Owls - Wise words on Privacy
A resource developed by the Privacy Commissioner in conjunction with Netsafe
Covers a range of topics such as Social media sites are public places; Look after your storage devices; watch what you say about people.
http://netsafe.org.nz/owls/
 

Articles on -  Reflective Practice

1. Using reflective practice in frontline nursing
NursingTimes.net (Jun 08, 2012).
Abstract: Reflective practice/Reflective cycle/Professional development This article has been double-blind peer reviewed Figures and tables can be seen in the attached print-friendly PDF file of the complete article in the 'Related Stories'section of this page 5 key points Reflective practice is a key skill for nurses It enables nurses to manage the impact of caring for other people on a daily basis Reflective practice can be defined as the process of making sense of events, situations and actions in the workplace A range of models are available for nurses to use to support reflective practice in clinical practice Effective reflection can take place individually, in facilitated groups, or a mix of both Reflective practice can be defined as the process of making sense of events, situations and actions that occur in the workplace (Oelofsen, 2012; Boros, 2009).

2. The Importance of Reflective Practice in Nursing
By Caldwell, Lauren, RN, BSN; Grobbel, Claudia C, DNP, RN. International Journal of Caring Sciences 6.3 (Sep-Dec 2013): 319-326.
Abstract: Reflection is an essential attribute for the development of autonomous, critical, and advanced practitioners. According to Chong, "Reflective practice should be a continuous cycle in which experience and reflection on experiences are inter-related". Studies have shown that, nurses who take the time to reflect on their daily experiences provide enhanced nursing care, have a better understanding of their actions, which in return develops their professional skills. Reflective practice is the ability to examine ones actions and experiences with the outcome of developing their practice and enhancing clinical knowledge. Reflective practice affects all levels of nursing, from students, to advanced practice nursing students, as well as practicing nurses. Reflective practice is an important component of the nursing curriculum.

3. Facilitating reflective practice and self-assessment of competence through the use of narratives
By Levett-Jones, Tracy Lynn. Nurse Education in Practice 7.2 (Mar 2007): 112-9
Abstract: Reflective practice is a skill that is central to nursing students' professional development. Although there  is an abundance of literature on the value of reflective practice there are few concrete methods that facilitate self-assessment of competence through the use of reflective practice. One such method is narrative reflection. A nursing narrative is a brief recount of an actual situation or episode in clinical practice that is significant because it resulted in new learning and/or new understanding. Narratives provide important opportunities for uncovering nursing practices that often go unnoticed and a new appreciation of the knowledge and skills of clinical practice. Nursing narratives reveal the richness of the clinical knowledge embedded in practice and provide a way for knowledge and practice to be linked together in meaningful dialogue, promoting interpretive analysis and reflection

4. A model of professional thinking: Integrating reflective practice and evidence based practice
By Bannigan, Katrina; Moores, Alis. The Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy 76.5 (Dec 2009): 342-350
Abstract: Internationally, occupational therapists operate in increasing complex health and social care settings. To function in this environment, high-level thinking skills are required. Reflective practice and evidence-based practice are two key skills that shape the way occupational therapists think.
Purpose. To integrate reflective practice and evidence-based practice so that their complementary qualities form part of a model of professional thinking. Key issues. Reflective practice and evidence-based practice skills both contribute to clinical reasoning. The "model of professional thinking" can enable occupational therapists to integrate these two skills into their professional thinking.

5. Enhancing Reflective Practice in Multicultural Counseling Through Cultural Auditing
By Collins, Sandra; Arthur, Nancy; Wong-Wylie, Gina. Journal of Counseling and Development : JCD 88.3 (Summer 2010): 340-347
Abstract: Counselors work in an increasingly complex cultural milieu where every encounter with a client must be considered multicultural in nature. Reflective practice is a central component of professional competence and necessarily involves attention to culture. The cultural auditing model provides an effective and flexible reflective process for enhancing multicultural counseling. The 13 steps in the model are detailed with probes and questions to guide counselor reflection. A case example illuminates the principles involved.

