Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal (2007) 10, 150—151

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journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/aenj

EDITORIAL

Poverty and human development

The Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal is a partici-
pant in the Global Theme Issue devoted to Poverty and
Human Development which had a common publication date
of October 22, 2007. Due to publication schedules for print
journals, papers for the global theme issue were made avail-
able on-line on the scheduled date followed by in-print
publication as per normal publication schedules. This issue
contains three papers relating specifically to Poverty and
Human Development in the Australian context and a brief
communication from Trish Schwerdtle1 who is a nurse cur-
rently working in South Sudan.
Australia is fortunate not to be stricken with abject
poverty as experienced in other countries. However, poverty
still exists in the ‘lucky country’, where evidence of rel-
ative poverty can not be denied. Dr Isabelle Ellis2 paints
a picture concerning poverty of hope in remote indigenous
Australian communities, a concept supported by Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma
who states Australian indigenous health suffers from ‘‘a cen-
tury of neglect’’ where basic inequalities in access to health,
housing, water, sanitation and transport infrastructure have
left indigenous people behind.3 The National Rural Health
Alliance has called for a political commitment to a national
health plan for rural and remote communities.4
Moore, Gerdtz and Manias5 delve into how social isola-
tion and poverty impact on health status and the way in
which health services are utilised by the homeless, while
Kathy Day6 details how elder abuse results in deprivation,
psychological and social poverty for those who are affected
with this hidden social problem. In August 2007, the New
South Wales Government launched the new Interagency
Protocol for responding to Abuse of Older People.7 The
Protocol is designed for use by government and agencies to
both identify and respond when abuse of an older person

Photo 1 Kate Curtis, Trauma Clinical Nurse Consultant St George Hospital (left) and Clair Ramsden, Nursing Co-Director Medicine
and Emergency St George Hospital at the launch of Emergency and Trauma Nursing, Sydney, 5th July 2007.

1574-6267/$ — see front matter © 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of College of Emergency Nursing Australasia Ltd.
doi:10.1016/S1574-6267(07)00238-8
Poverty and human development
is suspected or observed. The protocol sets expectations
regarding the need to be alert to the indicators of abuse
and for responses to be timely and at all times in the best
interests of the abused.
A first for Australian/New Zealand Emergency and Trauma
Nursing
Chief Nursing Officer of NSW, Prof Debra Thoms, launched
the first Australasian Emergency and Trauma Nursing text-
book at a function on 5 July 2007 at the publisher’s offices
in Sydney. The newly released text is endorsed by CENA and
we applaud the editors, Kate Curtis, Clair Ramsden and Julie
Friendship (Trauma CNC, Nursing Co-Director for Medicine &
Emergency St George Hospital, and GESCHN CNC Sutherland
Hospital respectively) and wish them every success for the
future of this important text (see Photo 1).
Published by Elsevier Science, this book will provide a
practical and evidence based resource for rural and urban
Emergency and Trauma Nurses, students, or those with
an interest in these areas. It offers information specific
to nurses practicing in their local environment and I am
sure will soon be the accepted text for emergency nursing
post graduate courses in Australasia. All 63 contributors
have been clinicians in Australia or New Zealand and were
chosen for their expertise in their chapter area, in order to
ensure relevant and practical information. It is anticipated
this new text will be a resource to support clinicians in
their day-to-day provision of care to emergency and trauma
patients, and promote the specialties of Emergency and
Trauma nursing throughout Australasia.
New Editor-in-Chief appointed
The search for a new Editor-in-Chief for AENJ commenced
officially in January 2007. While the process has taken con-
siderably longer than anticipated it has now been finalised.
I wrote in my editorial ‘From strength to strength’8 at the
beginning of the year that it would be my last as Interim
Editor-in-Chief, however, three editorials later and I can
now definitely confirm this really is my last as Interim EIC.
Handing over stewardship of the journal has commenced to
Ramon Shaban, RN, EMT-P, BSc(Med), BN, ADipAppSc(Amb),
GCertInfCon, PGDipPH&TM, Med, MCommHlthPrac(Hons),
PhD(candidate) (see Photo 2).
I offer my congratulations to Ramon as he commences
his new role and wish him every success for the future with
this great journal.
Thank you to Editorial Board, Peer Reviewers and Asso-
ciate Editors
I wish to thank all those who have assisted during my
tenure as Interim Editor-in-Chief to make AENJ the high
151
quality journal it is. I especially wish to thank the peer
reviewers and the Associate Editors, Dr Marie Gerdtz and
Belinda Donkin-Evers, who all volunteer their efforts with
one goal in mind, to bring to AENJ’s readers the highest
quality papers about our specialty, Emergency Nursing.
Photo 2 Ramon Shaban, Lecturer, School of Nursing & Mid-
wifery, Research Centre for Clinical Practice Innovation, Griffith
University, QLD.
References
1. Schwerdtle PN. Emergency medical relief in South Sudan
with Medecins Sans Frontieres. Australas Emerg Nurs J
2007;10(4):152—153.
2. Ellis I. The management of threatened hanging and near hang-
ing: A unique feature of remote area emergency care. Australas
Emerg Nurs J 2007;10(4):164—8.
3. Calma T. Aboriginal & Indigenous Health. Indigenous Health
Forum. Canberra, ACT: National Centre for Epidemiology and
Population Health, The Australian National University; 2007.
4. Wakerman J. Call for national rural and remote area health plan.
National Rural Health Alliance Inc.; August 13, 2007.
5. Moore G, Gerdtz M, Manias E. Homelessness, health status and
emergency department use: An integrated review of the litera-
ture. Australas Emerg Nurs J 2007;10(4):178—185.
6. Day K. Elder abuse in context of poverty and deprivation
and emergency department care. Australas Emerg Nurs J
2007;10(4):169—177.
7. NSW Department of Ageing Disability and Home Care.
Interagency protocol for responding to abuse of older
people; 2007 [cited September 2, 2007]. Available from:
http://www.dadhc.nsw.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/CD3588A6-5D12-
4B2E-A189-B28C648038FC/2972/InteragencyProtocol1.pdf.
8. McCallum Pardey TG. From strength to strength. Australas
Emerg Nurs J 2007;10(1):1—2.
Toni G. McCallum Pardey
Interim Editor-in-Chief
E-mail address: editor@cena.org.au