Enabling nursing students to focus on the Ottawa Charter and the nurses role in tackling inequalities in health through international exchange

Student nurses in a transatlantic exchange program explored the role of registered nurses in five countries’ public health systems. The Ottawa Charter provided a framework for students to examine the nurse’s responsibilities in public health. Students took practice placements in geographically rural areas on another continent and explored inequalities in health care. If nurses are to understand their role in the health care system then they must be taught the scope of their practice including their role in health promotion, public health practice and community development. For this project nursing instructors developed an assignment relevant to the aims and suitable for students in all five nursing programs. Only three of 48 students offered an assignment which focused on building healthy public policy. Nurse educators need to explore this further to ensure nurses of the future are aware of their role and responsibilities in this area and have skills to work effectively to influence and build healthy policy. The international student exchange supported the students’ developing understanding of the breadth of initiatives around the globe where nurses are actively engaged in addressing inequalities of health. Findings from an analysis of their assignments are presented in this evaluative report

Bacteria, fungi and protozoa in Signy Island soils compared with those from a temperate moorland

During the past 100 years many papers have been published on Antarctic microbiology in general and that of the soil, snow and ice in particular. However, there are still contradictory statements in the recent literature concerning the scarcity or abundance of micro-organisms in Antarctic soil, the similarities and differences in the composition of the soil microflora and microfauna of Antarctic and temperate soils, and the extent to which the Antarctic micro-organisms are adapted to grow at low temperatures. Many of the microbiological studies of the Antarctic lack detailed information concerning the habitat and detailed comparisons with temperate soils. As a result of opportunities provided by the British Antarctic Survey, microbiological investigations have been made on Signy Island in the South Orkneys and on soil samples and cultures transported to England. The results of these studies are compared here with similar studies made on soils of the Moor House National Nature Reserve in northern England. The paper also draws on the considerable information available concerning the climate, vegetation and soils of the two areas. Three groups of heterotrophic micro-organisms, bacteria, fungi and testate amoebae, have been studied to obtain information on their species composition, distribution and abundance in the soils. An examination of the temperature tolerance of some of the isolates was also made. Full results of these studies have been published or are in preparation (Heal 1965; Bailey in prep.; Latter & Heal in prep.; Latter & Cragg 1967; Latter, Cragg & Heal 1967)

Microbial diversity and function in Antarctic freshwater ecosystems

Freshwater lakes occur through much of Antarctica and are characterized by short food chains dominated by microbes. Comparatively few studies have been made of continental freshwater lakes until recently, with the main emphasis being on the less extreme maritime Antarctic lakes. The wide range of trophic status seen at the northern extremes of the maritime Antarctic reduces markedly further south, but a wide range of micro-organisms occur throughout the latitudinal range. Information on seasonal and spatial patterns of microbial activity for freshwater lakes demonstrate rapid changes in community composition at certain times of year despite constant low temperatures. Benthic communities of cyanobacteria and bacteria are a feature of most lakes and are involved in a wide range of geochemical cycling. There is a need for more detailed taxonomic information on most groups and considerable potential for molecular studies