NURSES' OPEN DAY: St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin will hold an open day on Saturday, September 3rd, in a bid to attract nurses who have left the career back to work, writes Elaine Edwards.
The move is a direct response to the nursing shortage, which is making it particularly difficult to attract and keep nurses in specialist areas.
Hospitals now regularly recruit staff from overseas because of the shortage of Irish-trained nursing staff willing to take up posts here.
Staff from the various general and specialist areas will be available for informal chats between 10am and 4pm at the education and research centre in the main hospital building.
Those who have left nursing will have the opportunity to explore employment and career opportunities at the hospital.
Angela Smith, clinical nurse manager in St Theresa's ward, which specialises in colorectal surgery, says the hospital makes every effort to accommodate flexible work patterns. Full-time and part-time work is available.
"I find nursing certainly has changed since I did my training," she says. "But a lot has changed for the better."
She says the fact that the points required for those wishing to enter nursing schools have increased this year is a good indication that there is still strong interest in nursing as a career.
For further information see www.st-vincents.ie/nursing/
CHILD'S PLAY: The role of storytelling, play and wondering about the world will be explored at the 15th annual conference of the European Early Childhood Education Research Association in Dublin this week.
Over 500 academics, childcare practitioners and policymakers will hear papers on the theme of Young Children as Citizens: Identity, Belonging and Participation in St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Dublin from tomorrow until Saturday. See www.eecera2005.org or telephone 01-4630016
GRADUATES' GATHERING: University College Cork's medical graduates from around the world will return to Cork next month for the Medical Alumni Scientific Conference 2005.
The conference, which takes place on September 15th and 16th, is being organised as part of UCC's contribution to the 2005 European City of Culture. Topics include: Medicine in the Real World; New views on Old Diseases and Cork 2005: A Physician's Contribution.
Further information is available from Marie McSweeney, assistant press officer, University College Cork, telephone 021-4902371 or e-mail medicalumni@ucc.ie
OBESITY INCHES UP: Americans continued to gain weight last year as the adult obesity rate inched up to 24.5 per cent from 23.7 per cent in 2003, a new report says.
The report, F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, was the second such annual report released by the Trust for America's Health, a non-profit health advocacy organization. Adult obesity rates in the United States have risen steadily since 1980, when about 15 per cent of Americans were obese. Around nine million US children are overweight.
"While it's indisputable that individual behavior - eating less and exercising more - is critical to addressing this problem, the government and private industry also have important roles to play," said Parris Glendening, report co-author.
ORAL HEALTH AWARENESS: Only one third of Irish adults claim to visit their dentists once a year or more often, according to findings of a survey aimed at improving oral health and dental attendance.
Just one in ten of the population claims that they never visit the dentist at all, while the majority of Irish people say they only visit the dentist's surgery "when they need to", the Behaviour and Attitudes study found.
In addition, an estimated 93 per cent of Irish people suffer from some degree of gum disease - the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.
The research was commissioned by mouthwash makers Listerine, as part of the 'Smile for Life - A Guide to Keeping a Healthy Smile' campaign.