Search

Background. The scientific community views the publication of academic papers as a means of disseminating information, ensuring transparency and good practice in terms of research utilization. However, the choice of journal in which to publish is frequently influenced by other, less obvious, factors. This paper describes the lengthy route taken to get a methodological paper about pilot studies into print. Aim and method. This paper shares some of our experiences and discusses the lessons that we learned about the process of getting into print. A case study approach is adopted to help the reader understand the different influences on this process. Findings. Our methodological paper was submitted to six different academic journals before it was finally accepted for publication. The choice of journal was influenced by the need to reach an appropriate academic audience, the estimated turn around time (the time taken between submission of a paper and its subsequent publication) and the level of academic credibility of the journal (often assessed by the journal's Impact Factor). Publishing in 'high impact' academic journals assumed considerable importance for us in view of the UK Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). However, the consequence of going down the journal status hierarchy was that we lost about 1 year through submitting, rewriting according to each of the journal's specific requirements and resubmitting. The case study also demonstrates that getting into print often depends on a range of factors, not just the quality of the written text. Conclusions. Getting a paper published may depend not only on the intrinsic quality of the paper, but also whether it is submitted to the 'right' academic journal. Moreover, if journals do not take certain papers (e.g. ones with negative findings or those reporting multi-disciplinary studies) then this can lead to publication bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article introduces a series of articles on nursing and midwifery, which appeared in the 30th anniversary issue of the "Journal of Advanced Nursing."

Presents a review of paper published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1976–1979 and 1989–1992. Criteria noted on the submission of the papers; Final analysis on the characteristics of authors under the headings; General topics addressed in papers.

Presents an analysis of papers published in the "Journal of Advanced Nursing" throughout 2002. Country of origin of the papers; Categorization of the papers; Data collection methods used in empirical papers.

Aim. The aim of the paper is (1) to offer an overview of different theoretical approaches to discourse analysis and (2) to review papers published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing from 1996–2004 in which discourse analysis is identified as a method of data analysis. Background. Discourse analysis offers rigorous approaches to analysing naturally occurring talk and texts. Forms of discourse analysis have developed across broad theoretical bases. Such development has created challenges for researchers wishing to adopt this methodology and readers wishing to evaluate the quality of discourse analytic work. Methods. First, key documents which describe the theoretical range of discourse analysis are used to provide (i) a comprehensive overview of the approach, (ii) the identification of categories of discourse analysis and (iii) minimum criteria for determining if an individual paper can realistically claim to be adopting discourse analysis. Secondly, an electronic search followed by hand search of the Journal of Advanced Nursing full- contents between 1996 and 2004 was undertaken. The papers were grouped into the types of approach identified in i, and evaluated to see whether they met the ‘minimum criteria’ also identified in i. Findings. The search of Journal of Advanced Nursing revealed 24 papers where the authors stated that discourse analysis was among the methods or was the sole method of data analysis. The majority of the papers cluster around critical approaches to discourse analysis. Only a few approach discourse analysis primarily as analysis of conversation. Some papers are excellent, while others offer analysis that bears little resemblance to any form of discourse analysis. Conclusions. A strategy for improvement could include more rigorous attention on the part of those practising discourse analysis to methodology and the key features that differentiate the different approaches to discourse analysis from other qualitative methods. Authors should include sufficient detail of their approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a brief review of papers published in the 'Journal of Advanced Nursing,' 1983–1992. Classification of paper; Topics covered in the papers; Number of publications and papers featured.

