bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Student nurse perception of the staff nurse role
Authors: Buckenham M. A.
Published: December 2006

A survey was undertaken to identify the developing pereeption of the staff nurse role by student nurses in two health districts of one regional health authority using a questionnaire specially developed for the survey. A sample of 190 was selected from student nurses, staff nurses and sisters, working within those areas used for general nurse teaching at the two districts. The results indicate that first‐year student nurses hold perceptions of the importance of the functions of the staff nurse role which are signifieantly different from the staff nurse whilst second‐year students respond in the same way as staff nurses. Third‐year student nurses hold a perception of the staff nurse role which does not differ significantly from that held by staff nurses except for the clinical function. Questions relating to performing within these functions were less easily interpreted. The results do not demonstrate a sequential developing perception of the staif nurse role, rather a change over the first year with some areas of performance remaining dilferent throughout the years of training. Possible reasons for these differences are advanced. Difficulties in generalizing the results due to the limitations of the data obtained, questionnaire design and the locations for the study, are identified.
Physical and psychological symptoms experienced by Canadian women and their husbands during pregnancy and the postpartum
Authors: Drake Mary Louise , Verhulst Dianna , Fawcett Jacqueline
Published: December 2006

This study was designed to determine the type and frequency of physical and psychological symptoms reported by pregnant and postpartal women and their husbands, and to determine the relationship between spouses' strength of identification and similarities in their reports of symptoms. The sample included 20 couples who resided in south‐eastern Ontario, Canada who completed a checklist of 20 physical and three psychological symptoms. Findings indicated that wives and husbands experienced a variety of physical and psychological symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum. Although few symptoms were shared by spouses, the similarities in their reports were statistically significant. There was no evidence of a relationship between spouses' strength of identification and similarities in their symptom reports.
Humour and the older adult: implications for nursing
Authors: Simon Jolene M.
Published: December 2006

This correlational descriptive study examined the relationship between the uses of humour and health outcomes as measured by perceived health, life satisfaction, and morale in older adults. The sample of this pilot study consisted of 24 volunteers from a senior citizen community centre who are ambulatory adults over 61 years old. Subjects were administered questionnaires which consisted of a demographic data sheet, the Situational Humour Response Questionnaire, Coping Humour Scale, Current Health Subscale, Life Satisfaction Index, and the Affect Balance Scale. The findings revealed significant (P< 0.05) positive relationships between situational humour and perceived health (r= 0.43), and situational humour and morale (r= 0.38). Furthermore, there was a significant negative relationship between coping humour and perceived health (r =‐0.46). These findings suggest that humour may be one phenomenon which influences the older adult's perception of perceived health, life satisfaction and morale and may assist in successful ageing. These preliminary findings support the need for further research to examine these relationships with a larger study.
Food refusal amongst nursing home patients as conceptualized by nurses' aids and enrolled nurses: an interview study
Authors: Norberg Astrid , Bäckström Åke , Athlin Elsy , Norberg Bo
Published: December 2006

One hundred and forty‐three nurses’ aids and 48 enrolled nurses at nursing homes in Sweden were interviewed about food refusal among patients. It became evident that their concepts of ‘food refusal’ and ‘forced feeding’ were very vague. This could partly be explained by the lack of knowledge among staff of how to interpret the frequent ambiguous eating behaviours among demented patients. It has been suggested that concept clarification and ethical analysis might reduce anxiety among staff caring for patients with severe eating problems.
Assessment of sleep in hospital patients: a review of methods
Authors: Closs S. José
Published: December 2006

Since sleep and healing appear to be associated, achieving the optimum quality of sleep among hospital patients should be a priority for both clinical nurses and researchers. This paper discusses various methods of sleep assessment which may be used by those intending to conduct research in this field.
Conceptualizing for transcultural health visiting: the concept of transcultural reciprocity
Authors: Dobson Susan Margaret
Published: December 2006

Concepts fundamental to health visiting need to be identified, clarified and developed as an on‐going activity, one in which all health visitors can, and should, be involved The concept of ‘transcultural reciprocity’ is presented as intrinsic to the practice of transcultural health visiting
Prompted voiding therapy for urinary incontinence in aged female nursing home residents
Authors: Creason Nancy S , Grybowski Judith A , Burgener Sandra , Whippo Christina , Yeo SeonAe , Richardson Bruce
Published: December 2006

