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Biomedical subjects

L I Reutter

Publications and source records attributed to L I Reutter.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Perceptions of public health nursing: views from the field.

While there has been considerable debate about future roles for public health nurses, there is little research that explores public health nursing from the practitioner's perspective. The findings reported in this paper are part of a larger study that explored public health nurses' perspectives and experiences of their practice: what they do and how they feel about what they do. Qualitative data were gathered through in-depth individual and focus group interviews with 28 female public health nurses (PHNs) in Alberta, Canada. This paper describes how PHNs feel about their work. The analysis revealed that public health nurses perceived that their work was valuable and worthwhile, enjoyable, demanding, and not well understood by others. These perceptions are discussed in terms of their implications for the future role of public health nursing in a reformed health care system and for the quality of nursing worklife.

Alberta↗
PubMed1995

Managing occupational HIV exposures: a Canadian study.

The findings reported in this paper are part of a larger study that explored how nurses cope with the risk of acquiring HIV infection while caring for persons with AIDS (PWAs). The data were collected through in-depth interviews with 13 nurses who cared for PWAs in a large Western Canadian hospital. Seven of these nurses perceived that they had been exposed to HIV-infected blood or body fluids. This paper describes how these seven nurses coped with actual exposures to HIV-infected blood or body fluids. Data were analyzed using the methodology of grounded theory. Nurses' coping efforts after exposure were grouped into four categories: minimizing the effect of exposures, reducing a sense of vulnerability, selective disclosure to others, and assigning meaning. Nurses minimized the physical effects of exposure through measures such as 'bleeding' the needlestick injury and immersing the affected area in bleach solution. Nurses reduced their sense of vulnerability by assessing the possibility of harm, avoiding situations that aroused fear, and confronting the decision for HIV testing. Nurses limited their disclosures to co-workers to avoid rejection and to preserve professional self-esteem. Disclousre to significant others was influenced primarily by the support nurses perceived they would receive. Finally, nurses attempted to assign meaning to the exposure by determining why the event occurred and by evaluating the implications it has had on their lives. The article concludes with implications for nursing practice.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

Making risk meaningful: developing caring relationships with AIDS patients.

A qualitative study was conducted in order to understand how nurses cope with the risk of contagion while providing care to persons with AIDS (PWAs). Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 13 nurses who had cared for PWAs in an acute-care hospital in a western Canadian city. The data were analysed using the constant comparative methodology of grounded theory. The analysis revealed that caring for PWAs involved achieving a sense of control over uncertainty. One aspect of this process, making risk meaningful, centred on efforts to justify caring for PWAs in the face of risk. The purpose of this paper is to describe how nurses make risk meaningful. A sense of meaning was found to be related to three major factors: accepting the patient as a person who needs and deserves care, finding work enjoyable and worthwhile, and professional commitment to care for all patients. Attaining a sense of meaning led to a reappraisal of the risk situation as worthy of investment and provided the motivation to care for patients in spite of risk. The paper concludes with implications for practice and suggestions for further research.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

Ethical dilemmas associated with small samples.

This paper describes the ethical dilemmas which the authors encountered when conducting qualitative research with samples consisting of a small number of participants. Ethical conflicts are explored in terms of the principles of autonomy, non-maleficience, and beneficience with examples from the authors' research experiences. Although there are no definitive resolutions to these conflicts, the paper may increase awareness of the special concerns which require further study and debate.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Perceptions of changes in public health nursing practice: a Canadian perspective.

This paper describes public health nurses' perceptions of changes in their practice. The participants were 28 public health staff nurses from six Alberta, Canada health units serving urban and rural populations. Data were collected in 1993-94 using individual and focus group interviews. Content analysis was used to identify the following themes: "pulling back", "from hands on to arms length", "handing over responsibility", "developing working partnerships", and "doing less surveillance". These themes are discussed in terms of their implications for population health and for public heath nursing, using as a point of reference the principles of Primary Health Care. Continuing research is needed to chronicle further changes in public health nursing practice that will result from health care restructuring and health system reform.

Alberta↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Young parents' understanding and actions related to the determinants of health.

Broad health determinants are accepted as key contributors to health; however, little is known about the public's understanding of these determinants. We describe the results of a survey of young parents (18-30 years) in Alberta regarding their understanding of determinants of health, and their actions (planned or undertaken) in promoting well-being and health for themselves, their families, and their communities. A telephone survey of young parents (N = 652) was conducted, using both open-ended and fixed response questions. In the open-ended responses, social support networks (46%) and personal health practices (40%) were most often cited as contributors to family well-being and health and as current actions (62% and 54% respectively). Health services were rarely mentioned as a contributor. Most frequently mentioned barriers to well-being and health related to income (36%) and coping skills (34%). Sub-sample differences by gender, age, income, and residence were detected. Fixed response questions indicated that parents rated a broad range of health determinants as "very important."

Adult↗