Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Implementation And Utilisation Of Australian Critical Care Practice Standards: What Do We Know?, Yolanda Cox, Justin L. C. Bilszta, Debbie Massey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The Australian College of Critical Care Nurses published the third edition of practice standards (PSs) for specialist critical care nurses in 2015. Higher-education providers currently use these standards to inform critical care curricula; however, how critical care nurses perceive and use PSs in clinical practice is unknown. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore critical care nurses' perceptions about the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses PS for specialty critical care nursing, to understand how the PSs are used in clinical practice, and what opportunities exist to support their implementation. Methods: An exploratory qualitative descriptive design was …

Prevalence Of Distress, Its Associated Factors And Referral To Support Services In People With Cancer, Deborah Kirk, Istvan (Ishti) Kabdebo, Lisa Whitehead

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aims and objectives:

To (i) characterise prevalence of distress amongst people diagnosed with cancer, (ii) determine factors associated with increasing distress, (iii) describe reported problems for those with clinically significant distress and (iv) investigate the factors associated with referral to support services.

Background:

International studies report a high prevalence of clinically significant distress in people with cancer. Australian studies are notably lacking. Additionally, clinicians still do not fully understand the factors associated with cancer-related distress.

Design:

Period prevalence study.

Methods:

Distress screening data were analysed for 1,071 people accessing the Cancer Council Western Australia information and support line between 01/01/2016–31/12/2018. …

Early Childhood Caries, Primary Caregiver Oral Health Knowledge And Behaviours And Associated Sociological Factors In Australia: A Systematic Scoping Review, Lesley Andrew, Ruth M. Wallace Mrs, Nicole Wickens, Jilen Patel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Early childhood caries disproportionately affects vulnerable groups and remains a leading cause of preventable hospital admissions for Western Australian children. The Western Australia State Oral Health Plan seeks to improve child oral health through universal and targeted health promotion initiatives with primary caregivers. These initiatives require evidence of primary caregiver oral health knowledge and behaviours and baseline data on early childhood caries. The objective of this systematic scoping review was to understand current oral health knowledge and practices of primary caregivers of children aged 0–4 years, identify influential socioecological determinants, and identify data on early childhood caries in the …

Cancer Education Framework For Australian Medical Schools, Darren Starmer

Theses

The incidence, mortality, survival, and impact of cancer on the Australian health system and community highlight the need for Australian medical schools to adequately prepare medical student to care for patients with cancer. Several studies have shown that Australian medical students are ill-prepared to care for cancer patients upon graduation. At a national level, oncology and palliative care curricula have been developed. However, it is unclear as to the level of uptake of either curricula within Australian medical schools. There remains a lack of consensus on what content to include in a cancer curriculum and how best to deliver such …

“Eliminating The Drudge Work”: Campaigning For University-Based Nursing Education In Australia, 1920-1935, Madonna Grehan Dr

Quality Advancement in Nursing Education - Avancées en formation infirmière

At his death in 1945, Sir James William Barrett, a medical doctor in the state of Victoria left a bequest to the University of Melbourne, his alma mater. Barrett’s entire professional life was conducted at the University. According to his will, Barrett had been so influenced by his experiences of American universities which offered education in nursing that he directed a sum of money to the University of Melbourne for the foundation and/or development of a School of Nursing.

The background to Barrett’s bequest is a complex episode in Australian nursing education history that has received little attention. In the …

Enhancing Access To Parenting Services Using Digital Technology Supported Practices, Elaine Bennett, Wendy Simpson, Cathrine Fowler, Ailsa Munns, Jane Kohlhoff

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Early parenting services (EPS) in Australia provide a range of expanding and rapidly changing services, including innovative digital technologies to improve service access for metropolitan and rural families.

Aim: This research aims to provide comprehensive information required for the planning, implementation and evaluation of the use of digital technologies for service delivery with parenting/child and family services in Australia and New Zealand in metropolitan and rural settings.

Methods: An interpretive descriptive approach was applied using semi-structured interviews from 23 EPS practitioners and managers in five sites.

