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What about the carers?: Exploring the experience of caregivers in a chemotherapy day hospital setting
No full textInterest in the concerns of cancer patients’ carers has been growing steadily over the last decade reflected in key cancer service policy documents [DOH, 1995. A Policy Framework for Commissioning Cancer Services (Calman-Hine Report). London, HMSO; DOH, 2002. The NHS Cancer Plan]. Despite this acknowledgement, it can be argued that less is known about carers’ experience in the cancer treatment context. Carers can be defined as someone who shares the experience of cancer with the patient. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of caregivers in a chemotherapy day hospital and how this compared with their experience of inpatient care. Using a phenomenological approach, face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of ten caregivers. Data were analysed using Polkinghorne's [1995. Narrative Knowing & the Human Sciences. University of New York Press, Albany] two stages of narrative analysis. The findings indicated that the caregivers experienced similar transitions to the patients with regards to health-illness transition and organisational transitions. The caregivers adopted various roles in the day hospital such as Companion ‘being with’ their relative, Protector ‘keeping an eye’; Practical Caregiver and assuming an Advocate Role. The findings of this study are important for cancer nursing practice as health professionals need to acknowledge the role of carers in the chemotherapy day hospital setting and facilitate their involvement in care
The Art of Reason versus the Exactness of Science in Elite Refereeing: Comments on Plessner and Betsch (2001)
Get PDFPlessner and Betsch’s (2001) investigation into officiating behavior may be representative of a shift from stress-orientated research (Anshel & Weinberg, 1995; Rainey & Winterich, 1995; Stewart & Ellery, 1996) to consideration of decisionmaking (Craven, 1998; Ford, Gallagher, Lacy, Bridwell & Goodwin, 1999; Oudejans, Verheijen, Bakker, Gerrits, Steinbuckner & Beek, 2000), the primary function of referees in any sport. Commendably, Plessner and Betsch have investigated the most important focus of referee performance, the application of the rules (Anshel, 1995). However, methodological weaknesses, together with a fundamental error in the attribution of causation to the findings, significantly dilute this paper’s contribution to extending knowledge in this important area
Culture shift: carer empowerment and cooperative inquiry
Get PDFGovernment policy has directed local services to address the needs of carers as a way of maintaining care in the community. This study was initiated to enable carers to develop an information pack based upon their identified needs. Cooperative inquiry was the method used to ensure full participation of the carers. Group meetings were already in existence through a charity organization who provides a carers support network. The first author participated in a number of carers group meetings. Cooperative inquiry was used to clarify a number of themes identified and reflective cycles ensured that those themes remained relevant. It was found that carers did want to be involved in their relative's care, not as passive recipients but as collaborative care providers. To do this they need to be fully informed of the processes of care provision. Carers need information that is relevant, easily accessible and obtainable in varying degrees of comprehension. This study suggests that a culture shift within mental health nursing is necessary if professionals are to recognize that a perceived lack of support may lead to a breakdown in relationships between the carer, the person being cared for and the professionals
Drawn Out: Comics in the classroom
Get PDFIllustration staff at the North Wales School of Art & Design were approached in November of 2008 by Frances Jones of the North East Wales Schools Library Service to run a series of practical workshops in local schools. The project was funded by the Basic Skills Agency and was designed to encourage reluctant male readers aged 12 - 14 to engage with the library services available and become interested in reading through graphic novels. The project was a partnership between Wrexham, Denbighshire and Flint County Councils, The North Wales Schools Library Service, The Basic Skills Agency and The North Wales School of Art & Design, part of Glyndŵr University
Prediction of Wireless Network Signal Strength within a Building
Get PDFWith the increase in the provision of access to Wireless Local Area Networks and the abundance of user devices capable of utilising Wi-Fi, the design of the network infrastructure has introduced some significant problems. Prior to the installation of Access Points it is difficult to predict whether access can be guaranteed at specific locations. Additionally, to increase the level of security, it is often preferable, despite the use of security protocols, to ensure that the signal strength is not large enough to enable connection in areas other than those designated. By combining the theory of antennae and the measurement of the performance of devices, it is possible to predict whether access is likely and hence how secure the network design is. Additionally, the use of a simple application is proposed that enables the network designer to enter a configuration and produce an answer showing if WIFI will operate and a value to indicate the margin
