Conceptual frameworks and terminology in doctoral nursing research.

AIM: To define conceptual frameworks and their inherent dichotomies, and integrate them with concomitant concepts to help early nursing doctoral researchers to develop their understanding of and engage with discourse further, so that nursing can demonstrate its ability to contribute to the meta-theoretical debate of doctoral research alongside other practices and theory-based disciplines. BACKGROUND: Conceptual frameworks are central to nursing doctoral studies as they map and contextualise the philosophical assumptions of the research in relation to paradigms and ontological, epistemological and methodological foundations. They shape all aspects of the research design and provide a structure for theorising. They can also be a challenge for researchers and are under-discussed in the literature. REVIEW METHODS: Literature review. DISCUSSION: The key aspects of the conceptual framework debate in terms of objectivist, subjectivist paradigms and the wider paradigm debate, including retroduction and abduction, are reviewed here together with consideration of how these apply to nursing doctoral research. CONCLUSION: Conceptual frameworks are pivotal to nursing doctoral research as they clarify and integrate philosophical, methodological and pragmatic aspects of doctoral thesis while helping the profession to be seen as a research-based discipline, comfortable with the language of meta-theoretical debate. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH/PRACTICE: Conceptual frameworks should form the methodological foundation for all nursing doctoral research.

Embedding NHS values: a framework and learning tool to support practice.

Multiple healthcare failings point to an NHS culture where care and compassion are no longer guaranteed. The NHS Constitution and values set out in it should have supported and empowered healthcare professionals to improve their working culture, however these have not been widely adopted. This article describes a framework for all healthcare staff that hinges on principles of 'observing practice, praising good practice, challenging poor practice, and escalating if standards are compromised' (OPCE), and which encourages everyone to take responsibility for poor care.

Role of facilitators in delivering high quality practice education.

Investment in the professional development of the nursing workforce is essential to enhance patient safety, quality of care, personal development and lifelong learning. When resources are scarce, however, education spending is often the first cost saving and this can reduce quality of care. This article explores the role of education facilitators, who are central to strategic representation of practice education issues, delivery of training and development, determining training needs, and the development of relevant education programmes. In addition, they provide support for mentors, practice educators and clinicians.

Implementing a sign off mentor preparation workshop--a tripartite approach.

The Nursing, Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice (SLAiP NMC, 2008) were implemented aiming to ensure that all pre-registration nursing students are assessed by mentors in practise who are knowledgeable, up to date and who can ensure that students are safe practitioners at the time of registration. These new standards place the responsibility on the sign off mentor (SOM) for ensuring that the pre-registration students are safe in practise, and 'suitable at point of entry to the register' for their practise, (NMC, 2008). Similarly the universities are responsible for signing off the theoretical aspects of the programme and confirming the students' good health and good character (Nursing and midwifery Council, 2010, 2010). However due to the extensive time commitments of training for the sign off mentor (which involves the sign-off assessment of three final placement students in practise) this is proving difficult for Trusts to achieve (Glasper, 2010) resulting in low numbers of sign off mentors. Therefore following guidance by the Nursing and midwifery Council (2010, 2010) to allow the inclusion of scenarios and OSCEs for the first two assessments, with one final practise based assessment, it was decided to implement a development programme for our existing experienced mentors. This approach was seen to be effective in developing the knowledge and skills of our mentors to ensure they were prepared for the final practise based assessment as a sign off mentor.