Part one: Restoring patients to health outcomes and indicators of advanced nursing practice in adult critical care

Continuous care and patients' basic needs during weaning from mechanical ventilation: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Mechanical ventilation is associated with a number of risks and complications. Thus, rapid and safe weaning from mechanical ventilation is of great importance. Weaning is a complex and challenging process, requiring continuous care and knowledge of the patient.

AIMS

The aim of the present study was to describe the continuous care process during weaning as well as to analyse the facilitators and obstacles to the weaning process from start to finish from the perspective of intensive care unit (ICU) staff, particularly nurses.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Twenty-two ICU staff members, including nurses and physicians, and three patients hospitalised in the ICU were enrolled in this qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection and the transcripts were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

FINDINGS

'Continuous care' was found to be the patients' basic need during weaning from mechanical ventilation. Uninterrupted, stable, comprehensive and dynamic care and monitoring with immediate response to all physiological and psychological changes were features of continuous care. The three main themes identified by this study were time spent with the patient, comprehensive supervision and maintenance of the quality of care during shifts.

CONCLUSION

Continuous and constant care should be provided during the weaning process. Such care will help to provide health care staff with a deeper understanding of the patient and his or her continuous changes, leading to a timely and favourable response during weaning. To achieve this goal, skill, communication and organisational changes are essential.

An exploration of clinical practice in sites with and without clinical nurse or midwife specialists or advanced nurse practitioners, in Ireland

BACKGROUND

Clinical specialist (CS) and advanced practitioner (AP) roles have increased in nursing and midwifery internationally. This study explored clinical practice in sites with and without clinical nurse or midwife specialists or advanced nurse practitioners in Ireland.

METHODS

Using a case study design, interview, observational and documentary data from postholding sites (CSs or APs employed) were compared with data from non-postholding sites (no CSs or APs employed). Interviews and observations were conducted with postholders (n = 23), and compared with data from healthcare professionals (nurses or midwives, doctors) (n = 23) in matched services. Interviews were held with Directors of Nursing and Midwifery (n = 23), healthcare professionals (n = 41), service users (n = 41) with experience of receiving care or working with postholders, and non-postholders in matched services. The data were analysed using Nvivo (Version 8).

RESULTS

The findings suggest that postholders' practice appeared to differ from non-postholders' in relation to case management and service provision. Postholders were seen as having an impact on readmission rates, waiting lists/times, collaborative decision-making, continuity of care and workload management. Postholders' autonomy to manage caseloads was perceived to lead to smoother transition of patients/clients through the healthcare system. Service-users' self-reports appeared to appreciate the individualised holistic care provided by postholders. Postholders' role in facilitating person-centred care and promoting interprofessional team working, are essential elements in quality care provision and in global healthcare workforce planning.

CONCLUSIONS

To meet changing healthcare demands, promote person-centred care, and improve service delivery, more specialist and advanced practice posts in nursing and midwifery should be developed and supported within healthcare.

Developing radiographer roles in the context of advanced and consultant practice

Skill-mix initiatives have provided opportunities for radiographers to develop roles and achieve their potential, thus contributing to radiographer retention rates and increased job satisfaction. This reflective article explores two radiographic roles within an interprofessional context including the implications for confidence, competence, and future sustainability. These were reporting roles which extended into two modalities, one into bone densitometry and another into ultrasound. This article discusses how successful skill mix can benefit the individual, their department, and NHS organization and that role expansion can develop a more dynamic and resourceful workforce with transferability of skills and attributes.

Reporting relationships of clinical nurse specialists in acute care

Reporting relationships between clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) and administrators (ADMs) can facilitate or constrain CNS practice and affect patient outcomes. Limited information is available comparing reporting relationships and perspectives of CNSs and ADMs.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the present study was to describe CNS and ADM reporting relationships and compare their perspectives about the activities and outcomes of CNS practice in acute care settings.

DESIGN

The present study uses a descriptive survey.

SETTING

Four healthcare organizations in the midwestern United States.

SAMPLE

Clinical nurse specialist participants (n = 30) were master's degree prepared and employed in an acute care setting. Administrator participants (n = 7) were responsible for supervision and evaluation of CNSs in their organization.

METHODS

Questionnaires were developed from literature and content review by experts. The CNS and ADM questionnaires contained separate sections for CNS and organization information with parallel construction of questions about CNS activities and outcomes.