Williamson G.R. (2003) Journal of Advanced Nursing 44(3), 278–288 Misrepresenting random sampling? A systematic review of research papers in the Journal of Advanced Nursing This paper discusses the theoretical limitations of the use of random sampling and probability theory in the production of a significance level (or P-value) in nursing research. Potential alternatives, in the form of randomization tests, are proposed. Research papers in nursing, medicine and psychology frequently misrepresent their statistical findings, as the P-values reported assume random sampling. In this systematic review of studies published between January 1995 and June 2002 in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, 89 (68%) studies broke this assumption because they used convenience samples or entire populations. As a result, some of the findings may be questionable. The key ideas of random sampling and probability theory for statistical testing (for generating a P-value) are outlined. The result of a systematic review of research papers published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing is then presented, showing how frequently random sampling appears to have been misrepresented. Useful alternative techniques that might overcome these limitations are then discussed. This review is limited in scope because it is applied to one journal, and so the findings cannot be generalized to other nursing journals or to nursing research in general. However, it is possible that other nursing journals are also publishing research articles based on the misrepresentation of random sampling. The review is also limited because in several of the articles the sampling method was not completely clearly stated, and in this circumstance a judgment has been made as to the sampling method employed, based on the indications given by author(s). Quantitative researchers in nursing should be very careful that the statistical techniques they use are appropriate for the design and sampling methods of their studies. If the techniques they employ are not appropriate, they run the risk of misinterpreting findings by using inappropriate, unrepresentative and biased samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing research in Spain: bibliometrics of references of research papers in the decade 1985–1994 Background. Spain is one of the few European countries to have recently totally incorporated the study of nursing into the university sector. Bibliometric studies may be of a great help for the consolidation of nursing research. Aim of the study. The aim of this paper is to describe bibliographic references in Spanish nursing research papers and their evolution over a decade. Method. The method consists of a retrospective bibliometric study of a sample (cluster sampling) of 622 research papers (original papers and review papers), which were contained in the Spanish nursing journals Enfermería Científica, Revista ROL de Enfermería, Enfermería Clínica and Enfermería Integral, and published from 1985 to 1994. The journal Nursing Research was selected for qualitative comparative purposes. A series of classic bibliometric indexes were used. Results. The mean of references per paper is 10·64 ± 10·42; this increased over time (P < 0·001). Review papers have more references (P < 0·001). Price index (percentage of references published during the last 5 years) is 44% and the Insularity (percentage of references published in same country as the article) is 55%. References to journals predominate (58·6%), with a growing tendency for references to Spanish nursing journals, although they are still scarce (18·1% of the references to journals). Spanish is the language of most of the references (60·3%), the second language being English (36·1%). Conclusions. Bibliographic references in Spanish nursing research papers are scarce and not very specific: this happens both in regard to Nursing Research and to publications in other national and international science areas. However, there is an increasing tendency of references (including references to nursing journals) in the period analysed. The age of the... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holism is claimed to be the signifying feature that sets women s health apart from traditional approaches to health care. As such, articles published in the nursing literature about women s health would, one might expect, reflect the centrality of holism to women s health care nursing. The findings of a study which examined the content and the focus of articles published about women s health in journals indexed by CINAHL in the period 1993 1995 challenge this assumption. It was found that women s health is a taken-for-granted notion and is used interchangeably and synonymously to refer to reproductive health, maternal health, neonatal health, family health and (hetero)sexual health. Confounding the view that holism is foundational to a women s health perspective, the papers forming the study s sample largely depict issues to do with women s health from a narrow and stereotypical perspective and with a bio-medical focus. Women were referred to as fragmented bodies, body parts and diseases, and were depicted as being passive and silent. By contrast, the voice (and the activity) of nurses and nursing s imperative to intervene was clearly discernible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on the process of reviewing papers for publication in the "Journal of Advanced Nursing." Role and significance of reviewers; Information on the journal's review process using Manuscript Central, the journal's online manuscript processing system; Expectations on reviewers and their reviews.

Aims of the study. This paper uses the findings of a recent bibliometric analysis of published UK nursing research to ask whether the field is characterized by a fundamental split between two underlying areas of research interest. These can be termed 'endogenous' and 'exogenous'. The former term describes research which tends to be concerned with problems and issues to do with nursing as a profession; the latter is concerned with problems and issues centring around the nursing of patients.Design/methods. Papers in the Wellcome Trust's Research Outputs Database (ROD), a database of UK biomedical research, were analysed. Nursing papers published between 1988 and 1995 numbered 1845, just less than 1% of the total papers in the ROD.Results/findings. Analysis of the subfield identified that nursing research was atypical of biomedical research as a whole in a number of ways. One difference was that usually in biomedical research there is a general correlation between numbers of funders acknowledged on a paper, numbers of authors, and esteem of the journal in which a paper appears. In nursing there was, if anything, a tendency for highly