Herbert, B. (2001). How often do health professionals wash their hands? Vision: A Journal of Nursing, 7(13), 29–32.
Abstract: This literature review presents evidence on health professionals' practice in hand washing. The research was primarily quantitative and consistently showed that health professionals did not have a lack of knowledge, but that hand washing was not always done. More qualitative research is required to investigate reasons for this and possible interventions.
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Giddings, D. L. S. (2005). Health disparities, social injustice, and the culture of nursing. Nursing Research, 54(5), 304–312.
Abstract: The aim of this cross-cultural study was to collect stories of difference and fairness within nursing. The study used a life history methodology informed by feminist theory and critical social theory. Life story interviews were conducted with 26 women nurses of varying racial, cultural, sexual identity, and specialty backgrounds in the United States (n = 13) and Aotearoa New Zealand (n = 13). Participants reported having some understanding of social justice issues. They were asked to reflect on their experience of difference and fairness in their lives and specifically within nursing. Their stories were analysed using a life history immersion method. Nursing remains attached to the ideological construction of the “White good nurse.” Taken-for-granted ideals privilege those who fit in and marginalise those who do not. The nurses who experienced discrimination and unfairness, survived by living in two worlds, learned to live in contradiction, and worked surreptitiously for social justice. For nurses to contribute to changing the systems and structures that maintain health disparities, the privilege of not seeing difference and the processes of mainstream violence that support the construction of the “White good nurse” must be challenged. Nurses need skills to deconstruct the marginalising social processes that sustain inequalities in nursing and healthcare. These hidden realities-racism, sexism, heterosexism, and other forms of discrimination-will then be made visible and open to challenge.
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Gilmer, M. J., Meyer, A., Davidson, J., & Koziol-McLain, J. (2010). Staff beliefs about sexuality in aged residential care. Nursing Praxis in New Zealand, 26(3), 17–24.
Abstract: Surveys 52 staff members from the rest-home component of aged-care facilities in one District Health Board, about how staff in such facilities approach and manage the sexuality needs of residents.
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Carryer, J. B. (2001). Embodied largeness: A significant women's health issue. Nursing Inquiry, 8(2), 90–97.
Abstract: This paper describes a three-year long research project in which nine large-bodied women have engaged in a prolonged dialogue with the researcher about the experience of being 'obese'. The study involved an extensive review of the multidisciplinary literature that informs our understandings of body size. The literature review was shared with participants in order to support their critical understanding of their experience. The experience of participants raised questions as to how nursing could best provide health-care for large women. An examination of a wide range of literature pertinent to the area of study reveals widespread acceptance of the notion that to be thin is to be healthy and virtuous, and to be fat is to be unhealthy and morally deficient. According to the literature review, nurses have perpetuated an unhelpful and reductionist approach to their care of large women, in direct contradiction to nursing's supposed allegiance to a holistic approach to health-care. This paper suggests strategies for an improved response to women who are concerned about their large body size.
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Gallagher, P. (2007). Preconceptions and learning to be a nurse. Nurse Education Today, 27(8), 878–884.
Abstract: This article discusses the important role that preconceptions play in the process by which students learn to be nurses. The importance of preconceptions emerged from the analysis of data in a grounded theory study that sought to gain a greater understanding of how undergraduate student nurses in New Zealand experienced and responded to differences they perceived between the theory and the practice of nursing. It became clear that the preconceptions each student nurse held about the nature of nurses and nursing care were the standards against which the worth of the formal, practical and personal theories to which students were exposed during their nursing degree was evaluated. It was clear that preconceptions functioned as the mediator between the intentions of nursing education and the learning that eventuated for each student from practicum experiences. The implications for nursing education, for which preconceptions are not generally highly valued as a basis for learning about professional nursing, are that the individual experience and personal characteristics of each student receive significant focus when a nursing programme is planned. This means that the orthodox principles that underpin the design of nursing curricula should be reviewed and an overtly constructivist perspective adopted for nursing education for which the prior experiences of the student are the starting point.
