Biomedical subjects

Dianne Pelletier

Publications and source records attributed to Dianne Pelletier.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Australian nurses' perception of the impact of their postgraduate studies on their patient care activities.

Postgraduate nursing education, formal or informal, has grown enormously and the benefits, to the students, their employers or their patients or its impact on clinical practice has not been well researched, particularly in Australia. The authors commenced a 10 year longitudinal study at a university in Sydney, Australia to track five cohorts of postgraduates at two yearly intervals to determine their career paths, changes in professional behaviour and the perceived impact of their postgraduate education on the care they deliver. This paper will report these five cohorts' (N=236) perceptions of the impact of their postgraduate studies on their care delivery two years after completion of their study. The results indicate that their postgraduate education had a positive to strongly positive impact on the majority of items. These as well as those items identified as not being affected will also be presented and discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Work sampling: valuable methodology to define nursing practice patterns.

The volatile clinical and managerial environment of today's health care system demands that the nursing sector regularly evaluates how staff deliver care. Management's central purpose is to support clinical core activities, striving for a reasonable balance between cost effectiveness and quality care. Various methodologies, such as work sampling and time-and-motion studies, have been used to explore work-related activities. As a cost-effective and useful methodology, work sampling warrants more in-depth exploration of the various techniques involved to ensure nurse managers, clinicians and researchers appreciate the complexities of the approach and its potential to contribute to an understanding of nursing work. The present paper describes work sampling as a method, reviews its use through the literature and outlines some of its advantages and disadvantages in comparison to the time-and-motion methodology, a method similar in many ways. It is intended to enhance readers' appreciation of work sampling's potential value to nurses and other health professionals, and to enhance the understanding of the difference between work sampling and time-and-motion studies.

Nursing Methodology Research↗

PubMed2002

Australian implantable cardiac defibrillator recipients: quality-of-life issues.

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) have become a well-established therapy for people experiencing potentially lethal dysrhythmias. Australian recipients' quality of life and adjustment to the device over time, device-related complications, shock and associated sensations, and potential sequelae have not been widely explored. This paper reports a longitudinal prospective study of Australian ICD recipients (n = 74) to determine their responses to the device, health-related quality of life over time and shock experiences. A questionnaire designed for the study and the Medical Outcomes Trust Quality of Life Instrument, the SF36, were completed by recipients prior to and at 3 and 12 months post insertion. Results show that quality of life decreased for general health and social function between 3 and 12 months. Nearly half (49%) of the recipients received shocks within 12 months and the majority (92%) of these experienced sequelae that could make driving hazardous. Half of the population (49%) were driving at 3 months and 69% by 12 months, including 67% of those who had been shocked. Twenty-seven percent were hospitalized with device-related complications. Driving, the shock experience and rehospitalization, the shock experience and driving behaviour are significant issues for those with the implanted device. While it is a limitation of the study that partners and carers were not included, these findings will also be of interest to them.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2002

The complexities of documenting clinical information in long-term care settings in Australia.

Clinical nursing documentation, written, verbal or supported by technology, is being affected by both the worldwide "information explosion" and budgetary constraints. In Australia, the necessity of documenting complex care needs and treatment plans in older adult care settings has become more imperative because funding levels and sources are frequently tied to these documents. As a consequence, the statutory requirements for documentation have become a significant driving force in shaping nursing practice. Although the value of quality documentation is or should be recognized, the seemingly vast amounts of time required inevitably distracts nurses from what they see as their primary purpose-the provision of direct patient care. Older adults who are frail are among the most complex clients requiring services in what is traditionally a poorly resourced sector. Under-funding frequently impacts on the staff skill mix, resulting in low levels of senior, highly qualified, and skilled staff. These factors impact the quality of the documentation and possibly the usage of the information itself. This article will provide an overview of the issues related to documentation of clinical information in older adult care settings with particular reference to some of the "unique" inefficiencies inherent in the Australian system.

Aged↗