To the public, nursing is much like teaching work – known to be valuable, but not worthy of much critical attention. Accordingly, nursing is rarely represented in any depth in popular culture.
Human trafficking victims can be hidden in plain sight, as one hospital found. That can lead health professionals and the public to miss clues to their plight. But education can change that.
Will nurses eventually be replaced by robots? Nurses themselves need to engage with the ongoing technological revolution in healthcare - to shape the future of the profession.
Violence against nurses in hospitals is increasing. Yet incidents remain under-reported and protections are not enough to ensure their safety, as well as that of their patients.
Nurses and midwives are among society’s most highly valued professionals. But a disturbing national picture is emerging of escalating levels of over-work and burnout.
Director, Center for Community Child Health Royal Children's Hospital; Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne; Theme Director Population Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute