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Aim: To explore the health beliefs of clinical and academic nurses from Japan, Australia and China regarding wearing paper masks to protect themselves and others, and to identify differences in participants' health beliefs regarding masks. Background: The correct use of face masks and consensus among health professionals across the globe is essential for containing pandemics, and nurses need to act according to policy to protect themselves, educate the public and preserve resources for frontline health workers. Paper masks are worn by health professionals and the general public to avoid the transmission of respiratory infections, such as COVID‐19, but there appear to be differences in health beliefs of nurses within and between countries regarding these. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study used content analysis with a framework approach. Findings: There were major differences in nurse participants' beliefs between and within countries, including how nurses use paper masks and their understanding of their efficacy. In addition, there were cultural differences in the way that nurses use masks in their daily lives and nursing practice contexts. Conclusion: Nurses from different working environments, countries and areas of practice hold a variety of health beliefs about mask wearing at the personal and professional level. Implications for nursing policy and health policy: The COVID‐19 pandemic has sparked much discussion about the critical importance of masks for the safety of health professionals, and there has been considerable discussion and disagreement about health policies regarding mask use by the general public. Improper use of masks may have a role in creating mask shortages or transmitting infections. An evidence‐based global policy on mask use for respiratory illnesses for health professionals, including nurses, and the general public needs to be adopted and supported by a wide‐reaching education campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CLEREHAN R., MCCALL L., MCKENNA L. & ALSHAHRANI K. (2012) Saudi Arabian nurses' experiences of studying Masters degrees in Australia. International Nursing Review 59, 215-221 Aim: This paper presents findings from a study which explored a group of Saudi Arabian nurses' experiences of studying for a Masters degree in Australia. Background: Arab states in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia in particular, have high expatriate nursing populations, and governments in the region have allocated considerable funding to up-skilling their health workforce, often at Western universities. However, there has been little research into the learning experiences of nursing students from Middle East nations. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study design was used. Middle Eastern students undertaking Masters courses in a School of Nursing and Midwifery at one Australian university were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Ten Saudi students participated and data were analysed using content analysis. Findings: Students experienced challenges related to the transition to very different forms of study; to managing relationships and family. They were resourceful, employing strategies to manage multiple demands, including differences in culture, and stressed the significance of strong personal relationships with staff. Students acknowledged being changed, even transformed, by their experience, and saw themselves as future change agents. Conclusion: Highly skilled local nursing professionals are being sought in many Middle Eastern countries and may undertake post-graduate studies in Western contexts quite different from their own. Students reported that, in spite of difficulties, their experience prompted transformational change: intellectually, psychologically and developmentally. It is necessary for staff to understand expectations and learning preferences of these students to ensure fruitful learning outcomes and benefits to nursing in their home countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study explores Australian clinical nurses' and midwives' familiarity with a new code of conduct and understanding in what ways the code is important for nurses as they carry out clinical practice. Background: Codes specify the expectations of nurses' responsibilities, legal requirements, behaviour and conduct. Being familiar with the code is central to being a professional nurse or midwife. As nursing continues to advance, updating the code is crucial to maintain professional and safe practice. Design: This project utilized a cross‐sectional descriptive design. Methods: A survey was developed incorporating Likert‐type scale assessments of the 7 value statements from the 2018 Australian Nurses' Code of Conduct for familiarity and importance. The survey included open‐ended questions to elicit clinical nurses' experiences of conduct breaches, opinions regarding usefulness and relevance of the code for current practice. Data were collected at an acute care hospital in Sydney during January 2018. Results: Significant differences relating to cultural and patient‐centred approaches were revealed in the study. The new value involving the role of research was least understood and ranked least important by nurses and midwives. Professional 'integrity' resonated with participants when considering the behaviour of nurses, and short, unambiguous values were the most popular. Additionally, a substantial number of participants had no knowledge of the code or were not aware of the recently revised version. Conclusion and implications for nursing: A code of conduct provides structure and guidance for workplace values and principles. A respected code is important to the nursing profession to help prevent inappropriate and incompetent behaviour and as a guide for nursing performance. Nurses in this study claimed the code was highly relevant to their work as a nurse and was incorporated into their daily practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on the role of nurses in providing cost-effective medical care to homeless men in Sydney, Australia. Topics include the impact of multimorbidity on the patients in the study, the role of medication administration as a primary health care (PHC) task in the study, and the need to collaborate with specialists such as mental health professionals through referrals.

