Hardcastle, J. (2004). The meaning of effective education for critical care nursing practice: A thematic analysis. Australian Critical Care, 17(3), 114, 116–2.
Abstract: Using thematic analysis, this study explored the phenomenon of effective education for critical care nursing practice by asking: What does effective education for critical care nursing practice mean to nurses currently practising in the specialty? Eighty eight critical care nurses from the South Island provided written descriptions of what effective education for critical care nursing practice meant to them. Descriptive statements were analysed to reveal constituents, themes and essences of meaning. Four core themes of personal quality, practice quality, the learning process and learning needs emerged. Appropriateness or relevance for individual learning needs is further identified as an essential theme within the meaning of effective education for critical care nursing practice. Shared experiences of the phenomenon are made explicit and discussed with reference to education and practice development in the specialty. The study results lend support to education that focuses on individual learning needs, and identifies work based learning as a potential strategy for learning and practice development in critical care nursing.
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Connor, M. (2004). The practical discourse in philosophy and nursing: An exploration of linkages and shifts in the evolution of praxis. Nursing Philosophy, 5(1), 54–66.
Abstract: This paper, firstly, examines the linkages and shifts in the evolution of of praxis. The concept of praxis, also known as the practical discourse in philosophy, has been expressed in different ways in different eras. However, the linkages from one era to another and from one paradigm to another are not well explicated in the nursing literature. Blurring of the linkages occurred from the popular association of praxis within the emancipatory paradigm. Integral to the concept of praxis, since the time of Aristotle, is the notion of phronesis: a process of moral reasoning enacted to establish the 'good' of a particular situation, often referred to as practical wisdom. Secondly, the paper, promotes and affirms the importance of praxiological knowledge development in the discipline. Furthermore, increased appreciation of the concept of praxis provides an important vehicle for the advancement of nursing as a moral endeavour and the nurse as moral agent.
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Fourie, W., McDonald, S., Connor, J., & Bartlett, S. (2005). The role of the registered nurse in an acute mental health inpatient setting in New Zealand: Perceptions versus reality. Available online from Coda: An institutional repository for the ITP sector, 14(2), 134–141.
Abstract: This study compared the perceptions that registered psychiatric nurses have of their roles with their actual practice. Following the closure of large scale psychiatric institutions in New Zealand, there was was an increased demand for limited beds in acute inpatient facilities for acutely mentally ill patients. This change in location and downsizing of acute inpatient beds challenged traditional roles of mental health nursing, resulting in confusion over what roles mental health nurses should now perform in the new context of care. This qualitative descriptive exploratory study observed nursing practice on three selected wards and used focus group interviews to establish from registered nurses what they perceived their roles to be. A key finding of this study was that many of the nursing roles related to delivering care from a crisis management perspective, which covers aspects such as assessment, stabilisation of symptoms and discharge planning. Participants also believed that the therapeutic relationship was a fundamental role in inpatient care. Nurses used any opportunity to make it a reality such as kitchen organisation, medications, or dealing with a challenging patient. This study highlighted the complexity of the roles that nurses performed and went some way to give voice to what at times seems an invisible practice.
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Drake, M. (2004). The sonata form of musical composition as a framework for thesis writing. Contemporary Nurse, 16(3), 252–258.
Abstract: This article introduces an innovation in writing master's level research and suggests that other structures may offer new and different frameworks for reporting nursing research. This is exemplified by reference to an example of nursing research which adopted the sonata form of musical composition as the framework for presentation of the thesis.
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Smythe, E. (2003). Uncovering the meaning of 'being safe' in practice. Contemporary Nurse, 14(2), 196–204.
Abstract: This paper moves away from the prevalent discourse of competence to consider the meaning of the experience of 'being safe' within the context of childbirth. It offers findings from a doctoral study, informed by the philosophies of Heidegger and Gadamer. Following ethical approval, the data was collected in New Zealand by tape-recorded interviews of 5 midwives, 4 obstetricians, 1 general practitioner and 10 women. The method was informed by van Manen. The findings reveal that in seeking the meaning of being safe one needs to be aware that the unsafety may already be present in the situation. Practitioners may be able to do little to rectify the unsafeness. There is, however, a spirit of safe practice, explicated in this paper, that is likely to make practice as safe as it can possibly be. Wise practitioners are ever mindful that a situation may be or become unsafe, and are always aware of their own limitations.
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Spence, D., & Fielding, S. (2002). Win-win-win: Collaboration advances critical care practice. Contemporary Nurse, 13(2/3), 223–228.
Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the structure and processes of an eighteen month, distance education course focused on developing advanced practice in the context of critical care nursing. Within the framework of a Master of Health Science, the postgraduate certificate (critical care nursing) was developed as a collaboration between Auckland University of Technology and two regional health providers. Students enrol in science and knowledge papers concurrently then, in the second half of the course, are supported within their practice environment to acquire advanced clinical skills and to analyse, critique and develop practice within their specialty. This course is set against a background of increasing interest in education post registration. The acquisition of highly developed clinical capabilities requires a combination of nursing experience and education. This requires collaboration between clinicians and nurse educators, and approaches to address accessibility of relevant educational opportunities for nurses outside the country's main centres.
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Day, W. (2003). Women and cardiac rehabilitation: A review of the literature. Contemporary Nurse, 16(1-2), 92–101.
Abstract: This literature review explores some of the issues related to women's experience of cardiac rehabilitation and demonstrates that women's experience may be different to that of men. Much of the research related to coronary heart disease (CHD) has been performed using either exclusively male populations or such small numbers of women that the results from the women studied were unable to be analysed independently. The author advocates that nurses working within this area of practice require an understanding of women's experience of recovery from a heart attack in order to better meet their needs.
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Giddings, D. L. S., Roy, D. E., & Predeger, E. (2007). Women's experience of ageing with a chronic condition. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 58(6), 557–565.
Abstract: This paper is a report of a study to explore the experiences of 'almost old' women as they grow older while living with a chronic condition. Little is known about the contextual effects of ageing and how it shapes and is shaped by a woman's chronic illness experience. Seven women aged between 50 and 58 years participated in this interpretive descriptive study that explored the issues of ageing with a chronic condition. Three focus groups were held between March 2003 and March 2004. Transcriptions were analysed after each focus group. Participants were given the opportunity to respond to the findings as the analysis progressed. The experience of living with a chronic illness foreshadowed what was to come with ageing and embodied the ageing process: it was just part of their lives. Alongside this, the women now felt less out of place. Their peers were catching up and beginning to experience aspects of participants' everyday reality. The women, however, experienced double jeopardy because ageing amplified the ongoing vulnerabilities of living with a chronic condition. The authors conclude that nurses who recognise the resourcefulness and expertise of women who live with a chronic condition can effectively be co-strategists in helping them to age well.
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O'Shea, M., & Reddy, L. (2007). Action change in New Zealand mental health nursing: One team's perspective. Practice Development in Health Care, 6(2), 137–142.
Abstract: This paper describes an attempt at effecting change with specific relevance to the discharge planning of clients from a New Zealand inpatient mental health unit to a community setting. It explores how a team of community mental health nurses, practising in an urban/rural area, used the concepts of practice development to endeavour to bring about change while still retaining a client-centred focus. It describes how, in their enthusiasm, they embarked on the road to practice change without undertaking some of the essential ground work, Although they did not achieve all they set out to achieve, much was learnt in the process. In this paper, the authors outline their key learning points concerning the importance of engagement, communication, consistency and cooperation to the process and outcomes of practice change.
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Gardner, G., Dunn, S., Carryer, J. B., & Gardner, A. (2006). Competency and capability: Imperative for nurse practitioner education. The author-version of article, available online from Queensland University of Technology ePrints arc, 24(1), 8–14.
Abstract: The objective of this study was to conduct research to inform the development of standards for nurse practitioner education in Australia and New Zealand and to contribute to the international debate on nurse practitioner practice. The research was conducted in all states of Australia where the nurse practitioner is authorised, and in New Zealand. The research was informed by multiple data sources including nurse practitioner programme curricula documents from relevant universities in Australia and New Zealand, interviews with academic convenors of these programmes and interviews with nurse practitioners. Findings include support for masters level of education as preparation for the nurse practitioner. These programs need to have a strong clinical learning component and in-depth education for the sciences of specialty practice. Additionally an important aspect of education for the nurse practitioner is the centrality of student directed and flexible learning models. This approach is well supported by the literature on capability.
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Greenwood, S., Wright, T., & Nielsen, H. (2006). Conversations in context: Cultural safety and reflexivity in child and family health nursing. Journal of Family Nursing, 12(2), 201–224.
