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PubMed2000

The place of nursing history in an undergraduate curriculum.

It has been stated that the history of nursing is, in itself, a suitable subject for research (Maggs 1996) but that historians of nursing have looked to the broader social sciences for their frame of reference. Over the past decade or more there has been debate as to the purposes of nursing history and its relevance to the education of modern nurses and to practice. There is also discussion as to the contribution nursing history has, or could, make to nursing theory and its development. Nursing history has been part of nursing curricula for many years in some shape or form, with variation in its timing, structure, content and the emphasis and importance placed on it by nurse educators. We have recently reintroduced nursing history to the curriculum in the form of a stand alone course. The aim of this paper is to describe the formal reintroduction of nursing history into the curriculum and its place in a newly developed honours undergraduate programme. A review of the literature will be undertaken which will outline the main areas of importance. The review will be followed by a discussion of the history of nursing course and its inception. Using points identified in the literature, the rationale for content and structure are made and the integration of history with theoretical and practical aspects of nursing is explained. The impact of the supporting sciences, both physical and behavioural, and issues surrounding students efforts to reconcile the art and science of nursing are analysed. The introduction has posed questions which are currently being addressed and changes will be made for the new academic year.This supports the philosophy of the Nursing & Midwifery School that history has relevance to the education of nurses and therefore a significant place in the curriculum.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1996

Sex determination and the maternal dominance hypothesis.

The maternal dominance hypothesis has been derived from work with humans which shows that women who are more dominant than other women are more likely to conceive sons. In both animals and humans dominance is a characteristic or personality trait, underpinned by testosterone and responsive to a range of environmental changes: physical, social and psychological. Studies of the sex ratio in the social sciences and animal behaviour either support or are compatible with the idea that the sex-determining role of X- and Y-chromosome bearing spermatozoa may be preceded by factors under maternal control which provide for differential access of spermatozoa. Findings in reproductive physiology and physiological psychology suggest that follicular testosterone or a related hormone may play a critical role. Reproductive physiologists have already identified maternal mechanisms which could provide the context for such a model.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Biological and cultural diversity: the legacy of Darwin for development.

To explain becoming human, becoming a member of a culture and society, and becoming a unique human being calls upon diverse theoretical resources in the biological and social sciences. To integrate such diverse concepts requires the umbrella of evolutionary theory, which alone can encompass so many levels of analysis. I present an elaboration of the theory sketched in my presidential address to SRCD in the hope that a more thorough understanding of the theoretical framework and the implications of cultural and biological diversity will enrich and enliven developmental research. Debates with colleagues of different persuasions are always welcome and often fruitful.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2002

A brief history of research synthesis.

Science is supposed to be cumulative, but scientists only rarely cumulate evidence scientifically. This means that users of research evidence have to cope with a plethora of reports of individual studies with no systematic attempt made to present new results in the context of similar studies. Although the need to synthesize research evidence has been recognized for well over two centuries, explicit methods for this form of research were not developed until the 20th century. The development of methods to reduce statistical imprecision using quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis) preceded the development of methods to reduce biases, the latter only beginning to receive proper attention during the last quarter of the 20th century. In this article, the authors identify some of the trends and highlights in this history, to which researchers in the physical, natural, and social sciences have all contributed, and speculate briefly about the "future history" of research synthesis.

Bias↗
PubMed2004

SARS in Singapore: surveillance strategies in a globalising city.

Public health measures employed to fight against the spread of SARS need to be guided by biomedical knowledge as well as an understanding of the social science aspects of the disease. Using Singapore as a case study, we explore how the state constructs the disease and implements measures targeted at creating a ring of defense around the island and using surveillance to monitor and prevent its spread. While there is support, there is also resentment among some Singaporeans who complain that their right to privacy has been invaded and that over surveillance may have actually occurred. Marginalisation and discrimination have not only affected the local population but in this open economy which is striving to achieve global city status, businesses, tourism, foreign talent, foreign contract workers and foreign students studying in Singapore have also been negatively affected. While Singapore has been applauded by WHO and used as an example of quick and effective response, a holistic approach to the management of infectious disease must address the social implications of strategies that are drawn from medical knowledge alone because it impinges on the social lives of people and how people interact with each other under stressful circumstances.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Social class differences in mortality using the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification--too little, too soon: a reply to Chandola.

