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PubMed1994

The shining stranger: application of the phenomenological method in the investigation of the nurse--family spiritual relationship.

Although many nurses and families may develop a spiritual relationship, a review of the literature showed few studies and scant literature addressing this topic. Furthermore, no studies were identified that used methodologies that provide descriptions and understanding of the meaning of this phenomenon. This article describes the application of the phenomenological method in the investigation of the meaning of a spiritual relationship between families and their nurses in a hospice setting. The phenomenological method can be used to uncover the meaning of experience through respondents' descriptions. Transcripts of interviews in which 11 nurses and 12 families were asked to describe their hospice experience were analyzed using Giorgi's approach to Husserlian phenomenology. Descriptions of nurse-family relationships were identified and synthesized into five thematic structures of experience: nurses' ways of being; nurses' ways of doing; nurses' ways of knowing; ways of receiving and giving; and ways of welcoming a stranger. The thematic structures of experience were synthesized into and interpreted as a metaunity of meaning. Through reflection, the unity of meaning was intuited as "The Shining Stranger." Analysis of selected Eastern and Western religious literature provided exemplars and a characterization of the shining stranger. Implications of the application of the phenomenological method are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Experiences and perceptions of people with headache: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Few qualitative studies of headache have been conducted and as a result we have little in-depth understanding of the experiences and perceptions of people with headache. The aim of this paper was to explore the perceptions and experiences of individuals with headache and their experiences of associated healthcare and treatment. METHODS: A qualitative study of individuals with headache, sampled from a population-based study of chronic pain was conducted in the North-East of Scotland, UK. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted with adults aged 65 or less. Interviews were analysed using the Framework approach utilising thematic analysis. RESULTS: Almost every participant reported that they were unable to function fully as a result of the nature and unpredictability of their headaches and this had caused disruption to their work, family life and social activities. Many also reported a negative impact on mood including feeling depressed, aggressive or embarrassed. Most participants had formed their own ideas about different aspects of their headache and several had searched for, or were seeking, increased understanding of their headache from a variety of sources. Many participants reported that their headaches caused them constant worry and anguish, and they were concerned that there was a serious underlying cause. A variety of methods were being used to manage headaches including conventional medication, complementary therapies and self-developed management techniques. Problems associated with all of these management strategies emerged. CONCLUSION: Headache has wide-ranging adverse effects on individuals and is often accompanied by considerable worry. The development of new interventions or educational strategies aimed at reducing the burden of the disorder and associated anxiety are needed.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

How students learn from community-based preceptors.

OBJECTIVE: To explore how students learn in community-based family physicians' offices from the student's point of view. METHOD: Each student completing a community-based family medicine clerkship wrote a "critical incident" narrative about an event that was particularly educational. A coding system was developed by a multidisciplinary research team and thematic analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Critical education experiences were brief, problem-focused, had definitive outcomes, were often collaborative, and led to self-reflection. The most commonly identified mode of learning was "active observation." In most of these situations, the student had significant clinical responsibility, but some involved observation of complex tasks beyond the expectations of a medical student. Most (77%) identified their learning needs after having observed a preceptor, rather than prospectively. Collaboration, coaching, advocacy, and exploring affect were means whereby preceptors and students created a learning environment that students felt was safe, allowed them to recognize their own learning needs, and helped them adopt new behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings broaden the definition of active learning to include active observation and support learner-centered and relational models of learning. Increasing preceptors' awareness of these modes of student learning will enhance the quality of education in ambulatory settings.

Education, Medical, Graduate↗
PubMed2006

Better the devil you know? High-risk individuals' anticipated psychological responses to genetic testing for melanoma susceptibility.