FINDINGS

There was variability across organizations related to reporting relationships and structure of CNS work. No significant differences were found when comparing CNS and ADM perspectives of work activity proportions and the importance of 10 activities and 7 outcomes. The most important CNS activities included developing clinical protocols and guidelines, quality improvement, and coordination of care. The most important outcomes included evidence-based nursing care and skilled and competent nursing staff.

CONCLUSION

Comparing perspectives of work activity time, priority activities, and outcomes provides a basis for collaboration between CNSs and ADMs in reporting relationships.

IMPLICATIONS

Clinical nurse specialists should develop positive interactions and shared understanding with ADMs to improve effectiveness and enhance patient outcomes.

Clinical nurse research consultant: a clinical and academic role to advance practice and the discipline of nursing

AIMS

This article presents a proposal for the Clinical Nurse Research Consultant, a new nursing role.

BACKGROUND

Although healthcare delivery continues to evolve, nursing has lacked highly specialized clinical and research leadership that, as a primary responsibility, drives evidence-based practice change in collaboration with bedside clinicians.

DATA SOURCES

International literature published over the last 25 years in the databases of CINAHL, OVID, Medline Pubmed, Science Direct, Expanded Academic, ESBSCOhost, Scopus and Proquest is cited to create a case for the Clinical Nurse Research Consultant.

DISCUSSION

The Clinical Nurse Research Consultant will address the research/practice gap and assist in facilitating evidence-based clinical practice. To fulfil the responsibilities of this proposed role, the Clinical Nurse Research Consultant must be a doctorally prepared recognized clinical expert, have educational expertise, and possess advanced interpersonal, teamwork and communication skills. This role will enable clinical nurses to maintain and share their clinical expertise, advance practice through research and role model the clinical/research nexus.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Critically, the Clinical Nurse Research Consultant must be appointed in a clinical and academic partnership to provide for career progression and role support.

CONCLUSION

The creation of the Clinical Nurse Research Consultant will advance nursing practice and the discipline of nursing.

The importance of knowing the patient in weaning from mechanical ventilation

AIM

The aim of the research was to understand how nurses used technology to wean patients from mechanical ventilation.

BACKGROUND

The literature concerned with the development of critical care centres on the role of technology with little emphasis on the nursing contribution.

DESIGN

An ethnographic approach was used to understand how nurses used technology to wean patients from mechanical ventilation.

METHODS

Data were gathered by participant observation and interviewing over a 6-month period. In total, 250 h of field notes were recorded.

RESULTS

Data were analysed by the content analysis method. Knowing the patient was a central theme identified. Three sub-themes were identified: ways of knowing, continuity of care and the role of the patient in the weaning trajectory.

CONCLUSION

'Knowing the patient' was implied during the interviews as essential to the delivery of patient-centred care. There were two main factors that needed to be present in order for nurses to know their patients: continuity of care and expertise. 'Ways of knowing' was reliant on gaining information about the patient. The role of the patient was a passive recipient of treatment.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Knowing the patient has been defined as a characteristic of expert nursing. To be truly patient-centred nursing needs to address the barriers that prevent nurses from getting to 'know' their patients.

A literature review of principles, policies and practice in extended nursing roles relating to UK intensive care settings

AIMS

To provide an overview of the literature relating to the principles, policy and practice of extended nursing roles in UK intensive care settings to date; to review and critically assess evidence of impact, outcomes and effect on practice and provide suggestions for future research.

BACKGROUND

It is known that career development opportunities, new technologies, patient needs, as well as the reduction in junior doctors' hours, are driving the development of new roles for nurses. Policy initiatives aim to expand nursing roles to support professional substitution. In adult, neonatal and paediatric intensive care, specialist trained nurses and designated advanced nursing practitioners are increasingly taking on extended practice of clinical tasks previously undertaken by medical staff. As yet there are no statutory regulations on the perceived scope and definition of the role of extended and advanced roles.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

METHODS

Search of electronic databases and selection of policy and peer-reviewed reports and reviews of extended nursing roles or advanced nursing practitioners in UK intensive care settings.

RESULTS

Chronological review shows policy development proceeding in a relatively ad hoc way. There is limited information available about how extensively or effectively extended nursing roles are being implemented in intensive care settings in the UK, particularly in adult and paediatric intensive care. To test local initiative findings for reliability and generalisability, a more robust evidence base is required.