Chandola's (2000; Social Science and Medicine, 50(5), 641-649) claims that the UK National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC) is not significantly related to mortality are examined. It is shown that this result is likely to be an artefact of the data and methods he uses. Other findings and interpretations in his paper are also critically discussed. In the process, various theoretical, measurement and analysis issues relating to the use of classifications such as the NS-SEC in health research are reviewed.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fertility reduction policies and poverty in Third World countries: ethical issues.

This article begins with a discussion of the motivation for fertility reduction and related population policies. Next, it identifies the two major approaches to evaluating these policies in the population ethics literature: the individualistic approach and the international approach. Each approach is then characterized according to the kinds of policies evaluated, the ethical principles that are most prominent, and the major conclusions drawn. Major empirical gaps in the population ethics literature are identified, and pertinent social science issues concerning the effectiveness of family planning programs, the socioeconomic determinants of fertility, and the interpersonal or community determinants of fertility are discussed. Finally, these issues are linked with the United Nations World Population Plan of Action to identify ethical questions that warrant detailed scrutiny.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed2004

The next phase of healthcare improvement: what can we learn from social movements?

To date, improvement in health care has relied mainly on a "top down" programme by programme approach to service change and development. This has spawned a multitude of different and often impressive improvement schemes and activities. We question whether what has been happening will be sufficient to achieve the desired scale of change within the time scales set. Is it a case of "more of the same" or are there new and different approaches that might now be usefully implemented? Evidence from the social sciences suggests that other perspectives may help to recast large scale organisational change efforts in a new light and offer a different, though complementary, approach to improvement thinking and practice. Particularly prominent is the recognition that such large scale change in organisations relies not only on the "external drivers" but on the ability to connect with and mobilise people's own "internal" energies and drivers for change, thus creating a "bottom up" locally led "grass roots" movement for improvement and change.

Australia↗
PubMed2004

Pastoral care in a time of global market capitalism.

The author defines pastoral theology as "the study of the micro-world of intrapsychic and interpersonal interactions with the tools of theology and the social sciences for the purpose of support and healing. In a typical class or supervisory session, we analyze the words, voice inflection, pace, and gestures of an intimate conversation between two people, looking for clues to the deep structure of personality and intimate relationships. The hope of such study is that we will see the revelation of God is love and power in action to validate and challenge the theological traditions that give us eyes to see and invite us to see more clearly."

Capitalism↗
PubMed2000

Compliance of adolescents with diabetes.

The purpose of this article is to describe the compliance of adolescents with diabetes and some factors connected to it. Altogether, 300 individuals aged 13 to 17 years were randomly selected from the Finnish Social Insurance Institution's register. Every fifth person on the list was included in the sample. Ninety-seven percent (N = 289) of the adolescents with diabetes returned the questionnaire. The data were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Only about one fifth (19%) of the respondents with diabetes felt that they complied fully with the health regimens, whereas 75% placed themselves in the category of satisfactory compliance and the remaining 6% reported poor compliance. Compliance with home monitoring was poorest: Only 25% said they fully complied with the home monitoring instructions, and 51% showed poor home monitoring compliance. The highest degree of compliance was reported for insulin treatment, with 81% of the patients ranking in the top category. Some statistically significant (p < .001) relationships between the degree of compliance and the background variables, such as the duration of disease; exercise; smoking; alcohol intake; and serum glycosylated hemoglobin (GHbA1c) value, were found. Good motivation, a strong sense of normality, energy and willpower, support from parents; physicians; and nurses, a positive attitude toward the disease and its treatment, no threat to one's social well-being, and fears of complications explained good compliance (p < .001).

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

On autonomy and participation in rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: To explore the concept of autonomy as a basis for social participation, with particular reference to rehabilitation. METHOD: A study of relevant literature from the field of rehabilitation, building on theory developed in other fields (ethics, social sciences), and deriving important concepts and strategies for rehabilitation practice. RESULTS: The focus of rehabilitation for people with a chronic disabling condition is shifting from a biomedical to a client-centred perspective. Conceptions of autonomy vary among individuals and cultures, but a crucial distinction can be made between decisional autonomy (the ability to make decisions without external restraint) and executional autonomy (the ability to act as one wishes). The liberal-individualist account of autonomy over-emphasizes physical independence and does not sufficiently recognize the inter-dependency of all people, including those with disabilities. An ethic of care, complementary to the principle of respect for autonomy, should guide the development of rehabilitation strategies to enhance individual autonomy and participation in daily living. For rehabilitation, this entails an attentive attitude, maximizing opportunities for informed choices, taking full account of each person's preferences, needs and social contexts. CONCLUSIONS: Autonomy is central to client-centred rehabilitation since it is a pre-requisite for effective participation. It is suggested that autonomy, conceived as a basis for participation, is the ultimate aim of rehabilitation.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

Screening elderly people: a review of the literature in the light of the new general practitioner contract.