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Peri, K., Kerse, N., Kiata, L., Wilkinson, T., Robinson, E., Parsons, J., et al. (2008). Promoting independence in residential care: Successful recruitment for a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 9(4), 251–256.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to describe the recruitment strategy and association between facility and staff characteristics and success of resident recruitment for the Promoting Independence in Residential Care (PIRC) trial. A global impression of staff willingness to facilitate research was gauged by research nurses, facility characteristics were measured by staff interview. Forty-one (85%) facilities and 682 (83%) residents participated, median age was 85 years (range 65-101), and 74% were women. Participants had complex health problems. Recruitment rates were associated (but did not increase linearly) with the perceived willingness of staff, and were not associated with facility size. Design effects from the cluster recruitment differed according to outcome. The recruitment strategy was successful in recruiting a large sample of people with complex comorbidities and high levels of functional disability despite perceptions of staff reluctance. Staff willingness was related to recruitment success.
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Spence, D., & Wood, E. E. (2007). Registered nurse participation in performance appraisal interviews. Journal of Professional Nursing, 23(1), 55–59.
Abstract: This article presents the findings of an interpretive study that explored and documented the meaning and impact of nurse participation in performance appraisal interviews. Data gleaned from nine New Zealand registered nurses employed by a single district health board provide evidence that nurses are often disappointed by the process of performance appraisal. Although they believe in the potential value of performance appraisal interviews, they seldom experience the feedback, direction, and encouragement necessary for an effective appraisal process. It is suggested that changes to the current professional development program and its accompanying performance appraisal will require skilled commitment on the part of nurses, managers, and the employing organisation to improve and develop the assessment and promotion of nursing practice.
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Lui, D. M. K. (2003). Nursing and midwifery attitudes towards withdrawal of care in a neonatal intensive care unit: Part 1. Literature review. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 9(2), 45–47.
Abstract: This article seeks to investigate the attitude of nurses and midwives to the withdrawal of care from sick neonates. Advanced technology results in the survival of increasingly premature babies with extremely low birthweights and this has inevitably led to an increase in the ethical dilemmas faced by neonatal staff as to whether continued treatment is actually in the best interests of these infants. Part 1 reviews the literature on this subject. Part 2 describes the results of a survey carried out in a New Zealand NICU.
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Lui, D. M. K. (2003). Nursing and midwifery attitudes towards withdrawal of care in a neonatal intensive care unit: Part 2. Survey results. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 9(3), 91–96.
Abstract: Discontinuation of life support measures for an extremely low birthweight or very premature baby is controversial and difficult for both the parents and the healthcare professional involved in caring for the infant. This study seeks to investigate the attitude of nurses and midwives to the withdrawal of care from sick neonates. Part 1 reviewed the literature on this subject. Part 2 reports the results of a survey carried out in a New Zealand NICU.
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Horsburgh, M., Perkins, R., Coyle, B., & Degeling, P. (2006). The professional subcultures of students entering medicine, nursing and pharmacy programmes. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 20(4), 425–431.
Abstract: This study sought to determine the attitudes, beliefs and values towards clinical work organisation of students entering undergraduate medicine, nursing and pharmacy programmes in order to frame questions for a wider study. University of Auckland students entering medicine, nursing and pharmacy programmes completed a questionnaire based on that used by Degeling et al. in studies of the professional subcultures working in the health system in Australia, New Zealand, England and elsewhere. Findings indicate that before students commence their education and training medical, nursing and pharmacy students as groups or sub-cultures differ in how they believe clinical work should be organised. Medical students believe that clinical work should be the responsibility of individuals in contrast to nursing students who have a collective view and believe that work should be systemised. Pharmacy students are at a mid-point in this continuum. There are many challenges for undergraduate programmes preparing graduates for modern healthcare practice where the emphasis is on systemised work and team based approaches. These include issues of professional socialisation which begins before students enter programmes, selection of students, attitudinal shifts and interprofessional education.
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Neville, S. J., & Henderson, H. M. (2006). Perceptions of lesbian, gay and bisexual people of primary healthcare services. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 55(4), 407–415.
Abstract: This paper reports a study exploring people's perceptions of disclosure about lesbian, gay and bisexual identity to their primary healthcare providers. Disclosure of sexual identity to healthcare professionals is integral to attending to the health needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual populations, as non-disclosure has been shown to have a negative impact on the health of these people. From April to July 2004, a national survey of lesbian, gay and bisexual persons was carried out in New Zealand. Participants were recruited through mainstream and lesbian, gay and bisexual media and venues, and 2269 people completed the questionnaire, either electronically or via hard copy. The 133-item instrument included a range of closed-response questions in a variety of domains of interest. In this paper, we report results from the health and well-being domain. More women than men identified that the practitioner's attitude toward their non-heterosexual identity was important when choosing a primary healthcare provider. Statistically significantly more women than men reported that their healthcare provider usually or always presumed that they were heterosexual and in addition more women had disclosed their sexual identity to their healthcare provider. The authors advise that nurses reconsider their approach to all users of healthcare services by not assuming everyone is heterosexual, integrating questions about sexual identity into health interviews and ensuring that all other aspects of the assessment process are appropriate and safe for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
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Kinealy, T., Arroll, B., Kenealy, H., Docherty, B., Scott, D., Scragg, R., et al. (2004). Diabetes care: Practice nurse roles, attitudes and concerns. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 48(11), 68–75.
