The New Zealand medical journal
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In December 2001, nursing industrial action occurred at Christchurch Hospital. This study assesses the effect industrial action had on relatives of those Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients involved. ⋯ The study shows that industrial action caused measurable distress and anxiety to the relatives involved some 16 months after the strike, especially in patients who were transferred. A persistent negative perception of the healthcare system in New Zealand could be demonstrated in this group.
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This article identifies published reports of medical undergraduate rural programmes from international medical schools and investigates the features making these programmes successful in recruiting and retaining rural physicians. ⋯ The effectiveness of a medical undergraduate rural programme in preparing and recruiting physicians for rural practice does not occur with one isolated strategy but with a chronological sequence of interventions. The most effective programmes consider both pre-medical school and medical school educational factors. Medical schools would need to implement a combination of these strategies when designing a programme to maximise success.
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Acquisition of clinical skills by medical undergraduates can be problematic, especially in the context of medical emergencies. Simulation using computerised manikins may be an effective and ethical solution. We assessed the ability of undergraduates to manage medical emergencies, and evaluated simulation as an educational and assessment tool. ⋯ Current medical undergraduate training does not ensure new graduates can intervene effectively in an emergency. Simulation-based workshops are effective and should be incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum both for education and assessment of competence in emergency management.
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Comparative Study
Physician job satisfaction in New Zealand versus the United Kingdom.
To compare and contrast levels of job satisfaction and job-related stress between doctors in New Zealand (NZ) and the United Kingdom (UK). ⋯ Doctors in the UK face greater difficulty in gaining satisfaction from their work, as exemplified by the subgroup of UK physicians. This is due to a complex array of factors including conditions of the working environment and sociopolitical factors that are absent or minimal in New Zealand.
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To describe our initial experience with percutaneous vertebroplasty in a New Zealand teaching hospital setting. ⋯ This small series shows that percutaneous vertebroplasty has been successfully performed in a New Zealand teaching hospital. The definitive role of this technique in the management of patients with osteoporotic fractures remains to be determined.