There is a considerable volume of literature on the needs of elderly people, derived from both the medical and social sciences. This article reviews material relevant to preventive care and the best ways of arranging it, with particular reference to the developments as a result of the new general practitioner contract. It is argued that although the new contract disregards much of the medical research, there are still some benefits to be gained by applying research findings within the new framework, as well as by reviewing its operation in the light of research and experience currently available.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

The participant-observer approach to research in mental retardation.

Participant-observation, which calls for long-term immersion in the world of the persons being studied yet disciplined detachment from that world, has long been utilized in various social sciences. This method of data collection was seldom used in the study of mentally retarded people until recent years; however, it has now been employed in the study of many aspects of the lives of these people and their families. Although this method of research is expensive and time consuming, it has the advantage of allowing investigators to learn how people actually behave in a variety of contexts and to grasp the meaning these activities have for them.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Deculturation: its lack of validity.

Deculturation's history as well as its use in the social science literature is reviewed and its construct validity questioned. According to J. W. Berry (1980), deculturation results when members of nondominant cultures become alienated from the dominant culture and from their own minority society. A reported consequence of deculturation is increased stress and psychopathology for the individuals involved. Deculturation's basic assumption that there can be culture loss without replacement is critically assessed. In particular, the idea that members of nondominant groups can become deculturated, devoid of any culture, is challenged.

Acculturation↗
PubMed1980

Environmental interactions in psychiatric occupational therapy--some inferences.

Five inferences drawn from research studies in the social sciences on the assessment of psychiatric ward atmospheres are presented as a frame of reference for psychiatric occupational therapists. The studies, based on a model stating that behavior results from the interaction of person and environment, suggest procedures for increasing successful treatment outcomes in occupational therapy. Such procedures include matching patients and staff to behavioral settings according to individual response traits and the development of programs emphasizing such variables as spontaneity, autonomy, and involvement.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Child and adolescent psychiatry and child and adolescent welfare: general interprofessional relations--results of a study].

Child and adolescent Psychiatry on the one hand and Social Welfare Services and Child Protection on the other share common fields. The theoretical orientation of the Social Sciences differs from that of Psychiatric Medicine, producing a potential of conflict in areas of mutual operation. This report is based on an analysis of the transferrals from Child and adolescent psychiatric in-patient treatment to foster care. The results show that the children concerned mainly present with conduct disorder plus emotional problems and that the process of transferral is impaired by a number of factors which can be clearly named.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

One year's experience with a program to facilitate personal and professional development in medical students using reflection groups.

PURPOSE: (1) to integrate sociobehavioral science concepts into the early curriculum through a continuity ambulatory clinical experience in primary care, and (2) to expose students to a learning environment in which self-awareness and emotional development are nurtured in the context of dealing with the stresses of an early clinical experience. METHODS: Second-year students spent half a day twice monthly in a primary care community practice, kept a journal of their experiences, and attended biweekly 60-minute Reflection Groups designed to foster personal awareness and empathic witnessing. Analysis of journal entries and Reflection Group field notes identified stressors occurring during the students' clinical encounters. RESULTS: Three sources of stress are illustrated: the role and responsibility of the physician, death and dying, and racial issues. Reflection Groups provided students with opportunities to identify and describe stressors, to feel less isolated, to begin the process of self-awareness development, and to integrate behavioral and social science concepts into clinical practice. Our program incorporates students' early clinical experience with facilitated opportunities to reflect on the emotional challenges of becoming a physician.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Belongingness: A critique of the concept and implications for nursing education.

Clinical experience is recognised as central to nursing education. Quality clinical placements across a range of venues are vital to the development of competent and confident professionals. However there is evidence, both empirical and anecdotal, suggesting that nursing students' clinical placement experiences are often fraught with problems. These problems are long standing and multi-dimensional. For many students clinical placements are typified by feelings of alienation and a lack of belongingness. This paper proposes that the problematic nature of clinical placements may be better understood through the lens of 'belongingness'. A critical review of selected studies drawn from the psychological and social science literature provides insight and useful direction for a more focused review of the nursing literature. The potential relationships between belongingness, nursing students, and their clinical placement experiences are then exemplified by excerpts taken from the nursing literature (including unpublished material). Finally, an ongoing study that seeks to address the paucity of empirical research in this area is highlighted.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