Abstract: This qualitative research project explored the experiences of nurse educators who sought to assess aspects, which could be related to facilitation of emotional competence, in nursing students. Focus groups were conducted in three different educational institutions, offering a Bachelor of nursing degree. Each of the participants had a teaching and assessment role within the school of nursing. The contributions of the nurse educators and their interactions were audio taped, transcribed and then later, analysed using thematic and focus group analysis practices. From the analysis of the experiences of the nurse educators, four predominant themes arose which capture the areas of importance to the participants. Student nurses can develop emotional competence by critically reflecting during classroom and clinical experiences. Continuous consideration must be made within each practicing area of nursing, of the environmental and relational challenges which inhibit or facilitate nurse's ability to practice with emotional competence. Educators and practicing nurses, who work alongside students, must uphold the expectation that emotional competence is a requisite ability and provide opportunities to foster emotional growth and skills to resolve conflict within the culture of nursing. A common view shared by the educators was that the profession of nursing needs to have a clear understanding of what constitutes emotional competence. Strategies to realistically incorporate emotional competence into the educational curriculum and competency based assessment opportunities within nursing education are required. Suggestions are presented from which undergraduate nursing education can facilitate development of emotional competence with those students working toward becoming a registered nurse. Emotional competence is suggested as an essential learning outcome in the movement toward transformative nursing education and a collaborative nursing profession.

Abstract: This paper discusses the complexity of family violence for nurses negotiating the 'tight rope' between the prime concern for the safety of children and further contributing to maternal alienation, within a New Zealand context. The premise that restoration of the mother-child relationship is paramount for the long-term wellbeing of both the children and the mother provides the basis for discussing implications for nursing practice. Evidence shows that when mothers are supported and have the necessary resources there is a reduction in the violence and abuse she and her children experience; this occurs even in situations where the mother is the primary abuser of her children. The family-centred care philosophy, which is widely accepted as the best approach to nursing care for children and their families, creates tension for nurses caring for children who are the victims of abuse as this care generally occurs away from the context of the family.

Abstract: Current New Zealand health policy encourages collaborative health promotion in all sectors of health service delivery. The integrated approach to the acute management of coronary heart disease in a coronary care unit, combining medical therapy and lifestyle change, supports clinical health promotion. The aim of this study was to use the grounded theory approach to discover the main concerns of nurses' promoting health in an acute coronary care setting and to explain the processes that nurses used to integrate health promotional activities into their practice. Seventeen registered nurses from three coronary care units within a large metropolitan city in New Zealand were interviewed. Data were constantly compared and analysed using Glaser's emergent approach to grounded theory.The main concern for nurses promoting health within coronary care was ritualistic practice. In this study, ritualistic practice concerns the medically-based protocols, routines, language and technology that drives nursing practice in coronary care. This concern was resolved via the socio-cultural process of attitudinal shifting that occurs over time involving three stages. The three conceptual categories, environmental pressures, practice reality and responsive action are the main components of the theory of attitudinal shifting. In environmental pressures, nurses experience a tension between specialist medically-dominated nursing practice and the generalist nursing role of promoting health. In practice reality, nurses become aware that the individual needs of patients are not being met. This causes role conflict until the nurse observes colleagues who role model possibilities for practice, working with patients to promote health. Responsive action sees the nurse engaging in self-development, also focusing on the nurse-patient relationship, thereby enabling active patient involvement in individual health-promoting decisions. The author suggests that the findings from this research have implications for nursing practice and education. With the increasing specialisation in nursing practice, these findings may be of interest to nurses working in delegated medical roles where the reality of everyday practice precludes nurses from undertaking their essential nursing role. Health care facilities also need to ensure that there are opportunities for the personal and professional development of nursing staff. The place of health promotion within nursing undergraduate curricula needs to be examined, as many nurses found that they were ill prepared for undertaking health promotional activities.

Abstract: This study aimed to articulate how sexual identity impacts on the therapeutic relationship between the client and the lesbian nurse in psychiatric mental health nursing. There is little consideration given in the literature or in research as to how sexuality of the nurse impacts on nursing practice. Most attitudes held by the public and nursing staff are based on the assumption that everyone is heterosexual, including nurses. Fifteen lesbian psychiatric mental health nurses from throughout New Zealand volunteered for two interviews and shared their experiences of becoming and being a lesbian psychiatric mental health nurse. The stories they told give new insights into how these nurses negotiate and position their lesbian identity in the therapeutic relationship. To work therapeutically with people in mental distress the nurse uses personal information about themselves to gain rapport with the client through appropriate self-disclosure. Being real, honest and authentic are also key concepts in this relationship so the negotiation of reveal/conceal of the nurse's identity is central to ongoing therapeutic engagement. One of the most significant things arising from the research is that participants are able to maintain their honesty and authenticity in the therapeutic relationship whether they self-disclose their lesbian identity or not. This is because the experiences in their personal lives have influenced how the participants 'know themselves' and therefore guide how they 'use self' in their therapeutic nursing. The concept of a 'licensed narrative' has also been developed during this research reflecting the negotiated understandings between the researcher and the participants. Further, the use of NVivo a qualitative software package helps to track and make transparent the research processes. These two aspects make a unique contribution to the field of narrative inquiry.

