bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A survey of sexual activity in HIV-positive gay men
Authors: Docherty Brendani Q. 
Published: March 2006

The aim of this study was to explore the sociopsychological influences that affect decision-making processes regarding sexual practice before and after becoming infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It was hoped to identify and describe the factors that influence sexual practices using multiple regression methods and to explore in more detail, using qualitative methods, the issues for gay men. The study randomised participants to complete a questionnaire which included the short General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (NASSAL) questionnaire; carried out in-depth semi-structured interviews and invited participants to take part in a focus group. The study was undertaken in an HIV clinic in South London, and completed data from 60 gay HIV seropositive men were included. Contracting HIV results in a complex disease process, and multiple factors may influence behaviour in sexual practices. Using stepwise regression, the study indicated that the strongest predictor of present and intended future sexual behaviours was past sexual behaviour. The other variable measures were weakly correlated and therefore not significant. These results indicate that innovative methods to increase condom use in men during their first sexual experiences have to be considered. Although this applies to all age ranges, from this study, younger men (under 20 years) who were experiencing their first exposures to homosexual lifestyle were considered more at risk for learning unsafe sexual behaviours from older sexual partners.
Diana, Princess of Wales Children's Community Team: An evaluation of a multiprofessional service for children with life-limiting illnesses
Authors: Dancers Lesley , Freshwater Dawn , Cheater Franilme , Wilson Andrew 
Published: March 2006

Caring for children with life-limiting illnesses in their own homes calls for an informed and knowledgeable healthcare professional. Personal attributes such as compassion and the willingness to take on the role of an 'informed friend' to the child, parents and siblings is crucial, as is the ability to recognise and respect the skills of the parents in caring for their child. As a memorial to the life and work of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Diana Children's Community Teams were established across the United Kingdom to care for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. This paper describes the evaluation of the Diana Service in Leicester and the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland. The evaluation has sought to identify the perceptions of the families, the service-users and providers. Both the families and the professionals who access the service have highlighted the need for the enhancement and further development of such an important and invaluable children's community service. Children with life-limiting illnesses and their families require and deserve a seamless service, and the evaluation recommends that this framework of care be developed for other teams of children's community services across the country.
Developing a national strategy to promote and extend nursing research in Spain
Authors: Moreno-Casba Teresa , de Frutos-Samninez David 
Published: March 2006

The Health Research Funding Agency (FIS) is part of the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), which provides nationwide economic support for biomedical research project proposals. It is the scientific and technical support for the Spanish Ministry of Health. In 1996, the institute created the group Investén, which in January 2000 became a formal structure entitled the Centre for Coordination and Development of Nursing Research (Investen-isciii). The centre's main objective is to develop a national strategy to organise and facilitate the integration of nursing research into clinical practice. Its functions are to advise professionals and agencies, public and private institutions interested in nursing research and its dissemination, to coordinate and develop projects, and promote new ones. Since the group's inception, many activities have been developed to encourage research in nursing-related fields, stimulate multidisciplinary research teams, and promote coordination between initiatives led by nursing researchers. A strategic plan for the next three years includes a range of objectives such as the dissemination of research, fostering development and training of future nurse researchers, providing opportunities for international exchange of research knowledge and experience, and promoting pan-European nursing research collaboration.
Partnership with care homes: A new approach to collaborative working
Authors: Meehan Lyn , Meyer Julienne , Winter Jane 
Published: March 2006

This paper reports ways of working and early findings from the Partnership with Care Homes Project (PCH). PCH is an extension to the ongoing CELEC Action Research Project: Care for Older People that is concerned with the development and evaluation of seven lead research and development nurses. These nurses have responsibility for improving care for older people in seven NHS trusts in North East London in line with the National Service Framework for Older People. Funded originally by CELEC (Central and East London Education Consortium), these nurses are using action research to blur the boundaries between education, practice and research. This innovative way of working has fostered closer working relationships, the cross-fertilisation of ideas and joint working between acute and primary care trusts; general and mental health services; users, carers and professionals; health and social care providers (NHS and voluntary sector), and commissioners and providers of education. The success of the action research project led to the North East London Workforce Development Confederation (CELEC's replacement), giving additional funding to extend the project into the private sector — the Partnership with Care Homes Project. This work is ongoing and currently 25 care homes (representing more than 1,500 beds) are participating in the project, with the emphasis very firmly on partnership working to meet their education, research and practice development needs. The lessons learned from the project may lead to a new model of commissioning for both education and service delivery which is able to respond more promptly to emergent need. The purpose of this paper is to share the experience of working in this way, explore the early findings and, more importantly, celebrate some of the outcomes that are already emerging from the work.
Research-active nurses' perceptions of the barriers to undertaking research in practice
Authors: Tanner Judith , Hale Claire 
Published: March 2006

