Cancer pain is a serious problem that requires specialised nursing knowledge to manage. This ethnography study explored the experiences and practices of cancer pain management among nurses at the Cancer Hospital, Sri Lanka. Data were collected at the Cancer Hospital in Sri Lanka during October 2007 to January 2008. Data consisted of participant observation of nursing practice in a cancer ward, semistructured interviews with 10 participants and researcher diary. Analysis of data was undertaken with Richard’s (2005) method of handling qualitative data and consisted of coding data initially and an integrative process to develop categories. Findings identified Sri Lankan nurses have minimum cancer pain management practice because of a lack of resources, large number of patients to care for, shortage of nurses and unbearable workload in this hospital setting. Additionally the nurses are powerless as they have no autonomy in practice as well as no prospects of career promotion. They are stuck in a task oriented system that rarely acknowledges cancer patients’ pain management needs. It is anticipated that this study may lead to improve nursing pain management for cancer patients as well as curriculum change in nursing courses in Sri Lanka. Nursing curriculum change is required to include cancer pain management education as well as care of acute and palliative cancer patients. Additionally, the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka needs to acknowledge the importance of palliative care service as well as pain management service and a recommendation is made to implement policies at the Cancer Hospital addressing these areas.

The proposed study is to examine the contribution made by John D'Oyly, a British Civil Servant, to the British acquisition and control of the whole of Ceylon. It is also aimed to examine the history of this period (between 1805-1818) in Ceylon as a part of British colonial expansion in South Asia focusing on the policy of infiltration which was used by the British as a method of expanding and consolidating their power and influence. In The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire, published in 1996, P.J. Marshall submitted that the British had become a major political force on the south east coast of the Indian subcontinent, and had become the real rulers of the wealthy province of Bengal by the end of the eighteenth century. He further submits that the success of the British was mainly due to their ability to infiltrate into the internal politics of local states and kingdoms, and thereby dominate some of these political entities rather than overcome and destroy them by the use of military force. This process of infiltration will be examined in detail in the study of British relations with the Kandyan Kingdom, which was situated in the centre of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and was the only local kingdom then in existence as an independent political entity. The primary documents to be studied are those that relate to the British relations with the Kandyan Kingdom between 1805 and 1818, which covers the career of John D'Oyly as a civil servant working in Ceylon. He was the principal figure used by the British in their dealings with the Kandyan Kingdom, due mainly to his proficiency in the Sinhalese language and his knowledge of the customs and manners of the local people. His official diary, covering between the periods of 1810 and 1815, is one of the major sources of this study, examining the methods of infiltration. What is attempted in this Thesis is to examine this new theoretical approach of infiltration (submitted by P.J. Marshall) to the history of British relations with the Kandyan Kingdom between the periods of 1805 to 1818. This study is associated therefore with giving a new dimension to D'Oyly's work as a civil servant, and also to give a deeper reason for British expansion in Ceylon (as much as in Asia) in the context of the broader British strategic objectives. It strives to give a new meaning to the primary documents available in studying British Kandyan relations, as a part of the successful political expansion of the British in India and Asia.

Zugl.: Giessen, Univ., Diss., 2005

Thesis (doctoral)--Universiteit van Amsterdam. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (p. 212-216).

Texte remanié de: Thèse--Sciences de l'éducation--Paris V, 1986. / Contient un choix de textes et documents. Bibliogr. p. 269-276.

Thesis--University of London. / Without thesis statement. "This volume is simultaneously published with ... Dutch power in Ceylon (1658-1687) [by S. Arasaratnam]"--Jacket. Bibliography: p. 193-196.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universiteit van Amsterdam. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (p. 212-216).

Thesis--University of London. / Without thesis statement. "This volume is simultaneously published with ... Dutch power in Ceylon (1658-1687) [by S. Arasaratnam]"--Book jacket. Bibliography: p. 193-196.