A multi-dimensional analysis of person-centred collaborative practice for designing an educational curriculum in continuing care centres.

A significant transformation occurring in the continuing care industry is an attempt to shift the culture from impersonal institutions into true person-centred care (PCC) homes. This approach re-orients the facility's values, attitudes, norms and hierarchies while creating flexible role descriptions to promote collaborative teamwork. PCC practices will require healthcare teams to develop new approaches that empower residents and families to become partners in the development of a plan of care.

Development and introduction of a comprehensive tobacco control policy in a Canadian regional health authority.

Background: Tobacco control policies in health care settings are necessary to protect patients, employees, physicians, visitors, and volunteers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. This report documents the process of developing and introducing a comprehensive tobacco control policy in one Canadian regional health authority.

Context: Capital Health (CH), a health authority that has 30,000 employees and serves 1.

Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy in a student nurse.

Most faculty are not prepared for the possibility of encountering Munchausen syndrome (MS) in nursing students and Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP) in nursing students' children. When confronted with MS or MSP, their first reaction is often hostility coupled with a sense of betrayal. Given that individuals with this condition are attracted to helping professions, the authors describe both conditions in a case in which a nursing student presented with MS and the student's daughter was a victim of MSP.

Student nurse stress in the preceptorship experience.

Student nurses appear to experience significantly more stress during their academic preparation than they do during the first year of employment. Preceptorship is among the most stressful of student experiences. It is within the context of a challenging and at times daunting work environment that two complete strangers (preceptor and student) strive to accommodate one another within a professional capacity.

Supporting preceptors.

For effective teaching of nursing students and management of stress of increased workloads, preceptors require a great deal of support from nursing faculty, peers, and administrative personnel. Through a mailed survey, 295 preceptors reported that they would have appreciated more support. The best support is the continued and visible presence and involvement of instructors, which can be provided in person, by telephone, or via fax.

Being a preceptor is stressful!

Results of a mail survey of 295 preceptors indicated preceptoring nursing students can be a stressful experience, with overwork identified as the main source of stress. Overwork resulted from unsuitability of students for the clinical area, lack of time, and insufficient feedback and guidance. The findings suggest that both students and preceptors require proper readiness assessment and preceptorship preparation.