esteemed papers to have fewer authors and be less likely to have acknowledged funding. However, the apparently endogenous and exogenous papers have quite different characteristics. This paper explores this apparent difference and possible reasons for this difference and will briefly compare nursing research with some other newly emerging social and academic groups.Conclusions. Thinking of nursing research outputs in this way can provide insight into the existence of different reward systems influencing nurse researchers. However, it is impossible to draw too confident a differentiation without reading each individual paper and making judgements about whether they are 'endogenous' or 'exogenous', a practice generally beyond the scope of bibliometric practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: The aim of this paper is to report a study to determine the effects of absorbent pads on the pressure-relieving properties of 'standard' and pressure management mattresses. BACKGROUND: Pressure ulcers and incontinence often co-exist. There is a strong association between poor mobility and continence problems and patients using pressure management products are therefore also likely to be using absorbent pads. METHODS: An instrumented articulated anthropometric phantom with simulated soft body 'tissues' in the gluteal and sacral areas was used as the 'subject'. The phantom was raised and lowered on to three mattresses (standard foam, visco-elastic foam and surface-cut foam) in three states: naked, wearing a dry pad (Tena Super, SCA Hygiene AB) and wearing a wet pad. The pressure mapping device Xsensor was used to record the distribution of pressure over the sacral and ischial areas of the phantom. Peak pressure was used as the primary outcome variable and 10 repeats were made on each mattress under each condition. RESULTS: There were substantial and significant differences for all three mattresses in recorded peak pressures between the naked buttocks and the buttocks wearing a dry pad. There were no significant differences between measurements made using the dry vs. wet pad. Peak pressures frequently occurred over areas of pad folds. Additional testing showed that pads that were 'smoothed' by hand had significantly lower peak pressures than 'unsmoothed' pads. CONCLUSIONS: Absorbent pads have a substantial adverse effect on the pressure redistribution properties of mattresses. Pad folds appear to contribute to this effect, which can be ameliorated slightly by smoothing. Absorbent pad manufacturers should consider engineering pads that minimize disruption to pressure management. Further examination of continence and pressure management products is necessary to establish optimum combinations for nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philosophical analysis is increasingly applied to nursing issues. Whereas pre-analytical discussions might be sloppy, analysis should bring rigour. This paper explores some mistakes and misconceptions concerning nurse-related reasonings. It uses, as a running theme, a recent paper in the Journal of Advanced Nursing by Rolfe. The mistakes and misleadings to be found in the paper are not uncommon; so the paper's correction quest aims more widely than single author critique. The mistakes and misconceptions could initially appear abstract and without practical outcome; in order to avoid the threatened appearance, a nursing case study is presented, displaying some undesirable consequences for a nurse who is misled by her reading. It is hoped that this paper shows how some accuracy may be well leading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper discusses the theoretical limitations of the use of random sampling and probability theory in the production of a significance level (or P-value) in nursing research. Potential alternatives, in the form of randomization tests, are proposed.Background. Research papers in nursing, medicine and psychology frequently misrepresent their statistical findings, as the P-values reported assume random sampling. In this systematic review of studies published between January 1995 and June 2002 in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, 89 (68%) studies broke this assumption because they used convenience samples or entire populations. As a result, some of the findings may be questionable.Discussion. The key ideas of random sampling and probability theory for statistical testing (for generating a P-value) are outlined. The result of a systematic review of research papers published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing is then presented, showing how frequently random sampling appears to have been misrepresented. Useful alternative techniques that might overcome these limitations are then discussed.Review limitations. This review is limited in scope because it is applied to one journal, and so the findings cannot be generalized to other nursing journals or to nursing research in general. However, it is possible that other nursing journals are also publishing research articles based on the misrepresentation of random sampling. The review is also limited because in several of the articles the sampling method was not completely clearly stated, and in this circumstance a judgment has been made as to the sampling method employed, based on the indications given by author(s).Conclusion. Quantitative researchers in nursing should be very careful that the statistical techniques they use are appropriate for the design and sampling methods of their studies. If the techniques they employ are not appropriate, they run the risk of misinterpreting findings by using inappropriate, unrepresentative and biased samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holism is claimed to be the signifying feature that sets women's health apart from traditional approaches to health care. As such, articles published in the nursing literature about women's health would, one might expect, reflect the centrality of holism to women's health care nursing. The findings of a study which examined the content and the focus of articles published about women's health in journals indexed by CINAHL in the period 1993-1995 challenge this assumption. It was found that women's health is a taken-for-granted notion and is used interchangeably and synonymously to refer to reproductive health, maternal health, neonatal health, family health and (hetero) sexual health. Confounding the view that holism is foundational to a women's health perspective, the papers forming the study's sample largely depict issues to do with women's health from a narrow and stereotypical perspective and with a bio-medical focus. Women were referred to as fragmented bodies, body parts and diseases, and were depicted as being passive and silent. By contrast, the voice (and the activity) of nurses