uu In this paper we present the history and background of action research. We identify the way in... more uu In this paper we present the history and background of action research. We identify the way in which action research has evolved over time, reflecting paradigmatic shifts towards contempo rary philosophies of emancipation and transformation. Because of the way in which the paradigms underpinning action research have evolved, the methodology has also developed, with an increasing emphasis on maximising the potential for collaboration and participation. We will argue that the most recent representation of action research as ‘transformational research’ has pushed the boundaries of research even further and has challenged dominant thinking about the way research is conducted. A case study of transformational action research derived from an ongoing project in Australia is presented to illustrate the methodology in action. Finally, a discussion of key issues arising from the case study in the context of action research theory and practice highlights the importance of active learning as...
Older people now currently drink alcohol more frequently than previous generations, indicating a ... more Older people now currently drink alcohol more frequently than previous generations, indicating a need to understand how this influences health and wellbeing in older adults. However, knowledge and awareness of the changing role alcohol plays in the lives of older people is not necessarily widely understood by allied health professionals in acute hospital contexts. In turn, conversations about drinking alcohol in later life may not be routinely addressed as part of practice, limiting an older person's choice to make informed decisions about their drinking. This paper qualitatively examines when occupational therapists (N = 17) in an acute hospital setting will initiate a conversation with older people (65+ years) about their drinking, guided by a theoretical lens that encompasses both person-centredness and collective occupation. Adopting a qualitative methodology, this study illustrates a typology of reasoning describing how, and in what circumstances, therapists ask older peopl...
Person-centred Nursing Research: Methodology, Methods and Outcomes
In this chapter, and the following one, we set the scene for the book and hopefully, pave the way... more In this chapter, and the following one, we set the scene for the book and hopefully, pave the way for the authors who follow, to share their research endeavours. All the authors in this book are doctoral candidates/students or recently graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy award, with whom we are working in some capacity, most often as research supervisors or mentors. Thus, the research, along with the enveloping theoretical ideas, shared in this book, in a way, offers an exhibition for others to come to their own view about the nature of person-centred research. We very much see what is offered here as being a useful resource for readers to build on, so that together, we are all collaborating in building a map for research that has at its heart persons, personhood and the continuity of humanising nursing care.
Older people now currently drink alcohol more frequently than previous generations, indicating a ... more Older people now currently drink alcohol more frequently than previous generations, indicating a need to understand how this influences health and wellbeing in older adults. However, knowledge and awareness of the changing role alcohol plays in the lives of older people is not necessarily widely understood by allied health professionals in acute hospital contexts. In turn, conversations about drinking alcohol in later life may not be routinely addressed as part of practice, limiting an older person's choice to make informed decisions about their drinking. This paper qualitatively examines when occupational therapists (N = 17) in an acute hospital setting will initiate a conversation with older people (65+ years) about their drinking, guided by a theoretical lens that encompasses both person-centredness and collective occupation. Adopting a qualitative methodology, this study illustrates a typology of reasoning describing how, and in what circumstances, therapists ask older peopl...
Background: The Critical Ally and Critical Friend are two models in the early stages of developme... more Background: The Critical Ally and Critical Friend are two models in the early stages of developmental testing as part of a doctoral research programme. Together with the Critical Companionship model, they offer a theoretically coherent framework for developing expertise in the facilitation of learning about practice from within the workplace. The two new models are sequentially related models underpinned by key principles of practice development and critical social theory. Unlike Critical Companionship, the Critical Ally and Critical Friend models are aimed at novice and proficient practice developers respectively; we argue that, because of their design, they can offer stepping stones to Critical Companionship. Together, the three models offer a pathway for practice developers and practitioners to gain, in a systematic way over a longer timescale, a repertoire of facilitation skills and to build expertise. Aims: To describe the two new models and demonstrate their theoretical cohere...
