Broken yet Brave: Arabic Women's Experience of a Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Arabic women and is often diagnosed in advanced stages, resulting in an increased likelihood of requiring a mastectomy. Despite this, there is a lack of contemporary literature exploring Arabic women's experiences of breast cancer and its sequelae. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted between 2019 and 2022 of Arabic women diagnosed with breast cancer. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clark. RESULTS: Two main themes were identified: (a) Broken yet brave describes participants' experiences when diagnosed and (b) Making decisions about treatment and experiences of support detailing their lack of decision-making autonomy and perceptions of support. DISCUSSION: Arabic women believe in the concept of fate and faith, and their cultural conditioning is to prioritize family over themselves, often with limited support. They lack autonomy in decision-making due to the patriarchal society they live in.

"You don't want to know just about my lungs, you want to know more about me". Patients and their caregivers' evaluation of a nurse-led COPD supportive care service.

AIM: To evaluate a nurse-led model of supportive care in a COPD outpatient service from patient and caregiver perspectives. DESIGN: Case study methodology. METHODS: Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with patients (n = 12) and caregivers (n = 7) conducted between April 2020 and September 2022. A purposive sampling strategy was used. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis with an inductive approach. COREQ guidelines informed reporting of this study. RESULTS: Eight categories were identified from the data evaluating of the model of care relating to the most helpful aspects of COPD supportive care and suggested improvements to the model of care. The categories were: guidance with managing symptoms; participating in advance care planning; home visiting; expert advice; continuity and trust; caring; caregiver support and improvements to the model of care. CONCLUSION: In a nurse-led model of COPD supportive care, what patients and caregivers valued most was expert advice and guidance with symptom management, flexible home visiting, participation in advance care planning, caring and continuity within an ongoing trusted therapeutic relationship. Understanding what patients and caregivers value most is essential in designing and delivering models of care that meet the needs of patients living with chronic, life-limiting illness. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Nurses can lead effective models of supportive care that offer valuable support to patients living with COPD and their caregivers.

Embedding nurse-led supportive care in an outpatient service for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

AIM: To describe a small multidisciplinary team's experience of the process of embedding nurse-led supportive care into an existing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease outpatient service. DESIGN: Case study methodology METHODS: Data were collected from multiple sources including key documents and semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals (n = 6) conducted between June and July 2021. A purposive sampling strategy was used. Content analysis was applied to key documents. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using an inductive approach. RESULTS: Subcategories under the four-stage process were identified from the data. ASSESSMENT: evidence of needs of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; gaps in care and evidence of other models of supportive care. Planning: setting the supportive care service structure and intention; resources and funding; leadership, specialization and respiratory/palliative care roles. IMPLEMENTATION: relationships and trust; embedding supportive care and communication. EVALUATION: benefits and positive outcomes for staff and patients, and, improvements and future considerations for supportive care in the COPD service. CONCLUSION: A collaboration between respiratory and palliative care services resulted in successfully embedding nurse-led supportive care in a small outpatient service for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Nurses are well placed to lead new models of care that aim to address unmet biopsychosocial-spiritual needs of patients. More research is needed to evaluate nurse-led supportive care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and other chronic illness settings; the effectiveness of nurse-led supportive care from the perspective of patients and caregivers and the impact of nurse-led supportive care on health service usage. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The development of the model of care is informed by ongoing discussions with patients with COPD and their caregivers. Data availability statement: Research data are not shared (due to ethical restrictions). IMPACT: Embedding nurse-led supportive care in an existing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease outpatient service is achievable. Nurses with clinical expertise can lead innovative models of care that address the unmet biopsychosocial-spiritual needs of patients with conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Nurse-led supportive care may have utility and relevance in other chronic disease contexts.

Practical advice for refugees aspiring to become registered nurses in Australia.

