Nursing Commons^™

Barriers To Promoting Mobility In Hospitalized Older Adults, Gordana Dermody, Christine R. Kovach

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Hospitalized older adults who do not receive sufficient mobility are more likely to sustain negative health outcomes, including higher rates of mortality and institutionalization. Accordingly, the purpose of the current secondary data analysis was to examine the nurse-promoted mobility of hospitalized older adults and the association between nurses’ barriers and nurse-promoted mobility. In addition, the relationship among patient severity of illness, proxy levels for function, and nurse-promoted mobility was examined. The final study sample included 61 nurses working in medical units caring for a total of 77 older adults. Findings suggest nurse knowledge gaps and attitude barriers could potentially influence …

The Weakening Of Kin Ties: Exploring The Need For Life-World Led Interventions, Gert Schout, Gideon De Jong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The protective features that families and wider social relationships can have are required to meet the demands of life in contemporary Western societies. Choice and detraditionalization, however; impede this source of solidarity. Family Group Conferencing (FGC) and other life-world led interventions have the potential to strengthen primary groups. This paper explores the need for such a social intervention, using insights from sociological and philosophical theories and empirical findings from a case study of the research project ‘FGC in mental health’. This need is understandable considering the weakening of kin ties, the poor qualities of state agencies to mobilise self-care and …

Can A Renal Nurse Assess Fluid Status Using Ultrasound On The Inferior Vena Cava? A Cross-Sectional Interrater Study: Ultrasound On The Inferior Vena Cava, Ulrich Steinwandel, Nicholas Gibson, Amanda Towell, James Rippey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction:

Ultrasound of the inferior vena cava (IVC-US) has been used to estimate intravascular volume status and fluid removal during a hemodialysis session. Usually, renal nurses rely on other, imprecise methods to determine ultrafiltration. To date, no study has examined whether renal nurses can reliably perform ultrasound for volume assessment and for potential prevention of intradialytic hypotension. This pilot study aimed to determine if a renal nurse could master the skill of performing and correctly interpreting Point of Care Ultrasound on patients receiving hemodialysis.

Methods:

After receiving theoretical training and performing 100 training scans, a renal nurse performed …

Effect Of Socioeconomic Disadvantage, Remoteness And Indigenous Status On Hospital Usage For Western Australian Preterm Infants Under 12 Months Of Age: A Population-Based Data Linkage Study, Natalie A. Strobel, Sue Peter, Kimberley E. Mcauley, Daniel R. Mcaullay, Rhonda Marriott, Karen M. Edmond

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives:

Our primary objective was to determine the incidence of hospital admission and emergency department presentation in Indigenous and non-Indigenous preterm infants aged postdischarge from birth admission to 11 months in Western Australia. Secondary objectives were to assess incidence in the poorest infants from remote areas and to determine the primary causes of hospital usage in preterm infants.

Design:

Prospective population-based linked data set.

Setting and participants:

All preterm babies born in Western Australia during 2010 and 2011.

Main outcome measures:

All-cause hospitalisations and emergency department presentations.

Results:

There were 6.9% (4211/61 254) preterm infants, 13.1% (433/3311) Indigenous …

Determinants Of Neonatal Mortality In Rural And Urban Nigeria: Evidence From A Population-Based National Survey, Emmanuel O. Adewuyi, Yun Zhao

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Significant reduction in the global burden of neonatal mortality was achieved through the millennium development goals. In Nigeria, however, only a marginal reduction was realized. This study assesses the rural–urban differences in neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and the associated risk factors in Nigeria.

Methods

The dataset from the 2013 Nigeria demographic and health survey (NDHS), disaggregated by rural–urban residence (n = 20 449 and 9935, respectively), was explored using univariate, bivariate, and multivariable analysis. Complex samples analysis was applied to adjust for the unequal selection probabilities due to the multi-stage cluster sampling method used in the 2013 NDHS. The …

"They Are Friendly But They Don't Want To Be Friends With You": A Narrative Inquiry Into Chinese Nursing Students' Learning Experiences In Australia, Carol Wang, Lisa Whitehead, Sara J. Bayes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

There is increasing interest in the phenomena of international student mobility and the growing global demand for skilled nurses. Little is known, however, about the learning experiences of Chinese nursing students at Australian universities. This study begins to address this gap. A narrative inquiry methodology was employed. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions, along with field notes and observations were conducted with six Chinese undergraduate nursing students studying undergraduate nursing in Western Australia. Chinese nursing students in Australia experienced fear and anxiety, driven by unfamiliarity with the hospital environment, education methods, and assessment expectations. Clinical placement experiences in Australian health …

Advance Care Planning Uptake Among Patients With Severe Lung Disease: A Randomised Patient Preference Trial Of A Nurse-Led, Facilitated Advance Care Planning Intervention, Craig Sinclair, Kirsten Anne Auret, Sharon Frances Evans, Fiona Williamson, Siobhan Dormer, Anne Wilkinson, Kim Greeve, Audrey Koay, Dot Price, Fraser Brims

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective

Advance care planning (ACP) clarifies goals for future care if a patient becomes unable to communicate their own preferences. However, ACP uptake is low, with discussions often occurring late. This study assessed whether a systematic nurse-led ACP intervention increases ACP in patients with advanced respiratory disease.

