Holloway, K. T. (1999). Developing an evidence base for teaching nursing practice skills in an undergraduate nursing program. Nursing Praxis in New Zealand, 14(1), 22–32.
Abstract: This research seeks to determine an evidence basis for selecting content for the clinical skills curriculum in an undergraduate programme. Thirty-three senior nurse clinicians from medical-surgical areas in 2 large hospitals offering student placements were asked to rate the frequency of performance of 77 skills for the beginning registered nurse. Those skills frequently used and rated over 65% were considers for inclusion in the undergraduate programme. Clinicians were asked to list the 10 most important skills and related level of competence expected from the newly-registered nurse.
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Richardson, S. (1999). Emergency departments and the inappropriate attender: Is it time for a reconceptualisation of the role of primary care in emergency facilities? Nursing Praxis in New Zealand, 14(2), 13–20.
Abstract: This paper reviews currently identified issues concerning emergency department attendance, and examines the core question of the role of primary care in the emergency department. Asks whether this is an appropriate use of emergency department resources, and if so, what the implications are for the role of the emergency nurse. Suggests the establishment of Minor Injury Units in New Zealand like those in the UK.
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McBride-Henry, K., & Foureur, M. (2007). A secondary care nursing perspective on medication administration safety. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 60(1), 58–66.
Abstract: This paper reports on a study to explore how nurses in a secondary care environment understand medication administration safety and the factors that contribute to, or undermine, safe practice during this process. Data were collected in 2005 using three focus groups of nurses that formed part of a larger study examining organisational safety and medication administration from a nursing perspective. A narrative approach was employed to analyse the transcripts. Participants had good understandings of organisational culture in relation to medication safety and recognised the importance of effective multi-disciplinary teams in maintaining a safe environment for patients. Despite this, they acknowledged that not all systems work well, and offered a variety of ways to improve current medication practices. These findings highlight the meaningful contribution nurses can make to patient safety and emphasise the importance of including the nursing voice in any quality improvement initiatives.
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McKenna, B., Poole, S., Smith, N. A., Coverdale, J., & Gale, C. (2003). A survey of threats and violent behaviour by patients against registered nurses in their first year of practice (Vol. 12).
Abstract: For this study, an anonymous survey was sent to registered nurses in their first year of practice. From the 1169 survey instruments that were distributed, 551 were returned completed (a response rate of 47%). The most common inappropriate behaviour by patients involved verbal threats, verbal sexual harassment, and physical intimidation. There were 22 incidents of assault requiring medical intervention and 21 incidents of participants being stalked by patients. Male graduates and younger nurses were especially vulnerable. Mental health was the service area most at risk. A most distressing incident was described by 123 (22%) of respondents. The level of distress caused by the incident was rated by 68 of the 123 respondents (55%) as moderate or severe. Only half of those who described a most distressing event indicated they had some undergraduate training in protecting against assault or in managing potentially violent incidents. After registration, 45 (37%) indicated they had received such training. The findings of this study indicate priorities for effective prevention programmes.
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Giddings, D. L. S., & Grant, B. M. (2007). A Trojan Horse for positivism? A critique of mixed methods research. Advances in Nursing Science, 30(1), 52–60.
Abstract: This paper presents an analysis of mixed methods research, which the authors suggest is captured by a pragmatically inflected form of post-positivism. Although it passes for an alternative methodological movement that purports to breach the divide between qualitative and quantitative research, most mixed methods studies favour the forms of analysis and truth finding associated with positivism. The authors anticipate a move away from exploring more philosophical questions or undertaking modes of enquiry that challenge the status quo. At the same time, they recognise that mixed methods research offers particular strengths and that, although it serves as a Trojan Horse for positivism, it may productively carry other paradigmatic passengers.
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Farrow, T., McKenna, B., & O'Brien, A. J. (2002). Advanced 'prescribing' of nurses' emergency holding powers under New Zealand mental health legislation. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 11(3), 164–169.
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.
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Cowan, L. M., Deering, D., Crowe, M., Sellman, D., Futterman-Collier, A., & Adamson, S. (2003). Alcohol and drug treatment for women: Clinicians' beliefs and practice. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 12(1), 48–55.
Abstract: The present paper reports on the results of a telephone survey of 217 alcohol and drug treatment clinicians on their beliefs and practice, in relation to service provision for women. Nurses comprised the second largest professional group surveyed. Seventy-eight percent of clinicians believed that women's treatment needs differed from men's and 74% reported a range of approaches and interventions, such as assisting with parenting issues and referral to women-only programmes. Several differences emerged in relation to approaches and interventions used, depending on clinician gender, work setting and proportion of women on clinicians' caseload. Implications for mental health nursing include the need to more systematically incorporate gender-based treatment needs into practice and undergraduate and postgraduate education and training programmes.
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Gallagher, P. (2000). An evaluation of a standards based portfolio [Corrected and republished article printed in NURSE EDUC TODAY 2001 Apr; 21(3): 197-200]. Nurse Education Today, 20(3), 218–226.
