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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]

Accessible Summary: What is known on the subject: Police and ambulance staff are increasingly asked to help people experiencing mental health crises, but they often feel under‐prepared.The single frontline service approach is time‐intensive and risks a coercive pathway to care.The emergency department is the default location for transfers by police or ambulance involving a person involved in a mental health crisis, despite being viewed as suboptimal. What the paper adds to existing knowledge: Police and ambulance staff struggled keeping up with the mental health demand, reporting inadequate mental health training, little enjoyment and negative experiences when trying to access help from other services.Most mental health staff had adequate mental health training and enjoyed their work, but many experienced difficulties getting help from other services.Police and ambulance staff found it hard to work with mental health services. What are the implications for practice: The combination of limited training, poor interagency referral processes, and difficulties accessing support from mental health services means that when police and ambulance services attend mental health crises alone, distress may be heightened and prolonged. Enhanced mental health training for first responders and more streamlined referral processes may improve process and outcomes.Mental health nurses have key skills that could be utilized in assisting police and ambulance staff who attend 911 emergency mental health calls.New models such as co‐response teams, whereby police, mental health clinicians and ambulance staff respond conjointly should be trialled and evaluated. Introduction: First responders are increasingly called to assist people experiencing mental health crises but little research exists canvassing multi‐agency perspectives of such work. Aim/Question: To understand the views of police officers, ambulance and mental health staff attending mental health or suicide‐related crises in Aotearoa New Zealand and to discover how they experience current models of cross‐agency collaboration. Methods: A descriptive cross‐sectional survey involving mixed methods. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and free text by content analysis. Results: Participants included 57 police officers, 29 paramedics and 33 mental health professionals. Mental health staff felt adequately trained, but only 36% described good processes for accessing inter‐agency support. Police and ambulance staff felt undertrained and unprepared. Accessing mental health expertise was considered difficult by 89% of police and 62% of ambulance staff. Discussion: Frontline services struggle managing mental health‐related 911 emergencies. Current models are not working well. Miscommunication, dissatisfaction and distrust exist between police, ambulance and mental health services. Conclusion: The single‐agency frontline response may be detrimental to service users in crisis and under‐utilizes the skills of mental health staff. New ways of inter‐agency cooperation are required, such as co‐located police, ambulance and mental health nurses responding in partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: What is known on this subject?: The physical health of people with serious mental illness (SMI) is an issue of growing concern in New Zealand and internationally.Metabolic syndrome is prevalent among people with severe mental illness and increases the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.No previous international research has investigated rates of metabolic monitoring in specialist mental health services and in primary care. What this paper adds to existing knowledge?: Rates of metabolic monitoring are low in this specialist mental health service and in primary care.Primary care nurses are positive in their views of their role in providing care for people with mental illness, and would value further education in this area. What are the implications for practice?: Services need to consider ways in which nurses can be supported to improve rates of metabolic monitoring.Guidelines may have a role to play in improved monitoring but need service‐level support in order to be effective. Introduction: People with serious mental illness experience significant disparities in their physical health compared with the general population. One indicator of health impairment is metabolic syndrome, which increases the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. No international studies have reported both primary care and mental health nurses' rates of metabolic monitoring among people with serious mental illness, and no New Zealand studies have investigated rates of metabolic monitoring. Aim: To evaluate metabolic monitoring practices within one of New Zealand's 20 district health board regions. Method: An audit of clinical records in primary care (n = 46) and secondary care (n = 47) settings and a survey of practice nurses were conducted. A survey was sent to 127 practice nurses with a response rate of 19% (n = 24). