2.6.2 What do children’s nurses do? An examination of children’s nurses’ accounts and records of care in Ireland (367)

Melissa Corbally, Lecturer in Nursing, School of Nursing, Dublin City University, Ireland Co authors: Pamela Henry, Anne Scott & Eilis Hayes melissa.corbally@dcu.ie

Abstract:

There is a paucity of empirical data internationally on the activities of children’s nurses in clinical practice and the contribution they make to health and social care. This paper will present the findings of a study which used a triangulation of research methods to explore children’s nurses’ contribution to the care of children and their families. The commonalities and differences between the themes which emerged using both methods of inquiry will also be discussed. Four focus group discussions were conducted in three hospital sites (n=25). A documentary analysis of eight cases selected from each of these sites (n=24) was also conducted. Both structured and unstructured documentation were included in this study. Thematic analysis was conducted on the data with the assistance of the computer assisted qualitative data analysis package (NVivo). Five categories common to both data sets emerged: Conceptualisation of children’s nurses unique contribution to care, Assessment, Problems, Nursing interventions and Outcomes of care delivery. Another category – Issues and aspects of children’s nursing, was unique to the focus group data and represented participants’ accounts of the challenges nurses in Ireland face in providing quality care. The duality of the children’s nurses’ role (between child and parent) emerged strongly from both data sets under the category in the category Conceptualisation of children’s nurses’ unique contribution to care. This illustrated a ‘doubling’ up of nursing work voiced by participants. This finding contrasts with the rhetoric of ‘family centred care’ where nursing activity is conceptualised as a single entity (MacKean et al 2005, Paliadelis et al 2005). This paper attempts to make visible, the valuable work conducted by children’s nurses in Ireland. There is potential for this study to have international resonance with practitioners working in similar healthcare settings. It is hoped that this study will prompt international collaboration in this subject area.

Biography:

Melissa Corbally is an RGN with specialist experience in coronary care and accident and emergency nursing. She was involved in the setting up of the first nurse telephone consultation service in Ireland. She has worked on a number of national research projects. The paper she is presenting today relates to an aspect of one of these projects. She is currently undertaking a professional doctorate in health and social care at the University of Salford.