Librarian, Western Health.
• 30 April (3-3.45pm) Appraising the Literature: Systematic Reviews (Online)
  Learn about performing and critiquing systematic reviews in the context of appraising the literature and the hierarchy of evidence. Hosted by EBSCO.

See a list of all our upcoming group workshops or book 1-on-1 training on Thursday or Friday of each week.

New arrivals

• View all recently added eBook and print catalogue titles
  

Accessing the Library at Work

Eligible staff can access electronic Intranet library resources from any networked PC or device connected to Wi-Fi   network without the need to login.

Accessing the Library Remotely (off-site access)

When accessing electronic resources through the library website from offsite you will automatically be asked to enter your library membership number and surname. Library Membership is free and can be completed online. Please email the library if you experience issues.

For more information please contact the Western Health library team