College of Nursing and Health Sciences

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We are at the heart of advanced learning in health sciences, nursing and midwifery.

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences has strong partnerships to industry, community and the healthcare sector.

In fact, we’re world renowned for multidisciplinary research and improving health care, where our high-quality programs and professional practices continue to expand what we can do to address emerging health issues.

We base our innovation on the very best teaching methods, using the latest equipment and facilities.

But most of all we seek to change and improve practice through our research and through our graduates.

We see it as thinking bravely.

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    Personal, professional, structural and cultural challenges to autonomous practice - a midwife's perspective
    (Australian Nursing Federation (SA Branch), 1996-11) Donnellan-Fernandez, Roslyn Elizabeth
    This paper examines the status and some of the issues surrounding autonomous midwifery practice in South Australia in 1996. It is based on the author's reflections and lived experience as an intermittently self-employed midwife practitioner within the Adelaide community during the past three years. Additionally, the paper examines recent national and state reports and recommendations on the maternity services. The principal themes that will be explored include personal, professional, structural and cultural challenges in achieving autonomous midwifery practice. Whilst explicit exploration of the theoretical orientations underlying this paper are absent, the primary influences are those of critical theory, (particularly the works of Michel Foucault) and socialist feminist theory (particularly the work of Alison Jaggar).
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    Interventions for treating psoriatic arthritis (Review)
    (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2000-07-24) Jones, Graham ; Crotty, Maria ; Brooks, Peter
    Background It has been estimated that arthritis occurs in 5‐7% of those with psoriasis. Relatively few clinical trials of treatment are available for psoriatic arthritis and data presentation in these trials is far from uniform making comparison difficult. Objectives To assess the effects of sulfasalazine, auranofin, etretinate, fumaric acid, IMI gold, azathioprine, efamol marine and methotrexate, in psoriatic arthritis. Search methods We searched MEDLINE up to February 2000, and Excerpta Medica (June 1974‐95). Search terms were psoriasis, arthritis, therapy and/or controlled trial. This was supplemented by manually searching bibliographies of previously published reviews, conference proceedings, contacting drug companies and referring to the Cochrane Clinical Trials Register. All languages were included in the initial search. Selection criteria All randomized trials comparing sulfasalazine, auranofin, etretinate, fumaric acid, IMI gold, azathioprine, and methotrexate, in psoriatic arthritis. Following a published a priori protocol, the main outcome measures included individual component variables derived from Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT). These include acute phase reactants, disability, pain, patient global assessment, physician global assessment, swollen joint count, tender joint count and radiographic changes of joints in any trial of one year or longer [Tugwell 1993], and the change in pooled disease index (DI). Only English trials were included in the review. Data collection and analysis Data were independently extracted from the published reports by two of the reviewers (MC, GJ). An independent blinded quality assessment was also performed. Main results Twenty randomized trials were identified of which thirteen were included in the quantitative analysis with data from 1022 subjects. Although all agents were better than placebo, parenteral high dose methotrexate (not included), sulfasalazine, azathioprine and etretinate were the agents that achieved statistical significance in a global index of disease activity (although it should be noted that only one component variable was available for azathioprine and only one trial was available for etretinate suggesting some caution is necessary in interpreting these results). Analysis of response in individual disease activity markers was more variable with considerable differences between different medications and responses. In all trials the placebo group improved over baseline (pooled improvement 0.39 DI units, 95% CI 0.26‐0.54). There was insufficient data to examine toxicity. Authors' conclusions Parenteral high dose methotrexate and sulfasalazine are the only two agents with well demonstrated published efficacy in psoriatic arthritis. The magnitude of the effect seen with azathioprine, etretinate, oral low dose methotrexate and perhaps colchicine suggests that they may be effective but that further multicentre clinical trials are required to establish their efficacy. Furthermore, the magnitude of the improvement observed in the placebo group strongly suggests that uncontrolled trials should not be used to guide management decisions in this condition.
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    Autonomous private midwifery practice: a retrospective 1994-2000
    (Promaco Conventions Pty Ltd, 2000-11) Donnellan-Fernandez, Roslyn Elizabeth
    This paper provides an overview of an independent midwifery practice conducted in metropolitan Adelaide for the years 1994-2000. The solo caseload practice provides prenatal, intrapartum and postnatal services for approximately 24-30 families per year utilizing the 'relational emancipatory model of midwifery care' developed by the author. A distinguishing feature of this model is continuity of midwife carer throughout the childbearing continuum. Outcomes for 117 women and babies are presented. The relationship of isolation to private midwifery practice in Australia is considered, further developing the themes of personal, professional, structural and cultural challenges to autonomous practice.