A study of 85 incontinent female nursing home residents explored the effects of two nursing interventions (prompted voiding and socialization) on incontinence Findings indicate that a controlled prompted voiding programme is useful in decreasing incontinent episodes. Positive effects of prompted voiding were noted over a 5‐week experimental period It is suggested that nursing homes incorporate prompted voiding into their care Nursing homes adopting this protocol should be encouraged to keep data that will contribute further to knowledge in this area Recommendations for additional research are made
Preparing teachers for the performance and evaluation of gaming‐simulation in experiential learning climates
Authors: Barber Paul , Norman Ian
Published: December 2006

Gaming‐simulation exercises have become an established teaching strategy for nursing education This paper suggests that nurse educators must now attempt to evaluate their effect on learning Problems of evaluation are discussed and alternative approaches critically considered The dominant ‘classical’ approach is rejected in favour of ‘illuminative’ evaluation and the approach of ‘new paradigm research’ Nurse teachers are encouraged to apply the principles of therapeutic community practice and ‘gestalt awareness’ to the learning environment to enhance gains from experiential approaches Finally the need to prepare teachers is examined It is suggested that personal and interpersonal sensitivity, plus the ability to meaningfully facilitate groupwork are necessary prerequisites for effective gaming‐simulation and its qualitative evaluation
The reflective practitioner in nursing
Authors: Powell Jean H
Published: December 2006

This work is a study of eight practising registered nurses and their use of reflection‐in‐achon in their everyday work Schon's work on reflection‐in‐action forms the theoretical basis, and the research tool uses the work of Mezirow and Lazzara's use of Colaizzi's reduction The findings are that, of the sample used, reflection‐in‐action is present extensively in the form of description and of planning of actions, but to a much lesser extent in the area of recognition of value judgements and the areas of reflechon‐in‐action leading to learning taking place Where these were present, albeit in small quantities, they were almost exclusively confined to the community nurses and the nurse practitioner The tool also helped determine whether or not practice was founded on the use of nursing research and/or that of other disciplines In the nurses studied here, this was somewhat erratic With changes in technology, social and environmental changes, and the advancement of nursing and social science research, it is important for registered nurses to be able to both learn from their everyday work and use knowledge from nursing and other disciplines in this, rather than, as is demonstrated here, separate theory from practice and be relatively unable to learn from their work In view of the changes presently proposed in nurse education, this work has implications for nurse educators as well as for practising nurses
A physiologic analysis of stress and chronic illness
Authors: Kline Leidy Nancy
Published: December 2006

Hans Selye's theoretical propositions and empirical findings provided many of the principles currently used in stress research, and are often cited as scientific bases for nursing theory, research and practice His General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) has been a useful model for realizing the physiologic processes involved in the relationship between stress and acute illness, and the evolution of diseases such as cancer The GAS can also serve as a useful paradigm for understanding the symptomatic expression and progression of a chronic physical illness, however This paper analyses the physiologic processes of stress from this perspective, proposing that individuals with a chronic illness are at risk for experiencing acute symptomatic distress and/or exacerbations of their illness in response to stress Specific examples involving chronic disease are cited and several additional insights gained from this approach are proposed
The nurse's role in giving pre‐operative information to reduce anxiety in patients admitted to hospital for elective minor surgery
Authors: Swindale Jill E.
Published: December 2006

Hospitalization, regardless of disease, is known to provoke anxiety in the patient admitted for minor surgery. If unrecognized, prolonged anxiety creates stress which may subsequently harm the patient and delay recovery. If nursing intervention is to be therapeutic, it is argued that recognition of and response to this area of patient need should be based on current research findings within the framework of a nursing model. The relationships between pre‐operative anxiety, types of coping strategy and information received are discussed with reference to current literature. Open‐ended and flexible assessment formats based on Orem's therapeutic self‐care requirements and King's open‐systems framework are proposed.
Addressing the needs of informal carers: a neglected area of nursing practice
Authors: Nolan Michael R. , Grant Gordon
Published: December 2006

The British government's philosophy of maintaining dependency groups in the community, coupled with the rising numbers of frail elderly and dwindling pool of informal carers, has highlighted the need for appropriate professional interventionsin this area. However, a failure to adequately conceptualize the needs of carers has, in the past, resulted in interventions often being inappropriate, irrelevant or unavailable. This paper advocates a major role for the nursing profession in redressing this balance. Using the findings of a postal survey on the problems and satisfactions of caring, the authors suggest how nurses might modify their current practice to maximize their contribution to this important but neglected area of their work.
Perceptions of self‐care in Sweden: a cross‐cultural replication
Authors: Whetstone William R. , Olow Hansson Anne‐Marie
Published: December 2006

