bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What makes nursing satisfying: a comparison of college students' and registered nurses' views
Authors: Dodds Agnes E , Lawrence Jeanette A , Wearing Alexander J
Published: December 2006

This paper reports a shady of nurses' perceptions of the positive and negative features of the work environment and their contribution to satisfaction with nursing The concept of a ‘work space’ was developed to describe nurses' mental images of the features of their work environment Eighty‐four final‐year student nurses and 75 registered nurses rated questionnaire items designed to examine perceptions of opportunities for professional development, sources of satisfaction, difficulties, time constraints and problematic interactions with other hospital personnel There was general agreement among nurses about the aspects of their work that they found satisfying, but student nurses were more pessimistic than registered nurses that nursing would give them opportunities for recognition of their worth Students returning from practica in critical care wards reported more stressful interactions with other personnel than students returning from general ward practica Structural equation modelling of the causal relations between sources of satisfaction with nursing revealed that recognition and self‐perceptions of work as a nurse were the strongest predictors of overall satisfaction with nursing Caring for patients contributed only indirectly through its influence on nurses' feelings about themselves The data indicate the significance of personal and social implications of nursing careers
Changes in nursing students' knowledge about and attitudes toward research following an undergraduate research course
Authors: Harrison Lynda Law , Lowery Barbara , Bailey Patricia
Published: December 2006

This study examined changes in baccalaureate nursing students' attitudes toward and knowledge about research, following completion of a research course The teaching methods used in the course included having students critique research articles, complete objective examinations, and work in small groups to develop research proposals The sample of 54 students completed a pretest and two post tests measuring research knowledge, and a pretest and one post‐test measuring research attitudes The pretest was administered at the beginning of the research course, and the first post‐test was administered at the end of the course The second post‐test was administered during the students' last semester in the nursing programme Students reported more positive attitudes toward research at the end of the programme than at the beginning of the course Knowledge scores were significantly higher at the end of the course than at the beginning of the course or at the end of the programme There was no differences in knowledge scores on the pretest and on the second post‐test The findings raise questions about the effectiveness of traditional research curricula in preparing baccalaureate nursing students to be competent research consumers
Nurses' perceptions of their problem‐solving ability
Authors: Chang Anne M , Gaskill Deanne
Published: December 2006

A problem‐solving approach to nursing practice has been advocated in the nursing literature for some time However, the extent to which nurses perceive themselves as capable problem solvers or improve their problem‐solving ability during their nursing education is not generally known The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between nurses' perceptions of their problem solving ability and their course of study The Problem‐Solving Inventory (PSI) was developed by Heppner and colleagues (1982) to assess attitudes towards and perceptions of problem‐solving behaviour The instrument provides a global appraisal of oneself as a problem solver and assesses perceptions of problem solving ability In this study, data were collected from 67 pre and post registration nursing students in two phases, during their course and on completion of their course Data from each phase were compared to identify changes in perception of problem‐solving behaviour over time While there was no overall improvement in perceptions of problem‐solving ability by phase 2, confidence in problem solving had improved significantly (P<0 01) There were improvements according to age, experience, and course being undertaken for the likelihood of approaching rather than avoiding problems, and having personal control over problem solving
Women's mid‐life experience: an evolving consciousness of self and children
Authors: Dobbie Barbara J
Published: December 2006

This paper describes a hermeneutical and phenomenological research study of the mid‐life spiritual experience of 10 women who are members of the United Church of Canada Based on in‐depth, face‐to‐face interviews, the paper describes the first of two simultaneous and interrelated experiences an evolving consciousness of self and children The five invariant themes that emerge point to a need for an expanded framework of human development that takes fuller account of women's experience and spirituality
Patient perspectives of diabetes care and education
Authors: Wikblad Karin F
Published: December 2006

Educating and supporting patients in managing their daily life with diabetes mellitus are important goals of diabetes care today These goals demand not only good medical knowledge but also good communication skills in the members of the diabetes care team and in the patients Continuity and accessibility are naturally factors influencing the communication between the patients and the care team This study, based on 55 interviews with well‐experienced insulin dependent diabetic patients, shows further that the contacts between the diabetes care system and the patient are often only superficial and in practice mainly related to the patient's metabolic control Patients with good or acceptable metabolic control expenence positive feed‐back from the care team, while those with unsatisfactory or unacceptable metabolic control do not receive positive response and support to the same degree The patients want to be permitted to be responsible for themselves and need support from the care team in order to accomplish this From the patient's perspective, the diabetes education consists of an overwhelming amount of new information which often is presented on only one occasion The patients want the education to be on an acceptable but minimum level and to be a continuous process that is applicable in practice
Two portraits of caring: a comparison of the artists, Leininger and Watson
Authors: Cohen Judith A
Published: December 2006

