scholarly journals Real-time genomics to track COVID-19 post-elimination border incursions in Aotearoa New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Douglas ◽  
Jemma L Geoghegan ◽  
James Hadfield ◽  
Remco Bouckaert ◽  
Matthew Storey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Public Health System ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Viral Transmission ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Community Outbreaks ◽  
Different Origins

There have been thirteen known COVID-19 community outbreaks in Aotearoa New Zealand since the virus was first eliminated in May 2020, two of which led to stay-at-home orders being issued by health officials. These outbreaks originated at the border; via isolating returnees, airline workers, and cargo vessels. With a public health system informed by real-time viral genomic sequencing which typically had complete genomes within 12 hours after a community-based positive COVID-19 test, every outbreak was well-contained with a total of 225 community cases, resulting in three deaths. Real-time genomics were essential for establishing links between cases when epidemiological data could not, and for identifying when concurrent outbreaks had different origins. By reconstructing the viral transmission history from genomic sequences, here we recount all thirteen community outbreaks and demonstrate how genomics played a vital role in containing them.

scholarly journals Rainbow experiences of accessing mental health support in Aotearoa New Zealand: A community-based mixed methods study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Gloria Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

<p>While we know that rainbow people in Aotearoa New Zealand (that is, people of diverse sexualities, genders, and sex characteristics) experience high rates of adverse mental health outcomes, we know much less about the extent to which Aotearoa’s rainbow community members are receiving the mental health support they need. To address this gap I used mixed methods and a reflexive community-based approach to extend current understandings of rainbow mental health support experiences, and to explore how the provision of mental health care can be improved for rainbow people in New Zealand.  I first conducted interviews with 34 rainbow community young adults about their experiences of accessing mental health support. My thematic analysis showed that rainbow people across New Zealand faced significant structural barriers to accessing mental health support. Participants understood mental health settings as embedded within a heteronormative and cisnormative societal context, rather than as a safe place outside this context. This, together with a widespread silence from mental health professionals around rainbow identity, meant that participants actively negotiated coming out in mental health settings. Participants shared a variety of perspectives as to whether it should be standard practice for mental health professionals to ask about rainbow identities, but agreed on a number of subtle acts that could communicate a professional or service is rainbow-friendly. Knowledge about sexuality, gender, and sex characteristic diversity, together with clinical skills of empathy, validation, and affirmation, were described as key components for the provision of effective mental health support.  I conducted a second thematic analysis of data from a subset of the initial interviews, in which 13 participants discussed their experiences of accessing gender-affirming healthcare. Participants reported a lack of funding for gender-affirming healthcare in New Zealand, and described its provision a “postcode lottery”; the care available was largely dependent on the region participants were living in. Mental health assessments for accessing gender-affirming care were often described as tests of whether participants were “really” transgender, and participants discussed the need to express their gender in a particular way in order to access the healthcare they needed.  Thematic analyses of interview data informed the development of an online survey about rainbow peoples’ experiences of accessing mental health support and gender-affirming healthcare in New Zealand (n = 1575). Survey results closely reflected interview findings, indicating that rainbow people have mixed experiences in New Zealand’s mental health settings, and that accessing gender-affirming healthcare is a lengthy and convoluted process.   Finally, interview and survey data were used to develop a resource for mental health professionals, to guide their work with rainbow clients. I sought and incorporated feedback from key stakeholders (n = 108) during resource development. I then distributed the resource to mental health professionals around New Zealand, both in print and online.  Overall, my research shows that widespread knowledge gaps compromise the ability of New Zealand’s mental health professionals to provide culturally competent support to rainbow clients. Knowledge from this thesis can be used to increase awareness of rainbow community members’ mental health support needs, and to inform mental health professionals’ training and self-reflection around sexuality, gender, and sex characteristic diversity.</p>

scholarly journals Food for People in Place: Reimagining Resilient Food Systems for Economic Recovery

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9369
Author(s):  
Kelly Dombroski ◽  
Gradon Diprose ◽  
Emma Sharp ◽  
Rebekah Graham ◽  
Louise Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Essential Services