Findings: These are presented as five main themes – preparing the way, practitioner …

Clarifying Workforce Flexibility From A Division Of Labor Perspective: A Mixed Methods Study Of An Emergency Department Team, Sarah Wise, Christine Duffield, Margaret Fry, Michael Roche

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: The need for greater flexibility is often used to justify reforms that redistribute tasks through the workforce. However, "flexibility" is never defined or empirically examined. This study explores the nature of flexibility in a team of emergency doctors, nurse practitioners (NPs), and registered nurses (RNs), with the aim of clarifying the concept of workforce flexibility. Taking a holistic perspective on the team's division of labor, it measures task distribution to establish the extent of multiskilling and role overlap, and explores the behaviors and organizational conditions that drive flexibly.

Methods: The explanatory sequential mixed methods study was set in the …

Falls Prevention Among Older Adults At A Nursing Home In A Northern Suburban Of Perth In Western Australia, Horatius Musembi, Deborah Sundin

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

The objective was to identify factors leading to falls and determine the role of nurses and carers play in falls prevention. A retrospective audit of the performance of nurses and carers regarding falls prevention among older adults was used. Residents who had a fall during July 2015 (n=25) were identified using purposeful sampling. Data for this study were collected from the files of these residents. Data analysis was done by using the Fisher exact test which was appropriate for the collected data. Residents aged 85-89 years had the most falls (32%); however, one resident who fell five times in the …

The Ward-Based Nurse Clinical Educator: Impact On Student Learning Outcomes And Student And Preceptor Experiences, Karen Ann Mccarthy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Aim

This study aimed to determine the impact of the implementation of a ward based Nurse Clinical Educator (NCE) role on students and staff at one health service whilst students were on clinical practicum at a Western Australian regional health care facility.

Question

The research question was: “What impact does the NCE support intervention have on students and clinical staff during clinical practicum?” Background Clinical experience for undergraduate student nurses (students) undertaking their bachelor’s degree is of utmost importance for gaining both competence and registration. Students encounter difficulties in obtaining opportunities to practice their skills and develop competence when on …

Nurse Practitioner Leadership And Research Activity [Slides], Mary Ryder, Elisabeth Jacob, Joyce Hendricks

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Conclusion:

• Nurse Practitioners in both Ireland and Australia identify themselves as leaders of the nursing profession.
• NP work practices are primarily focused on provision of direct patient care.
• Research activity is lacking among NPs.
• Leadership ability influences research outcomes for NPs in both Ireland and Australia.

Nurse Practitioners Views On Leadership And Research, Mary Ryder, Elisabeth Jacob, Joyce Hendricks

ECU Posters

Nurse practitioners are clinical leaders focused on improving healthcare delivery for patient populations. The NP role is misunderstood. NPs lack confidence to be independently research ctive. Research by NPs requires support from nurses in academia. The NP role is similar in Ireland and Australia

Leadership And Research Activities Of Nurse Practitioners: Ireland And Australia, Mary Ryder, Elisabeth Jacob, Joyce Hendricks

ECU Posters

Nurse practitioners (NP) are identified as the ideal conduit to transform healthcare delivery internationally. Healthcare transformation requires the application of leadership and research skills. The literature to date has limited information on NPs as leaders or researchers in the nursing profession.

Exploring How Nurse Practitioners Implement Leadership And Research, Mary Ryder, Elisabeth Jacob, Joyce Hendricks

ECU Posters

The original concept of the Nurse practitioner role was to expand nursing practice in order to provide high quality, accessible healthcare to patients. This placed NPs at the crux of changes to healthcare delivery. Implementing these changes requires leadership. Research demonstrates the effects of these changes to healthcare delivery and contributes healthcare knowledge from the nursing profession.

Nurse Practitioners Perceptions On Leadership And Research [Slides], Mary Ryder, Elisabeth Jacob, Joyce Hendricks

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Conclusion:

• Participants identified themselves as clinical leaders focused on direct patient care
• The NP role was misunderstood
• Support from nursing academics and management was identified as a research opportunity
• Confidence in research abilities was a barrier to research
• The NP role was similar in Ireland and Australia

The Delivery Of Primary Health Care In Remote Australian Communities: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Perspective Of Nurses, Kylie Mccullough

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Around 85% of Australia’s landmass is remote and sparsely populated. Across these vast areas of desert, wilderness and tropical islands, nurses provide the majority of health care services. The residents of Australia’s remote communities have poorer health status than their metropolitan counterparts. The proportion of Indigenous people is high and health and social disadvantage is widespread. The characteristics of each remote community are unique and often reflect challenges associated with distance to tertiary health services and limited health resources. As a result, nursing practice within this context is very different to other nursing contexts. Despite recognition of Primary Health Care …