Two nursing leaders, Madeleine Leininger and Jean Watson, have devoted their careers to studying and evolving the meaning of caring The theme of caring as presented by each theorist was explored along with their views of the nature of nursing, use of theory development strategies, and their individual contributions to the development of nursing knowledge Both identify nursing as a humanistic science, with the concept of caring being the central unifying domain of nursing Consistent with their belief that the humanistic sciences require a different research methodology to study that which is uniquely human, both have utilized qualitative research methodologies in their study of care The evolution of each theorist perspective of care reflects their own background and experiences. Each theorist, therefore, has painted a different portrait of caring, demonstrating a differing emphasis on philosophical, cultural and empirical concerns For Leininger, caring must be placed in a cultural context since caring patterns can differ transculturally Watson has focused on the philosophic (existential‐phenomenological) and spiritual basis of caring and sees caring as the ethical and moral ideal of nursing Both Leininger and Watson have demonstrated their artistry in their individual portraits of caring and in their contributions to the development of nursing knowledge
Nursing: just a job? Do statistics tell us what we think?
Authors: Williams Catherine , Soothill Keith , Barry Jon
Published: December 2006

This study considers the value of classifying attitudinal statements given by nurses in a questionnaire by the statistical procedure of latent class analysis It demonstrates with the use of qualitative data derived from in‐depth interviews how precarious are the groups derived from statistical analysis However, it is argued that the apparent discrepancies between responses ‘objectively’ derived by a statistical approach and those ‘subjectively’ declared by respondents may focus on different levels of meaning and may well provide a useful resource Most importantly, it is stressed that a dynamic model is needed which recognizes change and the consequences of change
Patients' experiences following cranial radiotherapy: a study of the somnolence syndrome
Authors: Faithfull Sara
Published: December 2006

The aim of this shady was to establish whether somnolence syndrome existed in adults by exploring their experiences after receiving cranial radiotherapy Somnolence syndrome is described as excessive sleep, drowsiness, lethargy and anorexia and was found to occur in these patients A description of the phenomenon was drawn from triangulation of the data For 6 weeks following radiotherapy, the participants completed a diary consisting of two elements, a quantitative visual analogue scale and an open diary This was followed by a qualitative semi‐structured interview Patients experienced sleepiness which they described as ‘exhausted doing nothing’ and that any activity was a ‘struggle’ Some individuals described sensory changes, deafness and an increase in leg and arm weakness These experiences presented a series of unexpected changes in their health which resulted in fear of treatment failure and disease recurrence The study suggests that more information should be provided for patients on the side‐effects that occur after radiotherapy has finished Somnolence syndrome presented for the participants an experience which is not adequately described in previous literature The nurse has an important role in providing information to prepare patients for their experience and more knowledge about this phenomenon is required for these patients to be informed adequately
Ethical conflicts in placebo treatment
Authors: Blander Gunnel
Published: December 2006

In this paper the pros and cons of using placebo are discussed from the point of view of ethical theories and principles The effects of placebo are exemplified by findings from previous studies, and an authentic case serves to illustrate ethical dilemmas arising both for the caregiver and the patient in conjunction with the use of placebo Placebo treatment is discussed from deontological and utilitarianist points of view, and violation of the ethical principles, beneficence, non‐maleficence, justice, autonomy and truth‐telling, are considered
Reality basis for teaching psychomotor skills in a tertiary nursing curriculum
Authors: Alavi Christine , Loh Swee Hah , Reilly Dorothy
Published: December 2006