Abstract: This study is an evaluation of student perceptions of a standards based portfolio, which is a is a series of student work that seeks to address pre-determined learning outcomes. Of interest to the study was the relationship between theory and practice, the availability of resources to complete the assignment and the contribution the portfolio made to the process of learning. For a particular unit of learning, 'Nursing Business', second year undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Nursing programme were required to complete a portfolio. The assessment directed the students to meet specific criteria which in turn reflected the learning outcomes.
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Kaviani, N., & Stillwell, Y. (2000). An evaluative study of clinical preceptorship. Nurse Education Today, 20(3), 218–226.
Abstract: A preceptorship programme of 100 hours duration was developed and delivered by a nurse education institute, in consultation with a health care organisation. The purpose of the study was to examine preceptors, preceptees, and nurse managers' preceptions of the preceptor role and factors which influenced the performance of preceptors. Using focus groups, participants were each asked to identify the outcomes of the programme in practice. Study findings highlighted the importance of formal preceptor preparation, personal and professional development of the preceptors, and the promotion of positive partnerships between nurse educators and nurse practitioners. The need for formal recognition of the preceptor role in practice, particularly in relation to the provision of adequate time and resources, emerged from the study. The research findings enabled the development of an evaluative model of preceptorship, which highlights the intrinsic and extrinsic factors impacting on the preceptor role
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Teekman, B., & Stillwell, Y. (2000). Exploring reflective thinking in nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 31(5), 1125–1135.
Abstract: Sense-Making, a qualitative research method, was used to obtain and analyse data from interviews with 10 registered nurses, in order to study reflective thinking in actual nursing practice. Ten non-routine nursing situations were analysed for the presence of reflective thinking. Reflective thinking was extensively manifest, especially in moments of doubt and perplexity, and consisted of such cognitive activities as comparing and contrasting phenomena, recognising patterns, categorising perceptions, framing, and self-questioning in order to create meaning and understanding. Self-questioning was identified as a significant process within reflective thinking. By exploring and analysing the type of questions respondents were asking themselves, the study uncovered three hierarchical levels of reflective thinking, focussed on action, evaluation and critical enquiry. The findings of this study resulted in the development of a model of reflective thinking, which is discussed in terms of the implications for learning in nursing practice.
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Hardcastle, J. (2008). 'Back to the bedside': Graduate level education in critical care. Nurse Education in Practice, 8(1), 46–53.
Abstract: This paper explores the relationships within teaching, learning and practice development in critical care nursing and questions the popular assumption that 'post graduate (Master's level) education fits all'. The need for critical care nurses to apply advanced knowledge and technical skills to complex and dynamic practice situations necessitates the development of critical thinking and a problem-solving approach to clinical practice that can be fostered through education and experience. Discussion focuses on the successful development and implementation of graduate level education for critical care nurses in the South Island of New Zealand and how this development is challenging existing approaches to the provision and evaluation of formal critical care education in New Zealand.
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Bland, M. F. (2007). Betwixt and between: A critical ethnography of comfort in New Zealand residential aged care. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 16(5), 937–944.
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.
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Alavi, C. (2005). Breaking-in bodies: Teaching, nursing, initiations or what's love got to do with it? Contemporary Nurse, 18(3), 292–299.
Abstract: This paper discusses how students become able to work with sick patients for whom they may feel disgust or discomfort. It is a sustained engagement with the literature on abjection and disgust and is not the outcome of evaluation research. It considers the role of problem-based learning pedagogy in facilitating students' negotiation of their own discomfort and horror, and describes experiences which enable them to approach abject patients with more comfort and less disgust. The paper argues the importance of creating spaces where students can explore issues which are distressing and disturbing so that they will feel able to remain in nursing.
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Hamer, H. P., & McCallin, A. (2006). Cardiac pain or panic disorder? Managing uncertainty in the emergency department. Nursing & Health Sciences, 8(4), 224–230.
Abstract: This paper presents research findings from a New Zealand study that explored emergency nurses' differentiation of non-cardiac chest pain from panic disorder and raised significant issues in the nursing assessment and management of such clients. The data were gathered from focus group interviews and were analysed thematically. Three themes, prioritising time, managing uncertainty and ambiguity, and the life-threatening lens, were identified. The findings confirm that a panic disorder is not always diagnosed when biomedical assessment is used in isolation from a psychosocial assessment. Emergency nurses are pivotal in reversing the cycle of repeat presenters with non-cardiac chest pain. Recommendations for assessing and managing this complex condition are presented.
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Framp, A. (2006). Diffuse gastric cancer. Gastroenterology Nursing, 29(3), 232–238.
Abstract: This article provides an overview of gastric cancer using a unique case study involving a Maori family genetically predisposed to diffuse gastric cancer. The pathophysiology of diffuse gastric cancer, including prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment, along with important patient considerations is highlighted.
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