6. Reflective practice and self-awareness
By Morgan, Gareth. Perspectives in Public Health 129.4 (Jul 2009): 161-2
Abstract: The 360-degree feedback of professional skills offers a structured method to facilitate reflection and selfawareness, and can provide valuable information to promote reflection on a range of matters including interpersonal skills and thinking styles.8 Relevant to the former is personality preference and the Myers-Briggs type indicator is a further mechanism that might helpfully identify traits such as extroversion or introversion.9 Not only does this promote increased self-awareness but it may also lead to a greater understanding of other personality preferences and the potential difficulties that might occur during interpersonal relationships in both personal and professional settings

Selected Articles - Barriers to Accessing Health Services

7. The relationship among barriers and facilitators to prenatal care access and birth outcomes in a rural county
By McDermott, Laura L.. State University of New York at Binghamton, ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 2010
Abstract: Upstate New York lags behind national averages and Healthy People 2010 goals for early access to prenatal care with only 76.1% of pregnant women accessing prenatal care during the first trimester. Most research on barriers to early access to prenatal care was conducted in urban or suburban settings. Research conducted in rural populations especially with pregnant women is limited. Although interventions such as the expansion of Medicaid have been implemented, access to prenatal care in the first trimester has not improved. The purpose of this study was to examine the barriers and facilitators regarding access to prenatal care in a rural county without a hospital or birthing center within its geographical boundaries and with few health care providers who provided obstetrical care.

8. Is Accessing Dental Care Becoming More Difficult? Evidence from Canada's Middle-Income Population: e57377
By Ramraj, Chantel; Sadeghi, Laleh; Lawrence, Herenia P; Dempster, Laura; Quiñonez, Carlos. PLoS One 8.2 (Feb 2013).
Abstract. Objective - To explore trends in access to dental care among middle-income Canadians.
Methods - A secondary data analysis of six Canadian surveys that collected information on dental insurance coverage, cost-barriers to dental care, and out-of-pocket expenditures for dental care was conducted for select years from 1978 to 2009. Descriptive analyses were used to outline and compare trends among middle-income Canadians with other levels of income as well as national averages

9. Barriers to Health Care among Asian Immigrants in the United States: A Traditional Review
By Clough, Juliana, MPH; Lee, Sunmin, ScD, MPH; Chae, David H, ScD, MA. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 24.1 (Feb 2013): 384-403.
Abstract : Asian immigrants in the U.S. are far less likely to have health insurance or use health care services than both U.S.-born Asians and non-Hispanic Whites. Furthermore, Asian immigrants who access the U.S. health care system are less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to receive high-quality services. This paper reviews four barriers faced by Asian immigrants to participating in the U.S. health care system fully:
(1) linguistic discordance between providers and patients; (2) health-related beliefs and cultural incompetency of health systems; (3) issues related to accessing health services; and (4) discrimination in the health care system. Interventions to improve the health of Asian immigrants must address barriers experienced at multiple levels, including those that occur interpersonally and institutionally, as well as broader societal factors that affect health care access and quality. 

10. Barriers in accessing maternal healthcare: evidence from low-and middle-income countries
By McNamee, Paul; Ternent, Laura; Hussein, Julia. Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research 9.1 (Feb 2009): 41-8
Abstract : The goal of improving the health status of people living in developing countries has received increasing priority in recent years. To achieve this goal, evidence is needed regarding methods for optimal allocation of expenditure within particular program areas. Among several competing programs, a commitment has been made to improve maternal health as part of the Millennium Development Goal targets. While there is a growing body of cost-effectiveness evidence relating to maternal healthcare programs, underutilization of services is still pervasive, especially among poorer groups of the population. A major reason for such underutilization lies in underlying adverse socioeconomic factors, or barriers, which impede healthcare use. This article reviews the evidence from studies that have conducted multivariate analyses to quantify the effects of education, economic status and distance barriers on service use. It is concluded that it is not possible to state categorically whether one particular barrier is more important than others and that efforts should continue to consider demand-side barriers more fully, along with supply-side barriers

Journal Table of Contents

11. From Canadian Nurse, January 2014
11A. A lack of mentoring takes its toll 
11B. Breaking the link between promotion and consumption 
11C. Changing How the World Thinks About Nursing 
11D. Hospital-based urgent mental health care [North York General finds a way to get timely care to ED patients in need]
11E. Reducing stigma in health-care settings
11F. The amazing racer [Tim Hague didn’t start cycling because he craved a lean and muscular physique. He wasn’t driven by the cardiovascular benefits or the improved aerobic capacity. His motivation was much simpler: he was broke and needed a way to get to nursing school.]

