Abstract
Today the concept of family-centred care is broadly accepted throughout the New Zealand child health sector. Commitment to the ethos of family-centred care is reflected in the philosophies of care delivery in paediatric wards and is a stated principle in the Ministry of Health’s (1998) Child Health Strategy. Despite this almost universal endorsement of family-centred care, its application to practice in the context of the paediatric ward, often remains paradoxical and problematic. Drawing on findings from my recent historical research study this paper argues that current practice paradoxes are historically ingrained.
Key Words:
Family-centred care, New Zealand child health nursing, historical trends
Article Order No: 203A
Article Order No: 203A
RECOGNISING COMPLEXITY AND CONTRADICTION:
PRENATAL GENETIC DIAGNOSIS
Deborah Payne, RN, PhD, MCNA(NZ), Senior Lecturer, Division of Health
Care Practice, Faculty of Health, Auckland University of Technology
Abstract
Twenty women, who had experienced pregnancy and birth when aged 35 or over, were interviewed in relation to prenatal genetic testing. Foucauldian discourse analysis of the interview texts revealed a particular subjectivity for the woman or the baby with chromosomal anomaly, and that these subjectivities were often competing and contradictory. Attention is drawn to the relevance of such information for nurses who increasingly are dealing with clients for whom diagnosis or treatment, using genetic technology, plays a part.
Key Words:
Maternal age, prenatal genetic diagnosis, discourse, subjectivity
Article Order No: 203B
ADVANCING NURSING PRACTICE THROUGH
POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION (PART TWO):
Deborah Spence, RGON, RM, PhD, Principal Lecturer,
Division of Health Care Practice, Auckland University of Technology
Abstract
This paper continues presentation of the findings of a North Island based research project that explored the impact of clinically focused postgraduate education on advancing nursing practice. Like their international counterparts, increasing numbers of New Zealand nurses are enrolling in advanced practice programmes (Carryer, 2002). Yet, despite international evidence supporting the usefulness of Masters level preparation for advancing clinical practice, questions about the need for such development persist. This paper argues that postgraduate education contributes to the development of courage and that this, in turn, is essential to overcoming the barriers that currently constrain the advancement of nursing practice.
Key Words:
Barriers, advancing nursing practice, postgraduate education, hermeneutic research
Article Order No: 203C
THE PERSONAL SAFETY OF DISTRICT NURSES: A
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jill Wilkinson, RN, PG Cert TT, MA (Hons), PhD candidate
School of Health Sciences, Massey University at Wellington
Annette Huntington, RN, PhD, Associate Professor,
School of Health Sciences, Massey University at Wellington
Abstract
A workplace safety study of district nurses in New Zealand was conducted to explore personal safety experiences. A qualitative methodology informed by Critical Social Theory was employed. This paper details the findings and implications derived from data collected from six district nurses in two urban New Zealand Health Services who recalled incidents in which they felt their personal safety was compromised. Data were collected through individual interviews and a focus group discussion with the participants. Data analysis revealed two-fold risks to nurse safety; these were associated with client behaviour as well as risks embedded in the organisational structure. Findings suggest a number of practical issues involving basic security measures require urgent attention and would mitigate the risk arising institutional policy that prioritises nurse safety, and has in place post-incident plans and support structures. The complex power relationships that shape the experience of nursing in a community impinged on the ability of the nurses in this study to confidently and safely fulfil their role. An organisational commitment to a culture of safety would help address the powerlessness experienced by district nurses.
Key Words:
Community health nursing; personal safety; critical theory; power
structures
Article Order No: 203D
