Motivation for a successful health career

It has been said that the greatest motivators are those which the person values but does not currently possess (Wiley, 1997), with motivation integral to the concept of achievement. Motivation has direct links to behaviour (Nicholson et al., 1995) and thus focussing on what we want can encourage us to change our behaviours and undertake that which enhances performance. Motivation cannot stand alone, but rather should be in lockstep with other attributes such as self-initiative and self-organisation to support positive behaviours (Marques et al., 2019)

The mental health impacts of smartphone and social media use

Information technology (IT) has revolutionised the ways society communicates and interacts, with a rapid escalation since the advent of the Internet. Social media apps in IT devices, most predominantly the smartphone, have become a gateway to social connectedness. Such devices have many benefits, with the potential to improve productivity through calendars, information sharing through emails and messag- ing, entertainment and relaxation through games or social media, and even bargain hunting through online shopping and discount finders (Elhai et al., 2017)

Change management in health care and mental health nursing

Since Nightingale implied that progress was inherent in good nursing, change has slowly but surely accelerated to a frenetic pace in health care and to a degree in nursing. However, the healthy progress and implications associated with change in the nursing profession are not as readily embraced as this pace may imply. Rather, embracing change at the core of nursing and health care is a challenge as this is a group who it is suggested are not only resistant but also adept at reinforcing the status quo. Using mental health nursing as an example this position paper addresses the concept of change management, explores the facilitators and inhibitors to explain why change is not effectively managed at times. Further, case studies provided exemplify how change in mental health nursing has occurred and demonstrate how the concept of change management effectively has been achieved. Key strategies for change management are outlined in this article, noting the need to be sensitive to the culture and specifics of that organisation, because change takes place within people rather than within the organisation itself. Part of the challenges and strategies faced in the profession are related to the movement of information and knowledge from the point of research to implementation of evidence-based best practice. Leaders, therefore, should adopt change management principles and strategies, to further drive the developments which have changed mental health nursing over a relatively short period

Nursing daily routine activities: A considered response or coping mechanism?

Routine activities have important roles in the daily work-place. Routine provides a sense of coordination, organisation and stability and its very regularity demonstrates its important place in the everyday (Aldrich & Dickie, 2013; Zisberg et al., 2007). A routine can be a rule, such as the ideal routine, as well as a behaviour, where the routine is expressed as a pattern (Feldman & Pentland, 2003; Pentland & Feldman, 2005). Routine can be viewed both positively and negatively. Perceptions of routinisation may consider it rigid and hence stifling creativity (Aldrich & Dickie, 2013) and perpetuating monotony of repetition (Rytterstr€om et al., 2011). It can be viewed as an unconsidered, automated-like response, suppressing more considered approaches. Alternatively, routine can present a constructed approach to tasks, and provides a negotiation between the needs of the situation and our personal capabilities (Aldrich & Dickie, 2013)

Self-immolation and the mental health care of survivors

Self-immolation or self-burning is a method of self-half or suicide that involves the dousing with an accelerant and setting oneself alight (Ahmadi & Ahmadi, 2007; Cleary et all.,2019)

Response: A trauma-informed model of care for self-immolation survivors and their families

A systematic review of qualitative evidence’ highlights some important issues. The prevalence of this violent and devastating form of self-harm warrants review and discussion and requires further integration into global health care responses. Those from lower- and middleincome countries can be met with a health system that is under-resourced for responding to the physical and psychological needs of such survivors and care that is fragmented

Burnout, compassion fatigue, and resilience among healthcare professionals

Healthcare professionals face numerous challenges and multiple stressors in their practice – such as time constraints, inadequate support, and exposure to trauma, morbidity, and mortality. Such stressors seem to be worsening, particularly in an environment of international pandemic, and few healthcare environments can be consistently described as predictable, well-funded, and calm. Consequently, the importance of protecting staff against burnout and building workplace resilience has received increasing attention. Healthcare professionals commonly work with limited resources and inadequate support, impeding their capacity to deliver the care they aspire to provide. This can culminate in burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue, a state that is uncommon among the general population but all too common in healthcare professionals

Women in health academia: Power dynamics in nursing, higher education and research

Power – or the wielding of power – is an in evitable and necessary component of the way organizations function. This is because power forms the basis of “getting things done”, “making a difference”, and achieving outcomes – the common goal of all organizations (Blake & Mouton, 1968; Vine, 2004). Power is further broken down into two types: “power to” or the ability to achieve objectives; and “power over” or the influence one has over the behaviours and actions of others (Hawks, 1991, p. 755)

Finding common ground for the common good: Compromise in health care

As important as seeking the common good is, the common ground may be what is most often and most usefully sought (Gutmann & Thompson, 2013). Achieving the common good can be a lofty ideal that is not easily achieved, whereas people are more likely to effectively negotiate and compromise to achieve that which is closer to their own heart and day-to-day reality than “bigger picture” ideals

Burns sustained from body heating devices: An integrative review

BACKGROUND: Heating devices can provide relief from muscular pain and the cold, however they may result in burn injuries when used inappropriately. OBJECTIVE: This review article synthesizes the incidence, risk factors, outcomes, treatment, and prevention of burns sustained from body heating devices in order to better understand how these burns are sustained. METHODS: PubMed, CINHAL, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were systematically searched from inception up until January 13, 2020, for studies/case reports on burns sustained from body heating devices that were published in the English language. RESULTS: Medical records from 10 retrospective studies yielded 1343 patients with burns, of whom the majority were women (63.4%) with a mean age of 27.7 years (range, 0-92 years). Devices included hot water bottles, hot wheat bags, and heating pads. Sites of injury were predominantly in the lower limbs and feet, with other sites reported (ie, abdomen, pelvis, buttocks, perineum, and upper limbs). Burns sustained typically had low total burn surface area (TBSA) but often involved partial-thickness to full-thickness burn injury. The proportion of patients requiring surgery ranged from 15% to 87.4% for hot water bottle injuries and 91% for wheat bag injuries. Women were predominately represented in the case series/reports. Burns had low TBSA with hot water bottles, and heating pads were the most common mechanism of injury, predominately women following breast reconstructive surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: Burns from body heating devices are often preventable. Community education and improved manufacture labelling on the appropriate use and potential risks should be required. The patient's cognitive ability and physiology must be considered to minimize incidence and severity of injury