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In many areas of the world, the discipline and profession of nursing has been strengthened through the efforts of strong and effective leaders in education, research and clinical practice. The Seventy-second World Health Assembly designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife; not only to honour the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, but also to recognize the contributions of nurses and midwives to the health and well-being of the world's population. Recently, on World Health Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released the State of the World's Nursing 2020 report providing data on nursing globally (WHO 2020). The report also provides a compelling case for development of the global nursing workforce, investment in nursing education, jobs, and leadership. However, operationalizing these recommendations will require investment and support at all levels of government and across all health jurisdictions.

Background: Nursing in Australian general practice has grown rapidly over the last decade in response to government initiatives to strengthen primary care. There are limited data about how this expansion has impacted on the nursing role, scope of practice and workforce characteristics. This study aimed to describe the current demographic and employment characteristics of Australian nurses working in general practice and explore trends in their role over time. Methods. In the nascence of the expansion of the role of nurses in Australian general practice (2003-2004) a national survey was undertaken to describe nurse demographics, clinical roles and competencies. This survey was repeated in 2009-2010 and comparative analysis of the datasets undertaken to explore workforce changes over time. Results: Two hundred eighty four nurses employed in general practice completed the first survey (2003/04) and 235 completed the second survey (2009/10). Significantly more participants in Study 2 were undertaking follow-up of pathology results, physical assessment and disease specific health education. There was also a statistically significant increase in the participants who felt that further education/training would augment their confidence in all clinical tasks (p < 0.001). Whilst the impact of legal implications as a barrier to the nurses' role in general practice decreased between the two time points, more participants perceived lack of space, job descriptions, confidence to negotiate with general practitioners and personal desire to enhance their role as barriers. Access to education and training as a facilitator to nursing role expansion increased between the two studies. The level of optimism of participants for the future of the nurses' role in general practice was slightly decreased over time. Conclusions: This study has identified that some of the structural barriers to nursing in Australian general practice have been addressed over time. However, it also identifies continuing barriers that impact practice nurse role development. Understanding and addressing these issues is vital to optimise the effectiveness of the primary care nursing workforce. © 2014Halcomb et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

© 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Background: Clinical deterioration and adverse events in hospitals is an increasing cause for concern. Rapid response systems have been widely implemented to identify deteriorating patients. Aim: We aimed to examine the literature highlighting major historical trends leading to the widespread adoption of rapid response systems, focussing on Australian issues and identifying future focus areas. Method: Integrative literature review including published and grey literature. Results: Seventy-eight sources including journal articles and Australian government matierlas resulted. Pertinent themes were the increasing acuity and aging of the population, importance of hospital cultures, the emerging role of the consumer, and proliferation, evolution and standardisation of rapid response systems. Discussion: Translating evidence to usual care practice is challenging and strongly driven by local factors and political imperatives. Conclusion: Rapid response systems are complex interventions requiring consideration of contextual factors at all levels. Appropriate resources, a skilled workforce and positive workplace cultures are needed for these systems to reach their full potential.