Preparing and writing an undergraduate dissertation.

Nurses studying for undergraduate degrees are often required to produce a dissertation. Usually, this will be a piece of work of around 10,000 words in length. In this paper, we discuss the characteristics of a good dissertation, and discuss a range of s trategies which students might find useful as they work towards dissertation submission.

A tale of two studies: research governance issues arising from two ethnographic investigations into the organisation of health and social care.

In a number of countries throughout the world attention is being paid to the ways in which health and social care research is undertaken and regulated. In the United Kingdom, new research governance frameworks are intended to promote improvement in research quality. This paper draws on our experiences of seeking research ethics committee approval for two investigations with the same research design, in order to address four governance issues: consistency within and between ethics committees; the assessment of vulnerable individuals regarding their suitability to participate in studies; the relationship between ethics and access; and ethics committee understanding of qualitative research.

Nursing, politics and policy: a response to Clifford.

Political decisions and social policy initiatives have an impact on the practice of nursing and on the provision of health care. In this paper, we develop the argument that nurses, therefore, need to have political awareness. Developing a critical approach to politics and policy in nursing includes, first, developing an awareness of the range of structural and ideological factors underpinning the emergence of policies.

Challenging contemporary mental health policy: time to assuage the coercion?

Background: In the United Kingdom (UK) and elsewhere throughout the world, the policy and legal frameworks that surround the provision of mental health care are becoming increasingly coercive. For example, emerging mental health policy in the UK includes a commitment to the introduction of compulsory treatment in the community.

Aims: In this paper, our aims are: to explore the context in which this more coercive mental health policy has arisen in the UK; to challenge the assumptions and the evidence that lie behind the introduction of proposed new mental health policies; and to consider the impact that a more coercive policy is likely to have on the practice of mental health nursing.

Specialist practice for UK community mental health nurses: the 1998--99 survey of course leaders.

Surveys of the leaders of the UK's post-qualifying education courses for community mental health nurses have taken place, on an annual basis, for over 10 years. In this paper, findings from the survey undertaken in the 1998--99 academic year are reported. These findings include: that most course leaders do not personally engage in clinical practice; that interprofessional education takes place at a minority of course centres, and that course philosophies and aims are characterised by an emphasis on both outcomes (in terms of, for example, skills acquisition, knowledge development and the ability to engage in reflective practice), and process (adult learning).

Accreditation of prior learning: is it worth it? An evaluation of a pilot scheme.

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is a relatively new process for both students and colleges of nursing and claims to offer many benefits (Open University 1990, Fox et al 1992). This paper describes the findings of a study undertaken to determine students' experiences of the APL process and their perceptions of how the APL process developed them. A sample of 14 students reported on the use of APL to obtain academic credit for a Level I Welsh National Board Framework Module.

Expanding the role of the nurse in the Accident and Emergency department.

In response to the increasing demands upon the Accident and Emergency department and supported by changes within the scope of professional practice of the qualified nurse, Accident and Emergency nurses have expanded their role within the multidisciplinary team. The article reviews the development of this expanded role for the nurse within the Accident and Emergency team and discusses its implications.