Welcome and Introduction

Busting Vaccination Myths

The recent rise in anti-vaccination has caused the resurgence of several previously eradicated preventable diseases. It is up to healthcare workers to ensure that these diseases don’t come back by promoting vaccinations. This session will discuss the following topics:

• What are the diseases which can be prevented by vaccines?
• Why is a fever not a sign of a vaccine allergy?
• Which health conditions contraindicate vaccines?
• How can we approach the topic of vaccination with parents who do not agree with vaccinations?

Mindset Matters

The complex healthcare environment nurses work in can sometimes push us to near breaking point, but our mindset determines how we perceive these challenges and how we respond to them. Moving from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset can help nurses better manage the demands of our work and our profession. This session will discuss how nurses as carers, learners, teachers, managers and as executives, can all benefit from embracing and promoting a growth mindset. It includes:

• What can be described as fixed and growth mindsets?
• How can we apply growth mindset principles to various nursing roles?
• What are the ways we can relate growth mindset to continuous improvement, resilience and success?
• In what ways can we articulate strategies to promote a growth mindset?

Nutrition and Women’s Health

Women’s health is quite a broad topic. It is to be expected that there is a great deal of information (and misinformation) available to the public regarding this topic. Nutrition can play a significant role in this space. This session will discuss:

• The microbiome - can our digestive microbiome influence the vaginal microbiome?
• The gut-brain axis - how can food affect our mood?
• The current evidence in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis - how can nutrition impact these conditions?

Anti-Inflammatory Reliever for Mild Asthma in Adults and Adolescents

The Australian Asthma Handbook recommends as-needed SABA only for people with mild asthma. However, the GINA 2019 Strategy now recommends that all adults and adolescents with asthma should receive either symptom-driven (in mild asthma) or daily low dose ICS-containing preventer treatment, to reduce their risk of serious exacerbations. There is strong evidence that SABA-only treatment, although providing short-term relief of asthma symptoms, does not protect patients from severe exacerbations, and that regular or frequent use of SABAs increases the risk of exacerbations (Global Initiative for Asthma, 2019). This session includes:

• Definition of good control of asthma
• Identification of problems associated with over-reliance of SABAs in adults and adolescents with asthma
• Understanding of trials on as-needed anti-inflammatory relievers
• Key changes to GINA 2019 Strategy

Culturally Safe Care

When providing care to a patient from a different culture, linguistic or religious background, it is easy to second guess yourself. This session will explore the concept of culturally safe care and discuss:

• What is culturally safe care?
• Why is it important to know your patient’s cultural, linguistic and religious background?
• What are the challenges faced by healthcare professionals who provide care to patients from a different cultural, linguistic and religious background?

Basic Principles of ECG

In this session, we will review the basic underlying principles and the normal criteria for interpreting a 12-lead ECG. You will learn how to systematically read an ECG to determine and identify abnormalities and their significance. You will have time to apply these on a normal 12-lead ECG. This session will explain the theory and practical application of:

• Basic ECG principles - lead placement and key terms explained
• The criteria for normality of the different components of the ECG
• The determination of cardiac rate
• Normal R-wave progression and how to interpret the different QRS configurations

The Immune System and Nosocomial Infections

Hospital-acquired infections, also known as nosocomial infections, are some of the most common complications that occur in the healthcare setting. As more and more organisms become resistant to treatment, infections will only be harder to fight. It is up to healthcare workers to prevent infections before they occur. This session will look at:

• A basic explanation of the immune system
• Causes of nosocomial infections
• Methods to prevent nosocomial infections

When Is It Time to Talk About Dying?

Why are people still afraid to talk about dying? This session will briefly look at the right or wrong time to have these conversations. It includes:

• Do you wait until you are diagnosed with a terminal illness before you discuss your wishes with your family or is it part of planning for the future when you complete your will and enduring power of attorney documents?
• Palliative Care - what is it?
• Estate planning - how important is a plan?
• Conversations about end of life - what are the ways to document your wishes if you are unable to do so?

Diabetes and Dementia: Which Comes First?

Both dementia and diabetes (type 1 and type 2) are on the increase, as is dementia. Why are so many people now developing dementia younger, and what may it have to do with blood glucose levels? This session will discuss:

• What causes diabetes?
• What causes dementia?
• How is their pathophysiology interrelated?
• How do we care for people with both diabetes and dementia?

Smoking and Quitting

Everyone knows something about smoking and quitting. At least half of what everyone ‘knows’ is either incorrect, not supported by research or only helpful for some individual’s thinking about their smoking or quitting. This session includes:

• How to assess smoking and nicotine dependence
• Treatments and relapse reduction (medicines and behavioural)
• Simple teaching strategies to enable your smokers to progress towards long-term abstinence

Diabetes: Myths, Facts and Visions

The perception of diabetes mellitus as a complex and life-limiting condition prevails, despite advances in research and innovations in treatment. Confusion amongst people with diabetes and healthcare professionals alike is compounded by a wealth of information, often editorial, that liberally interprets trends in diabetes into attractive ‘cures’. Here we examine common myths, reveal the facts and consider a future vision for people with diabetes. This session includes:

• A review of the incidence and growth of diabetes from local, regional and global perspectives
• How to Identify common diabetes myths and discuss the evidence concerning best practice
• An overview of current evidence-based guidelines for the management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes
• An overview of new trends and treatments in diabetes management

Holistic Care for Healthcare

Providing high quality, affordable and sustainable healthcare will continue to be a considerable challenge. Despite innovation and advancement, we are busier than ever and yet healthcare can almost always be better. A contemporary case study will highlight some of these challenges and how they can be approached. This session includes:

• Enhancing quality outcomes through interprofessional collaboration
• Integrating standards into real life
• The power of education to enhance evidence-based practice
• Planning for the known as well as the unknown