The Australian journal of advanced nursing : a quarterly publication of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation
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Many nursing academics in Australia are finding to their dismay that an outstanding teaching career and exemplary professional contribution to their field--and a PhD--are not enough to achieve promotion within their university, or secure a new academic post. One must also possess a proven or established 'track record' in research and publication. ⋯ Nursing academics are under particular pressure: as relative newcomers to the university scene, most find themselves considered as early career researchers with weak track records. This paper reviews relevant research and draws upon personal experience in the area of research development, to highlight how nursing academics may most strategically establish a research and publication record with a view to career advancement.
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Despite the increasing awareness of the important role that Accident and Emergency (A&E) personnel have in the diagnosis and management of domestic violence victims, there is limited knowledge about the nurses' or doctors' knowledge of or attitudes to domestic violence in Australian health care settings. In addition nursing and medical staff still receive very little training in working with domestic violence victims. ⋯ Despite this they do not have all the skills necessary to deal effectively with the problem or to be able to access local resources for assistance. Education programs should focus on direct questioning techniques, and recognition of risk factors and protocols to provide guidelines for police involvement.
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The aim of this study was to uncover factors that influenced the attitudes of doctors' and nurses' towards psychiatric patients in the intensive care setting. In-depth interviews were undertaken with experienced intensive care nurses and doctors, which were subsequently analysed via an analytic induction method. ⋯ Recommendations arising from this study are that communication channels between psychiatric units and intensive care units should be developed as a matter of priority. Furthermore, educational programs for intensive care doctors and nurses are required in order to enhance psychiatric patient care.
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Sixtyfour directors of nursing of Western Australia's 95 nursing homes that provide care for elderly residents responded to a survey designed to obtain descriptive information about the use of physical restraints. The study found that physical restraints had been applied to 26% (n = 787) of the 3028 nursing home residents. The most common forms of restraint were bedrails, which were used in 38.3% of homes, restraining belts (26.7%) and vests (16.7%). ⋯ While there may have been therapeutic reasons for using physical restraints, the extent to which they were used is cause for concern. Further efforts to reduce the use of restraints are needed. In particular, all nursing home staff involved in direct care of residents should be educated about the effects of applying physical restraints and about alternative way to manage elderly residents.
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An acute postoperative pain service managed by the anaesthetic department of a metropolitan teaching hospital is described and the results of a quality assurance questionnaire survey of 116 nurses and 60 doctors are reported. Since its inception in 1990, the service has managed the postoperative pain of 1787 patients with patient controlled analgesia and epidural and other regional analgesia. The study found that 97% of nurses and 92% of doctors believed that patients whose pain is well managed have fewer postoperative complications and shorter hospital stays than patients whose pain is not well managed. Both nurses and doctors who had experienced the pain service supported the increased use of patient controlled analgesia pumps and neither group believed that the acute pain service interfered with their management of patients.