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Women's Experiences (women + experience)
Selected AbstractsNarrative inquiry into life experiences of refugee women and menINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 1 2007C. Pavlish phd Background:, Africa is the site of many refugee camps, and non-governmental agencies are often responsible for providing programmes and services to improve refugees' quality of life and health in temporary encampments. Rwanda hosts three refugee camps as a result of the 1994 genocide. Aim:, This research examines meaningful life experiences as narrated by women and men Congolese refugees residing in a refugee camp in Rwanda. Methods:, Two in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 refugee men and 14 refugee women. Content in the research text was analysed separately by gender. Findings:, Women's experiences revealed themes of leaving the good life behind, worrying about their daughters, feeling ambivalent about marriage and lacking hope. Men's experiences revealed themes of leaving the good life behind, having no peace in the heart and fearing the future. Conclusions:, Listening to refugee voices in narrated life experiences provides an opportunity for non-governmental organizations to create programmes and services that pertain closely to refugees' life experiences. [source] Women's experiences with vaginal pessary useJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 11 2009Sandra Storey Abstract Title.,Women's experiences with vaginal pessary use. Aim., This paper is a report of a study of the lived experiences of women using vaginal pessaries for the treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) and/or pelvic organ prolapse. Background., The use of a vaginal pessary offers a non-surgical treatment option to provide physical support to the bladder and internal organs. As the literature asserts, a woman's choice to use a pessary is very individual and involves not only physical, but also psychological and emotional considerations. Method., Narrative inquiry was used to conduct face-to-face semi-structured interviews in 2007 with 11 postmenopausal women who accessed services from a Urogynecology Clinic in Eastern Canada. Findings., The women's stories revealed that living with a pessary is a life-changing experience and an ongoing learning process. The women's comfort level and confidence in caring for the device figured prominently in their experiences. Psychosocial support provided by the clinic nurses also played a primary role in the women's experiences. Conclusion., Women and healthcare professionals need to be aware of the personal isolation and embarrassment, and social and cultural implications that urinary incontinence may cause as well as the subjective experiences of using a pessary. With appropriate support, vaginal pessaries can provide women with the freedom to lead active, engaged and social lives. [source] Women's experiences of workplace bullying: changes in social relationshipsJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Sian E. Lewis Abstract This article reports a qualitative study, which investigated social processes in workplace bullying, based on in-depth interviews with ten British women professionals who were targets of workplace bullying. Data were analysed using grounded theory methods. The resulting analysis showed links between disclosures of bullying, reactions of others, and some impacts on targets' psychological health. Key themes which emerged from the data included ,being heard' which describes how others reacted to disclosures of bullying behaviours, and the ,ripple effect' which describes how bullying impacted upon targets' significant others; these predominantly describe relationships with others outside the workplace. The theme of ,withdrawal' describes how targets and others managed relationships within the workplace, and ,denial' and ,personalizing problems' describe how others within the workplace responded to knowledge of bullying behaviours. The theme ,maintaining self' describes how participants responded to changed relationships and struggled to maintain a coherent sense of self during and subsequent to bullying. This research emphasizes the role of social processes and social environments, rather than individual or personality characteristics, in explaining the development of workplace bullying and its impacts on targets. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Women's experiences of student presence in consultations for problematic uterine bleedingBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 8 2004Jennifer Guise Research suggests that although a high proportion of patients accept the presence of students in gynaecological consultations, issues of consent, privacy and comfort are important. This study considers women's views on the impact of student presence on communication in the consultation. Our research suggests that student presence may distort the flow of communication in the gynaecological consultation. There are implications for both patient satisfaction and clinician training. If students are introduced into the consultation, clinical tutors should take special care to maintain dedicated communication with the patient. [source] Women's perceptions of decision-making about hysterectomyBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 2 2004Z. Skea Objective To explore women's views of decision-making relating to hysterectomy. Design Structured questionnaire and in-depth interview surveys. Setting A teaching hospital and a district general hospital in northeast Scotland. Sample Women scheduled for hysterectomy