Cape Town conference 2011

Thanks to all for making this conference such a success! Watch this space for conference highlights very soon!

Conference in Cape Town November 2011

The Third biennial Emergency Medicine In the Developing World Conference
Cape Town, South Africa 15 to 17 November 2011

EMSSA Preconference workshop

THE FIRST 24 HOURS: CAN THE EMERGENCY NURSE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

 Monday 14 November 2011: Wolfsun building, UCT

SEE YOU THERE!!!

Paediatric Emergency Update

A very successful paediatric emergency update was held on the 15 October in Durban. The one day event had a variety of excellent presenters speaking on a variety of topics ranging from the new basic and advanced life support for children, transporting the sick child to child abuse.


A very BIG thank you to all the speakers!!


The next update for KZN will be in Richards Bay on the 9 November 2011.


For any further details please contact Petra on the following e mail:
brysiewiczp@gmail.com

American Nurses Association formal recognition of emergency nursing

The American Nurses Association has announced its formal recognition of emergency nursing as a specialty practice.

The ANA defines emergency nursing as "the care of individuals across the lifespan with perceived or actual physical or emotional alterations of health that are undiagnosed or require further interventions. Emergency nursing care is episodic, primary, typically short-term and occurs in a variety of settings."

The ANA also approved the Emergency Nurses Association's scope of practice statement and acknowledged the standards of practice for emergency nursing (http://www.ena.org/iqsip/nursingpractice/scopes/Pages/Default.aspx.

ENSSA news update

Thanks to all the ENSSA regional groups for the comments and suggestions regarding the proposed standards, scope of practice and competencies of the emergency nurse in South Africa!

We look forward to seeing you all in November in Cape Town!!

ENSSA - Cape Town meeting 31 August 2011

Netcare N1 City Hospital Medical Chambers,1st floor, Training room

31 August 2011, 10:00 – 12:00

ENSSA and non-ENSSA members are invited to attend this meeting

Invited speaker: Dr Heike Geduld

Topic:  Common Myths in Emergency Medicine

RSVP and agenda items: please contact Jean Augustyn jean.augustyn@gmail.com

To be a Flight Nurse in 1945

I recently read a book published in 1945 - Title: Cherry Aimes FLIGHT NURSE, author Hellen Wells. I have since discovered that there is a whole Cherry Aimes series which starts from Cherry Aimes STUDENT NURSE and follows through a whole series that includes, ARMY NURSE, CRUISE NURSE, MOUNTAINEER NURSE, NIGHT SUPERVISOR, etc.

What entrigued me was the introduction to this book. I quote "It is every girl's ambition at one time or another to wear the crisp white uniform of a nurse. The many opportunities for service, for adventure.... make a nurse's career a glamorous one...."

After picking myself off the floor from rolling around with laughter, I came to consider how sad it is that the image of nursing has changed so much! The book is a story that is full of praise for this adventurous and skilled flight nurse, working in the second world war. To have a nurse on board meant the patients would be cared for in the best possible way (with challenges we could never imagine), and the community, patients, pilots and surgeons would not have it any other way.

Yes it is only a novel, but I am sharing this with you as claerly nurses where respected and valued for their contribution to society and it is sad to say that this is not always the case today. Although young ladies and gentlemen now  have the choice of a multitude of careers (and rightly so), we who are nursing must strive be examples in our communities so that nursing can once again be a profession that is admired and respected.

Let us know how you as Emergency Nurses are making a difference in your patients and communities lives. I am sure there are some heroes and heroines out there!


Keep the flag flying high
Gayle Heydenrych

Regional ENSSA meetings

Regional meetings of ENSSA are going to be held in various parts of the country....please spread the word and attend!

The Third biennial Emergency Medicine In the Developing World Conference

Cape Town, South Africa (CTICC)      15 to 17 November 2011

Greetings Emergency Medicine Workers:  Join us in the Mother City for a truly African conference experience .

Scientific content Paediatrics to Psychiatry, Toxicology to Trauma and… Emergency Nursing!

A dedicated emergency nursing workshop will be held 14 November 2011, themed THE FIRST 24 HOURS: CAN THE EMERGENCY NURSE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Call for Abstracts Abstracts may now be submitted through the website www.emssa2011.co.za or via the contact details below. Abstract submission will close on 1 September 2011.

Visit us on www.emssa2011.co.za for more details (see link on right hand side of blog)

African Journal of Emergency Medicine (AfJEM)

The first edition of the African Journal of Emergency Medicine will be released soon!The first issue should be out within the next 4 weeks and the intention is to launch 4 issues this year with the second being out in July 2011.

If you would like to know how you could get hold of a copy email enquiries@afjem.com.

Emergency nurses competencies and scope of practice

ENSSA is currently working on defining the scope of practice and core skills for emergency nurses in South Africa, as well as working towards the development of the role of the advanced emergency nurse practitioner. Regional working groups within South Africa are in the process of being set up to work on this.  ENSSA is also assisting a number of African countries with the development of their own standards and scope of practice of the emergency nurse. Please contact us if you are interested in being involved in this important process!

Nurses on EMS Vehicles/Ambulances – ENSSA’s opposition to HPCSA’s ruling

The HPCSA brought out a ruling in March 2008 stating that anyone not “suitably qualified” and “duly registered” with the HPCSA (in terms of the Health Professions Act, Act 56 of 1974), may not respond to incidents involving patients and potential patients. Furthermore, “it is permissible that unregistered persons such as fire fighters, allied health professionals or non-medical lay persons accompany registered emergency care providers, paramedics or practitioners solely for purposes of observation on such vehicles subject to the following conditions: a) These observers are not entitled to assess or manage patients in any way whatsoever...”. (italics by the author)

Technically, this implies that Registered Nurses (RNs) (registered by the South African Nursing Council) are included in this stipulation.

ENSSA responded to this ruling in August 2010, stating its dissatisfaction with this ruling. There are situations when nurses should be able to practice in the EMS environment, including for example flight nurses and emergency nursing students gaining experiential learning experience on EMS vehicles. When the Act is analysed closely, no mention is made about the environment in which persons registered with the HPCSA may practice. Considering the RN’s scope of practice (Regulation 2598 of 1984), they may practice in the pre-hospital environment, should they be trained and competent to do so. The Nursing Act, Act 33 of 2005 also does not stipulate the exact environment in which nurses may practice.

HPCSA briefly responded to ENSSA’s communication, stating once again that “in terms of section 17 of the Health Professions Act, 1974 (Act 56 of 1974), persons who work within the scope of emergency care on ambulances have to be registered with the HPCSA.”

Interestingly, a recent Western Cape Services Act 2010, Act 33 of 2010 (published in a Provincial Government’s Gazette  - number 6806 – in November 2010), describes “Ambulance Personnel” as including nurses registered under the Nursing Act, Act 33 of 2005 (section 31).... This contradicts the HPCSA’s ruling.

We at ENSSA would like to encourage the HPCSA to reconsider the 2008 ruling. Further communication with the HPCSA is still pending. Comments are welcome.

Critical Care Transport Nurses Day 18 Feb 2011

Here is to you all - the nurses I admire so much, who have been brave enough and skilled enough to take on the responsibility of being a Critical Care Transport Nurse.
You have done our profession proud!  Keep the flag flying high.

 

 

ENSSA (& EMSSA) membership formhttp://emssa.org.za/membership/