bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Unravelling the unknowns of reflection in classroom teaching
Authors: Scanlan Judith M. , Care W. Dean , Udod Sonia 
Published: March 2003

Unravelling the unknowns of reflection in classroom teaching Background. The use of reflection in education has emerged as an effective means of connecting theory with practice. However, the literature reveals limited empirical work on the conceptualization of reflection. Aim of the study. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand more fully the meaning and use of reflection in teaching, and how reflection contributes to the development of teaching expertise in the classroom. Ethical approval. The study received ethical approval from the Faculty of Nursing Ethical Review Committee, University of Manitoba. Issues related to confidentiality of information, and power relationships between the investigators were addressed. Students were reassured that no data were collected about them during participant observations in the classrooms. Methods. The investigators were the sources of data. Data were collected using five different methods over the course of two academic years, including written autobiographies, critical incident journals, classroom observations, debriefing following classroom observations and research team meetings. Findings. The data were analysed using content analysis, and four themes were identified (i) making connections, (ii) developmental aspects, (iii) influence of context on reflection, and (iv) influence of emotions on reflection. Study limitations. The interpretation of the findings of this study should be used with caution given the qualitative design and small number of participants. Conclusion. Participation in the study increased the awareness of the investigators' personal use of reflection. The process of studying our own use of reflection allowed us to step outside the performance treadmill to better understand, accept and reshape what we do over and over in the classroom. This study supports an examination of one's experiences as a means of understanding reflection and its use in the classroom.
The role of the district nurse in bereavement support
Authors: Birtwistle Jon , Payne Sheila , Smith Peter , Kendrick Tony 
Published: March 2003

The role of the district nurse in bereavement support Background. District nurses are frequently involved in the care of patients immediately prior to death and could therefore provide support to bereaved relatives. However, little is known about nurses' views on bereavement support or their actual involvement. Aims of the study. To survey a representative sample of district nurses to ascertain their current practice and perceived role in supporting bereaved people and to identify factors that influence their practice. Design and method. A self‐completed postal questionnaire was distributed anonymously to 522 district nurses in the central southern coastal area of Britain. It comprised five sections: interest in and education about bereavement; a Likert scale to measure nurses' views about bereavement care; information about the practice with which the nurse had links; bereavement care provided by the practice; and demographics. Results. A 62% response rate was achieved following two reminders. Sixty‐nine per cent reported having an interest in bereavement support. Logistic regression modelling identified older age of the nurse and district of employment as the best predictors of interest in bereavement, and older age of the nurse, district of employment and higher level of academic qualification (having a diploma or degree) as the best predictors of active follow‐up bereavement visiting. Ninety five percent of district nurses believed their role should involve visiting bereaved relatives/carers of patients they have nursed, but only 19% believed they should visit bereaved people when the deceased was not their patient. Conclusions. Older age, higher qualifications and district of employment among district nurses were associated with greater interest in bereavement and more proactive care of bereaved people. The findings of this survey have important implications for the training, continued education and the extended role of the nurse in bereavement support.
The impact of part‐time post‐registration degrees on practice
Authors: Hardwick Sharon , Jordan Sue 
Published: March 2003

The impact of part‐time, post‐registration degrees on practiceAim. This study aimed to identify how graduates from part‐time, post‐registration degree courses in nursing and midwifery perceived that their practice had changed as a result of the knowledge and skills acquired on their courses.Background. Despite increasing investment in continuing professional education and expansion of nursing roles, little work has been undertaken to assess the impact of graduates' skills on nursing care and clinical outcomes.Method. Postal questionnaires were used to survey all graduates of post‐registration Bachelor's and Master's courses in nursing and midwifery from one institution in the United Kingdom (UK) (n=60). Respondents were asked to describe how they felt their graduate skills were used in practice and if this was influenced by any factors in the workplace. Data were analysed descriptively, and by content analysis.Findings. Forty‐three of 58 graduates contacted responded (74%). The majority (33/43, 77%) of respondents felt that their graduate skills were used in practice. Although most felt that their clinical practice had changed as a result of their degree studies, no practical examples of this were given, despite specific questioning. Many examples of academic and research skills acquired on the course were cited, which raises the question of whether the degree courses provided graduates with academic rather than clinical knowledge. There was ambivalence as to their perceptions of barriers in the workplace, which may have impeded the application of knowledge acquired on the courses.Implications. The clinical effectiveness of education initiatives depends on the learners, the course and the workplace. To maximize the benefits accruing to patients from continuing professional education and role expansion, further exploration of the contribution of higher education programmes to clinical practice is required.
Food‐related health perceptions and food habits among older women
Authors: Gustafsson Kerstin , Sidenvall Birgitta 
Published: March 2003