CONCLUSIONS

More data are needed on definition and outcomes of extended nursing roles in intensive care and care process measures should be developed to better inform implementation of nurse role development in the UK.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The review of policy and research evidence in this paper may better inform clinicians working in adult, neonatal or paediatric intensive care, as they continue to be challenged by expansion and development of their role. It may also help to form a basis and evaluation for future research into extended and advanced nursing roles in intensive care settings.

Clinical research 4: qualitative data collection and analysis

This six-part research series is aimed at clinicians who wish to develop research skills, or who have a particular clinical problem that they think could be addressed through research. The series aims to provide insight into the decisions that researchers make in the course of their work, and to also provide a foundation for decisions that nurses may make in applying the findings of a study to practice in their own Unit or Department. The series emphasise the practical issues encountered when undertaking research in critical care settings; readers are encouraged to source research methodology textbooks for more detailed guidance on specific aspects of the research process.

The current role of the consultant nurse in critical care: consolidation or consternation?

BACKGROUND

The consultant nurse role emerged into the National Health Service in 1999, presented against a backdrop of practice and service modernisation. As with any innovative development, the role was originally subject to much scrutiny with regards to impact and outcome. However, six years after its initial introduction, continued focus and support on this role is less visible. This paper presents a follow-up review of the role and function of consultant nurses in critical care, using an original survey tool that underpinned Dawson and McEwen's work in 2003. From the results of the current study, key changes in role are identified and areas for further development are highlighted.

AIMS

To provide a contemporary profile of the consultant nurse in critical care. To identify changes in the consultant nurse role from 2003 to 2006.

METHOD

A national email survey of all known critical care nurse consultants in post in the United Kingdom was undertaken in October 2006. Using a validated survey tool originally used in 2003, a return rate of 73% (n = 47) was yielded.

RESULTS

Biographics of this survey reveal a static consultant nurse population with increasing length of tenure in post (mean = 60.2 months). There is no substantial increase in the size of the cohort since 2003. Postholders demonstrate advanced academic skills through higher degrees (94%) and carry a national and international profile through presentation and publication portfolios (92% national and 53% international presentation, 62% multi-authored publication, 47% single authored publication). The core role that consultant nurses in critical care engaged in is practice and service development (mean involvement score = 3.65), with expert practice holding least mean involvement scores (mean involvement score = 2.67). There is evidence of increasing use by these posts for strategic input at organisational/trust level.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper has identified ongoing strengths and limited developments of the consultant nurse in critical care role. Whilst it is clear that core role functions have not dramatically changed, there are demonstrable shifts towards more strategic engagement within Acute Care Trusts. This has brought about concerns regarding overall management of the role, and sustainability of postholders to balance this ever-increasing portfolio. It is also clear that there has been little new investment in this key leadership role, and this raises concerns as to the perceived contribution that experienced clinical nurses bring to a currently financially and operationally driven health service agenda.

Advanced nursing roles in critical care--a natural or forced evolution?

Meeting the expectation of delivering safe, effective, and timely health care services within current financial and workforce envelopes requires all health care clinicians to refine and adapt to their clinical roles. The arena of critical care is currently receiving increasing scrutiny regarding developing dedicated advanced practice roles. This is challenging to critical care nurses who historically neither have been exposed to nor have chosen to engage in such specific role developments. The critical care nursing community has, on the whole, embraced previous role expansions within the limits of existing group practices rather than an evolution of new subspecialties. International comparisons demonstrate that critical care nurses in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia are all facing common health policy drivers. Although there are some similarities in addressing these challenges, the solutions remain at various stages of development. The natural history framework of Bucher [Work and Occupations 1988;15:131-147] provides a useful and supportive tool to understand how it is necessary and natural for specialties within occupational groups to emerge to meet changing health care needs. A shared concern providing challenges at national and international levels involves the coordination of educational standards as well as competencies and clear articulation of the leadership component of advanced practice roles. These areas must be addressed to enable the international critical care community to naturally transform and evolve into fully established and legitimate advanced practitioners.

Evaluation of a nurse consultant's clinical activities and the search for patient outcomes in critical care

AIMS

To describe the actual clinical activities undertaken by a critical care nurse consultant in an eight-bedded adult surgical high dependency unit within a large NHS Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

BACKGROUND

In the United Kingdom, the first critical care nurse consultants were approved in 2000 following the Department of Health's (1999) revised career structure for nurses. Expert practice is a core function of the role although the nature of expert practice in the context of critical care is unclear. Expert practice is often deemed to be a feature of advanced practice and although a number of studies have investigated this in context of critical care, there is little insight into the nature of advanced practitioners' clinical practice and how it might influence patient outcome.

