Chronic pain: good management of practical pain control strategies is associated with being older, more health activated and having better mental health.

INTRODUCTION Chronic pain affects a large proportion of the adult population and people in pain need to learn how to manage it in order to maintain quality of life. AIM This study aimed to examine how well people with long-term conditions make use of self-management strategies to control their pain, and to identify personal attributes associated with a higher degree of success. METHODS People with chronic pain who participated in the first phase of a longitudinal long-term conditions study in the MidCentral region made up the study sample (N=326, response rate 21%).

The role and measurement of patient activation in the management of long-term conditions in New Zealand.

Aim: Patient activation represents people's knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their own health. We provide information regarding the nature of patient activation and use New Zealand data to consider its utility in New Zealand.

Methods: Self-report data using the patient activation measure (PAM) and seven health and general practice experience measures were collected from 544 general practice patients in the MidCentral region.

Providing and receiving self-management support for chronic illness: patients' and health practitioners' assessments.

Introduction: Providing care for people with chronic illness is a major issue for health practitioners around the world, especially as populations age. Encouraging self-management is beneficial in terms of relieving the burden on the health system and promoting better health and adherence to medication and advice amongst this group.

Aim: To measure the level of self-management support being provided to and received by people living with chronic illness in a District Health Board (DHB) region.

Modifying the PACIC to assess provision of chronic illness care: an exploratory study with primary health care nurses.

Introduction: In line with Wagner's Chronic Care Model, the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) has been developed to evaluate chronic illness care delivery from the patient's perspective. Modification of the instrument to assess the same aspects of care delivery from the health practitioner's perspective would enable individual practitioners to evaluate their own provision of self-management support, and would also enable a more direct comparison between care provided and care received within the chronic illness context.

Aim: To explore the potential of a modified PACIC instrument to assess individual health practitioners' delivery of care to chronic illness patients with a sample of primary health care nurses.

Experiences of nursing in older care facilities in New Zealand.

To examine issues related to the working life of registered nurses in residential care for older people in New Zealand, 48 registered nurses completed surveys (n = 28) or participated in discussions (n = 26) regarding their work roles, continuing education and interactions with specialist nurse services when providing care for older people living with chronic illnesses. This nursing workforce is characterised by ageing, relative isolation, reduced confidence and few opportunities for induction of new graduates. Registered nurses reported their struggle to deliver the appropriate quality of care to residents as acuity increases, general practitioner availability decreases and the opportunities for increasing their knowledge and competence remain limited.

Public health nurses' views on their position within a changing health system.

To date nursing research exploring the relevance of the practice environment has focused substantially on the experiences of hospital-based nurses. More recently greater attention has been paid to the community nursing environment and nurses involved in primary health care. This study considers the context of public health nursing in New Zealand, firstly by exploring the creation and development of the public health nursing role and secondly by presenting the results of a survey of nurses' views of their practice environments and of their professional positioning at the time of the introduction of Primary Health Organisations (PHOs).