and nursing's imperative to intervene was clearly discernible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Qualitative research plays an important part in providing evidence for practice in nursing, and is gaining greater acceptance within medicine. However, questions remain about what criteria are most appropriate for evaluating qualitative research. To date, little systematic evaluation of qualitative research in palliative care has been conducted. AIMS: This paper is based on a larger study in which we conducted a critical review of qualitative research in palliative care from nursing, medicine, specialist palliative care, sociology, death studies, medical anthropology, and gerontology journals published between 1990 and 1999. The aim of this paper is to present an account of the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative palliative care research in nursing, using data from this review. METHODS: In the larger study, 138 papers from 50 journals were reviewed critically using a tool developed to assess both content and quality; in one part of this tool reviewers recorded open-ended comments on the strengths and weaknesses of each paper. In this paper, we present a thematic analysis of reviewers' comments on a subgroup of 67 nursing papers from the main review, together with an analysis of comments on 29 papers from a comparison group of death studies, medical anthropology, and sociology journals. Patterns of positive and negative evaluation are identified and used to generate an account of strengths and weaknesses in qualitative palliative care research in nursing. FINDINGS: Over 40% of the subgroup of papers from nursing journals received positive comments on topic and quality of writing; around 30% received positive comments on contribution to understanding, practical value, and conceptual or theoretical issues. Less than 20% received positive comments on other critical dimensions. Over 40% of nursing papers received negative comments on the link between data, analysis, and findings, other aspects of method and theoretical and conceptual issues. A higher proportion of papers in the comparison group received positive comments on conceptual and theoretical issues and contribution to understanding. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half the nursing papers reviewed were judged to be well written or to have a well-chosen topic. However, more than 40% of papers drew negative comments about key methods-related issues. Arguably therefore efforts to improve the quality of research evidence should focus on this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the existing status of electronically accessible theory construction papers in nursing literature. Features of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; Advantages of the theory construction in nursing practices; Presentation of traditional and non-traditional methods of tapping into the electronic domain for theory construction.

A great deal of the caring work of nursing is accomplished and mediated through language. This paper attempts to characterize some of this language in quantitative and stylistic terms in an attempt to characterize the genre of nursing report language. Nursing students (n = 26) and graduate nurses (n = 3) viewed a videotape of a person being interviewed by a psychiatrist and produced written reports. These showed a large proportion of words relating to the person and to feelings and needs, compared to existing databases of the English language in general. The language produced by the participants also contained many modal or modifying words and is similar to spoken rather than written English in terms of the proportion of lexical content. There was much diversity in their descriptions and the vocabulary used to refer to the client. Graduate nurses showed more scepticism of the evidence provided by the video and advocated more investigation and questioning of the client. The use of standard forms and techniques of expression suggests that these reports were assembled on a language production line. Finally, we advocate a more systematic approach to educating nursing students about the power of the language they use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been little professional debate in the UK literature about nursing diagnosis and this paper explores some of the reasons why nursing diagnosis has failed to gain momentum among nurses in the United Kingdom. The nursing diagnosis movement has now reached some European countries and in the light of the International Classification of Nursing Project (ICNP) and the Strategic Advisory Group for Nursing Information Systems (SAGNIS) project commissioned by the NHS Executive (NHSE), requires a close examination by British nurses. The unsuccessful attempt by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) to have its taxonomy accepted for inclusion in the World Health Organization's 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, an innovation which would have made the NANDA taxonomy the definitive classification of nursing, should alert British nurses to the importance of nursing diagnosis. Although nurses effectively diagnose as part of the nursing process, adoption of the concept of nursing diagnosis as a driving force for practice evades many of them. This paper reflects upon some of the logistical and conceptual difficulties including issues of culture and terminology. It is suggested that nursing diagnosis has a great deal to offer British nurses in their efforts to improve the quality of care and to provide data in this area for both practice and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses some of the measures used by a research team to overcome threats to validity and reliability of a semi-structured interview exploring the perceptions and needs of continuing professional education among nurses in practice in two district health authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the selection of keywords for several research papers to be published in the "Journal of Advanced Nursing." Limitation in the number of keywords for each paper; Categories of selecting keywords for papers.

On September 28, 1981, Great Britain's Central Council produced a consultation paper in which certain proposals are made for election to the recently constituted National Boards for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting. The purpose of the election is to elect nurses, midwives and health visitors as members of the National Boards for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is proposed that there should be three categories of candidates--nurses, midwives and health visitors. To be eligible to stand as a candidate a person must be either a practising nurse, practising midwife or a practising health visitor.

