One of our new forum members, nursing1, a mature age student nurse, raised the following question. "I passed 1st year of my nursing degree in 2009. I have deferred this year and hope to return to university next year and complete my degree.  During my very prac last year I had the facilitator from hell and almost put in a formal complaint about her attitude toward me.  Her actions made me really think about my decision to enrol at university and have a career change mid life. I am hoping... More...

Our friends across the ditch in New Zealand have been having a rough time since the earthquake on the weekend. The 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit region of Canterbury at 4:36 am on September 4, the epicentre was 40 km west of Christchurch city, and the depth of the quake was 10 km. The epicentre was close to the town of Darfield. It was fortunate the earthquake occurred when the central city streets were deserted, as there could have been many deaths and injuries if it had happened du... More...

It was Father's Day last weekend. How did the Father's in your life spend the day? Do you need a special day to honour your Father? Richard Thomas from the Sydney Morning Herald said even though his 80-year-old dad is 22,500 kilometres away, he regularly sends him tokens of gratitude and affection "for a lifetime of fatherly care and love." He does this without "relying on a designated day instructing me to do so". "I know as a father what I value most is to see my children happy and... More...

The Positive Living in Aged Care Awards were held in Sydney this week. Aged care facilities in Katoomba, Killara and Hamlyn Terrace received first prize in their respective category, for their award-winning mental health and wellbeing projects.   The big winner of the day was the intergenerational program concept. Half of the competition's finalists were recognised for their work in challenging age-related boundaries. UnitingCare Ageing’s Starrett Lodge in Hamlyn Terrace won an awar... More...

The ward I work on is predominantly a children's medical/ isolation ward but the majority of our patients these days are oncology patients that require isolation for one reason or another. So, it got me thinking about what it is that I like about nursing children with cancer? Seems almost wrong to enjoy looking after children and their families who are dealing with the most terrible diseases, having treatment that makes them so so sick and often seeing them pass away. That said, the number... More...