Journal of Research in Nursing

An increasing amount of quantitative research has shown that nurses face considerable organisational and motivational barriers to conducting research. However, there is comparatively little qualitative information offering more detailed and subjective information about the research experiences of graduate nurses. The aim of this research was to explore graduate nurses’ perceptions of the nursing research and development (R&D) culture in one health trust in the United Kingdom (UK). The research was conducted in two phases. Phase one consisted of a questionnaire survey investigating areas thought to be important for the development of a research and development culture. Phase two consisted of three focus group discussions (N = 20) exploring the nurses’ experiences and any barriers and facilitators to conducting research. This paper reports findings from the focus group data that provided further understanding about the meaning of research for graduate nurses. Participants’ accounts were underlined by a strong rhetoric of support for research governance, with participants expressing intentions to conduct research but inhibited by cultural and organisational barriers. Education was also a strong determinant of research engagement, with participation in research education proving to be both a barrier and a facilitator. The study has implications for educationalists and the formation of R&D strategies in health trusts.

Nursing is considered to be an applied science. Thus clinical teaching is central to nurse education, where the learning situation often cannot be repeated. The aim of this work was to identify motivating behaviours of role model clinical instructors that enhance student learning, as perceived by Jordanian senior nursing students. Critical incident technique was utilised and analysis of the incidents through Cormack’s technique was applied. A total of 156 student nurses participated in this study and 210 critical incidents related to behaviours of role model clinical instructors were obtained. A total of 10 categories that reflected the behaviours of role model clinical instructors were created. The overall findings indicated that the behaviours of role model clinical instructors identified by Jordanian nursing students as enhancing their learning in the clinical setting were mainly those already identified in the literature as good teaching in nursing practice.

Aims: Most developed countries are taking steps to move away from institutional models of care for the aged, in an attempt to both improve quality of life for those receiving care and improve the work of those providing care. In the USA, the concept of ‘culture change’ (CC) encompasses a variety of philosophical and practice models being employed to de-institutionalise skilled nursing facilities, also known as long-term care (LTC) facilities. Teamwork among direct-care workers is often promoted as an important aspect of culture change. However, a recent study found that, among facilities attempting CC, teamwork was the least commonly implemented CC component. This suggests that facilities may be having difficulty implementing teamwork and also raises questions about the link between teamwork and facility organisational culture. This study examined the relationship between teamwork and organisational culture in the LTC setting. Methods: Observations in 20 LTC facilities were used to identify facilities with high and low amounts of teamwork. Interviews with nursing staff from four high-teamwork and five low-teamwork facilities were compared to determine the aspects of organisational culture associated with teamwork, and explore how teamwork might be sustained in LTC facilities. Findings: Aspects of culture, including positive staff attitudes toward co-workers, were associated with high-teamwork facilities. Managerial modelling of these attitudes may be one factor that helps sustain teamwork. Conclusions: LTC facility managers may need to adjust their own attitudes and behaviour to support teamwork in their facilities. This has implications for facilities attempting to de-institutionalise.

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the Uncertainty In Illness Scale — Family form. For this purpose, the Uncertainty In Illness Scale — Family form was translated from English into Persian and tested for psychometric properties. The analyses were carried out with data from a sample of 310 patients’ family members at one general hospital in Birjand city, the center of the Southern Khorasan province. The Iranian version of the Uncertainty In Illness Scale — Family form demonstrated an acceptable level of content validity with a content validity index of 0.91. The Cronbach’s alpha of 0.83 showed that the scale had reasonable internal consistency. This preliminary validation study of the Iranian version of the Uncertainty In Illness Scale — Family form showed that it is an acceptable measure to be used with Iranian patients’ family members. Additional research is recommended for further evaluation of the psychometric properties of the scale.

Many elderly people who reside in nursing homes are dependent on care staff for all aspects of care, including oral health and denture hygiene. The aim of this study was to investigate the provision of one aspect of oral care, denture hygiene, in nursing homes in North Wales. Out of the 20 nursing homes identified for inclusion in the study, 10 nursing homes agreed to participate. The results of the study showed that denture hygiene care for elderly residents was still far from ideal. Perceived barriers to the provision of care include lack of training and a poor understanding of the importance of denture hygiene. In general the carers were keen to have training in oral and denture hygiene. This study has highlighted that one fundamental and important aspect of oral care for elderly residents, denture hygiene, is still a problem. This vulnerable group of individuals are not receiving essential care required to enhance their quality of life.

In this paper we present aspects of a study that scoped e-learning implementation in nursing and health science disciplines throughout the UK and explored the factors affecting use. Data related to the use of technologies are presented here. While there are many drivers for the use of e-learning, the current scope of engagement in nursing and health science disciplines is unknown and variations in adoption have not been explored. A postal questionnaire sent to a purposive sample of 93 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) obtained data from 25 universities (response rate of 28%) related to their uptake and development of e-learning. Questionnaire data was analysed using descriptive statistics. From this, nine HEIs were identified, reflecting a range of levels of engagement in e-learning. Data was collected through 35 staff interviews across the sites. Qualitative data from the interviews was transcribed to allow thematic analysis. Though e-learning adoption and use vary across the sector, the predominant learning and teaching engagement is instructivist and managed through a virtual learning environment. There is limited experimentation with e-learning and teaching use, linked to key centres of excellence and the efforts of ‘champions’. It is suggested that a more systematic approach to development and funding is required to achieve enhanced use of e-learning.