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated response have brought food security into sharp focus for many New Zealanders. The requirement to “shelter in place” for eight weeks nationwide, with only “essential services” operating, affected all parts of the New Zealand food system. The nationwide full lockdown highlighted existing inequities and created new challenges to food access, availability, affordability, distribution, transportation, and waste management. While Aotearoa New Zealand is a food producer, there remains uncertainty surrounding the future of local food systems, particularly as the long-term effects of the pandemic emerge. In this article we draw on interviews with food rescue groups, urban farms, community organisations, supermarket management, and local and central government staff to highlight the diverse, rapid, community-based responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings reveal shifts at both the local scale, where existing relationships and short supply chains have been leveraged quickly, and national scale, where funding has been mobilised towards a different food strategy. We use these findings to re-imagine where and how responsibility might be taken up differently to enhance resilience and care in diverse food systems in New Zealand.

scholarly journals Leadership toward positive workplace culture in Aotearoa New Zealand: clinical nurse manager perspectives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystle Graham
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Nurse Managers ◽  
Positive Culture ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Nurse Manager ◽  
Workplace Culture ◽  
Clinical Nurse ◽  
The North ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Role Preparation

<p><b>Clinical nurse managers play a vital role in the healthcare system. They are responsible for the day to day running of departments and ensuring that patients are safely cared for. The leadership behaviour and practices of a clinical nurse manager are fundamental for establishing and maintaining positive workplace culture, which is important for nurse performance and quality patient outcomes. This research sought to understand how clinical nurse managers build positive culture in their workplace and to identify leadership attributes and actions that they perceive to be important for generating positive workplace culture. Furthermore, it aimed to identify the challenges of creating positive workplace culture in Aotearoa New Zealand.</b></p> <p>A qualitative descriptive design was used to capture rich in-depth understanding and insight into clinical nurse manager experiences of positive workplace culture from their position in nursing leadership. Ten clinical nurse managers from one secondary hospital within the North Island of Aotearoa participated in semi structured face-to-face interviews. Data was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis with assistance of NVIVO 12 coding software to manage the process of analysing transcripts. </p> <p>Findings demonstrated that clinical nurse managers deliberately engage in strategies to build positive workplace culture and the more prepared they were for their role, the better equipped they were to do so. Three themes were identified: role preparation, achieving perspective, and intentionality. The theme of role preparation describes the actions clinical nurse managers use to cope with realities of the job, build good teams, and manage uncertainty. The second theme achieving perspective represents the internal processes clinical nurse managers use to understand situations and make decisions. The final theme intentionality describes the leadership strategies clinical nurse managers use to enhance collaborative behaviour and positive relationships within the team. </p> <p>To prepare and develop nurses into leadership positions, organisations and executive leadership teams must actively invest in the preparation of this workforce. Establishing educational prerequisites and having structured orientation and mentoring programmes will build a clinical nurse manager workforce that is equipped to foster positive workplace culture in Aotearoa. Furthermore, conducting performance appraisals habitually will provide a foundation for training and development that is needed to keep nurses motivated and engaged in their workplace.</p>

scholarly journals Turning The Tide on Private Profit-Focused Provision In Early Childhood Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Linda Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Private Profit ◽  
Democratic System

The article analyses a market-based approach to early childhood education (ECE) provision and the growth of for-profit ECE provision, evidence about ‘quality’ and accessibility, and problems occurring when a need for private profit conflicts with the best interests of families and children. The issue of for-profit provision is set within the context of international developments and solutions in Europe, UK, US and Canada. Immediate steps that might be taken for a democratic system of community-based and public early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand are pinpointed. Overall, the article offers possibilities for asserting democratic values as a way towards alternatives in Aotearoa New Zealand’s early childhood education provision.

