Tricia Scott

Expression of humour by emergency personnel involved in sudden deathwork

Abstract This research paper provides an analysis of humour expression as a primary coping mechanism by emergency personnel involved in sudden deathwork in the accident and emergency environment. For a number of decades, the expression of humour has been of interest to philosophers, social psychologists, sociologists, and social anthropologists. More recently the subject captured the attention of researchers of the service professions particularly, in relation to the beneficial expression of humour by emergency personnel. The research took place in accident and emergency departments at hospitals in the North of England. Nine focus groups were conducted on three sets of nurses in three accident and emergency departments, three groups of paramedics at their respective hospital ambulance station, and three groups of traffic officers from one Constabulary covering the geographical area of the three hospitals. The results identified seven themes containing examples of the expression of humour in sudden death encounters from everyday practice. The discussion explains how sudden death has become an existential problem generating societal fears about mortality, decay, and decomposition, which impact on how emergency personnel feel about and handle the sudden death aspect of their role. The value of humour as a stress reducing mechanism is recognized by emergency personnel and acknowledged as a normalizing characteristic of emergency care culture.

Sudden traumatic death: caring for the bereaved

Supporting relatives following sudden and traumatic death is one of the most daunting aspects of emergency care. Relatives are devastated by the suddenness of the event, a situation often compounded by the mutilation of the body of their loved one. Managing the practical aspects of death pronouncement, explaining the cause of death, performing last offices, and representing the body to relatives can be emotionally draining for even the most experienced emergency practitioner who is required to remain composed whilst supporting grieving relatives through their tragedy. This article considers how emergency personnel may effectively offer emotional presence and support at a time when the sheer magnitude of the event annihilates the possibility of any sense of order. The juxtaposition of communication with caring and the impact of caring on healing should not be underestimated. This concept will be discussed in relation to how relatives are cared for in the emergency department.

African emergency nursing curriculum: Development of a curriculum model

The publisher regrets that this article has been temporarily removed. A replacement will appear as soon as possible in which the reason for the removal of the article will be specified, or the article will be reinstated. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy.

Religion in trauma care : Grand narratives and sacred rituals

This article outlines major religious practices observed in the UK and discusses how associated spiritual and religious custom and rites should be honoured by emergency practitioners. The article does not intend to be an all encompassing text on religion but to heighten awareness among emergency practitioners about various spiritual and religious considerations affecting patients and families under their care during critical and sometimes life-changing events in their life.

Emergency nurse initiation of discussion about tissue donation with suddenly bereaved relatives

This service evaluation assesses the frequency of emergency nurse initiation of discussion about tissue donation with suddenly bereaved relatives. Data was retrieved from one accident and emergency department (A&E) in the North of England between January 2006 and December 2007. It is clear from the service evaluation that insufficient initiation of discussion occurs and a range of reasons for non-initiation are identified. Of concern here, non-initiation impacts on the potential number of people in the United Kingdom who could benefit by sustaining life or improving quality of life and nurses need to be encouraged to provide choices for the donor, their family and the recipient. Further, the findings have implications for training, mentoring and supervising emergency nurses, application of a written policy and scope for future research.

Piloting a global mentorship initiative to support African emergency nurses

Mentorship is a relationship whereby a person experienced in the specialty supports and guides a less experienced person following a process of relationship building, engagement and development, self-inquiry and reflection. It involves regular contact with a critical friend who has a mature level of skills and expertise and can advise and support the mentee’s development in order to empower them and build capacity [1]. In healthcare this relationship usually has formal recognition. Indeed clinical mentorship of nurse initiated antiretroviral therapy in resource limited settings in South Africa suggest that mentorship increases clinical confidence and improves the quality of nursing care [2]. Bennett et al. [3] demonstrated in Kenya and Uganda that mentorship programmes have a positive impact on career development and whether to remain in health research. This paper explains the creation and pilot of a global mentorship initiative in 2015–2016 to support emergency nurses in Africa and, the potential benefits and challenges of such a quest.