This cross‐cultural study attempted to replicate the nursing phenomena of self‐care and self‐concept using two self‐reporting instruments. Both instruments were translated from English into Swedish and administered on a convenience basis to 187 Swedish subjects, 117 women and 70 men, ages 19‐66, compulsory to university educated, and residing in the southern districts of Sweden. Swedish mean self‐care scores were lower (112.5) than the United States normative group of university nursing and psychology students, but the mean was comparable to East German (113.6) reported from an earlier study. Self‐concept scores were similar to Nebraska teachers and East Germans. Alpha coefficients were used to assess reliability, ANOVA for differences, and item correlation of self‐care agency were organized by factor analysis with four subfactors identified. The derived subscales appeared to identify potentially useful factors to aid in unravelling the complexity of the self‐care agency construct. Study limitations were addressed. Cross‐cultural directives for international nursing are discussed.
Lack of care givers’ knowledge causes unnecessary suffering in elderly patients
Authors: Lindell Marianne E. , Olsson Henny M.
Published: December 2006

A comparative study of the personal hygiene of two groups of elderly women was carried out. The control group consisted of 35 healthy women aged 70‐86. The experimental group consisted of 28 women aged 66‐96 who were hospitalized in long‐term care wards and who received help with their personal hygiene. The results show that care givers lack knowledge about the normal physiological ageing process in women, which prevents them from applying the eighth component of Virginia Henderson's nursing theory. In the group who received help with their personal hygiene, 25 (89%) had abnormal genital problems.
An investigation into the assertive behaviour of trained nurses in general hospital settings
Authors: Gerry Edwina M.
Published: December 2006

Nurses are often considered to be lacking in assertive skills. This exploratory study compares the assertive behaviour of trained nurses at work and in general life situations. Questionnaire and interview techniques are used to investigate the behaviour of a small sample of sisters, staff nurses and enrolled nurses in general hospital settings. Trained nurses are found to be less assertive at work than in general life situations. In the work situation sisters are more assertive than staff nurses. The enrolled nurses are the least assertive of the trained nurses. The complex nature of assertive behaviour becomes apparent. Factors which promote assertiveness at work include knowledge, confidence, experience and the wearing of uniform. Factors which inhibit this behaviour are tradition, training and the hierarchical structure within the hospital. The use of assertiveness tends to be situation specifie. Assertiveness is viewed as a positive behaviour and is of value to nurses, but there are mixed feelings about the usefulness of assertiveness training.
Critical appraisal of the Scottish registered mental nurse training programme in relation to the care of the person with affective disorder
Authors: Barker Philip J.
Published: December 2006

The preparation of the registered mental nurse (RMN) student to care for people with affective disorder was examined in two studies involving the training programme of the National Board for Scotland. In the first study, the sample curriculum, which was prepared in 1978 and which represents the rudimentary basis of the present eight modules of training, was analysed by the author. In the second study, examination questions citing affective disorder were drawn from the final examination papers of the years 1976–1985. These were analysed by the author to isolate their ‘key characteristics’. The same questions were subsequently analysed by a panel of judges to identify their ideological orientation, in terms of accepted models of mental disorder. Both studies suggested that students were prepared to fulfil a subordinate role. The content or the outline syllabus from 1978 emphasized the preparation of the nurse to support medical staff through ‘medical‐expressive’ forms of care. Specific reference to non‐medical care was distinguished by a lack of definition and a simplistic attitude towards assessment and care‐planning. The examination questions also favoured a clinical‐somatic, or medical, orientation to care, over any other discrete form of psychosocial nursing. The past decade has been distinguished by interest in individualized care, psychosocial and person‐centred models of nursing practice. These approaches to care appear to have much to offer the care of people with affective disorder. These studies question the extent to which such an interest exerts influence over the syllabus and examination system.
Preventive behaviour: attitudes and compliance of nursing students
Authors: Soeken Karen L. , Barker Bausell R. , Winklestein Marilyn , Carson Verna J.
Published: December 2006

As a professional, the nurse is called upon to serve as a role model for positive health behaviours. Because the practise of these behaviours may effect one's effectiveness as a role model, it is important to determine whether nurses lead a so‐called preventive lifestyle and to identify what factors are predictive of compliance. Previous researchers have tended to examine individual behaviours. In this study, a prevention index was used to examine an overall preventive lifestyle. For a sample of senior year nursing students, the preventive behaviours were considered to be important. However, when compared to a national sample of females in the same age range, nursing students were found to be significantly less compliant for 12 of 19 behaviours and more compliant for only three behaviours. Both the desire to practise preventive behaviours and the perceived difficulty in doing so were the factors predictive of the level of compliance. Additional study is needed to determine how these factors can be mediated.
Living with a history of a heart attack: a human science investigation
Authors: Ford Joan S
Published: December 2006

