Change in career aspirations and job values from study time to working life

AIM: The main aim of this paper is to uncover whether the actual career choices and job values of newly qualified nurses are in accordance with the predictions they made at the commencement of their nursing education. BACKGROUND: A cohort of Norwegian nurse students was followed from the beginning of their education in 1998 through nursing school and 2,years after graduating. METHODS: Questionnaire data from 221 nursing students at three points in time: 1998, 2001 and 2003 were analysed with frequency distributions and paired samples t-tests. For 140 respondents data from all three points were available. RESULTS: Initially motives like human contact, helping others, job security were important, and 92% had a wish for further education. Career preferences were often midwifery, public heath and nursing practice in high tech areas. Towards the end of the bachelor course (2001), there was more ambiguity in the helping motives. On one hand, the students wanted to be altruistic but on the other hand, they wanted gratitude in return when giving help to patients. Seventy five per cent of the students had plans for further education within a period of about 2 years after graduation. Midwifery, public health work and high tech practice were still preferred. Findings from 2003 indicated only 16% had started or finished further education 2 years after graduation. When appraising future job challenges in 2001 and 2003, there is a decrease in emphasis on the values human contact and part-time work and an increase in emphasis on high salary and job security. CONCLUSIONS: During the student period, the bachelor programme was regarded as a basis for further education, but 2 years after graduation only 16% had realized further education. Preferences related to job values regarding a prospective job reveal a decrease in the importance of human contact and an increase in the importance of a high salary and job security from 2001 to 2003.     

Interwoven histories: Mental health nurses with experience of mental illness,qualitative findings from a mixed methods study

The effects of mental health nurses’ own experience of mental illness or being a carer have rarely been researched beyond the workplace setting. This study aimed to explore how the experience of mental illness affects mental health nurses’ lives outside of and inside work. A sample of 26 mental health nurses with personal experience of mental illness took part in semistructured interviews. Data were analysed thematically using a six‐phase approach. The analysis revealed the broad context of nurses’ experiences of mental illness according to three interwoven themes: mental illness as part of family life; experience of accessing services; and life interwoven with mental illness. Participants typically described personal and familial experience of mental illness across their life course, with multiple causes and consequences. The findings suggest that nurses’ lives outside of work should be taken into account when considering the impact of their personal experience of mental illness. Similarly being a nurse influences how mental illness is experienced. Treatment of nurses with mental illness should account for their nursing expertise whilst recognizing that the context for nurses’ mental illness could be much broader than the effect of workplace stress.     

男护士职业发展需要的量性研究

目的 探讨男护士职业发展需要的现状及影响因素.方法 以自行编制的男护士职业发展需要问卷对福州和厦门两地160名男护士进行问卷调查,分析男护士职业发展需要的现状及影响因素.结果 男护士职业发展需要平均得分为(4.01±0.49)分,7种职业需要依次为被接受与肯定需要、医院职业管理需要、培训与学习需要、职业规划与发展需要、管理者的帮助需要、临床专业权威需要和教学科研晋升需要;婚姻状况、工作年限、聘用性质和所在医院性质不同,男护士职业发展需要差异具有统计学意义(P<0.01或P<0.05);多元逐步回归分析表明婚姻状况是男护士职业发展需要的预测因子.结论 男护士具有强烈的职业发展需要,渴望获得职业认同,追求职业发展,医院和护理管理者应采取措施满足其职业发展的需求.     

Incontinence and sexuality: findings from a qualitative perspective

Incontinence remains a taboo where myths and misconceptions abound. The objectives of this study were to explore the impact of incontinence on an individual's sexuality and to identify the impact of health interventions for the management of incontinence on sexuality. A quota sample of subjects whose incontinence was regarded as being either successfully managed (n = 14) or unsuccessfully managed (n = 12) by continence advisers, community nurses and health visitors from two National Health Service Trusts were interviewed. A further subject whose incontinence was not classified was also interviewed, bringing the total number of interviews to 27. One Trust had an established continence advisory service of some 19 years, while the other Trust did not have a specific continence advisory service and relied upon members of the primary health care team to meet the needs of individuals suffering from incontinence. The qualitative data from this study were analysed using the constant comparative technique and were grouped into themes relating to clothing and appearance, intimacy and caring, management techniques and relationships and life trajectory. This is the first study to have examined management techniques for incontinence and their relationship to an individual's sexuality and therefore has important implications for clinical practice. It has also set the findings of incontinence and sexuality in the context of chronic conditions and their related patient careers and life trajectory.     

Iranian staff nurses' views of their productivity and management factors improving and impeding it: a qualitative study

As the biggest proportion of hospital personnel, Iranian nurses have a major role in providing quality care to patients. Nursing managers and nurses no longer feel that nurses' work is valued and they are concerned about their productivity. Nurses' views about productivity and management factors affecting it have been identified as the most important aspects affecting productivity. Thus, this study assesses productivity from the nurse's view. A grounded theory approach was used for this research. Purposive sampling and semistructured interviews were used. The data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Most participants felt that the qualitative nature (effectiveness) of productivity is very important. Also, participants indicated that management is the most important factor that can promote or impede their productivity. They suggested that managers' performance and their skill level are the factors influencing productivity. Effective management can improve nurses' productivity and the quality of care that nurses provide.     