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    Hearing handicap and quality of life: Reports by cochlear implantees and their frequent communication partners
    (Speech Pathology Association of Australia Ltd., 2001-05) Williams, Natalie ; Lind, Christopher ; Russell, Alison ; Swiderski, Nina
    Questionnaires concerning communication, hearing handicap and quality of life were posted to all 55 adult cochlear implantees known to be resident in South Australia. Parallel questionnaires were included for completion by a chosen frequent communication partner. This interim analysis focuses on replies from 34/55 (61.8%) of recipients currently received on two scales included in the questionnnaire; the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE - Ventry & Weinstein, 1982), and the SF-36 (Ware, Snow, Kosinski & Gandek, 1993). The main results indicate that: (a) implantees and their frequent communication partners substantially agree in their assessment of the hearing handicap remaining post-implantation, and (b) implantees’ ratings of aspects of quality of life are similar to those of the general population in South Australia. These results indicate both the complimentary and confirmatory nature of these two scales. Implications for assessment and intervention for this population are discussed in light of these findings.
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    A predictive model identifying latent variables, which influence undergraduate student nurses' achievement in mental health nursing skills.
    (Shannon Research Press, 2001-11) Blackman, Ian Robert
    A hypothetical model is developed to examine factors influencing nurses' achievement in a range of mental health nursing skills. The latent variables examined fall in four broad areas including the students': background (gender, predominant language used, age, prior education, previous nursing experience); previous successes with other undergraduate nursing topics (physical sciences, nursing and psychosocial sciences study areas); attitudes toward mental health nursing and mental illness causation; and relationship between learning environment and achievement (consists of such factors as the type of venues used for mental health nursing experience and teacher influence in topic delivery). Student achievement in mental health nursing skills is estimated by measuring student's self-rated level of confidence to undertake 20 nursing related tasks (undertaken before and after a unit of mental health studies was completed by students) and scores achieved using a 50 item multiple choice tests mental health nursing. The model examining student pathways to achievement is tested using Latent Variable Partial Least Square analysis (LVPLS). [Author abstract]
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    An oral history of Japanese nursing: voices of five senior nurses who experienced nursing since the 1950s
    (eContent Management Pty Ltd, 2002) Kako, Mayumi
    The history of nursing cannot be considered separately from the history of women. In this study the public history of nursing and women was re-explored via the lived voices of five senior nurses in Japan. An oral history method using in-depth interviewing for data collection was used. Contemporary Japanese women's social position was constantly influenced by government policies from a historically androcentric society. Nursing, as a predominately female occupation, has also struggled with its position in society and in the hospital system. Data were categorised into five themes through the nurses' stories and analysed using feminist liberal theory. Findings from the current study showed that various elements of unequal opportunity to participate in society were an outcome of this history. Nursing in Japan appears to have been socialised without a relationship to feminism. Experiences of the participants in this study indicate a demand for the liberation of nurses as women. These participants wished nurses in Japan to focus on professionalism with an attitude which is independent of past androcentric policies and historical social inequities. With such an autonomous attitude, directions for nursing in Japan become constructive.
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    Waking cervical pain and stiffness, headache, scapular or arm pain: Gender and age effects
    (Elsevier, 2002) Gordon, Susan J ; Trott, P ; Grimmer, K A
    A random population-based study using a structured telephone questionnaire was undertaken to determine the frequency, duration and prevalence of waking cervical spine pain and stiffness, headache, and aching between the scapulae or in the arm and their relationship to age and gender. Seventy-six per cent of households contacted completed the questionnaire, yielding a total of 812 questionnaires. Subjects most commonly reported waking with scapular or arm pain (27%) followed by headache (19%), cervical pain (18%) and cervical stiffness (17%). The majority of subjects reported that symptoms lasted for more than an hour on one or two occasions during the week. Subjects who reported the presence of one type of waking symptom were significantly more likely to report other waking symptoms. Females were significantly more likely to wake with a headache than males (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.6 to 4.0), while all subjects aged over 60 years were significantly less likely to wake with a headache than subjects in other age groups (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4 to 1.0). Females exhibited a decline in waking cervical pain, stiffness and headache with increasing age. In contrast, males exhibited a peak prevalence of waking cervical pain, stiffness and headache in the 40 to 59 year age group. The prevalence of waking with aching between the scapulae or in the arm behaved differently from the other symptom groups in both genders.
