Unequal access to midwifery care: a continuing problem?

For women of an ethnic minority the maternity services have been described as inappropriate, inaccessible and inadequate It is hoped that the contents of this paper will raise awareness amongst health professionals of the continuing problems faced by women trying to overcome a language barrier     

Lack of care givers'' knowledge causes unnecessary suffering in elderly patients

A comparative study of the personal hygiene of two groups of elderly women was carried out. The control group consisted of 35 healthy women aged 70-86. The experimental group consisted of 28 women aged 66-96 who were hospitalized in long-term care wards and who received help with their personal hygiene. The results show that care givers lack knowledge about the normal physiological ageing process in women, which prevents them from applying the eighth component of Virginia Henderson's nursing theory. In the group who received help with their personal hygiene, 25 (89%) had abnormal genital problems.     

Born after infant loss: The experiences of subsequent children

Objective

to gain an in-depth understanding of subsequent children’s experiences of being born into and raised in a family following an infant death.

Design

an exploratory qualitative study.

Setting

semi-structured interview in the participants’ homes. Data were collected over a five-month period in 2009 and analysed using thematic analysis.

Participants

a purposive sample of 10 subsequent children (five boys and five girls) was used. Children whose parents had accessed the support services offered by two bereavement support agencies were recruited. Participants were asked to describe their experiences of being a subsequent child. Interviews were conducted when the subsequent child was at least 13 years of age.

Findings

all participants spent time describing how they felt about being a subsequent child. They described how they had experienced life as a subsequent child, how they considered others felt about them (especially their mother), and finally how they felt about their deceased sibling.

Key conclusions and implications for practice

all participants in this study provided a picture of emotional well-being. They were aware of their family history, and all appreciated the grief and loss which their parents had suffered. However, they did not believe that this had impacted negatively on them; rather, most talked about positive effects including feeling loved and special because of the circumstances resulting in their birth. Even those who recognised that they may not have been born had their sibling lived accepted this and appeared to be emotionally secure and well adjusted. These findings suggest that intervention with bereaved parents at the time of the perinatal/infant death and soon after is beneficial to the experiences of the subsequent child. Further research to determine the nature and extent of this benefit is warranted.     

Motivations to nurse: An exploration of what motivates students in Pacific Island countries to enter nursing

The aim of this study was to explore the motivations of student nurses enrolled in nursing courses across a variety of Pacific Island countries. The image of nursing, the desire to help others, family and friends in the profession, personal experience, security, travel opportunities and flexibility have all been identified as motivators for people to enter nursing. To date, what motivates students in Pacific Island countries to enrol in a nursing course has not been investigated. An exploratory qualitative approach using focus group interviews with 152 nursing students was undertaken. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis, revealing four themes: (i) helping others; (ii) ‘making a difference for my people’; (iii) following in the footsteps of others; and (iv) financial and professional gain. In a time of health and nursing workforce shortages, developing a deeper understanding of what drives people can be used to improve recruitment strategies in the future.