Lowe, L. (2002). Linking housing and health status. Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand, 8(9), 26–27.
Abstract: The author examines the impact of poor housing on health, and looks at how the situation can be improved. Ways that nurses can work towards improving housing standards and thus health are discussed.
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Crowe, M., O'Malley, J., & Bigwood, S. (2002). Nursing mental health consumers in the community. Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand, 8(8), 14–15.
Abstract: The purpose of this research was to describe the characteristics of community mental health nursing care in the community. Twenty six nurses were enrolled in a study consisting of semi-structured interviews about the nature of their care. Responses were analysed to identify categories of skills. These were characterised as: establishing connectedness; promoting individual and family resilience, promoting citizenship; and addressing structural issues. Responses from the nurses are used to illustrate these categories.
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Powell, J. (2002). Caring for patients after an ICU admission. Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand, 8(7), 24–25.
Abstract: The author presents research on nursing strategies that reduce the psychological effects of critical illness and prevent the intensive care unit (ICU) atmosphere from adversely affecting the nurse-patient relationship. Post-traumatic stress disorder and other phobic anxiety syndromes are noted as a risk among former ICU patients. Four interventions to put in place for discharge are presented: patient-centred nursing, communication, multidisciplinary care, and patient/family education.
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McCallum, C. (2002). Balancing technology with the art of caring. Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand, 8(7), 21–23.
Abstract: The author examines the role of technology in high dependency units, which can alienate nurses from patients. The ethical issues raised by technology are reviewed, particularly the allocation of expensive interventions, and the implications of life-sustaining technology on the application of informed consent. The author highlights the challenge facing nurses to bridge the gap between medical technology and humane caring.
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Hansen, G. (2002). The role of massage in the care of the critically ill. Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand, 8(7), 14–16.
Abstract: This article looks at the research on the benefits of massage for alleviating the anxiety of patients in critical care. The author draws on her own experiences with cardiac patients and affirms the lasting psychological benefit of massage. She provides advice on which parts of the body to massage on patients in critical care, which to avoid and how to know when it is contraindicated.
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Wilkinson, J. A. (2002). Creating a culture of workplace safety. Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand, 8(6), 14–15.
Abstract: This study investigated the safety of working environments of a group of urban district nurses. Six district nurses were interviewed and participated in a focus group. The findings focus on the risks associated with client behaviour and with the organisational structure in which district nurses work. Recommendations for primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of harm to nurses working in isolation in the community are presented. The author describes her personal background in district nursing, which prompted the study.
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Brinkman, A. (2002). Occupational stress in hospitals: A nursing perspective. Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand, 8(6), 21–23.
Abstract: This article examines the environmental stressors that cause occupational stress for many nurses, particularly the health reforms and the Employment Contracts Act (ECA). The concept of stress is reviewed and theories of occupational stress are described, including the demand-control theory and the transactional model. Nurses are advised to become aware of occupational stress in their workplaces, citing a study by the author showing high levels of stress among hospital nurses.
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Nicol, M. J. (2002). The teaching of genetics in New Zealand undergraduate nursing programmes. Nurse Education Today, 22(5), 401–408.
Abstract: This paper reports the results of a survey to determine how much genetics is taught in the bioscience component of the three-year Bachelor of Nursing degree offered by 16 tertiary education institutes in New Zealand. A questionnaire was mailed to the bioscience lecturers seeking information on the bioscience and genetics content of current programmes. They were also asked to indicate their perception of the impact and relevance of new genetic knowledge on health care and nursing education. Results indicated that on average 250-350 hours are devoted to the teaching of biosciences. Less than 10 hours are devoted to genetics at 66% of institutes, one institute did not teach any aspect of genetics. None of the institutes taught more than 20 hours of genetics in the programme, although 47% of lecturers said they would like to teach more genetics if there were more time available in the curriculum. Lecturers teaching bioscience to Bachelor of Nursing students are aware of the importance of genetics in health care and to nursing in particular, and the majority are of the opinion that more genetics should be included in undergraduate programmes, however 'curriculum crowding' is a problem.
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Farrow, T. (2002). Owning their expertise: Why nurses use 'no suicide contracts' rather than their own assessments. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 11(4), 214–219.
