Search

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]

Aim: This paper discusses four main strategies for addressing nursing shortages that have been persistent, widespread and growing. Fallout from the COVID‐19 pandemic might offer valuable impetus to address this tenacious challenge. Background: Nursing shortages are common, widespread and have been persistent for most of a century. Many of the reasons behind these shortages are well known and are themselves enduring, as are the types of strategies put forward for addressing them. These strategies can generally be classified into four main categories: enhancing retention, improving recruitment, encouraging return to practice and drawing on international human resources. The COVID‐19 pandemic is the latest major threat to ensuring a sufficiently sized and skilled nursing workforce. Many nurses have succumbed to burnout as well the plethora of factors that predated the pandemic and have a negative impact on nurse wellbeing, turnover and intention to leave. Sources of evidence: This discussion paper draws on international sources of evidence. Discussion/conclusion: This paper highlights how many of the factors behind and strategies for addressing nursing shortages at the local, national and global levels are widely studied and known. A sustained combination of strategies that focus both within and beyond health and nursing, including on the broader social context, is necessary. While COVID‐19 has been extremely damaging, it might present an opportunity to make sustainable, effective reforms to address nursing shortages. Implications for policy: Knowledge users must recognise that a combination of approaches across the gamut of policies that influence nursing workforces is necessary to address nursing shortages. Attention must also focus on factors beyond nursing and healthcare if shortages are to be remedied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This paper will review progress towards the identified targets within the Australian government policy document commonly known as 'Closing the Gap' and examine the role of nurses in supporting its implementation. Background: Australia is not alone in seeking to address the health inequity between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous people. Globally such health inequities are similar and require interventions supported by governments in conjunction with health and education systems to affect desired change. For this reason, it is timely to undertake a review of progress on the impact of the Closing the Gap initiative. Sources of evidence: The Australian national partnership agreement and subsequent annual performance reports issued between 2010 and 2017. Discussion: Targets set within the Australian government national partnership agreement have had a range of success. Those targets not on track require significant long‐term investment to ensure their success. Nurses as a large professional group are powerful advocates to speak up and support policy change that affects disempowered social groups. Conclusion: Long‐term social change takes time, yet without the commitment of Australian Governments through effective policy and economic support, the inequity in the health of Indigenous people will continue both now and in the future. Implications for health and social policy: Nurses, as the largest health professional group, are uniquely placed to support and implement social change at all levels of health care (primary, secondary and tertiary) and to lobby government to amend policy alongside those who are disempowered. Implications for nursing practice: Health promotion and education programmes that are led by nurses can make an impact to health disparities within groups who are most at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Participant recruitment is a fundamental component of the research process and the methods employed to attract individuals will depend on the nature of the study. Recruitment may be more challenging when the study involves people from a minority religious group. However, this issue has not been well addressed in the literature. Aim: To discuss the challenges of recruiting participants from a minority religious group (the Islamic population) to participate in an interpretive, hermeneutic study concerning the experience of hospitalization. The challenges of recruitment encountered during this study are used as the basis for a broader discussion of this important issue. To ensure the success of this phase of the study, a pre-planned recruitment strategy was essential. Methods: Multiple recruitment strategies were used, including hospital-based recruitment, snowball sampling, advertising and contact with key people. Despite the use of multiple strategies, recruitment of participants was difficult and required an extended period of time to achieve sufficiently rich data. Thirteen participants shared their lived experience to provide an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. Recruiting participants from minority religious group involves potentially sensitive issues. There is an increased need for the researchers to carefully consider potential participants' rights and ensure that sound ethical principles underpin the study, as failure to do this may hinder the recruitment process. Findings: The two most effective strategies of recruitment were snowball sampling and contact with key Islamic people, with the least effective being advertising. This paper highlights the importance of anticipating potential difficulties and pre-planning strategies to overcome barriers to recruitment. Implementation of multiple strategies is recommended to ensure successful research recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This paper overviews Indigenous disadvantage in relatively wealthy Australia. It describes efforts to increase the recruitment and retention of Indigenous people in nursing and to reform nursing education to be more inclusive of Indigenous culture, health and history. Background: Indigenous people on average die 17 years younger than non-Indigenous people and have health problems similar to those of people in some underdeveloped countries. Moreover, social injustice and human rights issues affect their health and well-being and educational opportunities. They are under-represented in the health professions, including nursing, often through a lack of educational preparation and historical, socio-economic and cultural factors hindering them from entering and succeeding in university studies. Methods: In 2000, a project was funded by the Australian commonwealth government and led by the Indigenous Nursing Education Working Group. This Group worked for five years on a wide range of methods that included consultation within the profession, information dissemination and longitudinal surveying of university schools of nursing and Indigenous support units. Results: Findings show that collaborative efforts between key stakeholders in nursing education appear to be succeeding to increase the numbers of Indigenous students of nursing. Around two–thirds of schools of nursing now include Indigenous content in their undergraduate curricula, but the majority is yet to provide Indigenous cultural awareness/cultural safety training for faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TUCKETT A.G. (2005) Residents’ rights and nurses’ ethics in the Australian nursing home. International Nursing Review 52, 219–224 This article is derived from a more extensive review of literature for a qualitative study that explored the meaning of truth-telling within the care provider – aged resident dyad in high-level (nursing home) aged care. This paper describes through the literature, work practices and the culture of the nursing home as promoting instrumental care, therefore prioritizing doing-for over being-with. The nursing home, starved of time and staff, silences and isolates the aged care resident in an environment that is, arguably, rarely homelike. The appraisal of the nursing home offered here means that a number of residents’ rights are at risk and care providers (notably registered nurses and the personal care assistants) risk contravening the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses provide healthcare in prisons worldwide. Working within security restraints, in environments not designed for nursing care, custodial health nurses (CHNs) use specialist nursing skills and knowledge to do essential work. Rapid increases in prisoner age, infirmity and ill‐health of prisoners mandate their access to these nurses. Aim: To raise awareness of the CHNs struggle for specialty status within the nursing profession, public health frameworks and prisons. Sources of evidence: Publicly available information is organised and analysed through the author's lens of 20 years working in the Australian prison system as a general nurse and nurse practitioner. Discussion: CHNs efforts towards becoming a specialty within nursing, public health and prisons are ongoing. Overcoming barriers and maximising facilitators to effective CHN practice would be indicators of successful incorporation of nursing models that assist prisoner patients. Prison healthcare contexts are unique regarding prisoner health and funding that impacts the CHNs resourcing, their scope of practice and acceptance of nursing in prison systems and the broader healthcare sectors. Conclusion: Greater visibility of the CHNs will help promote policy reforms regarding nursing services within a changing prisoner demographic. Changes to educational and professional support for CHNs are needed. Policy restrictions on funding for CHN models in Australia fall short of international standards for prison healthcare; however, political and organisational commitment in this area will be necessary to attain community‐equivalent healthcare standards across the custodial setting. Implications for nursing and other policies: Professional structures, competencies and specialty policy frameworks are required to promote CHNs as advocates for prisoners needing care and their professional development. CHNs at the forefront of policy development and review will benefit all stakeholders in custodial health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To clarify factors that support a policy change from pandemic to endemic status and to examine options for non‐medical responses to reduce COVID‐19 transmission. Background: Critical factors to be considered in pandemic response decisions are not limited to medical options or public health orders, although these are important. Sources of evidence: All evidence drawn from publicly available sources is presented through the lens of the authors' nursing, management, education, policy and research experience. Discussion: As COVID‐19 variants cause infections to surge nurses and other health practitioners, who are the de facto implementers of public and health policy, need to consider the evidence supporting a pandemic policy change to endemic status. Non‐medical options for reducing transmission and variant mutations are needed to enable at‐risk populations to avoid infection. Conclusion: Public policy that shifts infection risks onto the general population requires close scrutiny of the evidence base for such decisions and warrants open debate and review. If people are to manage risks arising from policy decisions, they need access to non‐medical virus detection options as well as access to effective medicines and treatment. Implications for nursing practice: Nurses have an extension to their advocacy role when policy changes about infectious disease status are declared. Evaluation of policy in terms of validity, equity and scientific basis is part of nursing's public responsibility. Policies that fail to reflect what is happening at the patient care level need to be questioned and modified where necessary. Only policies deemed 'good' policy by nurses should be implemented without challenge. Access to devices for environmental detection of the virus would enable real‐time estimation of infection risks and inform individual decisions about the real risk of participating in work or other activities. Implications for health and social policy: Policy decisions to transition from pandemic to endemic status must be evidence based. Clear messaging about risks and options assists policy implementation. Terminologies describing stages of infectious disease spread from 'outbreak, epidemic, endemic and pandemic' are not interchangeable, although they will expand and contract across the range in response to interventions such as public health safety measures (PHSM), quarantine, vaccinations, antivirals and fatalities that alter the case count in defined locations for those who avoid or survive an infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Social engagement is an important active aging strategy to promote older adults' mental health. The purposes of this study were to compare social engagement in older populations around the world and explore associations with mental health outcomes. Materials and methods: An international cross‐sectional survey was conducted from 2017 to 2019. Data were retrieved from The International Social Survey Programme for a secondary data analysis across 30 countries. This study applied the Taxonomy of Social Activities and its six levels as operational definitions for a consistent concept of social engagement for international comparisons. Results: In total, 9403 older adults with a mean age of 72.85 ± 6.40 years responded. The highest levels of older adults' social engagement were found in Switzerland, Thailand, and New Zealand. Older adults of a higher age, with a lower educational level, who were permanently sick or disabled, who had no partner, who were widowed or whose civil partner had died, who lived alone, and who had lower self‐placement in society had significantly lower social engagement than did their counterparts. In the regression model, older adults' social engagement positively predicted general health, self‐accomplishment, and life satisfaction, but negatively predicted loneliness and depression. Conclusions: In aging societies worldwide, encouraging older adults' social engagement would be beneficial to promote mental health. Implications for nursing practice and health policies: Community professional nurses can develop strategies of social engagement based on the needs and sociodemographic factors of older adults to improve their mental health. Developing efficient strategies and local policies by learning from successful experiences in other countries is important to promote social engagement in aging societies. [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]