Design

A multicentre open-label randomised controlled trial with preference arm.

Setting

Metropolitan teaching hospital and a rural healthcare network.

Participants

149 participants with respiratory malignancy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or interstitial lung disease.

Intervention

Nurse facilitators offered facilitated ACP discussions, prompted further discussions with doctors and loved ones, and assisted participants to appoint …

Chinese Nursing Students At Australian Universities: A Narrative Inquiry Into Their Motivation, Learning Experience, And Future Career Planning, Carol Chungfeng Wang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study presents a narrative inquiry of Chinese nursing students at Australian universities in order to examine these students’ motivations, learning experiences and future career planning. Australia seeks to attract international nursing students from China to maintain its economic advantage and alleviate its projected nursing shortage. In contrast, China desperately needs its best and brightest citizens who have trained abroad as nurses to return to China in order to cope with its current challenges in the healthcare system and nursing education. Little is known about the underlying factors that motivate Chinese nursing students to study in Australia, these students’ learning …

Nurse Staffing, Patient Falls And Medication Errors In Western Australian Hospitals: Is There A Relationship?, Ahmad Mousa

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background: According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013) falls and medication errors in hospitals are among the first twenty leading causes of death. Research on the relationship between nurse staffing, patient falls, and medication errors are limited. Even scarcer are studies that examine this relationship on a nursing shift by shift and ward by ward basis, and no research exists on shift overlap periods and adverse patient outcomes.

Objective: This study examined whether there was a relationship between hospital inpatient falls and medication errors and nurse staffing on a shift by shift and ward by ward basis, including an …

‘Fighting A Losing Battle’: A Glaserian Grounded Theory Of Midwives’ Workplace Stress, Sadie Margaret Geraghty

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The development of the midwifery profession and the culture of childbirth are inevitably entwined from an historical perspective through to current day practice. Early written accounts describe the fifteenth century midwife as dealing with high maternal and child mortality rates, the invention of forceps, the rise of male obstetric practitioners, and the complex social and cultural changes of that era. The twenty-first century midwife faces challenges in Australia and worldwide, which are not dissimilar to our midwifery predecessors.

Midwifery clinical practice has become more complex due to the medicalisation of childbirth and 21st century lifestyles, which have contributed to a …

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 …

The Impact Of Communication Satisfaction On Paediatric Nurses’ Job Satisfaction And Intention To Stay, Gemma Doleman

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Effective communication is the most central process within an organisation and is essential to organisational values, norms and expectations. There is a documented connection between job satisfaction, work commitment and organisational communication. However, nurses’ and nursing middle managers’ satisfaction with organisational communication has not been extensively studied in recent years and not at all among paediatric nurses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and test a theoretical model that examined paediatric nurses’ and middle managers’ satisfaction with organisational communication and the effect this has on paediatric nurses’ job satisfaction and intention to stay in their job.

Employing …

Workplace Violence Against Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study Of Ghanaian Nurses, Isaac Mensah Boafo, Peter Hancock

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The aim of this study was to document the incidence, sources, and effects of workplace physical violence against Ghanaian nurses. Self-report questionnaires were completed by 592 nurses employed in public general hospitals in Ghana. Participants were selected using a combination of purposive and random sampling techniques. Nine percent of the participants experienced physical violence in the 12 months preceding the study. The majority of perpetrators were relatives of patients. Chi-square tests suggested significant relationships between type of hospital and workplace physical violence, and between intention to quit the nursing profession and workplace physical violence. Workplace violence had several negative effects …

Use Of Ultrasound By Registered Nurses—A Systematic Literature Review, Ulrich Steinwandel, Nicholas Gibson, James Charles Rippey, Amanda Towell, Johan Rosman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

In Western Australia (WA), most stable patients undergoing haemodialysis receive treatment in a satellite setting where no doctors are on-site during treatment hours, so nurses must make critical decisions about fluid removal. Some patients regularly experience adverse events during dialysis (intradialytic), often due to excessive ultrafiltration goals, with intradialytic hypotension being particularly challenging. Ultrasound of the inferior vena cava has been previously demonstrated being a rapid and non-invasive method for volume assessment on haemodialysis patients, thus could hold valuable information for the treating nurse.