This paper, written whilst the authors were working at Curtin University, Western Australia, describes a process of determining the psychomotor skills to be taught in an undergraduate nursing programme It outlines how consultation with clinical agencies enhanced the planning of the skills component within the new nursing curriculum and details the outcomes in terms of faculty development and curriculum design
Factors which contribute to fatigue associated with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Crosby Leanna J
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this research was to identify the factors which people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) believed contributed to their fatigue A second purpose was to examine the relationships among identified factors and the sensation of fatigue One hundred people with RA were asked to identify verbally factors which they believed contributed to their fatigue The three most frequently identified factors included RA disease activity, disturbed sleep and increased physical effort These factors were operationalized and measured as joint pain using the Modified McGill Pain Inventory, fragmented sleep through overnight electroencephalographic (EEC) sleep studies, and reduced physical ability using walking time and grip strength measures Fifteen of the original subjects with RA and 12 age and gender matched control subjects completed the second phase of the research Five of the RA subjects were experiencing a disease flare while the remaining 10 were either in remission or their disease was mildly active Those subjects in flare had significantly (P<0 01) more joint pain, significantly (P<0 05) more fragmented sleep, and significantly reduced functional capacity as measured through walking time (P<0 05) and grip strength (P<0 05) when compared to non‐flare and control subjects Fatigue levels of the subjects in flare were positively correlated with joint pain (r= 0 62), fragmented sleep (r=0 42) and grip strength of the right hand (r= 0 52) and left hand (r= 0 88) Fatigue levels of non‐flare and control subjects were negatively correlated with the majority of measured variables While the data associated with this exploratory research did not address causality, valuable information has been gained by assessing relationships among the factors which people with RA indicated contributed to their level of fatigue
Nurses' opinions of the introduction of computer‐assisted learning for use in patient education
Authors: Firby Patricia Ann , Luker Karen A , Caress Ann‐Louise
Published: December 2006

Computers have only recently begun to find a place in the everyday work of health care staff The use of computer‐assisted learning (CAL) in patient education is in its infancy However, the medium appears to offer several advantages to patients The successful integration of the medium into clinical practice requires the acceptance and support of staff members Little research exists to date which examines staff responses to the introduction of CAL into their workplace This small study (n= 14) aims to explore the reactions of staff to the introduction of an experimental CAL package for use in the education of renal patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) The opinions of staff members to CAL are probed and their views ascertained regarding the usefulness of CAL to both staff and patients Results suggest that, despite their initial reservations about CAL, staff were generally positive about the medium
Myocardial infarction survivors: age and gender differences in physical health, psychosocial state and regimen adherence
Authors: Conn VickiS , Taylor Susan G , Abele Patricia B
Published: December 2006

Little is known about women's and older adults’experiences after myocardial infarction (MI) The purpose of this study was to determine if gender and age differences exist in psychosocial condition, health state and therapeutic regimen adherence among MI survivors Adults aged 40 to 88 years (n= 197) were interviewed 1 to 2 years after their first MI The Profile of Mood States was used to measure anxiety and depression, the Personal Resources Questionnaire was used to measure social support, the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem scale was used to measure self‐esteem, the Perceived Quality of Life scale was used to measure quality of life, and the Health Behaviour Scale was used to assess therapeutic regimen adherence Cardiac rehabilitation participation was recorded from rehabilitation centre records Subjective health appraisals were assessed using investigator‐developed questions Increased age was associated with higher depression scores, lower quality of life, less social support, less participation in formal cardiac rehabilitation, less therapeutic exercise and poorer general health Women reported poorer health than men Findings indicated older males may be at risk for lower social support and continued smoking after infarction These findings suggest that the often‐reported experience of middle‐aged males post‐MI cannot be generalized to all adults experiencing infarction
Attitudes toward nurses discussing sexual concerns with patients
Authors: Waterhouse Julie , Metcalfe Margaret
Published: December 2006

Attitudes toward nurses discussing sexual concerns with clients were examined in 73 healthy subjects using Section A of the Sexual Adjustment Questionnaire The variables of age, sex, race, occupation, educational level, marital status, importance of sexual activity, frequency of discussing sexual relationship with partner, and number of others with whom sexual concerns are discussed were examined to determine influence on subject's attitudes Ninety‐two per cent of subjects thought that nurses should discuss sexual concerns with clients Weighted least squares analysis showed that only two variables (number of others with whom sexual concerns are discussed and race) were significant predictors of attitudes
The theory‐practice gap in nurse education: its causes and possible solutions. Findings from an action research study
Authors: McCaugherty David
Published: December 2006

Kurt Lewin, the orignator of action research, proposed that it was valuable not only for innovating change, but also the process of change could lead to new insights into the nature of the problem that was being tackled This action research project developed and evaluated a teaching model that aimed to help RGN (registered general nurse) students to bridge the theory‐practice gap During the course of this work, the possible reasons for a theory‐practice gap started to become clear This paper provides a discussion of these factors The viewpoint for this discussion is that of the student nurse The student is assumed to‘own’the problem and it is from her perspective that the theory‐practice gap is analysed The paper includes a critical examination of books, lectures, the school curriculum and ward nursing practice Finally, possible solutions to the theory‐practice problem are discussed and it is hoped that these will provide a rational basis for tackling the problem
The failure of exposure treatment in agoraphobia: implications for the practice of nurse therapists and community psychiatric nurses
Authors: Gournay Kevin J M
Published: December 2006

