Access to employment for people with disabilities: findings of a consumer-led project.

Purpose: A consumer led initiative which aimed to gather information from local employers and disabled people which might inform future action to improve work opportunities for disabled people.

Method: (1) A survey of 500 companies with more than 20 employees randomly sampled from 4 locations across Suffolk was undertaken. The survey generated both numerical and verbal data.

Managing psychosocial adjustment to aphasia.

This article argues for incorporating psychosocial adjustment into treatment plans for people with aphasia. It proposes that rehabilitation is a social rather than a medical construct and that by adopting a broad range of intervention strategies, more effective approaches to reintegration can be adopted. Outcome measures relating to self-esteem are judged to be central to evaluating the efficacy of treatment.

Venous leg ulcers. Part 1: Aetiology.

A sound knowledge of the physiology of the venous system is necessary to understand how venous leg ulcers develop. The main risk factors are thrombus formation and venous incompetence and nurses should be alert to the signs of these conditions.

Specialist practice and the professional project for nursing.

This article examines the implications of the UKCC's (1994) decision to determine a sphere of practice for specialist practitioners. It coincides with the move towards professional status within nursing. It is argued that a specialization strategy for nursing has obvious advantages for those who wish nursing to be successful in its professionalization.

The management of infected wounds.

There is a lack of empirical evidence on the most effective management of infected wounds. The principles for cleansing infected wounds are similar to those for any wound, with emphasis on control of infection. Modern dressings that promote a moist environment are effective in the management of infected wounds.

The conflict between 'new nursing' and 'scientific management' as perceived by surgical nurses.

Nursing on surgical wards is a major area of employment for nurses, but the literature is sparse in relation to this group. Dramatic alterations in surgical care have occurred over the past few years, including the introduction of day surgery on a major scale, increased technical equipment and faster 'throughput' of patients. This has led to Nicholas Fox describing 'a conveyor belt of surgery'.

Contracting in the National Health Service (NHS): recognizing the need for co-operation.

Within the reorganized National Health Service hierarchical relationships between Health Authorities and Trusts have been replaced by functional differentiation. However, differentiation of function cannot be seen as an end in itself and management of the relationship between purchasers and providers must include managing the differentiation as well as the function. This paper suggests that collaborative and administrative activities have a distinct role to play in health service management.