Aim:

This paper examines the existing literature in regards to the use of …

A Snapshot Of Physical Activity Programs Targeting Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People In Australia, Rona Macniven, Michelle Elwell, Kathy Ride, Adrian Bauman, Justin W. Richards

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Issue addressed Participation in physical activity programs can be an effective strategy to reduce chronic disease risk factors and improve broader social outcomes. Health and social outcomes are worse among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders than non-Indigenous Australians, who represent an important group for culturally specific programs. The extent of current practice in physical activity programs is largely unknown. This study identifies such programs targeting this population group and describes their characteristics. Methods Bibliographic and Internet searches and snowball sampling identified eligible programs operating between 2012 and 2015 in Australia (phase 1). Program coordinators were contacted to verify sourced information …

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.

Ghanaian Nurses’ Emigration Intentions: The Role Of Workplace Violence, Isaac Mensah Boafo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ghana to examine the impact of workplace violence on nurses’ emigration intentions from 2013 to 14. A combination of purposive and random sampling techniques was used to select 12 public hospitals and 592 professional nurses. The results showed that 48.9% of the participants had emigration intentions. Junior nurses were 2.8 times more likely to have emigration intentions compared to senior nurses, and those who experienced violence were also more likely than their counterparts who were not involved in such incidents (physical 2.1 times; verbally abused 1.8 times and sexually harassed 2.4 times) to have …

“... They Think We Are Conversing, So We Don ’ T Care About Them ...” Examining The Causes Of Workplace Violence Against Nurses In Ghana, Isaac Mensah Boafo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

This study is part of a larger project aimed at exploring the workplace experiences of nurses working in public general hospitals in Ghana. The current paper explores the causes of workplace violence against nurses in Ghana.

Methods:

Twenty-four semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with professional nurses working in five regions of Ghana. They were selected through purposive and participant-to-participant snowball sampling techniques. Data was analysed through thematic analyses.

Results:

The findings of the study suggest that nurses are not (always) passive recipients of violence. Workplace violence can be instigated by either of the parties to the nurse-patient/relative interaction. Nurses’ …

Exploratory Psychomteric Properties Of The Farsi And English Version Of Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (Spnq), Nejat Nazi, Lisa Whitehead, Marie Crowe

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The aim of this study was to translate and test the psychometric properties of a Farsi and an English version of the spiritual needs questionnaire (SpNQ) a measure originally developed in German. The World Health Organization guideline for translating and validating questionnaires was used. Participants were recruited from hospitals in Iran and New Zealand during an outpatient follow-up appointment after cancer treatment. People diagnosed with cancer in Iran (68) and New Zealand (54) completed and returned the SpNQ (at time 1) and within the two week time period (time 2). Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.79 to 0.92, except for the …

The Impact Of Adding Assistants In Nursing To Acute Care Hospital Ward Nurse Staffing On Adverse Patient Outcomes: An Analysis Of Administrative Health Data, Diane E. Twigg, Helen Myers, Christine M. Duffield, Judith Dianne Pugh, Lucy Gelder

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of adding assistants in nursing to acute care hospital ward nurse staffing on adverse patient outcomes using administrative health data.

Design:

Logistic regression modelling was used with linked administrative health data to examine the association between seven adverse patient outcomes and use of assistants in nursing utilising a pre-test/ post-test design. Outcomes included were in-hospital 30-day mortality, failure to rescue, urinary tract infection, pressure injury, pneumonia, sepsis and falls with injury.

Setting:

Eleven acute care metropolitan hospitals in Western Australia. Sample: Patients were retained in the dataset if they …

Does Nurses’ Health Affect Their Intention To Remain In Their Current Position?, Lin Perry, Robyn Gallagher, Christine M. Duffield, David Sibbritt, Jen Bichel-Findlay, Rachel Nicholls

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim:

To investigate and describe nurses’ and midwives’ physical health, rates of symptoms and disease, and to determine if these factors contribute to intention to leave.

Background:

The nursing and midwifery workforce is ageing yet little is known about their physical health or its relationship to intention to leave.

Methods:

An online survey of health and work-related assessments was distributed through the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association and professional contacts.

Results:

Nurses and midwives (n = 5041) reported good-very good health overall. With 22.2% intending to leave in the next 12 months, older age, better …

The Emotional Intelligence Of Registered Nurses Commencing Critical Care Nursing, Yvette Nagel, Amanda Towell, Elzabe Nel, Fiona Foxall

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Critical care is described as complex, detailed healthcare in a unique, technologically rich environment. Critical care nursing requires a strong knowledge base and exceptional clinical and technological skills to cope in this demanding environment. Many registered nurses (RNs) commencing work in these areas may lack resilience, and because of the stress of the critical care environment, coping mechanisms need to be developed. To prevent burnout and to enable critical care nurses to function holistically, emotional intelligence (EI) is essential in the development of such coping mechanisms.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the EI …

Resilience As Resistance To The New Managerialism: Portraits That Reframe Nursing Through Quotes From The Field, Vicki Cope, Bronwyn Jones, Joyce Hendricks

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim:

This paper acknowledges the relationship between resilience and the new managerialism of contemporary nursing.