Aim. This paper is a report of a narrative literature review conducted to explore how expectations and wants are distinguished in empirical research on hope and illness and the related issues of realistic hope and temporality. Background. Particularized hope has been identified as comprising wants and expectations. The distinction is important in relation to debates around 'realistic' hopes, the temporal dimension of hope and hope-sustaining strategies. Data sources. A systematic search of the literature was undertaken for qualitative research papers published between January 1996 and July 2007 relating to hope and recovery in adults with physical ill health. Seven papers were identified. Review methods. A narrative synthesis approach was adopted and the papers were appraised for quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme method. Textual descriptions and tabulation were used to compare central themes and thematic analysis was used to explore the findings. Results. A lack of conceptual clarity in relation to hope as a want or an expectation was identified. Healthcare professionals' role in encouraging 'realistic' hopes emerged as problematic because of the lack of understanding about the possible benefits of hope and difficulties in identifying 'realistic' hopes. There has been limited research exploring temporality and the impact of hope-sustaining activities. Conclusion. The lack of clarity about particularized hope, its dimensions, properties or different forms limits knowledge about the conditions under which hope is a positive force versus when it can be damaging. Distinguishing conceptually between hope as a want and hope as an expectation has potential value in improving healthcare practice and informing future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the new format for the "Journal of Advanced Nursing." The section that features research papers is subdivided into the categories Original Research and Research Methodology. The journal will also publish theoretical research studies that offer scholarly analysis and discussion of conceptual, philosophical, theoretical or professional issues that have relevance to the journal's readership.

This action research study was undertaken to address practical concerns over curriculum development in nursing. The applied physiology component of a post-registration nursing diploma was evaluated in terms of its impact on patients rather than on the nurses themselves. The reported data were triangulated, all the findings indicated that patient care could be enhanced when nurses applied their knowledge of physiology to practice. Despite its limitations of scale, this study contributes to the curriculum debate in nurse education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An exchange for 1 day a week between a clinical nurse specialist and a lecturer gave rise to the opportunity to evaluate the introduction of case management on a newly created rehabilitation floor at an elderly care hospital. The aims of the study were to examine the feelings and concerns of new case managers, their conception of case management and their perceived educational needs. Qualitative research methods were employed to achieve the aims. Rigour was addressed, in part, through concurrent analysis of data with data collection, which encouraged probing of issues important to research participants. Thematic categories are presented under the headings: 'structure' and 'process'. The data collected revealed vividly that, as with any change, the people involved experienced anxieties and/or confusion over their new roles, but that some of the problems arose from the relocation of staff when the rehabilitation floor was established. Despite these difficulties, there was general enthusiasm for the potential of case management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The telephone survey method is discussed in the light of the experiences of one research team investigating case management practices among nurses working in the community using a multiple-method design. An account is given of the strategies employed to recruit a study sample, minimize non-response and bias and ensure the use of sound practices during data collection. The findings highlight the benefits of using the telephone survey method when recruiting respondents across a wide geographical area and/or working within a continually changing environment. However, the findings also highlight the challenge of non-response caused by non-contact and the resource implications of 'doing more' to recruit key informants via the telephone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIMS: This paper reports an analysis of recruitment and response rates in published nursing research in three peer reviewed nursing journals in 2002. We wished to establish if the deficits in reporting nursing research identified a decade earlier had been addressed. BACKGROUND: This analysis was informed by our personal experiences of research which produced widely differing response rates. An examination of the literature revealed a lack of consensus on desirable response rates in nursing research. Previous analyses have shown deficits in describing participants, sampling methods and reporting recruitment. METHODS: Papers reporting empirical research in three nursing journals in 2002 were reviewed in terms of a number of variables including research methodology, respondent type, recruitment method, response rate, location, and data collection method. Nominal coding was used as necessary. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences and a variety of descriptive statistics were employed. RESULTS: Half of the papers did not report a response rate. Of those which did, over three-quarters of both qualitative and quantitative studies had response rates of 60% or more. Research conducted in hospital and educational settings produced higher response rates than those in community settings. Studies with response rates of less than 60% did not always refer to their rates in the study limitations, and low response rates do not appear to be a barrier to publication. CONCLUSION: Reporting of sampling, recruitment and response rates in nursing research must be improved to support nursings' claim to be an evidence-based profession and to underpin clinical governance requirements. Only through improvements in the quality of nursing research publications can knowledge be extended and a better-informed research community be created. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing, as a profession in its own right and a discrete health discipline, is responsible for planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating nursing services as a distinct segment of health care, and for educating practitioners to provide these services. The primary responsibility of nursing is to provide care direct to the patient, client, family or community. Like medicine, it is concerned with maintaining, promoting and protecting health, treating the sick and providing rehabilitation. It deals with the psychosomatic and psychosocial aspects of life as these affect health, illness and dying. In modern health services, nursing care is often best given by a nursing care team which usually consists of two or more categories of workers. These workers together make up the nursing personnel subsystem, which is a distinct entity within the overall health personnel system of a country.

