Biomedical subjects

A Ewens

Publications and source records attributed to A Ewens.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Fit for purpose: does specialist community nurse education prepare nurses for practice?

This paper sets out to explore the experience of newly qualified community nurses, one year on in practice, and to establish if the specialist course prepares them for the reality of practice. It presents a piece of action research evaluating the education process for community nurses through a series of cycles of self-reflection which lead to recommendations for both policy and curriculum changes. Our findings show that community nurses are very positive about their new roles and their work with clients and patients, that they are able to use their newly acquired analytical skills in their practice, but felt inadequately prepared for the reality of practice. Our most significant finding was the lack of preparation for the world of work, the pressure of work and the pace of activity in the health service. As curriculum planners we realized that the course fell short in preparing for actual practice. As a result, changes to the course are underway and in partnership with local health trusts we have set up a support programme for newly qualified community nurses. Our work in community nurse education builds upon the findings from the Peach Report (1999), which only looked at pre-registration nursing and midwifery education.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMed2000

Concepts of health: implications for public health work.

This article explores the health concepts of community health care (CHC) nurses in relation to their potential roles as public health workers. On examining Ewen's (1998) study of CHC nurses' role perceptions, it is evident that an individualized, person-centred, holistic approach to care continues to dominate practice. The public health role within CHC nursing remains underdeveloped and is equated with primary prevention with the well population. A 'community-as-foreground' model is proposed as a useful way of redefining CHC nursing practice to incorporate public health. The discussion revolves around the need for a broader view of health to include a political and social dimension, and considers the role of education and practice in achieving this.

Community Health Nursing↗

PubMed1999

How students experience professional socialisation.

The question of how a nurse becomes socialised into the nursing profession remains of critical importance. An exploration of the literature relating to professional socialisation reveals a shift from the notion that it is a reactive process, to proactive. Our research explores this issue from a personal constructivist perspective using the repertory grid technique. Our findings show that the professional socialisation process is complex and diverse. During their educational preparation community nursing students make a radical reappraisal of their role perceptions. In their transition to becoming a graduate practitioner they gain a greater understanding of their specialist role whilst becoming less rigid in their thinking. We conclude that the impact nurse education has on professional socialisation will depend on the students' past experiences, the reflective nature of the process and the beliefs and values promoted in the course.

Community Health Nursing↗

PubMed1998

Tensions in sharing client confidences while respecting autonomy: implications for interprofessional practice.

This article aims to explore the ethical issues arising from the sharing of information in the context of interprofessional collaboration. The increased emphasis on interprofessional working has highlighted the need for greater collaboration and sharing of client information. Through the medium of a case study, we identify a number of tensions that arise from collaborative relationships, which are not conducive to supporting interprofessional working in an ethically sound manner. Within this article, it is argued that the way forward within these collaborative relationships is to set clear parameters to the professional-client relationship, paying full regard to the autonomy of both the clients and the professionals involved. We conclude that this approach to working will place the client at the centre of care provision and arguments used for not collaborating that are based on breaches of confidentiality will be negated. Using the approach offered, collaborative working will be not only possible but desirable.

Confidentiality↗