Abstract: This study explored the experiences of hospitalised patients in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolation in New Zealand and the meaning that those patients made of those experiences. The research question of this study was 'What is the lived experience of patients in MRSA isolation?' An interpretive phenomenological approach was undertaken for this research, informed by the philosophical hermeneutic tenets of Heidegger (1927/1962). Audio-taped, semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from a purposive sample of ten adults who were in MRSA isolation in various wards in a large acute care hospital in the central North Island. Three salient themes emerged from the data. The first, 'being MRSA positive', summarises the meaning of having an identity of being MRSA positive. The second theme, 'being with others', is concerned with the effect that being in isolation for MRSA has on interpersonal relations. 'Living within four walls' is the third theme and reveals the significance that the physical environment of the MRSA isolation room has on the experience of MRSA isolation. Within the discussion of these themes, excerpts from the interviews are provided to illuminate the meanings and interpretations made. Recommendations are made for nursing practice and education.

Abstract: This research sought to explore the nature of comfort within the context of three New Zealand nursing homes and examine how nursing and other actions contribute to residents' comfort. A critical ethnographic approach was used and fieldwork included 90 days of participant observation, interviews with 27 residents and 28 staff and extensive document examination. Comfort was multidimensional, idiosyncratic, dynamic and context dependent, rather than merely the absence of discomfort. This multidimensional nature meant residents could be 'betwixt and between' comfort and discomfort simultaneously. The constraints of one-size-fits-all care delivery practices and the tensions inherent in communal living compounded residents' discomfort. The findings show that individualised care, based on comprehensive and accurate nursing assessment, is fundamental to the comfort of residents.

Abstract: In the acute hospital setting, nurses provide care twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Due to the ever-changing nature of the patient's situation, nurses need quality information at the beginning of each eight-hour shift to plan and implement patient care effectively. It is claimed that handover is central for maintaining the continuity and the quality of patient care. This qualitative descriptive study was undertaken to identify what core information needs to be exchanged at nursing handover to ensure quality and continuity of patient care. Five consumers who had experience of recurrent hospital admissions shared their perceptions of handover practice through individual interviews. Three focus group meetings of seven nurses from a secondary care setting discussed handover practice from their professional perspectives. Both nursing and consumer voices are integral to the overall understanding of this study but the consumer voice is the privileged and dominant voice. Through the process of thematic content analysis the central themes of communication, continuity and competence emerged for the consumers. Consumers expect to be kept informed and involved in their healthcare. They want continuity of nurse, information and care and expect that nurses involved in the delivery of healthcare are competent to manage their situation. The 'importance of knowing' is the overarching construct generated in this research. Knowing is identified as the foundation on which quality and continuity of care is built and is discussed under the subheadings of: not knowing, knowing the patient as a person, knowing takes time, hidden knowing, knowing consumers' rights, oral knowing, knowing involves more than handing over patient care and knowing the economics. Recommendations have been developed for future research, nursing practice, education and management. These centre on ways to develop a more consumer-focused approach to contemporary healthcare.

Abstract: This article is presented in two parts. In the first, an outline of Heidegger's approach to phenomenology is offered. A basic premise of hermeneutic phenomenology is that people make sense of the world through the narratives they tell to themselves and to others. When the researcher uses this philosophical approach, persons communicate their experiences; the researcher interprets the experience and communicates that understanding in writing. In the second part of the paper, the experiences of four people whose partners were hospitalised out of town is described.

Abstract: This thesis describes the maternity system in Wellington between 1950 and 1970 particularly from the perspectives of consumers and midwives. Four women consumers who experienced maternity in Wellington and two midwives who worked in Wellington's maternity hospitals during this period provided their oral testimonies as the main primary sources for this study. The author's experience of being a student nurse and a consumer in Wellington and other primary and secondary sources are used to substantiate, explore and explain the topic. The study traces the socio-political changes in New Zealand maternity from 1900 to 1970 creating a backdrop against which Wellington's maternity system, including the women, the hospitals, the workforce, maternity practices and the childbearing process are illuminated using the insights of women and midwives who experienced them. The oral testimonies of the six participants described positive and negative aspects of their maternity experiences, but the three strong themes that arose from their accounts included 'being alone', 'lack of autonomy' and 'uncaring attitudes'.

Abstract: This article explores the importance of evaluation of nurse-managed clinics using the Mana Health Clinic in Auckland, as an example. Fourth generation evaluation is offered as an appropriate methodology for undertaking evaluation of nurse-managed clinics. Fourth generation evaluation actively seeks involvement of clients in the process and outcome of the evaluation, resulting in participation and empowerment of stakeholders in the service – a precept often forgotten in traditional evaluation strategies and of vital importance in understanding why people use nurse-managed clinics. The method proposed here also incorporates the need for quantitative data. The main argument is that a combination of qualitative and quantitative data sources is likely to give the greatest understanding of nurse-managed clinics' utilisation.