Abstract: 'No suicide contracts' are a tool commonly used by nurses in community crisis situations. At times this tool is utilised because the clinician believes that it is beneficial. However, there are other occasions when 'No suicide contracts' are introduced in a manner that runs counter to the clinical judgement of the crisis nurse. This paper discusses the results of a qualitative study that addressed the question of why nurses use 'No suicide contracts' in such situations, rather than relying on their own expertise. This analysis suggests that underlying concerns of clinicians can determentally affect decision-making in such circumstances, and recommends that rather than subjugating nursing expertise, underlying issues be addressed directly.
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Christie, J. (2002). Managing febrile children: When and how to treat. Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand, 8(4), 15–17.
Abstract: The author describes the nursing of febrile children in a general paediatric ward at Tauranga Hospital. She focuses on the cooling methods used and their efficacy. Ward practice is compared with clinical trials and the literature to determine best practice and evidence-based guidelines. Also discussed are fans and clothes removal, tepid sponging, paracetamol, and brufen.
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Wilkinson, J. A. (2002). A mantle of protection? A critical analysis of the personal safety of district nurses. Whitireia Community Polytechnic and Massey University libraries, 9(30-6), 30–36.
Abstract: This qualitative inquiry, informed by Critical Social Theory, explored the personal safety experiences of district nurses in a New Zealand city.
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Fourie, W., & Oliver, J. D. (2002). Defining currency of practice for nurse educators. Nursing Praxis in New Zealand, 18(3), 30–39.
Abstract: Recent Nursing Council of New Zealand guidelines for competence-based practising certificates and the fact that all nurse educators must have a current practising certificate prompted the Nursing Schools within the Tertiary Accord of New Zealand (TANZ) to explore issues surrounding current competency in practice and how this can be maintained by nurse educators. The authors note that discussions related to competence-based practising certificates generally refer to competence only in terms of direct patient care. They set out to clarify the issue with specific reference to nurse educators who, by the nature of their scope of practice, often do not carry a patient caseload. They review the literature relating to currency of practice and draw on the findings of a survey of TANZ Nursing Schools and provide a position on how currency of practice applies to nurses working in an educational setting. They present strategies to maintain clinical, teaching and scholarly currency and make some suggestions for providing evidence that currency of practice is maintained.
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Carryer, J. B., Budge, C., & Russell, A. (2002). Measuring perceptions of the Clinical Career Pathway in a New Zealand hospital. Nursing Praxis in New Zealand, 18(3), 18–29.
Abstract: The authors outline the Clinical Career Pathways (CCPs) for nurses, which were first established in New Zealand during the late 1980s. This paper introduces a new instrument, the Clinical Career Pathway Evaluation Tool (CCPET) designed to assess nurses' and midwives' knowledge of and attitudes towards their Clinical Career Pathway. The 51 item instrument takes the form of a self-report questionnaire. The development of the CCPET is described and results from an initial application of the instrument with 239 nurses and midwives in a New Zealand hospital are presented. Results indicate that knowledge levels were moderate in this sample and were correlated with both positive and negative attitudes. Results of t-test comparisons indicated that, on average, the group who had already completed a CCP portfolio had greater knowledge and more positive attitudes than the group who had not.
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Horsburgh, M., Smith, V. A., & Kivell, D. (2002). South Auckland community paediatric nursing service: A framework for evaluation. Nursing Praxis in New Zealand, 18(3), 40–49.
Abstract: This paper describes the Kidz First paediatric community homecare nursing team in South Auckland. While the service was not initially planned as an integrated approach to child health, its evolution reflects the move to more community based care delivery and the expansion of nurse-led initiatives in New Zealand. The components of a community paediatric home nursing team as described by Eaton (2000) are used to provide the framework with which to describe the service. A focus group held with the Kidz First paediatric community homecare nurses has enabled definition of the key nursing components provided to children and their families living in South Auckland.
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Davy, R. (2002). Strategy to increase smear testing of older women. Practice nurse: Official Journal of the New Zealand College of Practice Nurses, 2(3), 13–14.
Abstract: The author presents a project to increase enrolments of women aged 60-69 years in the cervical screening programme. The programme included provision of packages comprising fliers, counter signs, stickers, postcards and pens to 1387 women's groups or locations where women gather. The author collates and analyses calls to the advertised 0800 telephone number, smear tests at the Well Women's Nursing Trust, and enrolment rates on the Cervical Screening Register from June to August 2001.
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