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Biomedical subjects

Anita Atwal

Publications and source records attributed to Anita Atwal.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Preparation for cancer care: perceptions of newly qualified health care professionals.

The present paper is derived from a larger survey which examined the perceptions of recently qualified health care professionals' experience on evidence-based practice, team working and cancer care. This study reports solely on the findings relating to cancer care. The perceptions of recently qualified professionals in relation to their initial educational input on issues such as confidence, anxiety, communication skills and practice in cancer care as well as adequacy of support, professional supervision and use of reflection were gathered using a cross-sectional postal survey design. A total of 50 graduates from each professional category in nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and social work were sampled yielding a total sample of 200. Eighty-five questionnaires were returned yielding a response rate of 43%. Twenty-eight (33%) respondents stated that they were currently involved in working with people with cancer. These were as follows: 5 nurses, 8 physiotherapists, 9 occupational therapists and 6 social workers. Despite the low response rate, the findings suggest that health care professionals' educational input and experiences of working with people with cancer were overall positive; for example, in the respondents' confidence, communication skills, decrease in anxiety and application of knowledge gained in classroom to professional practice. Moreover, most respondents learnt about caring for cancer patients through practice rather than classroom teaching. A high percentage (i.e. 64%;18) across all groups felt supported when caring for people with cancer and reported receiving professional supervision as well as being able to actively reflect on their practice. The implications for education and practice were discussed particularly as there have been few studies conducted in relation to the specific needs and collaborative learning of these health care professional groups.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2006

Multidisciplinary perceptions of the role of nurses and healthcare assistants in rehabilitation of older adults in acute health care.

AIM: This paper describes the perceptions of nurses, healthcare assistants, doctors and therapists of rehabilitation and the role of nurses and healthcare assistants on an acute older adults ward in a London teaching hospital. BACKGROUND: The role perception, education and training and attitudes towards the older adults have been identified as barriers that have an impact upon the nurses' role within rehabilitation. However, little is known about the role of nurses and healthcare assistants in rehabilitation of older adults in acute health care. DESIGN: Action research study. METHOD: Twenty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted and audio recorded about healthcare professionals' understanding of rehabilitation, the type of skills needed and their perceptions of the role of nurses and healthcare assistants in rehabilitation. The interview transcripts were analysed using the thematic content analysis. RESULTS: The findings suggest that the therapists relied on nurses and healthcare assistants for therapy carry-over. Healthcare assistants were perceived as the professional group who could deliver therapy carry-over. There was an evidence of role hierarchy as healthcare assistants perceived that they were not actively involved in decision-making or discharge planning. CONCLUSION: This paper suggests that healthcare assistants and nurses are viewed as the professional group best placed to deliver therapy carry-over. However, whilst there is an acknowledgement of their role, there remains a reluctance to acknowledge healthcare assistants as a professional group and to involve them within decision-making and discharge planning. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Employers must be seen to advocate, support and implement education and training programs for healthcare assistants. However, whilst nurses and healthcare assistants have an integral role in rehabilitation, there needs to be more research into the how they are supported by therapy professionals.

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PubMed2006

Nurses' perceptions of multidisciplinary team work in acute health-care.

Multidisciplinary teamwork is viewed as one of the key processes through which care is managed in the British National Health Service, and yet is often viewed as one of the most problematic. Working in a multidisciplinary team requires many skills, which involves understanding not only one's own role but also the role of other professionals. The aim of this study was to explore nurses' perceptions of multidisciplinary teamwork in acute health-care. Nineteen nurses were interviewed using the critical incident approach to obtain their perceptions of multidisciplinary teamwork. Direct observation was conducted to record interactions between nurses and health-care professionals in multidisciplinary teams. In total, 14 meetings were attended in elder care and orthopaedics and seven in acute medicine. The findings of this study identified three barriers that hindered teamwork: (i) differing perceptions of teamwork; (ii) different levels of skills acquisitions to function as a team member; and (iii) the dominance of medical power that influenced interaction in teams. Thus, education establishments and nursing managers need to ensure that the acquisition of team-playing skills is an integral part of continued professional development.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Do all health and social care professionals interact equally: a study of interactions in multidisciplinary teams in the United Kingdom.

