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Other People's Country: A Memoir; And, Developing A Trustworthy Narrator: An Essay, Maureen Helen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis comprises two interrelated sections. The first section is a substantial piece of creative writing, which l have cailed 'Other People's Country: A Memoir, in the genre of travel memoir, and an essay. The memoir borrows techniques from fiction, drama and poetry to tell a story of a middle-aged, middle-class city nurse, who travels to a remote settlement at the edge of the Western Desert of Western Australia to provide health care for a fluctuating population of around 400 people, for whom English is a third or fourth language.

Writing that includes stories about vulnerable people from another culture, …

Meeting The Challenge : The Female Carers' Perspective Of Managing Dyspnoea, Kim A. Skett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this descriptive, explorative study was to describe the lived experience of informal carers providing care within the home, to a family member who has lung cancer and the symptom of dyspnoea. Many studies have highlighted the stressors associated with care provision, but no studies have focused on the experience associated with caring for a family member who is dyspnoeic. Ten carers were interviewed regarding their experiences of providing care to the family member during the palliative phase of the illness and while the family member was experiencing the symptom of dyspnoea. Analysis of the initial data highlighted …

Providing Education And Support For Rural Palliative Care Nurses In Western Australia: An Intervention Study, Ruth Mcconigley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Rural palliative care nurses (RPCNs) in Western Australia (WA) are a small population, who have embraced the specialist palliative care role since the first palliative care service in rural WA began in 1990. However, there are some challenges involved with being a specialist nurse in a generalist health care setting. fu particular, there is a suggestion in the literature that RPCNs may be professionally isolated, may be prone to burnout, and may therefore experience decreased job satisfaction and may consider leaving the palliative care field.

Covert Violence In Nursing, Susette Bakker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There is no official avenue in nursing for the reporting of incidences of covert violence to staff and so they remain unrecorded and often stressful. This study sought to collect data from currently employed nurses concerning covert violence in their workplace, and to collate the information to obtain a valid assessment of this hidden problem. A qualitative methodology was used to report on the experiences of nurses in relation to covert violence directed at them by their peers, other health professionals, patients and patients' families. The participants were all registered nurses employed by a suburban health service. Each was given …

A Deconstruction And Reconstruction Of Advanced Nurse Specialisation And Education, Miriam E. Langridge

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to present issues and the paradoxes surrounding advanced nurse specialisation (ANS) and education, This study was conducted in two parts. Part A examined the prospective experiences of 13 registered nurses (RNs) who were advancing in an area of special is III ion: they were working in a specialist area of practice and studying in II course specific 10 their specialisation. Two rounds of interviews were completed over six-month intervals. Part B examined the data gathered from a focus group interview and follow-up feedback from 10 nurse executives as stakeholders. The intersubjective data from this …

Rural Palliative Care Nursing: A Modified Grounded Theory Study, Ruth Mcconigley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This paper presents the findings of a study of rural palliative care nurses in Western Australia. The numbers of rural centres in Western Australia offering palliative care services are increasing; however at present there is little empirical data available about the roles of the nurses involved. This study was undertaken to begin to correct this deficit. The study examines basic social processes associated with the role of rural palliative care nurses and identities issues that affect the nurses’ professional practice. A modified grounded theory approach was used to form a conceptual framework that describes rural palliative care nursing. Theoretical sampling …

The Development Of Community Mental Health Nursing Services In Western Australia : A History (1950-1995) And Population Profile, Phillip M. Maude

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This descriptive• study discusses the development of community mental health (CMH) in Western Australia (WA) and describes the current practising population of CMH nurses. The study explores literature pertaining to the emergence of the CMH movement and the deinstitutionalisation of the mentally ill. A conceptual framework was developed by adapting Lewin's change theory. CMH nurses practising in WA (n= 130), were invited to participate in the study and were asked to complete a survey questionnaire. This resulted in a 66% response rate (n = 86). Quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Open ended …

The Effect Of 'Environmental Manipulation' On Agitation And 24-Hour Sleep In Dementia Sufferers In An Institutional Setting, Ernest A. Matthews

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Living in an institutional setting places on residents certain constraints in relation to freedom of choice as to when, where, and how they conduct activities of daily living, such as, sleeping eating, attending to hygiene needs. Studies indicate this loss of control over the environment contributes to loss of self-esteem, leads to stress, and at times precipitates agitation among nursing home residents. Cognitive impairment may render dementia sufferers more vulnerable to loss of control over their control over their environment and result in agitation, which may in turn influence sleep. The study therefore, investigated if ‘environmental manipulation’ as in introducing …

New Graduates' Self-Perceived Preparedness To Begin Practice As Registered Nurses, Vicci Lodge

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to investigate new nurse graduates' perceptions of their preparedness to begin practice as registered nurses. The investigation included determining whether their perceptions changed over time and in which areas they perceived they were best and least prepared. A longitudinal descriptive survey design was used for this study. Two self-administered questionnaires were used to gather data from all the students (79) who graduated with the Diploma of Health Science from Edith Cowan University at the end of Semester 1 for 1991. Of these, 34 new nurse graduates completed and returned both questionnaires. Both quantitative and …