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The purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability of the process of identifying a conceptual framework of practice to areas of nursing without a current clearly identified scope of practice. Worldwide, nursing is a diverse profession with many recognised sub-specialties, some of which are under threat. Nurses with specialised knowledge, experience and education are needed to provide specific care in nursing sub-specialties. However, some of these characteristics are implicit and not clear to the wider nursing community. This paper presents an overview of research to identify the parameters of practice for a sub-specialty of nursing.

The methodology was interpretive enquiry as it allowed for the interpretation of multiple realities which resulted in a rich description of the work of a sub-specialty. The research used document analysis, focus group interviews and individual interviews as the methods of collecting data. Documents were analysed using iterative and thematic analysis The focus group and individual interview data were analysed using an adaptation of a six-phase thematic analysis process.

This paper presents the findings of the entire analysis and the resultant holistic conceptual framework for the work of the child and adolescent mental health nurse in the inpatient unit. The findings have contributed new knowledge to mental health nursing, specifically child and adolescent mental health nursing making the parameters of practice more explicit. Research is currently being undertaken in Australia to further develop the framework for other sub-specialties of nursing such as community health and orthopaedics. These sub-specialties have been identified as potentially at risk.

This paper discussed the applicability of a broader use of a qualitative research methodology used to identify scope of practice in child and adolescent mental health nursing, for other nursing specialties.

This viewpoint article discusses and analyses the need and benefits of a patient safety definition within the context of nursing.

This viewpoint article is supported by literature review, statutory documents and expert knowledge evidence. All these sources provided a unified narrative of the background, current aspects and future needs of patient safety.

The need for strengthening patient safety and the nurses' role within healthcare's actions towards patient safety are discussed. The predominant role of nurses due to the proportionate size and significant role along with the need for clarification of patient safety in nursing terms is recognised. Research evidence of nursing areas with safety issues and relevant nursing interventions are presented. Based on all findings, a research-based nursing specific patient safety definition is proposed. This definition includes three axes: what is patient harm, how this harm can be eliminated or reduced and which are the areas of nursing practice that are identified to provide opportunity for patient harm. These axes include nursing specifications of the patient safety definition.

It is the first time that a nurse specific patient safety definition is proposed. This definition strives to enhance nurse practitioners' understanding and engagement with patient safety by clarifying aspects of patient safety within everyday nursing practice.

The aim of this study was to describe Jordanian critical care nurses’ experiences of autonomy in their clinical practice.

A descriptive correlational design was applied using a self-reported cross-sectional survey. A total of 110 registered nurses who met the eligibility criteria participated in this study. The data were collected by a structured questionnaire.

A majority of critical care nurses were autonomous in their decision-making and participation in decisions to take action in their clinical settings. Also, they were independent to develop their own knowledge. The study identified that their autonomy in action and acquired knowledge were influenced by a number of factors such as gender and area of practice.

Nurse’s autonomy could be increased if nurses are made aware of the current level of autonomy and explore new ways to increase empowerment. This could be offered through classroom lectures that concentrate on the concept of autonomy and its implication in practice. Nurses should demonstrate autonomous nursing care at the same time in the clinical practice. This could be done through collaboration between educators and clinical practice to help merge theory to practice.

Critical care nurses were more autonomous in action and knowledge base. This may negatively affect the quality of patient care and nurses’ job satisfaction. Therefore, improving nurses’ clinical decision-making autonomy could be done by the support of both hospital administrators and nurses themselves.

The World Health Organisation and the International Council of Nurses (WHO/ICN, 1991) broadly define addiction nurses' roles into eight domains that suggest a set of core competencies required to work effectively within this challenging area of nurse practice. This paper reports on a survey of addiction centres across eight European countries. The survey explored the role of the nurse specifically within methadone substitution therapy programmes, with the intention of mapping perceived key roles against the ICN/WHO domains. While many of WHO/ICN domains were evident (provider of care; educator; counsellor; advocate) significant limitations were revealed in other domains.

Alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is common worldwide. There is a wide spectrum of AOD issues that pose a major threat to public health, safety and the wellbeing of communities, families and individuals. There is no doubt that nurses have primary roles in identifying, preventing and addressing AOD use issues in emergency departments and general hospital units, clinics, specialist mental health and drug and alcohol services, sexual health services, youth services and community settings where people seek health care and other assistance. Nurses have credibility and are trusted by communities for their ability to address many health issues, including AOD health problems. Despite the enormous economic burden associated with AOD use across the world, the nursing profession has yet to fully acknowledge and embrace this serious issue for nurses.

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the experiences of patients, their family members, and the nurses in the intensive care unit during critical illness. Five participants from each category participated in two interviews over a period of five months. Content analysis of the interview transcripts revealed five integrating common themes, each reflecting concepts from the Roy Adaptation Model (RAM). The ICU experience among all participants is interdependence. Adaptation in the ICU integrated family as a unit, physical care/comfort, physiological care and psychosocial support, resulting in transformation.

Examines the application of total quality management (TQM) in hospitals, where the patient takes on the aspects of a business organization′s customer. Discusses ways of implementing TQM through top management and empowerment, and their effects. Examines three examples of TQM already at work within the health care system. Concludes that the quality initiative can be effective in encouraging formal standards of care, which are important in improving a patientbased system.

The purpose of this article is to look closely at the development of a European Credit Transfer System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET). The European Commission, together with the member States, are working on it and several pilot projects have been initiated within the Leonardo da Vinci Programme of the European Commission. The problem of the transfer as well as a convincing transparency of vocational competences has yet been developed. The aim is to discuss this in the article.

This contribution illustrates a model using the Dreyfus/Dreyfus approach of acquisition of profiles in such a way that the levels of competence development are not applied to overall professional actions (as shown for pilots, nurses, teachers and others), but to smaller entities of professional profiles.

While strongly taking into account work related tasks and contexts (objects, tools, work organisation) the authors define “groups of competencies” and apply Dreyfus' ladder to these new entities. That means the authors adopt Dreyfus' model in two ways: by applying the model to groups of competencies (corresponding to specific core work profiles) instead of using it for overall competency profiles (corresponding to professionals/ experts); and they make the model flexible and dynamic by not restricting it to a certain number of levels, but only defining the differences between levels.

The background of the paper is the so‐called work process analysis to identify the work related tasks and related groups of competencies.

The article offers a new concept for the European discussion of the Qualification Framework as well as the Credit Transfer System.

This article provides an alternative to existing European policy.

The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate a current model, as well as explore future models, for integrating institutional repositories (IRs) in higher education goals at the University of Toledo.

This is a case study that uses literature review as an exploratory framework for new approaches while reflecting on existing literature to present the current practical framework for using IRs.

The digital environment has pushed academic institutions toward new strategies for curating their record on scholarship and preserving their heritage collections, using their IRs. Innovative approaches are also vital to curating the IR content digitally to facilitate access to those contents in ways that was not possible a few decades ago. Surveys and existing literature point to increasing uses of IRs despite abstinence from considering open access for scholarly activity among faculty concerned about copyright, plagiarism and sustainability. Staffing and funding IR initiatives are important factors in sustaining the curation of scholarship in the digital environment.

IRs with open access publishing, expert gallery and digital library features place academic libraries in a central role as partners in digital scholarship.

This case study presents an original approach to incorporating the IR into the curation of digital content while also considering potential uses of knowledge management approaches for data and knowledge sharing in an academic environment.