Nurse-Led Primary Health Care For Homeless Men: A Multimethods Descriptive Study, Michael A. Roche, Christine M. Duffield, Judith Smith, Dana A. Kelly, Robyn Cook, Jen M. Bichel-Findlay, Carla Saunders, David J. Carter

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim: To explore the primary healthcare needs and health service use of homeless men in inner Sydney. Background: People experiencing homelessness have greater health needs than the general population and place high demands on tertiary care, which is expensive and may not be the optimum service for their needs. Accessible, approachable and affordable primary healthcare services could improve the health of homeless persons and potentially decrease costs to the healthcare system. Methods: A multimethod design using a cross-sectional survey (n = 40) and administrative data (n = 2 707 daily summaries) collected from a nurse-led primary healthcare clinic for homeless …

Exploring The Preparedness Of Novice (Student) Paramedics For The Mental Health Challenges Of The Paramedic Profession: Using The Wisdom Of The Elders, Lisa Holmes

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates the preparedness of novice (student) paramedics for the mental health challenges of the paramedic profession and identifies the coping strategies used by veteran paramedics to successfully meet these challenges. The lived experience of veteran paramedics is utilised to provide this important assistance.

Initially, two surveys were developed and administered to 16 course coordinators and 302 students of the 16 accredited undergraduate degree paramedicine courses across Australia and New Zealand, to identify the perceived need (for preparation) within the curriculum. In addition, the anticipations, confidence and fears of novice (student) paramedics, course coordinators and veteran paramedics were also …

The Effect Of Continuing Professional Development From The Perspective Of Nurses And Midwives Who Participated In Continuing Education Programs Offered By Global Health Alliance Western Australia: A Mixed-Method Study, Yan Ing (Jenni) Ng

Theses

Continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities for nurses and midwives are central to improving knowledge, broadening skills and maintaining competencies to provide best practice and clinical care. This is gained through participating in continuing education (CE). CPD is readily accessible and a mandatory requirement for nurses and midwives in developed nations, such as Australia. However, in developing countries, such as Tanzania, while CPD is promoted, it has limited availability. As such, the Global Health Alliance Western Australia (GHAWA), an international health development program, seeks to provide further sustainable CPD opportunities for nurses and midwives in Tanzania.

The purpose of this research …

Casual For A Cause: Exploring The Employment Status Of Nursing In Australia And China, Carol Wang, Sadie Geraghty

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper outlines obligatory nursing education and the registration process required to become a nurse in Australia, including nurses' workload, career structure and pay. It also provides an overview of the nursing workforce in Australia, with particular reference to casual employment, and its implications. The aim of this paper is to outline the development strategies that may assist with China's increasing need for nursing education, and how changes to healthcare policy and management are required to increase the recruitment and retention of nurses in hospitals worldwide.

An Assessment Of Nurses’ Experiences Of Work Related Stress Through Self-Reporting And Hair Cortisol Analysis, In A Metropolitan Hospital In Western Australia, Kim Oliver

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this study was to assess how years of experience and practice area influence work related stress amongst 1,200 nurses employed in a metropolitan hospital environment in Western Australia. A combination of self-administered questionnaires and hair cortisol, an objective stress biomarker, was utilised to measure stress levels and to relate these to practice area, age and experience. Questionnaire results indicated that there was a higher level of perceived stress for 40% of this cohort of nurses; the study methodology was able to unearth noteworthy factors within a local WA nursing population that impacted on their perceived stress. These …

Closing The Gap In Nursing Education: Comparing Nursing Registration Systems In Australia And China, Carol Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim:

To provide a better understanding of how the nursing registration process in China compares to that of Australia and to identify common features and potential barriers that may affect or facilitate the development of China's ever-demanding need for healthcare and nursing education.

Background:

Chinese nursing graduates are increasingly being used to augment the shortage of nurses in other countries, including Australia. However, China is desperately in need of strategies to cope with its current challenges in healthcare and nursing education. There is little discussion concerning the differences in nursing registration systems between countries, such as China and …

Adaptation Of International Guidelines On Assessment And Management Of Cancer Pain For The Australian Context, M Lovell, T Luckett, F Boyle, J Stubbs, J Phillips, P Davidson, I Olver, J Von Dincklage, M Agar

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Aim: To develop clinical practice guidelines for screening, assessing and managing cancer pain in Australian adults.