Aim.  The aim of the present study was to explore food‐related health perceptions and food habits among older women. Background.  Food‐related health promotion has its main focus on disease prevention. With a holistic perspective on health, social and psychological aspects also need to be considered for total wellbeing. Methods.  Qualitative interviews, representing an ethnographic approach, were carried out with 18 women, aged 65–88, living alone or cohabiting, who independently managed shopping and cooking. Interviews were conducted at the women's homes, and analysed for coherent themes. The women also gave data on three days' eating and drinking in a food diary. Findings.  Two themes were found: ‘A healthy slimming meal or the usual’ and ‘Meals – a pleasure or an obligation’. The first theme summarized the women's health perceptions related to food, where the dominating view was fear of fat. Some also had a bad conscience about not eating according to recommendations. Use of low‐fat products was not a predominant habit among these women. In the second theme, meals in fellowship were perceived as a pleasure, while women living alone tended to simplify cooking and eating. This was also reflected in their food habits, with fewer cooked meals, as well as events with coffee with cakes, compared with cohabiting women. Conclusions.  Food‐related health promotion must pay more attention to women living alone. Women who have lost their partners, may be at risk for poor nutritional intake as they often simplified the entire meal situation, while cohabiting women perceived food and cooking as a central task in their lives. One responsibility for nurses working in the community is to recognize and assess older women's deficient eating habits, assess them and plan eating together with the woman to prevent poor nutritional intake. Relatives and community staff could also be involved in this work.
Compliance in a randomized controlled trial: the implementation of emotion‐orientated care in psycho‐geriatric facilities
Authors: Schrijnemaekers Veron J.J. , Van Rossum Erik , Van Heusden Michèle J.T. , Widdershoven Guy A.M. 
Published: March 2003

Aim.  The aim of this study was to gain insight into compliance with the introduction of a new care model [emotion‐orientated care (EOC)] as part of an intervention study (RCT) in psycho‐geriatric care. The success of the implementation (compliance), as well as the expectations and experiences concerning the training were studied. Methods.  Observations were conducted in four intervention homes and four control homes, and care‐plans of residents were also analysed to see whether the implementation had succeeded. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with four persons in each of the four intervention sites (a total of 16 interviews) to study the experiences with the training and implementation. Findings.  The observations showed no clear differences between intervention and control homes with regard to the interactions between residents and professional caregivers. Analysis of the reporting systems revealed differences within, as well as between, the intervention and control homes. The content of the reports showed no differences between the intervention and control homes. The interviewees had different expectations of the EOC training, depending on their disciplinary background. The caregivers regarded the training as a confirmation of their current practice. They experienced some changes at the individual level and some of them reported that the co‐operation between units had become better. At the home‐level no changes were reported. Every interviewee indicated that the implementation of EOC was difficult and laborious and that there were (mainly organizational) obstacles that could hinder the implementation of the EOC training. Conclusions.  Observations and the analysis of the reporting systems indicated that there was no clear difference between intervention homes and control homes as to the actual implementation of the intervention, indicating that the compliance with the new care model was not optimal. The interviews gave some insight into factors that caused lack of compliance.
Cultural aspects of adjustment to coronary heart disease in Chinese‐Australians: a review of the literature
Authors: Daly John , Davidson Patricia , Chang Esther , Hancock Karen , Rees David , Thompson David R. 
Published: March 2003

