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Yes / Pilot studies can play an important role in qualitative studies. Methodological and practical issues can be shaped and refined by undertaking pilots. Personal development and researchers’ competence are enhanced and lessons learned can inform the development and quality of the main study. However, pilot studies are rarely published, despite their potential to improve knowledge and understanding of the research. Aim To present the main lessons learned from undertaking a pilot in a qualitative PhD study. Discussion This paper draws together lessons learned when undertaking a pilot as part of a qualitative research project. Important methodological and practical issues identified during the pilot study are discussed including access, recruitment, data collection and the personal development of the researcher. The resulting changes to the final study are also highlighted. Conclusion Sharing experiences of and lessons learned in a pilot study enhances personal development, improves researchers’ confidence and competence, and contributes to the understanding of research.

The purpose of this study is to determine the possible relationship between post-doctoral research productivity of doctorally prepared nurses and instructional experiences of doctoral study, conditions of employment and other factors that may be related to research productivity. The design of the study is causal comparative.

The aim of nursing practice is to provide evidence-based care that ensures quality outcomes for patients, families, healthcare providers and the health care system. This may only occur with increased exposure to nursing research. Nursing education institutions should therefore ensure that students are prepared to provide evidence-based care by participating in and conducting research. The purpose of the study is to explore and describe the challenges faced by nurse educators in teaching research methodology and supervising undergraduate nursing students at a university in order to make recommendations to support nurse educators in teaching research and supervising research projects. Qualitative, explorative, contextual and descriptive research was conducted to explore and describe the challenges experienced by nurse educators. Data were collected through a focus group discussion. Nine nurse educators participated in the research study. Participants acknowledged that they faced challenges in teaching research methodology and supervising research projects. The challenges described pertained to human resources; research experience, competencies and guidelines; physical resources; and a lack of support from their institution’s management. Based on the challenges, recommendations were made to address the lack of specific competencies, research guidelines, student/educator ratios, physical resources and technology issues / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Background: Research is essential for the development of a unique body of knowledge, a hall mark of any profession. It should be utilised to provide the basis for professional theory and practice. Aim: The purpose of the study was to develop guidelines that will assist professional nurses in the utilisation of research findings. Design and setting: Quantitative, descriptive research was used to determine professional nurses’ (N=284) perception of utilization of research findings in practice. The structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 since this is a quantitative study. The study focused on professional nurses at the two selected hospitals that were providing the comprehensive programme in the uMgungundlovu district. Results: 284 respondents answered the questionnaire. Of the respondents, 73.3% agreed that they lacked knowledge of research. The frequency of respondents that lacked research knowledge was 208. Of the respondents, 211 (74.3%) recommended use of research findings in practice versus 24 (8.5%) who were unsure and 9 (3%) respectively who did not know whether research should be used or not. Conclusions: The findings revealed that there is a need for changes to be made in the nursing education system to try and improve research utilisation by professional nurses in practice since the professional nurses working in the clinical area are produced by nursing education institutions / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the clarification of the phenomenon, social support, using a precise definition and a major theoretical perspective as a descriptive guide for the concept, structure; one of the three less abstract representations of social support. Social comparison theory provided the guiding framework for interpretation of how structure relates to help-seeking behavior. Data from the Self-Help Intervention Project (SHIP), an experimental study of women undergoing adjuvant therapy for breast cancer, were analyzed. A volunteer non-probability sample was comprised of 307 subjects, Time 1 (baseline), and all 59 of the 307 subjects (Time 2) who were randomly assigned to the control group (no intervention). A descriptive correlational design with a causal modeling approach was used to assess a four-stage conceptual framework: Help-Seeking in Adversity Model. Model predictions were that the individual's innate drive leads to self-appraisal and social comparison which are negatively associated with discrepancy judgment, which is positively associated with help-seeking behavior. Measures similarity perceived/similarity actual were constructed to index the model variable, social comparison. Reliability estimates (two total scales) were α.75 and α.72, respectively. Validity was assessed by face validity and statistically significant pattern of correlations with other variables. Six instruments indexed the conceptual variables. Model parameters were estimated by bivariate and multiple regression statistical techniques. Residual analysis was conducted to estimate violations of causal model and statistical assumptions. Self-appraisal, measured by mastery (B=-.41), and self-belief (B=-.22) and social comparison, measured by similarity actual (B=.27) explained variance in discrepancy judgment (R²=.33), Time 1. Only self-appraisal, measured by mastery (B=-.34) was found to reduce discrepancy judgment, Time 2. Discrepancy judgment was associated with increases in three of the four measures of help-seeking behavior (B=.12, R²=.01; B=.19, R²=.03; B=.17, R²=.03), Time Ii no variance was explained, Time 2. Empirical testings differed from theoretical testings (Time I, Time 2). Differences included (Time 1) Stage II variable explaining help-seeking behavior and (Time 2) only Stage II variables explaining help-seeking behavior. This study represents a beginning effort to provide clarification of the concept, structure.

