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Sue Davies

Publications and source records attributed to Sue Davies.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Development of the combined assessment of residential environments (CARE) profiles.

AIM: This paper reports the development and initial testing of the combined assessment of residential environments (CARE) profiles, which identify the frequency of positive events over a specified time based on the perceptions of residents, relatives and staff in care home settings. BACKGROUND: Despite the well-known benefits of positive events for subjective well-being, little is known about the nature of positive events experienced by residents, relatives and staff in care homes. There is also a dearth of tools capable of systematically evaluating how frequently these events occur in this context. METHODS: The CARE profiles were developed and tested between February 2004 and June 2005 with a combined sample of 372 residents, relatives and staff drawn from 11 care homes. An Event Frequency Approach was adopted to create three questionnaires (residents, relatives and staff), each containing 30 consensually valid positive events. The thematic content of these events was balanced for each questionnaire using the Senses Framework as a theoretical model. Once completed, the CARE profiles were tested in four care homes. RESULTS: Test data from the CARE profiles were used to produce a bar chart showing median frequencies of positive events experienced by residents, relatives and staff during the timeframe in question (e.g. 1 month). These profiles were shown to be internally consistent, with alpha scores ranging from 0.70 to 0.89 for residents, 0.91 to 0.94 for relatives and 0.78 to 0.92 for staff. CONCLUSION: We envisage that feedback from the CARE profiles will both reinforce good care home practice and identify areas for change based on the experiences of all major stakeholders. However, further development of the profiles is needed if the experiences of cognitively impaired residents are to be included in the assessment process.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

'Making it better': self-perceived roles of family caregivers of older people living in care homes: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: With growing numbers of frail older people making the move to a care home, family carers are increasingly finding themselves in the position of assisting with this transition and establishing a new caring role within this context. However, the nature of the family caregiving role within the care home setting is poorly understood. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This paper draws on data from a study, which sought to better understand the experience of nursing home placement from the viewpoint of relatives. The focus here is on the self-perceived contribution of family carers to life within the home. METHODS: A constructivist methodology was used. Data were collected in 37 semi-structured interviews involving 48 people who had assisted a close relative to move into a care home. FINDINGS: Data analysis revealed three phases to the transition from the relatives' perspective. This paper reports on the findings which relate to the final phase: 'making it better', which documents experiences of establishing a new caregiving role within the care home. Relatives described three main aspects to their role: maintaining continuity, which involves helping the older person to maintain their sense of identity through the continuation of loving family relationships and through helping staff to get to know the resident as an individual; keeping an eye, by monitoring the care received, providing feedback to staff and filling any gaps, and contributing to community through interacting with other residents, relatives and staff, taking part in social events and generally providing a link with the outside world. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Findings suggest that the potential contribution of relatives to promoting the well-being of both residents and staff is under-developed. Staff in care homes should seek to identify the role that relatives would like to perform and support them to achieve this.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Colonic Crohn's disease in children does not respond well to treatment with enteral nutrition if the ileum is not involved.

Data supporting a response to treatment with exclusive enteral nutrition in pediatric colonic Crohn's disease are few. We examined clinical and biochemical responses of ileal, colonic, and ileocolonic Crohn's disease and assessed the endoscopic and histological colonic mucosal response in the colonic and ileocolonic groups. We prospectively enrolled 65 children (age: 8-17 years) with acute intestinal Crohn's disease (Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index [PCDAI] >20). After ileocolonoscopy, gastroscopy, and a barium meal and follow-through, they were distributed into three groups (ileal, n = 12, ileocolonic, n = 39; and colonic, n = 14). All patients received exclusive polymeric feed as treatment, with a repeat endoscopy at completion of treatment. At enrollment the ileal group had significantly less severe disease (P = 0.05) compared to the colonic and ileocolonic groups. However, the colonic disease group showed the least fall in PCDAI scores at completion of treatment with enteral nutrition (P = 0.03), with the lowest remission rate (50%, vs 82.1% in the ileocolonic and 91.7% in the ileal group [chi2 test, P = 0.021]). Endoscopic and histologic colonic mucosal assessment showed a post-treatment improvement in the ileocolonic (P < or = 0.01) but not in the colonic disease group (P = ns). Children with disease in the colon respond better to enteral nutrition if the ileum is also involved. This may be due to different underlying inflammatory mechanisms. Detailed pretreatment assessment in studies of Crohn's disease according to disease distribution with appropriate individualized tailoring of treatment may be important in this regard.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

An exploration of the caring attributes and perceptions of work place change among gerontological nursing staff in England, Scotland and China (Hong Kong).