The intent of this study was to gain insights into and a deeper understanding of what it means to live with a history of a heart attack for males at least 2 years after the event The descriptive/interpretive work of the study is based on conversations with seven men who had heart attacks, all of whom subsequently returned to work The insights emerge from the descriptions which focused respectively on the expenences of the body, other, time, and space Pseudonyms are used instead of the participants' names This has been necessary to maintain anonymity of the persons concemed
Postoperative temperature and infection in patients undergoing general surgery
Authors: Payman Barbara C , Dampier Sally E , Hawthorn Pamela J
Published: December 2006

During a study concerned with postoperative hypothermia, Closs (1985) noted an association between patients’core temperatures in the immediate postoperative period and respiratory infection In this paper, a small follow‐up study iS reported in which the relationship between postoperative temperature and the development of infection (respiratory, wound or urinary tract) was investigated in 41 patients who underwent general surgery Aural and oral core temperatures were monitored at 270,300 and 330 minutes following return to the ward postoperatively In the week following surgery, patients were monitored daily for any sign or symptom of infection Reference was made to the patient, nursing notes, medical notes and physiotherapist (when available) Seven of the 16 patients (44%) exhibiting an aural core temperature of < 37 8°C between 270 and 330 minutes post‐return to ward developed infection while five of the 25 patients (20%) exhibiting an aural core temperature of < 37 S°C developed infection Oral temperature measurements (using ward mercury‐in‐glass thermometers) showed a very similar pattern Overall, infection was detected in 12 of the 41 patients (29%) in the 6 days following surgery, 11 having a respiratory infection and one a wound infection
Study of information given by nurses for catheter care to patients and their carers
Authors: Roe Brenda H
Published: December 2006

Patients who are to use a long‐term undwelling urethral catheter, and their informal carers, require knowledge and information for its successful management Education of both patients and carers regarding catheter care has been recommended but not always camed out in practice This study has investigated the information given by 106 hospital and district nurses to patients who are to use an indwelling urethral catheter in the community, and their carers It was concluded that the information given for catheter care was not comprehensive nor consistent and differed according to the nurse's location of work The implications this has for nursing practice are a need for further education of nurses regarding catheter care and improved teaching of patients who are to use a long‐term indwelling urethral catheter, and their carers
The concept of family nursing
Authors: Friedemann Marie‐Luise
Published: December 2006

A system‐based conceptualization of family nursing is suggested, with family nursing practised on three system levels The level of individual family members views the family as the context of the individuals The interpersonal level addresses dyads and larger units and the family system level includes the structural and functional system components interacting with the environment Intervention on a higher system level includes the lower levels While family nursing falls within the practice scope of all nurses, intervention aimed at system change requires holistic understanding of the intricate relationships between family system components and the skills of clinical specialists
Nursing knowledge: women's knowledge. A sociological perspective
Authors: Hagell Elizabeth I
Published: December 2006

As nurses approach the 21st century questions are being raised regarding the direction in which the profession is moving The majority of leaders and educators in the field of nursing have, to this point, stressed the importance of defining nursing as a science and of developing a scientific knowledge base Recently, however, there has been a move among some researchers and theorists in the field of nursing to question the ability of science and the saentific method to deal with nursing concerns Using a variety of perspectives, including feminist theory, they are cnhqumg many of the basic assumptions about saence, saentific method and saentific knowledge This paper uses soaological and feminist theory to support the idea that nursing, as a discipline, has a distinct knowledge base which is not grounded in empirico‐analytic science and its methodology but which stems from the lived experiences of nurses as women and as nurses involved in caring relationships with their clients
The nursing management of pain in the community: a theoretical framework
Authors: Walker Janet M , Akinsanya Justus A , Davis Bryn D , Marcer Donald
Published: December 2006