Provision of complete and responsive solution to healthcare services requires a multi-tired health delivery system. One of the aspects of healthcare hierarchy is the need for nursing care of the patient. Nursing care and observation provide basis for nurses to communicate with other aspects of healthcare system. The ability of capturing and managing nursing practice is essential to the quality of human care. The thesis proposes knowledge based decision making and analyzing system for the nurses to capture and manage the nursing practice. Moreover it allows them to monitor nursing care quality, as well as to test an aspect of an electronic healthcare record for recording and reporting nursing practice. The framework used for this system is based on nursing theory and is coupled with the quantitative analysis of qualitative data. It allows us to quantify the qualitative raw natural nursing language data. The results are summarized in the graph that shows the relative importance of those attributes with respect to each other at different instances of nurse-patient encounter. Research has been conducted by the Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science for the College of Nursing. / by Shubhang Tripathi. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

O propósito desta pesquisa descritiva foi examinar o conhecimento e a prática de enfermeiros referente à prevenção e tratamento da úlcera de pressão e as fontes utilizadas para obter informação. Após a aprovação pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa, foi solicitado que os enfermeiros de um hospital geral do interior paulista fornecessem os dados demográficos, completassem o teste de conhecimento sobre úlcera de pressão e que identificassem a freqüência de ocorrência de algumas práticas nas situações clínicas referentes à prevenção, ao tratamento e à fonte de informação utilizada. Dos 25 participantes, 96% eram mulheres entre 30 e 40 anos de idade, tendo terminado a graduação em 5 anos ou menos. Somente 8% tinham feito algum curso de especialização. Dos 46 ítens do teste, os enfermeiros responderam corretamente entre 31,1% e 89,1%. O escore mais baixo foi 18 e o mais alto foi 41. O escore médio foi 32,48 (DP 4,7). Nove enfermeiros (36%) responderam corretamente entre 51% a 69,9% dos ítens e 15 (60%) responderam corretamente mais de 70% dos ítens. Considerando os ítens relacionados a avaliação da úlcera, os escores mais baixos foram relacionados a descrição do descolamento e a presença do tecido desvitalizado no leito da ferida. Em relação à classificação da úlcera, os escores mais baixos foram relacionados a descrição do estágio I e II. Os ítens do conhecimento sobre a prevenção que obtiveram escores mais baixos foram em relação ao significado da escala de Braden e recomendações quanto a técnicas de posicionamento. Considerando a prática dos enfermeiros, 56% relataram que sempre fazem a avaliação do risco do paciente na admissão, e que documentam as medidas preventivas no prontuário do paciente (76%). Entretanto, 50% dos enfermeiros mencionaram realizar práticas inadequadas como massagem nas regiões de proeminências ósseas. Na opinião dos enfermeiros, o curativo da ferida é sempre feito pelo auxiliar de enfermagem (83.3%); entretanto, a decisão sobre o tratamento é sempre realizada pelo enfermeiro (79.2%), e às vezes pelo médico (66.7%). As práticas do tratamento da ferida mostraram uma grande variação. Alguns enfermeiros ainda usam luvas com água para proteger os calcâneos dos pacientes e às vezes usam almofadas com orifício no meio para tratar úlceras de estágio I e II. Em relação às fontes de nformações para manter-se atualizados 12,24% mencionaram que sempre participam de cursos, discussões científicas ou eventos e grupos de estudo, e 75,5% reportaram que participam às vezes. Alguns (12%) enfermeiros reportaram que sempre assinam revistas científicas ou lêem artigos científicos ou usam a biblioteca, enquanto 66,21% mencionaram que algumas vezes fazem estas atividades. Enquanto 58,3% dos enfermeiros