for benign menstrual problems. Methods Pre-operative questionnaires were sent to a consecutive sample of women booked for hysterectomy. A purposive sample was interviewed post-operatively. Main outcome measures Women's experiences of, and satisfaction with, information provision, communication and decision-making processes; the relationship between views of decision-making processes and decisions made. Results One hundred and four women (66%) returned questionnaires. Most responded positively to structured questions about the process by which the decision to have a hysterectomy was reached. Almost all (97%) reported satisfaction with the decision made. Twenty women were interviewed post-operatively. A number, including some who had responded positively on the questionnaire, described aspects of the decision-making process that were suboptimal. Women's perceptions of the decision-making process, including the way their doctors communicated with them, did impinge on their views of the course of action selected. Some women had residual doubts about the appropriateness of hysterectomy. Conclusions In a significant minority of women, there are important shortcomings in current patterns of information provision and communication relating to decision-making. These are unlikely to be picked up by conventional structured patient feedback surveys. Further efforts are required to ensure that women are adequately informed and involved in decisions about gynaecological treatments. [source] Women's experiences with genomic testing for breast cancer recurrence riskCANCER, Issue 8 2010Janice P. Tzeng MPH Abstract BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined how patients understand and use genomic test results when deciding about treatment. This study examined how women receive and incorporate results of Oncotype DX, a genomic test that offers recurrence risk estimates, into decisions about adjuvant treatment for early stage breast cancer. METHODS: Participants in the cross-sectional study were 77 women with early stage, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer with 0 to 3 positive lymph nodes who received Oncotype DX between 2004 and 2009. Mailed surveys, supplemented by medical chart review, assessed how women received and understood recurrence risk information based on the test. RESULTS: The most common test results were low (50%, 34 of 68) or intermediate (37%, 25 of 68) breast cancer recurrence risk. Most women accurately recalled their recurrence risk based on the test (71%) and felt they understood much of what they were told about it (67%). Approximately 25% of women recalled experiencing test-related distress. Women's perceived recurrence risk was associated with their actual genomic-based recurrence risks, having had a previous cancer diagnosis, and worry about recurrence. Women with high recurrence risk typically had chemotherapy (78%, 7 of 9), whereas only 2 with a low recurrence risk did (7%, 2 of 30). CONCLUSIONS: This is among the first studies to describe patients' experiences with genomic testing for recurrence risk. Although many women understood discussions about their genomic test results, a third reported not fully understanding these discussions, suggesting a need to aid and improve risk communication and treatment decision making. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society. [source] Are patient assistance programmes able to meet the needs of New York City women with breast cancer?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 1 2009Women's perspectives Women with breast cancer report needs that may interfere with their ability to obtain necessary treatments. High-quality community-based patient assistance programmes exist; however, their ability to identify and meet women's needs is unknown. We surveyed women with breast cancer attending such programmes to assess programmes' ability to identify and meet their needs. We surveyed 117 (42% minority) women utilizing nine programmes in the New York City area about expectations, needs and experiences. Ninety-two (89%) women wanted information, 102 (95%) psychosocial support and 15 (20%) practical assistance. Seventy-three per cent had all or most of their needs identified, and 74% had all or most of their needs met. Seventy per cent stated programmes met needs they were not previously aware they had. Needs identified and met were lower among minority women (57% vs. 84%; P = 0.003), those with lower income (46% vs. 79%; P = 0.02) and those in poor physical health (56% vs. 78%; P = 0.04), independent of the type of need. High-quality community-based patient assistance programmes effectively identify and meet the needs of women with breast cancer but traditionally at-risk women appear less likely to have needs identified and met. Programmes should enhance the systemization and sensitivity of needs assessments to improve women's experience with cancer. [source] Attachment, Perceived Conflict, and Couple Satisfaction: Test of a Mediational Dyadic ModelFAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 5 2009Audrey Brassard Attachment insecurities (anxiety and avoidance) are often associated with relationship dissatisfaction, but the mediators have been unclear. We examined the mediating role of perceived conflict in 274 French-Canadian couples who completed measures of attachment insecurities, perception of conflict, and relationship satisfaction. Partners' own attachment anxiety and avoidance predicted their experience of conflict. In addition, women's anxiety predicted men's experience of conflict, and men's avoidance predicted women's experience of conflict. The associations