The aim of the study was to identify how a small group of research-active clinical nurses perceived and overcame the reputed 'barriers' to carrying out research in practice. The nursing literature on research implementation tends to focus on barriers that prevent nurses engaging in research. This study takes a different approach and focuses instead on how some nurses manage to succeed despite the difficulties. A purposive sample of 12 research-active nurses from one trust was recruited to the study. The small sample was a reflection of the comparatively small number of clinical practitioners involved in research activity. Interviews and rating scales were used to explore the practitioners' attitudes to research in general as well as barriers to research identified through earlier studies. The nurses studied did not consider the commonly perceived barriers to undertaking research to be 'barriers' - some nurses saw them as 'excuses'. The only barriers the nurses acknowledged were staffing, cost and lack of support, but they surmounted these by their determination to carry out their research studies and publish. The study suggests that the main kind of support needed by nurses who want to carry out research is that offered by facilitators, who give them confidence to carry out research and publish their findings.
An evaluative study assessing the impact of the Leading an Empowered Organisation programme
Authors: Woolnough Helen , Faugier Jean 
Published: March 2006

The development of strong, effective clinical leadership is currently high on the political agenda (DoH, 1999; 2000). It is central to the government's modernization agenda and the improvement of patient care and is reflected in the plethora of documents, strategies and initiatives currently permeating the NHS. The Leading an Empowered Organisation (LEO) programme is an integral part of the drive to increase and strengthen clinical leadership among the nursing and allied health professions. The NHS National Nursing Leadership Programme is coordinating the launch of the LEO programme to over 32,050 clinical staff. The programme is designed to create a critical mass of clinical leaders with the ability to make a real difference to patient care. The study was undertaken as part of a larger evaluation to assimilate evidence regarding the impact of the LEO programme. The research also addressed contact and communication with senior staff and the impact of these on the leadership agenda. The results indicate that the LEO programme is empowering clinical staff to facilitate new ways of working and providing participants with the practical tools to perform their roles effectively and create an environment in which others can grow and develop. There is still much to be learned from the LEO programme and, as such, the evaluation process continues.
A regional evaluation of the impact of the Leading an Empowered Organisation leadership programme
Authors: Werrett Julie , Griffiths Magiie , Clifford Collette 
Published: March 2006

This paper reports on an evaluation of the Leading an Empowered Organisation (LEO) leadership programme. The aims of the study were to evaluate the first phase of the programme in the West Midlands Region and to identify changes in practice as a result. The study focuses on the first cohorts on the programme in 2001 and 2002. The study involved administering a pre-test survey at the outset of the programme and completing a post-test survey of the same group three months after the programme was completed. There were 550 participants in the pre-test and 181 in the post-test. Data were collected via a structured scale designed to measure perceived importance and use in practice (performance) of 33 dimensions of leadership. Open questions enabled participants to comment on their experience when responding to the post-test. Analysis of quantifiable data shows differences in performance measure at the post-test in aspects of practice related to team and management issues, staff support and development, and creative management and assertiveness. Qualitative data supported these findings in that they highlighted areas of development since participants had completed the LEO programme. Further longitudinal evaluation is recommended to monitor the long-term impact of LEO programmes on clinical practice.
Research governance and diversity: Quality standards for a multi-ethnic NHS
Authors: Johnson Mark R.D. 
Published: March 2006