DESIGN METHODS

A diary was used by a critical care nurse consultant to record activity during scheduled clinical sessions. Data were collected for four months: 39 sessions were evaluated. Qualitative data were content analysed and coded into categories. Clinical activities were coded, categorized and analysed using SPSS 11.0 for windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

FINDINGS

Clinical activities included direct care activities, clinical leadership, education and training. Two main themes emerged from the qualitative data and were categorized as clinical reasoning and clinical instruction. Clinical activities arising from clinical reasoning and clinical instruction were aimed at minimizing risk and the provision of quality care. In doing this, one of the outcomes was the detection and resolution of untoward clinical occurrences.

CONCLUSION

The level of achievement--or end point--of clinical activities was that the patient was established in 'a state free from risk or harm that optimises rehabilitation'. 'A state free from risk or harm that optimizes rehabilitation' might be one outcome reflecting the needs of individual critically ill patients that is sensitive to individual nursing contribution.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

There is increasing pressure on health-care professionals to identify and measure their individual impact on the outcome of patients. This study adds further insight into the complexities associated with evaluating the influence of individual contribution on patient outcome, especially when it is characterized by complex processes involving clinical judgement and decision-making.

The nursing role in ICU outreach: an international exploratory study

It is widely acknowledged that many critically ill patients are managed outside of designated critical care units. One strategy adopted in Australia and England to assess and manage risk in these patients is the intensive care unit (ICU) outreach or liaison nurse service. This article examines how ICU outreach/liaison roles in Australia and England operate in the context of Manley's theoretical framework for advanced nursing practice. Descriptive case study design using semi-structured interviews and job descriptions as sources of evidence. Findings of interviews with six Australian ICU Liaison nurses are already published; this study replicated the Australian study with four ICU Consultant Nurses in England and mapped interview and job description data from both countries onto Manley's conceptual framework for advanced practice/consultant nurse. Four themes emerged from the English data: patient interventions, support for ward staff, liaison between ward and ICU staff and hospital-wide impact. The first three of these comprised the core service common to the roles in both countries. Manley's four subroles (expert practitioner, consultant, educator and researcher) were present across both countries. However, the interview and job description data demonstrated that there were lower expectations in Australia that the roles would lead to staff development and build capacity across the hospital system. Similarly, formal education for ward staff such as ALERT and CRiSP courses were more developed in UK. Our data demonstrate that the role undertaken in England and Australia is sufficiently comparable to use as a research intervention in international studies across the two countries. However, the macro service level differs. Job descriptions across both countries emphasized the need to influence hospital policy; however, the ICU consultant nurses in England might be considered better placed to achieve this through role title and access to the hospital executive. In both countries, the roles would benefit from systematic evaluation of the impact on outcomes. This is particularly important for longer-term integration of the role in the health services in both countries.

A systematic review of evidence on the professional practice of the nurse and developing and sustaining a healthy work environment in healthcare

OBJECTIVES

The overall aim of this systematic review was to identify the best available evidence on the relationship between the knowledge, competencies and behaviours of nurses exhibiting professional practice in their workplace; and the development of a healthy work environment.

SEARCH STRATEGY

The search strategy sought to find both published and unpublished studies written in the English language. An initial limited search of MEDLINE and CINAHL databases was undertaken to identify optimal search terms. A second extensive search using all identified key words and index terms was then undertaken.

METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY

Two independent reviewers assessed the methodological quality of retrieved papers using the corresponding checklist from the System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information (SUMARI) package.

RESULTS

Of the 4238 papers found in the search: 219 were selected for full paper retrieval; 19 of these papers were unable to be located; 200 full papers were assessed for methodological quality; 181 studies were excluded; and 19 were included in the review. Of these 19, four quantitative studies evaluated a professional nursing practice model and its impact on a variety of outcomes; five descriptive studies examined elements of nurses' professional practice and the impact these elements had on specified outcomes; and 10 qualitative papers examined varying behaviours, competencies and knowledge levels of nurses. Various methods were used, such as focus groups and open-ended interviews. Overall, the evidence suggests that professional practice has a positive impact on the work environment in terms of nurses' role satisfaction and patient outcomes. The evidence is, however, equivocal in many areas and the impact of the professional practice of the nurse requires further investigation.

