Internet Use by Parents of Children With Rare Conditions: Findings From a Study on Parents' Web Information Needs.

Background: Parents of children with rare conditions increasingly use the Internet to source information on their child's condition. This study reports on part of a larger study whose overall aim was to identify the Internet use by parents when seeking information on their child's rare condition, with the specific purpose of using the findings to aid in the development of a website specifically designed to meet the parents' needs. It presents findings on why these parents use the Internet, the information and support content they source, and the impact these resources have on their capacity to care for and manage their child's condition.

An evaluation of an interprofessional master's level programme in children's palliative care: The students' evaluation.

In 2010/12 an innovative children's palliative care interprofessional educational project funded by the Irish Hospice Foundation was undertaken in a University faculty (Trinity College Dublin). This initiative responded to international educational recommendations to meet the palliative care needs of children. The project involved the development and delivery of 3 standalone modules at Master's level and a substantive research evaluation of the project to examine stakeholders and students perspectives to provide an insight into their experiences and to gather data for future developments.

Awareness and minimisation of systematic bias in research.

A major goal of nursing and midwifery is the delivery of evidence-based practice. Consequently, it is essential for the quality and safety of patient/client care that policy makers, educators and practitioners are aware of the presence of potential systematic bias in research practice and research publications so that only sound evidence translates into practice. The main aim of this paper is to highlight the need for ongoing awareness of the potential presence of systematic bias in research practice, to explore commonly reported types of systematic bias and to report some methods that can be applied to minimise systematic bias in research.

Myths and facts about safe patient handling in rehabilitation.

As the incidence of injuries associated with patient-handling tasks remains high in the rehabilitation community, interdisciplinary discussions on optimal methods for preventing injuries and ensuring good care continue. A national task force consisting of representatives from the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, the American Physical Therapy Association, and the Veterans Health Administration identified myths that have been promulgated on both sides of the discussion, focusing especially on rehabilitation practices. The purpose of this article is to dispel these myths by using evidence-based methods.

The multifaceted influence of gender in career progress in nursing.

The complex web of gender influence in the workplace results from a multifaceted interplay of factors [Walby et al. (1994) Medicine and Nursing. Sage Publications, London].

Questioning: a tool in the nurse educator's kit.

Effective questioning is one of the most important teaching techniques and plays a crucial role in creating an effective learning environment. Yet, in nurse education little has been written about this technique or its importance. Most literature refers to the need for lecturers to be skilled in questioning, but less is written about how to develop this essential technique.

The glass ceiling in Irish healthcare: a nursing perspective.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe and explore from the perspectives of top-level nurses holding the formal position of director of nursing their perceptions and interpretations of their experiences in the Irish healthcare system.

Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents some findings from a nation-wide study, which is qualitative in approach using grounded theory methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 directors of nursing representing general and psychiatric nursing.