Project description:BackgroundContinuing professional development is regarded as one of the important approaches to maintaining skills and motivation for work. However, there is a lack of qualitative studies to explore Chinese nurses' continuing professional development. The study aims to explore Chinese nurses' perceptions of continuing professional development and challenges they face.MethodsThe study was conducted in a tertiary hospital located in the central region of China from July to August 2020. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 14 nurses and face to face semi-structured interviews were conducted from July to August 2020. Then the recorded data were analysed and collated according to the thematic analysis. This study followed the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ).ResultsFour themes were extracted: improving specialty ability; different development phases; the importance of personal effort; the obstacle of work-family conflict.ConclusionsThis study contributed to our understandings of nurses' continuing professional development. Nurses held a positive attitude towards continuing professional development and they faced challenges in the meantime. Special attention and targeted supports should be provided to promote the continuing professional development of nursing staff.
Project description:Power in nursing is a broad concept that has a determining effect on the achievement of professional goals. Gaining power is essential for promoting the roles of nurses, improving their professional image and the consistent improvement of healthcare systems.This study was conducted to identify and clarify strategies for gaining power in the nursing profession through the experiences of Iranian nurses.The present qualitative grounded theory study was conducted on fifteen participants selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The data obtained were analyzed using the guidelines provided by Corbin and Strauss, (2008 edition). This study was carried out in Qazvin city of Iran and lasted fourteen months (2015-2016).The analysis of the data were classified under the main theme of gaining human-professional power based on individual and organizational capacities, divided into four main categories, including respecting human values and ethical principles (with two subcategories, keeping the human symbols of power and commitment to moral obligations of power), promoting professional interactions (with two subcategories, paying attention to intraprofessional communication and paying attention to interprofessional communication), attempting professional endurance (with two subcategories, raising self-confidence and having professional commitment), and valuing potential capacities (with two subcategories, regard for individual capacities and regard for organizational capacities).The findings obtained suggest that success in gaining power in nursing, requires a cumulative focus on human, ethical, professional, individual and organizational capacities.
Project description:BackgroundNurses with a strong professional self-concept tend to exhibit a positive mindset and strong work engagement, delivering high-quality patient care. Although numerous quantitative studies have examined the factors impacting professional self-concept, there remains a limited exploration of these factors from the perspective of nurses themselves.MethodsThis qualitative descriptive study uses the PERMA theory and Social Cognitive Theory as the theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 nurses from six public hospitals in China. The data were analyzed thematically using a combination of inductive and deductive approaches.ResultsNurses' understanding of professional self-concept could be divided into four categories: professional identity, competence, care, and knowledge. Factors influencing nurses' professional self-concept were categorized into eight subthemes in three domains: (1) personal factors, including psychological qualities and attitude towards the nursing profession; (2) occupational-related behavioral factors, including role-oriented behavior and knowledge-oriented behavior; and (3) work environment and external factors, including external evaluation and perceptions of nurses, time allocation, nursing work tasks, work atmosphere, school education, and perceived supports.ConclusionsThis study found that, although nurses had different personal experiences, their perceptions of professional self-concept were similar. Nurses' professional self-concept is a multidimensional concept and involves various factors, such as personality, work-related characteristics, environment, and family. To thrive in a nursing career, nurses must discern the factors that can enhance or hinder their professional self-concept. By identifying and adjusting these factors, personalized support and positive interventions can be tailored to meet nurses' specific needs, which ultimately nurtures their professional development.Trial registrationThis study was registered on December 14, 2022, in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200066699) as part of our ongoing study.
Project description:ObjectiveTo determine whether there are risk factors in a doctor's time at medical school that are associated with subsequent professional misconduct.DesignMatched case-control study. Setting Records from medical schools and the General Medical Council (GMC).Participants59 doctors who had graduated from any one of eight medical schools in the United Kingdom in 1958-97 and had a proved finding of serious professional misconduct in GMC proceedings in 1999-2004 (cases); 236 controls (four for each case) were selected by systematic sampling from matching graduation cohorts. Case-control status was revealed by the GMC after completion of data entry.Main outcome measureOdds ratios for being a "case," with multivariable conditional logistic regression of potential risk factors including pre-admission characteristics and progress during the course. These data were obtained from anonymised copies of the students' progress files held by their original medical schools.ResultsUnivariate conditional logistic regression analysis found that cases were more likely to be men, to be of lower estimated social class, and to have had academic difficulties during their medical course, especially in the early years. Multivariable analysis showed that male sex (odds ratio 9.80, 95% confidence interval 2.43 to 39.44, P=0.001), lower social class (4.28, 1.52 to 12.09, P=0.006), and failure of early or preclinical examinations (5.47, 2.17 to 13.79, P<0.001) were independently associated with being a case.ConclusionsThis small study suggests that male sex, a lower socioeconomic background, and early academic difficulties at medical school could be risk factors for subsequent professional misconduct. The findings are preliminary and should be interpreted with caution. Most doctors with risk factors will not come before the GMC's disciplinary panels.
