Moving forward in nursing In an editorial in Nursing Philosophy late last year, Derek Sellman wrote a piece that will resonate with a lot of people frustrated by the corporatization of health care; 'I retain a deep distrust of moving forward as a spindiom (spin idiom, spindiom, get it?)...The primary values of education and health care are not those of the corporation' (p.156). Sellman, D. (2014). Moving forward in nursing. Nursing Philosophy : An International Journal for Healthcare Professionals, 15(3), 155-6. doi:10.1111/nup.12059. Reviewing research papers In the same edition of Nursing Philosophy, Martin Lipscomb asks 'how much understanding of the research process is enough for a … [Read more...] about Critical physiotherapy research update
Latchem J et al (2015) Physiotherapy for vegetative & minimally conscious state patients: family perceptions & experiences. Disability & Rehabilitation. Early Online. 1. 10.3109/09638288.2015.1005759.
A new paper by CPN member Julie Latchem (click here to open Julie's member profile page), Jenny Kitzinger, and Celia Kitzinger titled Physiotherapy for vegetative and minimally conscious state patients: family perceptions and experiences for Disability & Rehabilitation has just become available as an open access early online edition. You can find a free copy of the article here. Abstract Purpose: To examine family perceptions of physiotherapy provided to relatives in vegetative or minimally conscious states. Method: Secondary thematic analysis of 65 in-depth narrative interviews with family members of people in vegetative or minimally conscious … [Read more...] about Latchem J et al (2015) Physiotherapy for vegetative & minimally conscious state patients: family perceptions & experiences. Disability & Rehabilitation. Early Online. 1. 10.3109/09638288.2015.1005759.
Qualitative research for mere mortals #1
There's a lot more qualitative research being produced by physiotherapists today, which is gratifying because for a long time it looked like the profession might be stuck in an endless loop of clinical trials on hamstring stretching, and the last thing the profession needs right now is more trials on hamstring stretching. But there's still a dire need for more qualitative research in physiotherapy, and especially good quality research, which can sometimes be in short supply. How many times have you read a piece of qualitative research and thought that the authors were just telling you what you already knew? You know the kind of thing I mean: an interview-based study of people's experience … [Read more...] about Qualitative research for mere mortals #1
Being critical
In yesterday's post I mentioned the Hybrid Pedagogy site and the work they had done to define what it means to be critical in education. As a critical physiotherapy network, it's probably important that we do the same thing and articulate how we think we are critical, because there are so many different meanings for the word, it could easily be misleading. Critical can mean: Intensive care and the physiotherapy that is given to people in life-threatening situations Critically and systematically analysing the quality and content of research articles These are almost certainly the approaches to criticality most familiar to physiotherapists today. The first is a very specialised field of … [Read more...] about Being critical
My critical physiotherapy Christmas list
Santa is a busy chap so needs help to know who's been naughty and whose been nice. I've tried my best to be nice this year. Honestly I have. So I thought I'd draw up a critical physiotherapy Christmas list of the things I'd like in my stocking on Christmas morning. Dear Santa, Could I please have: A physiotherapy journal that refuses, on principal, to publish any article where the authors use the words evidence-based practice, musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiorespiratory, mixed methods, systematic, descriptive, thematic, or any word ending in -itis. A return to a properly funded public health system. An overhaul to the weighting of academic journals. I'd like all journal's … [Read more...] about My critical physiotherapy Christmas list
The shrinking world of ideas
I'm doing a talk on Monday to my School on qualitative research, and my big theme is that qualitative research far too much qualitative research is saying far too little. Ideas, theory and philosophy are being squeezed out by an unhealthy concern for research methods. This point is made far more elegantly here which, if I'd had it when I was writing my talk, would have saved me a lot of time. http://chronicle.com/article/Neuroscience-Is-Ruining-the/150141/ … [Read more...] about The shrinking world of ideas
Connectivity – Stating the obvious?
Thanks to everyone for their comments on connectivity. It's clear that the concept has captured people's imagination. I've had a few queries about the concept that I thought would be worth discussing here. Most revolve around whether connectivity is just stating the obvious - describing very common aspects of practice in high-minded language. So I thought I'd try to address this question here. Is connectivity just stating the obvious? Some people have commented that connectivity, at its basic level, sounds a lot like everyday practice. Connecting people with mediating technologies like other people, things, and new ideas, is something that physiotherapists, OT, doctors and nurses have … [Read more...] about Connectivity – Stating the obvious?