THE DEVELOPMENT,IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF A CLINICAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR MENTAL HEALTH NURSES

A structured clinical leadership program was developed to assist nurses working in a metropolitan mental health service to develop and consolidate clinical leadership skills. The Nurses' Self-Concept Questionnaire (NSCO) was used to elicit responses from participants prior to commencement of the leadership program and again at completion. Findings indicate that the program was considered useful and its benefits were carried over into the workplace via the sharing of information. The self-directed nature of this program was found to be an effective way for clinical nurses to undertake continued professional development within the exigencies of clinical practice.     

THE CULTURAL REALITIES OF CLINICAL SUPERVISION IN AN ACUTE INPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH SETTING

In this paper, the cultural realities of clinical supervision (CS) in acute inpatient mental health settings are explored using an ethnographic approach. Findings suggest that there is a verbal acceptance of CS by mental health nurses but a cultural belief that it has limited experiential value and, thus, a cautious attitude towards its adoption is in practice. This may, in part, be attributable to many nurses believing that they are already undertaking CS, although the informal supervision described does not fit with established definitions of formal supervision. The language used by nurses demonstrates an understanding and appreciation of the benefits of clinical supervision. However, the belief that existing structures inherent to nursing practice already convey these benefits may contribute to the culture of passive resistance to clinical supervision revealed by the findings. This study contributes to current discussions regarding the purpose of CS, the realities of its implementation, and its role relative to existing professional support opportunities.     

THE CENTRE FOR PSYCHIATRIC NURSING RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO ENHANCING CLINICAL NURSING RESEARCH IN THE PSYCHIATRIC/MENTAL HEALTH FIELD

The available nursing literature suggests that nurses engaged in clinical practice hold a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards nursing research. On the one hand, its value is acknowledged, but on the other, its relevance to clinical practice is questioned. This situation poses a significant barrier to the involvement of clinicians in research and the utilisation of findings in practice. This paper describes the implementation of a model to facilitate the development of a systematic research approach at the Centre for Psychiatric Nursing Research and Practice in Victoria, Australia. The development of strong relationships between the Centre and the clinical field was considered crucial in determining the success of this initiative. The introduction of a number of programs to foster the conduct and utilisation of clinical research are described, including: The Nursing Clinical Development Unit Program, the Clinical Research Fellowship Program, clinical research projects, the Collaborative Psychiatric Nursing Conference and strategies to encourage the dissemination of research information. In combination, these initiatives are expected to contribute to a systematic approach to engendering a research culture within psychiatric nursing in Victoria, Australia.     

INTERRELATIONS OF PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT EXPERIENCES OF BOREDOM AND MENTAL HEALTH

A review of literature related to psychiatric patients' interrelated experiences of boredom and mental health demonstrated that developing a better understanding of the relationship between boredom and health would provide important implications for development of the therapeutic environment of psychiatric units. The literature suggested that experiences of meaningful roles and relationships contribute substantially to experiences of control essential for mental health. Boredom is an indicator of a lack of experience of meaning. Many psychiatric patients experience boredom and lack opportunities to experience meaning, indicating a lack in the therapeutic potential of the hospital environment and a requisite for change and further research.     

FOSTERING A CULTURE OF SUPPORT IN MENTAL HEALTH SETTINGS: ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL MODELS OF CLINICAL SUPERVISION

Clinical supervision [CS] for mental health nurses in inpatient settings in Sydney, Australia, is virtually nonexistent despite over a decade of discussion regarding its benefits to staff, patients, and organisations. Whilst there is general agreement about the merit of CS, its ad-hoc implementation and the use of models that do not correspond to the realities of the environment have led to its adoption being somewhat half-hearted. It is unsurprising then that there is an absence of achievable policy regarding CS making its integration into modern inpatient units even harder to attain. In this paper, we outline some pragmatic issues concerning CS and advocate for facility-specific professional development and support processes that incorporate succession planning opportunities. This we believe has the potential to promote professional behaviour, continuous learning and development, cohesive teamwork, and ultimately a change in culture regarding CS.     