Nancy Goddard's 'spirituality as integrative energy' serves to highlight the importance of spirituality, while at the same time seeking to transform its nature. In this reply I take issue with the concept of spirituality as integrative energy, arguing that such a reconceptualization effectively strips spirituality of its meaning in the name of a spurious scientism. I argue that science is not the only valid mode of knowledge, and that, indeed, the scientific way of knowing may be particularly inappropriate in the context of the spiritual sphere. I briefly consider the gradual separation of spirit from body in the development of western medical science, and point out the commonalities between the scientific and spiritual modes of apprehending the world. While it is important that nurses be aware of the spiritual dimension, I argue that this awareness should not be purchased by reducing spirituality to more 'acceptable' 'scientific' terms, but rather that nurses should be afforded the opportunity to study the concept in its historical, literary and philosophical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite wide recognition that nursing must increase its research base, there still appears not only to be a shortfall in published nursing research but also a marked failure to implement research findings into clinical practice. One possible explanation for these problems is that nursing research may not be valued by peer professionals. To investigate this possibility, a study was designed to test the hypothesis that nurses would underrate the quality of papers they believed to have been produced by a nurse as opposed to a doctor, even when the status of the authors was randomly assigned to the papers. Thirty-one nurses were asked to rate two comparable papers on a number of criteria. Half the sample was told that the first paper had been written by a nurse and the second by a doctor; for the remainder of the sample, the order of authorship was reversed. A series of related t-tests was performed on the sample's evaluations in order to ascertain whether the status of the author affected perceptions of quality. No difference was found in the sample's judgement of overall quality, clarity of expression, expertise on the topic in question or contribution to current knowledge. However, significant differences were found in attributed grasp of research design and statistical analysis, with the nurse being judged as inferior on both (t=1.71, d.f.=30, P < 0.05; t=1.72, d.f.=30, P < 0.05 respectively). These results are partially explained in terms of gender influences in nursing and educational subject areas, an explanation reinforced by additional analyses of the data which suggested that the males in the sample did not assume inferior performance on the part of the nurse; and indeed judged clarity of expression, contribution to current knowledge and overall quality to be significantly better if the paper had been attributed to the nurse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper is a report of a review to identify the non-technical (cognitive and social) skills used by scrub nurses. Background. Recognition that failures in non-technical skills contributed to accidents in high-risk industries led to the development of research programmes to study the role of cognition and social interactions in operational safety. Recently, psychological research in operating theatres has revealed the importance of non-technical skills in safe and efficient performance. Most of the studies to date have focused on anaesthetists and surgeons. Data sources. On-line sources and university library catalogues, publications of the Association for Perioperative Practice, National Association of Theatre Nurses and Association of Peri-Operative Registered Nurses were searched in 2007. Review methods. Studies were included in the review if they presented data from scrub nurses on one or more of their non-technical skills. These findings were examined in relation to an existing medical non-technical skills framework with categories of communication, teamwork, leadership, situation awareness and decision-making. Results. Of 424 publications retrieved, 13 were reviewed in detail. Ten concerned communication and eight of those also had data on teamwork. In 11 papers teamwork was examined, and one focused on nurses' situation awareness, teamwork and communication. None of the papers we reviewed examined leadership or decision-making by scrub nurses. Conclusion. Further work is needed to identify formally the non-technical skills which are important to the role of scrub nurse and then to design training in the identified non-technical skills during the education and development of scrub nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of three search strategies to identify research for a qualitative synthesis of patient experiences of living with a leg ulcer. Background. Systematic reviews of research are increasingly the form of evidence used for evaluation of health care. There are well-established methods for conducting systematic reviews of effectiveness incorporating randomized controlled trials. Methods have been developed for the synthesis of qualitative research, but these are not widely used or evaluated. Searching for qualitative research is one of the least developed and tested areas in systematic reviewing of qualitative research. Method. The replication of three search strategies (free text, thesaurus and broadbased terms) developed for identification of qualitative research papers within electronic databases is described. Each strategy was run in seven electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, British Nursing Index, Social Science Citation Index, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, PsychInfo. The effectiveness of these strategies for identifying qualitative research for a synthesis of patients' experiences of living with