Pauline Griffiths

Bio: Pauline Griffiths is an academic researcher from Swansea University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Nurse education & Health care. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 25 publications receiving 221 citations. Previous affiliations of Pauline Griffiths include Health Science University.

An investigation into the description of patients’ problems by nurses using two different needs‐based nursing models

Abstract: This paper describes an investigation into how nurses describe patients' problems and the possible effects of an espoused nursing model on these descriptions. A descriptive study was conducted on two medical wards in a Welsh District General Hospital. Data collected were subjected to content analysis using Gordon's Functional Health Patterns to order the data. The two wards investigated, whilst being very similar in many ways, utilized different nursing models. Findings showed that the nurses studied, when describing patients' problems, most commonly used medical diagnoses or the medical reasons for admission. Patients' problems identified predominately addressed bio-physical needs with scant attention given to psycho-social needs. Despite the use of two different nursing models the language and emphasis of problem description were very similar and there was no evidence of the application of the conceptual underpinnings of the two models. It is suggested that although the use of a ready-made nursing language may have drawbacks, the British nurse should understand and assess the value of the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association's (NANDA) nursing diagnoses. Without such involvement this system may be implemented in the United Kingdom (UK) without the input and influence of practising nurses.

Transformational leadership in nursing and medication safety education: a discussion paper

Abstract: Aims This paper discusses the application of transformational leadership to the teaching and learning of safe medication management. Background The prevalence of adverse drug events (ADEs) and medication-related hospitalisations (one hundred thousand each year in the USA) are of concern. Evaluation This discussion is based on a narrative literature review and scrutiny of international nursing research to synthesise pedagogical strategies for the application of transformational leadership to teaching medication safety. Key issues The four elements relating transformational leadership to medication safety education are: ‘Idealised influence’ or role modelling, both actual and exemplary, ‘Inspirational motivation’ providing students with commitment to medication safety, ‘Intellectual stimulation’ encouraging students to value improvement and change, and ‘Individualised consideration’ of individual students’ educational goals, practice development and patient outcomes. The model lends itself to experiential learning and a case-study approach to teaching, offering an opportunity to reduce nursing's theory–practice gap. Conclusion Transformational leadership for medication safety education is characterised by a focus on the role of nurse educators and mentors in the development of students’ abilities, creation of a supportive culture, and enhancement of students’ creativity, motivation and ethical behaviour. This will prepare nursing graduates with the competencies necessary to be diligent about medication safety and the prevention of errors. Implications for nursing management Teaching medication safety through transformational leadership requires the close collaboration of educators, managers and policy makers. Investigation of strategies to reduced medication errors and consequent patient harm should include exploration of the application of transformational leadership to education and its impact on the number and severity of medication errors.

Ethical conduct and the nurse ethnographer: consideration of an ethic of care:

Abstract: During an ethnographic study of an Acute Medical Admissions Unit, informed consent was not obtained from some patient informants despite research proposals to various research committees stating that it would The ethical judgement was made that not to seek informed consent was in the best interests of patients who were very ill or distressed and that to insist on informed consent would have been potentially harmful to these patients Drawing on my experiences of collecting data whilst holding the dual roles of researcher and nurse, I argue that contextual moral judgements can enhance ethical decisions in the field and further that rigid adherence to formal bio-medical ethical guidance can lead to inappropriate ethical actions Importantly, the ethnographer must be able to articulate arguments that reflect the contextual nature of ethical decision-making to powerful gatekeepers, such as research committees If this does not happen then challenges to the dominance of deontological-rationalist ethic

A community of practice: the nurses' role on a medical assessment unit.