Project description:BackgroundNurses play an important role in health promotion, prevention strategies, and care. Therefore, nurses need to obtain and update their knowledge and skills via appropriate strategies. This study aimed to explore nurses' experiences of receiving social media and in-person education to integrate the findings into practice.MethodsThis was a qualitative study using the directed content analysis approach. A sample of nurses with previous experiences of receiving social media and in-person education participated in the study. They were asked to express their experiences and indicate their preferences. The data were collected based on individual semi-structured interviews.ResultsIn total 15 participants took part in the study with a mean age of 40.6 ± 8.93 years and work experiences of 15.3 ± 9.21 years. During the process of content analysis, three main themes emerged: Approaches to nursing education and its adoption in the health system, Achieving effectiveness and efficiency in nursing education, and Health care policy and facilitating pathways for nursing education. Participants indicated several barriers to attending an educational program, including motivation, workload, time and place, and hospital politics.ConclusionOverall the findings suggest that regardless of any methods of education nurses cannot actively engage in the educational interventions while on duty. However, the findings suggest that nurses believe that the social media approach might be superior in reducing barriers and making the educational interventions work better.
Project description:BackgroundIn China, there is a culture of death-avoidance and death-denying. Influenced by this distinctive socio-cultural views surrounding death, nurses often find it challenging to handle death and care for dying patients. This study explores the nurses' attitudes and coping strategies concerning death and caring for dying patients in a cultural context of death taboo.MethodsThis research is a qualitative study that employs in-depth, semi-structured interviews with nurses from two major hospitals in Guangzhou, China. Overall, 28 nurses from four departments with high patient death rate were recruited and interviewed. All of the interviews were analyzed thematically.ResultsThe nurses who participated in this study expressed attitudes toward death and caring for dying patients from both a personal dimension and a professional dimension. The personal dimension is influenced by traditional culture and societal attitudes towards death and dying, while their professional dimension is congruent with the nursing and palliative care values concerning death and dying. With an obvious discrepancy between these two dimensions, Chinese nurses adopt three strategies in their practice to solve this tension: boundary-drawing to separate their personal and professional life, complying with the existing cultural values at work, and constructing positive meanings for end-of-life care.ConclusionIn a society that traditionally avoids making any reference to death, it is useful to reduce cultural taboo and construct positive meanings in end-of-life care, death education and the development of palliative care. Meanwhile, nurses also need institutional support, education and training to transition smoothly from a novice to a mature professional when handling patient death.
Project description:AimTo explore newly graduated registered nurses' perceptions of their work situation and management of nursing care in complex patient situations after 18 months of work experience.BackgroundNewly graduated registered nurses working in acute care hospital settings play a critical role in providing safe nursing care.MethodsAn explorative qualitative design, with four focus group interviews with 14 newly graduated registered nurses working in acute care hospital settings.ResultsOne theme emerged: 'Clarity and security in one's own nursing role despite facing challenges that hinder professional development' and three categories: 'Independency due to one's own efforts and experience', 'Well-functioning teamwork' and 'Challenges in the work situation'.ConclusionAfter 18 months in the profession, the nurses were considered to be advanced beginners; at the same time, the most experienced nurses on their respective wards. They found it challenging and need to further develop competences concerning managing and organizing the nursing care of several complex patient situations or new patient groups, as well as supervising novice registered nurses and nursing students.Implication for nursing managementPowerful and urgent action is needed to be taken by national healthcare policymakers as well a hospital and nurse managers to develop long-term strategies to improve working conditions for newly registered graduated nurses.
Project description:Aim and objectivesTo describe perceptions of managers regarding prerequisites for professional competence development of newly graduated nurses following a 1-year residency programme.BackgroundIn general, managers are unsatisfied with the professional competence of newly graduated nurses. Therefore, they have been involved in residency programmes to support the nurses' transition from being nursing students to professional nurses. However, perceptions of managers regarding the professional competence development of nurses have been sparingly studied.Design/methodsQualitative, descriptive study with a data-driven inductive approach with content analysis to obtain an understanding of the perceptions of nine managers through interviews. EQUATOR checklist COREQ is used (see File S1).ResultsThree themes emerged: (a) the nurses' relationships with their teams and patients, (b) expectations regarding the development of practical skills and leadership skills and (c) prerequisites for continuing learning by supportive structures and a mutual responsibility between the manager and the nurse. Reflection was perceived by the managers as a cornerstone in the learning and development of professional competence. Learning theory was important, but learning practical clinical skills was essential for the nurses to develop competence and be able to perform their work, including being a leader of the team. Some structures discouraged continued learning in the development of professional competence, indicating a gap between the healthcare settings and the basic nursing programme.ConclusionsThere is a gap between the university and the healthcare settings in maintaining a structure for continued learning, which requires cooperation. This gap and tension can be a driving force for the learning process of competence development. Relationships with team members and patients are considered fundamental for developing professional competence.Relevance to clinical practiceTo overcome the gap between the university and the healthcare settings, the managers can facilitate nurses' continued learning by creating structures for reflection.
Project description:BACKGROUND:The process of learning the professional values is started from the student's entering to the university and to the workplace. This study compared the importance of professional values from the perspectives of nurses and nursing students. METHODS:This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 250 nurses and 100 nursing students. Data were collected using the Nursing Professional Values Scale-Revised. RESULTS:According to the findings, the mean scores of nurses (3.68 ± 0.16) and nursing students' (3.86 ± 0.17) perspective toward professional values were at an important level. Furthermore, the students' perspective toward the professional values' importance was significantly more favorable than those of nurses. The highest mean scores of professional values in the two groups were related to the caring and justice domains. Both groups considered activism and professionalism as the least important domains among the others. CONCLUSIONS:As the findings suggest, we need to pay more attention to values training, especially professionalism and activism, during undergraduate education for preparing the nurses to work in today's complex healthcare context. It is necessary to conduct more comprehensive studies for exploring the gap between theory and practice in different cultures and contexts.