bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The academic writing experiences of a group of student nurses: a phenomenological study
Authors: Whitehead Dean 
Published: March 2003

The academic writing experiences of a group of student nurses: a phenomenological study Aims. To investigate the academic writing experiences of a group of preregistration nursing students. To explore issues surrounding how academic writing skills were developed, integrated and received into the student's educational programme and how these skills impacted on various aspects of their educational and clinical experience. Background. The development of an academic writing style is seen to be an integral skill that the student must be willing to learn and undertake within higher education settings. Academic styles of writing have been imported into nursing education as a consequence of its integration into higher education. I wanted to investigate the experiences of learning an academic style of writing for students early on in their nursing career. There is little, if any, research that seeks to investigate or measure these experiences of nursing students. Methods. A phenomenological approach to investigate the academic writing experiences of a group of preregistration students. Findings. There is an expectation that preregistration students will quickly acquire academic writing skills when most will have had little or no prior experience. There appeared to have been little emphasis placed on facilitating the development of these skills in the educational programme. The lack of emphasis and support proved to be problematical for these nursing students. The emergence of a theory‐practice divide also figured strongly. Students were, however, able to appreciate the need and place for academic writing skills and most were able to identify the structural processes that were integral to acquiring such skills. Conclusion. A plethora of anecdotal evidence, supported by the findings in this study, suggests that most nursing students' struggle with the demands placed upon them when writing academic assignments. The need for greater emphasis and support throughout the whole period of training are highlighted in the findings of this study. It is known that nursing loses large numbers of its students to the academic rigors of its educational programmes. Where this is the case, the findings of this study support the need for nurse educationalists and curriculum planners to revise and reform the way that they approach and deliver the demands of an academic style of writing with their students.
Hardiness, work support and psychological distress among nursing assistants and registered nurses in Quebec
Authors: Harrisson Madelaine , Loiselle Carmen G. , Duquette André , Semenic Sonia E. 
Published: March 2003

Background.  Although nursing assistants (NAs) represent a large segment of Canadian health care providers, little is known about psychosocial factors related to their physical and psychological well‐being and how these compare with their registered nurse (RN) counterparts. Aim.  Guided by Maddi and Kobasa's theoretical framework of Factors Affecting Health‐Illness Status, the purpose of the present study was to examine relationships among hardiness, psychological distress and work support in NAs, and to compare results with those from a sample of RNs. Method.  A random sample of 171 NAs in Quebec completed self‐report questionnaires. The study instruments included validated French‐Canadian versions of Kobasa's Hardiness Scale, Ilfeld's Psychiatric Symptom Index, and Moos' Work Relationship Index. Results.
As theoretically predicted, statistically significant correlations were found between hardiness and psychological distress (r = −0.42; P < 0.001), hardiness and work support (r = 0.27; P < 0.001), and between work support and psychological distress (r = −0.21; P < 0.001). Using a mediational model and multiple regression analyses, hardiness among NAs was found to be a significant mediator between work support and psychological distress. Comparative analyses revealed that whereas NAs and RNs reported similar levels of psychological distress (P = 0.25) and work support (P = 0.13), NAs reported significantly less hardiness (t = −5.58; P < 0.01). In addition, NAs and RNs reported significantly more psychological distress than the general population of Quebec, Canada (t = 9.07 and 22.84, P < 0.01, respectively). Conclusion.  Results add support to Maddi and Kobasa's theoretical propositions linking personal and contextual resources to health‐related outcomes and offer insights into specific factors that may affect the health and well‐being of both NAs and RNs as well as their work climate.
Clinical competence assessment in nursing: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Watson Roger , Stimpson Anne , Topping Annie , Porock Davina 
Published: March 2003

Background.  The assessment of clinical competence has returned to centre stage of nurse education. However, there is little evidence to support the use of clinical competence and a wide variety of methods for its use. Research question.  The present study was designed to investigate the evidence for the use of clinical competence assessment in nursing. Design.  A review using systematic methods of literature pertaining to clinical competence in nursing was conducted using defined dates, databases and search terms. Results.  There is still considerable confusion about the definition of clinical competence and most of the methods in use to define or measure competence have not been developed systematically and issues of reliability and validity have barely been addressed. Conclusion.  The assessment of clinical competence remains almost universally accepted in the nurse education literature as a laudable pursuit yet there are aspects of it that remain at odds with the higher education of nurses.
The value of combining qualitative and quantitative approaches in nursing research by means of method triangulation
Authors: Foss Christina , Ellefsen Bodil 
Published: March 2003

