bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Conducting a qualitative child interview: methodological considerations
Authors: Kortesluoma Riitta‐Liisa , Hentinen Maija , Nikkonen Merja 
Published: May 2003

Background. Studies of children have a long history, but the literature related to young children consists for the most part of studies on rather than with children and taking little account of what is regarded as significant and meaningful by children themselves. Researchers have relied almost exclusively on adults when collecting data about children's thoughts, feelings and experiences. Interviewing children, however, gives an opportunity to gain information about their subjective experiences. Aim. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the theoretical premises of child interviewing, as well as to describe some practical methodological solutions used during interviews. Factors that influence data gathered from children and strategies for taking these factors into consideration during the interview are also described. Method. This paper is based on literature and the experience of one of the authors in interviewing children aged from 4 to 11 years about their experiences of pain. Findings and conclusion. A consideration of literature dealing with the principles of child interviewing shows that there is surprisingly little guidance available on conversational methods involving children. The empirical and conceptual foundation for child interviewing is not very clear. Novice researchers especially may need recommendations about how to conduct a qualitative child interview. The method must suit both the purpose and the context.
Impact of clinical nurse specialists in multiple sclerosis – synthesis of the evidence
Authors: Forbes Angus , While Alison , Dyson Liz , Grocott Tricia , Griffiths Peter 
Published: May 2003

Background. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neurological condition demanding a broad range of interventions and support. Multiple sclerosis nurse specialists are emerging as a leading force in providing care to this group of patients. Aim. This review aimed to identify and synthesize the evidence on the role of clinical nurse specialists in meeting the care needs of people with multiple sclerosis. Methods. A systematic review of the literature addressing the role of the multiple sclerosis nurse specialist was undertaken. The review examined both the appropriateness and effectiveness of the multiple sclerosis nurse specialist role. The content of each item identified in the review was analysed, examining the structure, process and outcomes variables associated with the role. Materials containing an explicit methodology were critically appraised using established schedules and graded as strong, moderate or weak. The data were then synthesized in tables, thematically and using a quasi‐judicial approach called the ‘System of Reasoning’. Findings. Fifty‐five items were examined and most (53%; n = 18) were descriptive in nature. There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the multiple sclerosis nurse role makes a difference to care. However, evidence was found to support current descriptions of the role – meaning? and there appeared to be a good fit between the role and the care needs of people with multiple sclerosis. Conclusion. A systematic overview of the attributes of the multiple sclerosis nurse role is provided which should help service providers, nurses and other professionals consider how multiple sclerosis nurse specialists roles can contribute to the care of people with this condition. While there is little current evidence of effectiveness for the multiple sclerosis nurse specialist role, there is evidence for its appropriateness, although more rigorous primary research is required to test this.
Tiredness and fatigue in the postnatal period
Authors: McQueen Anne , Mander Rosemary 
Published: May 2003

Aims of the paper. This paper aims to analyse critically a selective review of the literature on tiredness and fatigue in health and illness. This analysis is then applied to the experience of the new mother in the postnatal period. Background and rationale. Although the twin concepts of tiredness and fatigue are well known in both sickness and health, our understanding of them is less complete. This paradox of familiarity and lack of understanding applies particularly to the postnatal period. Method. A literature search was undertaken using MEDLINE, CINAHL and Web of Science. The search terms ‘tiredness’, ‘fatigue’ and ‘post natal’ were used. Findings. This search of the literature produced a small number of articles. Few of these, however, addressed the problem of tiredness or fatigue in the postnatal period, suggesting that this problem needs more research attention. Conclusions. On the basis of this analysis, it is suggested that childbirth education could be extended to foster more realistic expectations and more effective coping skills to facilitate women's adjustment to motherhood. The possibility of midwives educating mothers about the need to access, recruit and delegate some household activities to willing helpers is addressed. We propose that midwives can help women to have more realistic expectations about life after the birth, by providing advice and legitimating the need for support and the use of coping mechanisms to assist the transition to motherhood.
Effect of positioning on back pain after coronary angiography
Authors: Chair Sek Ying , Taylor‐Piliae Ruth E. , Lam Gay , Chan Sophia 
Published: May 2003