Conferences & Seminars

12. Te Rito Family Violence Workshop
Response based practice in action: Addressing violence and promoting social justice
By Allan Wade and Cathy Richardson
When: Monday 7th - Tuesday 8th April, 9am - 4pm
Where: Lifepoint Church, 61 Hopper Street, Mt Cook, Wellington
Cost: Not for profit agencies $120, other organisations $160

13. SSPA Collective Impact Workshops - Collective Impact into Action
Facilitators: Megan Thomas, Helen Emmerson
Auckland venue TBC
Date: 2 & 3 April 2014: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Christchurch
Date: 30 April & 1 May: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Venue: Ministry of Social Development CYFs Office, 7 Winston Ave, Papanui
 

News - National

14. NEW PUBLICATION - Pacific Peoples Health

Pacific Peoples Health is a free publication targeting Pacific people in New Zealand. Educating and informing Pacific health service users, it is New Zealand's only publication dedicated solely to Pacific people's health. Published by Oceania Media Limited
Email: info@pacificpeopleshealth.co.nz
Read the first issue: http://www.pacificpeopleshealth.co.nz/

15. Police advice for avoiding money scams
Bay of Plenty Times - Wednesday Feb 19, 2014
Police have released a video resource on scamming and are encouraging older New Zealanders to take heed in order to protect themselves from losing money. National Manager Crime Prevention, Superintendent Bruce Bird said older people can be particularly vulnerable to fall victim to fake promises and offers. "Retirees may have spare capital for investment, they may be travelling more and booking holidays online, they may be new to online dating or buying goods online and this makes them vulnerable to online scams," said Mr Bird.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=11205662

16. Counsellors tell legal high users to smoke real thing
Bay of Plenty Times - Wednesday Feb 19, 2014
Counsellors are encouraging some synthetic cannabis addicts to smoke the real thing after seeing teens becoming a "total mess" by climbing out of moving cars, suffering hallucinations and seizures. They also say they are anecdotally aware someone has died as a result of consuming psychoactive substances. The revelations are contained in Western Bay of Plenty District Council psychoactive substances policy stakeholders meeting report
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=11205417

News - International

17. IMF chief urges spending on health, education
Sydney Morning Herald - February 21, 2014
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde says governments should invest in health and education as a priority, and act to reduce the effects of climate change even without an international agreement. The managing director of the global economic body, who is in Sydney before the G20 meetings, said there was a role for public spending in large infrastructure projects as well as in health and education. ''Clearly investing in health, investing in education, making sure there are equal opportunities for all is something where public money is needed,'' Ms Lagarde said in response to a question on the ABC's Q&A program on Treasurer Joe Hockey's call for the end of the ''the age of entitlement'' http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/imf-chief-urges-spending-on-health-education-20140220-3348y.html

18. Minimum alcohol pricing may reduce health inequalities
Blog by Suzi Gage - The Guardian
It is often argued by libertarian think tanks that introducing minimum pricing for alcohol would disproportionately harm moderate drinkers, particularly those from low socioeconomic status backgrounds. Indeed, this was cited as a reason for the government dropping the policy it had previously endorsed.
A new paper in the Lancet suggests this may not be the case. Not only that, but harmful drinkers from low socioeconomic backgrounds might actually benefit the most from such a policy change, reaping over 80% of the predicted health benefits of reducing their harmful drinking. The study authors suggest that introducing a minimum alcohol price may help to reduce health inequalities, which would be of huge benefit to society