AIMS: This paper describes practical advice for refugees aspiring to become Registered Nurses (RNs) in Australia. DESIGN: Qualitative description using a naturalistic inquiry framework. METHODS: Between February 2018 and September 2019, the lead author conducted semi-structured interviews with employed RNs that are former refugees that speak English. Interviews were 45-90 min in duration and digitally recorded. Participants provided voluntary informed consent and were sent questions beforehand. All transcription data were thematically analysed for key themes until no further themes were identified. This paper covers practical advice provided by the participants at the conclusion of their interviews. RESULTS: Twelve participants provided practical advice. Six themes were identified: (1) Find your purpose and set goals; (2) Work hard and never give up; (3) Seek support; (4) Capitalize on opportunities; (5) Be optimistic; (6) Give back. The last theme, give back, was salient across all interviews and was an inherent motivator for some participants once their RN status was achieved. CONCLUSION: Each participant set the goal of becoming a fully registered nurse and made it a life goal that provided meaning for them. Despite their experiences, the participants provided practical advice that could guide younger people aspiring to become successfully qualified RNs. IMPACT: The findings in this study are unique as they are derived from people with experiences as refugees who, despite their adversity, became RNs. The practical advice provides a framework not only for younger people from refugee backgrounds seeking to achieve their professional goals, but others looking to succeed in other workforce sectors. The practical advice for success will be useful in informing nursing authorities, tertiary institutions and private and public health organizations to develop effective approaches to guide the next generation of would-be RNs set to contribute to nursing practice in Australia. There were no patient or public contributions as the focus was the personal and professional lives of nurses with refugee backgrounds.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and advance care planning: A synthesis of qualitative literature on patients' experiences.

OBJECTIVE: Advance Care Planning supports patients to share their personal values, goals, and preferences for future medical care with their family members and healthcare professionals. The aim of this review was to uncover what is known about patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and their experiences with Advance Care Planning. METHODS: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies was undertaken. Five databases were searched for qualitative articles published between 2009-2019. The review was guided by the PRISMA framework and seven studies met the eligibility criteria. Thematic synthesis of descriptive themes in each article was undertaken to develop overarching analytical themes, related to the experience of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Advance Care Planning. RESULTS: Four analytical themes emerged from the review of the articles that met the inclusion criteria: patient readiness and willingness for Advance Care Planning discussions; considering the future; trusted relationships with healthcare professionals; and shared decision making. DISCUSSION: Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease are generally open to Advance Care Planning discussions with healthcare professionals who are well-informed, and trusted by the patient. Models of care that integrate Advance Care Planning are beneficial in other non-malignant settings, and may be a way forward to support Advance Care Planning as part of routine care for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Milestones in the journey: The story of refugees becoming registered nurses in Australia.

AIMS: To explore the experiences of refugees who became registered nurses after arriving to Australia. DESIGN: Qualitative description using a naturalistic inquiry framework. METHODS: Between February 2018 and September 2019, the lead author conducted semi-structured interviews with employed registered nurses (RNs) that are former refugees and English-speaking. Interviews were 45-90 min' duration and digitally recorded. Participants provided voluntary informed consent and were sent questions beforehand. Data were collected and coded into themes. Rigor was achieved with multiple transcript readings by the research team to confirm common themes. RESULTS: Twelve participants discussed their story. Three major themes were identified: (1) Milestone of being a refugee; (2) Milestone of resettling in Australia; (3) Milestone of becoming a RN. CONCLUSION: Each participant's story started at a place of disadvantage. They progressed successfully through the three milestones; despite living with traumatic experiences, they learned new skills, developed English literacy, became a RN and juggled the demands of life. This paper highlights the poorly understood pockets of the current Australian RN workforce. IMPACT STATEMENT: The nuanced stories of RNs with refugee backgrounds in this study move beyond trauma and struggle and demonstrate the important journey this particular group of health professionals undertake. Increasing the contextual knowledge of the complex lives of former refugees turned nursing professionals will raise public awareness of the diversity of life experiences of RNs working in Australia.

