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Nursing

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Author: search.filters.author.O'May, FionaHas files: Yes

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 25
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    Healthcare graduates for the 21st century; Knowledge and attitudes relating to alcohol and brief interventions.
    (2009-11-27) Gill, Jan; Nicol, Maggie; Gibson, Caroline; O'May, Fiona
    Final year students studying a variety of healthcare courses (involving inter-professional education), at six Scottish universities completed a questionnaire (spring 2009). While changes in current health policy endorse graduate attributes promoting shared responsibility, an overlapping of roles, analysis of findings revealed differences between the professions in terms of level of understanding of health guidelines, acceptance of role and perceived confidence in personal knowledge relating to alcohol misuse. Two professions were predominantly viewed as key to this area of practice only by their own students (OT and pharmacy) while three (speech and language, radiography, dietetics) doubted the importance of their role.
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    White Cider Consumption and Heavy Drinkers: A Low-Cost Option but an Unknown Price
    (Oxford Journals, 2014) Black, Heather; Michalova, L.; Gill, Jan; Rees, C.; Chick, Jonathan; O'May, Fiona; Rush, Robert; McPake, Barbara
    Aims: To compare characteristics of heavy drinkers who do, or do not, drink white cider during their typical drinking week and to contrast white cider drinkers' behaviour with a similar group recruited in comparable settings 4 years previously. To consider if excessive white cider consumption poses a specific health risk. Methods: Cross-sectional survey of alcohol purchasing and consumption by heavy drinkers consuming white cider in Edinburgh and Glasgow during 2012; comparison of purchasing patterns within Edinburgh in 2008-2009 and 2012. Participants were 639 patients (in- and out-patient settings) with serious health problems linked to alcohol, 345 in Glasgow, 294 in Edinburgh in 2012, and 377 in Edinburgh in 2008-2009. Results: In 2012 white cider consumption was reported by 25% of participants (median consumption (all alcohol) was 249 UK units per week-1 UK unit being 8 g of ethanol). They were more likely to be male and younger. They drank more units of alcohol than non-white cider drinkers and reported more alcohol-related problems. The median price paid for white cider in 2012 was 17 ppu. The period 2008-2012 was associated with decreasing affordability of alcohol, but consumption levels amongst the heaviest drinkers were maintained, associated with an increased proportion of units purchased as white cider. Conclusion: White cider makes an important contribution to the weekly intake of heavy drinkers in Scotland, likely facilitated by low price per unit of alcohol. We suggest these characteristics permit this drink to act as a buffer, supporting the continuation of a heavy drinking pattern when affordability of alcohol falls.
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    Exploring the impact of sport participation in the Homeless World Cup on individuals with substance abuse or mental health disorders
    (Journal of Sport for Development (JSFD), 2013-08) Sherry, E.; O'May, Fiona
    Objective To explore the role of the relationship between sport and social capital in negotiating improved social outcomes for homeless individuals with mental illness and/or substance abuse issues. Method A qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 27 participants of the Melbourne 2008 Homeless World Cup (eight from Scotland and 19 from Australia). Interview questions focussed on the participants' interest of and participation in sport; factors influencing participation; any changes perceived by the individuals as a result of program participation; and in order to identify changes pre and post event, any current experiences of social exclusion. Results The role of social capital in mental health and substance abuse outcomes is addressed by the authors, in addition to the contribution of sport to the building of social capital. Conclusion Findings suggest that sport initially provided social bonding within a limited social network, yet over time other types of social capital (bridging and linking) were exhibited by participants, and enabled access to ancillary services provided by the program that led to reductions or cessation of both substance abuse and symptoms of mental illness. Implications Sport can provide an effective vehicle for the accrual of social capital, which may positively impact the mental health and substance abuse patterns of participants from marginalised and at-risk communities.