Background. Coronary angiography is a routine cardiac diagnostic procedure in Hong Kong. Patients are restricted to bedrest after the procedure due to potential vascular complications from using a femoral approach. Many patients are required to remain on bedrest for up to 24 hours after the procedure. The effects of reducing this bedrest time is still under investigation. In the meantime, nursing interventions aimed at decreasing patient discomfort due to prolonged bedrest are feasible to implement. Aims. The aims of this study were to evaluate the severity of back pain related to bedrest duration after coronary angiography and to compare the effects of changing patients' position in bed on their perceptions of back pain and on vascular complications. Methods. An experimental design was used, with patients randomly assigned either to a control or experimental group. The control group received the usual care, remaining supine and flat for 8–24 hours, with the affected leg straight. The experimental group changed their body position hourly, varying between supine, right side‐lying, and left side‐lying during the first 7 hours after coronary angiography. Results. A total of 419 patients participated in the study (control, n = 213; experimental, n = 206). Regardless of group assignment, back pain intensity increased with longer time on bedrest. In addition, the control group reported higher levels of pain at all five assessment times. Vascular complications in terms of bleeding at the femoral site were not significantly different between the control and experimental groups. Conclusion. The study findings suggest that patients may be able safely to change their position in bed earlier in the postcoronary angiography period than currently recommended in practice protocols. Changing position in bed may also reduce back pain, promote physical comfort, and possibly reduce patients' negative feelingstoward coronary angiography.
Effects of a self‐management course for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Sohng Kyeong Yae 
Published: May 2003

Background. For people living with systemic lupus erythematosus, the disease's potential variety and severity of manifestations and unpredictable course present challenges and repercussions in all arenas of life. Aim. A quasi‐experimental study was conducted to examine the effects of a systemic lupus erythematosus self‐management course for Korean patients on fatigue, coping skills, self‐efficacy, depression, pain and disease activity. Methods. In a two‐group pre‐ and post‐test design, a total of 41 participants were assigned to the experimental group (21 participants) and to the control group (20 participants). The experimental group received six weekly 2‐hour sessions for groups of 10–15 literate adults of all ages, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Outcome measures included fatigue, coping skills, self‐efficacy, depression, pain and disease activity. Results. Patients who participated in the self‐management course showed significant improvement in fatigue (P = 0·049), coping skills (P = 0·007), self‐efficacy (P = 0·001), and depression (P = 0·025). There were no significant changes in pain and disease activity after the intervention. Conclusions. The systemic lupus erythematosus self‐management course had effects in reducing fatigue and depression and improving coping skills and self‐efficacy. This course is potentially a good nursing intervention that can be offered in community settings.
Converting to insulin in primary care: an exploration of the needs of practice nurses
Authors: Greaves Colin J. , Brown Patricia , Terry Rohini T. , Eiser Christine , Lings Pam , Stead J.W. 
Published: May 2003

Background. In order to optimize glycaemic control, substantial numbers of people with type 2 diabetes may require transfer from oral medication to insulin therapy. Although insulin conversion is traditionally a specialist secondary care function, as nursing roles change and expand there is growing pressure for this to be performed within primary care. However, little is known about the potential barriers to such a change, particularly from the standpoint of the frontline staff involved. Aims. The study aimed to explore the views of practice nurses in the United Kingdom (UK) about converting diabetic patients from oral hyperglycaemic agents to injected insulin within primary care, and to investigate what structures and resources might be useful in supporting such a change. Methods. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 25 practice nurses, and interpreted using content analysis to extract key conceptual themes from the transcribed interview texts. Findings. Most of the nurses felt that converting to insulin in primary care had considerable benefits for patients. However, issues of time, training, confidence about performing the change, and the adequacy of support systems, both for patient and nurse, emerged as the main perceived barriers to performing insulin conversions in primary care. Worries about legal and accountability issues surrounding the nurse prescribing elements were also raised. Conclusions. Where insulin conversion within primary care is being considered, it is suggested that specific training is provided for practice nurses and general practitioners, protected time is made available, and a team‐working approach is fostered to prevent isolation and boost patient support. Formal mentoring or supervision support for practice nurses may also help them to adapt to this new approach. Limitations. These findings are based on the views of nurses from a single UK locality, and so widespread consultation is recommended before applying them in other settings.
Understanding the roles of registered general nurses and care assistants in UK nursing homes
Authors: Perry Michelle , Carpenter Iain , Challis David , Hope Kevin 
Published: May 2003

