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Aim: To explain the process by which nurses' roles are negotiated in general practice. Background: Primary care nurses do important work within a social model of health to meet the needs of the populations they serve. Latterly, in the face of increased demand and workforce shortages, they are also taking on more medical responsibilities through task‐shifting. Despite the increased complexity of their professional role, little is known about the processes by which it is negotiated. Design: Constructivist grounded theory. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 22 participants from 17 New Zealand general practices between December 2020 and January 2022. Due to COVID‐19, 11 interviews were via Zoom™. Concurrent data generation and analysis, using the constant comparative method and common grounded theory methods, identified the participants' main concern and led to the construction of a substantive explanatory theory around a core category. Results: The substantive explanatory theory of creating place proposes that the negotiation of nurse roles within New Zealand general practice is a three‐stage process involving occupying space, positioning to do differently and leveraging opportunity. Nurses and others act and interact in these stages, in accordance with their conceptualizations of need‐responsive nursing practice, towards the outcome defining place. Defining place conceptualizes an accommodation between the values beliefs and expectations of individuals and pre‐existing organizational norms, in which individual and group‐normative concepts of need‐responsive nursing practice are themselves developed. Conclusion: The theory of creating place provides new insights into the process of nurses' role negotiation in general practice. Findings support strategies to enable nurses, employers and health system managers to better negotiate professional roles to meet the needs of the populations they serve, while making optimum use of nursing skills and competencies. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: Findings can inform nurses to better negotiate the complexities of the primary care environment, balancing systemic exigencies with the health needs of populations. Impact: What Problem Did the Study Address?: In the face of health inequity, general practice nurses in New Zealand, as elsewhere, are key to meeting complex primary health needs.There is an evidence gap regarding the processes by which nurses' roles are negotiated within provider organizations.A deeper understanding of such processes may enable better use of nursing skills to address unmet health need. What Were the Main Findings?: Nurses' roles in New Zealand general practice are determined through goal‐driven negotiation in accordance with individual concepts of need‐responsive nursing practice. Individuals progress from occupying workspaces defined by the care‐philosophies of others to defining workplaces that incorporate their own professional beliefs, values and expectations.Negotiation is conditional upon access to role models, scheduled dialogue with mentors and decision‐makers, and support for safe practice.Strong clinical and organizational governance and individuals' own positive personal self‐efficacy are enablers of effective negotiation. Where and on Whom Will the Research Have Impact?: The theory of Creating Space can inform organizational and individual efforts to advance the roles of general practice nurses to meet the health needs of their communities.General practice organizations can provide safe, supported environments for effective negotiation; primary care leaders can promote strong governance and develop individuals' sense of self‐efficacy by involving them in key decisions.Nurses themselves can use the theory as a framework to support critical reflection on how to engage in active negotiation of their professional roles. Reporting Method: The authors adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines using the COREQ reporting method. Patient or Public Contribution: Researchers and participants currently working in general practice were involved in the development of this study. By the process of theoretical sampling and constant comparison, participants' comments helped to shape the study design. What Does this Paper Contribute to the Wider Global Clinical Community?: An understanding of the processes by which health professionals negotiate their roles is important to support them to meet the challenges of increased complexity across all health sectors globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been growing concerns that social distancing and stay-at-home mandates have exacerbated loneliness for older people. Empirical evidence about older people's experiences of loneliness and COVID-19 have quantified this phenomena without considering how older people themselves define and understand loneliness. This paper explores how older New Zealanders conceptualized and experienced loneliness under 'lockdown' stay-at-home measures. This multi-methods qualitative study combines data from letters (n = 870) and interviews (n = 44) collected from 914 people aged over 60 and living in Aotearoa, New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis to conceptualise this data. We identify three interconnected ways in which older people conceptualised and experienced loneliness: (1) feeling disconnected relating to lack of emotional closeness to another often resulting from being physically separated from others and not being able to touch; (2) feeling imprisoned relating to separation from preferred identities and activities and was frequently associated with boredom and frustration; and (3) feeling neglected which often related to feeling let down by generalised and idealised forms of support, such as one's neighbourhood and health care system. Older New Zealanders experienced lockdown loneliness in three interconnected ways rather than as a stable and homogenous experience. Māori, Pacific, Asian and New Zealand European older people often discussed loneliness in different ways; attesting to loneliness being a culturally-mediated concept shaped by expectations around desirable social interaction. We conclude the paper with implications for research and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores teenage girls' responses to general advice, and formal prevention messages, designed to reduce sexting-related risk and prevent harm. We conducted workshops with seven groups of girls (28 in total), aged 16–17 years, in a New Zealand city. Each group participated in a series of three workshop sessions. Drawing on a Freirean 'problem-posing' approach, we designed