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