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    Differences in access to evidence-based practice training among health professionals
    ( 2003) Pinnock, Carole Bolton ; Jones, C E ; Miller, Andrew W
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    Food for thought: residents with dementia who require assistance with eating and drinking
    ( 2003) Willick, C A ; Mitchell, Patricia Frances ; De Bellis, Anita Marie ; Roder-Allen, Gerda
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    Comments on “The importance of nurse caring behaviours as perceived by Swedish hospital patients and nursing staff”
    (Elsevier, 2003) King, Lindy
    This paper considers the impact of von Essen and Sjoden’s (1991a) study on subsequent research into nurse and patient perceptions of nurse caring behaviours. The influence von Essen and Sjoden and others on the development of instruments for data collection of nurse and patient’s perceptions of nurse caring behaviours will also be discussed. The paper will then explore how von Essen and Sjoden’s work and that of later studies have led to the development of research based knowledge that informs current research, education and practice in nursing and question fundamental assumptions of caring theories and models that inform perceptions of nurse caring behaviours.
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    The perceived complexity of vocational workplace rehabilitation and its implications for supervisor development
    (Shannon Research Press, 2003-03) Blackman, Ian Robert
    This study explored the factors that influence the perceived complexity of vocational rehabilitation tasks and the abilities of workplace supervisors and rehabilitating employees to carry out rehabilitation in the workplace. The research project was designed to explore whether there was a difference between the perceived complexity of 31 vocationally related rehabilitation tasks as understood by 272 workplace supervisors and 80 employees who were undertaking workplace rehabilitation. By using a probabilistic measurement approach (Rasch model), the study also sought to explore if there was an underlying dimension of the work-related rehabilitation tasks and whether the ability to undertake workplace rehabilitation tasks was influenced by the status and gender of the participants. Additionally, the study sought to assess whether a scale of performance for learning could be constructed, based on the difficulty of the rehabilitation tasks and the self rated capacity of workplace supervisors and their rehabilitating employees. Outcomes of the study suggest that supervisors and rehabilitating employees differ significantly, both in how they view the complexity of vocational rehabilitation and their capacity to participate effectively in workplace rehabilitation. Recommendations are made for designing supervisor rehabilitation training programs in terms of their content and structure, in a bid to make workplace vocational rehabilitation more effective. [Author abstract]
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    Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled crossover trial of sustained release morphine for the management of refractory dyspnoea.
    (BMJ Publishing Group - http://bjo.bmjjournals.com/, 2003-09) Abernethy, Amy Pickar ; Currow, David Christopher ; Frith, David ; Fazekas, Belinda Susan ; McHugh, Annie ; Bui, Chuong
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    Midwifery regulation in Australia: a century of invisibility
    (Nurses Board of Victoria, 2003-10) Donnellan-Fernandez, Roslyn Elizabeth ; Eastaugh, Marijke
    This paper examines the status of the midwifery profession in Australia, with specific reference to its legislated context under state-based nursing regulatory frameworks, past and present. It provides an historical and contemporary critique of the relationships between midwifery, the state, and medical/nursing institutionalised symbiosis and dominance. Whose interests these relationships silence, and whose they serve is examined, as is their power to influence and situate women's health and childbearing outcomes in an increasingly global and market-orientated environment.
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    Grief and loss: the needs of the whole population
    ( 2004) Currow, David Christopher
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    Self-Reported Versus Recorded Sleep Position: An Observational Study
    (Nova Southeastern University, 2004-01) Gordon, Susan J ; Grimmer, K A ; Trott, P
    Background: Patient reports of ‘usual’ and ‘recent’ sleep positions are used by allied health professionals to direct the management of waking and nocturnal musculoskeletal symptoms. However no published studies have determined if self reports of sleep position are valid, consistent or reliable. An observational study was conducted at the Centre for Sleep Research of the University of South Australia. Twelve subjects, four in each of the age groups 18 to 39 years, 40 to 59 years and 60 years and over, without any known sleep disorders or sleep-disturbing medical or emotional problems participated in the study. Subjects spent two non-consecutive nights in a sleep laboratory, where an infra-red light source allowed their sleep position during the night to be recorded on video. Prior to retiring, subjects recorded the position in which they believed they spent the most time during a ‘usual’ nights sleep. In the morning, they recorded the position in which they believed they spent the most time during the recorded nights sleep. Videos were viewed in order to count the number of position shifts per night and to calculate the total amount of time each subject spent lying prone, supine and on their side. Subjects’ pre- and post-sleep questionnaire responses were then compared to the video record to determine validity, the amount of time spent in each sleep position was compared across the two nights to determine consistency and pre-and post-sleep questionnaire responses were compared to determine reliability of self reported sleep position. High correlation was found when comparing subjects’ self report of their common sleep positions with the video record. The sensitivity of self reported ‘usual’ night side lying sleep position was 89% and ‘last’ night reports 95%. Sleep position was consistent across repeated nights’ sleep, and there was good reliability between subjects’ self report of ‘usual’ (92%) and ‘last night’ (83%) sleep positions. This study reports high validity, reliability and consistency in self reports of ‘usual’ and ‘recent’ sleep positions