Nurse-led integration of palliative care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: An integrative literature review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To uncover what is known about nurse-led models or interventions that have integrated palliative care into the care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a highly symptomatic, incurable disease characterised by chronic symptoms that without appropriate palliation can lead to unnecessary suffering for patients and their caregivers. While palliative care practices can relieve suffering and improve quality of life, most palliative models of care remain cancer-focused. New models, including nurse-led care that integrates palliative care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, could address patient suffering and therefore need to be explored. METHOD: A mixed-studies integrative review was undertaken. Seven databases were searched for articles published between 2008-2018. The PRISMA framework was applied to the search, and six studies met the review eligibility criteria. Content analysis of the articles was undertaken, and data were compared, looking for different nurse-led models and outcomes related to palliative care in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. RESULTS: Nurse-led, integrated palliative care models for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are rare and just four of the six articles found in this review had published results. Advance care planning was found to be the most common focus for nurse-led interventions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and in all cases, results demonstrated an improvement in end-of-life discussions and completion of advance care directives. Of the reviewed articles, none used a qualitative framework to explore nurse-led models that integrated palliative care in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. CONCLUSION: While nurse-led advance care planning was one type of palliative care practice associated with positive patient outcomes, there is a need for deeper exploration of nurse-led models that holistically address the bio-psycho-social-spiritual needs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and their caregivers. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Integrating nurse-led supportive care clinics into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease services could be a way forward to address the unmet bio-psycho-social-spiritual needs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and their caregivers.

Challenges to the provision of clinical education in nursing.

Objective: To outline and discuss the challenges inherent in providing clinical education for undergraduate nursing students.Design: Discussion paper.Discussion: The primary goal of undergraduate nursing education is the preparation of graduates able to function as newly registered nurses in acute hospital, primary care, continuing care and mental health settings. Clinical practice is a critical yet complex and challenging component of students' professional development.Conclusions: It is argued that different models for clinical learning are appropriate for different contexts and stages of student development. Nursing needs, however, to be fully cognisant of the importance of collaborative development underpinned by adequate funding and to be aware of the often invisible impacts of neoliberal policies and priorities on health and education.

Experiences of registered nurses from a refugee background: A scoping review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This scoping review presents an exploration of international literature on the factors that impact refugees' personal and professional experiences during their journey to being registered nurses in a new host country. BACKGROUND: Governments of host countries receiving refugees seek to develop strategies that facilitate the successful resettlement, employment and enculturation of refugees that arrive as skilled professionals. There is a scarcity of studies focussing on issues faced by refugees that are RNs or those pursuing nursing registration and employment in a new host country. This study is relevant for resettlement services, nursing registration authorities and education providers and informs the international nursing workforce. DESIGN: Scoping review. METHODS: Databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL; Google Scholar; PubMed; Scopus and Web of Science were searched for qualitative studies published up to and including 2017. Articles that did not specify explicitly the participants as registered nurses and/or refugees were excluded. All eligible articles were analysed for collective findings, and impact factors were extracted, synthesised and illustrated diagrammatically. RESULTS: This review explored six eligible articles and six impact factors were identified. The challenging impacts were as follows: loss of control; shock in a new environment and bleak employment prospects. Equally three impact factors: reconciling new reality; establishing a new identity and hope for the future, facilitate positive experiences for nurses in their successful transition into society and the nursing workplace. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review reports the small number of international studies on the experiences of refugees seeking to become registered and employed as registered nurses. The six impact factors identified influence the lives of the nurse participants socio-economically in and out of the workplace. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Policymakers, managers and educators providing resettlement, registration and employment services could develop strategies that enhance integration and transition experiences of refugees aspiring to be registered nurses.

Workplace culture and the practice experience of midwifery students: A meta-synthesis.