There are no systematic studies of the failure of psychiatric nursing interventions and few very such studies m the psychological/psychiatric outcome literature This study reports a controlled study of exposure treatment with agoraphobic clients who were treated by nurse therapists and psychologists This includes an analysis of the four categories of treatment failure (i e treatment refusers, treatment dropouts, failures and relapsers) The analysis consisted of an examination of the outcome data of clients who met a priori criteria for the categories of failure and an examination of questionnaire responses The results have implications for psychiatric nursing practice, particularly with regard to preparation for treatment Additionally, the results indicate that much more research needs to be carried out on treatment methods and that exposure alone produces a significant but limited effect Finally, the paper suggests that outcome research is a priority in psychiatric nursing
An evaluation of the Johnson Behavioural System Model of Nursing
Authors: Reynolds William , Cormack Desmond F S
Published: December 2006

In this paper the authors evaluate the Johnson Behavioural System Model of Nursing by applying the assessment criteria described m an earlier paper Data for the evaluation were collected by one of the authors (W R) at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital, and the UCLA School of Nursing, Los Angeles The major focus of this paper relates to how nurses at the above facilities apply the Johnson Behavioural System Model of Nursing and how that relates to the questions posed m a previous paper which should be asked by clinicians when assessing the relevance of a model to clinical Nursing practice namely, (a) to what extent does the model assist with the identification of the range of human responses to actual or potential health problems? (b) How does the model enable a nursing diagnosis to be made, and what is the basis of that diagnosis? (c) Does the model explain why individuals respond to health problems m the way that they do? (d) Does the model inform clinicians of the nursing interventions required to enable the client to move towards optimum health? (e) Does the model help to provide an understanding of the desired outcome of Nursing intervention?
Health systems and policy in the USA and in the United Kingdom: an overseas programme
Authors: Birchfield Manlyn , Dvorak Eileen M , Scully Judith , Haas Sheila , Duberley Janet
Published: December 2006

An international programme, especially in a developed country, dramatically increases a student's understanding of health care systems Students from a university programme m the USA learn about the development and structure of the British National Health Service through lectures and discussion m the US and England, and through 2 weeks of experience in England which include working with community health nurses in a district health authority Related special experiences are planned which may include interviews with nurses involved in policy development, education, administration and speciality areas Each student identifies an interest to pursue independently from the perspective of community care As the student participates in the programme, alternative ways to give familiar care challenge formerly held beliefs Health care emerges as a dynamic system, one that responds to issues, effects policy, and influences the role of health care providers
Caring for people with AIDS: nurses’ attitudes and feelings
Authors: Breault Allison J , Polifroni E Carol
Published: December 2006

A qualitative, non‐experimental study was conducted to identify the feelings and attitudes that nurses associate with caring for people with AIDS Data collection and analysis were guided by the phenomenological method Cognitive dissonance theory served as the theoretical framework to view the experience of caring for someone with AIDS Data analysis of audiotaped, semi‐structured interviews resulted in the identification of six mutually inclusive as well as exclusive themes which represent the attitudes and feelings of nurses fear, anger, sympathy, self‐enhancement, fatigue and helplessness Particularly evident were differences in the way respondents perceived and treated AIDS patients who are intravenous drug users and those who are homosexuals
Community psychiatric nursing and depression in elderly people
Authors: Hughes Colin P
Published: December 2006

This paper invites community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) working with the elderly to examine their involvement with elderly people who are depressed It does this by examining a selection of the more recent literature on the topic of depression in the elderly and discusses how this might inform and guide the CPN in his/her practice with this client group Areas from within the literature which are examined in this paper are the prevalence of depression in the elderly, problems of underdetection and undertreatment, classification, screening instruments, social factors in causation, prognosis following treatment, and psychological therapy The literature is shown to have much to offer in aspects of CPN role such as assessment and planning of care, including psychological therapy, liaison with, and education of, other professionals, screening, and primary prevention The nursing literature of this CPN specialism, where it relates to depression, is also examined Although developments in psychiatric services specifically for the elderly were mainly as a response to the illnesses causing dementia, this paper emphasizes that depression is the more common disorder in the elderly It is suggested therefore that a CPN service should ensure that it is significantly orientated to the needs of this client group
Monitor and Senior Monitor: problems of administration and some proposed solutions
Authors: Tomalin Deborah A , Redfern Sally J , Norman Ian J
Published: December 2006

