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Watson, P. B. (1997). Evaluation of a self management plan for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Vol. 10). Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: We hypothesized that the use of an Action Plan might assist self management for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).A pilot process and randomized, controlled study were undertaken to evaluate an action plan that provided advice on management of usual care and exacerbations, together with a booklet on self management. Fifty six subjects with COPD recruited through general practitioners (GPs) completed the six month study, 27 in the control group and 29 in the intervention group. The control group received usual care from their GP and the intervention group received a booklet and Action Plan from their practice nurse plus a supply of prednisone and antibiotic from their GP.The two groups were demographically similar with a mean age of 68 yrs. The resources were well received by GPs, practice nurses and the intervention group subjects. After six months there were no differences in quality of life scores or pulmonary function. There were significant changes in self management behaviour in the intervention group compared to controls. In response to seterioting symptoms, 34 versus7% (p= 0.014) initiated prednisone treatment and 44 versus 7 % (p=0.002 initiated antibiotics.Subjects in the intervention group readily adopted self management skills but did not shpw any difference in quality of life or lung function parameters. A larger prospective controlled clinical trial of this approach is warranted
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Watson, P. B. (1994). A study of cardiac inpatient participation in Canterbury Health's cardiac rehabilitation programme. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: A telephone survey was conducted with 61 randomly selected patients who had been admitted to the cardiology service with an Myocardial infarction but did not attend the cardiac rehabilitation programme. Findings show that many patients who would benefit from cardiac rehabilitation are denied access because it is only open to patients who have Myocardial Infarctions. Only a small percentage of MI admissions attend rehabilitation the main reason being patients are not informed the service is available. Women are under represented among rehabilitation participants and lack of transport is a major factor inhibiting women from attending. Improvements in referral systems and follow up are recommended
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Walker, J. (1995). Learning physical assessment skills. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: Nursing students have only recently learnt in-depth physical assessment skills within degree programmes in New Zealand. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of learning physical assessment skills for the first time from the student's experience. In exploring this experience it was hoped to uncover some of the factors, beneficial or not, which influence their learning process. Data was collected by two methods. Firstly through two non-participant observations of a class of sixteen pre-registration male and female nursing students at an urban tertiary institute. Secondly through taped in-depth interviews with a female and a male student, from the group, individually and then together. The data was analysed using coding categories suggested by Bogdan and Biklen (1992) and emerging themes related to the process of learning new knowledge and skills. The four themes identified were: students working at learning, tutors facilitating learning, students facilitating learning and learning in clinical practice
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White, E. L. (1980). A co-operative approach to nursing manpower planning. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: The paper reviews, as a case history, the progress (to 1980) of the development of a Nursing Manpower Plan for Wellington Hospital Board.The main features of protocol are delineated.The prime requirement for the development of a manpower plan are perceived of as having available, reliable, quantifiable and comparable data.Discussion indicates the methods of collection, analysis and use (actual and potential) of quantifiable data.The use of quantifiable data indicated the potential, for the use of “nursing hours per patient per day”
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Peddie, B. (1995). Whooping cough in the Northern Coromandel -1995 (Vol. 4). Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: Data gathered during a whooping cough outbreak in the Northern Coromandel in 1995 highlights some distinct characteristics about how the disease manifestests itself in a defined geographical area, and about the place of prophylactic Erythromycin. This was probably the most fully documented outbreak in New Zealand, and possibly the first study conducted from a community perspective
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Dodd, J. E. L. (1995). Individual privacy and the public good of health research. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: This is a piece of philosophy research and covers the following matters; the nature of privacy, Why it is morally significant, nature of health research, the privacy issues in health research and finally some suggestions as to ways privacy in health research may be preserved
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Isles, P. (1999). What difference does academic study make to the practice of RGN's or RGON's? – a longitudinal study in progress 1999. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Davy, R. (1999). Evaluation of the impact on the quality of women who have participated in a nursing education session on menopause. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: Objective; The objective of this study is to determine if attending a nursing education session on menopause has an impact on women's management of their menopausal symptoms and consequently their quality of life for women aged 40 to 60 years. The hypothesis is that women attending education sessions will start or increase health promotion activities which will reduce menopausal symptoms and thus improve their quality of life.Design and method; Two questionaires were given to the women on the day of the education sessions and another questionnaire was sent to the participant three months later. The sample of 30 completed questionnaires includes feedback from Pacific Island women. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The measure of quality of life has been based on the level of impact of menopausal on each women's life before the education session and three months later.Results; Initial analysis indicates that diet, exercise and time out were most commonly reported health activities utilized for relief of symptoms with HRT and herbal remedies used less often. Three months after the education session there was a significant reduction in the impact of symptoms in most categories with 140 incidences of total disappearance of symptoms, 24 incidences of reduction of symptoms, 17 incidences of symptoms increasing while 36 symptoms remained unchanged. Only one woman reported that she continued to have no control over her symptoms while the rest of the sample indicated that they had some or total control. The most common changes in health promotion activities were reduction in caffeine, exercise, relaxation and lubrication with sex. Herbal, homeopathy, dietary and hormone treatment rated low in health activities after the three months.Conclusion; Initial analysis indicates that menopausal symptoms has significantly improved for the majority of women who attended the nursing education session