Abstract: This article outlines some key aspects of the practice of a number of nurse educators and researchers, and their commitment to the needs of their specific region. The group has been based at the Waikato Institute of Technology (WINTEC) over the last decade and have worked collaboratively across primary health, cultural safety, and child and family health domains of the nursing curriculum. They share a common philosophy underpinned by notions of diversity and health equity. The philosophy informs their theoretical inquiry, practice and research interests, and pedagogical concerns. In this article, the nurse researchers begin by situating themselves within the region, its people, and influences before moving into a consideration of the wider political and policy environment. They then consider the destabilising effects of cultural safety education and the tension between biculturalism and multiculturalism in their context. Finally, they reflect on how these ideas inform their work with postgraduate child and family nurses.
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Strickland, A. (2006). Nurse-initiated retinoblastoma service in New Zealand. Insight: The Journal of the American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses, 31(1), 8–10.
Abstract: This article describes the implementation of a nurse-led, dedicated support network and service for children with a diagnosis of retinoblastoma and their families. Nurses with an interest in retinoblastoma at an Auckland Ophthalmology Department realised that the service provided was not meeting the needs of patients and families, particularly since the numbers had increased over the past two years. This article outlines the development of a cost-effective approach that improved the service.
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Richardson, F. I., & Carryer, J. B. (2005). Teaching cultural safety in a New Zealand nursing education program. Journal of Nursing Education, 44(5), 201–208.
Abstract: This article describes the findings of a research study on the experience of teaching cultural safety. As a teacher of cultural safety, the first author was interested in exploring the experience of teaching the topic with other cultural safety teachers. A qualitative approach situated in a critical theory paradigm was used for the study. The study was informed by the ideas of Foucault and feminist theory. Fourteen women between ages 20 and 60 were interviewed about their experience of teaching cultural safety. Five women were Maori and 9 were Pakeha. Following data analysis, three major themes were identified: that the Treaty of Waitangi provides for an examination of power in cultural safety education; that the broad concept of difference influences the experience of teaching cultural safety; and that the experience of teaching cultural safety has personal, professional, and political dimensions. These dimensions were experienced differently by Maori and Pakeha teachers.
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Flynn, L., Carryer, J. B., & Budge, C. (2005). Organisational attributes valued by hospital, home care, and district nurses in the United States and New Zealand. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 37(1), 67–72.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether hospital-based, home care, and district nurses identify a core set of organisational attributes in the nursing work environment that they value as important to the support of professional practice. Survey data, collected in 2002 2003 from 403 home care nurses in the United States and 320 district nurses in New Zealand, were pooled with an existing data set of 669 hospital-based nurses to conduct this descriptive, nonexperimental study. The importance of organisational attributes in the nursing work environment was measured using the Nursing Work Index-Revised (NWI-R). The authors found that at least 80% of hospital-based, home care, and district nurses either agreed or strongly agreed that 47 of the 49 items comprising the NWI-R represented organisational attributes they considered important to the support of their professional nursing practice. Mean importance scores among home care nurses, however, were significantly lower than were those of the other two groups. The authors conclude that the overall, hospital-based, home care, and district nurses had a high level of agreement regarding the importance of organisational traits to the support of their professional practice. The intensity of the attributes' importance was less among home care nurses. Further research is needed to determine whether this set of organisational traits, measured using the NWI-R, is associated with positive nurse and patient outcomes in home care and district nursing practice, as has been shown in acute care settings.
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Wepa, D. (2003). An exploration of the experiences of cultural safety educators in New Zealand: An action research approach. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 14(4), 339–348.
Abstract: This research is a study of the experiences of four cultural safety educators in nursing education in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Action research methods assisted the participants to implement change in their practice and gain positive personal involvement in the study. Reflective diaries provided the major tool in this process as participants were able to achieve at least one action research cycle by identifying issues, planning action, observing the action, and reflecting. The findings of the research revealed that the participants not only coped with everyday stressors of teaching but were also required to formulate knowledge for cultural safety. For the Maori participants, their stress was confounded with recruiting and retaining Maori students and macro issues such as commitment to their iwi (tribe). Lack of support to teach cultural safety was identified to be a key theme for all participants. An analysis of this theme revealed that many issues were organisational in nature and out of their control. Action research provided a change strategy for participants to have a sense of control of issues within their practice. Recommendations include the following: support for cultural safety educators to have a dialogue on a regular basis, the introduction of nurse educator programmes, paid leave provisions for educators to conduct and publish research so that a body of knowledge can be developed, and that Maori cultural safety educators be recognised for their professional and cultural strengths so that they do not fall victim to burnout.
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