Background.  The burden of illness associated with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) has determined this as a key focus for research at a basic science, individual and population level. Although considerable research has been conducted on specific aspects of the experience of CHD, such as anxiety or depression, there is a lack of research investigating the global aspects of the illness experience from the individual's perspective. Furthermore, there is a paucity of research examining the cross‐cultural experiences of patients from Non‐English Speaking Backgrounds (NESB). Given the multicultural nature of Australian society, and that health and illness are culturally constructed experiences (Manderson 1990), it is important to include the perspectives of people from minority cultures in health related research in order to provide culturally sensitive and appropriate health care and information during an illness. Further, the potential to prevent and modulate the course of CHD, by strategies such as smoking cessation and lipid management, mandate a health promotion agenda based on equity and access for all members of society. Aims.  This article discusses cultural aspects of CHD in relation to nursing and allied health care during the recovery phase of an acute cardiac event. It reviews the research that has been conducted in this area, focusing on the Chinese‐Australian population. Literature search.  The CINAHL, MEDLINE, FAMILY (Australian Family and Society Abstracts Database), PsychINFO, and Multicultural Australian and immigration Studies (MAIS) databases were searched, identifying literature published from 1982. Keywords used were Chin* (Chinese, China), Asia* (Asia, Asian), experience, adjustment, psychological, heart, coronary, cardiac, health and services. Reports not written in English were excluded. Australian Government reports were also searched, as well as hand searching of nursing and medical textbooks. These searches resulted in over 1000 articles. However, only around 50 were relevant for this review. Implications.  Chinese‐Australians are one of the fastest growing populations in Australia, and are at increased risk of CHD upon settling to Australia. Recommendations for future research and for the practice of nursing are provided.
Health promotion and lifestyle advice in a general practice: what do patients think?
Authors: Duaso Maria Jose , Cheung Philip 
Published: March 2003

Background/rationale.  Since 1990 health promotion and lifestyle advice has been integrated in general practice and has been mainly undertaken by practice nurses. However little is known about patients' views of the service provided. Aims of the study.  To examine patients' recall and perceptions of lifestyle counselling received from practice nurses in a general practice in the North‐east of England. To investigate the extent to which patients' needs are met. To assess the main sources of health information sought by patients. Design/methods.  Cross‐sectional descriptive survey. A total of 512 patients were sent a postal questionnaire about current lifestyle, recall of lifestyle advice received and perceptions of the advice provided. Findings.

A response rate of 64% was achieved. Questionnaire analysis revealed unhealthy lifestyles among the population studied that could be addressed through health promotion, e.g. 25% were smokers; 44% exercised occasionally; 40% had a body mass index >25 kg/m
2 . Advice received on diet was reported by 6% of patients; on exercise by 4%; on smoking by 4% and on alcohol consumption by 2%. Patients were willing to receive more health promotion in areas such as stress, exercise and weight reduction. Magazines (67%) and TV (47%) were selected as the main sources for health promotion information. Conclusions.  Health needs to be promoted. The low rate of lifestyle advice reported by the patients implies that more preventive advice should be provided in primary care settings. More effective health promotion should be planned according to the needs of the practice population.
Towards clarification of the meaning of spirituality
Authors: Tanyi Ruth A. 
Published: March 2003

Background.  Rhetoric about spirituality and nursing has greatly increased, as scientific‐based approaches are not fully able to address many human problems, such as persistent pain. Despite the renewed interest and growing literature on spirituality, there is no consensus on a definition of this concept. There is also ambiguity on how this concept is incorporated into nursing practice, research, and education. Aim.  This paper aims to contribute toward clarification of the meaning of spirituality in relevance to health and nursing today through a conceptual analysis process. Methods.  Information was obtained through dictionary definitions and electronic database searches of literature on spirituality spanning the past 30 years. The criteria for selection included scholarly articles and books with a definition of spirituality, and research studies that investigated the meaning of spirituality to individuals' health. A total of 76 articles and 19 books were retrieved for this analysis. Findings.  Spirituality is an inherent component of being human, and is subjective, intangible, and multidimensional. Spirituality and religion are often used interchangeably, but the two concepts are different. Spirituality involves humans' search for meaning in life, while religion involves an organized entity with rituals and practices about a higher power or God. Spirituality may be related to religion for certain individuals, but for others, such as an atheist, it may not be. Conclusion.  In order to provide clarity and enhance understanding of this concept, this analysis delineates antecedents, attributes, constructed case examples, empirical referents, and consequences of spirituality. A proposed definition of spirituality emerged from this process, which may be applied broadly. Implications for nursing practice, education, and research are discussed.
‘It's the first scientific evidence': men's experience of pregnancy confirmation
Authors: Draper Jan 
Published: March 2003

Background and aims.  In contrast to women's experiences of motherhood, there has been comparatively little research investigating men's experience of the transition to fatherhood and how changing cultural perspectives contribute to the contemporary experience of fathering. This paper draws on the findings of a larger ethnographic study of men's transition to fatherhood in the United Kingdom (UK) and discusses men's experiences of pregnancy confirmation. Methods.