This study investigates caring attributes and perceptions of work place change among qualified and unqualified nursing staff working with older people in three countries. A Modified Caring Attributes Questionnaire and Perception of Workplace Change Schedule were administered to 737 staff. Caring attributes scores were highest for nurses working in long stay settings, and lowest in nurses aged 25-29 years. Nurses in Hong Kong appear better educated than UK counterparts. Staff development seemed more common in long stay settings. Results suggest workplace changes limiting care quality were more pronounced in Scotland. Reported job satisfaction and moral were lowest in the UK group.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

Social support in the healthcare setting: the role of volunteers.

The participation of volunteers in the National Health Service (NHS) has been actively promoted during recent years, particularly within community and primary healthcare services (National Health Service 1996, 1998). As a consequence, volunteers currently make a significant contribution to health and social care within the UK. Concerning this contribution, the literature often portrays the volunteers' role as one of providing social support. In the present paper, the authors attempt to explore this role in more detail, drawing on interview data from studies of two separate volunteer programmes. One of these considered the role of volunteers supporting older hospitalised patients (Davies et al. 2001), and the other was based within general practice (Faulkner 2003, 2004). The social support provided by these programmes is considered from the perspective of four broad support mechanisms described by Langford et al. (1997), namely: emotional support; informational support; appraisal support; and instrumental support. Secondary analysis examines the potential contribution of volunteers to patient well-being.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Meleis's theory of nursing transitions and relatives' experiences of nursing home entry.

AIM: This paper explores the extent to which Meleis's mid-range theory of nursing transitions is supported by the findings of a study exploring relatives' experiences of the move to a nursing home. BACKGROUND: Mid-range nursing theories are useful tools in helping to understand the scope of nursing practice in a range of contexts and situations. However, as yet, many formal mid-range theories have not been adequately tested. METHODS: Findings from a constructivist study of relatives' experiences of nursing home entry were re-analysed in relation to the extent to which they reflected the domains of the theory of nursing transitions. Data for the original study were generated during 37 qualitative interviews involving 48 close family members of older people who had recently moved to a nursing home, and in observational case studies in three nursing homes. FINDINGS: All domains of the theory of nursing transition were supported by the data generated within the study. However, the model failed to represent adequately the interactive and dynamic nature of relationships between formal and informal caregivers in the nursing home context. CONCLUSIONS: The theory of nursing transitions has the potential to assist nurses in identifying appropriate strategies for supporting relatives throughout the period of an older person's relocation to a nursing home. However, in order to reflect fully the experiences of relatives at this time, the theory requires adjustment to recognize the contribution made by relatives themselves to positive outcomes. This therefore raises questions as to whether the relative absence of this reciprocal and interactive dimension is an element of Meleis's theory that requires further exploration in relation to other forms of transition.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

'Making the move': relatives' experiences of the transition to a care home.

Despite a growing awareness of the significance of helping a relative to relocate to a care home as a key phase in the caregiving career, relatively few studies in the UK have explored this experience in depth. The research on which the present paper is based sought to better understand experiences of nursing home placement from the viewpoint of relatives. The study was informed by a constructivist perspective. Data were collected in 37 semi-structured interviews involving 48 people who had assisted a close relative to move into a nursing home. Data analysis revealed three phases of the transition from the relatives' perspective: 'making the best of it'; 'making the move'; and 'making it better'. The relatives' experiences across these phases were understood in terms of five continua, reflecting the extent to which they felt they were: operating 'under pressure' or not; 'working together' or 'working alone'; 'supported' or 'unsupported', both practically and emotionally; 'in the know' or 'working in the dark'; and 'in control of events' or not. This paper reports on the findings which relate to the second phase of the transition, 'making the move', which relates to experiences around the time of relocation to the care home environment. The findings suggest that health and social care practitioners have enormous potential to influence relatives' experiences of nursing home entry. Experiences are enhanced if family carers perceive that they are able to work in partnership with care staff in order to ease the transition for the older person.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Beyond person-centred care: a new vision for gerontological nursing.

