Jane Mills | La Trobe University (original) (raw)

Papers by Jane Mills

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2007

Title. Live my work: rural nurses and their multiple perspectives of selfAim. This paper is a re... more Title. Live my work: rural nurses and their multiple perspectives of selfAim. This paper is a report of a study to explore rural nurses’ experiences of mentoring.Background. Mentoring has recently been proposed by governments, advocates and academics as a solution to the problem for retaining rural nurses in the Australian workforce. Action in the form of mentor development workshops has changed the way that some rural nurses now construct supportive relationships as mentoring.Method. A grounded theory design was used with nine rural nurses. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted in various states of Australia during 2004–2005. Situational analysis mapping techniques and frame analysis were used in combination with concurrent data generation and analysis and theoretical sampling.Findings. Experienced rural nurses cultivate novices through supportive mentoring relationships. The impetus for such relationships comes from their own histories of living and working in the same community, and this was termed ‘live my work’. Rural nurses use multiple perspectives of self in order to manage their interactions with others in their roles as community members, consumers of healthcare services and nurses. Personal strategies adapted to local context constitute the skills that experienced rural nurses pass-on to neophyte rural nurses through mentoring, while at the same time protecting them through troubleshooting and translating local cultural norms.Conclusion. Living and working in the same community creates a set of complex challenges for novice rural nurses that are better faced with a mentor in place. Thus, mentoring has become an integral part of experienced rural nurses’ practice to promote staff retention.

Australian Journal of Rural Health, 2001

Australian Journal of Rural Health, 2007

Australian Journal of Rural Health, 2008

Reflective Practice, 2011

Dewey first described reflective thought as a way to solve issues of perplexity in his seminal wo... more Dewey first described reflective thought as a way to solve issues of perplexity in his seminal work How We Think. Dewey’s work underpinned Strauss’ contribution to The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Grounded theory methods are characterised by memo writing. This paper will describe how memos, in the form of slides, were employed to demonstrate advanced skill acquisition in practice by an immigrant nurse and health visitor to a panel convened by the New Zealand Nursing Council. Globalisation and migration of the nursing workforce contributes to advancement of the nursing profession in some countries. New Zealand, whose critical mass of primary health care nursing leaders is small, with no specific postgraduate primary health care qualification, benefit from the transferable skills of migrant nurse and community practitioners. Finding easier ways to demonstrate advanced practice to New Zealand’s Nursing Council would maximise the potential contribution of immigrant nurses.

Worldviews on Evidence-based Nursing, 2009

Journal of Sociology, 2012

International Journal of Nursing Practice, 2010

Mills J, Birks M, Francis K, Miles M, Jones J. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16... more Mills J, Birks M, Francis K, Miles M, Jones J. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 319–325 Australian rural remote registered nurses' experiences of learning to provide antenatal services in general practice: A pilot studyThis article reports on a pilot vocational study programme for provision of antenatal services in the general practice environment. The concurrent evaluation study assessed practice nurses' experiences of undertaking the pilot programme, the level and applicability of the content, and the mode of delivery. General practitioners' understanding of the role of the nurse in providing antenatal services, and the actual and potential impact of this new role on models of service delivery and care were also investigated. Women receiving care from practice nurses within this new model of service delivery and care were also of interest in this study. Findings showed that the current role of the general practice nurse in caring for pregnant women is restricted to assisting the general practitioner to complete their assessment of clients. Organizing clinical placement with a midwife was a major barrier to completing the pilot programme.

Journal of Interprofessional Care, 2010

Nursing & Health Sciences, 2009

A requirement of many nurses in the process of licensing for practice each year is a declaration ... more A requirement of many nurses in the process of licensing for practice each year is a declaration of continuing competence to practice. In Australia, each state and territory currently has its own regulatory authority for nurses and midwives, whose main role is to protect public safety. Like many other registering authorities in the Asia-Pacific region, Australian regulatory authorities undertake the random auditing of nurses and midwives in order to assess their competence to practice. Professional portfolios commonly are considered to be a tool that nurses can use to demonstrate to regulatory authorities, employers, and others how they meet the required competencies. This article examines the different types of portfolios that fall under the umbrella term, professional portfolio, and recommends that nurses explore the strategies that identify evidence of their continuing competence to practice for inclusion in such a document.

Social Trends, 2009

ABSTRACT

International Journal of Nursing Practice, 2009

In Australia, the number of practice nurses is growing at a rapid rate. On the nursing landscape,... more In Australia, the number of practice nurses is growing at a rapid rate. On the nursing landscape, this group of nurses stand out because of their relationship with the Australian Government who both fund them, and concern themselves with their continuing professional development. This paper provides a construction of the social world of Australian practice nurses, identifying stakeholders in the business of practice nursing. Literature produced by the various social world segments is analysed for the influence of medical dominance on the role, image, power and politics of practice nurses.

Journal of Religion & Health, 2010

There is a substantial number of Iranian war veterans, exposed to sulfur mustard, who suffer from... more There is a substantial number of Iranian war veterans, exposed to sulfur mustard, who suffer from serious long term progressive health problems involving their respiratory organs, eyes, and skin. Little is known, however, about these casualties’ experiences of living with the consequences of sulfur mustard poisoning. This qualitative study aims to provide greater insight into how war veterans live with the consequences of the poisoning and involved 17 Iranian war veterans who had been poisoned by sulfur mustard during the Iran–Iraq conflict. Each participant was interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule and the data generated through this process was analyzed using constant comparative data analysis technique. Data analysis resulted in “religious beliefs and practices” as a main category, which included two sub-categories: religious value centered life and religious support. Findings suggest that religious belief assists veterans to accept the impact of poisoning on their lives and adapt their lifestyles accordingly, to participate in religious social activities and feel socially supported, and to be hopeful about the future and live their lives as fully as possible.