This major textbook provides a unique one-stop resource that introduces nursing students to the disciplines that underpin nursing practice. The broad range of subjects covered includes sociology, psychology, anthropology, public health, philosophy, economics, politics and science.

This book chapter discusses stigma in health care settings from the perspective of social constructivism.

Caring over time for a child/young adult with a learning disability requires that the family, and in particular the mother, negotiate their needs with services and professionals, and these negotiations are complicated further by significant behavioural issues in the children. This study reports on a series of interviews undertaken with mothers of children and young adults with learning disabilities and a history of challenging behaviours. The interviews were supplemented by documentary data from clinical and other notes in order to provide a more detailed view of the issues arising from caring over time. Detailed thematic analysis revealed five key themes demonstrating the cumulative effect of caring for someone with such complex needs, the centrality of that individual’s needs to the lives of those interviewed and the ongoing negotiation between family and professionals required in order for the former to work out how to continue caring both effectively and on their own terms. All the names of mothers and children are psuedonyms.

This book offers an A-Z format which covers a wide variety of topics on learning disabilities.

Anecdotally, forensic psychiatric nurses generally have a more negative perception of people diagnosed with a personality disorder and this negativity is focused more towards managing the behaviours rather than on treatment efficacy and clincal outcomes. this study reports on research carried out across the High, Medium and Low secure psychiatric services in the UK. One thousand two hundred questionnaires were distributed with a response rate of 34.6%. The results indicated a statistically significant differences across High (z=9.69; P< 0.01), Medium (z=11.06; P< 0.01) and Low (z= 9.57; P=0.01) security with a focus on the management of people with a personality disorder using the Wilcoxon paired samples test. There was also a statistically significant difference in relation to a more clinical/treatment focus for those with a diagnosis of mental illness in Medium (z= 9.69; P=0.01) and Low (z= 9.57; P<0.01) security but not in the High security services. Finally, the results showed significant differences between High, Medium and Low security on each of the four scales of Personality Disorder Clinical - Personality Disorder Management and Mental Illness Clinical - Mental Illness Management. This raises issues of stigma, prejudice and discrimination and suggests a refocus on skills development, acquisition and application for those with a label of personality disorder.

This book takes a multi-agency approach to domestic violence and looks at a large range of issues that impact on those working in the health and social care fields. It begins with identification of situations where abuse may occur, including intimate partner violence, child and adolescent abuse, same-sex violence and elderly abuse. The book considers the commonalities for survivors of abuse - such as the right to feel safe and protected from violence - and evaluates how health and social care professionals can work towards a positive outcome for all of the individuals involved.

This thoroughly revised second edition of Study Skills for Nurses will show you how to develop the skills and techniques you need for stress-free studying throughout your nursing education. Written in a lively and down-to-earth style it will help you face everyday challenges with confidence.

Special observations in psychiatric practice may create tensions for both the patient under surveillance and the staff undertaking the procedure. This study reports on special observations undertaken in forensic settings focusing specifically on the gender sensitive issues. The aim of the study was to investigate the specific gender issues relating to special observations in relation to those under the procedure and those engaged in observing. Three medium secure units in the UK formed the sampling frame, and the population studied was eight female and seven male clinical Registered nurses. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, audio tape recorded and transcribed for analysis. The analysis involved a Grounded Theory approach to explicate categories and formulte two overarching themes: (1) the psychosocial fusion; and (2) the private as spectacle. There are implications for practice in relation to policy formulation and the implementation of special observations following risk assessment and individual skill identification. It is concluded that gender issues are extremely important for all concerned in this intrusive practice.

This book chapter offers suggestions for healthcare professionals working with people who may be stigmatised. It offers suggestions on how practice may be taken forward in the areas of education, reserch and development, and individual professional practice.

Young people leaving schools and sixth-form colleges have the opportunity to choose a career path from an increasing number of courses in colleges of further and higher education. Nursing studies are now competing with a range of health-related disciplines such as health studies, psychology and complementary therapy. Compared with nursing studies, many of these courses appear more exciting and appealing to studnets who are in the process of choosing a career or programme of study. while the increased choice is a positive move for students it may contribute to the shortage of students currently entering some areas of nursing. Indeed, some specialities in nursing, including mental health and learning disabilities, are so depleted in students that they are reaching a point of crisis. There is also concern that recruitment into nursing remains predominantly female and White British. Given the diversity of the UK population and the reliance on school leavers as a potential source of supply, it is important to understand why male students and those from multiracial and multicultural environments choose, or do not choose, nursing studies. This research study involved a sample of 106 16-year old students from three secondary schools in the North-West and South-East of England. The questionnaire results, collected in schools, revealed that students held tradtional views or knew very little about the nursing profession.