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O'Brien, A. J. (1998). Negotiating the relationship: mental health nurses' perception of their practice. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: This exploratory descriptive study used focus groups to investigate experienced mental health nurses' perceptions of expertise in relation to their practice. Two focus group discussions were conducted, one compiling 4 nurses working in in-patient care, and the other with 5 nurses working in community care. The nurse-patient relationship was the central theme for both groups. Three sub-themes were identified and are discussed. They are: involvement, individualising care & minimising visibility. The significance of these themes for the articulation of mental health nursing practice is discussed
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Cowan, L. M. (1999). Alcohol and drug treatment for women: clinicians beliefs and practice. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: The aim of this study is to investigate whether clinicians consider women have different needs to men. To identify what specific treatment clinicians provided for women with alcohol and drug problems and ascertain whether various clinician variable, are elated to differences in beliefs and treatment provision.The questionnaire items for this study were included in the National Centre for Treatment Development (Alcohol, Drug & Addiction) New Zealand wide telephone survey of alcohol and drug clinicians. Independent interviewers surveyed 217 clinicians. Clinicians were first asked whether they believed women with alcohol and drug problems have differing treatment needs to men. Clinicians responses were compared with various clinician Socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, ethnicity, professional group, years working in the alcohol and drug treatment field, work setting, qualifications/courses attended, location, and personal alcohol use).Key findings are that almost a quarter (24%) of the clinicians surveyed did not believe that women have different treatment needs to men. However the majority (76%) of clinicians do believe that women have different treatment needs to men. Furthermore findings from this study suggest that significant differences exist in relation to clinicians' practice in new Zealand in relation to clinician, gender, work setting (Crown Health Enterprise, outpatient and residential), and gender mix of caseload
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McEldowney, R. A. (1992). A new lamp is shining: life histories of five feminist nurse educators. Ph.D. thesis, , .
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Sherrard, I. M. (1998). Death of a colleague in the workplace. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: Questionnaires were completed by participants who had had a colleague die. Participants reported that some were still having difficulty with the loss of a work collogue. Participants wanted managers to provide both managerial and emotional support during their time of grieving
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Sherrard, I. M. (1998). Chronic illness: a challenge to manage in the workplace. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: Questionnaires were completed in the work place. The participants had all experienced a chronic illness. The results revealed that the manager has the responsibility to deal openly with the staff member who is ill, and for some managers this is difficult to do
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Gardner, A., Hase, S., Gardner, G., Dunn, S., & Carryer, J. B. (2008). From competence to capability: A study of nurse practitioners in clinical practice. Author copy available 12 months after publication from QUT ePrints, 17(2), 250–258.
Abstract: This research aimed to understand the level and scope of practice of the nurse practitioner in Australia and New Zealand further using a capability framework. The original study, from which the present paper was developed, sought to identify competency standards for the extended role of the nurse practitioner in Australia and New Zealand. In doing so the researchers became aware that while competencies described many of the characteristics of the nurse practitioner they did not manage to tell the whole story. In a search of the literature, the concept of capability appeared to provide a potentially useful construct to describe the attributes of the nurse practitioner that went beyond competence. A secondary analysis of data obtained from the interviews with 15 nurse practitioners working in Australia and New Zealand was undertaken. The analysis showed that capability and its dimensions is a useful model for describing the advanced level attributes of nurse practitioners. Thus, nurse practitioners described elements of their practice that involved: using their competences in novel and complex situations as well as the familiar; being creative and innovative; knowing how to learn; having a high level of self-efficacy; and working well in teams. This study suggests dimensions of capability need to be considered in the education and evaluation of nurse practitioners.
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Jones, M. (1985). The complexities of post operative pain management and a study of the effectiveness of continuous intravenous narcotic infusion pumps as a means of pain relief in the first 48 hours post operatively. Ph.D. thesis, , .
Abstract: The purpose of this paper was to observe the effectiveness of continuous intravenous narcotic infusions as a means of pain relief in the first 48 hours post operatively. 12 patients who had experienced major thoracic or abdominal surgery participated in the study. Pain was assessed at rest and on activity on visual analogues at 5 specific times daily for up to 48 hours post operatively. Data was also collected from a structured interview within the first 48 hours and a retrospective interview when the infusion was discontinued. Results indicated- 1. Very little correlation of changes in pain relief dose to the assessment of pain intensity. 2. Documentation and assessment was not always thoroughly completed. 3. Inadequate treatment of pain post operatively was evident especially on activity. It should be emphasised that pain management could be improved through a focus in interdisciplinary consultation, continuing in service education on pain management and accountability in procedure.
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