Abstract: This phenomenological study describes what it is like to live with a schizophrenic illness and relates the understanding gained from this description to implications for nursing practice. The participants in the study were ten adults who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, who take regular medication and who are living independant lives in the community. Over a period of sixteen months they were interviewed about effects of the illness on their everyday lives. During this time they explained the challenges and difficulties which have faced them, both during and long after the resolution of acute illness. As they describe it schizophrenia is a part of who they are.The narrative contained in this thesis presents the participants' stories in aggregated form, setting their experiences alongside ideas from the early work of Martin Heidegger, whose phenomenological writing informed the analysis and interpretation of the data. As the participants explain, schizophrenia has touched every aspect of their lives. Living with schizophrenia is shown to affect their whole being-in-the-world. It incorporates Being-with-others, living carefully and taking a stand on life. While hoping for a cure, their reality is of living with a chroinic ilness which has major effects on their lives. At the same time the participants are shown to define themselves not in terms of their illness and treatment, but in respect of their hopes and dreams and the stance each is taking on his or her own life. In this way their existential predicament is highlighted in the study. Participants are on the one hand very much like all people, while on the other hand they have to contend with very different concerns than do most others.

Abstract: Summary of the work of six groups of nurses from throughout New Zealand in defining compentencies for registration

Abstract: Nursing is increasingly using holistic interventions. Some research validating these interventions has been conducted. However there was no nursing research for these interventions with women with breast cancer. This research explored the experience of one womean who was diagnosed with breast cancer and who actively chose to have these interventions as an adjunct to the medical treatment.It was a single subject phenomenological study, effectively being a pilot study. Data was collected through unstructured interview, participant observation and review of the nursing notes. Interpretative analysis techniques were used to obtain the results. Three themes of the experience of the subject were identified as:1. maintenance of the locus of control with the subject,2. the choice of a health professional with philosophical base similar to that of the subject and3. maintenance of a focus on healthy living.These interventions were perceived as beneficial by this subject. This research demonstrated that further study on the effectiveness of holistic nursing interventions with women being treated for breast cancer is indicated