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to report a study to compare the diabetes-related work roles, training and attitudes of practice nurses in New Zealand surveyed in 1990 and 1999, to consider whether barriers to practice nurse diabetes care changed through that decade, and whether ongoing barriers will be addressed by current changes in primary care. Questionnaires were mailed to all 146 practice nurses in South Auckland in 1990 and to all 180 in 1999, asking about personal and practice descriptions, practice organisation, time spent with patients with diabetes, screening practices, components of care undertaken by practice nurses, difficulties and barriers to good practice, training in diabetes and need for further education. The 1999 questionnaire also asked about nurse prescribing and influence on patient quality of life. More nurses surveyed in 1999 had post-registration diabetes training than those in 1990, although most of those surveyed in both years wanted further training. In 1999, nurses looked after more patients with diabetes, without spending more time on diabetes care than nurses in 1990. Nevertheless, they reported increased involvement in the more complex areas of diabetes care. Respondents in 1999 were no more likely than those in 1990 to adjust treatment, and gave a full range of opinion for and against proposals to allow nurse prescribing. The relatively low response rate to the 1990 survey may lead to an underestimate of changes between 1990 and 1999. Developments in New Zealand primary care are likely to increase the role of primary health care nurses in diabetes. Research and evaluation is required to ascertain whether this increasing role translates into improved outcomes for patients.
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Carter, H., McKinlay, E. M., Scott, I., Wise, D., & MacLeod, R. (2002). Impact of a hospital palliative care service: Perspective of the hospital staff. JBI Reports, 18(3), 160–167.
Abstract: The first New Zealand hospital palliative care support service was established in 1985. Different service models have now been adopted by various major hospitals. In 1998, a palliative care service, funded by Mary Potter Hospice, was piloted at Wellington Public Hospital. Twelve months post-implementation, the hospital staff's views of the service were evaluated. It was found that referrals to palliative care from hospital specialities outside the Cancer Centre increased. While most doctors, nurses and social workers strongly agreed or agreed that the service positively influenced patients' care and effectively addressed their symptom management needs, spiritual needs were less often met. Over 90 percent of each discipline strongly agreed or agreed that the service had assisted them in caring for patients, but, only about a half agreed that useful discharge planning advice and staff support was provided. Significant differences in responses were found between different disciplines and specialities. One fifth of the staff identified palliative care education needs. Recommendations are made concerning the development of a future hospital palliative care service.
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Cowan, L. M., Deering, D., Crowe, M., Sellman, D., Futterman-Collier, A., & Adamson, S. (2003). Alcohol and drug treatment for women: Clinicians' beliefs and practice. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 12(1), 48–55.
Abstract: The present paper reports on the results of a telephone survey of 217 alcohol and drug treatment clinicians on their beliefs and practice, in relation to service provision for women. Nurses comprised the second largest professional group surveyed. Seventy-eight percent of clinicians believed that women's treatment needs differed from men's and 74% reported a range of approaches and interventions, such as assisting with parenting issues and referral to women-only programmes. Several differences emerged in relation to approaches and interventions used, depending on clinician gender, work setting and proportion of women on clinicians' caseload. Implications for mental health nursing include the need to more systematically incorporate gender-based treatment needs into practice and undergraduate and postgraduate education and training programmes.
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Rydon, S. E. (2005). The attitudes, knowledge and skills needed in mental health nurses: The perspective of users of mental health services. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 14(2), 78–87.
Abstract: In this study a qualitative descriptive methodology with focus group interviews was used to explore with users of mental health services, the attitudes, knowledge and skills that they need in mental health nurses. Users of mental health services valued the therapeutic work of mental health nurses, and identified positive attitudes towards users of mental health services as essential in mental health nurses. However, they did not consistently experience a therapeutic approach in their interactions with mental health nurses. In a sociopolitical climate where the views of users of mental health services are increasingly incorporated into education and the planning and delivery of services, there is a need for more research that reflects the perspective of users.
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