mencionaram sempre ter acesso à Internet, somente um (4%) citou um site específico sobre úlcera de pressão. A maior parte dos enfermeiros (68%) sempre procuram outros enfermeiros da mesma instituição como fonte de informação, enquanto médicos e enfermeiros pesquisadores são consultados com menor freqüência. Os enfermeiros que referiram sempre participar em atividades de educação continuada oferecidas pela instituição(73,7%) obtiveram escores mais elevados no teste. A pesquisa identificou que, apesar dos enfermeiros apresentarem um bom nível de conhecimento no teste, algumas áreas da prevenção e tratamento da úlcera precisam de investimentos para facilitar a implementação das recomendações baseadas em pesquisa ou outras evidências para que a prática clínica seja aperfeiçoada. / The purpose of this descriptive research was to examine a group of nurses’ knowledge concerning pressure ulcers’ prevention and management, and the sources used to get information for nursing care. Twenty-five nurses, working in a middle size general hospital in an inner city of Sao Paulo state, were asked to provide demographic information, to complete the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test as well to identify the frequency of some practice at clinical setting related to pressure ulcer prevention and management, and their source of information. Most nurses were female (96%), in their 30’s (56%), and had finished their BSN in 5 years or less (48%). Only 8% had any specialty education after graduating from university. Of the 46 items, nurses correctly answered between 34,1% to 89,1% . The lowest score was 18 and the highest was 41. The average score was 32,48 (SD 4,7). Nine nurses (36%) correctly answered 51% to 69,9% of the items; and 15 (60%) answered correctly more than 70% of the items. Considering the items related to pressure ulcer evaluation, lower scores were obtained related to description of undermining and the presence of slough in wound bed. Related to ulcer staging, lower scores were obtained related to description of stage II and III. Knowledge about pressure ulcer prevention was lower related to meaning of Braden scale, positioning techniques while sitting or use of the 30 degree sidelying . Regarding ulcer management, nurses reported that they always (56%) performed patient’s risk evaluation at admission and document prevention measures on patients’ records (76%). However, 50% of nurses mentioned inadequate practices as giving massages on bone prominence; 12.5% reported always giving massages, 37.5% sometimes. In the nurses’ opinion, wound care is mostly performed by nurses’ aides (83.3%); however, the decision of treatment is always made by nurses (79.2%), and sometimes by the physician (66.7%). Wound care practices showed a great variability. Some nurses still use water filled gloves to protect patients’ heels and sometimes use ring cushions to treat stage I and stage II ulcers. Related to sources of information to keep updated knowledge, 12,24% of nurses mentioned that always participated of courses, scientific discussions or meetings and study groups and 75,5 % reported that participated sometimes. Some nurses (12 %) reported that always subscribes a scientific journal or reads scientific articles or uses the library, while 66,21% mentioned that sometimes do those activities. While 58,3% of nurses always had access to the Internet, only one (4%) mentioned a specific site about pressure ulcers. Most of nurses (68%) always seek nurses from the same institution as source of information and physicians and nurse researcher are seeing less frequently. Nurses that refered to always participating in activities of continuing education offered by the institution (73,7%), obtained better scores on the knowledge test. The research has shown that although nurses have a good level of knowledge in some areas of pressure ulcer prevention, more needs to be done to facilitate the implementation of research or evidenced based recommendations in this institution in order to enhance clinical practice.