This paper describes the content and administration of Monitor and Senior Monitor and the difficulties encountered, together with suggestions for avoiding or overcoming these difficulties This work forms part of a study, funded by the Department of Health, which is examining the reliability and validity of the quality assessment instruments, Monitor, Senior Monitor and QualPacs The instruments were administered in care of the elderly, medical and surgical wards in two Health Authorities in London Difficulties encountered with the administration of Monitor and Senior Monitor were to do with the structure of the instruments, accessing required information, interpreting questions and answers, disrupting ward staff, the time required to carry out the procedure and frustrations experienced by the assessors Although the number of difficulties encountered was considerable, they were not insurmountable The authors are confident that awareness of these difficulties, and taking steps beforehand to avoid or overcome them, contributes to the reliability and validity of these instruments
An interpersonal‐epistemological curriculum model for nurse education
Authors: French Peter , Cross Dennis
Published: December 2006

This paper proposes a curriculum model for nurse education which holds forms of knowledge and interpersonal relationships as key issues if nurse education is to develop autonomous, reflective, critical practitioners By adopting areas of cognitive interest, principles of andragogy and the concept of reflection‐in‐action, the model provides a heuristic tool which attempts to enable the provision of a nurse education which is devoted to adult learning processes and relevent to the development of education in the practice setting The technical, practical and emancipatory areas of cognitive interest provide an understanding of learning domains which require different knowledge bases, methods of learning and forms of assessment to each other The pedagogy/andragogy dichotomy is presented to reflect two teaching paradigms The former approach is derived from the activity of teaching children and provides for passive dependence The latter is more appropriate to adult learning and student self‐direction The model attempts to promote the transitional dynamic which moves the student nurse toward a state of greater self‐direction Finally, the concept of reflection‐in‐action is discussed in an attempt to ensure that the areas of cognitive interest and the learning strategies are inextricably linked to the practice component of a professional nurse education All three dimensions are combined to show how each should develop in unison as the professional education of the nurse proceeds along a chronological dimension
The organ donor family members' perception of stressful situations during the organ donation experience
Authors: Pelletier Maryse
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this study was to determine what the individual organ/tissue donor family members appraised as most stressful during the anticipation, confrontation and post‐confrontation stages of the organ‐donation process The Lazarus and Folkman stress and coping theory guided the development and interpretation of the study Family members who had lost a loved one suddenly and consented to donation in 1988 were interviewed Data were analysed by means of content analysis Findings showed that family members appraised different types of stressful situations during the three stages The most frequently reported stressful situations centred around the threat of losing a loved one, confirmation of brain death, failure of the health professionals to identify the loved one as a potential donor and to approach the family regarding organ donation, and adjusting to the many changes associated with the loss Significantly, five families requested donation, while two readily consented when approached All family members reported that organ donation had helped with their grief The findings of this study contribute to the development of knowledge required to guide nursing interventions to provide sensitive care to donors and their families
The current status and future significance of nursing as a discipline
Authors: Hayne Yvonne
Published: December 2006

The nature of nursing and the need for knowledge distinct from medicine was first spoken of by Florence Nightingale in 1859 Her notions may be regarded as the earliest formations of nursing as a discipline Since that time there has been substantial effort committed to the development of a distinct theory base for nursing Increased interest in nursing's unique body of knowledge has been particularly evident in the last decade, as seen by the growth in research undertaken from a nursing perspective, and by the numbers of publications which focus on the nature of knowledge and theory in nursing These efforts have served not only to advance the discipline of nursing but also to challenge all nurses to articulate for themselves the theoretical foundations of their own practice The main thesis of this paper is that nursing is an evolving discipline Aspects of its evolution will be discussed using the four characteristics of a discipline, domain, syntax, history, and output of knowledge
Tacit nursing knowledge: an untapped resource or a methodological headache?*
Authors: Meerabeau Liz
Published: December 2006

