Topics covered: Introduction of Gyandeep; The importance of friendship in clinical practice; Nursing patients with acute chest; Interview: In conversation with Mrs Meera Pillai Deependar, Principal, NITTE Usha Institute of Nursing Sciences, Bangalore.

1. Issue 1: Jan, 2010
Communique
Message from the Chief Custodian Presenting Gyandeep:
Elsevier's special programme for
Gyandeep: Enhancing the
quality of care. Principals of Nursing Colleges
In the 21st century, nursing At Elsevier, the world's leading publisher of science and health
as a healthcare profession information, we have absolutely no doubt that you hold the key to
focuses on the care of the future of this country. It is your leadership that ensures the youth
individuals, families, and of the country get the skills and knowledge they need to drive India
communities to enable to achieve its full potential in the 21st century.
them to attain, maintain,
To help you do this, you need faculty with the right skills, facilities to
or recover optimal health
impact training, conduct research and maintain a storehouse of
and quality of life from birth to the end of life.
knowledge in the form of a comprehensive, up-to-date library. By
And that is what we at Gyandeep will try and help
delivering world-class information and innovative tools, we aim to
you to deliver.
increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your library - and now
Gyandeep is an initiative brought to you by Elsevier, would like go further to help you fulfill your crucial mission.
designed specifically to put world class information
A special programme for Principals,
and tools right into your hands. Thus helping you
Gyandeep, is designed to help you
and your community to become increasingly more
deal with the plethora of information
effective and productive in your work.
you receive about printed and online
We will be doing so, via this regular newsletter publications, and ensure that your
which will arrive on your desk every quarter. Our ELSEVIER students and colleagues access the
NURSING
aim will be to provide you with information that is C OLLECTION most relevant sources, in the shortest
relevant, up-to-date and comprehensive so you can time, at the least cost.
ensure quality care for all, while maintaining your
profession's credentials, code of ethics, standards, You may have already joined the
and competencies and continuing education. Gyandeep initiative, but just in case
you haven't, we would really
At Gyandeep, we are proud to be a part of your appreciate it if you could please fill
community and to participate in the advancement in the Gyandeep Acceptance Form to
of your field of specialisation. We would also greatly
enable us to take your suggestions
appreciate your feedback on this first issue of We express our heartfelt gratitude...
and preferences on board. This will
Gyandeep: Did you find it interesting and informative?
ensure that we meet the needs and
How can we improve it? What more can we add
requirements of the widest cross
by way of topics and subjects relevant to you?
section of teaching professionals.
We would like to get your opinions and inputs on
how to value-add to it, to make it more involving It would also give us the opportunity to send you a personalised
and knowledgeable for you. Please email us at: welcome gift - our way of welcoming your institute to Gyandeep.
contactus@elsevier.com By sending us the filled in Acceptance Form, you would be part of
the growing ranks of healthcare professionals (Principals of Nursing
colleges) who have already been welcomed into the Gyandeep
family… 300 to date and still counting.
Please complete Gyandeep Acceptance Form
Ajit K Sharma
as soon as possible and fax it back to us at 011-41664558
Chief Custodian, Gyandeep
or e-mail us at contactus@elsevier.com.
Elsevier Health Sciences, India