The NHS and its clinical workforce are committed to evidence-based practice, which requires quality evidence to assist and justify change. Such evidence can be used to inform best practice and to create new standards. The risk is that where needs are under-researched, developments - and resources - can be delayed until relevant research is conducted and completed to adequate standards. New research governance regulations have spelled out what these standards should be. However, black and minority ethnic communities, and individuals, express a high level of 'research fatigue', feeling that they have been the objects of much previous research and experimentation. They therefore question whether there is any reason for delays in the implementation of change. The problem is that 'validated' research often excludes their experiences, while that which includes them is rarely 'best practice' or 'peer-reviewed' research. Nevertheless, it does create evidence, and often the research generated by, or based within, communities holds considerable detail and insight. However, it is not 'owned' in turn by the NHS and the scientific establishment. The research governance regulations provide a framework that might lead to new understandings of best practice in research, create ownership, and generate more inclusive, equitable research with greater validity in a multi-cultural society. Researchers are urged to consider what would assist them to ensure that their studies meet this ideal and comply with scientific and community-based moral standards.
The turn to a narrative knowing of persons: One method explored
Authors: Jones Kip 
Published: March 2006

This paper discusses the increasing use of narrative studies and biographical research in the social sciences as a way of knowing persons. Dangers inherent in the making of false assumptions of knowledge from interviewing and semi-structured probes are noted. Personal experience with the biographic narrative interpretive method is discussed, using examples from my research on identity and the informal care role to explain the method. The method uses a minimalist-passive interviewing technique and reflecting teams for analysis of data. Microanalysis of the 'lived life' and thematic field analysis of the 'told story' are described. The use of small sample frames to generate meaningful case studies is defended. The interview technique is expanded upon, paying attention to the concept of gestalt. The post-interview reflective process is described, followed by a case being made for analytic induction as both the foundation of grounded theory and an alternative to it. The use of reflective teams is expanded upon vis-a-vismy research. Unique approaches to the data analysis, which developed my use of the method, are argued as adding flexibility to the biographic narrative interpretive method. The paper concludes with a discussion of concepts of truth and veracity in storytelling and the reconstructive process I employed in piecing together images of a whole through the imaginative subjective dramas of everyday lives.
Knowing and acting — A strategic practitioner-focused approach to nursing research and practice development
Authors: McCormack Brendan 
Published: March 2006

Clinical outcomes, effective decision-making and the use of evidence in practice have been part of the nursing agenda for many years and a key focus of knowledge generation and utilisation activities in nursing research. However, while this focus prevails, the ability of our organizational systems to support nursing research in practice is still limited. There continues to be a divide between the 'knowledge generators' and the 'knowledge users', and while considerable progress has been made in the use of research in practice, less progress has been made in formally connecting academic and practice communities. This paper argues for such a connection through a focus on practitioner research — a focus that can enable the sharing of academic and practice agendas at a variety of levels. It will be argued that if we are serious about creating 'research cultures' in practice settings, the most feasible way of doing so is through practitioner research, as this approach integrates knowledge-generation with knowledge-utilisation. A strategic approach to practitioner research in one organisation will be described and implications for research career structures discussed.
Practitioner research: An approach to developing research capacity in primary care
Authors: Bryar Rosamund Mary 
Published: March 2006

The development of research capacity is a priority in healthcare. However, little information is available on the outcomes of different approaches to capacity-building. This paper provides a description of the approach taken in a primary health care (PHC) project (Teamcare Valleys) to support the development of research skills by PHC practitioners. The 35 practitioners were all experienced nurses, midwives, health visitors, GPs, practice managers and health promotion specialists. Research capacity development was supported by colleagues with experience in a range of research approaches in PHC and social science research. A case study was designed to examine the impact of the capacity-building process on the development of research and other skills. Data were collected at the end of the three-year project and five years later to identify the development of research skills and their utilisation in subsequent posts. Evidence indicates that the practitioner researchers developed considerable skills in research and associated areas; for example, in methods of research dissemination. However, their subsequent utilisation of these skills resulted from their own motivation rather than from being a requirement of subsequent posts. It is concluded that development of practitioner research skills needs to be supported by a career strategy enabling clinical research careers in the NHS.
Issues impacting on registered nurses providing care to older people in an acute care setting
Authors: Cheek Julianne , Gibson Terri 
Published: March 2006