a leg ulcer is discussed. Findings. Each of the three search strategies produced similar numbers of potentially and actually relevant papers from each of the seven databases. These results were most striking for CINAHL, when all of the papers ultimately included in the review were identified by each search strategy. No other database identified all included papers. Conclusion. A simple search strategy using broad-based terms was as effective as a complex one (free text) in locating qualitative research examining patients' experiences of living with a leg ulcer. For a question with a clear nursing focus, it may be sufficient to search only CINAHL in order to locate qualitative research. This result needs replicating with other nursing topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The randomized controlled trial is viewed by many researchers as the 'gold standard' research design. It is used increasingly to evaluate the effectiveness of socially complex activities such as nursing interventions. This use is seen by many commentators as problematic, while others are concerned about the quality of many published trial reports. One area of concern is that of intervention bias: the impact that a sentient intervention, such as a nursing one, may have consciously or unconsciously on study outcomes. This paper reports on an analysis of intervention definitions and possible intervention bias in 47 reports of randomized controlled trials of nursing interventions published in 2000 or 2001. AIMS: This study evaluates four characteristics of the included reports: intervention sample size, intervention definition, involvement of intervention nurses in other aspects of the trial, and the claimed generalizability of results. METHODS: Reports of randomized controlled trials published in 2000 or 2001 were identified. Full-text versions of 47 papers were obtained and information about the four characteristics was extracted and analysed. RESULTS: Problems relating to possible intervention bias were identified in each of the papers. Inadequate intervention definition was the commonest problem, leading to difficulties in calculating the 'intervention dose' and in replicating or generalizing from the studies. DISCUSSION: None of the included studies met the requirements of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials. Four types of intervention bias were identified, and their possible implications for the reporting of trials of nursing interventions are discussed. This was a small-scale study, limited by time and resources. Its results are suggestive of a major problem of intervention bias but larger-scale investigations are necessary to quantify its extent. CONCLUSIONS: Intervention bias is potentially a problem in randomized controlled trials. Lack of detail about interventions in published papers could be corrected by stricter adherence to guidelines such as the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials, but this will not correct the underlying problem of inadequate study design that appears to be widespread in randomized controlled trials of nursing interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

lindsay b. (2004) Journal of Advanced Nursing 45(1), 84–94 Randomized controlled trials of socially complex nursing interventions: creating bias and unreliability? The randomized controlled trial is viewed by many researchers as the ‘gold standard’ research design. It is used increasingly to evaluate the effectiveness of socially complex activities such as nursing interventions. This use is seen by many commentators as problematic, while others are concerned about the quality of many published trial reports. One area of concern is that of intervention bias: the impact that a sentient intervention, such as a nursing one, may have consciously or unconsciously on study outcomes. This paper reports on an analysis of intervention definitions and possible intervention bias in 47 reports of randomized controlled trials of nursing interventions published in 2000 or 2001. This study evaluates four characteristics of the included reports: intervention sample size, intervention definition, involvement of intervention nurses in other aspects of the trial, and the claimed generalizability of results. Reports of randomized controlled trials published in 2000 or 2001 were identified. Full-text versions of 47 papers were obtained and information about the four characteristics was extracted and analysed. Problems relating to possible intervention bias were identified in each of the papers. Inadequate intervention definition was the commonest problem, leading to difficulties in calculating the ‘intervention dose’ and in replicating or generalizing from the studies. None of the included studies met the requirements of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials. Four types of intervention bias were identified, and their possible implications for the reporting of trials of nursing interventions are discussed. This was a small-scale study, limited by time and resources. Its results are suggestive of a major problem of intervention bias but larger-scale investigations are necessary to quantify its extent. Intervention bias is potentially a problem in randomized controlled trials. Lack of detail about interventions in published papers could be corrected by stricter adherence to guidelines such as the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials, but this will not correct the underlying problem of inadequate study design that appears to be widespread in randomized controlled trials of nursing interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research-based articles in the nursing press have increased in number substantially, as indeed they have in other disciplines. While qualitative methods are more frequently used in nursing than some other areas (for example, medicine), the use of quantitative methods is common. It is noted