AIM: To describe midwifery students' practice experience and to explore facilitators and barriers to positive clinical learning experiences. BACKGROUND: Practice experience is a vital component of every midwifery course. Course dissatisfaction and attrition of midwifery students has been attributed to sub-optimal practice experiences. Events or actions experienced by midwifery students that trigger dissatisfaction and attrition need to be identified. EVALUATION: A meta-synthesis was based on that developed by Noblit and Hare. KEY ISSUES: Students perceive workplaces as poorly prepared for their arrival and subsequent support. Students' experience in the practice setting is influenced by the existing workplace culture. Workplace culture influences institutional functioning and individuals within the culture. Enculturation of students into the midwifery culture and subsequent learning is affected by the support received. CONCLUSIONS: The practice experience of midwifery students was profoundly influenced by workplace culture. Students tended to have polarized accounts of their experience that were predominantly negative. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING (MIDWIFERY) MANAGEMENT: To provide an optimal environment for midwifery students; midwifery managers and individual midwives need to be aware of the facilitators and barriers to midwifery student development in the practice setting.

Self-reported confidence in patient safety knowledge among Australian undergraduate nursing students: A multi-site cross-sectional survey study.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety is critical to the provision of quality health care and thus is an essential component of nurse education. OBJECTIVE: To describe first, second and third year Australian undergraduate nursing students' confidence in patient safety knowledge acquired in the classroom and clinical settings across the three years of the undergraduate nursing program. DESIGN: A cross-sectional online survey conducted in 2015. SETTING: Seven Australian universities with campuses across three states (Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1319 Australian undergraduate nursing students. METHODS: Participants were surveyed using the 31-item Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey (H-PEPSS). Descriptive statistics summarised the sample and survey responses. Paired t-tests, ANOVA and generalized-estimating-equations models were used to compare responses across learning settings (classroom and clinical), and year of nursing course. RESULTS: Participants were most confident in their learning of clinical safety skills and least confident in learning about the sociocultural dimensions of working in teams with other health professionals, managing safety risks and understanding human and environmental factors. Only 59% of students felt confident they could approach someone engaging in unsafe practice, 75% of students agreed it was difficult to question the decisions or actions of those with more authority, and 78% were concerned they would face disciplinary action if they made a serious error. One patient safety subscale, Recognising and responding to remove immediate safety risks, was rated significantly higher by third year nursing students than by first and second year students. Two broader aspects of patient safety scales, Consistency in how patient safety issues are dealt with by different preceptors, and System aspects of patient safety are well covered in our program, were rated significantly higher by first year nursing students than by second and third year students. One scale, Understanding that reporting adverse events and close calls can lead to change and can reduce recurrence of events, was rated significantly higher by third year students than first and second year students. CONCLUSIONS: In order are to achieve meaningful improvements in patient safety, and create harm free environments for patients, it is crucial that nursing students develop confidence communicating with others to improve patient safety, particularly in the areas of challenging poor practice, and recognising, responding to and disclosing adverse events, including errors and near misses.

Towards international consensus on patient harm: perspectives on pressure injury policy.

AIMS: To analyse influential policies that inform practice related to pressure injury management in Australia, England, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Scotland and the United States of America. BACKGROUND: Pressure injuries are associated with significant harm to patients, and carry economic consequences for the health sector. Internationally, preventing and managing pressure injuries is a key nursing activity and quality indicator. EVALUATION: Comparative review and synthesis of pressure injury policies that inform practice. KEY ISSUES: The predominant focus of policy is on patient risk assessment, compliance with documentation and pressure relief. Financial penalty for institutions is emerging as a strategy where pressure injuries occur. Comparisons of prevalence rates are hampered by the lack of consensus on data collection and reporting. To date there has been little evaluation of policy implementation and implemented policy strategies, associated guidelines remain founded upon expert opinion and low-level evidence. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The pressure injury policy agenda has fostered a discourse of attention to incidents, compliance and penalty (sanctions). Prevention and intervention strategies are informed by technical and biomedical interpretations of patient risk and harm, with little attention given to the nature or design of nursing work. Considerable challenges remain if this policy agenda is successfully to eliminate pressure injury as a source of patient harm.

