title: Finding the voice of clinical experience: participatory action research with registered nurses in developing a child critical care nursing curriculum.
abstract: The voice of clinical nurses is important to find and hear in the design of curricula. A participative action research project proposed to add this voice to the design of a new Critical Care Child Nursing programme at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Nurses' experiences of nursing critically ill children and their perceived learning needs in this context, were the central focus of the study. Participants were registered nurses working in the paediatric intensive care unit at the Red Cross Children's Hospital (a specialist hospital), which offers secondary and tertiary care in the Cape Town region and beyond. Data were gathered in five focussed group discussions. Findings indicate that the Critical Care Child Nurse needs not only a specialised knowledge base and acutely developed assessment skills, but also astute interpersonal skills. The nurse's professional identity and integration into the multidisciplinary team need exploring. Together with the development of interpersonal skills, the nurse needs to engage the child and family.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, 7925 South Africa. minettecoetzee@xsinet.co.za
authors.forename: Minette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coetzee
authors.forename: Margretta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Britton
authors.forename: Sheila E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Clow
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003142:Communication; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards*; D017144:Focus Groups; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric / Q000458:organization & administration; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D020380:Needs Assessment; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009736:Nursing Process; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration; D016730:Program Development; D012944:Social Support; D013019:South Africa; D013850:Thinking