PURPOSE: The psychological consequences of genetic testing for mutations among individuals at increased risk of developing melanoma remain unexamined. The present study aimed to explore anticipated emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and familial responses to hypothetical genetic testing for melanoma susceptibility. METHODS: Forty semi-structured interviews were undertaken with affected (n=20) and unaffected (n=20) individuals at either high or average risk of developing melanoma due to family history. RESULTS: In-depth thematic analysis revealed that, in response to being identified as a mutation carrier, most participants with a family history anticipated calmly accepting their increased risk; either increasing precaution adoption or maintaining already vigilant behavioral practices; perceiving such information as important and valuable; and communicating genetic test results to family members, despite the acknowledgement of potential difficulties. In response to being identified as a non-carrier, the majority of participants expected to feel relieved; to maintain current precautionary health practices; to still perceive themselves at some risk of developing melanoma; and to be wary of the potential negative behavioral consequences of disclosing such information to family members. Women appeared more likely than men to acknowledge the potential for depression and worry following genetic testing. In contrast, more males than females expected to carry a gene mutation, and viewed their current preventive practices as optimum. CONCLUSION: Genetic testing for melanoma risk is likely to elicit a complex array of emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and familial responses for both testees and their family members, and these responses are likely to bear subtle differences for males and females.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Elective admission policies in New South Wales public hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the existence and content of elective admission policies in New South Wales acute public hospitals. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to managers of all acute public hospitals (n = 76). Copies of elective admission policies were sought from respondents. Results were analysed with EpiInfo 5.01b and policy content by thematic analysis. RESULTS: Survey response was 91% (69/76). Policies existed in 71% (49/69) of hospitals. Of these, 96% (47/49) disseminated their policy, with 23% (11/47) disseminating it at least annually, 41% (19/47) only when updated, and 32% (15/47) infrequently, with one policy being new (2%) and one hospital not stating its frequency (2%). Policy compliance was assessed in 86% (42/49) of hospitals and guidelines reviewed periodically in 92% (45/49) of hospitals. Twenty per cent (10/49) of the policies had been developed since a departmental instruction of May 1994. Of the 20 acute hospitals with no policy, 75% (15/20) were rural and 85% (17/20) thought they should have a policy. Analysis of policy content revealed emphases on resource availability and clinical need as determinants of elective admission, an institutional rather than a patient focus, and a high level of senior nurse manager involvement in admission decisions in rural hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a specific departmental instruction, nearly one-third of hospitals still had no admission policy 18 months later. This could be indicative of miscommunication between hospitals and NSW Health or perceived irrelevance of department guidelines by hospital managers. Existing policies were mostly institutionally focused and dominated by perceived resource limitations. NSW Health might consider other medico-social factors and manager involvement in future policy development.

Admitting Department, Hospital↗
PubMed2005

A qualitative study of women's decision-making at the end of IVF treatment.

BACKGROUND: The decision not to pursue further in vitro fertilization (IVF) after one or more unsuccessful attempts is an important and often difficult one for couples. Relatively little is known about the woman's perception of this decision-making process. The aim of this study was to examine patients' perspectives of decision-making, including circumstances influencing it and satisfaction with the decision-making process. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 25 women who had decided to end treatment after unsuccessful IVF treatment. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed by means of thematic analysis using the open coding technique. RESULTS: Women experienced difficulty in accepting that their infertility would remain unresolved. Many felt that they had started with unrealistic expectations of treatment success and felt vulnerable to the pressures of both the media and society. Although the decision to end treatment was difficult, it offered many women a way out of the emotional distress caused by IVF; however, the process of decision-making created a sense of 'confrontation' for the women in which they had to address issues they had previously avoided. Adoptive parents perceived less societal pressure than those who remained childless. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to improve the psychological preparation of couples who decide to end IVF treatment should be directed towards examination of the existing system of consultation, which has certain limitations in terms of the quality of communication and the provision of post-treatment support. Further efforts to develop strategies, which facilitate the decision-making process, should be considered.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Pride and confidence at work: potential predictors of occupational health in a hospital setting.

BACKGROUND: This study focuses on determinants of a healthy work environment in two departments in a Swedish university hospital. The study is based on previously conducted longitudinal studies at the hospital (1994-2001), concerning working conditions and health outcomes among health care personnel in conjunction with downsizing processes. Overall, there was a general negative trend in relation to mental health, as well as long-term sick leave during the study period. The two departments chosen for the current study differed from the general hospital trend in that they showed stable health development. The aim of the study was to identify and analyse experiential determinants of healthy working conditions. METHODS: Thematic open-ended interviews were carried out with seventeen managers and key informants, representing different groups of co-workers in the two departments. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and an inductive content analysis was made. RESULTS: In the two studied departments the respondents perceived that it was advantageous to belong to a small department, and to work in cooperation-oriented care. The management approaches described by both managers and co-workers could be interpreted as transformational, due to a strain of visionary, delegating, motivating, confirmative, supportive attitudes and a strongly expressed solution-oriented attitude. The daily work included integrated learning activities. The existing organisational conditions, approaches and attitudes promoted tendencies towards a work climate characterised by trust, team spirit and professionalism. In the description of the themes organisational conditions, approaches and climate, two core determinants, work-pride and confidence, for healthy working conditions were interpreted. Our core determinants augment the well-established concepts: manageability, comprehensiveness and meaningfulness. These favourable conditions seem to function as a buffer against the general negative effects of downsizing observed elsewhere in the hospital, and in the literature. CONCLUSION: Research illuminating health-promoting aspects is rather unusual. This study could be seen as explorative. The themes and core dimensions we found could be used as a basis for further intervention studies in similar health-care settings. The result could also be used in future health promotion studies in larger populations. One of the first steps in such a strategy is to formulate relevant questions, and we consider that this study contributes to this.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Identification of criteria for the prioritisation of patients for elective general surgery.

