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Research paper thumbnail of IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTS FOR CARE AT END OF LIFE

The King's Fund has been running its nationally recognised award winning Enhancing the Heali... more The King's Fund has been running its nationally recognised award winning Enhancing the Healing Environment programme since 2000. In 2006 a pilot programme was launched in partnership with NHS charities and Marie Curie Cancer Care to improve Environments for Care at ...

Research paper thumbnail of Four parts or one whole: The National Health Service (NHS) post-devolution

Journal of Nursing Management, 2008

Aim(s) There is a need for nurse and midwifery managers to have an understanding of devolution a... more Aim(s) There is a need for nurse and midwifery managers to have an understanding of devolution and its implications for them and their colleagues. This paper will explain devolution, consider some health and social care policy including similarities and differences, and assess the impact of devolution on the nursing workforce and the regulation of nursing across the four countries of the United Kingdom (UK).Background If managers are to manage effectively it is critical that they remain aware of emerging policy development and outcomes across the UK. It is now more important than ever that nurses maintain a keen eye on the impact divergent policy is having on practice as well as the UK nursing workforce.Evaluation The impact of devolution across the UK will be explored using convergence and divergence as a framework; commencing by providing an overview of devolution and health, moving on to examine health policy in action across the four countries.Key issues Healthcare is highly political in nature. Devolution has implications for all, and adds to the complexity of health and social care provision. If managers are to manage effectively it is critical that they remain aware of emerging policy development and outcomes across the UK.Conclusion It is equally important that nurses, and nurse managers, develop and draw upon their political leadership skills, actively engaging in policy debates to ensure that when policies are translated into practice their outcomes are optimal in terms of quality, efficiency and sustainability.Implications for nursing management There is a need for nurse and midwifery managers to have an understanding of post-devolution structures and how they operate in order to work effectively, as well as to learn from the experiences of other parts of the UK.

Research paper thumbnail of The National Health Service: A Political History by Charles Webster

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1999

Research paper thumbnail of Action research: a suitable method for promoting change in nurse education

Nurse Education Today, 2000

This paper arose from a research study and its follow-up in four schools of nursing and midwifery... more This paper arose from a research study and its follow-up in four schools of nursing and midwifery. The study was concerned with evaluating the extent to which a philosophy of health had been integrated into the educational curricula of nurses, midwives and health visitors. The purpose of the follow-up was to disseminate and implement the study findings in the four centres. The findings showed that the interpretation and implementation of a philosophy of health in nursing had been variable. Health was operationalized as both health education and health promotion ranging from individualized information giving and disease prevention. Action research was chosen as the appropriate methodology for the follow-up because of its emphasis on participation and partnership. As the follow-up study progressed a number of issues emerged which were indicative of the changes taking place in nurse education as its institutional base shifted into higher education. Other issues were associated with the gap between the rhetoric and reality of action research and the expectations and needs of the key partners. The authors conclude that the follow-up study presented both challenges and opportunities to nurse educators in their endeavour to undertaken research and implement educational change.

Research paper thumbnail of Health and the curriculum: an illuminative evaluation — part 2: findings and recommendations

Nurse Education Today, 1995

A six-month exploratory study commissioned in 1993 by the English National Board for Nursing, Mid... more A six-month exploratory study commissioned in 1993 by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (ENB) is described in this two-part paper. The research evaluated the integration of a philosophy of health within pre- and post-registration curricula in England (Lask et al 1994). In Part I of the paper, a philosophy of health as a basis for the curriculum is discussed. This is followed by an outline of the project aims, methodology and the literature that informed our theoretical understanding of a philosophy of health. In Part 2(1) of the paper we present our main findings and discuss their implications for professional preparation and continuing education.

