Collegian RSS feed: Current Issue. Collegian is the official journal of the Royal College of Nursing, Australia. Collegian aims to reflect the broad interests of nurses and the nursing profession, and to challenge nurses to emerging areas of interest. It publishes articles on professional, policy and practice issues. Most papers published in Collegian are peer reviewed by a double blind process using reviewers who meet high standards of academic and clinical expertise. Other papers are published at the discretion of the Editor if they contribute to nursing knowledge and debate. Collegian is distributed to members of the College and is available by separate subscription. The College is the peak national professional organisation for nurses in Australia. Its mission is to benefit the health of the community through promotion and recognition of professional excellence in nursing. To purchase books on Nursing or to browse our comprehensive range of specialised nursing titles, please visit us at shop.elsevier.com.au. Shop.elsevier.com.au/Nursing http://www.collegianjournal.com/?rss=yesElsevier Inc.en © 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. Collegian1322-7696171March 2010 © 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. healthpermissions@elsevier.comhttp://www.collegianjournal.com/article/PIIS132276961000003X/abstract?rss=yesIt's a great time to be living and working in Australia and in particular South Australia. Having moved with my family from the United Kingdom in 2009, I have just celebrated my first year in this wonderful country. The climate and lifestyle of course are not the only attractions. I am particularly impressed by the current government's commitment to health system reform, tackling some of the most deep seated challenges in any modern health system including service integration, improving access, moving to a primary care led service and addressing workforce redesign.Reclaiming nursing careAlison Kitson10.1016/j.colegn.2010.02.001Collegian 17, 1 (2010)2010-03-01Collegian2010-03-01171S1322-7696(10)X0002-612http://www.collegianjournal.com/article/PIIS1322769609000420/abstract?rss=yesSummary: This paper provides a review and concept analysis of turnover intention. The aim was to promote Nurse Managers’ understanding of the meanings and mechanisms of turnover intention, which could help them counteract nurse turnover. Sixty-six papers published between January 1998 and August 2007 were collected from CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycINFO databases, and were subjected to Rogers’ concept analysis. The results showed that turnover intention is a multi-stage process involving the voluntary departure of employees from their current position, and is triggered by negative psychological responses to internal/external job context. These psychological responses evolve into withdrawal cognition and behaviours, and lead to actual turnover. To prevent nurse turnover, Nurse Managers should closely observe the internal and external causes of turnover, and the stage of nurses’ turnover intention.A concept analysis of turnover intention: Implications for nursing managementMiyuki Takase10.1016/j.colegn.2009.05.001Collegian 17, 1 (2010)2009-07-27Collegian2009-07-27171S1322-7696(10)X0002-6312http://www.collegianjournal.com/article/PIIS1322769609000602/abstract?rss=yesSummary: Nursing's history is an important, yet overlooked component of the nursing curriculum. History learning offers an opportunity to develop nursing graduates as critical and constructive thinkers with a positive professional identity. An Australian national study of nursing academics conducted in 2008 found that even though participants valued history of nursing teaching, educators have difficulty finding a place for history in the crowded curriculum, due to an over-emphasis on technical skills. The study also found that history of nursing pedagogy is inconsistent and poorly developed, and teaching expertise is unevenly distributed and difficult to access. This paper is an attempt to advance nursing history pedagogy relevant to Australia, by promoting a transformative approach to curriculum design in history learning, considering issues of significance to Australian nursing, and creating exemplar activities.Generating ideas for the teaching of nursing's history in AustraliaMcAllister Margaret, Greenhill Jennene, Wendy Madsen, Judith Godden10.1016/j.colegn.2009.06.001Collegian 17, 1 (2010)2009-08-13Collegian2009-08-13171S1322-7696(10)X0002-61322http://www.collegianjournal.com/article/PIIS1322769609000638/abstract?rss=yesAbstract: This paper describes the preliminary phase of a longitudinal research project involving students enrolling in three different pre-registration nursing programs in two locations in rural Victoria, Australia. This initial report discusses the demographic characteristics, entry pathway, course choice and career aspirations of students