Dear PCNNZ Member, Monthly Update September 2015 The PCNNZ monthly updates will be sent to you regularly throughout the year with up to date opportunities both clinical and educational keeping you informed about what is happening around the country for Palliative Care. To find out more, go online to www.pcnnz.co.nz Have you registered already? Click here 1 P age September
An investigation into ending one s life in New Zealand Parliament s Health Committee has released its terms of reference for an investigation into ending one s life in New Zealand and is calling for public submissions on the subject. Simon O Connor, committee chair, believes this is a subject that will concern many New Zealanders and therefore deserves a thorough examination. He encourages everyone with a view on this matter to make a submission to the committee. The petitioners are requesting changes to laws that would make it possible for people to end their lives, or have others do so, under certain conditions. To ensure a thorough investigation, the select committee decided to undertake a broad inquiry said Mr O Connor. The closing date for submissions is 1 February 2016. The committee s investigation is in response to a petition from the Hon Maryan Street and 8,974 others which asks that Parliament investigate fully public attitudes towards the introduction of legislation which would permit medically-assisted dying in the event of a terminal illness or an irreversible condition which makes life unbearable. The petition asks for a change to existing law. Therefore the committee will undertake an investigation into ending one s life in New Zealand. In order to fully understand public attitudes the committee will consider all the various aspects of the issue, including the social, legal, medical, cultural, financial, ethical, and philosophical implications. The Committee will investigate: 1. The factors that contribute to the desire to end one s life. 2. The effectiveness of services and support available to those who desire to end their own lives. 3. The attitudes of New Zealanders towards the ending of one s life and the current legal situation. 4. International experiences. The committee will seek to hear from all interested groups and individuals. Submissions should be made either online using the parliamentary website (www.parliament.nz), or in writing. For further guidance on making a submission, read the publication Making a submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee on the website. The Health Select Committee has just published the terms of reference for the inquiry and will accept submissions until the beginning of February next year. It's within the wider context of suicide. http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/sc/makesubmission/0sche_scf_51dbhoh_pet63268_1/petition-of-hon-maryan-street-and-8974-others 2 P age September
The Care Search Nurses Hub turns five! Five years ago today, the Care Search Nurses Hub was officially launched on 27 August 2010 to coincide with the Palliative Care Nurses Australia conference. The first resource of its kind in Australia, the Nurses Hub combined high quality, evidence-based resources with easy-to-access information in a specialised online hub. Over the last five years, the Hub has helped nurses across Australia to apply relevant, trustworthy evidence to clinical situations across all care settings. Usage of the Hub has grown each year, with more and more nurses finding that the Hub can help them to provide high quality palliative care while relying on the best evidence to inform their practice. The Hub is written by nurses, for nurses, and offers plenty of ways to get involved: stay up-to-date with the nursing and palliative care community by subscribing to the Nurses Hub News, a quarterly newsletter offering case studies, service profiles, nursing news, and more explore the options that nurses have to further their education with CPD, portfolio development, journal clubs, mentoring, and web courses like My Learning learn more about research, including quality improvement and auditing, evidence-based practice, and conducting research explore the clinical pages to learn more about advance care planning, communication, endof-life care, medication management, working with families, and more find out about various areas of practice, such as aged care, dementia, oncology, paediatrics, primary and community care, rural and remote, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and HIV/AIDS order hard copy resources to help share the CareSearch Nurses Hubs with colleagues, or distribute to patients and their familie To celebrate the Hub s fifth birthday, we ve created a special infographic (136kb pdf) that illustrates the incredible impact the Hub has had since its creation. Please feel free to share this infographic on your social media channels, or forward it to colleagues and friends. We are always open to feedback and would love to hear your thoughts on the Nurses Hub as we celebrate this milestone. To give feedback or learn more, please email caresearch@flinders.edu.au, or call 08 7221 8233. 3 P age September
Meet our PCNNZ Representative for Older Person s Health Review Panel My current role is a Clinical Nurse Specialist Palliative Care within the Waitemata District Health Board Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Service (HSPCS) which covers North Shore and Waitakere Hospitals. The HSPCS is a Consult Team and collaborates with other members of the Multidisciplinary Team caring for palliative patients within the acute care setting and with other health care providers including Hospices, General Practices, Aged Residential Care and District Nurses. I have been involved recently as working group member in of the Model of Care for Adult Palliative Care Service in the Waitemata District. Prior to this I worked for 10 years at Hospice North Shore in both Inpatient and Community Palliative Care roles including Community Team Leader. I also have a background in Oncology/Haematology nursing and in Undergraduate nursing education. My personal statement is provision of the best possible palliative care to patients and families regardless of the care setting. Sandra Notley Nominations for the 2016 Committee close on the 29th of September 2015. Four (4) positions are available this year. If you are keen to join a committee that represents the professional interests of palliative nursing within NZ, now is the time to put your hand up or nominate someone you believe could fill this role. Visit www.pcnnz.co.nz 4 Page September
Visit www.pcnnz.co.nz for upcoming events, job and education opportunities, links to other palliative care networks, and other resources or e-mail us at info@pcnnz.co.nz www.facebook.com/pcnnz 5 P age September