Abstract: ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Emergency nursing is a specialty concerned with the care of people of all ages, with either perceived or actual unwellness presenting to the emergency department(ED) for assessment, resuscitation, investigation, treatment and review of their illness or injury. Emergency nurses apply specialty knowledge and expertise in the provision, delivery and evaluation of emergency nursing care. Over recent decades social, political and professional changes have affected nursing care delivery and nursing education. In particular the 21st century has witnessed the development of state funded postgraduate nursing education programmes, developing nurses specialty or advanced nursing knowledge, quality patient/client care and nursing practice within the tertiary education system.
AIM: The aim of this study is to investigate emergency nurses? perceptions of the impact of postgraduate education on their practice in New Zealand (NZ).
METHODS: This study utilises critical social theory as the overarching framework, informed by the writing of Jürgen Habermas (b.1929- ). It is the three phases of
Habermas?s practical intent of critical social theory; namely enlightenment, empowerment and emancipation, that this study is concerned with. This descriptive research study employs both quantitative and qualitative methods and is therefore known as mixed-methods research. Data collection took place over 12 weeks, from August to November 2006, using a survey questionnaire obtained with permission from Ms Dianne Pelletier, Sydney, Australia. The sample included 105 emergency nurses from District Health Board (DHB) emergency departments in NZ, 10 respondents from this sample self-selected to be interviewed by telephone. Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the University of Otago Ethics Committee for research involving human participants. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
RESULTS: Two main themes arose from the thematic analysis; these being positive and negative, these themes were further divided into 10 sub-themes. The results indicate that postgraduate study (PGS) has increased nurses? perception of their knowledge; leadership and understanding on the quality of patient care delivered, increased their academic and research skills and increased their confidence/self-esteem and recognition by their colleagues and team. Therefore the majority of respondents perceive postgraduate education has been an instrument of liberation and a process of empowerment and emancipation. A smaller percentage of respondents perceived that PGS had no effect on various aspects of patient care and another significantly smaller percentage of respondents reported negative results from PGS. This research identified similarities between this study and that of Pelletier and colleagues? (2003; , 2005; , 1998a; , 1998b) Australian study.
CONCLUSION: This study adds to the existing literature on postgraduate studies undertaken by nurses. No known study has previously investigated solely emergency nurses?perceptions of the effects of PGS, either nationally or internationally. The results of this study offer enlightening information regarding emergency nurses? perceptions of their PGS within NZ and offers a platform from which other studies may be undertaken. It also has the potential to inform nurses contemplating PGS and educators facilitating these programmes,as well as provide implications for policy development by the Nursing Council of NZ, NZ Universities, DHBs and the Ministry of Health.

Abstract: The author has taken a broad approach to this research to explore the views of Generation Y New Zealand Registered Nurses towards the nursing profession, the work itself and their career plans. This study arose out of the author?s interest in health care workforce planning for nursing and in particular the retention of young nurses given the current national and global shortage of nurses. Because of the broad and descriptive nature of the research, a wide variety of topics are included in the literature reviewed.
Chapter one provides background to the study and an overview of generational cohorts.
Chapter two explores selected literature relevant to the concept of work and the characteristics of the Generation Y workforce.
Other topics included in this chapter include Herzberg?s work motivation hygiene/maintenance theory and a selection of literature about key workforce recruitment and retention issues.
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences

Abstract: A paper presenting the findings of a small research project involving a group of self-selected senior nurses of Wellington Hospital to explore the nature of nursing practice in the care and management of hospitalised patients and to formalise the language that would acknowledge its significance in the current effort of hospitals to define patient care pathways. The nature of hospital nursing practice was described in themes of a generic process of nurse-patient care that articulates a distinct specialism of hospital nursing, whatever the hospital department in which nurses hold positions.

Abstract: This paper will focus on nursing leadership, in particular the place of whanau ora in nursing practice. It explores one Maori and one tauiwi leadership style in relation to nursing practice in a whanau ora context. A critical appraisal of the Maori leadership style is given alongside discussion of how it promotes positive shifts in the health status of Maori communities. Finally, the paper discusses how this Maori leadership style supports the learning and development of Maori student nurses preparing for registered practice.

Abstract: It has been shown that intensive management of diabetes with type 2 diabetes is effective and has led to wider use of insulin. The conversion of patients from oral medication to insulin is usually managed in primary care. The study discussed here aimed to explore how patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) perceived insulin. The study was conducted in 2009 in an urban general practice in a large town in New Zealand with more than 300 patients with type 2 diabetes. A qualitative study was conducted with face-to-face interviews with 13 participants. The question focused on insulin initiation, lifestyle and routine. The transcribed responses were subject to thematic anaylsis. Interviews showed participants felt restricted by the prospect and eventuality of the routine and restrictions of being on insulin. Results show there needs to be a greater emphasis on the disease being progressive. This study provides the ground work for developing resources that will benefit patients with T2DM.

Abstract: Chronic stress and 'burnout' have been extensively researched in nursing populations, but very little is known about the impact of specific acutely stressful or significant events. A novice nurse's first encounter with patient death may pose considerable cognitive, emotional and clinical challenges. Using a mixed methods design, this study explored the clinical circumstances, impact and challenges and rewards of nurses' early experiences with patient death.

Abstract: This qualitative thesis uses discourse analysis to examine parental resistance towards medical treatment of critically ill children. It is an investigation of the 'mobile and transitory' discourses at play in instances of resistance between parents, physicians and nurses within health care institutions, and an examination of the consequences of resistance through providing alternative ways of perceiving and therefore understanding these disagreements. The philosophical perspectives, methodology and methods used in this thesis are underpinned by selected ideas taken from the works of Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu and supported by relevant literature in the fields of media, law, children, parenting, caring, serious childhood illness, medicine and nursing. It is argued that from an examination of interview based texts, parental resistance is an omnipresent but transitory occurrence that affects many of the interactions between the parents of seriously ill children and clinical staff. It is maintained that within these interactions, the seeds of this resistance are sown in both critical decision making situations and in everyday occurrences between doctors, nurses and parents within healthcare institutions. Contributing factors to parental resistance include the use of power games by staff, the language of medicine, forms of symbolic violence, the presence or absence of trust between parents and medical staff, the effects of medical habitus, and challenges to the parental role and identity. Overall, it is proposed in this thesis that parents who resist treatment for their seriously ill child are not exceptions to the normative patient-physician relationship.