Jill Macleod Clark

Why nurses smoke: a review of the literature.

The smoking behaviour of nurses has been widely debated in the context of their professional role and responsibilities. There has been much speculation about why nurses smoke and possible explanations include a stressful nursing environment, peer pressure and socio economic status and education. This paper provides an overview of the literature which offers insights into the reasons why nurses smoke and compares the findings from this literature with those studies examining the smoking behaviour of women in general and young women in particular. This review reveals that many students take up smoking before commencing their training and the factors which influence nurses smoking are similar to those that influence similar groups of females in the general population.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a smoking cessation intervention designed for nurses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of offering an individualised approach to smoking cessation to qualified nurses and student nurses in Northern Ireland. Twenty-two qualified nurses and 32 student nurses enrolled in the intervention. A further 23 qualified nurses and 33 student nurses expressed interest in giving up smoking, but did not wish to be included in the intervention. They were assigned to the comparison group. Objective verification utilising salivary cotinine measurements of continuous abstinence at 6 months and 1 year demonstrated that 24% of student and qualified nurses in the intervention groups stopped smoking compared with 7% of those in the comparison groups. Both of these differences are statistically significant (Fishers Exact Probability Test p = < 0.05). This suggests that the individualised approach as used in this study is an appropriate method of helping motivated nurses to quit.

The use of focus group interviews in nursing research: Issues and challenges:

Focus group interviews are becoming more widely used as a data collection technique within nursing research. This paper draws on the experience of the authors in conducting a number of focus group interviews while undertaking a study of perceptions of the philosophy and practice of nursing within the context of Project 2000 1. Some of the main issues and challenges to be considered when utilising this method are examined. These include the practicalities of group size, access and sampling, as well as the fundamental issues associated with group interaction. The role of the moderator in maintaining the flow and focus of the group and in ensuring the participation of all group members is addressed, along with an examination of disclosure and validity. Finally, the issues and challenges posed by the analysis of the focus group data are considered. [NT Research 1996; 1 :2, 143-153]

Implementing a clinical academic career pathway in nursing; criteria for success and challenges ahead

Abstract Following the United Kingdom Clinical Research Collaboration’s (UKCRC) (2007) recommendations on careers in clinical research, there has been growing anticipation in the United Kingdom about the real potential for establishing career pathways for nurses and allied health professionals that will enable them to combine a focus on both clinical and academic roles. However, it is recognized that the implementation of this initiative will require charting largely untested waters, with issues ranging from establishing joint University: health service employment contracts, to harmonizing clinical and research roles and ensuring sustainability of funding for clinical academic posts. This paper will outline the implementation of a pilot clinical academic career initiative, which has been modelled on the UKCRC framework. We will illuminate the processes and structures employed and reflect on the factors that appear critical to the successful establishment of a clinical academic career pathway. Additionally, our experience has enabled us to identify challenges that will need to be addressed by a range of stakeholders if clinical academic careers are to flourish and deliver their potential at a national level as a modern career option for nurses and allied health professionals.

Primary health care nursing and Project 2000: Challenges and incompatibility?

The emphasis on health as opposed to disease in the Project 2000 curriculum is consistent with the concept of the nurse of the future working across both institutional and non-institutional settings. This paper presents data from focus group interviews in two study centres which shed light on the Project 2000 course as a preparation for community nursing practice. The views of managers and senior clinical practitioners illuminate some key issues. Focus group participants acknowledged that the course provided a greater emphasis on health than traditional courses and that students appear to gain a broader understanding of health within the community at large than students on traditional courses. More controversial issues which emerged from the data include the constraints inherent in the community nursing service as a result of its current structure, issues of skill mix and in particular a health visiting service which does not lend itself to the creation of staff nurse posts.

Building clinical academic leadership capacity: sustainability through partnership

Background A national clinical academic training programme has been developed in England for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals but is insufficient to build a critical mass to have a significant impact on improved patient care. Aim We describe a partnership model led by the University of Southampton and its neighbouring National Health Service partners that has the potential to address this capacity gap. In combination with the Health Education England/National Institute of Health Research Integrated Clinical Academic programme, we are currently supporting nurses, midwives and allied health professionals at Master’s (n = 28), Doctoral (n = 36), Clinical Lecturer (n = 5) and Senior Clinical Lecturer (n = 2) levels working across seven National Health Service organisations, and three nurses hold jointly funded Clinical Professor posts. Results Key to the success of our partnership model is the strength of the strategic relationship developed at all levels across and within the clinical organisations involved, from board to ward. We are supporting nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to climb, in parallel, both clinical and academic career ladders. We are creating clinical academic leaders who are driving their disciplines forward, impacting on improved health outcomes and patient benefit. Conclusions We have demonstrated that our partnership model is sustainable and could enable doctoral capacity to be built at scale.