This paper is based upon a research project designed to investigate the nursing management of pain in the community A theoretical framework is described which has been designed to encompass the complexities of different types of pain, individual differences in reaction to pain, and to identify key differences between patients who cope with pain and those who do not The framework is based on a model of stress, the concept of controllability, and contemporary learning theory It identifies a unique role for the nurse in pain management and will be used to direct a study into strategies which nurses can use to enhance the coping abilities and resources of elderly patients in the community with pain
Behavioural habits and affective disorders in old people
Authors: Jimenez Cristobal Jimenez , Perez Trinidad Alcala , Prieto Francisca Serrano , Navia‐Osorio Pilar Martinez
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this paper is to explore and detect possible factors associated with the appearance and maintainance of affective disorders in the elderly, special emphasis was put on anxiety and depression Two hundred and seven Cordobese citizens over 65 years of age, filled in a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Questionnaire and a Habit Behavioural Questionnaire The variables sex, hospitalization and family life were controlled The results emphasize the existence of moderate but significant correlations between depression and certain behavioural habits in the elderly, such as appetite, taking walks and sleeping The greater the appetite, food intake, taking of frequent walks and hours of sleep, the more the association with lower levels of depression in the elderly studied Anxiety, on the other hand, only correlates significantly with behavioural habits related to sleep cycles By means of a urufactorial variance analysis, the differential effect of some of the behavioural habits on the aforementioned disorders is shown Using a multiple regression analysis, results of the behavioural habits, which seem to be the best predictors of anxiety and depression in the elderly, are obtained After a discussion of these results, their possible implications in nursing are analysed and a few interesting conclusions are drawn.
Comparative analysis of Orem's and King's theories
Authors: Hanucharumkul Somchit
Published: December 2006

Dorothea Orem and Imogene King are two nursing theorists who are contributing significantly to the development of nursing knowledge This paper compares the similarities and differences in their strategies for theory development, their views of nursing metaparadigm concepts, and their theories of nursing system and goal attainment in terms of scope, usefulness, and their unique contribution to nursing science
The clinical assessment of chronic pain in rheumatic disease: evaluating the use of two instruments
Authors: Davis Gail Comer
Published: December 2006

Health care professionals are becoming increasingly aware of the complex nature of chronic pain Measurement instruments are needed which will assist in better understanding the patient's response to the pain The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and an expanded version useful in comprehensive clinical assessment, the McGill Comprehensive Pain Questionnaire (MCPQ), are currently‐available tools for assessing chronic pain The major purposes of this study were to test the discriminant and concurrent validity of the MPQ and to describe the major responses of the person with rheumatic disease to chronic pain using both instruments Two sample groups were used (1) 30 patients with chronic pain related to rheumatic disease, and (2) 30 patients with acute pain related to a surgical procedure The MPQ's Affective Subscale discriminated between acute and chronic pain, and its Present Pain Intensity (PPI) Scale correlated moderately with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), another commonly‐used scale for measuring pain intensity While the MCPQ was useful in describing the patient's response to chronic pain, administrationwas time‐consuming, and its openended format makes validity and reliabilitytesting impossible The information gained through the use of the MCPQ was helpful in determining what living with chronic pain means to the individualSuch information should be useful in the future development of a valid and reliable instrument for more efficiently measuring the chronic pain experience Such an instrument would be useful in coordination with the MPQ which focuses on pain description
A nursing trial of urinary sheath systems on male hospitalized patients
Authors: Watson Roger
Published: December 2006

An investigation was carried out on six hospitalized elderly male urinary incontinent patients for 21 days to test three urinary sheath systems by means of a quasi‐experimental trial, incorporating crossover Observations were made, and recorded, of detachment or leakage in systems and of skin condition round the shaft of the penis Results suggest that two of the systems differ significantly in their performance and that performance of the urinary sheath was probably the limiting factor in overall performance Incidence of skin problems, and other problems within systems, were minimal It was also observed that patients differ significantly in their suitability for the application of sheath systems This observation was made at two time intervals A further line of investigation is suggested to test the effect of components, other than sheaths, on performance of systems
The Job Context Index: a guide for improving the ‘fit’ between nurses and their work environment
Authors: Mansfield Phyllis Kernoff , Yu Lucy C , McCool William , Vicary Judith R , Packard John S
Published: December 2006

Stress and burnout have reached crisis levels among hospital nurses The authors of this paper address this problem with the development of a scale to improve the ‘fit’ between a nurse and his/her work environment, there by potentially increasing satisfaction, and reducing stress and burnout Approximately 1000 hospital nurses, randomly selected from a large eastern state, described their work in each of 10 clinical areas, their reports enabled the construction of the Job Context Index, which rank orders the 10 settings on three dimensions, including general work pressure/uncertamty, routinization of tasks, and co‐worker interdependence Nurses, as well as educators and administrators, may find their index a useful tool for matching nurses' temperaments and workstyles with the charactenstics of the clinical areas in which they might be working
Burnout and coping strategies among hospital staff nurses
Authors: Ceslowitz Sandra Brown
Published: December 2006