Objetivou-se com esta pesquisa analisar a produção do conhecimento de enfermagem em saúde do trabalhador com base no conjunto de dissertações e teses defendidas nos programas de pós-graduação em enfermagem do Brasil e o diagnóstico dessa produção na divulgação do conhecimento em periódicos científicos nacionais e internacionais indexados. A pesquisa foi composta por três fases. Na primeira, levantou-se a existência de linha de pesquisa e disciplina de saúde do trabalhador, através de um instrumento enviado aos coordenadores dos 25 programas de pós-graduação em enfermagem credenciados pela CAPES. Ainda, analisou-se o relatório anual da CAPES sobre os programas de pós-graduação em enfermagem, 2004, pela dificuldade na coleta de dados. Na segunda, investigou-se no catálogo do Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas em Enfermagem - informações sobre pesquisas e pesquisadores em Enfermagem da Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem (CEPEn/ABEn), no período de 1977 a 2004, as dissertações de mestrado e teses de doutorado produzidas na temática. E na terceira, buscou-se nas bases de dados Lilacs, Medline e ISI, os artigos extraídos das pesquisas investigadas na fase anterior. Obteve-se resposta de 13 (52%) coordenadores, sendo que apenas em quatro (30,77%) programas constatou-se a existência de linha e disciplina. Evidenciou-se, com a análise do relatório da CAPES-2004 que nove (36%) dos programas de pós-graduação em enfermagem trabalhavam com linhas de pesquisa e disciplinas englobando a temática. Observou-se, também, relacionando os dois procedimentos, incoerência de informações provenientes dos coordenadores e do relatório consultado. A investigação no CEPEn resultou em 140 dissertações de mestrado e 44 teses de doutorado na temática de saúde do trabalhador, sendo que Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade de São Paulo – USP e a Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto – EERP/USP as maiores produtoras nesta ordem. Constatou-se, neste momento, que o resultado desta investigação não contemplou a totalidade das informações geradas pelos programas sobre as dissertações e teses concluídas na temática, enfatizando que os estudos concluídos em 2005 não se encontravam cadastrados. As pesquisas produziram 50 artigos, 36 (72%) oriundos das dissertações e 14 (28%) das teses, perfazendo 27,17% do total de estudos produzidos no período, constatando-se maior produção das duas instituições citadas, com alteração na ordem. As revistas de enfermagem, em 81,81% dos artigos, foram as divulgadoras, sendo que 56,81% foram publicados nos periódicos da instituição de origem. Este estudo não só traz contribuições para a identificação do conhecimento produzido pela enfermagem sobre a relação saúde e trabalho, mas também fornece subsídios para os programas de pós-graduação no que se refere a analise da qualidade das informações emitidas para futuras pesquisas e para o catálogo do CEPEn/ABEn. Por sua vez mostra a necessidade, da referida instituição, rever sua forma de catalogação das dissertações e teses. / This study aimed to analyze the production of nursing knowledge on worker’s health, based on the theses and dissertations defended in Brazilian graduate nursing programs, as well as the diagnosis of this production in knowledge dissemination through national and international indexed scientific journals. The research involved three phases. First, we surveyed the existence of a research line and subject on worker’s health, using an instrument that was sent to the coordinators of the 25 graduate nursing programs accredited by CAPES – Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel. We also analyzed CAPES’ annual report about graduate nursing programs for 2004, due to data collection difficulties. In the second phase, we examined master’s theses and doctoral dissertations about the subject in the catalogue of the Nursing Study and Research Center, issued by the Brazilian Nursing Association (CEPEn/ABEn), which contains information about nursing research and researchers, for the period from 1977 to 2004. In the third phase, we searched the databases Lilacs, Medline and ISI for articles extracted from the studies examined in the previous phase. Thirteen (52%) coordinators answered the questionnaire, revealing that only 4 (30.77%) programs offered a research line and subject on worker’s health. Our analysis of the CAPES report 2004 showed that 9 (36%) graduate nursing programs were working in research lines and subjects about this theme. When relating both procedures, we observed incoherence between information given by the coordinators and published in the report. Our investigation at CEPEn resulted in 140 master’s theses and 44 doctoral dissertations about worker’s health, most of which were produced by the University of São Paulo College of Nursing (EE-USP) and Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing (EERP-USP), in this order. The results of this investigation did not cover all information about theses and dissertations produced by the program, as studies concluded in 2005 had not been registered yet. The produced studies gave rise to 50 articles, 36 (72%) from theses and 14 (28%) from dissertations, corresponding to 27.17% of the total number of studies produced in this period. The above mentioned institutions were again responsible for the greatest production, with a change in order. Nursing journals were responsible for disseminating 81.81% of the articles, and 56.81% were published in the journals issued by the institution of origin. This research not only contributes to the identification of nursing knowledge about the relation between work and health, but also supports the graduate programs by analyzing the quality of the information they publish, with a view to future studies and the CEPEn/ABEn catalogue. In turn, this reveals the need for this institution to review the way it catalogues the theses and dissertations.

