Abstract: This research presents a discourse analysis of articles published in the New Zealand Herald between October 1999 and September 2005. The terms “nurse prescribing” and “prescribing fights” identified seven articles published which referred specifically to this issue. They were predominantly editorial comments and statements attributed to senior doctors. Examples of comments from these articles are presented and discussed in this article, and three inter-related themes are identified – competence, responsibility and competition. Discussion on competence centred on education, skill and experience level of nurses, as described by editorial comment and senior doctors. Positive international research and experience of nurse prescribing did not feature. A number of comments in the articles analysed could be seen to represent concerns about competition between medicine and nursing. One interpretation of the comments contained in these articles is to see medical practitioner groups defending their status and desire to define and control nursing practice. The media has the power to select the information conveyed and, in these instances, appears to have demonstrated a bias towards the medical community's perspective.

Abstract: The author presents the approach of a nursing team at Christchurch's Princess Margaret Hospital, in the regional specialist service for people with anorexia nervosa. This unit provides the only specialist inpatient unit in the country, consisting of a six or seven-bed facility that shares a unit with a mother and baby unit. A multidisciplinary team of psychiatric nurses, dietitians, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers all make significant contributions. The Christchurch unit uses a cognitive-behavioural therapy model (CBT) across the disciplines, a multidimensional approach incorporating psychotherapeutic, psychoeducational, biomedical and behaviourist paradigms. This occurs within a “lenient flexible approach”. Within the Unit, the eight nurses constitute what could be seen as an “intra”-disciplinary team within the wider “inter”-disciplinary or MDT team. They apply an evidence-based nursing approach with a commitment to partnership and advocacy with their patients. They use collaborative techniques for defining shared goals, and the careful management of the introduction of food. As one of the team members, the author envisages that the job of specialised nurses is to form a therapeutic alliance with patients, which takes account of the dynamic ways that patients may negotiate their own complex understandings of health, care, and recovery.

Abstract: The author presents the results of a study carried out as part of a research project with two nurse researchers from Maastricht University in the Netherlands. The aim of this study was to examine awareness among female students aged 18 to 25 about cervical cancer and to identify factors associated with their decision or intention to enter the cervical screening programme. Students aged 18-25 were recruited from four tertiary institutions in the Wellington region. A questionnaire was available online and distributed by student health centres and the researchers. Questions covered the following areas: intentions, attitude, knowledge, awareness, modelling, and support systems and efficacy. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression and independent t-tests. The findings are presented, and factors associated with intention and participation in cervical screening are discussed. The results indicate that the information concerning the national screening programme needs to be adjusted for the different age groups.

Abstract: This article examines the role of nurses working in intensive care units who may need to work with families as they face the death of a loved one. How the nurse communicates with relatives during these crucial hours prior to the death can have profound implications on their grief recovery. Universal needs for families in this situation have been identified in the literature, and include: hope; knowing that staff care about their loved one; and having honest information about their loved one's condition. A case study is used to illustrate key skills and techniques nurses can employ to help meet these universal needs. In the first stage of grief the bereaved is in shock and may feel a sense of numbness and denial. The bereaved may feel confused and will have difficulty concentrating and remembering instructions, and they may express strong emotions. Studies on families' needs show that honest answers to questions and information about their loved one are extremely important. It is often very difficult for the nurse to give honest information when the prognosis is poor. Good communication skills and techniques are discussed, in which hope is not offered at the expense of truthfulness, and the nurse facilitates the process of saying goodbye and expressing emotions. Practical techniques, such as including the family in basic care such as foot massaging and simple hygiene routines, may also be used to move the family from being bystanders to the impending death, to comforters.

Abstract: The author reviews the diagnosis, treatment, and management of intermittent claudation. She uses a case study to illustrate successful management of the condition.

Abstract: The authors report on a recent study investigating the statutory role of responsible clinician. Statutory roles under mental health legislation offer mental health nurses a means of having advanced practice skills recognised, as well as contributing to improved access to services. There is a proliferation of roles intended to develop nursing readership, but in most cases they are not primarily clinical roles. The concept of “advanced practice” has become a means of developing clinical leadership roles in nursing. Research on responsible clinician role is presented along with the results of a survey of the 11 Registered Nurses practicing as responsible clinicians, five senior nurses from each of the 21 district health boards, and the Auckland Regional Forensic Psychiatry Services (n = 121). Respondents were asked whether the responsible clinician role was a legitimate one for nurses and whether they were motivated to attain or maintain that role. They were also asked which competencies for the role they believed they met, their perceptions of credentialing processes and the educational requirements needed to achieve the role. A clear majority of the respondents felt the role of the responsible clinician was a legitimate advanced practice role for mental health nurses. Despite this, some respondents expressed ambivalence about taking on the role. The research highlighted deficits in knowledge and skills that could become a focus of education for advanced practitioners seeking appointment as responsible clinicians. Deficits included some assessment skills, knowledge of a range of interventions and knowledge of other legislation affecting mental health legislation.

Abstract: The authors review the literature on the residual effects of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), which can include fatigue, foot drop or numbness, reduced mobility and nerve tingling. In GBS the peripheral nerves are attacked by the body's defence system, an auto-immune attack, and as a result, the myelin sheath and axons of nerves are impaired. The pathophysiology of the illness and long term effects are presented, and implications for nursing care and rehabilitation are discussed. Two case studies are included which illustrate coping with the long-term effects of GBS, the effect of GBS residuals on extreme fatigue and depression.