This study examined the relationship between use of coping strategies and burnout among 150 randomly selected staff nurses from four hospitals Theinstruments used were the frequency dimension of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson 1981) and the Ways of Coping (Revised) (Folkman & Lazarus 1985) In the canonical correlation analysis, two significant canonical variate sets differentiated nurses on the dimension of burnout Nurses whoexperienced increased levels of burnout used the coping strategies of escape/avoidance, self‐controlling and confronting (P<0.001) Nurses who experience decreased levels of burnout used the coping strategies of planful problem solving, positive reappraisal, seeking social support, and selfcontrolling (P<0.003) Self‐controlling coping, although present in both variate sets, was used to a lesser extent by nurses with decreased burnout levels The positive relationship between planful problem solving and reduced burnout levels supports the theoretical framework of Lazarus This framework asserts that during the appraisal process, persons evaluate the harmfulness of an event and their own coping resources Persons with lower levels of burnout may perceive the event as amenable to change or they may perceive their coping resources as adequate Either perception may promote the view that the situation is amenable to problem solving Another rationale for the effectiveness of particular coping strategies may lie in the reactions that these strategies engender in others The use of planful problem solving, seeking social support and positive reappraisal has been reported to result in the offering of greater social support than when confronting and self‐controlling coping were used. An implication of the study is the inclusion of information about the relative effectiveness of coping strategies into stress inoculation programmes These programmes give persons preparatory information to enable them to increase their tolerance for subsequent threatening events Stress inoculation should be included in nursing curricular and staff development programmes However to avoid ‘blaming the victim’, the nurse who succumbs to burnout because of overwhelming environmental stressors, stress inoculation should be coupled with organizational strategies to promote positive working conditions.
Smoking: a decision‐making dilemma for the vascular patient
Authors: Ronayne Roberta , O'Connor Annette , Scobie T. Keith
Published: December 2006

This descriptive study examined the differences in beliefs and social influences between patients who decided to quit or to continue smoking following diagnosis of chronic peripheral vascular disease. A consecutive quota sample of 20 patients who had quit smoking (quitters) and 22 who had continued smoking (continuers) agreed to participate in the study. There were no statistically significant differences between quitters and continuers in demographic characteristics, clinical variables and perceived social influences. Statistically significant differences were found between groups in beliefs about and attitudes towards the risk of continued smoking. These findings underline the need to investigate more fully the factors which influence patients' decisions to quit or to continue smoking. Further investigation may also provide detailed information on the role of risk perception in influencing this decision‐making process.
Communication: a tool for the negotiation of independence in families with adolescents
Authors: Lynam M. Judith , Tenn Louise
Published: December 2006

It is generally agreed that promoting effective communication in families is a desirable goal for health professionals. Many nurses are consulted by families for direction in managing a multitude of issues. A paucity of literature addressing both adolescent communication and communication in families with adolescents, prompted us to embark upon a programme of research which has examined how adolescents expand their abilities to communicate and explored how adolescents and their families perceive communication within their family. This paper reports on a qualitative study that explored through serial in‐depth interviews, parents' and teenagers' perceptions of communication in their families. The conceptualization developed from the study data characterizes communication as a tool used by families. The families' abilities to use the tool effectively, however, is greatly influenced by feelings about the topic or issue under discussion. A major theme in our data is adolescent independence. What this means for parents and adolescents and how this developmental task influences the communication patterns used within the families is discussed.
Philosophy and health
Authors: Woods Simon , Edwards Steven
Published: December 2006

This paper employs a philosophical approach in order to explore the nature of the concept of health. It is designed to provoke further thought and discussion by posing a number of questions such as‘What is health?’and‘How is ill‐health experienced?’. The authors argue that some philosophical ability is necessary to enable the professional carer to reflect clearly and logically on both their theory and practice. In addition this paper argues that professional carers should aim to achieve a balance between science and humanism. Also reasons are suggested why a role should be given to non‐scientific language in the planning of individual‐centred care.
A practical approach to creative teaching: an experiment
Authors: Parfitt Barbara A.
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this experiment was to see if creative teaching methods would prove effective when included in a school of nursing teaching programme. This would be demonstrated by significant differences in levels of achievement in assessments and a demonstration that the knowledge gained was applied to the clinical situation. Didactic teaching methods were exchanged for a more creative approach without alteration of the course structure. The quasi experimental method was used, with four introductory courses of 20 nursing students at two separate district schools as the sample, two groups acting as the control groups and two as the experimental groups. The teaching sessions introduced medical problems associated with poor oxygenation, particularly those consequent to heart disease. The teaching was supported by appropriate care planning within the Roper et al. (1981) theoretical framework. Three distinct areas were identified;fact leaming, e.g. anatomy and physiology, problem identifications and planning for nursing, intervention and skill learning. Students in the experimental groups were given work sheets and facilities for self learning whilst those in the control groups continued with a traditional lecture/demonstration format. The results of the experiment were evaluated by testing all four groups using multiple choice objective tests, essays, problem solving and nursing intervention exercises and practical assessments. The findings showed that the experimental groups did no better in the multiple choice objective tests or in the essays than the control groups butthey did do significantly better in the problem identification and planning for nursing intervention exercise. In the assessment of practical skills there was no difference between the groups in skill performance but the experimental groups were able to apply the theory significantly better than the control groups.
Rethinking patient education
Authors: Luker Karen , Caress Ann‐Louise
Published: December 2006