CONCLUSION

The results of the review suggest a number of recommendations for practice and research on creating a healthy work environment.

Critical care without walls: The role of the nurse consultant in critical care

BACKGROUND

The nurse consultant role was first described in 1999 and has undergone little evaluation since. Critical care nurse consultant roles have developed against a background of service innovation following a review of adult critical care and have resulted in a variety of job roles and titles. There is some evidence to suggest that these posts are developing differentially and with varied role content.

AIMS

To provide a profile of the nurse consultant in critical care. To identify critical care roles in practice.

METHOD

A national postal survey of all 72 critical care nurse consultants in post in England by August 2003; response rate 72% (n = 52).

RESULTS

The majority (54%) of critical care nurse consultants were aged between 40 and 50 years with a mean of 18.4 years post registration experience. The majority held a higher degree (71%) and at least one additional professional qualification (96%); many (44%) continue to study. Most critical care nurse consultants (69%) reported that a nurse does not manage them operationally. Nurse consultants were taking the lead in developing care outside the traditional boundaries of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (mean involvement score, M = 4.25) and with outreach rounds on the wards (M = 3.78). Despite having an overall high involvement (M = 3.37) with the practice and service development function, they had a lower involvement with research activities (M = 2.87). They also had a low involvement with strategic organisations such as the Department of Health (M = 1.63), Strategic Health Authorities (M = 1.54) and Primary Care Trust's (M = 1.49).

CONCLUSIONS

The critical care nurse consultants who responded to this survey were clinically experienced and educated to an advanced level. They were leading the care of critically ill patients outside the traditional boundaries of the ICU, but have significantly less involvement within the ICU. Nurse consultants' restricted involvement with strategic organisations may limit the development of the role.

Advanced nursing practice: policy, education and role development

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

This paper aims to explore the critical elements of advanced nursing practice in relation to policy, education and role development in order to highlight an optimal structure for clinical practice.

BACKGROUND

The evolution of advanced nursing practice has been influenced by changes in healthcare delivery, financial constraints and consumer demand. However, there has been wide divergence and variations in the emergence of the advanced nurse practitioner role. For the successful development and implementation of the role, policy, educational and regulatory standards are required.

CONCLUSION

The paper highlights the value of a policy to guide the development of advanced nursing practice. Educational curricula need to be flexible and visionary to prepare the advanced nurse practitioner for practice. The core concepts for the advanced nursing practice role are: autonomy in clinical practice, pioneering professional and clinical leadership, expert practitioner and researcher. To achieve these core concepts the advanced nurse practitioner must develop advanced theoretical and clinical skills, meet the needs of the client, family and the community.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

In a rapidly changing people-centred healthcare environment the advanced nurse practitioner can make an important contribution to healthcare delivery. The challenges ahead are many, as the advanced nurse practitioner requires policy and appropriate educational preparation to practice at advanced level. This will enable the advanced practitioner articulate the role, to provide expert client care and to quantify their contribution to health care in outcomes research.

Observing the Work of the Clinical Nurse Specialist

The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is an advanced practice nurse (APN) with graduate preparation as a clinical expert within a specialty area of nursing practice. There is a need for information about the work of the CNS in order to link CNS activities to outcomes and costs of care.

PURPOSE

To describe the work of the CNS in the acute care setting using the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) model as an organizing framework.

DESIGN

Descriptive pilot study of the work of the CNS in acute care.

SETTING

A 500-bed academic medical center located in the Midwestern United States.

SAMPLE

Five masters-prepared APNs in a unit-based CNS role.

METHODS

Direct observation and time study were used to record activities and time for 4 hours with each CNS (n = 5) for a total of 20 hours of observation.

FINDINGS

CNS activity and time within each practice domain included patient/client (30%), nursing (44%), organization/system (10%), and other activities (16%). Specific activities observed were linked to possible outcomes in the NACNS framework.

CONCLUSIONS

The NACNS model provided a useful framework for developing a data collection tool that can be used in a larger study that analyzes the work of the acute care CNS.

IMPLICATIONS

Describing the work of the CNS is an important preliminary step to measuring outcomes and costs of care.

