So you want to work in Canada?

October 31 1989: Two hours in the city of Toronto and already I had been visited by six ghosts, three goblins, a warlock and several witches! No, these were not the latest British nurses bound for the Toronto hospitals but the local kids demanding "Trick or Treat". I had arrived in North America!     

What do patients want to happen to their dentures before surgery?

The removal of dentures before having an anaesthetic can be an undignified and distressing event. However, there has been a gradual change in practice and dentures are now often left in place during an anaesthetic. This enquiry into patients' preferences was carried out to find out what patients would like to happen to their dentures, and to see if there were any differences in opinions among age groups. A postal questionnaire was sent out to patients who wore dentures following discharge after surgery. One hundred replies were analysed. There was a spread of opinions across the age groups and by gender. Nurses need to allow patients the choice of what to do in relation to their dentures when going to theatre, although the anaesthetist must make the final decision of whether or not to remove them immediately before the anaesthetic if they feel patient safety could be compromised.     

So you want to do research? 4: An introduction to quantitative methods

This fourth article of a series of six focuses on some of the key aspects of quantitative research methods. Starting with a review of what quantitative research is, the distinguishing characteristics of experimental and non-experimental research strategies, the different approaches for collecting data including self-completion questionnaires, interviews and scales, together with their respective strength and weaknesses are discussed. The differences between probability and non-probability sampling and the different methods for selecting a sample are described. Aspects of quantitative data analysis are briefly reviewed and the concepts of reliability and validity are described in the context of ensuring rigour in the research design. Finally, some guidance on the reporting the findings from quantitative research is provided.     

So you want to do research? 5: Questionnaire design

This article describes the key aspects in the design, construction and adaptation of survey questionnaires. There are different types of questionnaire, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages. Aspects of constructing the questionnaire are discussed in detail; choosing the mode of administration; the objectives of the survey; availability of resources; characteristics of the target population; and quality of data. Issues concerning the identification of the questionnaire's content, wording and sequencing of the questions through to the overall appearance and layout of the questionnaire are also considered. Differences in the role of open-ended and closed questions, together with their strengths and weaknesses, are outlined, and the need to undertake pre-testing and piloting as an integral part of questionnaire development is highlighted. Finally, issues around the adaptation of existing questionnaires are discussed with particular emphasis on their use in different language and cultural groups, and the need to achieve conceptual, content, semantic, operational and functional equivalence is described. An overview of the translation process is provided.     

So you want to be a dean? The anticipatory stage

Wanting to be a dean and actually securing a deanship take a great deal of planning and forethought. The first step in the process is deciding on why you want to be a dean, where you would like to fulfill that desire and what are the processes to make the aspiration a reality. Corcoran and Clarks (1984) framework on career socialization, particularly stage one, anticipatory socialization, was used as the guiding model for this article. The literature is not awash with articles on the actual steps to take in securing a deanship. This article explicates from personal experience how to successfully navigate the road to becoming a dean.