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Aims and objectives: To examine how the use of Social Interaction Maps, a tool in the EXCELLence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership Program, can enhance the development of nurses’ intercultural/intraprofessional communication skills. Background: Nurses face communication challenges when interacting with others from similar background as well as those from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. We used the EXCELLence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership Program's Social Interaction Maps tool to foster intercultural/intraprofessional communication skills in nurses. Social Interaction Maps describe verbal and nonverbal communication behaviours that model ways of communicating in a culturally appropriate manner. The maps include four stages of an interaction, namely Approach, Bridging, Communicating and Departing using the acronym ABCD. Design: Qualitative approach was used with a purposeful sample of nurses enrolled in a postgraduate course. Methods: Fifteen participants were recruited. The Social Interaction Map tool was taught to participants in a workshop where they engaged in sociocultural communication activities using scenarios. Participants were asked to apply Social Interaction Maps in their workplaces. Six weeks later, participants completed a semistructured open‐ended questionnaire and participated in a discussion forum on their experience of using Social Interaction Maps. Data were content‐analysed. Results: Four themes identified in the use of the Social Interaction Maps were (i) enhancing self‐awareness of communication skills; (ii) promoting skills in being nonconfrontational during difficult interactions; (iii) highlighting the importance of A (Approach) and B (Bridging) in interaction with others; and (iv) awareness of how others interpret what is said C (Communicating) and discussing to resolve issues before closure D (Departing). Conclusions: Application of the EXCELLence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership Social Interaction Mapping tool was shown to be useful in developing intercultural/intraprofessional communication skills in nurses. Relevance to clinical practice: Professional development programmes that incorporate EXCELLence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership Social Interaction Maps can enhance nurses’ intercultural/intraprofessional communication competencies when engaging with others from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and improve the way nurses communicate with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review was to identify possible positive health and wellbeing outcomes of participatory music activities for culturally and linguistically diverse people who could be described as vulnerable or “at risk” in particular migrant populations. Nine databases were searched spanning 10 years (2002–2013). The search returned 977 results with 45 articles reviewed. Seven articles met the inclusion criteria with most studies involving adolescents. Despite the reported health outcomes the review identified a scarcity of generalisable quantitative research (n = 2) and credible qualitative research (n = 5) indicating a distinct need for robust future investigation in this pertinent area of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paradigm of community health nursing presumes the integration of individual, family, group and community care under a primary health care framework utilising the best available research evidence. However, the extent to which community health nurses (CHNs) meet this challenge is absent from the nursing literature. Existing research suggests nurses experience tension between the need to focus on broad primary health and health promotion issues whilst simultaneously being immersed in individual client concerns. Moreover, there is a dearth of literature to confirm research priorities for community health nursing that inform best practice initiatives. The aim of the study was to investigate the research priorities of community nurses in a health service region in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. A descriptive study, utilising a two-round Delphi approach, was conducted with a population of 133 CHNs. Of the target population, 43% (n=57) and 50% (n=66) of nurses contributed their informed opinion across two Delphi rounds, respectively. In round two, nurses ranked eight health research categories according to importance to their area of work. Elderly issues were ranked as the most important category over health service reorientation, partnership, youth health, Aboriginal health, lifestyle issues, mental health and family health. Nurses also rated 47 topics, which clustered under the eight health categories, in terms of their research priority for community health. Results demonstrated consensus (80%) for five major research priorities under the categories of mental health, youth health and family health. The differences noted between the overall ranking of health research categories, and the categories to which the priority research topics belonged, confirms the highly diversified nature of issues faced in routine community health practice. The findings support the continued relevance of issues identified under recent national health strategies. However, the topics rated as priority research areas in round two suggests gaps in primary research, educational preparedness or guidelines to integrate existing research into community health practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encouragement for patients to participate in their own care and to share decision-making with nurses and doctors is a common theme in the literature and government directives. But how do patients feel about it? An observation-and-interview-based study found five main factors that influenced patients' willingness and ability to actively participate in their care.