Currently considerable emphasis is placed on the promotion of person-centred care, which has become a watchword for good practice. This paper takes a constructively critical look at some of the assumptions underpinning person-centredness, and suggests that a relationship-centred approach to care might be more appropriate. A framework describing the potential dimensions of relationship-centred care is provided, and implications for further development are considered.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Survey of continuing professional education within nursing homes.

This article reports a survey of qualified nurses employed in nursing homes in a large city in the north of England. The aim of the study was to describe nurses' experiences and perceptions of continuing professional education (CPE), and their views on the development of their knowledge and skills through formal and informal education. Findings revealed that nurses in nursing homes perceived the value of educational programmes but had limited opportunities to attend formal education programmes. They faced a number of barriers and challenges in accessing formal education. Various informal ways of learning were used, including reading professional journals, watching videotapes and television programmes and accessing the Internet. However, respondents appeared not to use fully opportunities for sharing knowledge with colleagues. Although this study is based on a small sample, the findings support those of other studies in this field. Collectively, these studies suggest an urgent need to develop a range of approaches to CPE within care homes, both formal and informal, if the standards outlined within recent policy initiatives are to be achieved.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Developing continuing care: towards a teaching nursing home.

This article describes a partnership between staff, residents and relatives of a nursing home for older people with mental health problems, and lecturers within an academic department of nursing. The aim of the partnership is to develop practice and to improve the setting of the care home as an environment for living, working and learning. In our attempts to create a teaching nursing home, we recognize the need to ensure that all participants - residents, relative and staff - feel that they are valued members of the team. We describe our progress to date, together with some of the challenges of working together.

Education, Nursing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Working with older people: what do the next 10 years hold?

This article briefly considers the challenges facing gerontological nursing over the next 10 years. It suggests that future quality of care will depend largely on the ability to recruit and retain staff who actively choose to work with older people. This will mean raising the status and profile of gerontological nursing and identifying a philosophy that provides direction and purpose for future care practices.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Preventing hip fracture in care homes 1: views of residents and staff.

Hip protectors have been shown to be effective in reducing the incidence of hip fracture among older people living in care homes (Parker et al, 2004). However, there are problems with compliance. This article reports findings from a survey of 138 staff from 23 care homes about experiences and perceptions of using hip protectors. The survey was complemented by qualitative case studies involving staff, to be linked to compliance with wearing hip protectors including comfort, acceptability to the resident and appearance. Few practical difficulties in using hip protectors were identified. Staff and residents' perceptions and experiences of using hip protectors vary and are likely to influence compliance.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Preventing hip fractures in care homes 2: role of the specialist nurse.

This article is the second of a two-part series based upon a research project to evaluate the impact of a specialist nurse role in reducing the incidence of hip fracture within care homes. The first article (Vol 13 (21): 1242-48) described the background and methods of the study, and presented the findings relating to resident and staff experiences of using hip protectors as a preventive measure within the homes. This article focuses on staff experiences of hip fracture prevention strategies and implementing evidence-based practice in this area. Findings suggest that specialist nurses have the potential to encourage evidence-based practice within care homes, while also improving staff morale and job satisfaction.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Learning to nurse in care homes: student support.

An increasing number of care homes in the UK now provide placements for students undertaking pre-registration nursing programmes, enabling them to develop knowledge and skills in the continuing care of older people. In this article the authors describe an initiative to support nursing staff working in care homes and prepare them for their role in student education. The impetus for the initiative came from student feedback and evaluation of their placement experiences. These suggested that staff in some care homes were not fully prepared to help meet students' learning needs. Students' concerns about the quality of care in some homes also made clear the need for a forum in which the evidence base for practice in continuing care settings could be discussed and debated. The initiative combined the development of new roles with regular opportunities to share information and feedback.

Aged↗