Nursing and midwifery are demanding professions. Efforts to understand the health consequences and workforce needs of these professions are urgently needed. Using a novel electronic approach, the Nurses and Midwives e-cohort Study (NMeS) aims to investigate longitudinally Australian and New Zealand nurses' and midwives' work/life balance and health. This paper describes NMeS participation; provides key baseline demographic, workforce and health indicators; compares these baseline descriptions with external norms; and assesses the feasibility of the electronic approach. From 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2008, nurses in Australia and New Zealand, and midwives in Australia were invited to participate. Potential participants were directed to a purpose-built NMeS Internet site, where study information was provided and consent sought. Once obtained, a range of standardized tools combined into one comprehensive electronic questionnaire was elicited. Overall, 7633 (2.3%) eligible nurses and midwives participated (6308 from Australia and 1325 from New Zealand) from a total pool of 334 400. Age, gender, occupational and health profiles were similar between countries and to national figures. However, some differences were noted; for instance, Queensland participants were over-represented, while Victorian and South Australian participants were under-represented, and 28.2% of Australians were in high strain positions compared with 18.8% of New Zealanders. Using an internationally novel web-based approach, a large cohort, which appears generally similar to population norms, has been established. Provided participant retention is adequate, the NMeS will provide insight into understanding the drivers of nurses' and midwives' workforce retention and work-related factors associated with their health. [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]

Reports on the support given by the Australian government to the full transfer of nursing education out of hospitals to the higher education sector. Elimination of the hospital-based nursing courses.

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]

Aim Nursing leaders from six countries engaged in a year-long discussion on global leadership development. The purpose of these dialogues was to strengthen individual and collective capacity as nursing leaders in a global society. Field experiences in practice and education were shared. Perspectives on global leadership can strengthen nurses' contributions to practice, workplace and policy issues worldwide. Background Transformational leadership empowers nurses' increasing confidence. Mentoring is needed to stimulate leadership development but this is lacking in many settings where nurses practice, teach and influence policy. Organizations with global mission provide opportunity for nurses' professional growth in leadership through international dialogues. Procedures Dialogues among participants were held monthly by conference calls or videoconferences. Example stories from each participant illustrated nursing leadership in action. From these exemplars, concepts were chosen to create a framework. Emerging perspectives and leadership themes represented all contexts of practice, education, research and policy. The cultural context of each country was reflected in the examples. Results Themes emerged that crossed global regions and countries. Themes were creativity, change, collaboration, community, context and courage. Implications for Nursing and Health Policy Relationships initially formed in professional organizations can be extended to intentionally facilitate global nursing leadership development. Exemplars from the dialogues demonstrated nursing leadership in health policy development within each cultural context. Recommendations are given for infrastructure development in organizations to enhance future collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To identify factors that contribute to stress in Australian nurses, consider the coping strategies they use and examine the effects of stressors on nurses' health and well-being. Background: Stress is a major concern in the nursing profession with work overload, nurse shortages and high turnover rates as the common stressors. Although nursing stress has been studied extensively, there is a lack of clarity on the nursing situation in Australia. Methods: A systematic review of the current literature was conducted on stress and coping strategies within the Australian nursing population. Results: Stressors included work overload, role conflicts and experiences of aggression. Coping strategies included seeking support, problem solving and self-control. The majority of the studies reported detrimental effects on nurses' physical and mental well-being with little consideration given to the spillover effects of nursing work stress to their family and social relationships. Conclusion: Recommendations included factoring in personal and work stresses, promoting the use of effective coping strategies and maintaining supportive social relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although nurses are often uneasy about following industrial strategies, particularly strikes, such strategies can enhance nursing practice and protect the nurses' role in employment relationships. Bitt to what extent can nurses actually include professional goals in their collective agreements? The following report of an exploratory survey of the professional outcomes of collective bargaining by nurses in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom provides baseline data for progress in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents insights on the future of nursing profession in Australia. Implementation of changes in nursing education; Emphasis on training and employment; Concern over the wasting of nursing manpower potential.

