Senior professionals and middle managers are experiencing increased burnout and stress, leading to higher alcohol consumption, and there is a need for better support and resources for mental health and addiction treatment in Australia, according to Ruth Limkin, Founder of The Banyans and Chief Development Officer at parent Sana Health Group.
“Burnout and stress is likely due to the immense pressure and crisis management they have been facing, leading to a need for self-care. Middle managers are more likely to take out work stress on their family, so it’s important to have conversations and provide support.”, says Ms Limkin.
Alcohol consumption has increased significantly during COVID, with one in three senior managers and 50% of middle managers and the wider workforce drinking more when stressed, including day drinking while working from home.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Ms Limkin, on the Sana Health treatment centres in Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Byron Bay having different client types, with some people self-medicating undiagnosed mental health conditions, and it can be confusing for them to find help.
Sana Health Group offers a wide range of practitioners and treatment programs for mental health, addiction, and eating disorders in Australia. However Ms Limkin raises the issue that in primary health GPs need more funding and support for better patient care and understanding of available options.
“The environment where you receive care affects the care you receive, and it’s important to help patients navigate the healthcare system and understand their treatment options.”, says Ms Limkin.
According to Ms Limkin, healthcare professionals need more resources and time to collaborate with patients and provide holistic care for better results in the Australian health system.
Practitioners need time to work collaboratively with patients using evidence-based research and at Sana Healthcare centres, a more holistic approach to wellbeing is taken to deliver better results.
-
Clinical entrepreneur addresses needle-phobia
Australian entrepreneur, Lauren Barber, turned her nursing background into the role of an inventor and launched a medical device into the Australian healthcare industry.
No journey is linear for an entrepreneur, but Lauren has travelled considerable distance from a nursing student to a successful entrepreneur illustration her determination and passion to help those with needle phobias. Lauren’s work with NeedleCalm is making a positive impact in the healthcare industry and improving the experiences of patients and clinicians alike.
-
Enriching experiences in nursing mentorship
Mentoring in nursing is crucial for the development of nurses and the advancement of the nursing profession. It provides a supportive environment for personal and professional growth, knowledge transfer, and leadership development.
Australian Health Journal met with two nurses both working in Queensland, one the mentor, the other, the mentee. Both get to appreciate the experiences mentorship gives them.
-
AHJ S1E4: Augmented Reality Learning – Inside MS
Augmented learning now has application seeing the changes in a patient’s brain with Multiple Sclerosis through MRI data. Australian Health Journal met the people behind the augmented reality visor technology that will soon be used to teach trainee doctors the transitional phases of MS.
The technology has been developed by Novartis and in collaboration with the Sydney Neuroimaging Analysis Centre, located within the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre and Hatch Australia, a creative design team based in Sydney. To date the technology has been well received by neurology health care specialists attending conferences in Melbourne and in Berlin, Germany. We caught with a demo for all other healthcare professionals at the recent ARCS Conference.
