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The paper discusses a survey of British academic human geographers enquiring about change and diversification within personal research activities, their nature, motivations and impacts. It argues that this is widespread and a significant aspect of the production of contemporary geographical knowledge. The findings highlight the range of motivations underpinning research change, its impacts and mediation through the institutional context of British human geography. It concludes that despite a more prescriptive institutional context geographers have a degree of autonomy, albeit somewhat fettered, to shape their own research trajectories to some extent. This provides some important capacity with which to engage with imminent challenges facing the discipline in the UK). The paper complements recent critical histories of geography and sociological accounts of the discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Phenomenology can often be used as a general approach in studies exploring 'experience'. However, social phenomenology can be seen as a distinct methodological approach for nursing research. Aim To provide a reflective account of adopting social phenomenology as a preferred methodology in nursing research. Discussion Personal identity and philosophical viewpoints are not fixed and can change over time, in part due to evolving debates and influences in nursing. People construct meaning in the context in which they are situated and can contribute to researchers' standpoints at a particular point in time. This paper reflects a personal journey through various research influences to culminate in adopting a qualitative research methodology that draws on social and hermeneutic forms of phenomenology. Conclusion The importance of continually revisiting our own positions as nurse researchers is proposed, to justify our chosen study approaches in a critical and transparent way. Implications for practice Exploring and understanding patients' experiences and their perspectives is fundamental to evidence-based nursing practice. Social phenomenology can provide a framework to explore the intersubjective dimensions of care, valuing the socio-historical and cultural aspects that influence behaviours, thoughts and actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how the structuring of places and time influence Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patient and carer experiences of health services. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with diabetes, chronic heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well as family carers (N = 19). Content analysis was undertaken. Participants report that each element of the time spent in Aboriginal Medical Services is seen as more valuable and worthwhile than in mainstream health services, from social and health sharing experiences in the waiting room to health care in clinical places; and that users feel they can rely on sufficient time and respectful care in their clinical consultation. Purposeful design of both physical and temporal aspects of health services is called for. We suggest re-introducing opportunities for spatiotemporal design in health care that have been limited by the segmented 'person as illness' design features of Australia's current mainstream health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite almost two decades of reform under Australia's National Mental Health Strategy, the life circumstances of many people with mental illness seem little improved. While lack of rehabilitation, housing and community support services have been blamed for policy shortfalls, there is also concern that mental health services may impede rather than facilitate recovery from mental illness. To explore this particular concern, this paper reports data from a project which evaluated a group mentorship programme for new graduate nurses working in an Australian public mental health service. Prominent among the problems raised in mentorship group discussions were: the arduous nature of mental health work; the uncaring attitudes and practices of many veteran nursing staff; and the maltreatment and neglect of service users. These participants characterised mental health facilities as tough security-minded places, where staff act more as risk-managers rather than therapists, and all service users are treated as if they might be dangerous. They also perceived a connection between the dismissive ways in which they were often treated by veteran colleagues and the widespread mistreatment of service users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]