Objetivou-se com esta pesquisa analisar a produção do conhecimento de enfermagem em saúde do trabalhador com base no conjunto de dissertações e teses defendidas nos programas de pós-graduação em enfermagem do Brasil e o diagnóstico dessa produção na divulgação do conhecimento em periódicos científicos nacionais e internacionais indexados. A pesquisa foi composta por três fases. Na primeira, levantou-se a existência de linha de pesquisa e disciplina de saúde do trabalhador, através de um instrumento enviado aos coordenadores dos 25 programas de pós-graduação em enfermagem credenciados pela CAPES. Ainda, analisou-se o relatório anual da CAPES sobre os programas de pós-graduação em enfermagem, 2004, pela dificuldade na coleta de dados. Na segunda, investigou-se no catálogo do Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas em Enfermagem - informações sobre pesquisas e pesquisadores em Enfermagem da Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem (CEPEn/ABEn), no período de 1977 a 2004, as dissertações de mestrado e teses de doutorado produzidas na temática. E na terceira, buscou-se nas bases de dados Lilacs, Medline e ISI, os artigos extraídos das pesquisas investigadas na fase anterior. Obteve-se resposta de 13 (52%) coordenadores, sendo que apenas em quatro (30,77%) programas constatou-se a existência de linha e disciplina. Evidenciou-se, com a análise do relatório da CAPES-2004 que nove (36%) dos programas de pós-graduação em enfermagem trabalhavam com linhas de pesquisa e disciplinas englobando a temática. Observou-se, também, relacionando os dois procedimentos, incoerência de informações provenientes dos coordenadores e do relatório consultado. A investigação no CEPEn resultou em 140 dissertações de mestrado e 44 teses de doutorado na temática de saúde do trabalhador, sendo que Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade de São Paulo – USP e a Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto – EERP/USP as maiores produtoras nesta ordem. Constatou-se, neste momento, que o resultado desta investigação não contemplou a totalidade das informações geradas pelos programas sobre as dissertações e teses concluídas na temática, enfatizando que os estudos concluídos em 2005 não se encontravam cadastrados. As pesquisas produziram 50 artigos, 36 (72%) oriundos das dissertações e 14 (28%) das teses, perfazendo 27,17% do total de estudos produzidos no período, constatando-se maior produção das duas instituições citadas, com alteração na ordem. As revistas de enfermagem, em 81,81% dos artigos, foram as divulgadoras, sendo que 56,81% foram publicados nos periódicos da instituição de origem. Este estudo não só traz contribuições para a identificação do conhecimento produzido pela enfermagem sobre a relação saúde e trabalho, mas também fornece subsídios para os programas de pós-graduação no que se refere a analise da qualidade das informações emitidas para futuras pesquisas e para o catálogo do CEPEn/ABEn. Por sua vez mostra a necessidade, da referida instituição, rever sua forma de catalogação das dissertações e teses. / This study aimed to analyze the production of nursing knowledge on worker’s health, based on the theses and dissertations defended in Brazilian graduate nursing programs, as well as the diagnosis of this production in knowledge dissemination through national and international indexed scientific journals. The research involved three phases. First, we surveyed the existence of a research line and subject on worker’s health, using an instrument that was sent to the coordinators of the 25 graduate nursing programs accredited by CAPES – Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel. We also analyzed CAPES’ annual report about graduate nursing programs for 2004, due to data collection difficulties. In the second phase, we examined master’s theses and doctoral dissertations about the subject in the catalogue of the Nursing Study and Research Center, issued by the Brazilian Nursing Association (CEPEn/ABEn), which contains information about nursing research and researchers, for the period from 1977 to 2004. In the third phase, we searched the databases Lilacs, Medline and ISI for articles extracted from the studies examined in the previous phase. Thirteen (52%) coordinators answered the questionnaire, revealing that only 4 (30.77%) programs offered a research line and subject on worker’s health. Our analysis of the CAPES report 2004 showed that 9 (36%) graduate nursing programs were working in research lines and subjects about this theme. When relating both procedures, we observed incoherence between information given by the coordinators and published in the report. Our investigation at CEPEn resulted in 140 master’s theses and 44 doctoral dissertations about worker’s health, most of which were produced by the University of São Paulo College of Nursing (EE-USP) and Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing (EERP-USP), in this order. The results of this investigation did not cover all information about theses and dissertations produced by the program, as studies concluded in 2005 had not been registered yet. The produced studies gave rise to 50 articles, 36 (72%) from theses and 14 (28%) from dissertations, corresponding to 27.17% of the total number of studies produced in this period. The above mentioned institutions were again responsible for the greatest production, with a change in order. Nursing journals were responsible for disseminating 81.81% of the articles, and 56.81% were published in the journals issued by the institution of origin. This research not only contributes to the identification of nursing knowledge about the relation between work and health, but also supports the graduate programs by analyzing the quality of the information they publish, with a view to future studies and the CEPEn/ABEn catalogue. In turn, this reveals the need for this institution to review the way it catalogues the theses and dissertations.