A longitudinal ethnographic approach was chosen to investigate men's ‘real life’ accounts of their transition to fatherhood. A mixture of ‘novice’ and experienced fathers (
n  = 18) were recruited from antenatal classes in the north of the UK during 1998. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted on three occasions, twice during their partner's pregnancy and once afterwards. Findings.  Framed by the context of the contemporary construction of involved fatherhood, the men frequently spoke of their desire to be ‘involved’ with their partner's pregnancy and yet reported difficulty in engaging with its reality. They nevertheless participated in a range of activities – body‐mediated‐moments – which brought them closer to their partner's pregnant body and therefore their unborn baby. These activities centred on pregnancy confirmation, announcement, foetal movements, the ultrasound scan, and culminated in their presence during labour and delivery. This paper discusses their involvement in the process of pregnancy confirmation. Conclusion.  The men's experiences of early pregnancy were marked forcefully by their involvement in the confirmation process. This activity gave men entry into a physical dimension, helping them forge an involvement in the pregnancy and shape their early transition to fatherhood. Implications for practice.  The study has provided insight into expectant men's experiences of pregnancy and contributed to the understanding of the changing nature of contemporary fatherhood in the UK. Recognition of men's changing roles in pregnancy, and greater insight into their experiences should be of relevance to all those supporting the transition to parenthood, including midwives, obstetricians, ultrasonographers and childbirth educators. Such increased awareness should inform the antenatal support given to men and reinforce the importance of relevant antenatal preparation that effectively meets the needs of not only expectant women, but also expectant men.
Storytelling of co‐operative team meetings in acute psychiatric care
Authors: Vuokila‐Oikkonen Päivi , Janhonen Sirpa , Saarento Outi , Harri Marja 
Published: March 2003

Background.  One of the goals of co‐operative psychiatric nursing and co‐operative team meetings is to improve patients' and significant others' participation and thus, to enhance patients' resources outside the hospital. The objective of this paper is to describe the different expert interventions that either enabled or prevented patient and his/her significant others participation in co‐operative team meetings in acute psychiatric wards. Methods.  The data consisted of 11 videotaped team meetings. The participants were voluntary patients, significant others and experts in health and social care. A narrative approach focused on the storytelling of all members in the meetings. The method of modified dialogue analysis was used to identify the ideas of the stories. Findings.  The same topic of discussion was shared in active participation. The experts asked open‐ended questions, the patient and his/her significant others' were free to express their viewpoints and the experts' interpretation was based on their stories. The experts presented the reasons for their questions, and the contents of the questions were verbalized. In passive participation, the experts questions were based on their own point of view, and the patient and his significant others merely answered these questions. If the expert opinion appeared too dominating at the co‐operative team meeting, the patient's and his/her significant others' participation was in jeopardy. Conclusions.  The physician either dominates the storytelling or gives space for free expressions of various viewpoints during the co‐operative team meetings.
Applying phenomenography in nursing research
Authors: Sjöström Björn , Dahlgren Lars Owe 
Published: March 2003

Aims. This paper examines phenomenography, a research approach designed to answer certain questions about how people make sense of their experience. The research approach, developed within educational research, is a content‐related approach investigating the different qualitative ways in which people make sense of the world around them. The outcomes of phenomenographic research are different content‐related categories describing the differences in other people's ways of experiencing and conceiving their world. Methods. The research approach is presented by describing the underlying ontological and epistemological assumptions, describing the research method in detail and providing some examples of phenomengraphic studies in health care and nursing research. The possibilities for applying the methodology to nursing research are discussed, illustrated by research examples. Finally, the future role of the approach within nursing research is discussed. Conclusion. The emphasis on differences in the phenomenographical research approach makes it distinct from other research approaches, and accordingly, it seems to be reasonable to incorporate knowledge of this kind in the professional education of health care personnel.