Problems around deficits in interprofessional collaboration have been identified since the National Health Service (NHS) was introduced. It is within the context of the current policy focus on improving collaborative working that this study was undertaken. A direct observational study using the Bales' Interaction Process Analysis tool was carried out in two older persons teams to explore patterns of interaction in the multidisciplinary team meetings. Analysis revealed some key differences in the way in which different professions interacted. Occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers (SW) and nurses rarely asked for opinions and for orientation. The consultant (the individual in charge of the medical team) tended to have high rates for asking for orientation, giving opinions and giving orientation. Although some nurses did have high individual rates for the giving of orientation. The data from the research has highlighted that therapists, SWs and nurses are reluctance to voice their opinions in multidisciplinary teams and thus conformity may dominate its culture. It is suggested that therapists, SWs and nurses need to cite their opinions in teams more effectively if they are to be competent and committed patient-centred practitioners.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2005

Non-participant observation: using video tapes to collect data in nursing research.

Observation is a highly valued and effective research method, as well as being an essential part of nursing practice. The authors explore the way in which non-participant observation as a research method might be enhanced by the use of video recording. The utility, ethical considerations and constraints of video recording as a data collection tool are discussed, with examples from a research study. The authors argue that the use of videos can enhance the credibility of non-participant observation studies through the minimisation of selectivity and bias and the opportunity to employ more rigorous strategies for ensuring reliability.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2002

Nurses' perceptions of discharge planning in acute health care: a case study in one British teaching hospital.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To provide an in-depth understanding of nurses' perceptions of the hospital discharge process in a London teaching hospital. BACKGROUND: Discharging patients from hospital is a key component of the nurse's role in acute health care settings. It is remarkable that despite government legislation and research, which stretches back over 20 years in both Europe and North America, discharge planning remains problematic. Furthermore, it is an activity that requires collaboration between health and social care agencies. In the United Kingdom there is a new emphasis and incentive on managing acute hospital beds, which in turn results in shorter stays in hospital. In London, discharge planners face additional problems because of social, economic and environmental factors. METHOD: Using a case study design, 19 nurses were interviewed using the critical incident approach to obtain their perceptions of the discharge process. Direct observation was conducted to record interactions between nurses and health care professionals in multidisciplinary teams. In total 14 meetings were attended in elder care and orthopaedics and 7 in acute medicine. FINDINGS: Aspects of the discharge process were often ignored or neglected and assessments were rarely co-ordinated. The nursing ward handover was regarded as a process that hindered communication. Lack of time was reported to be the biggest barrier that affected interprofessional working and hence the co-ordination of assessments. CONCLUSION: The findings have important implications for nurses, managers and educational establishments. It is essential that social and medical diagnoses run parallel and that accurate information is collated and communicated within the multidisciplinary team. Further research into the impact of time pressures on communication, interprofessional working and the discharge process is needed.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2002

Do multidisciplinary integrated care pathways improve interprofessional collaboration?

This paper reports on the evaluation stage of an action research project on interprofessional collaboration in discharge planning. Findings from interviews with health care professionals working in the acute sector had revealed concerns about discharge planning and multidisciplinary teamwork. In the United Kingdom the National Health Service (NHS) Plan has reinforced the need for an integrated approach to health care. Effective health care integration requires effective communication, teamwork and the commitment to deliver integrated care. Integrated documentation is a key strategy for enhancing interprofessional collaboration and reducing the isolation of professionals, and has been successfully implemented in a range of health care settings. Presented with the concerns about the collaborative process in discharge planning, an action research strategy was chosen to bring about change in an orthopaedic ward in one London teaching hospital. This paper will evaluate the implementation of an integrated care pathway with fractured neck of femurs in one London teaching hospital. Care pathways facilitate the management of defined patient groups using interdisciplinary plans of care. The emphasis will be on understanding whether integrated care pathways enhance and develop interprofessional collaboration and enable effective information access and flow across the professions and the organization. The criteria for evaluation, forming the hypotheses of the study, were that interprofessional nonverbal and verbal communication would be enhanced and that interprofesisonal collaboration would increase. Methods of evaluation used were: (i) stakeholder interviews, (ii) interprofessional audit and (iii) analysis of the variances from the integrated care pathway. The evaluation revealed that although integrated care pathways led to improved outcomes for the health care trust there was little evidence to suggest that interprofessional relationships and communication were enhanced. Furthermore, key factors in discharge delays appeared to be organizational rather than professional.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The problems of interprofessional healthcare practice in hospitals.

This article outlines the problems of interprofessional practice in the hospital setting. It examines the difficulties associated with competing ideologies and aims, inequalities in power relations, communication and role confusion and overlap. Within the hospital setting such problems often arise although the roots of the problem may go unacknowledged. The ways in which the problems occur in the hospital setting are considered, as is the underlying cause of such problems. Case studies will be used to analyse how the problems arise and ways in which they might be addressed.

Communication↗