Nursing education in the United Kingdom currently draws heavily upon Schon's concept of the reflective practitioner, and Benner's concept of the expert It is claimed that experienced practitioners are unable to articulate all they know, and that their knowledge is of a qualitatively different type from that learned by beginners Schön states that professional education gives privileged status to systematic, preferably scientific, knowledge, that technical knowledge drives out the artistry and competence of skilful practice, and that knowing that takes precedence over knowing how In the first part of this paper, various writers on the subject of expert, tacit knowledge are discussed Second, the paper examines the implications of expert knowledge for nursing research Certainly it may be considered a methodological headache, since if expert knowledge is tacit it cannot be researched by exclusively verbal methods such as questionnaires; open‐ended discussion may be appropriate, or perhaps participant observation Nor will the findings be neat and easily analysed But tacit knowledge is also an untapped resource for co‐operative enquiry between researcher and practitioner, and nursing research has an important role in enhancing the knowledge creation capacity of practitioners
The young pioneers: first baccalaureate nursing students in the People's Republic of China
Authors: Davis Anne J , Gan Lan Jun , Lin Ju Ying , Olesen Virginia L
Published: December 2006

Nursing in the People's Republic of China, like elsewhere, has undergone monumental changes during the 20th century This paper focuses on one of those changes by examining the professional socialization process of the first class from the first baccalaureate in nursing (BSN) programme in China since 1952 These data from this first BSN class are part of a larger study on professional socialization in which data were collected from four of the recently established 11 BSN programmes in China To put these data into a historical context, some highlights of Chinese nursing history are noted These will help us to understand the present‐day situation in this the world's most populous nation
Diagnostic reasoning among second‐year nursing students
Authors: Cholowski Krystyna M , Chan Lorna K S
Published: December 2006

This paper reports on a study investigating the relationship of nursing students’ approaches to learning and processing of information, science content knowledge, ability in interpreting and organizing clinical data (nursing assessment), and logical reasoning ability with the accuracy and quality of the nursing diagnosis made in a simulated diagnostic reasoning task One hundred and sixty‐rune second‐year pre‐service nursing students participated in the study Results of path analyses indicated a set of pathways from surface approach to low‐quality nursing diagnosis that reflected less competent diagnostic reasoning, and a second set from deep/achieving approach through content knowledge and logical reasoning to higher‐quality nursing diagnosis that reflected more competent diagnostic reasoning The implications of these findings for nurse education are discussed
Medical humanities in nursing: thought provoking?
Authors: Robb Alna J P , Murray Rowena
Published: December 2006

Medical humanities is an innovative way of learning Discussing literary texts of nursing practice has been used to help students analyse attitudes, values and ethics, it has also been used to help practitioners review and reflect on their own experience and philosophy of nursing In nursing education, it has been used to explore difficult issues in a safe environment The value of this approach in nursing education and practice is that it can encourage reflection, promote self‐awareness and stimulate debate on difficult issues for example, death and dying, power and institutionalization (of patients and staff) and pain This paper gives a detailed worked example of how a literary text can be used in this way, the aim being to provide a resource which readers can then use with a group of students or colleagues Finally, the authors explore the question of where medical humanities might have a place in the curriculum as a lecture/tutorial in a course (e g Ethics), as a module in the curriculum, as a method of teaching nursing subjects (e g communication skills), as a discussion group (outside the curriculum), as a study guide, using literary texts alongside nursing text books Any of these strategies can be a powerful vehicle for preserving the human factor’ in both nursing education and continuing professional development
Witnessing family violence: the children's experience
Authors: Ericksen Janet R , Henderson Angela D
Published: December 2006

A phenomenological study was conducted in order to describe the experience of children as they accompany their mothers who are leaving abusive relationships Thirteen children were interviewed The children describe their experience as having three components living with violence, living in transition and living with Mom Themes within these components are identified, and implications for nursing practice are discussed
Characteristics of effective nursing interventions in the management of challenging behaviour
Authors: Lowe Trevor
Published: December 2006

A combination of semi‐structured interviews and participant observation were used in order to investigate the interventions used by psychiatric nurses when faced with challenging behaviour The study described 10 such categories of effective interventions confirming messages, personal control, staff honesty, providing face‐saving alternatives, setting limits, use of structure, facilitating expression, monitoring, timing and calming, and non‐verbal skills The report concludes by suggesting that these categories can be used to provide a structure for the analysis of critical incidents from a nursing perspective
Abbreviated instrument to measure hope: development and psychometric evaluation
Authors: Herth Kaye
Published: December 2006