scholarly journals Community healthcare workers' experiences during and after COVID-19 lockdown: a qualitative study from Aotearoa New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor HOLROYD ◽  
Nicholas J. LONG ◽  
Nayantara Sheoran APPLETON ◽  
Sharyn Graham DAVIES ◽  
Antje DECKERT ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Professional Relationships ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Healthcare ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Community Midwives ◽  
Adequate Provision

Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic reached Aotearoa New Zealand, a stringent lockdown lasting seven weeks was introduced to manage community spread of the virus. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study examining how lockdown policies impacted upon the lives of those caring for community-based patients. The study involved nationwide surveys and ethnographic interviews with 15 registered nurses (RN) employed in community settings, two community midwives, and five personal care assistants (PCAs). During the strict lockdown levels 4 and 3, RNs and PCAs in the community showed considerable courage in answering their 'call to duty' by taking on heightened care responsibilities and going 'the extra mile' to help others. They faced significant risks to personal and professional relationships when they were required to take on additional and complex responsibilities for community-based patients. Despite, and sometimes due to the hypervigilant monitoring of their personal protective equipment (PPE), the need to safeguard family and community members generated considerable stress and anxiety. Many also faced personal isolation and loneliness as a result of lockdown restrictions. Although 'care' and 'kindness' became social expectations throughout Aotearoa New Zealand during the lockdown, RNs and PCAs who were already doing care work in patient homes had to do more. This article makes five core service delivery and policy recommendations for supporting community-based nurses and PCAs in respiratory disease pandemics: acknowledging the crucial role played by community-based carers and the associated stress and anxiety endured, through championing respect and compassion; demystifying the 'heroism' or 'self-sacrifice' projected onto care workers to facilitate boundary setting; the timely provision of adequate protective equipment; improving remuneration with adequate provision for time off; and regular counselling, peer support groups, and education on work-life balance delivered by support workers in recognition of stressors arising from these complex and isolated working conditions.

The Epidemiology of Māori Suicide in Aotearoa/New Zealand

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Nicole M. Coupe
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Suicide Rate ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand

AbstractSuicide is a Māori Public Health Issue. Suicide rates in Aotearoa/New Zealand are amongst the highest in OECD countries in the 15-24 year age group and second only to Hungary in other age groups (WHO, 1996; Disley & Coggan, 1996). Suicide is the leading cause of death for young people under the age of 25 years in Aotearoa/New Zealand and a major public health problem (Coggan, 1997). Approximatel, 540 New Zealanders kill themselves each year (Rose, Hatcher, & Koelmeyer, 1999). The total Māori suicide rate (per 100 000) increased to 17.5 in 1997, compared to non-Māori (13.1), and the Māori youth suicide rate (33.9) far exceeded the equivalent non-Māori rate (24.3), reflecting the disparity between Māori and non-Māori (Ministry of Health, 1997). This paper aims to present epidemiological data on Māori suicide and then use the existing literature to discuss possible reasons for the high Māori rate.

scholarly journals Nationwide prevalence and risk factors for faecal carriage ofEscherichia coliO157 and O26 in very young calves and adult cattle at slaughter in New Zealand

2016 ◽  
Vol 144 (8) ◽  
pp. 1736-1747 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. JAROS ◽  
A. L. COOKSON ◽  
A. REYNOLDS ◽  
D. J. PRATTLEY ◽  
D. M. CAMPBELL ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Real Time ◽  
National Level ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adult Cattle ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Faecal Carriage

SUMMARYNationwide prevalence and risk factors for faecal carriage ofEscherichia coliO157 and O26 in cattle were assessed in a 2-year cross-sectional study at four large slaughter plants in New Zealand. Recto-anal mucosal swab samples from a total of 695 young (aged 4–7 days) calves and 895 adult cattle were collected post-slaughter and screened with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence ofE. coliO157 and O26 [Shiga toxin-producingE. coli(STEC) and non-STEC]. Co-infection with either serogroup ofE. coli(O157 or O26) was identified as a risk factor in both calves and adult cattle for being tested real-time PCR-positive forE. coliO157 or O26. As confirmed by culture isolation and molecular analysis, the overall prevalence of STEC (STEC O157 and STEC O26 combined) was significantly higher in calves [6·0% (42/695), 95% confidence interval (CI) 4·4–8·1] than in adult cattle [1·8% (16/895), 95% CI 1·1–3·0] (P< 0·001). This study is the first of its kind in New Zealand to assess the relative importance of cattle as a reservoir of STEC O157 and O26 at a national level. Epidemiological data collected will be used in the development of a risk management strategy for STEC in New Zealand.