between attachment insecurities and relationship dissatisfaction were partially mediated by conflict. [source] The Quest for Invisibility: Female Entrepreneurs and the Masculine Norm of EntrepreneurshipGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 5 2006Patricia Lewis The emphasis in research on female entrepreneurship remains focused on the impact of gender on women's experience of business ownership, often demonstrated through comparisons of male and female entrepreneurs. By contrast, this article explores the differences and divisions between women business owners who are silent about gender issues and those who are not. The main data drawn on in the article are e-mails conducted through a web-based entrepreneurial network set up to promote and support women in business, supplemented with interview material derived from an interview study of 19 women business owners. By considering the way in which some women business owners not only treat entrepreneurship as gender-neutral, but also seek to conceal its gendered nature, we can see how some female entrepreneurs are trying to avoid being identified as different from the masculine norm of entrepreneurship. [source] Women's physical aggression in bars: an event-based examination of precipitants and predictors of severityAGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2007R. Lorraine Collins Abstract Although women drink in bars and experience aggression in bar settings, much of the research has focused on men's experiences of aggression in bars. We used data from questionnaires and face-to-face interviews to examine the contributors to the occurrence and severity of women's experience of specific incidents of aggression in bars. Young women (n=92) provided event-based descriptions of their most recent experience of physical aggression in a bar during the past 24 months. Most aggression in bars was precipitated by rowdy behavior and involved female opponents who were strangers. The severity and overall aggressiveness of the respondent's behaviors were positively associated with initiating the incident and having a female opponent. The severity and overall aggressiveness of the opponent's behaviors were negatively associated with initiating the incident and positively associated with having a female opponent. This study adds to the paucity of research on women's aggression in bars and expands our understanding of women's roles as perpetrator and victim of such aggression. Aggr. Behav. 33:304,313, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Writing Eighteenth-Century Women's Literary History, 1986 to 2006LITERATURE COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 6 2007Betty A. Schellenberg Under the influence of feminist theory and criticism, the late 1980s saw a flowering of literary histories of eighteenth-century women writers. This work was very influential in assuming the existence of a distinct women's literary history conditioned by an increasingly rigid gender ideology of the time, in focusing on the novel genre, and in creating appreciation for the more recognizably feminist writers of the early and latter portions of the ,long eighteenth century'. Subsequent work questioned the dependence of these histories on the ,separate spheres' model of gender, on a limited group of genres associated with women and with the literary, and on notions of feminism congenial to the late-twentieth-century critic. More broadly, feminist generalizations of women's experience were challenged by the rise of class, race and sexuality studies, while the very enterprise of historiography was placed under suspicion by postmodernist criticism of master narratives and of claims to objective interpretation of evidence. In response, studies of eighteenth-century women's writing began to attend to a broader range of genres and spheres of action within the larger field of print culture, as well as to produce more nuanced studies of individual writers and the conditions within which they wrote. However, general literary studies remained dependent on the models of the 1980s, while writers seemed reluctant to write new literary histories. Only recently are there indications of a return to large-scale women's literary histories. This return revises the pioneering work of the 1980s by attending to new, detailed studies of numerous individual writers, expanding generic coverage, incorporating electronic resources, experimenting with inclusive studies of male and female writers, and reconsidering questions of literary value. [source] Preparing for Motherhood: Authoritative Knowledge and the Undercurrents of Shared Experience in Two Childbirth Education Courses in Cagliari, ItalyMEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2000Suzanne K. Ketler This article compares the social settings and teaching organization of two differently structured childbirth education courses in Cagliari, Italy, in order to understand how social processes and contexts work to negotiate authoritative knowledge. Although the explicit goal of both courses was to transmit biomedical knowledge, knowledge based in women's experience nonetheless dominated some course sessions. Thus, I examine the social processes and interactions that enabled women's experiential knowledge to dominate discussions and subsequently share in the authority of biomedical knowledge in some situations. Because few existing studies do so, this article also addresses a gap in our current understanding by exploring not only how experiential knowledge comes to share authority with biomedical knowledge, but also, why it is important that it does. Focusing on the efficacy of