The worldwide phenomenon of ageing populations in developed countries has led to an increased emphasis on how best to meet the healthcare needs of people aged 65 years and older. One area identified as requiring particular attention is the care provided to older people in acute settings. This paper reports on the findings of an exploratory qualitative study that investigated issues having an impact on registered nurses' ability to care for older people in a publicly funded teaching hospital in Australia. Issues identified pertain to the complexity of managing the healthcare needs of the older person with an acute illness; the acute care environment as being problematic for the older person, and maintaining continuity of care in an often fragmented and under-resourced healthcare system. It is clear from the study findings that registered nurses in the acute setting play a central and pivotal role in the multidisciplinary team caring for older people with regard to the management and coordination of care as well as in the provision of direct care. However, tensions arise from the curative focus dominant in acute care settings, which privileges and resources technically focused acute care skills and does not place as high a priority on developing appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills specific to the care of older people. The findings provide a base from which to progress further research as well as a challenge to those working in acute settings to develop systems of care that maximise the role of the registered nurse in improving outcomes for hospitalised older people.
Adapting to a new culture: A study of the expectations and experiences of Filipino nurses in the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust
Authors: Withers Judy , Snowball Jan 
Published: March 2006

Many UK hospitals are recruiting nurses increasingly from overseas to alleviate acute shortages. Nurses recruited from the Philippines were chosen for this study because they form the largest group of overseas nurses recruited to the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust and they are required to undertake an adaptation programme before achieving Nursing and Midwifery Council registration to practise. The study explores the expectations and experiences of nurses from the Philippines and ascertains whether their expectations match their experiences Following ethical approval, 120 questionnaires were distributed. Data were collected from 45 of the questionnaires and eight semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked the reasons for their migration, their experiences of recruitment, pre-arrival expectations, their thoughts of the trust's adaptation programme, and their good and bad experiences. They were also asked to evaluate the opportunities they were given for training and career development in the trust. Differences emerged between respondents' high expectations of nursing and living in the UK and their actual experiences. The majority described their financial expectations as being unmet. Many of their experiences were good, but some experienced certain problems during recruitment and in their clinical areas. Some participants also experienced what they perceived as racial discrimination from patients and colleagues. It was concluded that participants had high expectations of earning more money, of having a higher standard of living and of gaining professionally, but that unmet expectations could lead to dissatisfaction, affect attitudes and behaviour and promote eventual resignation from the organisation. The majority of the ward managers were regarded as being friendly and supportive, and the trust's adaptation programme was thought to be invaluable. However, recipients of discrimination and indifference are reluctant to report incidents, but host staff and recruits can learn from each other and gain mutual benefit.
Perspectives on pain: A qualitative analysis of the Hispanic pain experience
Authors: Sherwood Gwen D. , McNeill Jeanette A. , Palos Guadalupe , Starck Patricia 
Published: March 2006

As a primarily subjective phenomenon, pain expression may vary among different populations. Patients from minority populations may be more likely to have poor pain management, less analgesia prescribed, and lower doses administered for their pain. To understand better the Hispanic pain experience, qualitative methods were used to gather data from postoperative adult Hispanic patients in both an urban and rural setting regarding their perspective and response to the pain experience. Descriptive qualitative analysis of interview data from a sample (n=35) of predominantly female, married and Catholic respondents, ranging in age from 23-80 years yielded five categories: Characteristics of the pain experience; Managing pain; Information about pain; Interactions with providers, and Cultural considerations. Several themes defined each category and were used in a larger study to develop a Spanish language instrument to measure pain outcomes. Descriptions of the categories and themes and implications for further research and clinical care are presented. For Hispanic populations, cultural issues having an impact on research regarding pain, such as simpatia (a striving for harmonious relationships without interpersonal conflict), respect, and family involvement, as well as problems with recruitment of minority patients to research studies, must be addressed to improve the effectiveness of pain management for this group.
Seeing things differently: Evaluating psychodynamically informed group clinical supervision for general hospital nurses
Authors: Ashburner Charlotte , Aleyer Julienne , Cotter Angela , Youog Guy , Ansell Richard 
Published: March 2006

This paper reports the findings from the development of psychodynamically informed group supervision for 52 clinical leaders in nursing at a general NHS hospital over four years. The initiative was evaluated through a variety of methods, underpinned by action research. This paper is based on the findings generated by semi-structured interviews (n=24) and descriptive statistics of staff sickness and turnover. The findings suggest that clinical supervision using a psychodynamically informed approach helps nurses acknowledge their feelings and see their work from a different perspective; builds confidence; provides support through a crisis and reduces their isolation in their role. Other findings suggest that, while having no impact on staff turnover, clinical supervision might reduce staff sickness. However, not all staff were comfortable with the experiential nature of clinical supervision and there was fragmented attendance at sessions. Embedding supervision into nursing practice remains a challenge; this paper offers an approach that has proved sustainable over four years.