基层医院临床护士职业防护相关问题调查

目的了解护理人员的护理安全以及职业防护相关问题,为制定医务人员职业防护提供依据。方法通过现场调查和问卷调查方法,对本医院200名护士掰折医用玻璃安瓿所致损伤相关问题进行了调查。结果在所调查的200名护士中,有47.28%的护士徒手掰折玻璃安瓿;有78.65%的护士被玻璃安瓿划伤手。另外,有98.02%的护士要求使用安全掰折玻璃安瓿的器具。结论徒手掰折玻璃安瓿对护士手损伤率较高,存在医院感染和其他不安全隐患,使用专门掰折玻璃安瓿的器具和严格消毒安瓿是主要防护措施。     

SELF-EFFICACY AND LOCUS OF CONTROL AFFECT MANAGEMENT OF AGGRESSION BY MENTAL HEALTH NURSES

The safe and effective management of aggression has become an increasingly critical skill for mental health nurses, particularly those working in acute inpatient settings. There is considerable evidence to suggest that the psychological constructs of self-efficacy and locus of control are closely related to work performance in a variety of occupations. By drawing upon literature published in the past 15 years, this paper highlights this evidence and draws attention to the relationship between self-efficacy and locus of control. The central argument of the paper is that there may be direct relationships among mental health nurses” self-efficacy, their degree of internality or externality in relation to locus of control, and their ability to safely and effectively manage aggressive incidents. We argue the need to further investigate these relationships and discover whether these variables can be modified through professional development activities.     

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVES AND INTERVENTIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH AND PARISH NURSES

Spirituality is an integral part of holistic nursing practice. Limited research has been done that explores nurses' spirituality and the spiritual interventions they have made with patients in their practice. Much of the extant research has been done on nurses involved in terminal care such as oncology and hospice nursing. This study explores spiritual perspectives and spiritual nursing interventions in two other nursing specialties that require holistic nursing care as well: mental health and parish nurses. The findings indicate that both groups report high spiritual perspective scores and provide a variety of interventions to patients in their practices.     

江干区临床护理人员医疗锐器伤情况调查

目的了解杭州市江干区医疗机构临床护理人员医疗锐器伤情况,为制定预防锐器伤措施提供参考。方法采用问卷调查方式,对江干区所属部分医疗机构护理人员锐器伤情况进行了调查。结果此次共调查临床护士363名,其中有280名护士自参加工作以来至少发生过一次锐器伤,锐器伤的发生率为77.13%。锐器伤发生率最高的科室是治疗室和输液室。护士在实习期锐器伤年发生率61.5%。结论临床护理人员是医疗锐器伤主要群体,应加强对护理人员特别是年轻护士预防锐器伤知识教育,采取有效的防护措施。     

INTERPERSONAL WELL-BEING AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG MALE PARTNERS OF WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER

The focus of this investigation was on the mental health of men whose partners had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. In accord with theoretical models that specify the importance of interpersonal relationships in maintaining mental health, men's relationship satisfaction and perceptions of social support were predicted to be positively associated with their mental health during this stressful time. The sample included 63 male partners of women with breast cancer who participated in a three-wave panel study that assessed various indicators of mental health and interpersonal well being at T1, T1 + 6 weeks, and T1 + 10 weeks. Results indicated substantial distress in at least 25% of the men. However this distress subsided over time. Relationship satisfaction was both concurrently and prospectively associated with better mental health. Social support was negatively associated with concurrent mental health but post hoc analyses suggested that men's social networks perhaps provide greater social support to the extent that the men are emotionally distressed.     

RATES AND RISKS OF COMPLICATED GRIEF AMONG PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC PATIENTS IN KARACHI,PAKISTAN

The aim of this study was to determine rates and risks of Complicated Grief (CG) among psychiatric clinic patients in Karachi, Pakistan.The Inventory of Traumatic Grief , an early version of the Inventory of Complicated Grief--Revised, was administered to 151 recently bereaved patients, with validated criteria applied to determine CG ''caseness.'' Thirty-four percent of the sample met criteria for CG. Although violent deaths did not pose a heightened CG risk, gender and kinship to the deceased did significantly increase the likelihood of meeting criteria for CG.     

枣庄市卫生监督人力配置现况及发展对策研究

目的调查枣庄市各级卫生监督机构人员基本情况及配置现状,探讨卫生监督机构人力配置合理性。方法收集2012年末枣庄市所有在职卫生监督人员基本资料和配置信息,应用SPSS 18.0软件对数据进行描述性分析。结果枣庄市共有卫生监督员206人,平均每万人口配置0.52人;监督员年龄呈偏态分布,年龄中位数为44岁,40岁以上的监督人员占66.02%;学历构成中专科学历者占50.49%,本科学历占40.78%,中专以下学历占8.25%,研究生学历仅占0.49%;专业构成中以预防医学专业为主,占50.91%,其次是医学相关专业占28.16%,法律专业占3.40%,其他专业占17.47%。结论枣庄市卫生监督人员配置总量不足,年龄偏大,高学历人才相对缺乏,需要加强人员数量配置及结构调整。