Abstract: This research paper reports on an exploration of the key elements nurses need to be aware of to effectively nurse adolescents in an adult inpatient unit. It describes the developmental needs and significant influences that affect this age-group, that when incorporated into nursing care, nurses can gain a therapeutic relationship with the adolescent. By means of a literature review, sharing the author's experience in nursing adolescents, and through vignettes of practice, an illustration of some common situations that may occur during the adolescent's inpatient stay are described. These situations are explored and a perspective is offered on how nurses may be effective in their nursing of an adolescent patient from the point of admission through to discharge. More research is needed on adolescent mental health nursing, however the author anticipates that nurses will be able to use this report as a helpful resource in their current practice.

Abstract: The aim of this study is to analyse the discourses drawn upon by community paediatric nurses in relation to children's rights to health. The philosophy of Michel Foucault has been used to underpin the analysis of the interviews and exemplars of five experienced community nurses, revealing conflicting power relationships and discourses. Rights are formalised morality and so from a children's rights perspective, discourses reflect both the moral and ethical positions of the nurses. Children are constructed as developing human beings whose moral status gradually changes and who, through a lack of developmental autonomy, entrust their decision-making to their representatives (parents and caregivers) as their trustees. Rights are correlative with the obligations and duties toward children by both families and society. Society constructs legislative and politically organised structures to govern raising children because children are an intrinsic social concern. Whilst representing society's interest in children's rights to health, nurses in the home act as a conduit for multiple governing structures. The nurses in this study construct their “truths” and knowledge about children's health rights from nursing, medicine, law, education, and social policy. However, the values of individual parents can conflict with universal values for children's health and wellbeing. Therefore representing society positions nurses as “agents of the state”, a role that potentially holds power over parents and children and leads to the epithet of “the health police”. Within the institution of the family, and in the privacy of the home, there are also mechanisms of power that can resist the mechanisms of the state and its representatives. Therefore the discourse “it takes a village to raise a child” competes with the “my home is my castle” discourse. Nurses negotiate a fine balance between these power relations. Nurses are challenged with using power productively to promote children's rights whilst respecting the role of parents and families. The author argues that children's rights are central to the moral and ethical work of nurses but that such work is often obscured and invisible. She proposes that children's community nurses are excellent at negotiating networking and connecting at a micro level, but need to create a more sophisticated and cohesive entity at a macro level to become fully political children's rights advocates.

Abstract: Literature and discussion on the role of caring theory in nursing has been in evidence for at least the past 30 years. Many nursing theorists have identified caring as the heart of nursing. Nursing is a profession involved and concerned with relationships. These relationships begin in the schools of nursing, and are continued into the clinical practice setting. Curriculum development is focused on ensuring nurses are prepared for the real world of practice. It is the author's belief, that nurses who receive their education in an environment where caring is modelled and evidenced throughout the curriculum, become nurses who continue to practice in a caring way. This dissertation will demonstrate that Swanson's (1991) five caring processes provide a framework to evidence caring practice within a nursing curriculum. The author believes this topic needs to be discussed as schools of nursing continue to review their curricula to prepare nurses for an ever changing and challenging health environment. This dissertation explores the question, 'If caring is at the heart of the profession of nursing, is it also at the heart of nursing education?' The author's objective is to inform the reader, and perhaps encourage educators to be courageous in the demonstration of caring practice, and in the development of caring curricula.

Abstract: The primary aim of this research was to advocate for, and make known, the role of the community oncology nurse, and to bring alive the hidden issues of nursing people in the community who have active cancer treatment. This study is also about the author's journey from novice to expert in developing the role as a community oncology nurse. The research also aimed to identify and understand practice that community oncology nurses do and often take for granted. To capture the essence of this study the method of reflective topical autobiography was utilised, which gave the opportunity to gather advanced nursing inquiry, and generate new nursing knowledge. To obtain insight into the highs and lows in everyday interaction with patients, reflective practice stories are presented. The thesis generated by this research is that care required by cancer patients at home goes beyond the scope of traditional community health. It requires nurses to be competent in technological skills as well as bringing in-depth expertise to the practical and human needs of people experiencing cancer. The role involves holistic, family-centered care; anticipating patient and family needs; educating; managing symptoms; advocating; confronting ethical issues; coordinating complex care; and monitoring progress.