'Watching an artist at work': aesthetic leadership in clinical nursing workplaces.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore how clinical leaders enact aesthetic leadership in clinical nursing workplaces. BACKGROUND: Clinical leadership is heralded as vital for safe and effective nursing. Different leadership styles have been applied to the clinical nursing workplace over recent years. Many of these styles lack an explicit moral dimension, instead focusing on leader qualities and developing leader competence around team building, quality and safety. Aesthetic leadership, with its explicit moral dimension, could enhance clinical leadership effectiveness and improve nursing workplaces. How aesthetic leadership is enacted in clinical nursing settings requires exploration. DESIGN: A qualitative design, employing conversation-style interviews with experienced registered nurses and written responses gathered from an online descriptive survey. METHODS: Narrative data were gathered from interviews with 12 registered nurses and written accounts from 31 nurses who responded to an online survey. Together, transcribed interview data and the written accounts were subject to thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three main themes emerged: Leading by example: 'be seen in the clinical area'; Leading with composure: 'a sense of calm in a hideous shift'; and Leading through nursing values: 'create an environment just by your being'. CONCLUSIONS: Aesthetic leadership was shown to enhance clinical leadership activities in the nursing workplace. The capacity for clinical leaders to be self-reflective can positively influence the nursing workplace. It was apparent that clinical leader effectiveness can be enhanced with nursing values underpinning leadership activities and by being a visible, composed role model in the clinical workplace. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Aesthetic leadership can enhance clinical nursing workplaces with its explicit moral purpose and strong link to nursing values. Clinical leaders who incorporate these attributes with being a visible, composed role model have the capacity to improve the working lives of nurses across a range of clinical settings.

Grace under fire: aesthetic leadership in clinical nursing.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This paper reports the results of an online descriptive survey that sought to determine nurses' perceptions of aesthetic leadership among clinical leaders in nursing. BACKGROUND: Clinical leadership has been identified as an essential component to ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality health care. Leadership has been increasingly linked in the literature to aesthetics. However, little consideration has been given to aesthetics in relation to clinical leadership in nursing. DESIGN: A mixed-method, online descriptive survey. METHODS: Participants were recruited via e-learning platforms and social media. A total of 66 surveys were completed, including 31 written accounts of aesthetic leadership in practice. RESULTS: Aesthetic leadership characteristics in clinical leaders most valued are support, communication and the approach taken to colleagues. Taking risks and challenging processes were least likely to be evident among effective clinical leaders. CONCLUSION: Aesthetic leadership is multi-dimensional and a style of leadership to positively influence the clinical workplace. Support, effective communication and taking into consideration the feelings of colleagues are important dimensions of aesthetic leadership. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Aesthetic leadership represents a way for clinical leaders to create and sustain a calm and positive clinical workplace.

Aesthetic Leadership: Its Place in the Clinical Nursing World.

Clinical leadership has been identified as crucial to positive patient/client outcomes, across all clinical settings. In the new millennium, transformational leadership has been the dominant leadership style and in more recent times, congruent leadership theory has emerged to explain clinical leadership in nursing. This article discusses these two leadership models and identifies some of the shortcomings of them as models for clinical leadership in nursing. As a way of overcoming some of these limitations, aesthetic leadership is proposed as a style of leadership that is not antithetical to either model and reflects nursing's recognition of the validity of art and aesthetics to nursing generally. Aesthetic leadership is also proposed as a way to identify an expert clinical leader from a less experienced clinical leader, taking a similar approach to the way Benner (1984) has theorised in her staging of novice to expert clinical nurse.

