Selected Articles - BMC Nursing [Journal]

1. A case study of nurse practitioner role implementation in primary care: what happens when new roles are introduced?  [PDF] 
By Sangster-Gormley, Esther; Martin-Misener, Ruth; Burge, Fred. BMC Nursing 12 (2013): 12pages
Background: At the time of this study (2009) the role of the nurse practitioner was new to the province of British Columbia. The provincial government gave the responsibility for implementing the role to health authorities. Managers of health authorities, many of whom were unfamiliar with the role, were responsible for identifying the need for the NP role, determining how the NP would function, and gaining team members’acceptance for the new role.

2. The challenges of communicating research evidence in practice: perspectives from UK health visitors and practice nurses  [PDF] 
By van Bekkum, Jennifer E; Hilton, Shona. BMC Nursing 12 (2013): 12-17
Background: Health practitioners play a pivotal role in providing patients with up-to-date evidence and health information. Evidence-based practice and patient-centred care are transforming the delivery of healthcare in the UK. Health practitioners are increasingly balancing the need to provide evidence-based information against that of facilitating patient choice, which may not always concur with the evidence base. There is limited research exploring how health practitioners working in the UK, and particularly those more autonomous practitioners such as health visitors and practice nurses working in community practice settings, negotiate this challenge. This research provides a descriptive account of how health visitors and practice nurses negotiate the challenges of communicating health information and research evidence in practice.

3. Conceptualizing performance of nursing care as a prerequisite for better measurement: a systematic and interpretive review  [PDF] 
By Dubois, Carl-Ardy; D'Amour, Danielle; Pomey, Marie-Pascale; Girard, Francine; Brault, Isabelle. BMC Nursing 12 (2013): 20p.
Background: Despite the critical role of nursing care in determining high-performing healthcare delivery,
performance science in this area is still at an early stage of development and nursing’s contribution most often remains invisible to policy-makers and managers.
The objectives of this study were: 1) to develop a theoretically based framework to conceptualize nursing care performance; 2) to analyze how the different components of the framework have been operationalized in the literature; and 3) to develop a pool of indicators sensitive to various aspects of nursing care that can be used as a basis for designing a performance measurement system.

Selected Articles - Clinical Governance [Journal]

4. Differentiating clinical governance, clinical management and clinical practice 
Brennan, Niamh M; Flynn, Maureen A. Clinical Governance 18.2 (2013): 114-131.
Abstract: This paper seeks to review prior definitions of the umbrella term "clinical governance". The research question is: do clinical governance definitions adequately distinguish between governance management and practice functions? Three definitions are introduced to replace that umbrella term.
Design/methodology/approach - Content analysis is applied to analyse 29 definitions of clinical governance from the perspective of the roles and responsibilities of those charged with governance, management and practice.

5. Content of clinical supervision sessions for nurses and allied health professionals 
Pearce, Philippa; Phillips, Bev; Dawson, Margaret; Leggat, Sandra G. Clinical Governance 18.2 (2013): 139- 154.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the current evidence regarding the content of clinical supervision for nursing and allied health professionals. Design/methodology/approach - The authors searched CINAHL, Medline, PsychINFO and Cochrane Database. Studies were included if the participants involved were nursing, medical or allied health practitioners, but not students, and if the studies contained discussion regarding the content of clinical supervision. Critical analysis of the articles was carried out by two independent researchers to ensure consistency and thematic analysis was applied. Findings - Twenty included articles were in three main categories: cross-sectional studies (n=9), including interview, survey and focus group methods of data collection; literature reviews (n=2); and nine published opinion pieces

6. The RADICAL framework for implementing and monitoring healthcare risk management 
Edozien, Leroy C. Clinical Governance 18.2 (2013): 165-175
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to facilitate an integrative approach to the implementation, monitoring and reporting of risk management in healthcare settings.
Design/methodology/approach - A framework, identified by the acronym RADICAL, is presented. The underlying principles and the strengths of the framework are described.

Selected articles - Canadian Journal of Public Health

7. Screening for Breast Cancer: What Truly Is the Benefit? 
Miettinen, O S, MD, MPH, PhD. Canadian Journal of Public Health 104.7 (Nov/Dec 2013): E435-E436
Abstract: Suffice it to note that while much emphasis is placed on the trials being ran- domized, even this feature of them has been prone to be invalid. [...]S. Mukherjee, in his "biography of cancer",3 points out and explains how the HIP trial was "instantly a logistical nightmare" (p. 295); and how, in this trial, "The unscreened group had been mistakenly overloaded with patients with prior breast cancer" (p. 297; italics in the original). 

8.The Rising Burden of Rheumatoid Arthritis Surpasses Rheumatology Supply in Ontario 
Widdifield, Jessica, PhD; Paterson, J Michael, MSc; Bernatsky, Sasha, MD, FRCPC, PhD; Tu, Karen, MD, MSc; Thorne, J Carter, MD, FRCPC; et al. Canadian Journal of Public Health 104.7
(Nov/Dec 2013): e450-5
Abstract: Accurate data on the burden of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are scarce, but critical in helping health care providers and decision makers to optimize clinical and public health strategies for disease management. The researchers quantified the burden of RA in Ontario from 1996 to 2010 by age, sex and health planning region. They used the Ontario Rheumatoid Arthritis administrative Database, a validated population-based cohort of all Ontarians with RA, to estimate the crude prevalence and incidence of RA among men and women, and by age group from 1996 to 2010.

