The write stuff: A proactive approach to increasing academics' writing skills and outcomes.

An important way to advance the profession of nursing, to promote best practice and to improve the quality of nursing care, is for nurses to publish. A publication track record is necessary to gain competitive research funding, build knowledge, disseminate new insights and advance the profession. However, academics often experience obstacles in publishing ranging from a pervasive teaching culture, lack of confidence in writing, and lack of strategies to write more strategically.

Who is that masked educator? Deconstructing the teaching and learning processes of an innovative humanistic simulation technique.

Simulation learning in nursing has long made use of mannequins, standardized actors and role play to allow students opportunity to practice technical body-care skills and interventions. Even though numerous strategies have been developed to mimic or amplify clinical situations, a common problem that is difficult to overcome in even the most well-executed simulation experiences, is that students may realize the setting is artificial and fail to fully engage, remember or apply the learning. Another problem is that students may learn technical competence but remain uncertain about communicating with the person.

Public support for anti-smoking legislation varies with smoking status.

Objective: Rural Australians have higher rates of smoking than their urban counterparts, contributing to poorer health outcomes. In 2004, the Queensland Government introduced legislation to reduce the impact of environmental tobacco smoke on the community. The aims of the study were to describe smoking behaviours and associations between smoking behaviour and agreement with current anti-smoking laws.