Papers by Margaret Connor
Journal of pediatric psychology, Jan 12, 2014
Examine the content of children's books and summarize the main issues related to communicati... more Examine the content of children's books and summarize the main issues related to communication with young children about maternal cancer, especially breast cancer. METHODS: A search of English books discussing early-stage (breast) cancer and written for children aged 3-12 years was conducted on the Amazon.com Web site. Each of 45 identified books was analyzed independently by two of three coders using inductive qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The main contents of these books included cancer-related knowledge, impacts of maternal cancer, and coping strategies. The concept of (breast) cancer and its treatment was introduced in plain language and some common misunderstandings were clarified. The consequences of maternal cancer were highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: These books are beneficial to children and adults. However, impacts on school life, children's concerns about financial burdens, and instructions about age-appropriate use of the books have been neglected. Addi...
Psycho-Oncology, 2014
Objective: The purpose of this study was to systematically review and synthesise qualitative stud... more Objective: The purpose of this study was to systematically review and synthesise qualitative studies pertinent to male and female school-aged and adolescent children's experience when a parent is diagnosed with non-terminal cancer.
The Open Nursing Journal, 2013
Nurses are frequently exposed to dying patients and death in the course of their work. This exper... more Nurses are frequently exposed to dying patients and death in the course of their work. This experience makes individuals conscious of their own mortality, often giving rise to anxiety and unease. Nurses who have a strong anxiety about death may be less comfortable providing nursing care for patients at the end of their life. This paper explores the literature on death anxiety and nurses' attitudes to determine whether fear of death impacts on nurses' caring for dying patients. Fifteen quantitative studies published between 1990 and 2012 exploring nurses' own attitudes towards death were critically reviewed. Three key themes identified were: i). nurses' level of death anxiety; ii). death anxiety and attitudes towards caring for the dying, and iii). death education was necessary for such emotional work. Based on quantitative surveys using valid instruments, results suggested that the level of death anxiety of nurses working in hospitals in general, oncology, renal, hospice care or in community services was not high. Some studies showed an inverse association between nurses' attitude towards death and their attitude towards caring for dying patients. Younger nurses consistently reported stronger fear of death and more negative attitudes towards end-of-life patient care. Nurses need to be aware of their own beliefs. Studies from several countries showed that a worksite death education program could reduce death anxiety. This offers potential for improving nurses' caring for patients at the end of their life.
Contemporary Nurse, 2008
Methodology articulates the broad theoretical and philosophical framework which researchers emplo... more Methodology articulates the broad theoretical and philosophical framework which researchers employ when conducting an inquiry. Methods are the procedural rules by which research inquiry is conducted; giving authority to articulate and communicate information as reliable and accurate in nature. Critical ethnography delves beneath the surface to examine the power relations and influences affecting phenomena by using field methods to identify not only culture, the 'consciousness' or the 'lived experiences' of others, but also exposing the political, social and material disempowerment of individuals and disadvantaged groups in order to elicit change. Fieldwork is central to all ethnographies and in this critical ethnography it forms the platform from which the delivery of palliative care to aged residents in a multi-purpose centre can be scrutinised. This paper explicates the fieldwork adopted in conducting such a study.
International Nursing Review, 2008
Discourses associated with nursing aged people who are dying in the Australian context: a review ... more Discourses associated with nursing aged people who are dying in the Australian context: a review of the literature. International Nursing Review 55, [349][350][351][352][353][354] Aim: To examine the discourses associated with nursing care of aged people who are dying in the Australian context. Background: The discourses associated with nursing aged people who are dying are not universally understood, and there is confusion regarding the meaning of terminology used to describe specific nursing practices in the aged care setting in Australia. Methods: A literature search was undertaken to identify nursing practices and the discourses associated with nursing aged people who are dying in the Australian context. Words used in the literature to describe practices related to nursing care of the dying were distilled, and a search of the Cummulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) database using this vocabulary was undertaken to explicate the meanings associated with specific terminology. Findings: The review of literature highlighted a plethora of nursing practices related to caring for people who are aged and dying. Hospice care, palliative care, terminal care, end-of-life care and a palliative approach are terms used to describe specific practices associated with nursing people who are dying. These terms have distinct meanings; however, they are often used interchangeably in aged care settings adding to confusion and the potential for compromised nursing practice standards. Implications for practice: Understanding the terminology associated with nursing practice provided to people who are aged and dying allows the profession to engage in dialogue that is universally understood. Dialogue allows for rigorous debate, research and ultimately the evolution of nursing practice, improved outcomes for this group and the avoidance of unnecessary legal challenge to individual and institutional practice standards. Conclusion: The terminology associated with the provision of care to the aged who are dying is reflective of the broader healthcare discourse focused on dying and death. Shared agreement about this terminology will avoid unnecessary litigation resulting from misunderstanding of the discourses that describe and define practice and enhance health outcomes for the aged dying and their families and/or significant others.