Methods:

Qualitative portraiture methodology.

Discussion:

The new managerialism in hospital settings results in a rapidly increasing turnover of acutely ill or comorbid patients, which directly relates to retention and quality service. In education settings, the management imperative to recruit more students into the profession combined with financial cutbacks leads to similar tensions. In aged care the trend equates care directly with funding, with the same effect. Yet despite this, many registered nurses remain working. Portraiture explored 'why' nurses remain in workplaces often described as awful. …

Nursing Education In China: Meeting The Global Demand For Quality Healthcare, Carol Wang, Lisa Whitehead, Sara J. Bayes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

With a predicted global nursing shortage, ensuring the provision of quality healthcare has become a pressing concern. In China, these concerns include the need to produce nurses trained to a level to support advancing nursing practice and a healthcare system that supports the growth and retention of nurses in China. This paper argues that the standard of nursing education in China plays a crucial role in preparing graduates to meet the health demands of China's growing population and the role that China can play into the future in the global progression of nursing. Collaboration between nursing authorities, educators, and legislators …

Sources, Incidence And Effects Of Non-Physical Workplace Violence Against Nurses In Ghana, Issac Boafo, Peter Hancock, Eyal Gringart

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim

To document the incidence, sources and effects of workplace verbal abuse and sexual harassment against Ghanaian nurses.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ghana from 2013–2014 which surveyed 592 professional nurses and midwives working in public hospitals in Ghana using the health sector violence questionnaire.

Results

The majority of participants were females (80%). The average age of participants was 31·76 years and the average number of years practising as nurse was 7·38. Twelve per cent of the participants experienced at least one incident of sexual harassment and 52·2% were exposed to verbal abuse. The majority of perpetrators of …

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 …

Do Patients Treated For Colorectal Cancer Benefit From General Practitioner Support? A Video Vignette Study, Irene Ngune, Moyez Jiwa, Alexandra Mcmanus, Richard Parsons, Georgina Pagey, Rupert Hodder

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Patients who have been treated for colorectal cancer in Australia can consult their general practitioner (GP) for advice about symptoms or side effects at any time following their treatment. However, there is no evidence that such patients are consistently advised by GPs, and patients experience substantial unmet need for reassurance and advice. Objective: To explore the patient management options selected by GPs to treat a set of patients describing their symptoms following treatment for colorectal cancer. Methods: This was an Internet-based survey. Participants (GPs) viewed 6 video vignettes of actors representing patients who had been treated for colorectal cancer. …

Australian Midwifery Students' Views About Profession-Specific Peer Mentoring, Sara J. Bayes, Doreen Collyer, Kirsten Dobbs, Laura Walsh

eCULTURE

Midwifery is one of the most demanding professions there is, and midwifery students can find coping with the practice aspect of their course difficult. Mentoring is one way of supporting health clinicians’ emotional wellbeing; to date however, there is little research on mentoring for midwifery students. In this study, the aim of which was to discover midwifery students’ views of profession-related peer mentoring, qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 21 midwifery students at one Australian university. Analysis of the data revealed that most participants felt they would benefit from and would like to know more about mentoring. The qualitative …

Living After Confronting Death; Story Telling During The Recovery Trajectory Of Intensive Care Unit Survivors: An Interpretive Biographical Approach, Beverley Anne Ewens

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Aim: To create new meaning of the experiences of intensive care survivors during early recovery and the meaning of “self” during this time. To add to the understanding of how support should be focussed for survivors during recovery.

Background: Survival from a critical event/illness and intensive care unit experience is increasing, as is associated physical and psychological complications. Complications are due to the severity of illness, the intensive care experience itself and the nature of the treatments which promote survival. If complications remain untreated increased health care service uptake and reduced quality of life can ensue. Despite the …

Antenatal Clinic: Using Ethnographic Methods To Listen To The Voices Of Pregnant Adolescents, Deborah Ireson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Aim: This research aims to explore the motivating reasons and external influences that affect pregnant adolescents’ reasons for attending an antenatal clinic. Background: Pregnancy during adolescence has been researched from perceived ‘poor’ decision making during pregnancy and postnatal perspectives involving high-risk outcomes for mother and baby. Antenatal clinic attendance by pregnant adolescents is often characterised by late and infrequent attendance, limiting midwifery contact with this inexperienced group. Gaps in the literature exist where the real-time voices of pregnant adolescents offer their current experiences of antenatal clinic as a relevant means to inform midwifery practice.

Research design: Using ethnographic methods, this …