Perceptions of infection control practices among health professionals.

Infection control practice is a cornerstone of modern health care. However, there is minimal research into health professionals' perception of infection control practices and how those perceptions influence staff compliance with recommended protocols. The objective of this study was to explore health care professionals' perceptions of infection control practices in relation to the management of infectious diseases.

Impact of patient confidentiality on carers of people who have a mental disorder.

This paper discusses how patient confidentiality issues impact on carers of people with mental disorders. Data obtained from interviews with 27 primary carers were analysed using the grounded theory method. Despite the emphasis that Australian mental health policy documents place on collaboration with carers, the findings of this Western Australian study showed that carers were expected to undertake the caring role with little support, education or understanding.

The challenges of caring for families of the terminally ill: nurses' lived experience.

Caring for families of the terminally ill is an important aspect of nursing care as nurses are considered the main health care professionals who are closest to families. This paper describes the experience of seven registered nurses caring for families of the terminally ill in Western Australia. Five of the nurses worked in an acute area at a public hospital; the other two nurses worked at long-term care settings at a private hospital.

Factors that influence Asian communities' access to mental health care.

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study to identify factors that influence Asian communities' access to mental health care and how mental health care is delivered to them. Semistructured interviews were completed with Asian community members/leaders and health-care professionals. Content analysis identified major themes.

[Health aspects in adults over 80 with independent community life: an Australian perspective].

This qualitative study describes the factors that influence the health care practices of 14 elderly persons living independently in Perth, Western Australia. Through in-depth interviews with the participants, the health care practices people were explored. Five distinct themes emerged from the data.

The recovery phase in Guillain-Barré syndrome: moving from dependency to independence.

In this study, we examined the perspectives of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome during their recovery phase. We used a grounded theory approach. Five patients discharged from a major teaching hospital were interviewed; the format was semi-structured.

The everyday realities of the multi-dimensional role of the high school community nurse.

The traditional role of the high school based community community health nurse has changed considerably over recent decades. This article describes a qualitative study, in which nine community health nurses from eight different high schools completed a diary of the interventions and events during the course of two working days in order to identify the dimensions of their role. A short demographic questionnaire was also completed by the nurses and included two open-ended questions concerning their main professional issues and concerns.