Aim To identify the practice patterns of the Australian registered nurse workforce according to position title and to map these disparate titles across all jurisdictions of the country. Introduction Effective nursing workforce planning can contribute to improved patient care and increased effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare systems. Background The prevailing approach to nursing workforce planning focuses on number of nursing staff needed in relation to the number of patients. The level of expertise and skill mix of registered nurses as a variable in workforce planning is rarely considered. Methods A national cross-sectional electronic survey of registered nurses in Australia was conducted using the validated Advanced Practice Role Delineation tool developed from the Strong Model of Advanced Practice. The study involved a sample of 5599 registered nurses. Results Sixty-six nursing position titles nationally were mapped using cluster analysis technique and gave rise to seven clusters of equivalent Australian jurisdictional nursing position titles and practice profiles. Discussion Effective workforce policy and planning is reliant upon access to reliable evidence. This research is an international first in that it has provided comprehensive knowledge of the clinical level and practice profiles of a national nursing workforce. Implications for nursing policy Effective, patient-centred workforce planning must consider both the numerical and expertise mix of a nursing workforce. This research provides Australian health service and policy planners with evidence-base knowledge of the nursing workforce. Internationally, this research establishes a platform from which to develop validated tools and established processes to support replication of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to determine whether registered nurse Australian specialty competency standards identified unique capabilities of nursing practice. Background: Use of the term specialist in nursing commenced early in the twentieth century with the growth and diversification of postgraduate nursing education. Courses in speciality nursing were associated with the development of specialty competency standards in Australia. Method: Australian specialty standards were mapped against the current national competency standards for the registered nurse. Content analysis was used to cross ‐ map the standards to the national standard domains of professional practice, critical thinking and analysis, provision and coordination of care, and collaborative and therapeutic practice. Findings: Of the 28 sourced speciality standards, only the nursing informatics standards displayed unique elements of nursing practice. Other nursing capabilities such as leadership and person ‐ centred care were prominent in speciality standards, while more difficult to interpret in the national standards. In addition, developmental and intellectual disability nursing was not evident in the national competency standards. Discussion: The findings above identified that nursing informatics were the only specialty standards that displayed unique capabilities of nursing practice when compared with the national competency standards. This raises the question of the value add specialty standards have on practice. Conclusion: Very few unique capabilities of specialty nursing were expressed in these standards. The study identified that they had more potential in assisting registered nurses to interpret their national competency standards into specialist practice contexts. Implications for nursing and health policy: It is proposed that specific performance indicators of how the registered nurse standards are applied in the specialty context are developed in place of multiple specialty standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The study's main aim was to gain in ‐ depth understanding of how nurse scholars engage with electronic theses and dissertations. Through elicitation of opinions about challenges and opportunities, and perceptions of future development, the study also aimed to influence the design of a new international web ‐ based forum for learning and sharing information on this topic. Background: Electronic theses and dissertations provide an opportunity to radically change the way in which graduate student research is presented, disseminated and used internationally. However, as revealed by a multi ‐ national survey in 2011, many nurse scholars in vanguard universities have little awareness of how to find and exploit this ever ‐ expanding global knowledge resource that is increasingly available free in full text format. Within this context more detailed understandings of nurse scholars’ thinking and actions are required. Methods: A qualitative approach using a semi ‐ structured interview guide was utilized to elicit perceptions from 14 nurse scholars. Results: Thematic analysis of the interviewees’ responses identified six major themes: initial exposure and effect; searching; accessing; handling; using; and evaluation. Insights were gained about the value of these resources and behaviours in using them as exemplars for structure, format and methodology. Conclusion and implications for nursing and nursing policy: Despite the small study size, the findings added valuable new insights to the overview gained from the 2011 survey. These have been used to inform development of a new global initiative: the International Network for Electronic Theses and Dissertations in Nursing. Featuring an educational website (www.inetdin.net), this initiative aims to support and challenge nursing's policy makers, practitioners and especially educators to utilize this neglected but exponentially increasing wellspring of international nursing knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Examine metrics and policies regarding nurse workforce across four countries. Background International comparisons inform health policy makers. Methods Data from the OECD were used to compare expenditure, workforce and health in: Australia, Portugal, the United Kingdom ( UK) and the United States ( US). Workforce policy context was explored. Results Public spending varied from less than 50% of gross domestic product in the US to over 80% in the UK. Australia had the highest life expectancy. Portugal has fewer nurses and more physicians. The Australian national health workforce planning agency has increased the scope for co-ordinated policy intervention. Portugal risks losing nurses through migration. In the UK, the economic crisis resulted in frozen pay, reduced employment, and reduced student nurses. In the US, there has been limited scope to develop a significant national nursing workforce policy approach, with a continuation of State based regulation adding to the complexity of the policy landscape. The US is the most developed in the use of nurses in advanced practice roles. Ageing of the workforce is likely to drive projected shortages in all countries. Limitations There are differences as well as variation in the overall impact of the global financial crisis in these countries. Conclusion Future supply of nurses in all four countries is vulnerable. Implications for nursing and health policy Work force planning is absent or restricted in three of the countries. Scope for improved productivity through use of advanced nurse roles exists in all countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]