Australia

In the context of Australia's land, people, and turbulent social history, this article explores the Australian health care system, the health issues of Aboriginals, and the role of the social worker in health care.     

Canadian Nurse Practitioner Core Competencies Identified: An Opportunity to Build Mental Health and Illness Skills and Knowledge

In 2015, the Canadian Counsel of Registered Nurse Regulators released a report that identified entry-to-practice core competencies for adult, family/all ages, and pediatric nurse practitioners (NPs) across Canada. The report is expected to guide future decisions about NP entry-to-practice examinations and allow for Canadian Counsel of Registered Nurse Regulators member organizations to develop pan-Canadian requirements for licensure. Optimistically, it could set the stage for a national approach to NP education. This is an opportune time to highlight various stakeholders' call for increased mental health education for NPs and identify challenges and promising strategies for reaching that goal.     

Advanced age and decisional capacity: The effect of age on the ability to make health care decisions

ObjectiveCognitive disorders, including dementia, have been shown to be predictors of decisional incapacity, even more than psychotic or substance use disorders. Nonetheless, the impact of advanced age on decisional capacity remains understudied.MethodOut of more than 2500 consecutive psychiatric consultations performed by the Consultation-Liaison service at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City, 266 completed decisional capacity assessments were identified and analyzed with respect to the indications for referral and the impact of age and other sociodemographic, medical and psychiatric variables on decisional capacity.ResultsBy itself, in this sample advanced age was not associated with impaired medical decision-making. In individuals ≥65 years old, among whom only 27% were deemed to have decisional incapacity, cognitive disorders including dementia remained the strongest association with this incapacity; meanwhile, in patients <65, decisional impairment was evident in 62%, and delirium, psychosis and neurological disorders caused more decisional impairment. The main indications for referral were placement refusals in those ≥65, while young patients were largely seen due to their desire to leave the hospital against medical advice.ConclusionAdvanced age by itself failed to be associated with decisional incapacity in this sample. In those ≥65, cognitive disorders remained the main association with such incapacity, versus psychosis, substance use and neurological disorders in younger patients.     

Cultivating a culture of research in nursing through a journal club for leaders: A pilot study

Aim

To describe whether an action learning‐inspired journal club for nurse leaders can develop the leaders' self‐perceived competences to support a research culture in clinical nursing practice.

Background

Development of clinical research capacity and nurse leaders with the requisite competences are key factors in evidence‐based health care practice. This study describes how nurse leaders at a large regional hospital took part in a journal club for nurse leaders, with a view to developing their competences to support a nursing research culture in their departments.

Methods

A pilot study using a multimethod approach to evaluate the journal club for nurse leaders. Four nurse leaders participated in the journal club for nurse leaders. Content analysis on the data was performed.

Results

Data revealed that participation in journal club for nurse leaders gave the leaders a feeling of increased competences to support nursing research culture in their departments. They stated that the action learning approach and the competences of the facilitator were key factors in this outcome.

Conclusions

An action learning‐inspired journal club for nurse leaders can be useful and meaningful to nurse leaders in developing leadership competences.

Implications for nursing management

As an approach in journal club for nurse leaders, action learning can develop nurse leaders' competence to support a research culture, and thus ensure evidence‐based nursing is practised.     

Dietary total antioxidant capacity and obesity in children and adolescents

Background Dietary antioxidant intake has been suggested to protect against oxidative damage and related clinical complications. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential relationships between the dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and obesity-related features in children and adolescents.

Materials and methods Anthropometric variables from 369 children and adolescents were measured (184 obese and 185 control). A validated food-frequency questionnaire was used to calculate the TAC and the daily nutrient and energy intake.

Results Dietary TAC showed positive associations with fiber, folic acid, magnesium, and vitamins A, C and E. The body mass index, standard deviation score of body mass index and total body fat were inversely associated with dietary TAC only in obese subjects.

Conclusion These data suggest that dietary TAC may be a potential indicator of the risk to develop obesity-related features and could be considered a useful method in assessing antioxidant intake.