differently structured courses, this article informs the planning of future childbirth education courses in similar settings, [childbirth education, authoritative knowledge, reproduction, prenatal care, Italy] [source] ,What does it mean?' uncertainty, trust and communication following treatment for pre-cancerous cervical abnormalitiesPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 6 2007Ilona Juraskova Abstract The early detection of pre-cancerous cervical conditions has risen dramatically, prompting more in-depth investigations regarding psychological implications inherent within the diagnosis and treatment of this condition. This study aimed to identify factors that influence women's experience of diagnosis and treatment of cervical abnormalities and factors that facilitate positive adjustment. Using a semi-structured telephone interview, we interviewed 21 women (age 24,54) treated at a colposcopy clinic. Systematic recruitment of women with varying degrees of cervical abnormality (CIN 1,3) and time since treatment was undertaken to ensure representation of all relevant experiences and allow the identification of long-term factors. Coding of audio-taped, transcribed interviews and searching for themes was achieved by using NUD*IST software. The results identified uncertainty, trust and communication as the key factors for women following diagnosis and treatment. The primary concern following diagnosis was related to cancer but changed to a more prominent concern with future reproductive issues in the post-treatment period. The majority of women acknowledged the importance of the doctor's empathic communication style. These findings have important implications for future studies and clinical practice. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Enduring love: A grounded formal theory of women's experience of domestic violenceRESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 4 2001Margaret H. Kearney Abstract Using a grounded formal theory approach, 13 qualitative research reports were analyzed with the goal of synthesizing a middle-range theory of women's responses to violent relationships. The combined sample numbered 282 ethnically and geographically diverse women ages 16,67. Within cultural contexts that normalized relationship violence while promoting idealized romance, these women dealt with the incongruity of violence in their relationships as a basic process of enduring love. In response to shifting definitions of their relationship situations, many women moved through four phases, which began with discounting early violence for the sake of their romantic commitment ("This is what I wanted"), progressed to immobilization and demoralization in the face of increasingly unpredictable violence that was endured by the careful monitoring of partner behavior and the stifling of self ("The more I do, the worse I am"), shifted to a perspective that redefined the situation as unacceptable ("I had enough"), and finally moved out of the relationship and toward a new life ("I was finding me"). Variations in the manifestation and duration of these phases were found to be linked to personal, sociopolitical, and cultural contexts. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 24:270,282, 2001 [source] Women as Consumers of Maternity Care: Measuring "Satisfaction" or "Dissatisfaction"?BIRTH, Issue 1 2008Maggie Redshaw BA ABSTRACT: The measurement of "satisfaction" has been intrinsic to the models of evaluation of health care. However, a thoughtful approach to its use has not always been evident in which this concept is understood to represent a complex group of theoretical constructs involving attitudes, expectations, and perceptions that may be both positive and critical. These constructs require investigation and evaluation using recognized and developed methodologies. At the same time the importance of listening to patients and to women and their partners in evaluating and carrying out research on maternity care cannot be underestimated if the instruments used are to have construct and face validity. Qualitative data of this kind have a dual function of contributing to a more complex picture of women's experience and of suggesting that researchers need to explore the issues related to "dissatisfaction" at least as much as those arising from a positive overall view of care. (BIRTH 35:1 March 2008) [source] What Is It About Antenatal Continuity of Caregiver That Matters to Women?BIRTH, Issue 4 2005DipAppSc, Mary-Ann Davey RN, PGDipSoc ABSTRACT:,Background:Continuity of care and of caregiver are thought to be important influences on women's experience of maternity care. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of two aspects of continuity of caregiver in the antenatal period on women's overall rating of antenatal care: the extent to which women saw the same caregiver throughout pregnancy, and the extent to which women thought that their caregiver knew and remembered them and their progress from one visit to the next. Methods:An anonymous, population-based postal survey was conducted of 1,616 women who gave birth in a 14-day period in September 1999 in Victoria, Australia. Multivariate methods were used to analyze the data. Results:Most women saw the same caregiver at each antenatal visit (77%), and thought that caregivers got to know them (65%). This finding varied widely among different models of maternity care. Before adjustment, women were much more likely to describe their antenatal care as very good if they always or mostly thought the caregiver got to know them (OR 5.86, 95% CI 4.3, 7.9), and if they always or mostly saw the same caregiver