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Alessi, L. (1990). The role of quality assurance strategies in the evaluation of New Zealand nursing services. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Guilliland, K. (1998). A demographic profile of independent (self-employed) midwives in New Zealand Aotearoa. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Connor, M. (1995). The web of relationship: an exploration and description of the caring relationship in a nurse case management scheme of care. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Blair, S. (1999). The human cost of 'caring' care for registered nurses in clinical practice. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: This research utilized a focus group methodology to discover what nurses in clinical practice considered 'caring' care meant for them. Six registered nurses volunteered to participate in the project. They practiced over a wide variety of real settings within the public hospital, which provided both acute and elective surgical and medical services, including an extensive elderly population. Taking these important 'caring' statements, I then explored with the group what factors in their work environment hindered of enhanced their identified 'caring' care in clinical practice as did their overseas counterparts. This study also highlighted the impact the health reforms had on the individual clinical practice at this hospital. The effects of the institutional changes in response to the health reforms were far reaching at both the personal and professional level. Caring is an important concept found in nursing practice. It has been widely documented By nurse scholars, researchers and nurse authors that care is at the core of nursing practice.Some have even referred to care as being the heart of nursing. The finding from the present research indicates the importance nurses place on caring in their day to day encounters with patients. It also demonstrates how nurses express their care and their perceptions of the importance of care has in the clinical practice
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Owen - Mills, V. I. (1997). An exploratory study of postmenopausal women's views of health maintenance. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: This research aims to illuminate the reality of health and health maintenance as four postmenopausal women understand and experience it. The research employs feminist methodology, informed by postmodern feminist writers, in order to allow maximum flexibility and to be congruent with supporting the exploratory nature of the research. The women in the study self-nominated as postmenopausal, and functioned equally as co-researchers with the researcher in a focus group which met twice for one-hour audiotaped interviews. The resultant combined statement on health was produced after thematic analysis of the data and individual reflection, and represents the values these women hold, that health is largely attitudinal.“Health is not what happens to you physically, emotionally or mentally, but how you deal with it.”It is notable that the women did not mention nurses as having a role in their health maintenance, nor were other health professionals considered to be essential. As well, hormone replacement therapy – a common theme in women's conversation and lay women's literature – was not mentioned as being an integral to the women's health maintenance. The methodological approach means that the research in non-generalisable. However the findings may add to existing knowledge about prevailing health concerns of postmenopausal women, may enhance the discourse, and may identify the need for further research
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Douche, J. R. (1997). Urban women's choice of birthplace and locus of control. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: Discourse about women assuming greater control over their childbirth experience has received much attention in contemporary childbirth and womens' studies publications. Research in the domain of childbirth has shown that a sense of control over one's birth experience is related to childbirth satisfaction. More specifically, studies have used Locus of Control measures and have found a significant relationship exists between expectations for control and choice of birth place. Choice of birth place features in some articles as a factor that determines the degree to which control can be exercised. Home, as a place of birth, is considered a setting in which a woman can have optimum control over her experience. Many women are discouraged from taking up this option, based on fears about safety. Reflection on why women continue to pursue a home birth against the wishes of their care giver rekindled and interest in Locus of Control. This study was undertaken to explore the relationship between urban women's choice of birth place setting and their scores on two different measures of Locus of Control (LOC). The aims of the study were: to test whether LOC scores predict choice of birth place for women who chose hospital, home or a birthing centre as their place of birth; to test which of the two LOC scales (Levenson's generalised measure or Wallston et al's more specific scale) is the most useful in predicting the influence of LOC and choice of birth place and to explore the relationship between choice of birth place LOC, demographic and contextual factors surrounding pregnancy. The method used in the study was a descriptive correlational design. One hundred and ninety four pregnant urban women who accessed a range of maternity care providers in the greater Auckland , Wellington , Christchurch and Dunedin cities responded to a “Birth Choice Survey” between April and June 1996. Tests of significance found significant differences for powerful others and chance Locus of Control among the three groups of women who chose hospital, home or a birthing center as a place of birth. Differences were significant at p = 0.05. No significant differences were ffound in the scores for internal Locus of Control for women in the three groups. Limitations in the sample sixe prevented linear discrimination being successful in predicting the influence and choice of LOC variables and choice of birth place for both scales. A classification tree was employed to identify key variables which might affect choice of birth place and indicated that women who were extremely happy with their birth place choice were more likely to be those who chose home birth. Locus of Control measures are interesting, and if used specifically, may be helpful in relation to understanding a women's choice of birth place. However general assessment of the contextual factors appears just as relevant. Implications of this study are the while women may differ in how they perceive their outcomes are determined, an overwhelming majority of women who participated in this study value their ability to make choices about their birth location. Identifying consumer perceptions about control and the contextual factors that influence women's choice of their birth place has the potential to clarify women's preferences for responsibility in their birth experience. Limitations of the study were addressed and included suggestions to improve response rates and thus generalizability of findings. Implications for further research were also considered
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Wilson, C. (1998). Reflections on care: Older people speak about experiences of nursing care in acute medical and surgical wards. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Davies, B. (1997). Midwifery competencies: students' stories. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Wilson, A. M. (1996). Practice-based reflection: learning grounded in practice. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Ellison-Loschmann, L. (1997). Maori women's experiences of breast-feeding. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Wanasinghe, V. (1997). Students' and tutors' perspectives on what contributes to the academic success of mature aged students in a pre-registration nursing program. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Wheeler, K. (1995). Metabolism of riboflavin by the human term placenta. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Boyle, S. D. (1994). Nursing education in New Zealand: a case study of experiential learning. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: This thesis presents a study of a nursing 'practicum' from the perspectives of nursing students and staff 'buddies'. A grounded theory approach was used to interview six nursing students during their transition placement, the final practicum of their Diploma in Nursing programme. Five staff nurse buddies selected by the students were also interviewed. An informal, conversational interview was used and data was analysed from an experiential learning perspective.This study differs from others because it focuses on the clinical experience component of nursing education, 'practicum', and includess practitioners viewpoints. At present there is a re-evaluing of experience within nursing education with a new emphasis on practice-based learning. Experience-based learning is becoming increasingly acceptable within academia as a 'seamless' education system evolves.I identified three learning stages which students' experience during practicum – initiation, exploration and consolidation. The key stage for learning through experience was exploration. Learning during this stage was predominantly buddy-directed which contradicted the self-directed curriculum design. Students and staff nurses however agreed that communication between them during this stage enabled the development of 'competence'.The learning /teaching approach used by the students and staff nurses made it difficult for students to translate their 'all-round' competencies during practicum. It is argued that it is the useof such competencies during practicum which enable nursing students to become autonomous in the attitudinal and epistemological sense. The predominantly 'technical training' approach adopted was understood by students and staff nurses to be reinforced by 'silence' from tutors.Restructuring gives the opportunity for nursing to develop an ';investigative', enquiry-based approach in practice. There will increasingly be an emphasis on practice-based research as a result of the implementation of degree and post-graduate programmes in nursing. This study highlights some aspects of nursing education and it's relationship with practice which can assist the development of such an approach
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McLauchlan, M. F. (1997). Women's place: an exploration of current discourses of childbirth. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Pairman, S. (1998). The midwifery partnership: an exploration of the midwife/women relationship. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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