Content warning: This episode contains discussion of youth mental health, antidepressant prescribing, self-harm and suicide. Listener discretion is advised. Support is available via on 13 11 14, or call 000 in an emergency.

This month on the podcast:

🩺 The latest Nursing Australia News
Aged care workers score another pay boost, artificial intelligence continues its rapid expansion into healthcare settings, and new workforce pressures place fresh scrutiny on the future of Australian nursing.

🌏 Segment 1: Live from Women Deliver Melbourne
We take you inside — one of the world’s largest gender equity and global health conferences — as leaders, clinicians, advocates and policymakers gather in Melbourne to discuss the future of women’s health, reproductive rights, sex workers, leadership and healthcare equity.

🧠 Segment 2: Teen Mental Health & Antidepressants Under the Microscope
Rates of anxiety, depression and psychological distress among teenagers and young adults continue to rise — alongside increasing antidepressant prescribing in younger Australians. We explore the data, the debate, and the difficult questions facing clinicians, families and young people navigating mental healthcare today.

From global health diplomacy to deeply personal healthcare decisions, this episode examines the pressures shaping the next generation of care.

If this episode raises concerns for you or someone you know, support is available via (13 11 14), (1800 55 1800), or emergency services on 000.

Quality Use of Medicines Alliance

FESTIVAL OF NURSING 2026

Discover SERCO RTO

Create Justice

Scarlett Alliance

Gender Equity Victoria

Prof Cath Chamberlain, Melbourne School of Population & Global Health

The Fred Hollows Foundation

Vision 2020

Guttmacher Institute

Sarah Corrigan, NATSIWA (National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Women's Alliance)

Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything

Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger

Ep. 99 Quit Smoking, start an NGO
Welcome to Nursing Australia Episode 99! Today we speak with Quit Centre about vaping and smoking and then we meet Kate Holliday, the founder & CEO of the Centre for Community-Driven Response (CCDR).

The latest Nursing Australia News (02:05) Vaping cancer, healthcare affordability, measles alert, and Top-end ambulance crisis.

Segment 1: QUIT IT (04:35) Quit smoking campaigns have been running Australia-wide since the 80s. While smoking rates remain a concern, among Australians under 35, vaping has now overtaken smoking. Now, Quit Centre is reaching out to nurses to help join the fight against both. Cora Mayer and Stacey Ridley from Quit Centre say nurses, esp those in GP settings, can make a real difference when it comes to patients kicking the habit for good - even a brief advice conversation is known to be a trigger for prompting a person to make a quit attempt.

Segment 2: Start an NGO (14:45) Kate Holliday is an interesting type - she's a nurse-come-CEO of a large non-profit. As she explains it, if she sees something that’s able to be done better, especially if it helps others, then she can't look the other way... she’s gotta do something about it. This is what led to her starting CCDR and it becoming the successful international NGO it is today. Kate’s idea was to develop more patient-centric research that would see patient experiences included in health policy. The Centre for Community-Driven Response started in 2012 and now has registered offices in Switzerland, the UK, and of course, Australia.

HANDY LINKS:

APPLY TO BE PART OF FESTIVAL OF NURSING 2026

SERCO DEFENCE RTO

QUITCENTRE

CCDR - Centre for Community Driven Response

Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything

Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger

Lifestyle health is back in focus. In this March episode of Nursing Australia, we explore two pillars of preventative care, movement and nutrition.

Nutrition scientist and dietitian Dr Joanna McMillan joins us to break down the science of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), debunk heating myths, and explain how to choose the right olive oil for maximum health benefit.

Then, Heart Foundation representative Elizabeth Calleja discusses why Australians aren’t meeting physical activity guidelines — and shares practical tools nurses can use to start meaningful exercise conversations with patients.

Evidence-based, practical and highly relatable — this is lifestyle medicine made simple.

The latest Nursing Australia News (04:00) Bulk-billing boom, universal respiratory vax, and weight-loss drugs on the rise.

Segment 1: What is EVOO (06:50) Is olive oil really healthy once it’s heated? And what actually makes extra virgin olive oil different? Nutrition scientist and dietitian Dr Joanna McMillan unpacks the myths, explains the science behind EVOO, and shares practical advice on choosing and using olive oil for maximum cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits.

Segment 2: Get Moving (29:20) Australians are falling short of recommended physical activity levels — and it’s impacting long-term health outcomes. Elizabeth Calleja from the Heart Foundation joins us to explain why movement matters, how much is enough, and the practical tools available to help nurses confidently support patients in becoming more active.

HANDY LINKS:

APPLY TO BE PART OF FESTIVAL OF NURSING 2026

DISCOVER SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY (SCU)

HEART FOUNDATION - WALKING

EVOO

The Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity (ASPA)

Click here to get in touch with Nursing Australia (send a text for free from anywhere in the world) #askusanything

Hosted & Produced by: Matthew St Ledger & Leith Alexander
Produced by: Leith Alexander & Matthew St Ledger