the workshops as spaces in which girls were invited to observe and critically discuss norms related to sharing nudes as well as harm prevention messages. Girls noticed the problematic gender and sexual politics that shape abstinence-based models that target girls (implicitly) to not send nudes, but which leave boys who distribute or otherwise misuse them out of the picture. Participants navigated a careful path between attending to risk and protection on the one hand, and endorsing their right to freedom of expression on the other. We argue for a subtle, but significant, shift away from a focus on sexting safety to a focus on the prevention of image-based sexual coercion, harassment and abuse. This reframing would help to direct prevention efforts to the gendered drivers and dynamics of harm perpetration, and the ways in which they are problematically socially ignored or condoned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The implementation of evidence-informed policies and practices across systems is a complex, multifaceted endeavor, often requiring the mobilization of multiple organizations from a range of contexts. In order to facilitate this process, policy makers, innovation developers and service deliverers are increasingly calling upon intermediaries to support implementation, yet relatively little is known about precisely how they contribute to implementation. This study examines the role of intermediaries supporting the implementation of evidence-informed policies and practices in the mental health and addictions systems of New Zealand, Ontario, Canada and Sweden. Methods: Using a comparative case study methodology and taking an integrated knowledge translation approach, we drew from established explanatory frameworks and implementation theory to address three questions: (1) Why were the intermediaries established? (2) How are intermediaries structured and what strategies do they use in systems to support the implementation of policy directions? and (3) What explains the lack of use of particular strategies? Data collection included three site visits, 49 key informant interviews and document analysis. Results: In each jurisdiction, a unique set of problems (e.g., negative events involving people with mental illness), policies (e.g., feedback on effectiveness of existing policies) and political events (e.g., changes in government) were coupled by a policy entrepreneur to bring intermediaries onto the decision agenda. While intermediaries varied greatly in their structure and characteristics, both the strategies they used and the strategies they didn't use were surprisingly similar. Specifically it was notable that none of the intermediaries used strategies that directly targeted the public, nor used audit and feedback. This emerged as the principle policy puzzle. Our analysis identified five reasons for these strategies not being employed: (1) their need to build/maintain healthy relationships with policy actors; (2) their need to build/maintain healthy relationships with service delivery system actors; (3) role differentiation with other system actors; (4) perceived lack of "fit" with the role of policy intermediaries; and (5) resource limitations that preclude intensive distributed (program-level) work. Conclusion: Policy makers and implementers must consider capacity to support implementation, and our study identifies how intermediaries can be developed and harnessed to support the implementation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores patterns of alcohol drinking within a representative New Zealand sample (2887 participants (1464 female, 1423 male)). Alcohol use and drinking patterns across the population are described. Multivariable logistic regressions document associations between alcohol use and drinking patterns and the likelihood of experiencing different health outcomes. Alcohol use, early drinking initiation, frequent drinking, and heavy episodic drinking (HED) are prevalent in New Zealand and vary in relation to gender, age, and socioeconomic characteristics. Those who reported alcohol-related problems were more likely to report poor mental health (AOR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.42–3.46) and disability (AOR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.06–3.00), and less likely to experience positive mental health (AOR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.18–0.42). Those who reported HED were also less likely to experience good general health (AOR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.47–0.81) and positive mental health (AOR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.53–0.84). Younger age cohorts were more likely to engage in early drinking, and those who initiated regular drinking before age 18 were more likely to report HED and alcohol-related problems. Findings indicate that problem drinking and HED are not only associated with poor physical health, but also reduce the likelihood of individuals experiencing positive mental health. This provides information to enable public health practitioners to target alcohol prevention strategies at the entire population of drinkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. From a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic perspective, Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) rural residents formed an at-risk population, and disparities between rural and urban COVID-19 vaccination coverage have been found. Aim. To gain insight into factors contributing to the urban-rural COVID-19 vaccination disparity by exploring NZ rural health providers' experiences of the vaccine rollout and pandemic response in rural Māori and Pasifika communities. Methods. Rural health providers at four sites participated in individual or focus group semi-structured interviews exploring their views of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Thematic analysis was undertaken using a framework-guided rapid analysis method. Results. Twenty interviews with 42 participants were conducted. Five themes were identified: Pre COVID-19 rural situation, fragile yet resilient; Centrally imposed structures, policies and solutions - urban-centric and Pakehā focused; Multiple logistical challenges - poor/no consideration of rural context in planning stages resulting in wasted resource and time; Taking ownership - rural providers found geographically tailored, culturally anchored and locally driven solutions; Future directions - sustained investment in rural health services, including funding long-term integrated (rather than 'by activity') health services, would ensure success in future vaccine rollouts and other health initiatives for rural communities. Discussion. In providing