at each visit (OR 2.91, 95% CI 2.0, 4.3). Adjusting for sociodemographic factors, parity, risk status of the pregnancy, and several specific aspects of antenatal care revealed that seeing the same caregiver was no longer associated with rating of care (adjusted OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.3,1.2), but women who thought that caregivers got to know and remember them remained much more likely to rate their care highly (adjusted OR 3.18, 95% CI 2.0, 5.1). Conclusions:These findings suggest that changing the delivery of antenatal care to increase women's chances of seeing the same caregiver at each visit is not by itself likely to improve the overall experience of care, but time spent personalizing each encounter in antenatal care would be well received. The analysis also confirmed the importance that women place on quality interactions with their doctors and midwives. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005) [source] SELECTED COCHRANE SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS Absorbable Synthetic Versus Catgut Suture Material for Perineal RepairBIRTH, Issue 2 2000C. Kettle A substantive amendment to this systematic review was last made on 19 May 1999. Cochrane reviews are regularly checked and updated if necessary. ABSTRACT Background and objectives: Approximately 70% of women will experience some degree of perineal trauma following vaginal delivery and will require stitches. This may result in perineal pain and superficial dyspareunia. The objective of this review was to assess the effects of absorbable synthetic suture material as compared with catgut on the amount of short- and long-term pain experienced by mothers following perineal repair. Search strategy: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register. Selection criteria: Randomised trials comparing absorbable synthetic (polyglycolic acid and polyglactin) with plain or chromic catgut suture for perineal repair in mothers after vaginal delivery. Data collection and analysis: Trial quality was assessed independently by two reviewers. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by the second reviewer. Main results: Eight trials were included. Compared with catgut, the polyglycolic acid and polyglactin groups were associated with less pain in first three days (odds ratio 0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.54,0.71). There was also less need for analgesia (odds ratio 0,63, 95% confidence interval 0.52,0.77) and less suture dehiscence (odds ratio 0.45, 95% confidence interval 0.29,0.70). There was no significant difference in long-term pain (odds ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.61,1.08). Removal of suture material was significantly more common in the polyglycolic acid and polyglactin groups (odds ratio 2.01, 95% confidence interval 1.56,2.58). There was no difference in the amount of dyspareunia experienced by women. Reviewers' conclusions: Absorbable synthetic suture material (in the form of polyglycolic acid and polyglactin sutures) for perineal repair following childbirth appears to decrease women's experience of short-term pain. The length of time taken for the synthetic material to be absorbed is of concern. A trial addressing the use of polyglactin has recently been completed and this has been included in this updated review. Citation: Kettle C, Johanson RB. Absorbable synthetic versus catgut suture material for perineal repair (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 1999, Oxford: Update Software. ,,, The preceding report is an abstract of regularly updated, systematic reviews prepared and maintained by the Cochrane Collaboration. The full texts of the reviews are available in The Cochrane Library (ISSN 1464-780X). Seehttp://www.update-software.com/cochrane.htmor contact Update Software,info@update.co.uk, for information on subscribing to The Cochrane Library in your area. Update Software Ltd, Summertown Pavilion, Middle Way, Oxford OX2 7LG, United Kingdom (Tel.: +44 1865 513902; Fax: +44 1865 516918). [source] A randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effect of self-administered analgesia on women's experience of outpatient treatment at colposcopyBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 12 2005M.E. Cruickshank Objective To evaluate the effect of self-administered isoflurane and desflurane on women's experience of outpatient treatment at colposcopy. Design A prospective double-blinded randomised controlled trial. Setting A colposcopy clinic serving a regional population. Population Three hundred and ninety-six women scheduled for treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) by large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ). Methods Self-administration of trial gas during a LLETZ procedure. One hundred and ninety-eight women were randomised to use isoflurane and desflurane and 198 to use placebo. Main outcome measures Patient satisfaction, pain and anxiety. Results The mean pain score for cervical surgery was significantly lower for women using isoflurane and desflurane (22.4) than the placebo arm (29.6) (P= 0.003). There was no significant difference between arms in anxiety levels before or after treatment. More women using isoflurane and desflurane (78%) reported ,total helpfulness' of the trial gas than those using placebo (67%) (P= 0.012). A subgroup analysis of trial participants classified as anxious by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score at recruitment showed that using isoflurane and desflurane significantly increased total treatment acceptability, helpfulness of the gas and willingness to undergo a similar procedure at six-month follow up. Conclusion Satisfaction with outpatient treatment at colposcopy is generally high. The main effect of isoflurane and desflurane evaluated in this trial was to reduce pain. It appeared to be effective for women with clinically significant anxiety and could be offered as an alternative to general anaesthesia. [source] Quantitative and qualitative assessment of women's experience of a one-stop menstrual clinic in comparison with traditional gynaecology clinicsBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 9 2001Jafaru I. Abu Objective A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the views of patients attending two types of clinics for menstrual disorders. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interview and quantitative questionnaire. Setting Five traditional general gynaecology clinics and a one-stop menstrual clinic, where investigations are performed and results given to patients on the same day. Participants Two hundred and thirty-nine women (126 from the gynaecology clinic and 113 from the menstrual clinic) were recruited into the quantitative study; 18 and 26 patients from the gynaecology and the menstrual clinic, respectively, were interviewed for the qualitative study. Main outcome measures Women's views about their care and progress towards resolution of their problem. Results Following the initial consultation, 106 (84%) of the gynaecology clinic, and 98 (87%) of the menstrual clinic patients completed the first part of the questionnaire. Of those, 75 (71%) and 79 (81%) patients from the two types of clinic, respectively, completed a follow up questionnaire one year later. There were statistically significant differences in all the components of the first part of the questionnaire (information, continuity, waiting, organisation, and limbo) in favour of the one-stop menstrual clinic. After one year, there was a statistically significant difference in one of the components, patient centeredness, but not in overall process co-ordination. The interviews showed that patients attending the menstrual clinic appreciated getting the results of their investigations on the same day. They also found the organisation of the one-stop menstrual clinic more closely suited to their needs and as a result were more likely to feel they were making progress. Conclusion Women were consistently more positive about their experience in the one-stop clinic. One-stop clinics organised to meet the needs of patients might be appropriate for other clinical conditions. The combination of quantitative and qualitative methods is an effective method of assessing patients' views of health services. [source] Uncertainty, lack of control and emotional functioning in women with metastatic breast cancer: a review and secondary analysis of the literature using the critical appraisal techniqueEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 5 2010M. WARREN msc, clinical nurse specialist WARREN M. (2010) European Journal of Cancer Care19, 564,574 Uncertainty, lack of control and emotional functioning in women with metastatic breast cancer: a review and secondary analysis of the literature using the critical appraisal technique A diagnosis of metastatic (or secondary) breast cancer is frequently more distressing than the diagnosis of a primary tumour since it indicates that the cancer is no longer curable. Relatively little is known, however, about women's experiences of this condition in comparison with those diagnosed with primary breast cancer. This paper therefore reports findings from a secondary analysis of the published literature on the topic using tools from the critical appraisal skills programme to identify and analyse appropriate papers, and the constant comparative method as a means of identifying any overarching or dominant themes emerging from the literature. Uncertainty, lack of control and poor emotional functioning emerged as the main themes affecting women with metastatic breast cancer. These are discussed in relation to their antecedents in the original studies and their implications for nursing care. The themes demonstrate that living with metastatic (or secondary) breast cancer is a multifaceted experience that is influenced by a large number of factors, many of which are under-researched in comparison with those affecting women diagnosed with primary disease. It is clear, however, that women affected by the condition need a great deal more support than they currently receive, and new services may be required to meet these needs. [source] The Voices of Black and White Rural Battered Women in Domestic Violence Shelters,FAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 4 2005April L. Few Abstract: Very little research has examined the experiences of Black and White rural battered women. In this exploratory study of 88 participants, 30 rural battered women who sought assistance from domestic violence shelters in southwest Virginia were interviewed. Black and White rural women's experiences in the shelters, helpseeking, and perceived social support during and after their stay in the shelter were compared. Future research directions and suggestions to improve services are presented. [source] The Business of Caring: Women's Self-Employment and the Marketization of CareGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 4 2010Nickela Anderson Our goal in this article is to contribute to a differentiated analysis of paid caring work by considering whether and how women's experiences of such work is shaped by their employment status (for example, self-employed versus employee) and the nature of care provided (direct or