The aim of this paper is to critically examine and challenge some of the assumptions which underpin the research and non‐research based literature on patient education. Doubts are expressed concerning the transferability of theories of adult learning to patient education; and concern is expressed over the imbalance in the literature where emphasis is placed on the psychological benefits of teaching, rather than physical outcomes. In the light of the available evidence which suggests that nurses are not ‘good patient teachers’ the case is made to support the suggestion that patient education should become the responsibility of specialist nurses. In addition, computer‐assisted learning (CAL) is proffered as the solution to a number of the problems facing patient educators. CAL is seen as a means of empowering the patient, rather than the nurse to take control, and this is viewed as a positive move in the direction of self‐care. The paper concludes by suggesting that CAL might be used with good effect by patients with particular learning difficulties; for example the blind or partially sighted, and people who are illiterate or have a low reading ability.
Battered wives and female alcoholics: a comparative social and psychiatric study
Authors: Bergman Bo , Larsson Gunilla , Brismar Bo , Klang Marie
Published: December 2006

In this study 49 women seeking hospital treatment for wife battering injuries were compared with 49 female alcoholics and a control group consisting of 49 women treated in hospital for accidents. At one time or another two‐thirds of the female alcoholics had been battered and the majority of these women showed the same pattern of severe, prolonged abuse as the 49 women seeking hospital treatment for wife battering injuries. The women in these groups were also similar in that many of them had experienced violence in their own childhood environment, in that they had cohabited with more men than the women in the control group and in that the frequency of depressive symptoms was high. An analysis restricted to the battered women in each of the three groups revealed similarities between them. The battered women in the control group did not, however, show any signs of more severe psychopathology or alcoholism. It is concluded that mental health is of crucial importance for the woman's ability to break away from an abusive male.
The effects of patient weight and sex on nurses' perceptions: a proposed model of nurse withdrawal
Authors: Peternelj‐Taylor Cindy A.
Published: December 2006

This investigation challenged the premise that nurses adhere to affective neutrality in their practice of nursing, and examined the effect of patient weight and sex on evaluations, attributions and care delivery decisions formed by nurses. The phenomenon of mutual withdrawal originally identified by Tudor in psychiatric nursing was adapted to the general nursing milieu and served as the conceptual framework. Emphasis in this study was given to the phenomenon of nurse withdrawal. A volunteer sample of 100 senior female baccalaureate students was randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 × 2 factorial design with the following factors: (a) weight of the stimulus patient (normal versus obese); and (b) sex of the stimulus patient (male versus female). These independent variables were presented through descriptive vignettes and visual stimuli to participants completing a self‐administered questionnaire. Dependent variables included evaluation, attribution and care delivery. Analysis of the questionnaire demonstrated that obese patients were evaluated more negatively than normal weight patients, F=2.82, P < 0.05, but were not held more responsible for an alleged transgression, nor did nurses indicate withdrawal. The phenomenon of social attractiveness was identified as an intervening variable lending support to the proposed model of nurse withdrawal. This finding is examined within the context of affective neutrality in the nurse—patient relationship. Implications for nursing practice, theory and research are discussed.
The selection by ward managers of an appropriate nursing model for long‐stay psychiatric patient care
Authors: McKenna Hugh P.
Published: December 2006

The Northern Ireland National Board of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting has stipulated that models of nursing must be utilized on psychiatric nurse training wards. However, since there are approximately 40 such frameworks available to the practicing nurse a problem of choosing an appropriate one arises. The philosophical basis for this research centres around the assumption that all nurses regardless of specialty possess values and beliefs concerning four essential elements. These are: nursing, health, the person, and the environment. In addition the literature reveals that each of the recognized nursing models are also constructed around these four concepts, forming in many cases the very foundations of the model. Within this study it was possible to ask 95 ward managers from 49 long‐stay psychiatric wards to view how different models deal with the four elements and to choose a model which best reflects not only their personal beliefs about nursing, health, person, and environment, but also the needs of their patients.
Depression: viewed from a transcultural nursing theoretical perspective
Authors: Rosenbaum Janet N.
Published: December 2006