Reflections on researcher departure: Closure of prison relationships in ethnographic research:

Background: The United Kingdom has the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe. It is known that women in prison are a vulnerable female population who are at risk of mental ill-health due to disadvantaged and chaotic life experiences. Accurate numbers of pregnant women held in UK prisons are not recorded, yet it is estimated that 6%–7% of the female prison population are at varying stages of pregnancy and around 100 babies are born to incarcerated women each year. There are limited published papers that document the departure of the researcher following closure of fieldwork with women in prison. This article identifies the dilemmas and challenges associated with the closure of prison fieldwork through the interwoven reflections of the researcher. Departure scenarios are presented which illuminate moments of closure talk with five women, supported by participant reflections regarding abandonment and loss, making pledges for the future, self-affirmation, incidental add-ons at the end of an interview and red flags, alerting the researcher to potential participant harm through ill health or self-injury. Objectives: The primary intention of the study was to observe the pregnant woman’s experience with the English prison system through interviews with pregnant women and field observations of the environment. Research design: Ethnographic design enabled the researcher, a practising midwife, to engage with the prisoners’ pregnancy experiences in three English prisons, which took place over 10 months during 2015–2016. Data collection involved semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews with 28 female prisoners in England who were pregnant or had recently given birth while imprisoned, 10 members of staff and a period of non-participant observation. Follow-up interviews with 5 women were undertaken as their pregnancies progressed. Computerised qualitative data analysis software was used to generate and analyse pregnancy-related themes. Ethical considerations: Favourable ethical opinion was granted by National Offender Management Services through the Health Research Authority Integrated Research Application System and permission to proceed was granted by the University of Hertfordshire, UK. Findings: Thematic analysis enabled the identification of themes associated with the experience of prison pregnancy illuminating how prison life continues with little consideration for their unique physical needs, coping tactics adopted and the way women negotiate entitlements. On researcher departure from the field, the complex feelings of loss and sadness were experienced by both participants and researcher. Discussion: To leave the participant with a sense of abandonment following closure of fieldwork, due to the very nature of the closed environment, risks re-enactment of previous emotional pain of separation. Although not an ethical requirement, the researcher sought out psychotherapeutic supervision during the fieldwork phase with ‘Janet’, a forensic psychotherapist, which helped to highlight the need for careful closure of research/participant relationships with a vulnerable population. This article brings to the consciousness of prison researchers the need to minimise potential harm by carefully negotiating how to exit the field. Reflections of the researcher are interlinked with utterances from some participants to illustrate the types of departure behaviours. Conclusion: Closure of fieldwork and subsequent researcher departure involving pregnant women in prison requires careful handling to uphold the ethical research principle ‘do no harm’.

Advances in nursing practice.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Jim Bethel Senior lecturer and nurse practitioner in emergency care, University of Wolverhampton Hannah Bryant Resuscitation officer, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Major Trauma Centre, Birmingham Amanda Burston RCN Nurse of the Year and major trauma co-ordinator, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust Rachel Lyons Associate clinical professor of nursing, Rutgers University, Newark NJ Lorna McInulty Senior lecturer in emergency and unscheduled care, University of Central Lancashire Mike Parker Lecturer in acute and critical care nursing at the University of York Mike Paynter Consultant nurse, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Linsey Sheerin Clinical co-ordinator, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast

Fresh challenges for nurses.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Jim Bethel Senior lecturer and nurse practitioner in emergency care, University of Wolverhampton Hannah Bryant Resuscitation officer, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham Jennifer Critchley Urgent care centre emergency nurse practitioner, Benalla, and senior lecturer, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Shelley Cummings Professional lead for safeguarding, Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust, Surrey Rachel Lyons Associate clinical professor of nursing, Rutgers University, Newark NJ Lorna McInulty Senior lecturer in emergency and unscheduled care, University of Central Lancashire Mike Parker Lecturer in clinical nursing at the University of York Mike Paynter Consultant nurse, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Andrew Rideout Advanced nurse practitioner, emergency department, Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary Linsey Sheerin Lead nurse in emergency care at Antrim Area Hospital, Northern Health and Social Care Trust

A case for summary care records.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Jim Bethel Senior lecturer and nurse practitioner in emergency care, University of Wolverhampton Hannah Bryant Resuscitation officer, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham Jennifer Critchley Urgent care centre emergency nurse practitioner, Benalla, and senior lecturer, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Rachel Lyons Associate clinical professor of nursing, Rutgers University, Newark NJ Lorna McInulty Senior lecturer in emergency and unscheduled care, University of Central Lancashire Mike Parker Lecturer in clinical nursing at the University of York Mike Paynter Consultant nurse, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Andrew Rideout Advanced nurse practitioner, emergency department, Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary Linsey Sheerin Lead nurse in emergency care at Antrim Area Hospital, Northern Health and Social Care Trust