A comparison of elderly care nursing in the UK and Japan.

AIM: The aim of this study was to gain insight into registered nurses' experiences of caring for older people in the UK and Japan. METHOD: Critical incident technique was used because of its ability to capture actual incidents from practice. Written, anonymous self-report data were collected during 2010. Participants were asked to recall two critical incidents where they had felt either rewarded or challenged at work. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. FINDINGS: Analysis revealed striking similarities in the experiences of nurses from both countries. Four main themes emerged: the challenges of a complex work environment; the challenges of resolving ethical conflicts; the rewards of establishing meaningful relationships; and the rewards of achieving excellence in individual patient care. CONCLUSION: The study provides new evidence from two different countries that although there are some challenges, nurses reap many rewards from working with older people.

Lost in translation? Undertaking transcultural qualitative research.

If nurses are to undertake rigorous transcultural research, they must take account of the cultural and linguistic diversity of the countries in which they propose to complete their work. Fiona Elizabeth Irvine and colleagues describe the experiences of researchers undertaking the qualitative phase of a study of Japanese and UK nurse educators, and consider the measures that can be taken to enhance the rigour of transcultural research.