Glenda E McDonald

Guilt and shame: experiences of parents of self-harming adolescents

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study that used a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology to develop insights into the experience of parents of young people who engage in self-harming behaviour. Six mothers (and one father who accompanied his wife) participated in the study. Findings reveal that mothers experienced guilt and shame, and that these feelings shaped their reactions and responses. These mothers described experiencing emotional dilemmas, such as the degree to which they could be responsible, uncertainty about how to understand self harm, and the best course of action to take with their child. They also encountered difficulties in combating the negative emotional effects for themselves and other family members. Findings provide insights that can help nurses and family health workers to understand and assist parents with greater effectiveness; by maintaining a non-judgemental stance, acknowledging the difficulties of their experiences, encouraging confidence in their parenting abilities, and promoting effective stress management strategies.

'If I was in my daughter's body I'd be feeling devastated': women's experiences of mothering an overweight or obese child.

Overweight and obesity in children is a major and ongoing public health concern and the negative physical, social, and psychological sequelae of childhood obesity are well documented. Parents, particularly mothers, are implicated in discourses around childhood obesity; however, little is known about women’s experiences of mothering an overweight or obese child. This article reports findings from a narrative-based study that sought to develop understandings into women’s experiences of mothering an overweight or obese child. The findings provide insights into the experiences of mothering an overweight or obese child, and reveals how the climate of blame associated with mothering an overweight or obese child complicated the mothering experience for the women in this study. These insights can assist health, welfare and child care workers to understand the importance of establishing supportive and no-blame relationships with mothers of obese and overweight children, in order to develop supportive therapeutic alliances better.

Personal resilience in nurses and midwives: Effects of a work-based educational intervention

Abstract Nurses and midwives commonly face a variety of challenges and difficulties in their everyday work. Stress, pressure, fatigue and anxiety are acknowledged sources of workplace adversity, which causes decreased perceptions of health and wellbeing. This study reports the effects of a work-based, educational intervention to promote personal resilience in a group of 14 nurses and midwives working in a busy clinical environment. The intervention encouraged participants to focus on the key characteristics of a resilient person and the elements that assisted them in their maintenance of personal resilience. The intervention also explored potential strategies for the future. Opportunities were provided for experiential learning, creative self-expression and exposure to new ideas. Primary effects of the intervention were found to benefit the participants in personal and professional areas; by enhanced confidence, self-awareness, assertiveness and self-care. This intervention had implications for the education and practice of nurses and midwives in terms of building and maintaining their personal resilience, especially those exposed to workplace adversity.

Surviving workplace adversity: a qualitative study of nurses and midwives and their strategies to increase personal resilience

AIM To explore the experiences of Australian nurses and midwives who perceived themselves as resilient. The focus of this paper is to report the strategies used by a group of nurses and midwives to develop and maintain their resilience, despite encountering serious workplace adversity. BACKGROUND Despite the potentially adverse effects of nursing work, many nurses and midwives thrive through exercising self-efficacy and coping skills. The relationship between thriving and resilience is clear, as resilience refers to the ability to cope well with adversity and change. METHODS The participants were part of an instrumental, collective case study investigation of personal resilience amongst nurses and midwives. Prior to an innovative, work-based intervention including workshops and mentoring, participants were interviewed to collect baseline perceptions and experiences of personal resilience and workplace adversity. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically. RESULTS Participants attributed their ability to thrive in the workplace to three major influences: support networks, personal characteristics and ability to organise work for personal resilience. CONCLUSIONS Participant insights contributed to a deeper understanding of personal resilience and highlight future initiatives to enhance the ability of nurses and midwives to thrive within health organisations and systems. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT It is vital that resilience-enhancing initiatives, such as peer mentoring and tailored work options to increase autonomy, are implemented at earlier career phases.

Continuing connections: the experiences of retired and senior working nurse mentors

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This paper reports the benefits and challenges of a mentoring programme through which retired and senior nurses continued to support and nurture nurses and midwives currently working in the health system. BACKGROUND Nursing has an ageing workforce and faces significant loss of expertise because of retirements. Previously, mentoring programmes have been instituted in a range of nursing contexts and they have been a retention strategy for older nurses and midwives. DESIGN Mentors and their mentees worked together towards mutually agreed on professional and personal goals. They were asked to meet or speak together a minimum of twice per month for at least six months. METHOD As part of a collective case study, 15 mentoring dyads were established. Participants and mentors took part in qualitative, semi-structured interviews about their perceptions and experiences of the mentoring programme. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analysed thematically. RESULTS Mentors reported the mentoring experience to be rewarding experience that enabled them to re-connect with nursing-related activities and brought new challenges in retirement. They perceived the mentees were visibly helped by their support and influence. CONCLUSIONS The mentors studied reinforced a positive self-concept as nurses and midwives in their mentees and assisted their development. Retired nurses and midwives in particular may have several characteristics that make them effective mentors. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Potential benefits are demonstrated for nurses and midwives vulnerable to workplace adversity, especially those new to Australia who may have limited professional and social networks. For health organisations, mentoring programmes may be an innovative method of retention that engages both mid-career nurses and midwives and those recently retired.

Workplace conversations: Building and maintaining collaborative capital

Abstract Heavy, pressured workloads are a feature of health workplaces internationally, presenting challenges to communication and contributing to tension and negative emotions. This paper explores supportive and unsupportive workplace conversations between nurses and midwives and their colleagues. The findings focus on qualitative interviews of ten nurses and midwives that were audio-taped and analysed for perceptions about the role of workplace conversations. Conversations between colleagues were significant for building and maintaining collaborative capital, but unsupportive conversations also threatened it. Findings suggest the need for considering the impact of co-worker conversations on workplace culture. Nurse managers and management may play a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining supportive conversations. Recognising the role and potential of workplace conversations for building capacities for support, conflict resolution, job satisfaction and the personal resilience of nurses and midwives can raise the collaborative capital of the workplace.