Drama is a promising means of delivering educational messages in palliative care. Research studie... more Drama is a promising means of delivering educational messages in palliative care. Research studies have found drama to be an effective means of delivering educational messages in other domains of learning, such as teaching health education to children and adults and engaging the general public in health policy development. This paper discusses the potential of drama for palliative care education and provides an example of the use of a drama to deliver messages about death and dying at a conference on palliative care. The paper suggests a theoretical framework for how future drama productions could be developed to educate the community, health professionals and students about palliative care.
Rural and remote health
Introduction: It is anticipated that in Australia the number of cases of mesothelioma will contin... more Introduction: It is anticipated that in Australia the number of cases of mesothelioma will continue to rise significantly over the next 15 years with power station workers having a risk second only to asbestos mill workers. Mesothelioma responds poorly to treatment and is almost always fatal, yet there have been few studies related to the palliative care needs of this diagnostic group and none focussing on the Latrobe Valley, Victoria, Australia. The aims of this pilot study were to identify common issues and to explore the needs and experiences of people with mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer (M/ARLC), their carers, and service providers in the Latrobe Valley community, in particular in relation to palliative care.
Progress in Palliative Care, 2010
ABSTRACT
Advances in Health Sciences Education P, Mar 1, 2010
Drama is a promising means of delivering educational messages in palliative care. Research studie... more Drama is a promising means of delivering educational messages in palliative care. Research studies have found drama to be an effective means of delivering educational messages in other domains of learning, such as teaching health education to children and adults and engaging the general public in health policy development. This paper discusses the potential of drama for palliative care education and provides an example of the use of a drama to deliver messages about death and dying at a conference on palliative care. The paper suggests a theoretical framework for how future drama productions could be developed to educate the community, health professionals and students about palliative care.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 14623943 2012 749232, May 7, 2013
International Journal of Palliative Nursing, Sep 29, 2013
Australia&amp... more Australia's population is culturally and linguistically diverse, with approximately one quarter of the population born overseas (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005). Health-care research must be culturally sensitive and due consideration given to the unique ethical, cultural, and other issues that may arise. Issues in palliative care research have become more complex as the options of care at the end of life develop in respect to the requirements of different cultures. This paper highlights the issues that arose when conducting a qualitative study of the needs and experiences of Indian families with a relative requiring palliative care, and also proposes strategies to address the ethical and methodological problems that may arise when researching this vulnerable population.
Journal of Cultural Diversity, Jul 1, 2009
International journal of palliative nursing, 2009
Progress in Palliative Care, 2009
Bereavement support services are recognised as an integral part of hospices and palliative care s... more Bereavement support services are recognised as an integral part of hospices and palliative care services. Exploratory surveys on the nature of such services have been conducted in recent years in several countries, including the USA, UK and Australia. The purpose of this paper is to ...
Monash Bioethics Review, 1999
ABSTRACT
Journal of pediatric psychology, Jan 12, 2014
Examine the content of children's books and summarize the main issues related to communicati... more Examine the content of children's books and summarize the main issues related to communication with young children about maternal cancer, especially breast cancer. METHODS: A search of English books discussing early-stage (breast) cancer and written for children aged 3-12 years was conducted on the Amazon.com Web site. Each of 45 identified books was analyzed independently by two of three coders using inductive qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The main contents of these books included cancer-related knowledge, impacts of maternal cancer, and coping strategies. The concept of (breast) cancer and its treatment was introduced in plain language and some common misunderstandings were clarified. The consequences of maternal cancer were highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: These books are beneficial to children and adults. However, impacts on school life, children's concerns about financial burdens, and instructions about age-appropriate use of the books have been neglected. Addi...
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Papers by Margaret Connor