Abstract: This is the second of a series of research projects undertaken to present the contemporary picture of the nurse workforce and their work in rural settings to inform policy for development of rural healthcare. The document presents the findings of telephone interviews with nurses in different work rural work settings around the country discussing their practice. The analysis identified a framework of four models of nursing practice: two traditional models defined by the institutions employing nurses, and two emerging models defined by the new positions requiring nurses to respond directly to health need.

Abstract: This contemporary historical study examines the health sector environment of the 1990s and the turn of the 21st century, and assesses the policy initiatives undertaken to advance nursing in New Zealand during that period. The authors look at the conditions and forces that saw nursing achieve a new emphasis on advanced and expanded scope of nursing practice, less than a decade after the commencement of New Zealand's first pre-registration nursing degrees.

Abstract: A new approach to mental health legislation has seen the involvement of a range of health professionals in legislated mental health roles, including the power of registered nurses to detain patients in hospital under Section 111 of the New Zealand Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act (1992). Under this Section, a nurse who believes that a voluntary patient meets the legal criteria of the Act can independently detain the patient for a period of up to six hours, pending further assessment by a medical practitioner. However, anecdotal evidence and a clinical audit undertaken by the authors suggest some doctors 'prescribe' Section 111 at the time of admission. This practice instructs nurses to initiate Section 111 if particular voluntary patients choose to leave hospital. This study outlines practice issues resulting from 'prescribing' Section 111; provides a legal critique of medical practitioners' involvement in this practice; and makes recommendations for guidelines toward a more constructive use of Section 111.

Abstract: In November 2005, the Oxford Community Health Centre (OCHC) introduced an innovative way of delivering primary health care to the residents of Oxford. This was in response to the difficulty with recruitment and retention of medical staff for the solo General Practitioner (GP) at OCHC. Primary health care services are now the shared responsibility of the Rural Nurse Specialists (RNS) and the GPs. This initiative is underpinned by a collaborative approach in sharing patient care between the GPs and RNSs to improve access to primary health care and foster staff retention. The team at OCHC is keen to consolidate and enhance the success of collaboration. Therefore, this dissertation has reviewed a range of literature in order to identify lessons that can be learned for the future. Two key factors that have implications for OCHC are the structural effects of the organisation and the interpersonal relationships between the GPs and RNSs. The structural effects include: the structure and philosophy at OCHC, and the social, cultural, and educational influences within the organisation. It is the nature of the interpersonal relationships that can affect the development and success of collaboration through a willingness to collaborate and the existence of mutual respect, trust, and effective communication between the RNSs and GPs. Strategies to foster collaboration at OCHC in the future include: staff participation in making collaboration visible within the philosophy at OCHC, a workshop for staff to further define roles and differentiate activities according to skill-mix; and the involvement of a nurse in decision-making at the organisational level. The author suggests that these strategies could also be beneficial to other rural practices that are striving to maintain a sustainable primary health care service.

Abstract: This paper reports a study that examined the factors that assisted or hindered the transition of a group of enrolled nurses to registration/degree programmes, via a flexible course developed by a North Island tertiary institution. The study follows ten enrolled nurses, primarily Maori and working in rural settings, as they continued to work while studying at a small satellite campus. The study was exploratory and descriptive, and utilised focus group interviews. Two major categories emerged from comparative analysis of the data. One category entitled 'relearning how to learn', demonstrated the cognitive and behavioural adaptations made and is the focus of this paper. The other category 'barriers and catapults', demonstrated the physical and environmental factors that influenced the students' transition but is outside the scope of this paper. Recent changes in New Zealand nursing education have witnessed the clarification of scopes of nursing practice and the controversial development of a new Certificate in Health Science (Nurse Assistant). Currently enrolled nurses are again facing threats to employment and it is envisaged that many will be seeking to undertake transition to registered nurse in the near future.

Abstract: The development of generic statutory roles in mental health care has been the subject of discussion by New Zealand nurses for the past decade. One such role is that of second health professional in judicial reviews of civil commitment. Issues identified by New Zealand nurses have also been raised in England, where it seems that nurses are likely to assume the role of Approved Mental Health Worker under English mental health law. A survey of mental health nurses found that few had received any preparation for the role of second health professional and 45% did not feel adequately prepared for the role. Some of these issues are reflected in a New Zealand inquiry which resulted in the Ministry of Health developing a written report form for second health professionals. However, the form has the potential to reduce the mental health nursing role to a narrow legal role. Statutory roles such as that of second health professional challenge mental health nurses to critically reflect on the conceptual and ethical basis of their practice. While traditional concepts such as therapeutic relationships and advocacy need to be reviewed in light of these changes, nurses need to be vigilant in articulating the moral and clinical basis of their roles. The development of guidelines for the second health professional role is suggested as a way of supporting clinical practice in this area.