Phenomena related to depression are discussed transculturally and examined within the context of Leininger's theory of transcultural diversity and universality of care and health. Mental health and mental illness are viewed within the social structure and world view in order to derive culturally congruent nursing care. Recommendations for future research are suggested.
The development of a practising nursing faculty
Authors: Colleen Stainton M. , Rankin James A. , Calkin Joy D.
Published: December 2006

Practice is where skills are developed and where theory must pass testing. This is best done by observing and responding to human needs so that theory generated will have a precise fit. A variety of joint appointments with a focus on nursing have been established between the Faculty of Nursing at The University of Calgary and nursing service agencies in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The expected outcome is congruence between teaching, theory development, and practice. This paper differentiates faculty practice as scholarship from other forms of faculty involvement in practice settings. The nature of faculty practice is examined and various models of faculty practice are discussed. The Calgary model, designed to fit faculty member's focus on care to specific practice settings, is described.
Attitudes and behaviours of nurses towards the elderly in an acute care setting
Authors: Armstrong‐Esther C. A. , Sandilands M. L. , Miller D.
Published: December 2006

The study was designed to determine the attitudes of health care workers towards the elderly in acute care settings and to investigate variations in types of interaction between staff and elderly patients. A questionnaire and Kogan's Old People Scale were used together with direct non‐participant observation of nurse‐patient interaction. The questionnaire was completed by 50 registered nurses, 20 nursing aides, four degree nurses and eight volunteers. Of the four groups, the volunteers showed the most favourable attitudes, the registered nurses and degree nurses were virtually tied and the nursing aides were lower in the rating. Staff who expressed a preference for working in geriatrics and rehabilitation had a high correlation on the Kogan's Old People Scale: (r(77)= 0‐38, P < 0.01) and (r(77)= 0.32, P < 0.01) respectively. It was also found that those who rated basic care as lower in importance to patient well‐being than, for example, talking to patients, were more positive than were those who rated basic care higher in importance. In the second data collection, 47 female patients (mean age = 67.4 years) and 43 male patients (mean age = 71.5 years) were observed. It was found that 74% of patients spent almost 95% of their time inactively, either in bed or sitting in a chair. Neither age nor mental alertness relates to activity level, but mental alertness was found to be related to engaging in constructive activities. During the observation periods 41% of the patients did not interact with staff. Finally, staff assessment of mental alertness was the variable relating most strongly to the amount of staff‐initiated interaction. Staff‐initiated most interaction with patients they themselves had rated ‘slightly confused’, least with those rated as ‘confused’ and an intermediate amount with those rated as ‘alert’.
Theory development in perspective: the role of conceptual frameworks and models in theory development
Authors: Elaine Botha M.
Published: December 2006

An analysis of most scientific theories reveals the presence of a variety of components which function as constitutive elements of theories. Wider cultural paradigms often influence the construction and content of theories in a decisive way. Analogies between incongruent domains provide significant points of departure for the development of models which are often metaphoric in nature. Different metaphors provide alternative conceptual frameworks in terms of which it is possible to describe and explain nursing phenomena. Scientific theories that are developed on the basis of such metaphorical models are limited in their explanatory capacity. When the intrinsic limitations of such scientific models are not recognized, they often lead to distorted, one‐sided and reductionistic explanations of phenomena. Metaphysical assumptions concerning the nature of human beings, illness, health, etc., are also of decisive significance in this process, e.g. mechanistic models based on a naturalistic view of man lead theorizing astray. These theses are illustrated with reference to behavioural systems theory as developed by Dorothy Rogers.
Management of pain during abortion
Authors: Wells Nancy
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of three cognitive behavioural strategies in the management of abortion pain. The interventions were drawn from the multidimensional model of pain suggested by the gate control theory. Forty patients undergoing abortion with local anaesthesia were instructed in one of four interventions: relaxation, pleasant imagery, analgesic imagery, and a pain discussion (attention control) group. Pain was measured using Johnson's two‐dimensional graphic rating scales labelled sensation and distress. Speed of recovery and analgesic use were included as objective dependent measures. No significant differences were found among the four groups on any dependent measures although subjects receiving the pleasant imagery intervention reported the lowest subjective ratings of pain sensation and distress. Findings are discussed in terms of past research and implications for the management of acute pain experienced during abortion.