Aim.  The article contributes to the theoretical discussion of the epistemological grounds of triangulation in nursing research. Background.  In nursing research, the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods is being used increasingly. The attempt to relate different kinds of data through triangulation of different methods is a challenging task as data derived through different methodologies are viewed as incommensurable. Content.  Epistemological questions become a vital issue in triangulation of different methods, as qualitative and quantitative methods are built on philosophical differences in the structure and confirmation of knowledge. The epistemology of nursing is manifold, complex and multifarious in character. Contemporary nursing research should be developed on the bases of an epistemology that reflects this multiplicity. The benefits and problems of triangulation are discussed on basis of an epistemological position that acknowledges the need for various types of knowledge and that does not attempt to rank them in a hierarchical order or place different values on them. Conclusion.  We conclude that the complexity and diversity of reality provides the ontological basis for an alternative epistemological position. The various methods used should be recognized as springing from different epistemological traditions which, when combined, add new perspectives to the phenomenon under investigation. The different types of knowledge should not be seen as ranked, but as equally valid and necessary to obtain a richer and more comprehensive picture of the issue under investigation.
Caring conversations – psychiatric patients' narratives about suffering
Authors: Fredriksson Lennart , Lindström Unni Å. 
Published: March 2003

Aim.  The aim of this study was to increase and deepen the understanding of how psychiatric patients in conversations with nurses narrate their experience of suffering. Methods.  Data were obtained in the years 2001–2002 by audio recording of 20 individual caring conversations between eight patients and three psychiatric nurses at a psychiatric outpatient unit in Sweden. Before the data were gathered the study was approved by a local research ethics committee. The methodology is inspired by the hermeneutics of Paul Ricoeur. The data is given a naïve reading which is followed by two structural analyses which explain the text. Finally, the structural analyses and the pre‐understanding are confronted in a critical reflection. Findings.  In the patients' narratives, suffering was at first concealed under a façade that helps the patient to cope with suffering and with shame. As they moved along to a turning point, something happened that made them able to risk everything, i.e. their very selves, but also gave them the possibility of regaining vital parts of themselves that where lost when the façade was constructed. As they took the suffering upon themselves, they grew to be fully visible as human beings and healing was possible as a re‐establishment of the interpersonal bridge. This not only meant that the sufferer became open for relationships with others or an abstract other, but also that an opening in the relationship with themselves occurred. Conclusions.  If psychiatric patients are allowed to narrate freely they develop different plot structures, which can either hide or reveal suffering. Patients who could establish an answer to the why‐question of suffering could also interpret their suffering in a way that enabled growth and reconciliation. In order to do so, they had to abandon the shelter of the façade and confront suffering and shame. This turning point opened them up to life‐sustaining relationships with themselves as well as with abstract and concrete others.
Accommodative speech and terms of endearment: elements of a language mode often experienced by older adults
Authors: Brown Angie , Draper Peter 
Published: March 2003

Aim.  To discuss the use of patronizing patterns of speech and modified forms of address in conversations between nurses and other health workers, and older people. Rationale.
The impetus for this paper was the publication of the
National Service Framework for Older People , which draws attention to the prevalence of age discrimination and the need to provide individualized care. Approach.  The literature between 1990 and 2001 was reviewed in a systematic way. Certain key, older texts were also identified. Twenty‐four publications were found, which examine the ways in which nurses and other health workers modify their speech when conversing with older people, discuss what older people think about this practice, or otherwise contribute to this issue. Results.  The paper uses speech accommodation theory to explain how the language addressed to older people is sometimes modified. The practice of over‐accommodation is also described. This happens when older people are addressed in a simplified vocabulary with a high‐pitched tone of voice and slow speech. The extent of over‐accommodation is discussed, and its impact on older people is considered in terms of fostered dependence and lowered self‐esteem. Conclusion.  The findings of the review in the context of current policy related to older people and implications for nursing education are discussed.
Unfulfilled expectations and negative interactions: nonsupport in the relationships of women caregivers
Authors: Neufeld A. , Harrison M.J. 
Published: March 2003