The article presents 2012 and 2013 news on the International Council of Nurses (ICN). The ICN and the Children’s National Medical Center of Washington, D.C. have published a catalogue on pediatric pain management. Online registration has begun for the 25th Quadrennial Congress of the International Council of Nurses, which will be held on May 18-23, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. The ICN's Girl Child Education Fund received a grant from the Connecting Nurses project.

Discusses the industrial activity of nurses in Australia. Uniqueness of nursing; Establishment of the credibility of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation; Representation of nurses by the organization; Negotiation in behalf of the nurses.

Highlights the annual meeting of the RANF Federal Council in Australia in April 1986. Concerns on the lack of government commitment to funding arrangements for refresher courses for nurses in Australia; Workshop on nursing education and the recruitment and retention of nurses; Introduction of effective industrial democracy mechanisms in health agencies.

Reports on the fund raising conducted by the Royal College of Nursing Australia for the construction of a memorial to honor service nurses in Australia. Recognition of the service and sacrifice of nurses; Number of nurses who as a result of war service; Inauguration of the Australian Nurses' National Memorial.

The Western Australian Institute of Technology has received approval for its degree course for experienced nurses. This is the first degree course for nurses in Australia. The approval followed the report of a National Enquiry into Nurse Education, The degree course at the Institute had been the subject of contention for more than 12 months. The Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission has now approved the funding which was previously withheld for the programme and the Western Australian Post Secondary Education Commission has reaffirmed the accreditation of the course at degree level. National registration had already been granted by the Australian Council on Awards of Advanced Education.

Reports on the selection of Joyce Rodmell as president of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation. Career background; Achievements of Jane Muntz, the officer being succeeded by Rodmell; Participation made by both leaders on the organization.

Aim: To present several key factors that motivated Malaysian registered nurses to undertake a post-registration degree through an Australian university. The overall research study, from which this paper is drawn, looked at the professional learning of Malaysian registered nurses and the subsequent impact on their careers., Background: In Malaysia, the demand for a degree for Malaysian nurses provided the impetus for this offshore post-registration nursing programme, developed as a twinning venture between an Australian university and a Malaysian private institution. The degree programme was conducted largely in Malaysia with a 4-week residential block in Australia., Methods: As this larger research study investigated the graduates' personal perspectives of their experiences of this post-registration degree programme, the case study approach was the appropriate methodological choice. Twelve Malaysian graduate nurses were recruited voluntarily from the first cohort of students who completed the Bachelor of Health Science-Nursing (post-registration) 5 years post graduation. Ethical procedures were observed. The data were collected through individual, semi-structured and focus interviews, which took place in Malaysia and were personally tape-recorded and transcribed by the researcher., Findings: The motivation for formal learning emanated from the participants' personal and professional lives. Within these two domains, four separate but interrelated reasons emerged: work-related stimulation and self-growth; compliance with management requirements; professional advancement and keeping up with the profession; and availability and accessibility. However, in a culture where higher education is highly priced and yet scarce, the programmes' availability and accessibility were ultimate factors.

Background: Within an 8-month period, an unprecedented and historical first in Queensland, Australia, the perioperative nurses were members of teams involved in the surgical separation of two sets of conjoined twins. Little is known about the (dis)stress that some of these perioperative nurses experienced nor how best to support them during such experiences., Aim: The aim of this paper is to report on the qualitative study that explored the experiences of those perioperative nurses involved in the surgical separation of cojoined twins and from their stories propose recommendations to support perioperative nurses who are confronted with such workplace experiences., Methods: Using a narrative methodology, nine perioperative nurses shared their stories of being involved in the surgical separation of conjoined twins in Australia. Narrative and thematic analyses were conducted and recommendations to support perioperative nurses through workplace (dis)stress were identified. Participants validated the findings and recommendations., Findings: The analyses revealed the themes of professionalism, teamwork, 'them vs. us' and emotional loads., Discussion: The sensationalism around the rarity of conjoined twins brought an intensive intrusiveness from the world media. As a result, secrecy within the hospital about the conjoined twin cases created divisions between those perioperative nurses on the teams and those not. The processes and outcomes of the two surgical cases were in contrast to each other. For some perioperative nurses this caused distress. It is essential that professional support is offered in a way in which the perioperative nurse can take it up without fear of negative judgement.

The decline in the number of inpatients in psychiatric hospitals over the last decade has resulted in a strong demand for community based mental health services, and a search for alternative accommodation for ex-psychiatric patients. However, for any comprehensive planning for residential services for ex-psychiatric patients to be effective, there must be a recognition of the variety of patient needs and resources and the range of service models available. This paper attempts to review aftercare residential facilities in America and Australia, to identify the underlying care philosophy and to propose various supervision approaches.

This paper describes some of the societal trends which affect nursing and the mutual impact of these trends on nursing education, practice, research and organization. It was presented at the seminar "Talking about the Future", Escola Universitaria d'Infermeria Santa Madona, Barcelona.