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Biomedical subjects

K M Melia

Publications and source records attributed to K M Melia.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

The task of nursing ethics.

This paper raises the questions: 'What do we expect from nursing ethics?' and 'Is the literature of nursing ethics any different from that of medical ethics?' It is suggested that rather than develop nursing ethics as a separate field writers in nursing ethics should take a lead in making the patient the central focus of health care ethics. The case is made for empirical work in health care ethics and it is suggested that a good way of setting about this is to ask practising nurses about the real ethical problems they encounter.

Ethical Analysis↗
PubMed1982

"Tell it as it is'--qualitative methodology and nursing research: understanding the student nurse's world.

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of qualitative methods for nursing research, to this end a case is made for the use of fieldwork methods. The paper focuses upon a study which was concerned with student nurses' accounts of their experience of being learners of nursing. An overview of the students' construction of their nursing world is given and then the discussion moves to one particular aspect described as "nursing in the dark'. This is a conceptual category which deals with the data pertaining to the student's difficulties concerning what they could say to patients. The reader is thus furnished with a substantive as well as a methodological view of the study. The analysis draws upon the work of Glaser & Strauss, both in the attempt to generate ground theory and by reference to their work concerning awareness contexts.

Humans↗
PubMed1981

Research ethical committees in Scotland.

A questionnaire was sent to 41 ethical committees in Scotland requesting information about their constitution and supervision of clinical research. Thirty-four (83%) replies were received. Committees varied in size from one to 73 members, most of whom were medical. Ten had no nurse members and only three had lay members without direct NHS connections. Sixteen saw their role as advisory rather than supervisory. Thirteen had not met in the past year whereas two had held 10 or more meetings. Limited use (12) was made of standard protocols, and only six had formal procedures for monitoring research in progress. Only seven of 370 proposals were rejected outright. Risk/benefit dilemmas and difficulties relating to informed consent were the commonest problems encountered. The committees provide only limited safeguards for patients and research workers, and more effective, standardised procedures are indicated.

Ethics Committees, Research↗
PubMed1979

A sociological approach to the analysis of nursing work.

This paper describes, from a sociological perspective, the work of hospital ward nurses. An analogy is drawn between the work organization of miners at the coal-face and that of nurses in hospital wards. Work roles are considered in order to provide a framework for the analysis of the work of nurses. Multi-skilled and single skilled work roles are described and the concept of a hierarchy of nursing tasks is considered. Problems of observing and analyzing the work of nurses are highlighted with particular reference to the type of environment in which hospital nursing takes place.

Hospital Units↗