Abstract: Aim: To determine the feasibility of establishing a nurse practitioner-led, family focused, primary health care clinic within a primary school environment as an alternate or complementary way of addressing the health needs of 'at risk' children and families to the services already provided by the public health nurse.Method: Utilising needs analysis method, data was collected from three sources – known demographic data, 17 key informant interviews and two focus group interviews. Questions were asked regarding the health needs of the community, the perceptions of participants regarding the role of the public health nurse in order to determine if a public health nurse would be the most appropriate person to lead a primary health care clinic, and the practicalities of establishing a clinic including services participants would expect a clinic to provide. Analysis was descriptive and exploratory.Results: A wide range of health needs were identified from both the demographic data and from participant interviews. Findings also showed that participant's understanding of the role of the public health nurse was not great and that community expectations were such that for a public health nurse to lead a primary health care clinic further skills would be required. Outcomes from investigating the practicalities of establishing a nurse practitioner-led clinic resulted in the preparation of a community-developed model that would serve to address the health needs of children and families in the area the study was undertaken.Conclusion: Overall findings indicated that the establishment of a nurse practitioner-led, family focused, primary health care clinic in a primary school environment is feasible. While a public health nurse may fulfil the role of the nurse practitioner, it was established that preparation to an advanced level of practice would be required. It is likely that a similar model would also be successful in other communities in New Zealand, however the health needs identified in this study are specific to the community studied. Further community needs assessments would need to be completed to ensure health services target health needs specific to the communities involved.

Abstract: A qualitative descriptive approach was undertaken to explore the experience of eight registered nurses and two hospital play specialists who care for children hospitalised with burn injuries. The research participants were recruited from a paediatric ward that offers centralised specialty care to children with burns. Emerging out of the data was the over-arching theme of 'passionate dedication' that shows the nurses and hospital play specialists genuine compassion and commitment to meet the needs of the children with burns. The findings of the study reveal that the participant's dedication is shaped and determined by a dynamic process that involves having professional integrity and in-depth knowledge of caring for children and burn management. The nurses and the hospital play specialists have a common understanding of what their role entails and the skills required to provide quality care and support to the children and the children's family. On a personal and professional level the participants encounter several challenges in this care context that are physically and emotionally overwhelming. Despite becoming overwhelmed the participants are revealed as being resourceful and resilient in their aptitude to find ways that enable them to cope and get through. The author suggests that this study supports international literature that suggests that caring for children with burns is equally rewarding, as much as it is physically and emotionally demanding. The author identifies that the implication in this study for the organisation is to seriously consider issues regarding productivity and efficiency of the workforce with acknowledgement that nurses and hospital play specialists cannot do this emotional work without effective systems of support in place.

Abstract: This study explores the experiences of men who are nurses in Aotearoa New Zealand. Utilising discourse analysis a social constructionist reading of men, masculinity and nursing is provided to offer an alternative reading to much of the extant literature with respect to men in nursing. The study draws upon a number of different sources of “text”, including over 600 written works, two films and interviews with eighteen men who currently are, have been or are intending to be, nurses. Drawing primarily upon the “literary” textual sources a number of themes were identified for further exploration in interview with the co-researchers. These themes were the construction of masculinity, the construction of images of the nurse, the reaction to men who are nurses, sexuality issues, career development, and men and caring. The findings of this thesis reveal that the literature pertaining to men in nursing is replete with paradox and contradiction and fails to adequately account for the male experience. It is argued that the images and arguments provided in the literature with respect to men in nursing are based on out-of-date models and understandings of gender relations, masculinity and nursing. It is suggested that rather than enjoying patriarchal privilege, men who enter nursing must contend with being constructed as both an inferior man and inferior nurse. Their careers are not, as is alleged in the literature, based on developing “islands of masculinity” and male privilege, nor upon the avoidance of the emotional labour of nursing but reflect a belief that career is one way of doing care. It is argued in this work that men in nursing have fewer “taken-as-givens” upon which to base work and that they work to develop trusting relationships with their patients that are based on communication and empathy within a context defined by the patients' circumstances.