Aims and objectives: The overall aim of this mini project was to collaboratively engage in a lear... more Aims and objectives: The overall aim of this mini project was to collaboratively engage in a learning activity that would provide evidence about the workplace culture to be used to inform other aspects of practice development work. The objectives were: to enhance observation skills; contribute to a team development activity; share and develop critical questions for use with local practice development action planning and build up active commitment to practice development work within the group. Design: A small pilot project embedded within a larger complex emancipatory practice development programme. Method: An unstructured observation method was used and followed up with facilitated critical reflection and dialogue. Results: The overall theme was Inconsistency and Contradictions. Seven contradictory sub-themes were found: light and dark; cleanliness and clutter; quiet and noise; calmness and busyness; conversation and chatter; communal and bedside; respect and disrespect. Conclusions...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
A lack of fidelity to Lean Six Sigma’s (LSS) philosophical roots can create division between pers... more A lack of fidelity to Lean Six Sigma’s (LSS) philosophical roots can create division between person-centred approaches to transforming care experiences and services, and system wide quality improvement methods focused solely on efficiency and clinical outcomes. There is little research into, and a poor understanding of, the mechanisms and processes through which LSS education influences healthcare staffs’ person-centred practice. This realist inquiry asks ‘whether, to what extent and in what ways, LSS in healthcare contributes to person-centred care and cultures’. Realist review identified three potential Context, Mechanism, Outcome configurations (CMOcs) explaining how LSS influenced practice, relating to staff, patients, and organisational influences. Realist evaluation was used to explore the CMOc relating to staff, showing how they interacted with a LSS education Programme (the intervention) with CMOc adjudication by the research team and study participants to determine whether,...
Research suggests that a large proportion of people living with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) are usi... more Research suggests that a large proportion of people living with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) are using cannabis to self-manage symptoms, or at least believe there are potential benefits in using this drug. Since community nurses are frontline caregivers, they are likely to encounter PwMS who use cannabis within the home setting. The literature base surrounding this topic is largely driven by quantitative research examining the effectiveness of cannabis as a medicine. This review found that qualitative research exploring the experiences of PwMS who use cannabis is lacking worldwide and is completely absent within UK nursing literature. PwMS using cannabis may not feel safe discussing this with health professionals, as they might fear being judged. This literature review discusses how people perceive the effectiveness of cannabis in helping symptoms associated with MS, while also considering the stigma and legal concerns people face. This review may help community nurses inform their pra...
uu In this paper we present the history and background of action research. We identify the way in... more uu In this paper we present the history and background of action research. We identify the way in which action research has evolved over time, reflecting paradigmatic shifts towards contempo rary philosophies of emancipation and transformation. Because of the way in which the paradigms underpinning action research have evolved, the methodology has also developed, with an increasing emphasis on maximising the potential for collaboration and participation. We will argue that the most recent representation of action research as ‘transformational research’ has pushed the boundaries of research even further and has challenged dominant thinking about the way research is conducted. A case study of transformational action research derived from an ongoing project in Australia is presented to illustrate the methodology in action. Finally, a discussion of key issues arising from the case study in the context of action research theory and practice highlights the importance of active learning as...
Older people now currently drink alcohol more frequently than previous generations, indicating a ... more Older people now currently drink alcohol more frequently than previous generations, indicating a need to understand how this influences health and wellbeing in older adults. However, knowledge and awareness of the changing role alcohol plays in the lives of older people is not necessarily widely understood by allied health professionals in acute hospital contexts. In turn, conversations about drinking alcohol in later life may not be routinely addressed as part of practice, limiting an older person's choice to make informed decisions about their drinking. This paper qualitatively examines when occupational therapists (N = 17) in an acute hospital setting will initiate a conversation with older people (65+ years) about their drinking, guided by a theoretical lens that encompasses both person-centredness and collective occupation. Adopting a qualitative methodology, this study illustrates a typology of reasoning describing how, and in what circumstances, therapists ask older peopl...
Person-centred Nursing Research: Methodology, Methods and Outcomes
In this chapter, and the following one, we set the scene for the book and hopefully, pave the way... more In this chapter, and the following one, we set the scene for the book and hopefully, pave the way for the authors who follow, to share their research endeavours. All the authors in this book are doctoral candidates/students or recently graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy award, with whom we are working in some capacity, most often as research supervisors or mentors. Thus, the research, along with the enveloping theoretical ideas, shared in this book, in a way, offers an exhibition for others to come to their own view about the nature of person-centred research. We very much see what is offered here as being a useful resource for readers to build on, so that together, we are all collaborating in building a map for research that has at its heart persons, personhood and the continuity of humanising nursing care.
