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woo h. & twinn s. (2004) Journal of Advanced Nursing 45(6), 595–602 Health needs of Hong Kong Chinese pregnant adolescents The outcomes of adolescent pregnancy have been associated with health risks such as obstetric complications and depression, and educational risks such as school dropout and reduced employment opportunities. These outcomes arise from a range of needs including perceived health needs, which are the focus of this paper. This paper reports a study to identify the perceived needs of Hong Kong Chinese adolescents following confirmation of an unintended pregnancy. An exploratory qualitative approach was used with a purposive sample of 10 Hong Kong Chinese pregnant adolescents. The study was undertaken during their stay in a non-government organization maternal shelter. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore adolescents’ perceptions of their psychological, social and health needs and the extent to which each of these needs was met. Six major categories were identified within the context of need, of which three were related to health needs: acceptance of the pregnancy; psychological reactions to the pregnancy; and use of contraception and health advice. The findings contribute to an understanding of the perceived health needs of Chinese adolescents, in particular those that are culturally determined. Implications for nursing practice indicate the significance of comprehensive health assessments and health promotion strategies to help adolescents increase their knowledge about sexual health and contraception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Title. Health promotion and health education practice: nurses’ perceptions Aim. This paper is a report of a study to explore nurses’ perceptions of health promotion and health education practice in a Chinese provincial hospital. Background. Health promotion and health education practices are based on universal constructs. Therefore, such practices should share common principles. To date, most nursing-related studies have been conducted in Europe or in North America. Method. A Husserlian phenomenological approach was adopted. Interviews were conducted in 2006 with a sample of eight nursing students and eight senior nurses. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed from Mandarin to English. Data analysis adhered to the framework developed by Giorgi. Results. Reported health education and health promotion-related practices showed results similar to those reported in Europe and North America. Hospital-based nurses were often aware of what health promotion is, but did not have the scope or opportunity to implement it in practice. Instead, they were likely to conduct more limited forms of health education. Actual understanding of health promotion and health education constructs was high with most participants, underpinned by active clinical-based educational support. Some participants were able to conduct broader health promotion activities on a voluntary basis in their own communities. Conclusion. Health education and health promotion are universal health-related constructs. Thus, there is an expectation that all nurses will implement these in a similar fashion. Where possible, hospital-based nurses should strive to improve their health education practices and further embrace wider perspectives of health promotion practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case management has been suggested as an innovative strategy which facilitates the linking of quality and cost-effective care. However, there is little consensus about what is actually being introduced under the name of case management. It is suggested that this absence of a clear understanding of case management has been an obstacle in moving forward case management practice and research. This paper presents a critical review of the confusion surrounding case management with an attempt to unravel issues relevant to the implementation of case management into community nursing practice in Hong Kong. It is concluded that there is a need for different definitions of case management as a result of the differences in the cultural and health care context in which it is being practised. Also, if case management programmes are to be advanced, there needs to be more co-ordinated effort in researching not only the expected outcomes but also the structures and processess of these programmes so that findings of similar case management programmes can be compared for ways of future improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discipline of nursing is in a process of rapid transition. In this paper, the developments are discussed that have affected nursing in its advancement to a full-grown profession. Nursing and medicine are the products of Cartesian thinking that has fragmented our perspectives on man and his living world. The consequences of this scientific viewpoint are reflected in all aspects of life. Attention is paid to advances in nursing practice and education, the development of nursing research and the emergence of a nursing science. These aspects are discussed in the context of professionalization and the position of nursing in the health care system and in society. The study findings of the Styles Report Project on the Regulation of Nursing (1985) serve as a framework of analysis. Links are made between the recommendations given in this report and the development of primary health care, the new tomorrow of a modern discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]