Research paper thumbnail of Health promotion versus disease and care: failure to establish “blissful clarity” in British nurse education and practice

Social Science & Medicine, 1999

An evaluation which involved documentary analysis, observation and interviews with teachers, stud... more An evaluation which involved documentary analysis, observation and interviews with teachers, students and nurses in four educational institutions, revealed that the interpretation and implementation of a philosophy of health in nursing in the UK has been variable. A small but in¯uential group of teachers saw health as the basis for the curriculum and the way forward for nursing. The new Project 2000 health-based curriculum led some participants to reassess their conception of nursing, but disease and care of the sick remained uppermost. Trained hospital nurses in particular continued to view nursing as primarily concerned with disease treatment. The care model associated with`New Nursing', rooted in communication and interpersonal relationships, was also apparent particularly among pre-and post-registration students. Health was operationalised as both health education and health promotion ranging from individualised information giving and disease prevention to more participatory forms based on equity and empowerment. Participants' responses to the introduction of health in the curriculum were categorised in one of four ways: pessimism, partisanship, fanschen (to turn over) or marketisation. Their response depended on whether they viewed health as the central nursing philosophy rather than disease or care. On the basis of our ®ndings we propose that these responses give rise to four policy choices for nurses at an individual and group level. #

Research paper thumbnail of Health and the curriculum: An illuminative evaluation — Part 1: Methodology

Nurse Education Today, 1995

A six-month exploratory study commissioned in 1993 by the English National Board for Nursing, Mid... more A six-month exploratory study commissioned in 1993 by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (ENB) is described in this two-part paper. The research evaluated the integration of a philosophy of health within pre- and post-registration curricula in England (Lask et al 1994).In Part I of the paper, a philosophy ofhealth as a basis for the curriculum is discussed. This is followed by an outline of the project aims, methodology and the literature that informed our theoretical understanding of a philosophy of health. In Part 2 of the paper we present our main findings and discuss their implications for professional preparation and continuing education.

Research paper thumbnail of A literature review of interprofessional working and intermediate care in the UK: Interprofessional working and intermediate care

Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2010

Aims and objectives. This systematic literature review aimed at addressing two questions: first,... more Aims and objectives. This systematic literature review aimed at addressing two questions: first, what evidence exists regarding intermediate care in the UK; and what interventions have been used to develop interprofessional working in intermediate care in the UK? A systematic review of the literature from 2000–2006 resulted in a total of 104 full-text articles describing research into intermediate care in the UK.Background. The review was the first stage of a large, national project evaluating and developing interprofessional working among health and social care staff, particularly in relation to the intermediate care of older people.Design. Systematic literature review.Methods. All the literature was reviewed by one reviewer, and a second review was carried out by a team of reviewers to ensure each article was reviewed twice, independently. One article was reviewed by all the reviewers to ensure inter-rater reliability; finally, all the reviews were amalgamated, which resulted in one summary per article.Results. The main findings drawn from this systematic literature review are that research carried out on intermediate care in the UK has a diverse set of aims, for example economic evaluations, delivery of intermediate care and exploring the views and perceptions of those involved in intermediate care.Conclusions. Although several articles include discussions about the importance of interprofessional working in intermediate care, no article specifically focused on the interprofessional focus of intermediate care, and there was no research about interventions used to develop interprofessional working.Relevance to clinical practice. Intermediate care as a policy has been interpreted very differently across the four countries of the UK; there is no one preferred or consistent interpretation to its delivery.

Research paper thumbnail of Continuing care: developing a policy analysis for nursing

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1998

Continuing care: developing a policy analysis for nursing Many authors have commented on the invi... more Continuing care: developing a policy analysis for nursing Many authors have commented on the invisibility of nursing in policy development, implementation and analysis. Some of this invisibility may be attributed to the lack of an easily accessible framework to assist analysis of policy from a nursing perspective. In this paper we offer a framework for nursing policy analysis based on the domain concepts of nursing. We use continuing care for older people, a topical policy issue and fundamental nursing speciality, as a case study to demonstrate the utility and potential of such a framework in action. The resulting analysis helps identify areas of potential policy interest to nurses, raises questions for further policy analysis and offers a coherent position statement for action.