OBJECTIVE: A single visual analogue scale is used in New Zealand to prioritise patients for elective general surgery. Although it reflects clinical judgement, it has been criticised for its lack of transparency. We wished to elicit generic criteria used by surgeons for prioritisation of patients for elective general surgery in order to improve the transparency of the visual analogue scale. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 15 general surgeons. Using the repertory grid method, surgeons were asked to explain their rationale for distinguishing between patients they considered a high, medium or low priority for treatment. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed for themes. The accuracy of the thematic analysis was checked using a five-point Likert scale to assess surgeons' agreement with the identified themes. Further testing to check for face, content and construct validity was undertaken with a purposive sample of six surgeons prioritising patient vignettes. RESULTS: Eight major themes were deduced: diagnosis; treatment; patient characteristics; symptomatology and sequelae to date; future complications; quality of life; psychological/emotional impact; and socio-political/logistic factors. The utilisation of these themes by surgeons was confirmed. Tests of collinearity indicated good content validity. Factor analysis confirmed the hypothesis of one underlying construct, namely priority. CONCLUSION: Seven of the themes became the basis for a new clinical priority assessment criteria tool using visual analogue scales to determine priority of patients for elective general surgery. Further testing of reliability and validity is needed.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2004

'What makes it really good, makes it really bad.' An exploration of early student experience in the first cohort of the Rural Clinical School in the University of Western Australia.

INTRODUCTION: The Australian Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing has implemented the Government's Regional Health Strategy. This strategy provides funding to universities for the establishment of Rural Clinical Schools (RCS) on a national basis. The strategy aims to secure a rural education and training network to increase the availability and viability of rural health services in the long term. The University of Western Australia set up the RCS in 2002 with the objective of setting up a full 5th year medical course in remote communities (RRAMA [Rural Remote and Metropolitan Area Classification] 4-7) for the 2003 academic year. There were 21 students in five areas: Kalgoorlie/Esperance (9 students), Broome (4 students), Port Hedland (3 students) and Geraldton (5 students). These students covered the 5th year curriculum with internal assessment and final examinations, in the same manner as city students. Only the delivery was different, according to geographical location. METHODS: Structured questionnaires using open-ended questions were distributed to students on two occasions. At the sixth month, semi-structured interviews were held with each student. The interviews were transcribed and a thematic analysis of the data was undertaken. Constant comparison of data was undertaken, themes identified and relationships among the themes clarified. RESULTS: In general, students were very happy with the teaching and learning opportunities they had during the first half of the year. However the initial themes of curriculum content, curriculum delivery, and assessment, were eclipsed by an overarching theme of anxiety and its management. The issue of student anxiety was addressed during the analysis. A number of factors were identified which ameliorated student anxiety or contributed to increased anxiety. From this evaluation a number of contributory factors to such student anxiety were identified. The investigators became more cognisant of the impact of group dynamics and of the need to structure the 'unstructured' environment of rural and remote medicine. In this way, students focus on only a few learning tasks at a time. They complete each topic with at least one other student so they can share the experience. The key role of each site coordinator also became apparent. The site coordinator should know the curriculum thoroughly and transmit this information to other teachers and preceptors at their site. It was also found desirable that the RCS was clear as to which assessment processes were flexible and which were 'fixed'. The medical school must clarify which curriculum content is essential, which is desirable and which is additional. Issues of workload must be monitored, and good work practices must be encouraged and supported. It was found that the high level of commitment to learning lead to the potential for burnout, generating the student comment: 'What makes the RCS really, really good makes it really bad...' CONCLUSION: Setting up an innovative program is always a major task, but setting up five different offices with four centers of learning separated by thousands of kilometers has not been undertaken, apparently, anywhere else in the world. It has been a 'fast uphill journey' that has been subject to evolving change as the RCS has adapted to conditions not expected from an academic point of view. Key contributory factors to student anxiety were identified and organizational strategies were implemented immediately, where possible, to reduce such anxiety. These insights were also used in the preparation for, and implementation of, the 2004 curriculum.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Facilitating interpersonal interaction and learning online: linking theory and practice.