Older people now currently drink alcohol more frequently than previous generations, indicating a ... more Older people now currently drink alcohol more frequently than previous generations, indicating a need to understand how this influences health and wellbeing in older adults. However, knowledge and awareness of the changing role alcohol plays in the lives of older people is not necessarily widely understood by allied health professionals in acute hospital contexts. In turn, conversations about drinking alcohol in later life may not be routinely addressed as part of practice, limiting an older person's choice to make informed decisions about their drinking. This paper qualitatively examines when occupational therapists (N = 17) in an acute hospital setting will initiate a conversation with older people (65+ years) about their drinking, guided by a theoretical lens that encompasses both person-centredness and collective occupation. Adopting a qualitative methodology, this study illustrates a typology of reasoning describing how, and in what circumstances, therapists ask older peopl...
Background: The Critical Ally and Critical Friend are two models in the early stages of developme... more Background: The Critical Ally and Critical Friend are two models in the early stages of developmental testing as part of a doctoral research programme. Together with the Critical Companionship model, they offer a theoretically coherent framework for developing expertise in the facilitation of learning about practice from within the workplace. The two new models are sequentially related models underpinned by key principles of practice development and critical social theory. Unlike Critical Companionship, the Critical Ally and Critical Friend models are aimed at novice and proficient practice developers respectively; we argue that, because of their design, they can offer stepping stones to Critical Companionship. Together, the three models offer a pathway for practice developers and practitioners to gain, in a systematic way over a longer timescale, a repertoire of facilitation skills and to build expertise. Aims: To describe the two new models and demonstrate their theoretical cohere...
Aims and objectives: The overall aim of this mini project was to collaboratively engage in a lear... more Aims and objectives: The overall aim of this mini project was to collaboratively engage in a learning activity that would provide evidence about the workplace culture to be used to inform other aspects of practice development work. The objectives were: to enhance observation skills; contribute to a team development activity; share and develop critical questions for use with local practice development action planning and build up active commitment to practice development work within the group. Design: A small pilot project embedded within a larger complex emancipatory practice development programme. Method: An unstructured observation method was used and followed up with facilitated critical reflection and dialogue. Results: The overall theme was Inconsistency and Contradictions. Seven contradictory sub-themes were found: light and dark; cleanliness and clutter; quiet and noise; calmness and busyness; conversation and chatter; communal and bedside; respect and disrespect. Conclusions...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
A lack of fidelity to Lean Six Sigma’s (LSS) philosophical roots can create division between pers... more A lack of fidelity to Lean Six Sigma’s (LSS) philosophical roots can create division between person-centred approaches to transforming care experiences and services, and system wide quality improvement methods focused solely on efficiency and clinical outcomes. There is little research into, and a poor understanding of, the mechanisms and processes through which LSS education influences healthcare staffs’ person-centred practice. This realist inquiry asks ‘whether, to what extent and in what ways, LSS in healthcare contributes to person-centred care and cultures’. Realist review identified three potential Context, Mechanism, Outcome configurations (CMOcs) explaining how LSS influenced practice, relating to staff, patients, and organisational influences. Realist evaluation was used to explore the CMOc relating to staff, showing how they interacted with a LSS education Programme (the intervention) with CMOc adjudication by the research team and study participants to determine whether,...
Research suggests that a large proportion of people living with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) are usi... more Research suggests that a large proportion of people living with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) are using cannabis to self-manage symptoms, or at least believe there are potential benefits in using this drug. Since community nurses are frontline caregivers, they are likely to encounter PwMS who use cannabis within the home setting. The literature base surrounding this topic is largely driven by quantitative research examining the effectiveness of cannabis as a medicine. This review found that qualitative research exploring the experiences of PwMS who use cannabis is lacking worldwide and is completely absent within UK nursing literature. PwMS using cannabis may not feel safe discussing this with health professionals, as they might fear being judged. This literature review discusses how people perceive the effectiveness of cannabis in helping symptoms associated with MS, while also considering the stigma and legal concerns people face. This review may help community nurses inform their pra...
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Papers by Jan Dewing