Research paper thumbnail of IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTS FOR CARE AT END OF LIFE

The King's Fund has been running its nationally recognised award winning Enhancing the Heali... more The King's Fund has been running its nationally recognised award winning Enhancing the Healing Environment programme since 2000. In 2006 a pilot programme was launched in partnership with NHS charities and Marie Curie Cancer Care to improve Environments for Care at ...

Research paper thumbnail of Four parts or one whole: The National Health Service (NHS) post-devolution

Journal of Nursing Management, 2008

Aim(s) There is a need for nurse and midwifery managers to have an understanding of devolution a... more Aim(s) There is a need for nurse and midwifery managers to have an understanding of devolution and its implications for them and their colleagues. This paper will explain devolution, consider some health and social care policy including similarities and differences, and assess the impact of devolution on the nursing workforce and the regulation of nursing across the four countries of the United Kingdom (UK).Background If managers are to manage effectively it is critical that they remain aware of emerging policy development and outcomes across the UK. It is now more important than ever that nurses maintain a keen eye on the impact divergent policy is having on practice as well as the UK nursing workforce.Evaluation The impact of devolution across the UK will be explored using convergence and divergence as a framework; commencing by providing an overview of devolution and health, moving on to examine health policy in action across the four countries.Key issues Healthcare is highly political in nature. Devolution has implications for all, and adds to the complexity of health and social care provision. If managers are to manage effectively it is critical that they remain aware of emerging policy development and outcomes across the UK.Conclusion It is equally important that nurses, and nurse managers, develop and draw upon their political leadership skills, actively engaging in policy debates to ensure that when policies are translated into practice their outcomes are optimal in terms of quality, efficiency and sustainability.Implications for nursing management There is a need for nurse and midwifery managers to have an understanding of post-devolution structures and how they operate in order to work effectively, as well as to learn from the experiences of other parts of the UK.

Research paper thumbnail of The National Health Service: A Political History by Charles Webster

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1999

Research paper thumbnail of Action research: a suitable method for promoting change in nurse education

Nurse Education Today, 2000

This paper arose from a research study and its follow-up in four schools of nursing and midwifery... more This paper arose from a research study and its follow-up in four schools of nursing and midwifery. The study was concerned with evaluating the extent to which a philosophy of health had been integrated into the educational curricula of nurses, midwives and health visitors. The purpose of the follow-up was to disseminate and implement the study findings in the four centres. The findings showed that the interpretation and implementation of a philosophy of health in nursing had been variable. Health was operationalized as both health education and health promotion ranging from individualized information giving and disease prevention. Action research was chosen as the appropriate methodology for the follow-up because of its emphasis on participation and partnership. As the follow-up study progressed a number of issues emerged which were indicative of the changes taking place in nurse education as its institutional base shifted into higher education. Other issues were associated with the gap between the rhetoric and reality of action research and the expectations and needs of the key partners. The authors conclude that the follow-up study presented both challenges and opportunities to nurse educators in their endeavour to undertaken research and implement educational change.

Research paper thumbnail of Health and the curriculum: an illuminative evaluation — part 2: findings and recommendations

Nurse Education Today, 1995

A six-month exploratory study commissioned in 1993 by the English National Board for Nursing, Mid... more A six-month exploratory study commissioned in 1993 by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (ENB) is described in this two-part paper. The research evaluated the integration of a philosophy of health within pre- and post-registration curricula in England (Lask et al 1994). In Part I of the paper, a philosophy of health as a basis for the curriculum is discussed. This is followed by an outline of the project aims, methodology and the literature that informed our theoretical understanding of a philosophy of health. In Part 2(1) of the paper we present our main findings and discuss their implications for professional preparation and continuing education.