'Good ethics and moral standing': a qualitative study of aesthetic leadership in clinical nursing practice.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore how aesthetic leadership is embodied by clinical leaders in the nursing workplace. BACKGROUND: A number of different leadership styles have been developed, theorised and applied to the nursing workforce over the years. Many of these styles lack an explicit moral dimension in their identified leader attributes, due to a shift in theorising of leadership to focus on the impact of leader traits on followers. It is timely to look at aesthetic leadership, with its explicit moral dimension, as a way of improving outcomes for nurses, patients and health care organisations. DESIGN: Qualitative design, using conversation-style interviews with experienced registered nurses in designated clinical leadership roles. METHODS: Twelve experienced registered nurses who worked in designated clinical leadership roles participated in an individual, digitally recorded, semi-structured conversation-style interview. Narrative data were transcribed and subject to thematic analysis. FINDINGS: Three main themes emerged: 'True to their beliefs': embodying principled practice; 'Not all policies fit every patient': ethical leadership in ambiguous situations; and 'Being open to people's concerns': providing fair and just solutions. A strong moral compass shaped and guided participants' day-to-day clinical leadership activities. CONCLUSIONS: Participants provided a rich narrative on how aesthetic leadership is embodied in the clinical nursing setting. It was evident that their clinical leadership is shaped and guided by a strong moral compass. By incorporating into their practice an aesthetic world-view with its strong moral purpose, participants in this study have shown how aesthetic leadership can enhance the clinical nursing workplace. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses in the clinical setting value clinical leaders who embrace and operate with a strong moral compass. Aesthetic leadership, with its explicit strong moral purpose, offers a way of incorporating morality into clinical leadership in the nursing workplace.

Unravelling the complexities of nursing students' feedback on the clinical learning environment: a mixed methods approach.

BACKGROUND: Clinical placement is an essential part of nursing education, and students' experiences on clinical placement can affect the quality of their learning. Understanding nursing students' positive and negative perceptions of clinical placement experience is therefore important. OBJECTIVES: To describe nursing students' satisfaction with their clinical placement experiences and identify any variations in satisfaction based on demographic characteristics. DESIGN: Mixed methods - online survey with qualitative items. SETTING: Four universities in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Students (n=213) enrolled in an undergraduate nursing degree. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2012, students completed online surveys following their clinical placement experiences. The surveys included demographic questions and the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (CLEI-19), a 19-item tool measuring students' satisfaction with clinical placement. The surveys included two open-ended questions asking students to share their most satisfying and challenging experiences whilst on placement. Descriptive statistics and thematic analyses were undertaken. RESULTS: Of the 213 participants, those in health-related employment and those with English as an additional language (EAL) were less satisfied with the clinical facility and with clinical facilitator support respectively, as indicated by the CLEI-19 subscale scores. Qualitative findings showed students were positive about the opportunity to make a difference and be involved in nursing, and negative about clinical facilitator support. Nevertheless, those who were most critical in their written comments about their placement were those who only spoke English at home. CONCLUSIONS: Although the study found overall satisfaction with clinical placement, the lower satisfaction reported by students in health-related employment, and the mixed findings regarding language spoken and satisfaction, warrant further attention.

Pragmatism, persistence and patience: a user perspective on strategies for data collection using popular online social networks.

The increasing pervasiveness of the internet and social networking globally presents new opportunities and challenges for empirical social science researchers including those in nursing. Developments in computer-mediated communication are not static and there is potential for further advances and innovation in research methods embracing this technology. The aim of this paper is to present a reflexive account and critique of the use of social media as a means of data collection in a study that sought to explore the aesthetics of clinical leadership in contemporary nursing. In doing so, comparisons are drawn from using Twitter, Facebook and e-learning announcements as methods of recruitment and subsequent data collection via an online survey. The pragmatics of the internet and online social networks as vehicles for data collection are discussed. While questions remain about best practice to safeguard the scientific integrity of these approaches and the researchers and research participants who choose to participate, the potential exists for researchers to enhance and expand research methods without compromising rigour and validity. In the interests of sharpening thinking about this means of data collection dialogue and debate are needed on a range of research aspects including but not limited to pragmatics, new requirements in research training and development, legal and ethical guidelines and strengths and limitations encountered.