rural health provider perspectives from rural areas serving Māori and Pasifika communities during the NZ COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the importance of the rural context is highlighted. Findings provide a platform on which to build further research regarding models of rural health care to ensure services are designed for rural NZ contexts and capable of meeting the needs of diverse rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Community-based primary care physiotherapy has developed through private practice, fee-for-service model in Aotearoa New Zealand where independent businesses operate in competition. Aim. We aimed to explore how the private practice model of physiotherapy impacts patient care, physiotherapists, and professional behaviour. Methods. Six physiotherapists managing musculoskeletal conditions in a primary care private practice in Aotearoa New Zealand were recruited using maximum variation purposive sampling. In-depth individual face-toface semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using Interpretive Description. Inductive data analysis synthesised and contextualised data, creating a thematic framework that developed across interviews. Results. All physiotherapy participants discussed concerns about culture and professionalism in private practice physiotherapy despite not being asked about these. Three themes were identified. 'Competitive business model and lack of collaboration' - participants thought that competition between practices resulted in a lack of trust, collegiality, and collaboration, and pressure on clinicians to maintain income. '(Un)professional behaviour' - participants thought that physiotherapists were defensive and averse to scrutiny, resulting in reluctance to admit when they needed help, or to undertake peer review or seek second opinions. 'Lack of support and mentoring' - the professional culture in private practice was perceived to reduce support and mentoring, with negative impacts that affected physiotherapists at all stages of career. Conclusion. This exploratory qualitative study suggests that competition dominates communication and collaboration in private practice physiotherapy and may have wider implications for professionalism and the quality of patient care. Competitive business models and an aversion to scrutiny may reduce collegial interaction and professional behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Investigated the experiences of Māori (the Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa, New Zealand) patients and whānau (extended family network) engaging with acute hospital inpatient services and their priorities for a Māori-centred model of relational care. Design: A qualitative Māori-centred research design using a Thought Space Wānanga (learning through in-depth group discussion, deliberation and consideration) approach. Methods: Two wānanga were conducted between May 2022 and June 2022, with 13 Māori patients who had been acutely hospitalized within the past 12 months and their whānau members. The first wānanga utilized storytelling and journey mapping to collect data. The second wānanga refined the initial themes. Wānanga were audiorecorded and then inductively coded and developed into themes. Results: Thirteen patients and whānau attended the first wānanga, while 10 patients and whānau participated in the second wānanga). Four themes were developed: (1) Whakawhanaungatanga (establishing connections and relationships), (2) Whakamana (uplifting the status and esteem of Māori), (3) Whakawhitiwhiti kōrero (the importance of communicating, discussing and deliberating) and (4) Kotahitanga (working together with purpose) all provide insights into the importance of effectively engaging and connecting with Māori patients and whānau when acutely hospitalized. Conclusions: The experiences and priorities of Māori patients and whānau affirm the international literature, suggesting that Indigenous relational concepts are critical to building relationships, connections and trust. Despite existing healthcare models for working with Indigenous peoples, their poor application contributes to sub-optimal healthcare experiences at all points of their healthcare journey. A relational mode of practice focused on engagement and forming connections better meets the needs of Indigenous peoples engaging with inpatient health services. Implications for the profession and/or patient care: Despite the existence of Indigenous models of care, Indigenous peoples consistently report a lack of engagement and connection when accessing inpatient health services. Without establishing relationships, applying models of care is challenging. Impact (Addressing): • What problem did the study address? Internationally, healthcare systems are consistently ill-equipped to deliver culturally safe care for Indigenous and marginalized peoples, evident in ongoing health inequities. Like other reports of Indigenous experiences of health services, Māori express dissatisfaction with care delivery in an acute inpatient setting. This study investigated Māori patients and whānau experiences engaging with acute hospital inpatient services and their priorities for a Māori-centred model of relational care. • What were the main findings? Māori patients and whānau recounted negative experiences with healthcare professionals lacking effective relationships and trust. Satisfaction occurred when engagement with health care professionals resembled Indigenous cultural rituals of encounter that considered their holistic, collective and dynamic worldviews. Previous models of relational care, while helpful, are not Indigenous and so do not address their needs, such as engagement as a mode of practice (how) to achieve this. • Where and on whom will the research have an impact? This research impacts Indigenous peoples' health outcomes, particularly Māori, and nurses and clinicians working and interacting within acute inpatient and other hospital settings. Indigenous research methods support co-constructing knowledge for translation into practical outcomes through transformational practices, policies and theory development. Reporting method: We used the Consolidated Criteria for Strengthening the Reporting of Health Research Involving Indigenous Peoples (CONSIDER) statement (see File S2—CONSIDER Checklist) and the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines (see File S3—COREQ Checklist). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Aggressive Student Culture Scale (ASCS) is a survey designed to measure the extent to which New Zealand (NZ) students experience aggressive behaviours within the school environment. The aim of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of the ASCS in the multidisciplinary Growing Up in NZ longitudinal study. Methods: We used data from 4938 children from the Growing Up in NZ study to examine the psychometric properties of ASCS for 8-year-old children. