This study measured levels of distress, sources of stress and ways of coping of a convenience sample of psychiatric nursing students (n = 35). Instruments used were the 30-item General Health Questionnaire, the Jones and Johnson (1997) Student Nurse Stress Index, Parkes (1985) Ways of Coping Questionnaire and a demographic questionnaire. Findings revealed that all students were significantly distressed, exceeding a conventional cut-off score of 5 on the 30-item General Health Questionnaire. Students were found to have limited coping skills. Preparing to become a nurse in this setting was found to be significantly emotionally stressful and a possible risk to the well-being of students. This study provides a baseline from which to address the problem of stress among diplomate psychiatric nursing students.

BackgroundRecent policy and service provision recommends a woman-centred approach to maternity care. Midwife-led models of care are seen as one important strategy for enhancing women’s choice; a core element of woman-centred care. In the Republic of Ireland, an obstetric consultant-led, midwife-managed service model currently predominates and there is limited exploration of the concept of women centred care from the perspectives of those directly involved; that is, women, midwives, general practitioners and obstetricians.This study considers women’s and clinicians’ views, experiences and perspectives of woman-centred maternity care in Ireland.MethodsA descriptive qualitative design. Participants (n = 31) were purposively sampled from two geographically distinct maternity units. Interviews were face-to-face or over the telephone, one-to-one or focus groups. A thematic analysis of the interview data was performed.ResultsFive major themes representing women’s and clinicians’ views, experiences and perspectives of women-centred care emerged from the data. These were Protecting Normality, Education and Decision Making, Continuity, Empowerment for Women-Centred Care and Building Capacity for Women-Centred Care. Within these major themes, sub-themes emerged that reflect key elements of women-centred care. These were respect, partnership in decision making, information sharing, educational impact, continuity of service, staff continuity and availability, genuine choice, promoting women’s autonomy, individualized care, staff competency and practice organization.ConclusionWomen centred-care, as perceived by participants in this study, is not routinely provided in Ireland and women subscribe to the dominant culture that views safety as paramount. Women-centred care can best be facilitated through continuity of carer and in particular through midwife led models of care; however, there is potential to provide women-centred care within existing labour wards in terms of consistency of care, education of women, common approaches to care across professions and women’s choice. To achieve this, however, future research is required to better understand the role of midwife-led care within existing labour ward settings. While a positive view of women-centred care was found; there is still a difference in approach and imbalance of power between the professions. More research is required to consider how these differences impact care provision and how they might be overcome.

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The aim of the PRINCE study was to determine the effectiveness of a structured education pulmonary rehabilitation programme for those living with COPD in primary care in Ireland. This qualitative element of the larger PRINCE trial aims to describe the constituents of 'usual care' for patients allocated to the control arm of the study. A descriptive qualitative study was used to explore the constituents of usual care. A convenience sample of participants (n=20) allocated to the usual care group were interviewed. Three main themes arose from the study: experiences of having and managing COPD, lifestyle advice, and factors that helped or hindered self-management. Usual care left many people grappling in the dark trying to manage their COPD. It was found that usual care was not at its optimum for people with COPD in the control arm of the PRINCE study.

Aim This study explored the experiences of undergraduate nursing students who worked clinically during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Irish healthcare settings. Design A qualitative descriptive approach was employed. Methods Online focus group interviews were used to collect data from general nursing students ( N = 47) between February and April 2021. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Descriptive thematic analysis of the data revealed five themes; changes in care delivery, changes in communication and relationships with the patient, an emotionally charged work atmosphere, coping strategies during the pandemic and student learning specific to COVID‐19. Challenges such as an increased workload, fear of contracting the virus and taking on novel and additional roles were revealed. Students remained undeterred, and despite the many challenges faced, they largely viewed their experiences as a source of personal and professional growth, and benefitted from the learning opportunities afforded to them.