Research paper thumbnail of Health promotion versus disease and care: failure to establish “blissful clarity” in British nurse education and practice

Social Science & Medicine, 1999

An evaluation which involved documentary analysis, observation and interviews with teachers, stud... more An evaluation which involved documentary analysis, observation and interviews with teachers, students and nurses in four educational institutions, revealed that the interpretation and implementation of a philosophy of health in nursing in the UK has been variable. A small but in¯uential group of teachers saw health as the basis for the curriculum and the way forward for nursing. The new Project 2000 health-based curriculum led some participants to reassess their conception of nursing, but disease and care of the sick remained uppermost. Trained hospital nurses in particular continued to view nursing as primarily concerned with disease treatment. The care model associated with`New Nursing', rooted in communication and interpersonal relationships, was also apparent particularly among pre-and post-registration students. Health was operationalised as both health education and health promotion ranging from individualised information giving and disease prevention to more participatory forms based on equity and empowerment. Participants' responses to the introduction of health in the curriculum were categorised in one of four ways: pessimism, partisanship, fanschen (to turn over) or marketisation. Their response depended on whether they viewed health as the central nursing philosophy rather than disease or care. On the basis of our ®ndings we propose that these responses give rise to four policy choices for nurses at an individual and group level. #

Research paper thumbnail of Health and the curriculum: An illuminative evaluation — Part 1: Methodology

Nurse Education Today, 1995

A six-month exploratory study commissioned in 1993 by the English National Board for Nursing, Mid... more A six-month exploratory study commissioned in 1993 by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (ENB) is described in this two-part paper. The research evaluated the integration of a philosophy of health within pre- and post-registration curricula in England (Lask et al 1994).In Part I of the paper, a philosophy ofhealth as a basis for the curriculum is discussed. This is followed by an outline of the project aims, methodology and the literature that informed our theoretical understanding of a philosophy of health. In Part 2 of the paper we present our main findings and discuss their implications for professional preparation and continuing education.

Research paper thumbnail of A literature review of interprofessional working and intermediate care in the UK: Interprofessional working and intermediate care

Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2010

Aims and objectives. This systematic literature review aimed at addressing two questions: first,... more Aims and objectives. This systematic literature review aimed at addressing two questions: first, what evidence exists regarding intermediate care in the UK; and what interventions have been used to develop interprofessional working in intermediate care in the UK? A systematic review of the literature from 2000–2006 resulted in a total of 104 full-text articles describing research into intermediate care in the UK.Background. The review was the first stage of a large, national project evaluating and developing interprofessional working among health and social care staff, particularly in relation to the intermediate care of older people.Design. Systematic literature review.Methods. All the literature was reviewed by one reviewer, and a second review was carried out by a team of reviewers to ensure each article was reviewed twice, independently. One article was reviewed by all the reviewers to ensure inter-rater reliability; finally, all the reviews were amalgamated, which resulted in one summary per article.Results. The main findings drawn from this systematic literature review are that research carried out on intermediate care in the UK has a diverse set of aims, for example economic evaluations, delivery of intermediate care and exploring the views and perceptions of those involved in intermediate care.Conclusions. Although several articles include discussions about the importance of interprofessional working in intermediate care, no article specifically focused on the interprofessional focus of intermediate care, and there was no research about interventions used to develop interprofessional working.Relevance to clinical practice. Intermediate care as a policy has been interpreted very differently across the four countries of the UK; there is no one preferred or consistent interpretation to its delivery.

Research paper thumbnail of Continuing care: developing a policy analysis for nursing

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1998

Continuing care: developing a policy analysis for nursing Many authors have commented on the invi... more Continuing care: developing a policy analysis for nursing Many authors have commented on the invisibility of nursing in policy development, implementation and analysis. Some of this invisibility may be attributed to the lack of an easily accessible framework to assist analysis of policy from a nursing perspective. In this paper we offer a framework for nursing policy analysis based on the domain concepts of nursing. We use continuing care for older people, a topical policy issue and fundamental nursing speciality, as a case study to demonstrate the utility and potential of such a framework in action. The resulting analysis helps identify areas of potential policy interest to nurses, raises questions for further policy analysis and offers a coherent position statement for action.