The purpose of this research was to develop and evaluate psychometrically an abbreviated instrument to assess hope in adults in clinical settings The Herth Hope Index (HHI), a 12‐item adapted version of the Herth Hope Scale (HHS), was tested with a convenience sample of 172 ill adults Alpha coefficient was 0 97 with a 2‐week test‐retest reliability of 0 91 Criterion‐related validity was established by correlating the HHI with the parent HHS (r = 0 92), the Existential Well‐Being Scale (r = 0 84) and the Nowotny Hope Scale (r = 0 81) Divergent validity with the Hopelessness Scale was established (r= ‐ 0 73) Construct validity was supported through the factorial isolation of three factors (a) temporality and future, (b) positive readiness and expectancy, (c) interconnectedness These three factors accounted for 41% of the total variance in the measure
Nurses’ attitudes toward patients with AIDS and AIDS‐related risk factors
Authors: Forrester D Anthony , Murphy Patricia A
Published: December 2006

Three variables were experimentally manipulated by simulation measurement using six vignettes in a completely randomized, partial hierarchical, experimental design medical diagnosis (AIDS v non‐AIDS), sexual orientation (heterosexual v homosexual) and intravenous drug‐use history (IVDU v non‐IVDU) Following each vignette, the same Prejudicial Evaluation Scale (PES) and Social Interaction Scale (SIS) were used to measure nurses’ attitudes toward patients and their willingness to interact with patients Vignette questionnaires were randomly assigned to 360 acute‐care nurses Although sexual orientation was found not to influence PES and SIS scores, an AIDS medical diagnosis and a history of intravenous drug use were found to increase nurses’ negative attitudes toward patients significantly and reduce their willingness to interact with patients Study findings did not vary according to nurses’ age, academic preparation or previous practice experience with patients with AIDS
Patients’ experience of technology at the bedside: intravenous infusion control devices
Authors: Pelletier S Dianne
Published: December 2006

Within health care systems, rapid and pervasive technological development is occurring with significant ramifications for both nurses and patients In order to determine the patient's perception of the experience of clinical equipment at the bedside, an exploratory study of 150 hospitalized patients was undertaken For this study an item of electronic clinical hardware', the infusion control device, used increasingly by nurses, was selected as an exemplar of bedside nursing technology A positive patient response to the equipment and its management was found The majority of respondents understood the reasons for the equipment's use, were not disturbed greatly by the alarms, had few concerns about the equipment and would welcome further use A majority felt that the care they received was more patient centred than technology centred Several recommendations for nursing practice follow from these findings
Health promotion in primary care: taking account of the patient's point of view
Authors: Kelly Michael P
Published: December 2006

Some of the difficulties of putting health promotion into practice are considered It is argued that, in a health promotion intervention aimed at lifestyle change, three questions need to be considered concerning the image, the meaning and the implementation of the programme
'Scripts’ for dying at home—displayed in nurses', patients’ and relatives’ talk
Authors: Hunt Maura
Published: December 2006

Perceptions and expectations reflecting what constitutes a ‘good’ death that seem to exist in Western societies are explored and compared with those presented by five symptom control team nurses at their home visits to 54 terminally ill cancer patients These perceptions and expectations are termed ‘scripts’ for dying and are derived from the nurses', patients’ and relatives’ audio‐recorded conversations over a 3‐month period The elements of the ‘scripts’ used were identified as (a) control of physical symptoms, (b) acceptance of cancer and its prognosis, (c) preservation of hope and ‘will to live’, (d) mobility and ‘fighting back’, (e) enjoyment of life, (f) a peaceful death at home How these components are determined from the conversations are presented and the responses of the patients to the nurses’‘scripts’ are analysed The dilemmas created by putting the ‘scripts’ into action for nurses, patients and relatives are discussed
Defining risk from the perspective of nurses in clinical roles
Authors: Dobos Carol
Published: December 2006

Although the nursing literature suggests that nurses generally avoid risk, their willingness and ability to take risk are fundamental to their professional advancement, job satisfaction and patient advocacy The definition of risk as it pertains in clinical practice, however, may not be synonymous with risk as denned in other fields This study defines risk in nursing from the perspective of three registered nurses in clinical roles Grounded theory methodology indicated that 11 risk categories comprised six core concepts The latter formed the basis for the following risk in clinical nursing practice is defined by uncomfortable and typically unavoidable role‐related situations characterized by high unpredictability and negative or hostile overtones, dependency on others, exceedingly high performance expectations from self and others, unpleasant emotions, and health threats that extend beyond working hours Findings of this study refute the notion that nurses avoid risks Risk, ever present in the nurse's clinical practice and environment, requires strategies to minimize its negative impact
Familial inflammatory bowel disease in a paediatric population
Authors: Joachim Gloria , Hassall Eric
Published: December 2006