INTRODUCTION: An earlier study of physicians' perceptions of interactive online learning showed that these were shaped both by program design and quality and the quality and quantity of interpersonal interaction. We explore instructor roles in enhancing online learning through interpersonal interaction and the learning theories that inform these. METHODS: This was a qualitative study using focus groups and interviews. Using purposive sampling, 50 physicians were recruited based on their experience with interactive online CME and face-to-face CME. Qualitative thematic and interpretive analysis was used. RESULTS: Two facilitation roles appeared key: creating a comfortable learning environment and enhancing the educational value of electronic discussions. Comfort developed gradually, and specific interventions like facilitating introductions and sharing experiences in a friendly, informative manner were helpful. As in facilitating effective small-group learning, instructors' thoughtful use of techniques that facilitated constructive interaction based on learner's needs and practice demands contributed to the educational value of interpersonal interactions. DISCUSSION: Facilitators require enhanced skills to engage learners in meaningful interaction and to overcome the transactional distance of online learning. The use of learning theories, including behavioral, cognitive, social, humanistic, and constructivist, can strengthen the educational design and facilitation of online programs. Preparation for online facilitation should include instruction in the roles and techniques required and the theories that inform them.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2002

Expert supervisors' views of clinical supervision: a study of factors promoting and inhibiting the achievements of multiprofessional team supervision.

BACKGROUND: Only a few studies are available of team supervision and its challenges to supervisors. A multiprofessional team supervision project was accomplished in 1995-1998 in one university hospital in Finland. Eighty-two practitioners from five wards participated in the project and 10 experienced supervisors implemented their team supervision. AIM: The aim of this qualitative study is to describe the experiences of five supervisor pairs (n=10) of multiprofessional team supervision. METHODS: Data were collected by semi-structured interviews from the supervisor pairs. The interviewing style was open and followed that of a guided conversation between supervisors and researcher. Interview data were analysed using thematic content analysis. FINDINGS: The factors that influenced team supervision were as follows: advanced knowledge of supervision and confidence in supervisors, commitment and motivation, interaction and collaborative relationships and the arrangements of team supervision. The positive effects of team supervision as identified by the supervisors were as follows: influence on interaction and human relationships in the work community, supervisees' strengthened professional identity and the development of multiprofessional practice. CONCLUSIONS: Several factors can promote or inhibit the achievements of team supervision. Regardless of all the difficulties related to team supervision, its effects on a work community are positive. For the supervisors, team supervision is a demanding and challenging but also a rewarding process.

Finland↗
PubMed1999

Participation in treatment decision-making by women with early stage breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the way women treated for early stage breast cancer perceived the treatment selection process. The purpose was to understand more fully patients' experiences of the decision process and their preferences for participation in treatment decisions. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The study informants were 40 women, treated at a teaching hospital in Sydney Australia, who were interviewed face to face 1 year after their first treatment for stage I or stage II breast cancer. METHODS: This study used a qualitative approach, based on the analysis of interview transcripts. The main areas covered were how the informants' treatment decisions were made and their preferences for participation in treatment decisions. Content and thematic analyses were conducted with findings presented using verbatim quotations for illustration. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Many of the informants who preferred not to participate in decisions also failed to recognize the need for value judgements (as well as medical expertise) in the decision-making process. Some informants believed they ought to be responsible for the consequences whilst others did not. Difficulties were identified in patient utilization of medical information for treatment decision-making, and also in establishing preferences for the risks and benefits of treatments where few patients had prior experience of the potential outcomes. The findings indicate that patient participation in treatment decision-making is a more complex issue than simply giving patients information and choices. Ways of enhancing patients' involvement in the treatment selection process are discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

What environmental factors irritate people with acquired brain injury?

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the environmental factors nurses identify as being irritating to people with acquired brain injury. METHOD: This was a qualitative study. An experienced interviewer used the Critical Decision Method to interview 28 nurses working in 10 inpatient brain injury rehabilitation units in Australia on a one to one basis for 1-1.5 h on two consecutive days. Transcripts of interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Nurses identified five groups of irritants that acted as triggers for aggression: CONCLUSION: The nurses in this study identified many environmental factors that irritate people with acquired brain injury. Some irritants appeared unavoidable but others could be addressed by staff expertise.

Aggression↗
PubMed2026

Exploring the emerging concept of precision rehabilitation: a qualitative study.

