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: The study explored the basis of the relatively low uptake of cervical screening and practice of breast self-examination among New Zealand women. Consistent with an interpretive approach to social phenomena it was anticipated that part of the explanation would lie in the meanings which women attach in general and to these specific health-protection practices.Theoretical sampling was effected by semi-structured interviews with 45 women. Transcripts of these interviews provided the substance data which were then analysed by the process of constant comparative analysis and other grounded theory strategies for analysis.The concept of a health-protective paradox centered around the core-variable 'vigilance-harmonizing which was generated to reconcile the seeming inconsistencies within, and between, individual women and their health practices. This conceptualisation was developed from the substantive date in order to provide a model designed to increase the effectiveness of nursing interventions for this area. The model, by illuminating processes from the client's perspective then can indicate those processes most suitable for incorporation in effective health education measures designed to promote the uptake of cervical screening and breast self-examination by women.As an adjunct to the study, a breast cancer case history is presented which shows the theory-in-use. The use of this case-history lies in the fact that it shares the substantive area of inquiry which serves to accentuate the viability, relevance and applicability of the grounded theory

Abstract: Nurses at a New Zealand Metropolitan Hospital were surveyed to determine whether the following factors affected their desire to participate in continuing education. Age, Family responsibilities, reading of Journals/Health literature related to Nursing, attendance of in service/staff development programs, careers aims and intended number of years to remain in Nursing. 30 Nurses were requested to participate in the research project. They were either registered General and Obstetric Nurses or Registered Comprehensive Nurses and 15 worked full time while 15 worked part time. Null hypotheses were formulated and tested because it is recognised that Nurses have a professional responsibility to maintain their knowledge and expertise and to do this in a Health Care system and society that is continually changing there must be a commitment to life long continuing education. Therefore , I thought it would be of interest to determine whether certain factors influenced Nurses' desire to participate in continuing education. With the factors of Age, Family responsibilities, hours of work, number of years registered reading of Journals/Health literature related to Nursing, and intended number of years to remain in Nursing there was no significant difference (p> 0.10) in the desire to participate in continuing education, as was Nurses basic qualification (p< 0.05) With the factor of attendance of in service/ Staff development programs there doesn't appear to be any significant difference and with career plans the sample expected frequencies were too small for statistical analysis