indirect). Self-employed care workers have not been widely studied compared with other types of care workers, such as employees providing domestic or childcare in private firms or private homes. Yet their experiences may be quite distinct. Existing research suggests that self-employed workers earn less than employees and are often excluded from employment protection. Nonetheless, they often report greater autonomy and job satisfaction in their day-to-day work. Understanding more about the experiences of self-employed caregivers is thus important for enriching existing theory, research and policy on the marketization of care. Addressing this gap, our article explores the working conditions, pay and levels of satisfaction of care workers who are self-employed. We draw on interviews from a small-scale study of Canadian women engaged in providing direct care (for example, childcare) and indirect care (for example, cleaning). [source] No Human Resource is an Island: Gendered, Racialized Access to Work as a PerformerGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 2 2008Deborah Dean This article explores the reproduction of gendered, racialized conceptions of age and appearance in structuring access to performing work. Analysis of this issue leads to discussion of a key supposition: that central work experiences of women performers are manifestations of their position as formal and informal proxies for women's experiences in wider society. Women performers are formal proxies in that they are employed to ,be women'; to represent women for consumption in the circuit of culture. They are informal proxies in that they are allocated to highly segmented labour markets based on wider patterns of gendered, racialized social relations. [source] Between Endless Needs and Limited Resources: The Gendered Construction of a Greedy OrganizationGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 5 2004Bente Rasmussen One of the strategies of the modernization of public services is the decentralization of responsibilities and organizing work in autonomous co- operative teams with varied tasks. The empowerment of the public service workers in the front line is therefore a strategy in local government in Norway today. Under the assumption that women have ,natural' skills in caring, workers on the lowest levels are given responsibility for care and nursing. A study of the decentralization of public care for the elderly in their homes showed that being given interesting tasks and increased responsibility mobilized the efforts of the care workers. However, since the power of resources has been centralized, this has led to an intensification of work. In gendering the relevant discourses by explaining women's experiences of an over-heavy workload as a result of their ,mothering' and their inability to set limits, women care workers were constructed by their managers as unprofessional and not to be taken seriously. This has made the public care organization a greedy organization for the women care workers. [source] Occupational Sex Segregation and Part-time Work in Modern BritainGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 2 2001Louisa Blackwell It is often argued that women's full-time work is becoming less gender segregated, while their part-time work becomes more so. This article looks cross-sectionally and longitudinally at the relationship between occupational sex segregation and part-time work. An innovative application of segregation curves and the Gini index measures segregation between women full-timers and men and between women part-timers and men. Both fell between 1971 and 1991, as did overall occupational sex segregation. These results were used to contextualize a longitudinal analysis showing how shifts between full-time and part-time hours affected women's experiences of occupational sex segregation and vertical mobility. Human capital explanations see full-time and part-time workers as distinct groups whose occupational choices reflect anticipated family roles. The plausibility of this emphasis on long-term strategic planning is challenged by substantial and characteristic patterns of occupational mobility when women switch between full-time and part-time hours. The segmented nature of part-time work meant that women who switched to part-time hours, usually over child rearing, were often thrown off their occupational path into low-skilled, feminized work. There was some ,occupational recovery' when they resumed full-time work. [source] Death of a migrant: transnational death rituals and gender among British SylhetisGLOBAL NETWORKS, Issue 3 2002Katy Gardner In this article I discuss transnational burial rituals carried out in London and Sylhet. While collective identity and reaffirming social ties are important issues in discussing the burial of migrants in Sylhet, the main focus of the article is on gender. The analysis of what happens when Londonis die reveals a great deal about the differential effects of living between two places on men and women. While transnationalism may in some contexts be understood as potentially subversive, for the majority of Sylhetis in Britain movement between places is highly constrained by poverty and British immigration controls, as well as by particular gender and household relations. These in turn impact on men and women's experiences of bereavement, as well as on their access to and relationship with the British state. [source] Using human rights-based approaches to conceptualise lesbian and bisexual women's health inequalitiesHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 4 2010Julie Fish PhD, Social Sciences Abstract This article