Abstract: Aim. To explore the nurses’ role on a medical assessment unit. Background. Medical assessment units facilitate the acceptance of medical emergencies to one dedicated clinical space and are a response to politically driven strategies to enhance the provision of acute medical care in the UK. Despite the essential contribution that nurses make, there is a paucity of research-based literature that has investigated the nurses’ role in these units. Design. An ethnographic study of a medical assessment unit in Wales, UK. Method. Data were collected over a three-year period from 2003–2006 by participant observation (200 hours) with the researcher, a registered nurse and university lecturer, working alongside the nurses as a contributor to care delivery, semi-structured interviews with nurses, doctors, paramedics and patients (n = 19) and the collection of documentary and artefact evidence. Results. Three main themes were identified: ‘making beds’: organising the clinical space; ‘knowing your stuff’: having professional knowledge; and ‘loving the buzz’: having the ability to work under pressure. Conclusion. A distinctive community of practice had developed to satisfy the workplace demands that the nurses faced in a culture that valued autonomous practice and provided a positive working environment. However, a cautionary note must be raised in that new approaches to care delivery, such as medical assessment units, whilst being operationally efficient, may not reflect a nursing ethos of holistic and individualised care delivery. Relevance to clinical practice. The concept of community of practice aids the exploration of the interplay of the goals of practice and the attendant social relations developed in nursing teams. Findings from this study have identified aspects of the role of the nurse in a medical assessment unit setting and so can help inform educational programmes. Further research is required to enable the development of this distinctive nursing role.

The Role of the Nurse in the Management of Medicines During Transitional Care: A Systematic Review.

Abstract: Purpose To synthesise knowledge and to explore the role of the nurse in medicines management during transitional care. Methods An integrative systematic review was conducted. Electronic databases such as PubMed [including Medline], Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and Cinahl from January 2010 to April 2020 were searched. Original qualitative and quantitative studies written in English that focused on the role of the nurse in medicines management during transitional care, which included movement between short-term, long-term, and community healthcare settings were included. Results The search process led to the retrieval of 10 studies, which were published in English from 2014 to 2020. They focused on the role of the nurse in patients' medicines management during transitional care in various healthcare settings. Given variations in the aims and methods of selected studies, the review findings were presented narratively utilizing three categories developed by the authors. In the first category as 'medication reconciliation process' the nurse participated in obtaining medication history, performing medication review, identifying medication discrepancies, joint medication reconciliation and adjustment. The second category as 'collaboration with other healthcare providers' highlighted the nurses' role in clarifying medicines' concerns, interdisciplinary communication and consultation, discharge planning and monitoring. In the third category as 'provision of support to healthcare recipients', the nurse was responsible for interpersonal communication with patients, education about medicines, and simplification of medication regimens, and symptoms management during transitional care. Conclusion Nurses play a crucial role in the safety of medicines management during transitional care. Therefore, they should be empowered and more involved in medicines management initiatives in the healthcare system. Patient safety and avoidance of medication errors during transitional care require that medicines management becomes a multidisciplinary collaboration with effective communication between healthcare providers.

In a Different Voice. Psychological Theory and Women’s Development. Cambridge, MA (Harvard University Press) 1982.

Abstract: Introduction 1. Woman's Place in Man's Life Cycle 2. Images of Relationship 3. Concepts of Self and Morality 4. Crisis and Transition 5. Women's Rights and Women's Judgment 6. Visions of Maturity References Index of Study Participants General Index

The study of nursing documentation complexities.

Abstract: This study aimed to explore complexities in nursing documentation and related factors. Nursing documentation has been one of the most important functions of nurses since the time of Florence Nightingale because it serves multiple and diverse purposes. Current health-care systems require that documentation ensures continuity of care, furnishes legal evidence of the process of care and supports evaluation of quality of patient care. However, nursing documentation has not served such objectives because of its complexities. This study explores nursing documentation complexities and related factors through both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The study used multiple methods of inquiry: in-depth interviewing; participant observation; nominal group processing; focus group meetings; time and motion study of nursing activities; and auditing of completeness of nursing documentation. Complexities in nursing documentation include three aspects: disruption, incompleteness and inappropriate charting. Related factors that influenced documentation comprised: limited nurses' competence, motivation and confidence; ineffective nursing procedures; and inadequate nursing audit, supervision and staff development. These findings suggest that complexities in nursing documentation require extensive resolution and implicitly dictate strategies for nurse managers and nurses to take part in solving these complicated obstacles.