Background. The recent government decision to fund the costs of Registered nursing time in long‐term care facilities in England through the Registered Nurse Contribution to Care renders the need to distinguish the role of Registered General Nurses (RGNs) from that of Care Assistants (CAs) in nursing homes increasingly important. Aim. The objective of this qualitative study was to obtain an in‐depth understanding of the main differences between the roles and functions of RGNs and CAs working in nursing homes in the United Kingdom (UK). Design. Data were collected through interviews with nine RGNs and 12 CAs employed in four different nursing homes across England. Findings. Our findings suggest that RGNs have difficulty defining and limiting their roles because they have all‐embracing roles, doing everything and anything within the home. By contrast, CAs define their role in terms of what they are not allowed to do. This difficulty in limiting their role, in addition to their sense of professional accountability for residents' care, leads RGNs to experience difficulty in delegating tasks to CAs. Both RGNs and CAs agreed that an increase in the number of assistive staff is needed to provide residents with good quality care and suggested that a measure of resident dependency would be a good method by which to determine staffing levels. Conclusions. We recommend that job descriptions that clearly define the roles and responsibilities of both RGNs and CAs are developed so that caregivers at all levels understand each others' roles and work together to co‐ordinate, plan and provide residents' care.
Nurse managers' professional networks, psychosocial resources and self‐rated health
Authors: Lindholm M. , Dejin‐Karlsson E. , Östergren P.‐O. , Udén G. 
Published: May 2003

Background. Nurse managers act under constant pressure to develop strategies in response to professional challenges within a changing and restructured health care system. When such environmental stress is present, they need access to sufficient psychosocial recourses. Aim. The study aimed to investigate whether nurse managers' professional networks, psychosocial work conditions, job support, social network and support were associated with self‐rated health, sick‐leave and salary. Methods. From a total of 268 Swedish nurse managers, active in management positions, 205 (77%) agreed to participate in the study by answering a self‐report questionnaire. Cronbach's α was used to calculate internal consistency. Odds ratios were used to estimate the bivariate association between self‐rated health and psychosocial resources. Results. Nurse managers exposed to high job demands had significantly increased odds for low self‐rated health. It was also found that low level of support from professional network, job support, social network and social support outside work displayed increased odds for low self‐rated health, independently of age, gender and education. There were additive (but no synergistic) effects found for job demand in combination with professional networks, job support and emotional support and in relation to self‐rated health. Conclusion. The study showed that nurse managers exposed to high job demands had elevated odds for low self‐rated health, regardless of level of psychosocial resources within or outside work. Two‐thirds of the nurse managers who were affiliated to professional networks did not consider this a supporting factor in their management work. Those with low job support had increased odds for sick‐leave compared with those with high support. No significant associations were found between psychosocial characteristics and salary.
Evaluation of a pilot mentoring programme for nurse managers
Authors: Waters Donna , Clarke Marie , Ingall Athena Harris , Dean‐Jones Megan 
Published: May 2003

Background. The Institute of Nursing Executives is a professional organization with a membership of approximately 150 Australian nurse managers and administrators. Members of rural zones were concerned by the lack of support available to new managers working in isolated areas and sought to develop a mentoring programme that would establish both professional development and support networks for these managers. A pilot programme was developed for two rural areas of New South Wales and one metropolitan site (the city of Sydney). Aim. The evaluation reported here aimed to determine participant expectations of mentoring and outcomes of the pilot programme. Method. The programme included matching and self‐selection of mentor and mentee roles and attendance at a full‐day Mentoring Workshop. The programme was evaluated by voluntary and anonymous pre‐ and postworkshop questionnaires sent to all participants, and postworkshop telephone interviews. Results. Thirty‐seven participants (79% of those enrolled in workshop) responded to the preworkshop questionnaire (20 identifying as mentees; 17 as mentors). Findings reiterated the lack of professional support and access for rural/remote area nurse managers and illustrated that new nurse managers lacked confidence in coaching and stimulating staff. Expectations of both mentors and mentees were similar in valuing a confidential, on‐going mentoring relationship. Postworkshop questionnaires (n = 16) and telephone interviews (n = 11) highlighted issues about personal choice and timing, expectations of a structured programme and making greater use of existing technology to support and maintain networks. Conclusion. The pilot mentoring programme was highly successful in identifying strategies for the development of a tailored and sustainable programme for newly appointed nurse managers. Provision of a highly structured and facilitated programme carries high expectations of continued external support. Nurse managers also expressed a desire to choose when, how and whom they would select as mentors. Suggestions for the future included a greater use of technology to facilitate e‐mail and internet‐based discussion groups and mentor support.
Sacrificing the personal to the professional: community mental health nurses
Authors: Majomi Pamela , Brown Brian , Crawford Paul 
Published: May 2003