Background. Most research has viewed social support as unconditionally positive, but negative interactions such as conflict and dissatisfaction with support are present in caregivers' relationships and have a negative impact on their health. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe women's experience of nonsupport and identify the types of nonsupport present in their relationships with family and friends while caring for a family member with dementia. Ethics. The study received ethical clearance from the university ethics review committee. Methods. The theoretical perspective of symbolic interaction guided this longitudinal qualitative research. Included in the study were 25 in‐depth interviews with a group of eight women selected from a larger study of family caregiving because they described nonsupport in their relationships with family and friends. Findings. The women experienced two types of problems in realizing support. Unmet expectations for support was the most pervasive difficulty and included unfulfilled or missing offers of assistance, unmet expectations for social interaction, mismatched aid, or incompetence on the part of the potential helper. Negative interactions, particularly with kin, took several forms: disparaging comments that belittled a caregiver's experience, conflict between the caregiver and others in their appraisal of the care recipient's health status, criticism of the caregiver's decisions in caring for the care recipient, and spillover from longstanding conflict and issues in the family history. Limitations. This study was limited to women caring for an adult relative with dementia and included a relatively homogeneous sample of English speaking, North American women of European descent. Conclusion. This study highlighted the utility of identity theory to explain the impact of unmet expectations for support and recognized disparaging comments as a form of nonsupportive interactions.
Health beliefs, perceived self‐efficacy, and breast self‐examination among Thai migrants in Brisbane
Authors: Jirojwong Sansnee , MacLennan Robert 
Published: March 2003

Background.  Women in Thailand have a relatively low risk of developing breast cancer; however, death rates from breast cancer are increasing. Rates in many migrant groups are also known to be on the increase. Little is known about breast cancer screening, particularly breast self‐examination (BSE), among Thai migrant women in other countries. In Australia, non‐English‐speaking‐background migrants are known to be low users of preventive health services. Aims.  To investigate, using the health belief model (HBM) and self‐efficacy as a theoretical framework, the use of BSE in a recent migrant group, Thai women in Australia, and to identify sociodemographic variables that influence the women's regular use of BSE. Methods.  In 1998, a cross‐sectional study was conducted among 145 Thai women in Brisbane recruited through a snowball‐sampling method, which used personal contacts and key persons within the Thai community. The study was approved by the University Human Ethics Review Committee. Data were collected through designed closed‐ended questions. Results.  Only 25% of the women performed BSE regularly. HBM indices were strongly associated with BSE. Beliefs in high personal susceptibility to breast cancer strongly increased the likelihood of BSE. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, cues or triggers to undertake BSE and self‐efficacy, or the ability to do BSE were found to be important determinants of regular BSE. Study limitations, including data collection methods, are discussed. Conclusion.  A low percentage of women practised BSE regularly. The HBM is a useful framework for identifying factors influencing the use of BSE. Strategies that increase the confidence of women to undertake preventive health behaviour or increase self‐efficacy are likely to increase their regular screening for breast cancer.
Helping health and social care professionals to develop an ‘inequalities imagination’: a model for use in education and practice
Authors: Hart Angie , Hall Valerie , Henwood Flis 
Published: March 2003

hart a., hall v. &henwood f. (2003) Journal of Advanced Nursing 41(5), 480–489

Helping health and social care professionals to develop an ‘inequalities imagination’: a model for use in education and practice Background. The ‘inequalities imagination model’ originated from our own research, and led to findings and recommendations regarding clinical and education issues. This article focuses on the creation of the model which, we suggest, could be used to facilitate the development of an ‘inequalities imagination’ in health and social care professionals. Aim. To describe and critically analyse the thinking that led to the concept of an ‘inequalities imagination’ and provide the framework for the theoretical model. Methodological approach. Influencing concepts from the fields of social work, sociology, nursing and midwifery, and debates around antidiscriminatory and antioppressive practice, cultural safety, cultural competence and individualized care are analysed. Inequalities imagination model. Ideas generated from an analysis of the concepts of antidiscriminatory/anti‐oppressive practice and from the research data led us to conceptualize a flexible model that incorporated issues of individual and structural agency and a broad definition of disadvantage. The literature review underpinning the theoretical framework means that the model has the potential to be truly interdisciplinary. Conclusions. Professional educators face a difficult task in preparing practitioners to work with clients in ways that take account of differences in background and lifestyle and which respect human rights and dignity. The model makes explicit a process that enables practitioners to think about their current practice and move towards a greater understanding and awareness of the way they work with disadvantaged clients, and ways in which they prepare others to do so. We suggest that professionals develop an ‘inequalities imagination’ in order to enhance equality of care. The development of an ‘inequalities imagination’ helps practitioners to bridge the gap between the challenges they face in day‐to‐day practice and what they need to achieve to aspire to provide equality of care to all.
The macroecology of Australian frogs
Authors: MURRAY BRAD R. , FONSECA CARLOS R. , WESTOBY MARK 
Published: March 2003