Discovering the nature of advanced nursing practice in high dependency care: a critical care nurse consultant's experience

This paper describes how a critical care nurse consultant's clinical role has evolved within a surgical high dependency unit (SHDU) in a large teaching hospitals trust. In order to provide some background to role development, an overview of the research exploring the nature of advanced nursing practice in the context of critical care will be presented. From the outset, advanced nursing practice was not perceived as the acquisition and application of technical procedures usually undertaken by doctors, but possibly an integration of medicine and nursing where holistic nursing assessment is combined with symptom-focused physical examination. A reflective account of practical problems encountered relating to role integration, professional autonomy, legal and consent issues, non-medical prescribing, and role evaluation will be presented. A model of working that can be applied to high dependency units, integrating the role of the advanced nurse practitioner within the clinical team, will be described.

Clinical research 4: qualitative data collection and analysis

This six-part research series is aimed at clinicians who wish to develop research skills, or who have a particular clinical problem that they think could be addressed through research. The series aims to provide insight into the decisions that researchers make in the course of their work, and to also provide a foundation for decisions that nurses may make in applying the findings of a study to practice in their own Unit or Department. The series emphasises the practical issues encountered when undertaking research in critical care settings; readers are encouraged to source research methodology textbooks for more detailed guidance on specific aspects of the research process. A couple of points: 1. It is artificial to describe research as qualitative or quantitative. Studies often include both dimensions (for example, Evangelista LS, Doering L, Dracup K. Meaning and life purpose: the perspectives of post-transplant women. Heart Lung 2003;32(4):250-7; Fitzsimmons D, Parahoo K, Richardson SG, Stringer M. Patient anxiety while on a waiting list for coronary artery bypass surgery: a qualitative and quantitative analysis. Heart Lung 2003;32(1):23-31). However, for the purposes of this paper/series, this distinction is drawn for clarity of writing. 2. It is common practice for quantitative studies to refer to study 'subjects' and qualitative studies to refer to study 'participants'. For ease of reading, the latter term will be used throughout this series.

Rapid assessment of a helpdesk service supporting severe acute respiratory syndrome patients and their relatives

BACKGROUND

To contain severe acute respiratory syndrome, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority set a policy that stipulated there should be no visitors to hospital wards. A helpdesk service was established with the goal of providing immediate emotional and communication support to relatives while severe acute respiratory syndrome patients were isolated during the acute phase of the illness.

AIM

This study describes the results of a rapid assessment of the effectiveness of a helpdesk service designed to meet the immediate needs of relatives of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients in Hong Kong.

DESIGN

Survey.

METHOD

Eighty-three respondents, representing about 46.3% of relatives (179), attending the helpdesk on the day of the study were recruited. Service evaluation data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire completed by respondents.

RESULTS

Nearly 100% of respondents who used the service found the delivery service with on-site counselling useful for alleviating their anxiety. However, about half of these relatives complained of insufficient information regarding the patient's condition and progress. The majority of respondents were satisfied with the service. In describing the most important traits of the service providers, caring and enthusiasm were mentioned most frequently by respondents who stated that they were very satisfied with the service.

CONCLUSION

The results support the value of the service, and demonstrate that the service is effective in meeting relatives' immediate needs. These needs include information, aid in fulfilling their role as caretaker for the patient (delivering prepared soup) and psychological support. The results suggest that facilitation of visitation of patients by relatives via video conferencing and education of the public on the nature and course of severe acute respiratory syndrome to reduce the social stigma of having a potentially life-threatening disease should be introduced in Hong Kong.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The results highlight important attributes that helpers (nurses) should have in order to alleviate the suffering of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients and their relatives.

Part two: The core components of legitimate influence and the conditions that constrain or facilitate advanced nursing practice in adult critical care

This paper describes intervening conditions that might constrain or facilitate the exercise of Legitimate Influence: The Key to Advanced Nursing in Adult Critical Care, the foundation of which is credibility and advanced clinical nursing practice. Constraining conditions are conflict, resistance, gender bias, political awareness and established values. Credibility, advanced clinical nursing practice and strategic activity are required to enhance patient stay in hospital and improve patient outcome. Intervening conditions that facilitate these are overcoming resistance, political awareness and established values. In a previous paper, it was indicated that enhanced patient stay and improved patient outcome were achieved primarily through strategic activity that emphasized restoring patients to a former, or improved, health status. This paper portrays how intervening conditions can impinge upon this and the exercise of legitimate influence.