Contemp Nurse
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Mixed methods research is becoming increasingly popular in the health and social science disciplines. The aim of this article is to give an overview of the varieties of mixed methods designs. We begin by situating mixed methods research in the context of a paradigmatic framework which assists a researcher in making decisions concerning the design of their study. Although the most commonly used mixed methods designs are underpinned by positivist/postpositivist assumptions, the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods can be used within any research paradigm.
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This paper draws on a diverse range of research literature addressing workplace violence, which constitutes one component of the dark side of organisational life. This selective review of the literature has been drawn from the disciplines of nursing, management, psychology and organisational culture. ⋯ Consideration will also be given to the impact on the individual, group and organization, given the apparent epidemic proportions workplace violence has reached. Ultimately, the question will arise: how can the workplace violence be abolished, specifically within the health care sector, given that we live in a global environment characterised by international bullying (Crawford 1999)? This is a challenge because workplace violence is perpetuated within organisations, due either to cultures of acceptance, or fear of retribution should it be acknowledged and acted upon (or both).
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Research that informs nursing interventions across the care continuum is vital, especially with shortened hospital stays. Measuring Quality of Life (QOL) and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) helps identfy health status improvements, but fails to provide insight into the effectiveness of nursing interventions aimed at continuity of care. Four research examples illustrate the need for complementary, qualitative studies of what patients and their families think, feel, need and want. These indicate a need to reconceptualise the research agenda in terms of the complexity and settings of nursing practice, and the need for informational as well as statistical significance.
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Nurses are the people most consistently and intensely involved in the care of people who present to emergency departments because of self-harm, yet most have received no training or support to provide strategic care. This paper will explore unique features of the emergency context for care and provide practical instruction on how nurses working in the area can respond effectively. As this paper argues there is much that the emergency nurse can provide for the client who self-harms and it describes important steps toward recovery--a respectful human encounter, understanding, support for the person's efforts in coping, optimism and hope that pain will lessen and recovery will take place.
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This paper highlights the inadequacy of existing research for the purposes of evidence-based prn (Latin, pro re nata or 'as needed') medication practice in psychiatric settings and notes the absence of relevant evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and policies, both nationally and internationally. The professional, ethical and legal importance of PRN medication practices is also discussed, and shown to add to the urgency of developing a research agenda which will serve as an adequate basis for good clinical practice. This paper summarises the relevant research and identifies problems that can arise for clinicians involved in the administration of prn medications in mental health settings. It concludes by highlighting key issues which urgently require empirical investigation.