9. Are Campylobacter Cases Low Risk for Public Health Follow-up? 
Lee, Marilyn B, ScM; Gournis, Effie, MPH; Meldrum, Richard J, PhD.
Canadian Journal of Public Health 104.7 (Nov/Dec 2013): e456-9.
Abstract: Most Campylobacter cases are treated as low risk enterics and receive a mailed letter from Toronto Public Health (TPH) with a questionnaire to gather basic risk information. This study sought to identify reasons why Campylobacter cases who were sent this questionnaire did not respond to the letter and to determine whether any of these cases were working in a high-risk occupation.

10. Comparing Inequalities in Oral and General Health: Findings of the Canadian Health Measures Survey 
By Ravaghi, Vahid, DDS, MSc, PhD; Quiñonez, Carlos, DMD, MSc, PhD, FRCDC; Allison, Paul J, BDS, FDS RCS (Eng), PhD. Canadian Journal of Public Health 104.7 (Nov/Dec 2013): e466-71.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to measure and compare the magnitude of income-related inequalities for oral and general health outcomes in Canada. Data for this study were from the 2007/2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. The sample size consisted of 3,413 Canadians aged 18-79. Oral health indicators were the total number of decayed and missing teeth. General health was measured as obesity and high blood pressure. Socio-economic status was measured as equivalized household income. The researchers used the concentration index to quantify income-related inequalities in these outcomes

11. Too Far to Walk or Bike? 
Larouche, Richard, PhD; Barnes, Joel, MSc; Tremblay, Mark S, PhD.
Canadian Journal of Public Health 104.7 (Nov/Dec 2013): e487-9.
Abstract: Only 25-35% of Canadian children and youth regularly engage in active transportation (AT; e.g., non-motorized travel modes such as walking and cycling) to/from school. Previous research shows that distance between home and school is the strongest barrier to AT. Based on social ecological theory, we describe several strategies to overcome this barrier. At the individual level, children and youth could engage in AT to/from destinations such as parks, shops, friends' and family members' residence, and sport fields which may be located closer than their school. Parents who drive their kids to/from school could drop them within a "walkable" distance so that they can walk for the remainder of the trip

Journal Table of Contents

12. From Journal of Infection Prevention, March 2014
12A. Diary of Events/Congresses/Meetings
Editorial
12B. Doing the right things well
Peer reviewed article
12C. Screening haematology patients for carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
12D. Knowledge regarding assessment of sepsis among Greek nurses
12E. Infection prevention and control self-audit: just a tick box exercise?
Opinion/Comment
12F. Outbreak Column 13: Nosocomial Staphylococcus aureus outbreaks (part 2 – guidelines)
12G. Journal watch

Seminars

13. Employing people with divers-abilities               
Date: Wednesday 9th April
Time: 9:00am- 1:00pm
Venue: Level 1, Auckland Chamber of Commerce Building, 100 Mayoral Drive, Auckland CBD 
Cost: $175 + GST for EEO Trust members, $275 + GST for non-members
http://www.eeotrust.org.nz/news/events.cfm

14. Diversity breakfast: Managing a team with divers-abilities               
Respect - Jericho
Date: Tuesday 29th April
Venue: Auckland City - TBC
Time: 7:30-9.00am
Cost: $70 + GST
More information: 

News - National

15. Plunket - Immunisation the best protection against influenza
Health Minister Tony Ryall today launched the annual influenza immunisation campaign.
Plunket, New Zealand’s largest provider of services to support the health and well-being of children under five is encouraging New Zealanders to take up the government’s offer of free influenza vaccinations
https://www.plunket.org.nz/news-and-research/media-releases/plunket-immunisation-the-best-protection-against-influenza/

16. Stressed Waikato nurses cry for help  
Waikato Times - 04/04/2014
When you are in need of help in a hospital you call for a nurse - but if the nurses are in need of help, who do they call? Several nurses and other staff at Waikato Hospital have contacted the Waikato Times wanting to reveal their distress over what they claim are dramatically unsafe and stressful staffing levels, including tales of how many are becoming burnt out and leaving the profession and how any complaints meet with unsympathetic responses.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/9902710/Stressed-Waikato-nurses-cry-for-help

17. Beehive - 1 April, 2014
Ministers welcome Law Commission report on suicide reporting
Courts Minister Chester Borrows and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne have welcomed the Law Commission’s report reviewing the rules that govern how the media report on suspected suicides. The Government asked the Law Commission to conduct the review examining this issue and to look at the role of social media in discussing suicide
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/ministers-welcome-law-commission-report-suicide-reporting

News - International

18. From public health to sustainable dancefloors, designers are leading the way
Melbourne Age - March 29, 2014
Early in his medical studies Giuseppe Demaio developed a career-ending case of squeamishness. Dissection made him dizzy. Even worse, he couldn't stand the sight of blood. For someone whose father and brother are medicos, this might seem a sad admission. But, as Demaio determines, you don't have to be a doctor to make a difference. Last year with his brother Alessandro the MD, Giuseppe Demaio the GD - graphic designer - teamed up to launch NCD Free
http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/from-public-health-to-sustainable-dancefloors-designers-are-leading-the-way-20140328-35oe1.html

19.Fiona Coote celebrates life 30 years since her first heart transplant
April 4, 2014
http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/fiona-coote-celebrates-life-30-years-since-her-first-heart-transplant-20140403-361h5.html