Methods: This three phase project utilised the ADAPTE approach to adapt international cancer pain guidelines for the Australian setting. A Working Party was established to define scope, screen guidelines for adaptation, and develop recommendations to support better cancer pain control through screening, assessment, pharmacological and non-pharmacological management, and patient education. Recommendations with limited evidence were referred to Expert Panels for advice before the draft guidelines were opened for public consultation via the Cancer Council Australia Cancer Guidelines Wiki platform in late 2012. All comments …

A Transition Program To Primary Health Care For New Graduate Nurses: A Strategy Towards Building A Sustainable Primary Health Care Nurse Workforce?, C Gordon, C Aggar, A Williams, L Walker, S Willcock, J Bloomfield

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: This debate discusses the potential merits of a New Graduate Nurse Transition to Primary Health Care Program as an untested but potential nursing workforce development and sustainability strategy. Increasingly in Australia, health policy is focusing on the role of general practice and multidisciplinary teams in meeting the service needs of ageing populations in the community. Primary health care nurses who work in general practice are integral members of the multidisciplinary team but this workforce is ageing and predicted to face increasing shortages in the future. At the same time, Australia is currently experiencing a surplus of and a corresponding …

An Exploration Of The Past, Present And Future Of Nursing In Early Parenting Services In Australia, Elaine Bennett

Theses

Nursing has a long history of providing services to families and children over the past century and more within Early Parenting Services (EPS) in Australia. Much has been written on issues regarding the general nursing workforce and requirements for the future, but little is known about the role of nursing within the EPS area around Australia in the context of an interdisciplinary team.

The aim of this study was to describe how nursing has responded to the changing needs of EPS in Australia and to investigate nurses’ and allied professionals’ perceptions of the nursing role within an interdisciplinary team. This …

Is There Scope For Community Health Nurses To Address Lifestyle Risk Factors? The Community Nursing Snap Trial, B Chan, R Laws, A Williams, G Davies, M Fanaian, M Harris, Cn Snap Project Team

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: This paper examines the opportunity and need for lifestyle interventions for patients attending generalist community nursing services in Australia. This will help determine the scope for risk factor management within community health care by generalist community nurses (GCNs).

Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study conducted in four generalist community nursing services in NSW, Australia. Prior to service contacts, clients were offered a computer-assisted telephone interview to collect baseline data on socio-demographics, health conditions, smoking status, physical activity levels, alcohol consumption, height and weight, fruit and vegetable intake and 'readiness-to-change' for lifestyle risk factors.

Results: 804 clients participated (a response …

Violence Towards Remote Area Nurses: A Delphi Study To Develop A Risk Management Approach, Kylie M. Mccullough

Theses : Honours

Incidents of occupational violence against nurses are unacceptably high. Remote Area
Nurses in Australia frequently encounter violence in the work place and have limited
resources to deal with the problem. Adopting a risk management approach, and
utilising the Delphi method, a panel of expert Remote Area Nurses (n=10) from
geographically diverse communities, identified and prioritised hazards that increase the
risk of violence and made suggestions for controlling those hazards.
Priority hazards included; building maintenance and design, attending call-outs away
from the clinic, staff inexperience and lack of knowledge about the community, as well
as intoxicated clients, communication difficulties and a …

The Evolution And Experience Of Stomal Therapy Nurses In Australia 1959-2000, Keryln Carville

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In Australia, stomal therapy nurses are registered nurses who have undertaken an educational programme in the care, counselling and rehabilitation of persons-who have, or who could potentially have, a wound, an ostomy (that is an artificial opening into a body cavity) or incontinence of bodily waste. The genesis of stomal therapy nurses in Australia as a specialty group within the broader nursing profession was in 1971, when 11 founding members established an association for registered nurses with an interest in the care of patients with stomas. However, the serendipitous event that pre-empted the formation of this special interest group, can …

Perceptions Of Discharge Planning Needs : A Study Of Discharge Planning In The Mental Health Setting, Michael P. Finn

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Major mental disorder, with prolonged periods of dysfunction that require long term care, is an issue of concern amongst mental health professionals. Although substantial effort and resources are devoted towards returning mentally ill individuals to the community, one of the most distinctive and consistent features of the persistently mentally ill (PMI) is their high rate of readmission to hospital. Existing studies into discharge planning revealed that no research had been undertaken to determine if this is the case in Western Australia. This study sought to investigate perceptions of discharge planning held by patients, carers, nurses and allied health workers involved …