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    Auditory-visual speech perception: The effect of visual acuity in older people
    (Australian Academic Press, 2004-03) Hickson, Louise ; Hollins, Manda ; Lind, Christopher ; Worrall, Linda ; Lovie-Kitchin, Jan E
    This study aimed to investigate the benefit gained by older people in auditory-visual speech perception compared to auditory-only perception and to investigate the correlation between visual acuity and benefit gained. A total of 77 community-based older people participated in the study. Pure-tone audiometry showed that 36% had normal hearing, 40% had a mild hearing loss and the remainder (23%) had a moderate or greater loss. Objective easurements of corrected distance and near visual acuities were obtained using the Bailey-Lovie logMAR distance and near visual acuity tests. According to the criteria used in the present study, 34% had some distance vision impairment and 9% had some near vision impairment. The benefit gained in auditory-visual speech perception was determined by comparing auditory-only and auditory-visual performance on the Bamford-Kowal-Bench Australian Version Speech reading Test. An average visual benefit of 28.8% was achieved by the participants, and, for the vast majority of participants (86%), the benefit gained was statistically significant. A significant correlation was not found between either distance or near visual acuity and benefit gained in auditory-visual speech perception. The implications of these findings are that it is important for audiologists to recommend the use of lipreading to older clients, irrespective of their visual impairment, as the majority will gain significant benefit from the use of visual cues.
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    Conversation Repair and Acquired Hearing Impairment: A Preliminary Quantitative Clinical Study
    (Australian Academic Press, 2004-04) Lind, Christopher ; Hickson, L
    This report provides a quantitative summary of the initial findings in a series of investigations into the validity and reliability of repair behaviour recorded in free conversation in clinical settings between adults who have acquired hearing impairments (HIs) and their frequent communication partners (FCPs). Seven adults who have severe or greater acquired HIs (and who had subsequently been either fitted with hearing aids or undergone cochlear implanta-tion) were audio-recorded undertaking a 20-minute free conversation in a quiet clinical setting with their chosen FCP. Transcriptions of the conversations were analysed for the occurrence of repair sequences following the Conversation Analysis (CA) model. A total of 735 completed repair sequences were identi-fied across the seven conversations, the majority occurring within the same turn as the trouble source. No difference was noted in the frequency with which all but one trajectory was initiated by either the HI or FCP participants. Repairs initiated by the HI participant and repaired by the FCP in response to a trouble source in a previous turn by the FCP occurred significantly more often than the same sequence initiated by the FCPs. The results empha-sise the usefulness of framing repair activity arising from acquired HI in the broader conversational act of repairing and the CA model.
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    Graduate-entry medical student variables that predict academic and clinical achievement
    (Shannon Research Press, 2004-08) Blackman, Ian Robert ; Darmawan, I Gusti Ngurah
    A hypothetical model was formulated to explore factors that influenced academic and clinical achievement for graduate-entry medical students completing their third year of university studies. Nine latent variables were considered including the students' background, previous successes with their undergraduate and postgraduate studies and their assessed ability to study graduate-entry medicine based on their scholastic aptitude and their interview selection scores. The academic and clinical achievement of 99 graduate-entry medical students were estimated by measuring their performance on two separate assessment procedures, a 150 item multiple choice examination and a 20 item objectively structured clinical evaluation (OSCE) test. These two assessments were taken across two years (to include two student groups) and were equated using Rasch scaling procedures. Models identifying causal pathways leading to academic and clinical achievement were tested using Partial Least Squares Path Analysis (PLSPAT). The study's results suggest that medical student achievement can be predicted by variables, which account for 6 to 22 percent of the variance of scores that assess academic achievement and clinical performance at the third year level respectively. The most significant predictors and those which had direct influence on graduate-entry medical student achievement were: (a) student gender, undergraduate grade point average scores, type of undergraduate studies undertaken, and where those studies were carried out that were related to the OSCE scores, and (b) whether or not the graduate-entry medical students had pursued other studies prior to undertaking the medical course and age that were both negatively related to achievement on the multiple choice examination. Measures of performance at interview and student scores for GAMSAT that were used in the selection process were not related to the performance outcomes assessed. [Author abstract]