Analysis of the roles and responsibilities of rehabilitation nursing staff

Enfermagem em Reabilitação: ampliando os horizontes, legitimando o saber

A autora faz reflexões sobre a Enfermagem em Reabilitação, marcando a trajetória dessa especialidade na assistência, no ensino e na pesquisa em enfermagem. Aborda conceitos e a aplicabilidade destes na prática da Enfermagem em Reabilitação, apresenta a atual demanda por assistência em reabilitação, bem como a capacitação do enfermeiro para a atuação neste mercado de trabalho, destacando o pioneirismo de instituições públicas e de ensino superior, no município de São Paulo, o que possibilitou a especialização do enfermeiro em Reabilitação.

Job satisfaction in relation to change to all-RN staffing

BACKGROUND

A university hospital clinic changed from a mixed to only registered nurse staffing, to reduce the staff and to encourage a philosophy of patient centred care. The aim was to maintain the same level of service and quality of care at a lower cost.

AIM

The main purpose of the study was to examine job satisfaction in relation to the change from mixed to only registered nurse staffing and reduction in number of staff.

METHODS

Data were collected by an established questionnaire measuring job satisfaction. Non-parametric statistics were used to analyse the data. The questionnaire was distributed to 22 nurses on the ward on three occasions, covering a period of 3 years.

RESULT

The experience of having time to plan patient care changed during the investigation period, from 'sometimes' to 'most often having time'. Nurses with longer work experience gave more verbal information to patients and perceived less stress. Information about job performance was more important to newcomers on the ward and became less important with time. However, quite a few have had regrets over choice of work and had considered non-caring work, nevertheless the results show no significant changes in overall job satisfaction.

How Stroke Survivors and Primary Support Persons Experience Nurses in Rehabilitation

The role of nursing in rehabilitation has been studied from various perspectives. This study explored experiences with nursing care in rehabilitation from the perspective of stroke survivors and their primary support persons (PSP). The sample consisted of six stroke survivors and seven primary support persons. Through in-depth phenomenological interviews, participants related the experiences with nursing care that stood out for them. The experience was conceptualized as a two-dimensional continuum from helpful to adversarial, with none of the participants articulating a therapeutic presence from nurses. Implications for nursing are explored.

A framework for the role of Registered Nurses in the specialty practice of rehabilitation nursing in Australia

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study sought to explore systematically the role of Registered Nurses working in rehabilitation in Australia.

BACKGROUND

Rehabilitation has been identified as an important aspect of health care. However, evidence of a comprehensive investigation of the nurses' role in rehabilitation cannot be found. From Australia, in particular, no research has been published in this area.

METHODS

This study used a qualitative approach by engaging 13 nurses in one-to-one interviews and a further 21 in focus group discussions. Thematic analysis was conducted on the interview and focus group data.

FINDINGS

Seven domains of practice were identified and are suggested as a framework for the specialty practice of rehabilitation nursing. They capture the 'how' and 'what' of rehabilitation nursing practice. Central to this practice is a rehabilitative approach to patient care, teaching and coaching, and continual assessment. The nurses explained in detail how these aspects of rehabilitation nursing differentiate their practice from that of their acute care colleagues.

CONCLUSION

The rehabilitative approach is one of a variety of approaches to nursing care, but should not be seen as the exclusive domain of rehabilitation nurses. Rehabilitation belongs in every nurse's toolkit.

Developing the nurse's role in patient education: rehabilitation as a case example

Over the past decade considerable emphasis has been placed on the nurse's role in patient education. Despite this numerous studies have suggested that this aspect of nursing practice is under-developed. Using rehabilitation as a case example this paper explores the nursing contribution to patient education in five conditions: multiple sclerosis; arthritis; myocardial infarction; spinal injury and stroke. Although the literature identifies considerable potential for nurses to take a lead role in patient education this is rarely achieved in practice. Analyses of printed curricula from a range of courses indicate that nurses are not adequately prepared for patient education and that a reorientation of nurse education is required.

Neurological rehabilitation nursing: a review of the research

Neurological rehabilitation is increasingly seen as a specialist form of rehabilitation requiring specialist nursing knowledge. However, as in many areas of nursing, nurses in this field recognize that there is a need to increase their knowledge base to ensure that they provide the best and most up-to-date quality care for their patients and their families. To achieve high levels of competence, neurological rehabilitation nurses need to be aware of the existing body of research in this field so that they can make sound decisions regarding their practice and future research endeavours. This review aims to validate the existing knowledge base in this area by identifying and critically analysing research conducted in the area of neurological rehabilitation nursing during the decade 1988-1998 and by identifying any gaps and weaknesses that may be addressed by future research. Studies were included in the review if they examined an aspect of rehabilitation nursing, were concerned predominately with the neurological patient and were conducted in an in-patient setting. Research with a medical focus was not included and only research published in English was reviewed. Relevant research located examined the following areas: (1) the role of the rehabilitation nurse; (2) specific problems concerning the neurological rehabilitation patient; (3) specific nursing interventions; (4) rehabilitation nursing practice; (5) the delivery of rehabilitation programmes and team working; and (6) the family of the rehabilitation patient. The review concludes that research in this speciality remains limited both in quantity and quality. Most of the studies lack rigour and, because they were conducted at a single site, their generalizability to other clinical sites may be limited.

An exploratory study of nurses' perceptions of their role in neurological rehabilitation

The role of the nursing profession in the multidisciplinary specialty of neurological rehabilitation has not been clearly defined in the United Kingdom. A qualitative exploratory study was performed in a highly specialized neurological rehabilitation unit. Nine registered nurses having at least 1 year of experience in this setting were interviewed in a semistructured manner. Transcripts of the interviews were subjected to a theme analysis. Three main themes emerged in relation to the role of the nurse. The first theme referred to actions directly related to patient care. This theme included four concepts: the promotion of patient independence, routine tasks, the management of patient care, and counseling. The second theme involved the organizational issues that influence practice. Nurse opinions and views of their roles formed the third theme. The subjects' views identified skills specific to neurological rehabilitation nursing and areas for further exploration.

Viewing rehabilitation nursing like a 'magic eye' picture: clinical supervision can sharpen the focus

This article discusses the contributions of rehabilitation nurses to the interdisciplinary team process. The authors propose that the process of clinical supervision can help nurses examine client interactions in new ways, thereby enhancing their involvement in the interdisciplinary team process. An analogy to a "magic eye" picture is used to encourage nurses to examine the importance of their role within the interdisciplinary team.