An Overview of Long-range Dependent Network Traffic Engineering and Analysis: Characteristics, Simulation, Modelling and Control
No full textThis paper surveys techniques for the recognition and treatment of self-similar network or internetwork traffic. Various researchers have reported traffic measurements that demonstrate considerable burstiness on a range of time scales with properties of self-similarity. Rapid technological development has widened the scope of network and Internet applications and, in turn, increased traffic volume. The exponential growth of the number of servers, as well as the number of users, causes Internet performance to be problematic as a result of the significant impact that long-range dependent traffic has on buffer requirements. Consequently, accurate and reliable measurement, analysis and control of Internet traffic are vital. The most significant techniques for performance evaluation include theoretical analysis, simulation, and empirical study based on measurement. In this research, we discuss existing and recent developments in performance evaluation and control tools used in network traffic engineering
The IRA Apology of 2002 and Forgiveness in Northern Ireland's Troubles: A Cross-National Study of Printed Media
No full textThis study provides a cross-national exploration of the media and public responses to the 2002 Irish Republican Army (IRA) statement of apology for the hundreds of non-combatant deaths caused by them over the past 30 years. The study explored responses to the statement in national, regional, and local news papers across the United States, England, and Northern Ireland. It was hypothesized that relational closeness to victims of the IRA campaign would affect attitudes toward the IRA apology, as would geographical closeness to the political violence in Northern Ireland; also within Northern Ireland there would be differences in attitudes toward the statement due to the ethnopolitical orientation of the newspapers' intended readership. The results broadly supported these hypotheses, with the U.S. print media being generally more positive and the English print media more negative in attitude toward the statement of apology. Also, among responses in England, those areas that had suffered directly from IRA violence tended to have the most negative reactions of all. In Northern Ireland, newspapers with a predominately Catholic readership responded to the IRA apology generally positively, whereas newspapers with a predominately Protestant readership responded generally negatively. The results illustrate difficulties facing peace processes in settings of ethnic violence and the complexity of responses to apology and forgiveness of relevant publics within and outside actual conflict areas
“Something We Don’t Normally Do”: A Qualitative Study of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the Secure Estate
Get PDFThe paper is based on findings from a qualitative study of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) in the secure estate, drawing on focus groups with young people in young offenders institutions in England and Wales (pre and post implementation of the DoE programme) and qualitative interviews with staff delivering the Award within the establishments. In exploring participant perceptions of the DofE, the paper focuses on the way in which programme participation provided young people with new experiences, arguing that it offers them some insight into alternative ways of existence, other than crime. At the same time the programme was perceived by young people as instrumental to accessing this ‘existence’ and hence a possible route to realise their ambitions. Young people were acutely aware of having discredited identities as a function of their offending and the Award, by dint of attributes it was perceived to confer upon recipients, was understood as a way of repairing this damage and easing entry into, and acceptance by, mainstream society. Moreover, the skills and experiences imparted by the DofE were perceived as appropriate and useful for acquisition of social skills necessary to make this transition. The authors conclude that DoE programme may usefully form part of a broader offending prevention programme because, based on the findings of this study of young people in custody, it may appeal to young disadvantaged young people, disillusioned by main stream education and who may be on the cusp of offending
Medical Applications of Solid State Ionics
Get PDFSolid State Ionic materials and devices are being used in medicine in many ways. A brief initial introduction to the materials, the devices and the pertinent electrophysiological and clinical aspects is presented. To exemplify the breadth of SSI material and device applications, an overview is given of three main areas: Biomedical applications of solid state power sources; Biofuel cells; and Iontophoretic and related devices used for controlled transdermal drug delivery and monitoring of physiological parameter