makes a contribution to current debates in human rights-based approaches to lesbian and bisexual (LB) women's health. With reference to concepts embodied in the Yogyakarta Principles, it is proposed that the right to health includes access to health information, participation, equity, equality and non-discrimination. Specifically, the article examines how LB women's health can be considered as a health inequality and discusses international developments to reduce disparities. Drawing on qualitative data collected in an online survey, the article reports on sexual minority women's experiences of health-care. Participants were recruited via a purposive sampling strategy; questionnaires were completed by 6490 respondents of whom 5909 met the study criteria of residence in the UK, sexual orientation and completing the survey once. Analysis revealed four broad themes: heteronormativity in health-care; improving attitudes among healthcare professionals; equality in access; raising awareness and informed communities. The accounts highlight the centrality of human rights principles: fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy. The implications for healthcare policy and practice are discussed including ways to empower staff and service users with knowledge and skills and ensuring non-discrimination in health service delivery. [source] Experiences of seeking help from health professionals in a sample of women who experienced domestic violenceHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 1 2003Loraine Bacchus BSc MA PhD Abstract The present paper describes a qualitative study of women who suffered domestic violence. The aim was to explore their experiences of seeking help from health professionals and assess their psychological health. Purposive sampling was used to select a subsample from a larger sample of women who were screened for domestic violence as part of a study undertaken at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals in London, UK. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the subsample of women during the postpartum period (up to 14 months). Interviews were conducted in women's homes and general practitioners' (GPs) surgeries. The sample consisted of 10 women who had experienced domestic violence in the past 12 months (including the current pregnancy), and six women who had experienced domestic violence in the past 12 months but not the current pregnancy. The main outcome measures included: women's experiences of seeking help from health professionals; and assessment for postnatal depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological distress. Women scored highly on measures of postnatal depression and PTSD. With regard to seeking help, there was a tendency for women to regard GPs, and accident and emergency staff as less helpful compared with health visitors in responding to domestic violence. Lack of privacy, continuity of care and time constraints were dominant themes which emerged from women's contacts with health professionals. Very few women voluntarily disclosed domestic violence to a health professional and even fewer were asked directly about domestic violence by one. It is important for health professionals to enquire about domestic violence in a sensitive manner and provide a response that takes into accounts the complexity of women's needs. Domestic violence training is necessary to equip health professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to respond to domestic violence more effectively. [source] Pregnancy and the maintenance of self-identity: implications for antenatal care in the communityHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 4 2000BA (Hons) PhD Sarah Earle Abstract It is widely acknowledged that many women prefer to receive their antenatal care in the community. This paper explores one explanation for why this may be the case. The paper is based on a qualitative study of 19 primagravidae, aged between 16 and 30 years, who were interviewed using the technique of repeated in-depth interviewing. The aim of the research was to explore the relationship between women's experiences of pregnancy and the maintenance of self-identity during this time. The research findings indicate that the relationship between the midwife and her antenatal patient can foster both a sense of similarity to others and a sense of personal uniqueness, which appear essential to the maintenance of self-identity during pregnancy. Good communication seems to be an essential tool for the community midwife, as it allows patients to normalise their experiences and yet feel that their experiences of pregnancy are unique. The findings indicate that continuity of care may be important in fostering a sense of similarity to others and that continuity of carer may be required to ensure uniqueness. [source] Low-paid women: the impact of regulatory change in AustraliaINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS JOURNAL, Issue 5 2009Marian Baird ABSTRACT How is low-paid work experienced and understood by women at a time of marked regulatory change? Using a qualitative methodology, we examine women's experiences under Work Choices to assess the impact of the new laws. As in other neoliberal environments, we find that labour standards can have marked effects on low-paid workers; that heightened managerial prerogative leads to fear and insecurity; and that, in spite of all this, low-paid women have significant pride in their work. Furthermore, the results of regulatory change go beyond the workplace to affect women as carers, citizens and community members. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||