Abstract: An ethnographic study which attempts to understand what initial employment means to graduates from a comprehensive nursing course. The researcher participated in the first 3-4 months of the nurses' employment in general hospital settings. Five major themes emerge from the study indicating that the rhetoric practice of the school of nursing is different from the rhetoric and practice within general hospital settings. The reality of initial employment for the new graduated conflicts with the values and ideals of nursing promulgated by the comprehensive nursing course. The educational program stressed patient centred nursing, where nurses accepted responsibility for the continuing care of individuals. In contrast the hospital settings stress nursing as management of tasks across different patients. This conflict was a major source of frustration for the 'beginning' nurses. Ultimately they accept the reality of nursing as the management of tasks, but not without some personal cost. Orientation programs and the early employment period focus on 'fitting in to the system'. A significant determinant of the practice of new graduates are context effects such the time of their shift and the availability of experienced nurses. A number of management practices foster and maintain a beginning level of practice and new graduates have no opportunity to practice as autonomous nurses within a multi disciplinary health care team. Beginning practice is identified in new graduates through their difficulties in coping with unplanned or unexpected events. The initial employment period is dominated by shift work, resulting tiredness and adjustment to social activities.It is argued that management practices which support the ideals of comprehensive nursing courses and totally qualified nursing workforce have yet to occur. There are implications in this study for nursing education and nursing practice

Abstract: Reports the development of a set of Rating scales which can be used to measure the Home visiting part of the workload of Community Health Nurses. The scales provide a useful tool for the equitable distribution of Home visits among existing staff and can assist in the assessment of the total workload of the Community Health Nurses

Abstract: The study gives an account of curriculum development and innovation in a New Zealand school of nursing and focuses on some aspects of the basic diploma course. The study attempts, through the medium of case study, to illuminate the way in which significant curriculum decisions are made and ideas translated into institutional and technical form. Evidence is derived from the recorded perceptions of the participants, observations, and analyses of documented material. The findings confirm that the field of study is complex, multivariable and dynamic, and that translation of the curriculum on paper involves a multitude of deliberative and factual decisions by practicing teachers

Abstract: A study of role discrepancy or role conflict experienced by Registered Nurses in a Hospital setting

Abstract: When professionals are employed in bureaucratic organisations they can expect to experience incongruence between their professional role conception and the bureaucratic demands of the organisation which lead to their experiencing role deprivation. Students of comprehensive Nursing programs during their preparation are socialised into a role consistent with their professional group when employed in Hospitals, are subjected to its bureaucratic administrative structure This study examines problems experienced by graduates of these programs, the way they cope with these problems and the extent of their role deprivation, 6 months after commencing employment in General hospitals. The result obtained by questionnaire and interview indicate the main problems are related to the provision of nursing Care, the organisation of Hospital and Communication. These problems prevent graduates from functioning as professional Nurses. Almost half considered they have been successful in resolving them. All graduates experienced a considerable magnitude of role deprivation. there are implications both for agencies and for those preparing Comprehensive Nurses

Abstract: Fatal illness is often short. Communication between patient and family is impaired and how to best meet family needs is unclear. We began a follow-up service to determine current next-of-kins outcomes and remedy service deficiencies. A critical care nurse identified deaths from our data base and completed a structured telephone interview with the next-of-kin. There were 374 admissions from 1/1/95 – 17/5/95, 55 died. Next- of-kin of 52 patients (M29, age 19-88 median 52) were contactable 16-70 (median 33)days later. All (defacto/wives 18, husbands 9, mothers 9, daughters 8, others 8) consented to interview (5 -80, median 15 minutes). Forty-nine had resumed normal home activities and 23/25 workers had returned to work. Thirty-three still had disturbed sleep, three were taking hypnotics. Twenty-four had had contact with their general practitioner because of the death (six were prescribed sedatives or hypnotics). Nineteen had financial problems. Forty-seven described DCCM care positively, 35 specifically (nursing care and compassion 15, communication 8, flexible visitors policy8) but 13 had particular difficulties (communication 4 , waiting 2, facilities 4) and 4 serious non-DCCM issues. Forty-six considered themselves well informed and understood well the sequence of events. Forty-eight identified family and friends as primary support. Three requested information about another agency (counseling), 9 asked us to contact as further relative. A telephone bereavement service is well received by next-of-kin. Most families members resolve their early grief without external agencies but sleep and money are problems. We have improved our facilities and are addressing communication and cultural issues

Abstract: Because of concern about long-term complications of bjork flap tracheostomy we followed-up 136 intensive care patients who had Bjork flap tracheotomy in 1992 a median of 117 (range 5-402) hours after intubation. Twenty died in hospital, none as a result of tracheostomy. Twenty- six patients were lost to follow-up and eleven declined. The remaining 79 had measures of health status, a quality of life questionnaire, respiratory function testing and physical examination of the neck and upper airway 9-27 months (median 14) later. Various health status measures deteriorated in 9 to 51 of 77 patients. Forty-two of 77 patients were taking prescription medication and 15/32 smokers had stopped smoking. FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC were significantly reduced from predicted normal (n=70, 2.8+ 1.1 vs 3.2 +0.9 p<.0001, 3.7 + 1.3 vs 4.0 + 1.0 p<.0001, 76 +11vs 79 +3 p= 0.035 respectively). Pulse oximetry was normal (>92%) in 73/74 patients tested. The median horizontal scar dimension was 45mm (range 20 to 75 mm). Nine had a median vertical scar dimension 15mm (range 8 to 25mm). Nineteen scars were hypertrophic, 56 were tethered. Two patients had already undergone tracheal scar revision at follow-up and further 13 accepted scar revision. Ten patients had abnormal voice examination, four abnormal cough, two stridor, three vocal cord lesions, three tracheal polyps and fourteen asymptomatic tracheal narrowing from 10-60% (median 25%) of the tracheal luminal diameter. Patients surviving critical illness with bjork flap tracheostomy have reduced quality of life and respiratory function and poor cosmetic result but a low incidence of important airway problems

Abstract: Introduction Critically ill patients cannot clean their own teeth. A variety of methods are used but as the best method is unknown we performed a prospective randomised double-blind controlled trial of three methods.Method Of 359 consecutive admissions to the Department of Critical Care Medicine between 31/01/97 and 25/05/97, 222 were excluded (62 edentulous, 6 unexaminable, 142 transferred alive and 12 dead or dying at 24 hours). The remaining 137 patients had quantitative (picture-linked, ordinal score) assessment of caries, peridontal status and plaque (in 12 segments of teeth) before randomisation (to the use of either toothbrush, jumbo swab or sonic toothbrush) by pre-assigned sealed envelopes. All teeth were cleaned (prescribed four hourly) with 0.2% chlorhexidine solution. Daily plaque scores were obtained (by an assessor (SC) blind to treatment allocation) until withdrawal, death or transfer.Results Toothbrush Jumboswab SonicPatients assigned 50 48 39Withdrawn within 24hrs. 9 3 5Patients remaining 41 45 34Percentage of teeth segments thatare pristine: pre treatment 45 50 51 after 2 days 74 57 90 F(2.63) = 5.00 p = 0.0097 More withdrawals for patient noncompliance after randomisation occurred in the sonic group (5/34 versus 3/86). Conclusion. By the second day the sonic toothbrush was the most effective in plaque removal with the toothbrush the next most effective method