enrolled in these programs at both the main rural campus and an outreach satellite school of a major Australian university. Demographic findings from this study demonstrate that most of participants were female, aged between 18 and 50 years. The majority of participants resided in non-metropolitan areas and were enrolled in the flagship Bachelor of Nursing Program, with a large number having entered their chosen course of study via a non-traditional pathway. Career projections reported by participants demonstrate the intention of those from non-metropolitan areas to remain in this location on completion of their studies. Participants indicated their preferred areas of future practice to be in midwifery, emergency and paediatrics. Overall the findings of this part of the study summarise the characteristics of students entering nursing courses via various mechanisms. Exploration and comparison of these characteristics raise a number of issues for discussion, particularly in relation to conversion of level 2 (enrolled) nurses to level 1 (registered) status, and intended career specialisation and location of practice for students of nursing in rural areas.Pre-registration nursing degree students in rural Victoria: Characteristics and career aspirationsMelanie Birks, Mohammad Al-Motlaq, Jane Mills10.1016/j.colegn.2009.07.001Collegian 17, 1 (2010)2009-12-25Collegian2009-12-25171S1322-7696(10)X0002-62329http://www.collegianjournal.com/article/PIIS1322769609000882/abstract?rss=yesSummary: In 1996 Hegney published a seminal review of the literature concerning the status of Australian rural nurses. This article updates and expands that original paper by reporting on an integrative review exploring the same topic area between the years 1996 and 2008. Findings show that definitions of rural nursing are now integrated with those of remote nursing on a continuum of distance and contextual difference. The role and function of rural nurses is examined, along with a discussion of the importance of a primary health care approach in meeting community needs. The influence of social determinants of health is explored in this context. The culture of rural health workplaces in relation to the role and function of rural nurses is also a feature of this review. Research into the rural nursing workforce and, in particular, the recruitment and retention of staff are examined, with the high attrition rate of new or novice rural nurses pinpointed as a common theme in these studies. Important legislative changes that have affected rural nursing practice are also identified. This article concludes with a discussion of the latest research into Australian rural nursing, focusing on education in rural universities and the potential to develop new or novice nurses through the development of supportive relationships.The status of rural nursing in Australia: 12 years onJane Mills, Melanie Birks, Desley Hegney10.1016/j.colegn.2009.09.001Collegian 17, 1 (2010)2009-11-26Collegian2009-11-26171S1322-7696(10)X0002-63037http://www.collegianjournal.com/article/PIIS1322769609000924/abstract?rss=yesSummary: Objective: In order to support policy planning, nurses in Queensland were surveyed three times over a 7-year period. Results from the study offered the opportunity to explore changes in work practices with respect to career breaks and retirement intentions.Design: A self-administered postal survey.Setting: Nurse members of the Queensland Nurses Union residing in the State of Queensland.Participants: 3000 members of the Queensland Nurses’ Union.Main outcome measures: An overview of nurses’ work practices in relation to breaks in work and planned retirement.Results: Response rates for 2001, 2004 and 2007 were 51%, 44.9% and 39.7%, respectively. Over the 7-year study period the number of nurses taking career breaks declined from 65% in 2001 to 54% in 2007. Of those nurses who reported taking breaks the number of breaks remained constant; however the average length of the breaks declined. Results reflected an ageing workforce. The expected time to remain in nursing increased dramatically for older nurses. Over 60% of 40–60-year-old nurses in 2007 expect to remain in nursing well into their mid-60s compared to 30% in the previous years.Conclusions: The dynamics of the nursing workforce have changed with nurses taking fewer and shorter breaks and expecting to work to a greater age. We speculate that these changes may be influenced by the economic climate.Career breaks and intentions for retirement by Queensland's nurses—A sign of the times?Robert Eley, Deborah Parker, Anthony Tuckett, Desley Hegney10.1016/j.colegn.2009.10.004Collegian 17, 1 (2010)2009-12-25Collegian2009-12-25171S1322-7696(10)X0002-63842http://www.collegianjournal.com/article/PIIS1322769610000120/abstract?rss=yesGuidelines for Contributors10.1016/S1322-7696(10)00012-0Collegian 17, 1 (2010)2010-03-01Collegian2010-03-01171S1322-7696(10)X0002-6III