Familial aspects of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were assessed as part of an age and sex matched case control study of 91 children with IBD and 131 controls The prevalence of IBD in family members of the children was studied, the affected side (mother's side or father's side) of the family was documented and the type of inflammatory bowel disease was traced among relatives Data were collected from children in out‐patient clinics at a large urban tertiary‐care facility All family data were verified with the affected relatives and/or their physicians The children with IBD (the cases) had significantly (P=0 0000385) more IBD in their families than the controls Among all children with IBD in their family, IBD was found significantly (P=0 0073) more often on the mother's side of the family than on the father's side Patterns of disease varied within families A mixture of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease was found within families The implications of the findings are discussed Directions for prevention, screening, early intervention and further study are given
Anxiety, accuracy and reflection: the limits of professional development
Authors: Newell Robert
Published: December 2006

Reflection is a key concept in the development and maintenance of nursing expertise in theory and practice, yet commentators have rarely examined difficulties associated with it This paper describes the role of reflection in nursing and relates it to information‐processing accounts of human memory The issues raised by the role of memory in mediating reflection are discussed, in the context of an examination of the importance of accuracy in reflection‐on‐practice It is argued that anxiety is of particular importance in mediating accurate reflection Whilst it is concluded that reflection is inherently flawed, a range of tactics to enhance it are explored, with particular emphasis on anxiety reduction and reduction of the burden of the memory task
Mothers and daughters: a powerful spell
Authors: Webb Christine
Published: December 2006

An unanticipated finding of a small exploratory study of the health of never‐married women in old age is discussed Focused conversational interviews yielded evidence of the potent effect the mother‐daughter relationship had in a group of women who had lived for all their adult lives in the parental home Usually mothers had outlived fathers, and when they finally died daughters lost someone to whom they had been very close and at the same time had to cope with living alone for the first time in their lives Three case histories, illustrating both strong positive and negative aspects of mother‐daughter relationships are reported, and the psychological and sociological literature is explored Parallels are also drawn with biographical and autobiographical literature about this type of relationship, including that of Florence Nightingale and her mother Finally, some implications for nurses are considered and the special support needs of these women at bereavement and in old age are highlighted
Of sex and status: a study of the effects of gender and occupation on nurses’ evaluations of nursing research
Authors: Hicks Carolyn
Published: December 2006

Despite wide recognition that nursing must increase its research base, there still appears not only to be a shortfall in published nursing research but also a marked failure to implement research findings into clinical practice One possible explanation for these problems is that nursing research may not be valued by peer professionals To investigate this possibility, a study was designed to test the hypothesis that nurses would underrate the quality of papers they believed to have been produced by a nurse as opposed to a doctor, even when the status of the authors was randomly assigned to the papers Thirty‐one nurses were asked to rate two comparable papers on a number of criteria Half the sample was told that the first paper had been written by a nurse and the second by a doctor, for the remainder of the sample, the order of authorship was reversed A series of related t‐tests was performed on the sample's evaluations in order to ascertain whether the status of the author affected perceptions of quality No difference was found in the sample's judgement of overall quality, clarity of expression, expertise on the topic in question or contribution to current knowledge However, significant differences were found in attributed grasp of research design and statistical analysis, with the nurse being judged as inferior on both (t= 171, df = 30, P < 005, t= 172, df = 30, P < 005 respectively) These results are partially explained in terms of gender influences in nursing and educational subject areas, an explanation reinforced by additional analyses of the data which suggested that the males in the sample did not assume inferior performance on the part of the nurse, and indeed judged clarity of expression, contribution to current knowledge and overall quality to be significantly better if the paper had been attributed to the nurse
Method slurring: the grounded theory/phenomenology example
Authors: Baker Cynthia , Wuest Judith , Stern Phyllis Noerager
Published: December 2006

Increasingly, qualitative research methods are being embraced by nurse researchers because these approaches allow exploration of human experience Failure to explicate qualitative methodologies is resulting in a body of nursing research that is either mislabelled or is classified broadly as qualitative and subject to charges that qualitative research lacks rigour In this paper, the authors discuss the importance of specificity in methodology and distinguish between phenomenology and grounded theory, two frequently misused terms in the description of qualitative methodology
Nursing science in The Netherlands: the Utrecht contribution
Authors: Diepeveen‐Speekenbrink Johanna CMH
Published: December 2006

The two goals of a 5‐year nursing science project at the State University of Utrecht were the establishment of graduate nursing science studies and a nursing research programme The project formally started on 1 January 1987 and is now nearing completion This paper builds on a paper previously published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing It first describes the history of nursing science in The Netherlands and sets out to demonstrate how the Utrecht goals were achieved