scholarly journals Leadership toward positive workplace culture in Aotearoa New Zealand: clinical nurse manager perspectives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystle Graham
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Nurse Managers ◽  
Positive Culture ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Nurse Manager ◽  
Workplace Culture ◽  
Clinical Nurse ◽  
The North ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Role Preparation

<p><b>Clinical nurse managers play a vital role in the healthcare system. They are responsible for the day to day running of departments and ensuring that patients are safely cared for. The leadership behaviour and practices of a clinical nurse manager are fundamental for establishing and maintaining positive workplace culture, which is important for nurse performance and quality patient outcomes. This research sought to understand how clinical nurse managers build positive culture in their workplace and to identify leadership attributes and actions that they perceive to be important for generating positive workplace culture. Furthermore, it aimed to identify the challenges of creating positive workplace culture in Aotearoa New Zealand.</b></p> <p>A qualitative descriptive design was used to capture rich in-depth understanding and insight into clinical nurse manager experiences of positive workplace culture from their position in nursing leadership. Ten clinical nurse managers from one secondary hospital within the North Island of Aotearoa participated in semi structured face-to-face interviews. Data was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis with assistance of NVIVO 12 coding software to manage the process of analysing transcripts. </p> <p>Findings demonstrated that clinical nurse managers deliberately engage in strategies to build positive workplace culture and the more prepared they were for their role, the better equipped they were to do so. Three themes were identified: role preparation, achieving perspective, and intentionality. The theme of role preparation describes the actions clinical nurse managers use to cope with realities of the job, build good teams, and manage uncertainty. The second theme achieving perspective represents the internal processes clinical nurse managers use to understand situations and make decisions. The final theme intentionality describes the leadership strategies clinical nurse managers use to enhance collaborative behaviour and positive relationships within the team. </p> <p>To prepare and develop nurses into leadership positions, organisations and executive leadership teams must actively invest in the preparation of this workforce. Establishing educational prerequisites and having structured orientation and mentoring programmes will build a clinical nurse manager workforce that is equipped to foster positive workplace culture in Aotearoa. Furthermore, conducting performance appraisals habitually will provide a foundation for training and development that is needed to keep nurses motivated and engaged in their workplace.</p>

scholarly journals A Collaborative Indigenous–non-Indigenous Partnership Approach to Understanding Participant Experiences of a Community-Based Healthy Lifestyles Program

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232199864
Author(s):  
Cervantée E. K. Wild ◽  
Ngauru T. Rawiri ◽  
Donna M. Cormack ◽  
Esther J. Willing ◽  
Paul L. Hofman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Indigenous Research ◽  
Healthy Lifestyles ◽  
Research Partnership ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Modern Family ◽  
Kaupapa Māori ◽  
Partnership Approach

We describe the approach of an Indigenous–non-Indigenous research partnership in the context of a qualitative study which aimed to understand barriers and facilitators to engagement in a community-based healthy lifestyles program in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Informed by Kaupapa Māori research principles and by “Community-Up” research values, this collaborative approach between the mixed Māori–non-Māori research team effectively engaged with Māori and non-Māori families for in-depth interviews on participant experience, including with non-service users. “Community-Up” research principles allowed for a respectful process which upheld the mana (status, dignity) of the interview participants and the research team. Challenges included maintaining flexibility in our conceptions of ethnicity to reflect the complexity of modern family life in Aotearoa/New Zealand. We were committed to ongoing communication, awareness, and attention to the relationships that formed the basis of our research partnership, which allowed effective navigation of challenges and was critical to the study’s success.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document