综合医院护士职业倦怠真实体验的质性研究

目的了解综合医院护士对职业倦怠的体验。方法质性描述。采用深度访谈法收集8例个案资料,采用现象学分析法进行分析。结果综合医院护士对职业倦怠的体验主要包括3个方面:①护士工作负荷大,感到身心疲惫。②护士感到得不到尊重和理解,应提高护士的工作满意度。③护士群体亟需进行职业生涯规划。结论①高度关注护士群体的职业倦怠现象。②进行工作任务再设计。③给予广泛、持续的社会和业内支持。④改善管理沟通渠道。⑤将职业生涯规划纳入日常管理工作。     

Nurses' perceptions of mental health assessment in an acute inpatient setting in New Zealand: a qualitative study

This qualitative study explores the perceptions of mental health nurses regarding assessment in an acute adult inpatient setting in Central Auckland. Fourteen mental health nurses took part in semistructured interviews answering five open-ended questions. The analysis of data involved a general inductive approach, with key themes drawn out and grouped into four categories (roles, attitudes, skills and knowledge) in order to explore the meaning of information gathered. The outcome of the study acknowledged the importance of contextual factors such as the physical environment and bureaucratic systems, as well as values and beliefs present within the unit. The participants expressed concern that their input to assessment processes was limited, despite belief that 24-hour care and the nature of mental health nursing generally suggested that a crucial role should exist for nurses. In order for nurses to be established as central in the assessment process on the unit the study concludes that a nursing theoretical framework appropriate for this acute inpatient setting needs to be developed.     

Nurses' perceptions of success in self-management support: An exploratory qualitative study

Nurses play an important role in supporting patients in self-managing their chronic conditions. However, it is uncertain how nurses define their success and what might create feelings of disillusionment. This exploratory qualitative study sought to understand the origin, meanings, and processes underlying nurses' feelings of success in supporting patients to self-manage their life with a chronic illness. Semi-structured interviews were held with 16 nurses who were purposively sampled. Data were iteratively collected and analyzed (November 2017–September 2018). The origin and meaning of nurses' feelings of success in supporting patients in self-management converged around the intertwining of “maintaining and promoting health” as a primary goal in chronic care, while an “intrapersonal conflict” arises. Patients maintaining physical health by optimal medical management boost nurses' feelings of success, whereas patients dealing with sub-optimally provoke “an intrapersonal conflict”. When nurses observe unhealthy patient behavior, this is difficult to accept as it conflicts with their normative ideas of good care and health. Nurses' perception of success is refined by three interconnected processes, namely “keeping on track”, “considering own role,” and “protecting self”. Nurses experienced and processed success differently depending on whether they interacted with patients from a more directive approach or an attuning approach. This study highlighted the fact that nurses expect compliance from patients, and thereby often feel empty-handed. By adopting a broader perspective of what successful patient behavior is, nurses might be able to provide a more comprehensive meaning to their own success regarding the care of patients living with a chronic illness.     

9名三级甲等医院护士长职业生涯成长历程的质性研究

[目的]了解三级甲等医院护士长职业生涯成长历程,探讨适于临床护士职业成功所需具备的条件,为临床护士的职业发展提供参考。[方法]采用诠释现象学研究法,对9名三级甲等医院护士长进行职业生涯成长历程的深入访谈。[结果]经过深入访谈和分析,得出4个主题:积极的职业态度、科学的职业生涯规划、较强的职业韧性、良好的组织和家庭支持系统。[结论]积极的职业态度、科学的职业生涯规划、较强的职业韧性以及良好的组织和家庭支持系统有助于护士职业顺利发展,促进其职业成功;临床护士应借鉴其成功的职业经验,鞭策自我,对职业生涯做出思考与科学管理。     

Lessons learned and advice from Vietnam war nurses: a qualitative study

AIM: The aim of this paper is to describe guidance for nurses today from the lessons learned by nurses who served in the Vietnam War. BACKGROUND: There is little research focusing on nurses' experiences in the Vietnam War. Lessons learned and subsequent advice from nurses who served in Vietnam may be helpful to those serving in current and future wars. METHODS: A Husserlian phenomenological approach was taken, using interviews with a purposive sample of Registered Nurses who were female, and had served in the United States of America armed forces in Vietnam during the war. FINDINGS: Seven theme clusters described the lesson learned and guidance offered by the Vietnam War nurses: advice about journaling, training, caring for yourself, use of support systems, talking about your experiences, understanding the mission, and lack of preparation for war. CONCLUSIONS: Much can be learned from the lessons learned and advice given by Vietnam War nurses. These lessons stress that nurses need to take a pro-active role in preparing themselves for deployment to a war zone, and that institutional training for war needs to be intensive and realistic. The environmental, cultural, technological, clinical and psychosocial demands of war nursing need to be comprehensively addressed before nurses deploy to a war.