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, and measurement invariance was tested across sex, ethnicity, and deprivation levels. Results: The ASCS tool comprises a single latent factor: aggressive student behaviour. The ASCS provides an adequate and satisfactory measure for student aggression experiences. Full measurement invariance was supported for child's sex, but only configural invariance was confirmed across ethnicity and area-level deprivation. Males reported higher levels of aggressive experiences than females. Conclusions: The one-factor model structure offers an excellent fit to our data with good internal consistency. Comparisons across sex are valid; however, direct comparisons across ethnicity and deprivation levels should be approached with caution. We recommend replication studies and encourage further research involving participants from different age groups to better understand the factor structure across diverse demographic variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Regular diabetic foot checks, at least annually, are important for early identification of risk factors and prevention of ulceration and amputation. To ensure this, most general practices in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) offer free annual diabetes reviews (ADRs) which include a comprehensive foot evaluation. However, attendance rates at these ADRs are low. Aim. To explore patients' perspectives on the barriers to attending ADRs and foot checks. Methods. Semi-structured interviews with people with type 2 diabetes who were overdue their ADR (n = 13; 7 women, 6 Māori) from two urban practices were conducted. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim and then analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Results. We identified three key themes demonstrating barriers to attendance: healthcareassociated factors (suboptimal clinician-patient relationship, not having a consistent general practitioner (GP)); patient-related factors (co-morbid health conditions, issues surrounding identity, and logistical issues); and systemic factors (COVID-19 pandemic, travel distance to the practice, unawareness of available foot care services). Participants' feedback focused on patient-centred approaches for improvements to service delivery, for example using online educational materials, and utilising culturally appropriate models of health including Te Whare Tapa Whā and Whānau Ora approach. Discussion. We identified several barriers to attendance, some of which are potentially modifiable. Addressing modifiable barriers and incorporating suggestions made by participants may improve access to the ADR and reduce non-attendance. Further participatory action research could explore these insights in ways that facilitate tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) and palpable action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. In Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), type 2 diabetes (T2D) is predominantly managed in primary care. Despite established guidelines, patients are often suboptimally managed, with inequitable health outcomes. To date, few NZ studies have evaluated the primary care management of T2D at the time of diagnosis. Aim. This study aims to explore the provision of education and delivery of care to patients at the time of diagnosis, which is a crucial time in the disease trajectory. Methods. Participants were recruited from a Māori health provider in the Waikato District, and diagnosed with T2D after January 2020. Patients were texted a link to opt into a survey (larger study) and then registered interest by providing contact details for an interview (current study). Semi-structured interviews were conducted and were audio recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed. Results. In total, 11 participants aged 19-65 years completed the interviews (female n = 9 and male n = 20); the comprised Māori (n = 5), NZ European (n = 5) and Asian (n = 1) participants. Three overarching themes were identified, including: (1) ineffective provision of resources and education methods; (2) poor communication from healthcare practitioners; and (3) health system barriers. Discussion. Evidently, there are difficulties in primary care diabetes mellitus diagnosis and management. Improvements could include locally relevant resources tailored to patients' experiences and cultural identities. Utilising whānau support and a non-clinical workforce, such as health navigators/kaiāwhina, will drastically address current workforce issues and assist patient self-management. This will allow improved diagnosis experiences and better health outcomes for patients and whānau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Many psychiatrists and trainees in Aotearoa New Zealand used telepsychiatry during COVID-19 lockdowns, despite minimal experience and training in the area. Research on a culturally safe telepsychiatry framework is lacking in Aotearoa. This study aims to provide a better understanding of telepsychiatry in the Aotearoa context and identify potential gaps with the current practice, with a focus on exploring telepsychiatry use with Maori, Pacific peoples and Asians. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative study was guided by the principles of the Kaupapa Maori methodology and the "Give Way Rule" from Pan-Pacific studies, to ensure culturally appropriate analysis and outcomes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of psychiatrists and trainees recruited from Aotearoa members of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. The qualitative data were then analysed using general inductive thematic analysis to identify the major themes. Findings: In total, 18 participants were interviewed. Three key themes were identified: cultural safety such as preparation for a telepsychiatry session, cultural practices and equity issues; clinical practice such as continuity of care, patient selection and limitations; and process of running a telepsychiatry service. Originality/value: The analysis of the main themes gives both practical ideas for providing a culturally safe telepsychiatry appointment, as well as a wider base for developing a telepsychiatry service that works particularly for Maori, Pacific and Asians mental health users. Issues around resources and expertise in the field are lacking and further frameworks to support infrastructure and training are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]