Taoist Tai Chi for health: The characteristics and patterns of practice of Western Australian practitioners

Background: Improved knowledge in the area of Tai Chi (TC) practice is important to assist both individuals and health professionals in making informed decisions related to the promotion and practice of TC as a health activity. Methods: Patterns of TC, participant characteristics and reasons for commencing and discontinuing practice were investigated using a cross-sectional survey of 382 Western Australian (WA) Taoist Tai Chi (TTC) practitioners. Results: TTC practitioners were more likely to be older Caucasian Australians, female (78.2%), retired (47.4%), well-educated (50.6%), married or living with partners (64.0%) in metropolitan areas (70.5%), and to report chronic illness. Most practised once or twice per week (60.2%) for a period of 60 to 90 minutes (82.1%) in TC clubs (81.8%) in morning and evening classes (61.2%) and had commenced TC during the previous ten years (74.1%), with a mean practice duration of 6.4 years. The main information source recommending TC came from friends and family (46%). The key motivations for commencing TC were to improve physical health (74.7%), relaxation (46.1%) and to find a ―suitable exercise‖ (66.6%), while lack of time (50%) was the main barrier to continuing TC practice. There was a significant improvement in self-reported health status amongst respondents following commencement of TC practice (p < .001). Conclusions: The high prevalence of chronic conditions amongst the TTC practitioners, their considerable length of practice and perceived improvement in health status indicate that TC may play an essential role in chronic illness self-management, but it was not well-promoted by health professionals in WA

Part 2: Home-based family caregiving at the end of life: A comprehensive review of published qualitative research (1998-2008)

Family caregivers are crucial for supporting home death. We reviewed published qualitative research on home-based family caregiving at end of life (1998—2008), synthesizing key findings and identifying gaps where additional research is needed. Multiple databases were searched and abstracts reviewed for a focus on family caregiving and palliative care; full articles were reviewed to extract data for this review. In total, 105 articles were included. Findings are presented in the following areas: the caregiving experience and contextual features; supporting family caregivers at end of life; caregiving roles and decision-making; and rewards, meaning and coping. We noted a lack of definitional clarity; a reliance on interview methods and descriptive, thematic analyses, and a relative lack of diversity of patient conditions. Research needs are identified in several areas, including the bereavement experience, caregiver ambivalence, access to services, caregiver meaning-making, and relational and contextual influences on family caregiving at end of life. </jats:p

International clinical placements for Australian undergraduate nursing students: A systematic thematic synthesis of the literature

Objectives: International clinical placements provide undergraduate nursing students with the opportunity to experience or practice nursing care in diverse countries, settings, and cultures. This systematic review aims to ascertain the current knowledge on international clinical placements offered by undergraduate nursing programs in Australia. It seeks to explore three questions: (1) How have previous experiences of nursing students’ international clinical placements been described? (2) How have participants and stakeholders determined if the placement has been successful? And (3) What benefits or challenges have been identified by stakeholders as a result of participating in international clinical placements? Design: A systematic thematic synthesis was undertaken. Data Sources: A search of electronic databases including CINAHL, Proquest Central, Scopus, PubMed, and Health Collection was undertaken between September and October 2014. Review Methods: Key terms including ‘international clinical placement’, ‘study abroad’, ‘international exchange’, ‘nursing’, and ‘Australia’ were used to identify articles that appeared in peer-reviewed English language journals and that explored international clinical placements offered to undergraduate nursing students by Australian universities. Results: Eight studies were identified that meet the inclusion criteria, and through thematic analysis, five key themes were identified including developing cultural awareness and competence, providing a global perspective on health care, translation of theory to practice, growing personally through reflection, and overcoming apprehension to successfully meet the challenge. A comparison search of literature from Canada and the United Kingdom revealed that similar themes occurred internationally. Conclusions: Although personal successes were identified by students undertaking international clinical placement, further research is required to identify all stakeholder experiences including those of the educators, the educational institutions, and travel providers supporting these placements and the communities where the placements take place

Hormone Ablation for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer: The Lived Experience

The article presents a phenomenological approach to examine men's experiences on hormone therapy for prostate cancer. A patient with prostate cancer will experience five phases of illness namely the discovering of the disease, decision-making dilemma, experience the effects of treatment, living with outcomes and reaching towards health. In coping with the illness phases, the study reveals that the quality of health care relationships help in coping with the disease

Exploring why some terminally ill people die in hospital when home was their preferred choice

Objective This small study was designed to gain a better understanding of issues that led to hospital admission of palliative care clients who had a preference for home death, but died in hospital. Design A mixed method approach was chosen for the study using descriptive analysis of routinely collected client demographic and clinical data, and conventional content analysis of case note entries. Setting The study was undertaken in two community based palliative care services located in rural South Australia. Subjects.The case notes of fourteen deceased adults registered with the Northern Yorke Peninsula and Port Pirie Palliative Care Services, with a recorded preferred site of death (PSD) of home and who died in hospital were studied. Main outcome measure Understanding of issues that may have led to hospital admission of palliative care clients who had a preference for home death but who died in hospital. Results The findings reported here focus only on the qualitative aspect of the study. Issues that may lead to hospital. admission include unstable symptoms, deteriorating condition, client/caregiver decision making, lack of services over twenty four hours and the caregiver’s ability to manage client care. Conclusion Services can now consider these findings and develop local strategies to improve support for clients with apreference to die at home, and in particular, those that focus on improving caregiver training and information

Predictors of family satisfaction with an Australian palliative home care service: a test of discrepancy theory

Five interesting findings emerged from this study: Although study results demonstrate support for Porter's Discrepancy Theory, the most compelling outcome is the finding that family care perceptions may be the best predictor of family care satisfaction. Family members' age may be a predictor of family care satisfaction. Family functioning may be a useful clinical indicator to identify families who are less satisfied with care and in greater need of support. The length of time that clients receive the care service may alter family care satisfaction. Differences in findings reported in this study compared with Canadian results point to the need for cross-cultural research in this area. This research is the first Australian study to test discrepancy theory as a framework for understanding family care satisfaction in a home hospice context. Results from this study may assist health care providers to more sensitively address the care perceptions of families in this care setting and extend theory development research that is needed to guide palliative care practice with families