Citation analysis of Canadian psycho-oncology and supportive care researchers.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct a historical review of psycho-oncology and supportive care research in Canada using citation analysis and to review the clinical impact of the research conducted by the most highly cited researchers.

Methods: The lifetime journal publication records of 109 psycho-oncology and supportive care researchers in Canada were subject to citation analysis using the Scopus database, based on citations since 1996 of articles deemed relevant to psychosocial oncology and supportive care, excluding self-citations. Three primary types of analysis were performed for each individual: the number of citations for each journal publication, a summative citation count of all published articles, and the Scopus h-index.

Research citation analysis of nursing academics in Canada: identifying success indicators.

Aim: This article is a report of a citation analysis of research publications by Canadian nursing academics.

Background: Citation analysis can yield objective criteria for assessing the value of published research and is becoming increasingly popular as an academic evaluation tool in universities around the world. Citation analysis is useful for examining the research performance of academic researchers and identifying leaders among them.

Outside looking in: the lived experience of adults with prematurely born siblings.

Siblings have unique relationships; however, not all sibling relationships are typical. In North America, the preterm birth rate ranks second only to Africa in a global climate of rising preterm birth rates. A paucity of literature exists for sibling relationships when one sibling is born prematurely.

A clinical extern program evaluation: implications for nurse educators.

This article reports the findings of a program evaluation undertaken to determine outcomes of a clinical extern program. Survey and focus group methodology was used to elicit descriptive data. Evaluation findings illuminate the contributions that clinical externs made in providing patient care and the factors influencing role development.

Development of professional confidence by post diploma baccalaureate nursing students.

Professional confidence should be nurtured in a caring nursing curriculum, however there is a lack of clarity as to what confidence means, how it is perceived by students, and what educators can do to instill professional confidence in nursing students. A qualitative study using focus groups was conducted to explore the components of professional confidence as perceived by diploma-prepared registered nurses enrolled in a two-year student-centered, problem-based baccalaureate degree program. Students identified professional confidence as developing through a two-phase process.

Professional confidence in baccalaureate nursing students.

"You need to develop more confidence" is a common refrain noted by students and faculty alike. As nurse educators, we believe that encouraging students to develop their professional confidence is an important role. Moreover, the nursing profession demands that nursing care be delivered with confidence.

Innovations in nursing education: standard development for nurse educator practice.

Standards are critical in creating a vision for role development and articulating an expected level of performance for professionals. This article focuses on the process and outcomes of professional standard development that were used to redefine the scope of the nurse educator role as an advanced nursing practice role, delineate performance expectations, and highlight the complexity and diversity of role functions within the context of a tertiary-quarternary healthcare setting.

Development of an instrument to assess individual student performance in small group tutorials.

Recognizing the need for a valid and reliable method to assess individual tutorial performance in a problem-based learning curriculum, we developed a 31-item instrument from theoretical frameworks and items used elsewhere. A scale was developed for each of three broad learning domains: self-directed learning (SDL), critical thinking (CT), and group process (GP). The instrument demonstrated high internal consistency (SDL = .

Decision making in palliative radiation therapy: reframing hope in caregivers and patients with brain metastases.

Goals Of Work: To explore the major factors important in decision making for whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) for patients with brain metastases and their caregivers.

Patients And Methods: Two parallel qualitative studies, one for patients and one for caregivers of patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases, were conducted. Semistructured interviews were conducted and audiotaped with each participant.

Why cancer patients enter randomized clinical trials: exploring the factors that influence their decision.

Purpose: Few interventions have been designed and tested to improve recruitment to clinical trials in oncology. The multiple factors influencing patients' decisions have made the prioritization of specific interventions challenging. The present study was undertaken to identify the independent predictors of a cancer patient's decision to enter a randomized clinical trial.

The Initial Health Assessment: an intervention to identify the supportive care needs of cancer patients.

Background: The first step in effective supportive care delivery is an assessment of patient needs. The Initial Health Assessment Form (IHA) was developed to aid clinicians in recognition and documentation of a patient's supportive care needs during their first visit to a comprehensive cancer centre. The purpose of this study was to determine the relative effectiveness of this instrument as compared to routine practice.

Caregiving for women with advanced breast cancer.

Aim: To describe the psychosocial impact on caregivers of caring for women with advanced breast cancer.

Methods: Five focus groups were held with bereaved caregivers. Qualitative content analysis of the transcripts was conducted to identify emerging themes.

Factors that influence the recruitment of patients to Phase III studies in oncology: the perspective of the clinical research associate.

Background: The multiple determinants of a patient's decision to enter into a clinical trial have been explored largely from the perspectives of patients and their physicians. Little research has involved clinical research associates (CRAs) formally, despite their central role in the process of recruitment. The current study was initiated to explore the factors that influence the decision of patients with cancer regarding clinical trial entry, specifically from the perspective of the CRA.

A new perspective on competencies for self-directed learning.

In baccalaureate in nursing programs, self-directed methods of education have been used for many decades. A major goal of this type of approach to education is to provide students with the necessary competencies to become lifelong learners. Students must be exposed to self-directed learning competencies to obtain the knowledge, skills, and attributes unique to their personal and professional growth.