Boundaries and barriers: a history of district nursing management in regional Queensland

AIM: To explore administrative constraints of district nursing during the latter part of the 20th century in regional Queensland, Australia. BACKGROUND: A greater understanding of the evolution of district nursing can illuminate why present conditions and circumstances exist. METHOD: Thirteen interviews undertaken and analysed historically in association with other documentary evidence from the time period 1960-90. FINDINGS: District nursing services of regional Queensland were initially established by voluntary organizations that had very lean budgets. Throughout the study period, government funding became increasingly available, but this coincided with increased regulation of the services. CONCLUSIONS: District nurses have worked within considerable boundaries and barriers associated with either a lack of funds or imposed regulations. While greater government funding solved some working conditions, it did so by imposing greater administrative responsibilities on the nurses and services that were not always seen as advantageous for clients or as professionally satisfying for the nurses.     

When time matters: the reality of patient care in acute care settings

Laitinen H, Kaunonen M, Åstedt‐Kurki P. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2011; 17 : 388–395 When time matters: The reality of patient care in acute care settings The purpose of the study was to investigate the reality of patient care in acute care settings when the patients' stay in the hospital was relatively short. The study was conducted by using the grounded theory method with constant comparative analysis. The sample comprised patients (n = 43) participating, relatives and hospital staff. The data were collected by participant observation, including informal interviews in natural settings, and by reviewing participating patients' electronic patient records. The main findings are presented in three categories: patients' endurance, interface and broken interface (along with several subcategories). The study showed that even with time pressures, good health care was delivered. However, it also showed some challenging issues for improvement. The study concluded that it is crucial for caregivers to focus on interactive patient care.     

Beliefs and attitudes of final-year nursing students on honour crimes: a cross-sectional study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate perceptions of nursing students about honour crimes and examine their beliefs about inquiring information from the victims of honour crimes. A questionnaire including demographic data was administered to a sample of 225 male and female final-year students in a nursing school. Among them, we found that significantly more male students than female students justify honour crimes. Although the majority of both male and female nursing students believed that asking for honour crimes is useful, significantly more male than female nursing students were against screening for honour crimes. This study supports the belief that gender has an influence on nurses' perceptions, attitudes and tolerance of honour crimes.     

Theatrical entertainments and kind words: nursing the insane in Western North Carolina, 1882-1907

This paper argues that at the turn of the 19th century, nurses at the State Hospital in Morganton, North Carolina (now called Broughton Hospital) played critical roles in successfully implementing the best-known therapeutic methods of the time. They were also instrumental in developing the hospital's visibility and acceptance in rural western North Carolina. When the Hospital established its first nurse training school in 1895, this corps of first-generation western North Carolinians practising institutional nursing was highly esteemed in their field. Their skills not only served the community outside of the Hospital's walls, but were also sought out by other private and state asylums.     

Looking back at the doctorate: a qualitative study of Jordanian graduates from PhD programs in the UK

Many countries develop their nursing capacity by sending nurses overseas to gain their doctorates. There is a lack of research on their subsequent experience and career development. Focusing on the Jordanian and UK contexts, this qualitative study explored the doctoral and postdoctoral experience. Interviews were held with 16 PhD nursing graduates in Jordan. The participants had studied in 12 different universities in the UK and now worked as faculty members in seven Jordanian universities. The data were analyzed thematically. The participants reported that the most difficult task (but also the most significant achievement) was the transition to autonomous scholarship. They also described a profound personal transformation as a result of living in another country. However, very few of them could cite examples of how they were using their skills now to influence their current practice within their faculty roles. This suggests a possible under-use of the skills, new perspectives, and enthusiasm that new doctoral graduates bring back home with them. Future research should focus on identifying ways to support and develop doctoral nursing graduates to maximize their potential on their return home.     

Bibliometric awareness in nursing scholarship: Can we afford to ignore it any longer?

In contemporary nursing academia, it is unthinkable that topics such as research methods, evidence-based practice, and the translation of research into practice would be omitted from nursing curricula at any level. What is surprising, however, is that despite a broad educational emphasis on "teaching research", the rising importance of bibliometrics appears to have been largely neglected. If nursing scholarship and nursing scholars are to prosper in the highly competitive field of modern health research, a sophisticated understanding of citation-based methods is clearly required. Armed with this knowledge, one can more successfully argue why scarce research funding, that might otherwise be channeled elsewhere, ought to be assigned to nursing researchers. We hereby urge readers to reflect on the extent to which bibliometrics is covered within formal nursing curricula at their college or university. It is no longer a case of if a graduate nurse will need this skill set for their future professional development, but when.     

Life after cervical cancer: quality of life among Chinese women

This study explored the meaning of "quality of life" among Chinese survivors of cervical cancer and the impact of cervical cancer survivorship on these women's quality of life. Written responses were used as the means of data collection. The qualitative data were analyzed by using a qualitative content analysis. The meaning of "quality of life", as perceived by 35 Chinese survivors of cervical cancer, included being free of disease, having a good standard of living, having a harmonious family atmosphere, and having a harmonious sex life. The impact of cervical cancer on the Chinese women's quality of life included physical and psychological sequelae, family distress, financial burden, and disruptions to their social functioning and sexual life. Nevertheless, there were positive gains that were reported by these survivors, including changes in their outlook on life, treasuring their life, and better family relationships. This study revealed that the Chinese survivors of cervical cancer identified their sexual life as one of the essential indicators of quality of life. It is necessary to raise nurses' awareness so that women's sexuality-related concerns are addressed. Health professionals also should provide relevant supportive care in order to address this target population's physical and psychosocial needs across the survivorship continuum.     

Model for investigating the benefits of clinical supervision in psychiatric nursing: a survey study

The objective of this study was to test a model for analysing the possible benefits of clinical supervision. The model suggested a pathway from participation to effectiveness to benefits of clinical supervision, and included possible influences of individual and workplace factors. The study sample was 136 nursing staff members in permanent employment on nine general psychiatric wards and at four community mental health centres at a Danish psychiatric university hospital. Data were collected by means of a set of questionnaires. Participation in clinical supervision was associated with the effectiveness of clinical supervision, as measured by the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale (MCSS). Furthermore, MCSS scores were associated with benefits, such as increased job satisfaction, vitality, rational coping and less stress, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization. Multivariate analyses indicated that certain individual and workplace factors were related to subscales of the MCSS, as well as some of the benefits. The study supported the suggested model, but methodological limitations apply.