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    Alcohol purchasing by ill heavy drinkers; cheap alcohol is no single commodity
    (2015-09-26) Gill, Jan; Chick, J.; Black, H.; Rees, C.; O'May, Fiona; Rush, Robert; McPake, Barbara
    Objectives: Potential strategies to address alcohol misuse remain contentious. We aim to characterise the drink purchases of one population group: heavy drinkers in contact with Scottish health services. We contrast our findings with national sales data and explore the impact of socio-economic status on purchasing behaviour. Study design: Cross-sectional study comparing alcohol purchasing and consumption by heavy drinkers in Edinburgh and Glasgow during 2012. Methods: 639 patients with serious health problems linked to alcohol (recruited within NHS hospital clinics (in- and out-patient settings) 345 in Glasgow, 294 in Edinburgh) responded to a questionnaire documenting demographic data and last week's or a 'typical' weekly consumption (type, brand, volume, price, place of purchase). Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile was derived as proxy of sociodemographic status. Results: Median consumption was 184.8 (IQR = 162.2) UK units/week paying a mean of 39.7 pence per alcohol unit (0.397). Off-sales accounted for 95% of purchases with 85% of those <50 pence (0.5 UK) per alcohol unit. Corresponding figures for the Scottish population are 69% and 60%. The most popular low-priced drinks were white cider, beer and vodka with the most common off-sales outlet being the corner shop, despite supermarkets offering cheaper options. Consumption levels of the cheapest drink (white cider) were similar across all quintiles apart from the least deprived. Conclusions: Heavy drinkers from all quintiles purchase the majority of their drinks from off-sale settings seeking the cheapest drinks, often favouring local suppliers. While beer was popular, recent legislation impacting on the sale of multibuys may prevent the heaviest drinkers benefiting from the lower beer prices available in supermarkets. Non-etheless, drinkers were able to offset higher unit prices with cheaper drink types and maintain high levels of consumption. Whilst price is key, heavy drinkers are influenced by other factors and adapt their purchasing as necessary. 2015 The Authors.
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    Evaluation of Education for Senior Healthcare Support Workers (SCQF Level 7) and Assistant Practitioners (SCQF Level 8) in Children and Young People-s Health with Optional Pathways
    (Queen Margaret University, 2010-07) Smith, Margaret Coulter; O'May, Fiona; Mountain, Kristina; Riddell, Helen; Balaam, Martina
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    New Role, New Country: introducing US physician assistants to Scotland
    (BioMed Central, 2007-05-04) Buchan, James; O'May, Fiona; Ball, Jane
    This paper draws from research commissioned by the Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD). It provides a case study in the introduction of a new health care worker role into an already well established and mature workforce configuration It assesses the role of US style physician assistants (PAs), as a precursor to planned piloting of the PA role within the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland. The evidence base for the use of PAs is examined, and ways in which an established role in one health system (the USA) could be introduced to another country, where the role is new and unfamiliar, are explored. The history of the development of the PA role in the US also highlights a sometimes somewhat problematic relationship between P nursing profession. The paper highlights that the concept of the PA role as a 'dependent practitioner' is not well understood or developed in the NHS, where autonomous practice within regulated professions is the norm. In the PA model, responsibility is shared, but accountability rests with the supervising physician. Clarity of role definition, and engendering mutual respect based on fair treatment and effective management of multi-disciplinary teams will be pre-requisites for effective deployment of this new role in the NHS in Scotland.
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    Determining skill mix: practical guidelines for managers and healthcare professionals
    (World Health Organization, 2000) Buchan, James; O'May, Fiona
    This paper provides practical guidelines for managers and health professionals looking to skill mix as a potential solution to health service delivery problems. These guidelines emphasise the need to evaluate the problem, and examine the context, before deciding if skill mix is the answer. The guidelines are provided in the knowledge that skill mix is rarely examined in a pure- theoretical sense by organisations. They have to adopt a pragmatic approach which takes account of the day-to-day realities of their priorities and resources. The paper argues that changing skill mix is not a panacea for all the ills of an organisation. It has a role to play in improving organisational effectiveness and quality of care, but it must be recognised for what it is - a process for achieving change. Four phases of the skill mix cycle are described: evaluating the need for change; identifying the opportunities and barriers for change; planning for change; and making change happen. The paper concludes by emphasising that skill mix is not just a technical exercise. It is a method of achieving organisational change which requires careful planning, communication, implementation and evaluation if it is to achieve its objectives.
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    International recruitment of physiotherapists: a report for the Chartered Society for Physiotherapy.
    (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, 2000-09) Buchan, James; O'May, Fiona
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    Nursing supply and demand: reviewing the evidence
    (1998) Buchan, James; O'May, Fiona