1.  The Australian continent provides an important test of macroecological patterns given its unique biota and long‐term geographical isolation. However, macro ecological contributions from the Australian continent are rare. We explored the relationship between abundance and geographical range for Australian frogs (Order Anura) across complete geographical ranges, and investigated how adult body size relates to both abundance and the size of geographical ranges. 2.  Our analyses followed two complementary paths. First, we employed cross‐species correlations at a number of taxonomic levels to analyse present‐day ecological associations among the macroecological variables. Secondly, we tested whether there were correlated evolutionary divergences among the variables by use of the phylogenetic regression. In the event, cross‐species patterns and correlated divergence patterns proved quite similar for this dataset. 3.  For Australian frogs there is a strong, significant positive correlation between abundance and geographical range, that is not mediated through body size, and that is found for both cross‐species correlations and as correlated evolutionary divergences. Among biological mechanisms that have been proposed, some can be rejected. Feasible explanations would invoke resource use or intrinsic rates of increase or both. 4.  There is also a significant positive correlation between adult body size and geographical range. We were able to discard four of the five proposed mechanisms describing this relationship. The remaining mechanism relates to homeostasis and environmental variability. 5.  Previous studies of the relationship between adult body size and abundance have revealed a strong negative correlation when studies are performed over areas that encompass most or all of the geographical ranges of the species in question. Contrary to these studies, a negative relationship was not found for Australian frogs. None of the eight explanations postulated from other studies can account for this discrepancy, leading to the conclusion that Australian frogs provide a contrast to macroecological patterns prevailing elsewhere. 6.  Body size could not explain directly the relationship between abundance and geographical range. While there was a significant positive correlation between body size and geographical range, there was no relationship between body size and abundance. If a mechanism incorporating the intrinsic rates of increase of species is to explain the positive relationship between abundance and geographical range, then ecological factors other than body size must be determining differences in intrinsic rates of increase.
Assuming reproduction to be a function of consumption raises doubts about some popular predator–prey models
Authors: Ginzburg Lev R. 
Published: March 2003

1.  Predator−prey models that abide by the conversion rule (reproduction rate of predators is a function of the consumption rate) are more plausible. 2.  Although the conversion rule is quite general, many predator−prey models in current ecological literature fail to coordinate the arguments of the functional and numerical responses.
Predicting numbers of an insect (Neophilaenus lineatus: Homoptera) in a changing climate
Authors: WHITTAKER J.B. , TRIBE N.P. 
Published: March 2003

Summary

Measurements of the density of an upland population of the spittlebug Neophilaenus lineatus (L.) (Homoptera, Auchenorrhyncha) were made from 1961 to 1997.
Population change from year to year is shown to be largely density‐independent.
Analyses of meteorological records over the 37‐year period showed that the weather variable with the highest correlation with population change was mean minimum temperature in September.
A simple model was constructed relating numerical changes from 1961 to 1992 to temperature, and this was found to explain 75% of the change in this population.
The model was used to predict numerical change from 1993 to 1997 over which period it explained 70% of the change.
The model predicts that a projected rise in mean temperature of 1°C would increase the mean population density of N. lineatus by 50%.
Experimental cloches at the upland site which raised mean temperature by 1°C, had N. lineatus densities which were 157% higher than in adjacent control quadrats.
An experimental raising of field temperature at a lowland site where population change had been shown to be density dependent did not result in density changes, although dates of hatching were earlier.
Specificity and host predictability: a comparative analysis among monogenean parasites of fish
Authors: Sasal P. , Trouvé S. , Müller‐Graf C. , Morand S. 
Published: March 2003

1.This article compares generalist (parasite species found on two or more host species) and specialist (found on only one host species) monogenean parasite species of fish. The reduction of the host range – that is an increase in host specificity – may correspond with a better adaptation of the parasite to a more predictable host environment. A more predictable environment may allow the parasite species to develop specific adaptations.2.We assume that the more predictable host environment can be evaluated by host body size, since numerous life‐traits, such as longevity, are positively correlated with size.3.We found that specialist parasites parasitize larger hosts species than generalist parasites. We also found a good relationship between host body size and parasite body size for specialist parasite species.4.An adaptation to the mechanical problems encountered in the host's gill chamber may lead to an increase in parasite body size. The infection of a larger part of the host population in order to decrease the chances of local extinction due to fluctuations of host abundance may be another adaptive mechanism.5.We found a negative correlation between parasite body size and prevalence for generalist parasite species. This relationship disappeared when using the comparative method controlling for phylogeny, which proved that it was a phylogenetic effect.