Development and application of a computerized workload measurement tool for nurse educators.

This paper describes the development and application of a computerized workload measurement tool for use in hospital nursing education departments. The tool was developed in response to a need to gather information to facilitate resource allocation within the nursing education department in times of severe fiscal constraint. Software was developed based on a commercially available spreadsheet to keep track of the time and nature of nursing educator activity as well as its location. Analysis of the results showed that most of the nurse educators' time was spent on educational activities. The workload measurement system provided useful information for both individual educators and for the department in assessing, planning and allocating resources for educators.

Elderly patients with hip fractures: improved outcome with the use of care maps with high-quality medical and nursing protocols.

In a prospective cohort study, 51 patients were treated with standard nursing and medical treatment after sustaining a hip fracture. A second group of 55 patients was treated with high-quality medical and nursing protocols outlined on our care map. The patient groups showed no significant differences preoperatively in terms of the important variables of age, mental status, marital status, accommodation, ambulation, fracture type or fracture treatment. Postoperatively the patients were followed for a 6-month outcome. The outcome of return to their place of accommodation and their previous level of function was considered grade 1. In grade 2, the patients lost one level of function or one level of accommodation. In grade 3 they lost one level of accommodation and one level of function. In grade 4 they were dead. Overall we were able to show that the patients in the study group had a statistically significantly better outcome (p = 0.036). In addition, they had significantly fewer postoperative complications (p = 0.01) and a significantly greater number of the patients returned home within 14 days of their admission. We feel that the medical and nursing protocols outlined are generally applicable and could significantly improve the outcome overall for elderly patients with fractured hips.

The pharmacology of a new oxytocic principle from ox hypothalamus.

1. An oxytocic substance has been isolated from ox hypothalamus by successive gel filtration on Sephadex G-25 and Sephadex G-50, and its pharmacology has been examined on three smooth muscle preparations.2. The substance has the same order of potency on rat uterus, guinea-pig ileum, and hen rectal caecum.3. The action of the substance on rat uterus was not abolished by thioglycollate.4. Atropine (1.0 mug/ml.), phenoxybenzamine (0.1 mug/ml.) and mepyramine (1.0 mug/ml.) did not block the smooth muscle action of the substance.5. Drug action, relative potency, and log dose-response relationships distinguish the substance from 5-hydroxytryptamine, acetylcholine, oxytocin, vasopressin, angiotensin amide, bradykinin, and purified preparations of substance P.

Research in a laboratory situation.

In the postgraduate course on "Education of the Physiotherapist", Professor R. W. Hawker, Professor of Physiology at the University of Queensland, gave a lecture on "Research in a Laboratory Situation". A summary of part of his lecture is set out. In his lecture he asked the question-How do I become a researcher? He discussed the education for research given in the Department of Physiology where there are eight units of research. In each unit a team of investigators applies itself to a project of research.