that statistical errors and misunderstanding of statistical concepts are to be found in nursing journals. This paper analyses an academic nursing journal and comparisons are made with similar studies in medical journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper is a report of a review to investigate the use of games to support classroom learning in the health sciences. Background. One aim of education in the health sciences is to enable learners to develop professional competence. Students have a range of learning styles and innovative teaching strategies assist in creating a dynamic learning environment. New attitudes towards experiential learning methods have contributed to the expansion of gaming as a strategy. Data sources. A search for studies published between January 1980 and June 2008 was undertaken, using appropriate search terms. The databases searched were: British Education Index, British Nursing Index, The Cochrane Library, CINAHLPlus, Medline, PubMed, ERIC, PsychInfo and Australian Education Index. Methods. All publications and theses identified through the search were assessed for relevance. Sixteen papers reporting empirical studies or reviews that involved comparison of gaming with didactic methods were included. Results. The limited research available indicates that, while both traditional didactic methods and gaming have been successful in increasing student knowledge, neither method is clearly more helpful to students. The use of games generally enhances student enjoyment and may improve long-term retention of information. Conclusion. While the use of games can be viewed as a viable teaching strategy, care should be exercised in the use of specific games that have not been assessed objectively. Further research on the use of gaming is needed to enable educators to gaming techniques appropriately for the benefit of students and, ultimately, patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper is a report of a systematic review and meta-ethnography of the experience of heavy menstrual bleeding. Background. Heavy menstrual bleeding is common. Not all women seeking help have heavy menstrual bleeding as measured objectively and, conversely, some who do have this problem do not seek help. Data sources. Seven electronic databases were searched in 2004 and updated in 2008, and supplemented with hand-searching. Method. We identified four papers describing qualitative research among women with heavy menstrual bleeding. Key themes and concepts were extracted and synthesised using meta-ethnography, the key process of which is translation, identifying similar or contradictory findings in primary research. In the updated search three papers were identified. Findings. Three papers were largely descriptive. These provided support for the fourth paper's conceptual framework of a lay model of heavy menstrual bleeding which shows little overlap with the traditional clinical definition. Details of physical, practical and emotional elements of this model were identified. A matrix of uncertainties were identified suggesting reasons why women may or may not seek medical help for heavy menstrual bleeding. Women and healthcare professionals may conspire to privilege blood loss over other symptoms and the disease model of heavy menstrual bleeding is little help to either. Two papers from the updated search were also largely descriptive. The third interpreted key elements of the lay model as relating to the need for concealment demanded by 'menstrual etiquette'. Conclusion. A lay model of heavy menstrual bleeding is proposed, detailing key physical, social and emotional impacts that women find problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In 1999 the Scottish Office, United Kingdom, intimated that the Chief Nursing Officer would undertake a policy review of nurses' contribution to improving the public's health. The importance of reviewing the scientific literature on the effectiveness of public health nursing was recognized as a crucial part of the policy review. A final report was expected within a 6-month period. The reason for the short time period was to fit the policy-making schedule. This paper discusses our literature review for this work. AIMS: The aim was to conduct a review of the international scientific literature that gave the greatest coverage of the role and potential role of nurses in improving the public's health in relation to 14 major health topics. This paper describes the methods used, outlines the rationale underpinning the methods, discusses the problems encountered and offers solutions to some of these problems. METHODS: The initial search for relevant scientific literature revealed 709 suitable primary papers. Reviewing this number was beyond the time limit set by the funding organization. Therefore, a decision was made to concentrate on the evidence contained in systematic reviews. Reviewing systematic reviews raises a number of methodological problems to which there are often no predetermined solutions, such as ensuring that important interventions are included, assessing the relevance and quality of the reviews, and grading the strength of the evidence. DISCUSSION: Reviewing systematic reviews provides the scope to increase the number of topics that might be covered. However, it is possible that a number of interventions may be missed, particularly those that are not subject to review or those assessed using qualitative techniques. The definition of public health nursing used in the present study was also restrictive, and could be widened to include community interventions. Finally, assessing the quality of reviews and grading the evidence proved difficult and there is lack of consensus on how these tasks should be achieved. Nevertheless, the review presented policy makers with accessible information on a large number of relevant international studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]