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Rates of metabolic monitoring were low in both services. Survey participants expressed positive views towards physical health monitoring and confidence in relating to mental health consumers. Rates of treatment of metabolic abnormalities were low, and communication between primary and secondary services was limited. Conclusion: Despite existence of guidelines and protocols, metabolic monitoring rates in both primary and secondary health services are low. Incorporating metabolic monitoring systems into service delivery, supported by appropriate tools and resourcing, is essential to achieve better clinical outcomes for people experiencing mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: What is known on the subject?: Contemporary mental health policy stipulates consumer participation in all aspects of mental health services including service evaluation and other forms of mental health research.Research is identified as underpinning quality mental health services, and therefore, consumers researchers could enhance the mental health sector by contributing to the quality, credibility and relevance of mental health research. What this paper adds to existing knowledge?: Non‐consumer researchers generally supported the concept of a consumer expert reference group for researchers at the individual and institutional level.A consumer expert reference group should reflect diversity and offer expertise relevant to the topic of research and may represent one way to normalize partnerships with consumer researchers and realize the benefits they can bring to research. What are the implications for practice?: Quality mental health services are underpinned by robust research evidence. It is crucial that consumers are active participants in research activity.The availability of a consumer expert reference group could facilitate collaborations between consumer and non‐consumer researchers and contribute to a stronger consumer focus embedded in mental health research. Introduction: Contemporary mental health policy identifies consumers as active participants in all aspects of mental health services from design to evaluation. Consumer researchers should be actively involved in mental health research and contribute to quality service delivery. Aim: To gain a snapshot of mental health researcher views on strategies for increasing research by or with consumers in mental health through the establishment of an Expert Consumer Researcher Group (ECRG). Methods: Cross‐sectional survey of 41 non‐consumer mental health researchers from Australia or New Zealand. Results: The introduction of an ECRG was considered an effective strategy for linking consumer and non‐consumer researchers and providing specialist advice on research design and methodology. The most suitable location for this group was identified as within consumer advocacy agencies (71%), universities (66%) or research funding bodies (66%). Participants rated their likelihood of seeking advice from the ECRG as high. Discussion: Research participants supported the value of an ECRG. They emphasized the importance of ensuring the group reflected a diversity of views and offered specialized expertise related to the specific topic. The ECRG could benefit both individual researchers and larger research organizations. Implications for practice: An ECRG could facilitate collaborations with consumer researchers and in turn enhance the quality of mental health research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

gilmour j.a., huntington a., broadbent r., strong a. & hawkins m. (2012) Nurses' use of online health information in medical wards. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(6), 1349-1358. Abstract Aim. This paper is a report of a study of nurses' access, use and evaluation of online health information in medical wards. Background. Online health information is commonly used by patients with chronic illness to support their education needs. Nurses have a critical role in assisting patients to access and use this information. Method. This descriptive cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 540 nurses employed in medical wards was carried out in 2009. The response rate was 58·7% (293). The analytical approach included descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests of correlation and differences between groups. A content analysis was performed on the qualitative data. Results. Most respondents (78·6%) were satisfied with work Internet access and 58·2% believed that the use of online information improved care delivery. Nearly half the group was aware of patient misconceptions about their illness due to incorrect interpretations of online information, but only 24·4% checked if patients used online information. There was a significant association between assessing patients use and awareness of patient misconceptions. Conclusion. The findings of this study highlight that while online resources add to education opportunities, the ongoing nursing assessment required to determine online information needs is not always incorporated into nursing practice. Patient misunderstandings of online material were also identified; developing patient competency in evaluating open access health information should now be recognized as an integral aspect of illness management education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to explore the experiences of alcohol and other drug nurses transitioning to telehealth due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background: COVID‐19 has caused immense disruption to healthcare services, and to reduce viral transmission, many services moved to off‐site care delivery modalities such as telehealth. Design: We used a qualitative descriptive design for this study. Methods: Secondary analysis of semistructured interviews with alcohol and other drug nurses from Australia and New Zealand (n = 19) was conducted in July and August 2020. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and reported using COREQ guidelines. Results: Three were identified: '"All our face‐to‐face contact ceased with clients": Changing service delivery', '"How do I do my job when I can't see you?": An anxious shift in service delivery' and '"A lot of Indigenous people don't like the FaceTiming and all that": Challenges to delivery of services through telehealth'. Conclusion: Participants in our study reported challenges in transitioning to telehealth modalities. The perceived loss of therapeutic communication, difficulties in assessing risks to healthcare consumers such as domestic violence and challenges delivering telehealth care to a marginalized consumer cohort need to be overcome before telehealth is considered successful in alcohol and other drug treatment. However, telehealth was a successful adjunct to existing practices for nurses working with consumers in regional or remote areas or where consumers preferred this method of service delivery. Impact: Nurses in this study described substantial issues with the delivery of alcohol and other drug treatment via telehealth, including a perception that telehealth was a barrier to addressing risks to consumers who use alcohol and other drugs, and difficulties working in a therapeutically beneficial way via telehealth. Telehealth is a means to reduce viral transmission through a reduction in face‐to‐face contact, and although it may be useful for some service functions, it may be detrimental to the clinical services nurses provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To explore the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on alcohol and other drug nurses providing treatment for individuals presenting with problematic alcohol and other drug use. Background: COVID‐19 has caused disruption to contemporary health service delivery, including alcohol and other drug treatment. Provisional research on drug and alcohol consumption patterns shows changes attributable to the pandemic, with implications for service delivery. Research also indicates the impact of the pandemic on healthcare staff is significant, leading to workforce challenges that threaten care provision. Design: Qualitative descriptive study design. Methods: Data were collected using semi‐structured, individual telephone interviews with practising alcohol and other drug nurses from Australia and New Zealand (n = 19). COREQ reporting guidelines were used. Results: After thematic analysis, three key themes emerged: 'No room at the inn: Changes to service delivery due to COVID‐19', 'We are providing care to a very vulnerable group of people: Consumer factors during COVID‐19' and 'Personally, we were very, very stressed: Workforce factors due to COVID‐19'. Conclusions: The findings from this study indicate that the impact of the pandemic was felt by alcohol and other drug nurses, services and healthcare consumers alike. The experiences of alcohol and other drug nurses through the COVID‐19 pandemic need further exploration both to ensure workforce sustainability and that disruptions to alcohol and other drug services do not occur in future outbreaks of communicable disease. Relevance to clinical practice: COVID‐19 has had a profound effect on nurses in all settings, and these effects are likely to be felt for some time after the pandemic: nursing specialties require support to ensure ongoing workforce sustainability and well‐being of nursing staff. All nurses need to be aware of changes to alcohol and other drug use during the pandemic and screen healthcare consumers accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to identify behaviours and cues that nurses recognise as indications of unsafe practice, perceived factors that contribute to unsafe practice and actions nurses take in response. Design: Cross‐sectional survey. Methods: National cross‐sectional survey of a random sample of registered nurses (n = 231) in New Zealand, in 2017–2018. The STROBE Checklist was used to report this study. Results: Nurses reported a high rate of episodes of unsafe practices and recognised a range of behaviours and cues that alerted them to the potential for unsafe practice. Several organisational issues were perceived to contribute to unsafe practice occurring. The reporting of episodes of unsafe practice and perceived organisational support was low for nurses compared with managers. Conclusion: Failure to recognise and respond to unsafe practice may indicate a tolerance for substandard practice by individual nurses, or by the organisation. Nurses who recognise unsafe practice must be supported by the organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: To determine which aspects of primary nurse–patient telephone communication are viewed positively or negatively in terms of meeting the older persons’ needs. Background: Health professionals are increasingly being called on to develop different ways of working and increase their capacity to meet the needs of an ageing population. In some countries, telephone communication between primary nurses and patients in General Practice is already seen as a routine practice, but determining the value of this type of communication as a specific health service needs more understanding. Design: A qualitative exploratory study as the aim was to explore the older person's experiences. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 21 older people from General Practices in New Zealand during 2014–2015. Thematic analysis was informed by a constructivist grounded theory approach. Findings: The overarching theme was the difficulties older people face in making decisions about whether to contact a health professional by telephone and whether this should be the Primary nurse. Accounting for some of their symptoms as age related added to the uncertainty of decision‐making. Importantly, some older people were not raising concerns e.g. emotional state. Conclusion: Decision‐making by older people around treatment seeking is complex. Increasing the awareness of the nurse role in the General Practice is integral to creating a health system which will meet the needs of a growing older population. Primary care practices can review their systems to better inform older people how the nurse‐telephone role as a specific health service works and what they can expect when using this service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To identify why some nurses cope well with continuing to work as they age and others struggle. Background There is a need to understand better the challenges older nurses face and how they manage them. Design Secondary analysis of existing data. Methods Data collected in two separate studies were analysed. The first study (2012) was an online, anonymous survey that collected free text (qualitative) and categorical data ( n = 3273, 57·6% response rate). The second (2014) was an explorative, descriptive study that collected data through focus groups and interviews ( n = 46). Qualitative data from both studies were analysed using David Thomas' () general inductive approach. Research Ethics Committee approval was gained for the 2012 and 2014 studies. Results Data were categorised in two themes: the challenges of ageing and nursing; and factors that enable nurses to continue to practice. Physical challenges, fatigue, guilt, ageism and demands to complete continuing education were considered challenges. Maintaining personal fitness, self care, flexible working and a strong belief in their ability to contribute to the profession were present in older nurses who continued to practice. Conclusion While older nurses face growing physical and cognitive challenges as they age, they demonstrate strong resilience in the face of these challenges. It is recommended nurses seek support from their workplaces early to address challenges. Organisations must address ageism in the workplace and provide practical interventions such as supporting changes to work hours, shifting nurses to less physical roles and providing career planning to support resilience in older workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims (1) to generate in-depth insights into how nurses are working with older people with multiple long term conditions; (2) to gain an understanding of how nurses perceive professional patient navigation; and (3) to explore the barriers and facilitators to nurses adopting a navigation role in the context of Primary Health Care practice. Background Internationally, Primary Health Care has been identified as the main navigation point for older people with multiple long term conditions. Navigation models have been developed in cancer care but there is a lack of research in the context of Primary Care. There is also little evidence about the extent to which current work patterns of nurses providing care for this patient group fit with professional patient navigation models. Design A descriptive exploratory qualitative study. Methods Semi-structured audio recorded telephone interviews were conducted in 2012 with nurses in New Zealand who were working with older people with multiple long term conditions ( n = 42) Interviews were transcribed verbatim and entered into Nvivo 9 for thematic analysis. Findings The key themes represent patterns of nursing work as; system work, relationship work and patient work. While nurses lacked a coherent understanding of patient navigation as a concept, the way they worked had some elements in common with professional navigation models. Conclusion Further research involving older people in co-designing patient navigation approaches in Primary Health Care is needed to inform these types of service development and translate action from existing health policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To develop and psychometrically test the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit-Nursing Knowledge and Skills Test - a multiple-choice test for measuring the key nursing knowledge and skills required for safe, competent practice. Background Intensive care graduate nurse residency or orientation programmes are key strategies in the development of safe and competent practitioners. Essential to these programmes is an evaluation of knowledge and skills. Multiple-choice examinations provide a valuable way of evaluating broad knowledge and skills; however, there has been limited work in this area to date. Design Psychometric evaluation. Methods The instrument was administered to 79 nurses from four paediatric intensive care units in Australia and New Zealand over 18 months between 2008-2010. Internal consistency using Kuder-Richardson 20, item analysis and construct validity using the 'known groups' technique were explored. Results Kuder-Richardson 20 reliability estimate for the 109-item test was 0·85. Instrument scores were significantly higher amongst nurses with postgraduate education and more years of paediatric intensive care experience. Item difficulty indices ranged from 0·08 to 1, with a mean item difficulty of 0·66. Item discrimination ranged from 0·2-0·8. Conclusion Testing of the instrument demonstrated encouraging psychometric properties. With additional refinement, this tool could provide educators and managers with an instrument to assist in the assessment of knowledge and skill acquisition. The instrument requires further testing in different samples of paediatric intensive care nurses to enable validation in other settings and cross-cultural comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]