Preparing clinical nurse leaders in a regional Australian teaching hospital.

The need to develop nurses as managers and leaders is crucial to the retention of registered nurses at a time of work force shortages and an increasingly aging work force in most Western industrialized countries. This article describes a creative and collaborative educational initiative developed at a large regional teaching hospital in New South Wales, Australia, designed to address this need. Based on a competency assessment process designed around face-to-face education, resource materials, and individualized mentoring from nurse unit managers, the aim of this multifaceted educational program is to develop effective team leaders in the clinical setting as well as a new generation of nursing leaders.

Towards innovation: the development of a person-centred model of care for older people in acute care.

That the population is ageing poses many challenges for health care planners. Some argue that these challenges, exacerbated by limited funding, maintaining increased community expectations and the need for quality health care outcomes, may be overcome by exploring alternate models of care. These ideas have led health planners to reconceptualise contemporary philosophies of care with the current emphasis on multidisciplinary teams and a person-centred approach to care.

The scope of enrolled nurse practice: a grounded theory study.

This paper follows an earlier paper presented in this journal where the scope ofj practice of Enrolled Nurses (EN) was critically reviewed from the available literature on this topic. In this paper the authors (Milson-Hawke & Higgins, 2003) recommended the need for research into the scope of practice of ENs. The purpose of the paper presented here is to describe the outcomes of a grounded theory study that explored the nature of EN practice within an acute hospital setting and the processes that ENs used to guide their practice.

Assessment of the bioequivalence of a generic cyclosporine A by a randomized controlled trial in stable renal recipients.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the bioequivalence of Cysporin, a generic cyclosporine A, compared with Neoral in stable renal transplant recipients.

Methods: Study design consisted of an open label, two-way crossover, randomized controlled trial of Cysporin versus Neoral in stable renal transplant recipients. In all, 33 patients were enrolled; 31 were randomized and 28 were evaluable.

The scope of enrolled nurse practice: a review of the literature.

In this paper the scope of nursing practice of enrolled nurses (EN) is discussed within the context of the current demands of the health care environment and the impact of a changing grade mix for qualified nurses. Discussion is provided about EN practice, roles, functions, and competencies. The need for consistency in legislative and national guidelines, educational preparation, and the implementation of a decision-making framework is argued.