PURPOSE: This descriptive qualitative study explored knowledge users' perspectives on precision rehabilitation concepts, barriers, facilitators, and future directions as part of a convergent mixed methods scoping review. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen clinicians, administrators, and researchers from three North American tertiary care rehabilitation centers were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling to participate in individual semi-structured interviews. Conventional qualitative content analysis followed a deductive thematic approach based on predetermined categories. RESULTS: Analyses revealed three main themes: (1) Although precision rehabilitation shares foundational concepts with precision medicine, there are certain elements, such as personalization, that are uniquely expressed; (2) Rehabilitation-specific facilitators to precision approaches include the use of unobtrusive technology to collect large amounts of data in real-world contexts, while barriers include rehabilitation's typically small, heterogeneous sample sizes; and (3) The future of precision rehabilitation will require collaborative data-sharing to focus on determining care trajectories that enhance functional outcomes. CONCLUSION: Findings provide the first qualitative synthesis of knowledge users perspectives to complement quantitative evidence and inform the emerging field of precision rehabilitation.

Humans↗
PubMed2004

Working together: a qualitative study of effective group formation amongst GPs during a cost-driven prescribing initiative.

BACKGROUND: The need to control escalating NHS prescribing costs has become another, for many, contentious factor for GPs to consider when prescribing. Furthermore, despite not having a history of collaboration, GPs now need to work together within Primary Care Trusts. There is little in the medical literature about the development of GP groups. We present data from an evaluation of a cost-driven GP group prescribing initiative which fitted within Tuckman's framework of how groups become established, function and bring about changes to produce outcomes. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to gain insight into GPs' experiences of working together in a group prescribing initiative. METHODS: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face with 32 GPs from a commissioning group pilot (nine GP practices) in Southern Derbyshire in 1999. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Initial reactions to the initiative included feeling anxious and imposed upon. However, reservations about divisive effects on practices and individuals behaving defensively proved largely unfounded. Meeting together enabled participants to discover that their similarities outweighed their differences. Prescribing changes did occur, often facilitated by the support of having group policies. However, for many participants, the most valued outcomes were process orientated: increased interaction between practices and a greater sense of group cohesion. These were regarded by some as providing the basis for further change. CONCLUSION: The experiences of the GPs reflected Tuckman's sequential model of group development to a large extent. The 'storming' phase was less problematical than anticipated. This model provides a useful framework against which to judge how near a group is to achieving goals.

Cooperative Behavior↗
PubMed2005

Perceptions of power mobility use and safety within residential facilities.

BACKGROUND: Power wheelchairs enhance quality of life by enabling occupation, improving self-esteem and facilitating social interaction. Despite these benefits, the risks associated with power mobility use raise serious concerns in residential facilities. PURPOSE: As there is no gold standard to assess when a client is unsafe, a two-phase study was conducted to develop client-centred guidelines for power mobility use. METHOD: In the first phase of the study, presented here, 18 in-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with a variety of stakeholders, including power mobility users, other residents, staff and family members. RESULTS: A thematic analysis of the interviews revealed four main themes: 1) the meaning of power mobility, 2) learning the rules of the road, 3) red flags: concerns about safety, and 4) solutions. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Given the importance of power mobility, safety measures need to address issues of mobility and safety for power mobility drivers and those around them.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Persevering: the experience of well elderly women overcoming the barriers to the U.S. health care system.

PURPOSE: To explore the barriers to health care for well older community living women living in a metropolitan area in North Central Texas. METHODS: Qualitative thematic design. Forty-six women who attended seniors' centers in North Central Texas participated in focus groups. Then three individual and a key informant interviews were completed. Data were analyzed using Lubrosky's thematic analysis. FINDINGS: The participants described barriers to access associated with provider barriers of devaluing older adults, the complexity and slowness of reimbursement, inadequacy of health insurance plans and physicians opting out of plans. Participants overcame these barriers by persevering.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Organizational development of a university-based interdisciplinary health promotion project.

PURPOSE: To analyze the organizational development and implementation of an interdisciplinary health promotion project at the University of New Mexico. The effort involved three academic units in a 3-year externally funded project to institutionalize health promotion curricula in the respective schools and to develop a wellness-oriented service for students, faculty, and staff. METHODS: The open systems theory was used as a framework to analyze the organizational and role issues that emerged from the data collected through interviews, staff surveys, and document review. The analysis is summarized by five thematic questions: (1) How did the project's vision affect its development? (2) How was leadership enacted, and with what effect? (3) What were the organizational issues for the staff? (4) What were the interdisciplinary dilemmas? (5) What was instituted or changed as a result of the project? RESULTS: The analysis uncovered a series of interpersonal and organizational dilemmas involving the nature of the organizational environment, the character of interdisciplinary work, leadership, boundaries of group membership, and the structuring of a unified vision. CONCLUSIONS: Future projects should consider the strength and stability of the boundary spanners, the resource context, and the role of a unified vision for new and organizationally linked units as key issues in facilitating and sustaining change.

Health Plan Implementation↗