Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing Vol. 37 No. 5 September/October 2006
By Jane Conway, BHSc (Nursing), B Nursing (Hons I), EdD; Margaret A. McMillan, RN, McurrSt (Hons), PhD; Annette Solman, RN, MN
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ABSTRACT
This article presents a case study that examined the work practice of nurses in a cardiac step-down unit (CSDU). The action research included interviews, participant observation, and a self-reporting questionnaire. Nurses in the unit used a conceptual framework that was inconsistent with the rehabilitation-oriented nursing necessary to enhance patient outcomes in a CSDU. The results of this study show that a need exists for greater alignment between the practice and the educational preparation of nurses who work in a CSDU. A framework such as Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Theory of Nursing (1995) offers a conduit for nurses to deliver care appropriate to CSDU patient needs. However, there is a need for continuing education for nursing staff to align the cardiac rehabilitation nursing philosophy and the theories that underpin it (such as the Self-Care Theory) with nursing practice. Practice development provides a mechanism through which to examine the congruence between patient needs and nurse perception of those needs.
AUTHORS
Dr. Conway is Director, Organisational Learning and Development, Northern Sydney Central Coast Health, Sydney, and Conjoint Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia. Dr. McMillan is Deputy Executive Dean, Faculty of Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of New Castle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia. Ms. Solman is Manager, Organisational Culture and Practice Development, Northern Sydney Central Coast Health, Sydney, Australia.
Address correspondence to Jane Conway, Learning and Development Service, P. O. Box 361, Gosford 2250 NSW, Australia.
Original text National Institutes of Health (NIH)