Background. The study of stress in mental health nurses has almost always focused on factors intrinsic to their job roles and has neglected the interaction between work and home roles, which may also be a source of stress. Moreover, role theory has not provided an adequate account of either personal or occupational change, especially when this results from the experience of stress. Methods. Twenty community mental health nurses agreed to participate in semi‐structured interviews about the stresses they experienced at work and at home. A grounded theory analysis disclosed the centrality of conflicts between work and home roles in participants' accounts and this provided the focus for subsequent detailed readings of the interview transcripts. Findings. Participants described how difficult and often demanding family situations were integrated with professional careers in a climate of rapid organizational change in the health service. As well as being an ongoing source of strain, these competing role demands were often described as leading to sudden changes for individual workers, such as periods of illness or re‐evaluation of their work role. To assist in making sense of this process, the term ‘punctuated equilibria’ was adopted to illuminate the build‐up of tension between work and domestic lives, which was described by some workers as leading to a sudden reformulation of their relationship to their work roles and employing organizations. Conclusions and limitations. The study was small‐scale and relied on retrospective self‐reports. Nevertheless, it emphasized the importance of considering all the roles that individuals play and highlights the possibility that, even when staff are apparently coping with their roles at work and home, difficulties may be building up which could lead to a sudden period of absenteeism or disillusionment.
Long‐term fitness consequences of early conditions in the kittiwake
Authors: Cam Emmanuelle , Monnat Jean‐Yves , Hines James E. 
Published: May 2003

SummaryThe long‐term fitness consequences of conditions during development are receiving growing attention: they are at the interface between ecological and evolutionary pro∖cesses. We addressed the influence of the length of the rearing period and ‘rank’ on fitness components in a long‐lived seabird species with deferred breeding: the kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla). Rank, which depends on hatching order, was used as a surrogate for domin∖ance status in the brood. Rank could be viewed as a random factor affecting individuals regardless of their possible ‘intrinsic quality’ at birth. The length of the rearing period was used as a surrogate for parental effort. It reflects the interaction between numerous factors such as environmental conditions, parental quality, reproductive decisions and effort, and also offspring decisions and intrinsic quality at birth.There was evidence of an influence of the length of the rearing period on local survival before recruitment. Individuals with shorter rearing periods had lower local survival during the first winter (e.g. the relationship was positive). They may incur higher mortality. In rank 1 prebreeders, this relationship was negative in older age‐classes. Longer rearing periods and better condition at independence may be associated with stronger migrating ability, and prebreeders that have not yet made settlement decisions may emigrate permanently to distant locations. Such a complex pattern may reflect age‐related changes in the relative contribution of mortality and permanent emigration to local survival.The length of the rearing period had long‐term consequences on reproductive performance. The relationship was positive but the rate of increase decreased slightly at higher values of the covariate.There was an unambiguously negative influence of rank on survival before recruitment and recruitment probability, but not on demographic parameters specific to the reproductive stage. Juniors recruited later than elder siblings. The disadvantage of juniors may be expressed mainly in terms of higher mortality and disappearance from the population before recruitment.
Poor host plant quality causes omnivore to consume predator eggs
Authors: Janssen Arne , Willemse Ellen , Van Der Hammen Tessa 
Published: May 2003

Summary

Omnivorous arthropods are known to change their diet when host plant quality is low. Consequently, it has been suggested that decreased plant quality has a twofold negative effect on herbivore populations: (1) a decrease in growth rate of herbivores; (2) omnivores include more herbivores in their diet. We hypothesized that decreased host plant quality may also cause omnivores to feed on predators, including their own enemies.
We tested this hypothesis, using the omnivorous western flower thrips. This species is known to feed on many plant species, but also on the eggs of another herbivore, the two‐spotted spider mite. Previous research has shown that a decrease in plant quality leads to increased feeding on spider mite eggs by western flower thrips. Western flower thrips also kill the eggs of various predatory mites, including those of the specialist predator of spider mites and those of a predatory mite that attacks western flower thrips itself.
In this paper we investigate whether thrips larvae kill predator eggs to feed on them and whether this predation depends on host plant quality.
Larval survival as well as developmental rate increased when plant tissue of low quality (sweet pepper) was supplemented with eggs of two predatory mite species or when it was supplemented with pollen, a high‐quality food type.
Supplementing high quality leaf tissue (cucumber) with predator eggs did not lead to increased survival and developmental rate. Thrips larvae fed significantly less on predatory mite eggs when pollen was available.
Thus, thrips larvae indeed feed on predator eggs, including those of their predator, and they feed more on predator eggs when host plants are of low quality.