2. Global Round Up: Science & Health News...
Across international boundaries…
Friendship fosters learning: The importance of friendship in clinical practice
An Overview Thirdly, in order to gain knowledge, A Canadian study by Campbell et al.
Aims of this participation in valued enterprise is (1994) found two major factors
paper: required. And finally, our ability to influence students learning in clinical
experience the world and practice: the clinical instructor and
• To highlight the
importance of engagement with it is ultimately what peer support.
friendship to learning is to produce”.
student nurses These four aspects are closely linked The students observed each other
whilst in together and are particularly performing clinical skills and gave
clinical practice. important when applied to the context each other feedback in a positive
of learning for student nurses. and supportive way; respondents
• To argue that students form their
also reported that they depended
own parallel community of practice. Mentors act as gatekeepers to what on each other to share
• To establish links between the student is allowed to experience experiences, which they asserted,
friendships and learning. and traditionally teaching. The helped them to learn
learning which takes place between
Literature review: Peer support and
nursing students in clinical practice
Peer learning The notion of informal training would
could be said to be informal learning
Wenger (1998) is of the firm opinion in that there may not be any seem to be entirely applicable to the
that we learn through doing; she awareness of the learning at the time kind of learning which takes place in
presents four important premises it takes place (implicit learning). clinical practice. The basis of the
concerning learning. ''Firstly, we are The learning may be spontaneous friendship was mutual understanding
social beings and this is a central and unplanned and although the and awareness of each other's needs
aspect of learning. Secondly, learner may be aware of it; the level and their experience made it difficult
knowledge is linked to competence in of intentionality is questionable for them to talk to other members of
valued enterprises. (reactive learning). their social world.
Nursing patients with acute chest pain: Practice guided by the Prince Edward Island
conceptual model for nursing
An Overview intensity and duration as well as the responsibility of helping to relieve
assessment of environmental, patient’s pain. While nursing students
Pain, a complex
social and cultural aspects of pain may develop a basic understanding of
phenomenon,
(Bird, 2005). what constitutes pain (anything the
originates from
patient says it is) in their training,
sensory stimuli, has
As the research on pain has students may feel ill equipped when it
obvious motivational-
comes to implementing pain specific
affective properties, expanded, best practice
interventions.
demands attention, standards have been established
disrupts thought and behavior and which suggest that both Conceptual theoretical empirical
results in activity aimed to stop the pharmaceutical and non (C-T-E) system, developed by Fawcett
is one example of a framework that
pain (Melzack, 1982). More recently, pharmaceutical measures should
may help guide nursing students in
the definition of pain has been be used to control patient’s pain their management of pain. C-T-E is
expanded to include it being made up of three key components: (a)
subjective, multifaceted and a conceptual model to guide
influenced by many factors such as In hospital settings, however, the use practice; (b) a middle range theory
personal experience and culture. For of traditional pharmaceutical (MRT) to address the area of concern;
the pain to occur, a stimulus must be measures are more common than and (c) an empirical indicator to
strong enough to exceed the patient’s non-pharmaceutical measures (e.g collect specific data. The benefits of
normal pain thresholds. thermal measures, massage therapy, using C-T-E systems include reduced
staff turnover, more rapid movement
Key physiological pain assessment aromatherapy, and meditation).
from novice to expert nurse, increased
factors include: location, type, Nursing students are challenged with patient and family satisfaction.

3. Recommended Reading Recommended Reading
Moroney's Surgery for
Toohey's Medicine, 15/e Nurses 17/e
-Arnold Bloom -Chintamani, Elsa Sanatombi Devi
In spite of recent changes in The seventeenth edition of this
nursing education, nurses still popular book has incorporated the
need to know about medicine to advanced modalities of diagnosis
understand their work with and treatment of surgical
patients. It is a short textbook of conditions, while retaining the
medicine written by medical experts, but read by nurses. original flavor of this book.This book promises to
It has been written in consultation with nurses and covers encourage a nursing student to learn the science and art
exactly the medical knowledge that they require. of surgery in a simplified and comprehensive way.
In conversation with...
curriculum the right way. A: • Demonstration of nursing skills
Q: What do you see as the over- • Clinical Training
riding role of a Principal in • Laboratory Training
helping students develop • Practical training should be
academic, personal and under close clinical supervision
ethical values?
Q: Are there any recent articles,
A: Basically, today is the era of books, people or conferences
knowledge explosion, and we try that have impacted your
to give independence to students professional life?
Mrs. Meera Pillai, Principal,
Nitte Usha Inst of Nursing Sciences,
to learn and encourage them to
A: It's not one article or book which
Nitte Med. Sciences Complex, learn. We keep a check on
influence the practice, but the
Kottekar Beeri Road, Paneer, whether the curriculum is being
hands on experience which we
Deralakatte, Mangalore, Karnataka implemented along with the
get by attending some
participation of faculty.
workshops. Unfortunately, these
Q: What is the vision statement of Q: What do you find is your biggest Credit based workshops which
this college? And how does it fit challenge as a Principal? And give weightage to practice or
in with your personal educational what would be your most allow to work on patients are not
philosophy? important goals? held in India.
A: The vision statement is that the A: The biggest challenge is to see Q: What was the biggest
Indian Nurses standard should that nursing students are getting accomplishment/failure which
be at par with the Global objective based learning, they you would consider a stepping
standard, they should be should be able to deliver what stone in your career?
technically sound, should have they are expected to deliver. The
A: Achievement – To bring the
research and evidence based most important goal is to
institute up to the expectation of
skills. My personal philosophy is inculcate professional
the vision of the college. Failure-
relevant to this vision because my accountability in students.
Gap between principal and
aim is to give clinical education,
students, also credit based skills
methodological training to the Teachers can impart are not practiced here.
students with the involvement of
better education through Q: Who is/are your role model(s)?
the teachers.
demonstration of nursing skills, A: My teachers. Actually I am from
Q: What has been your experience
Clinical Training, Laboratory the Army and we have a very
with the present curriculum?
How are you utilizing this Training and Practical training good system in the Army.
experience at the college? should be under close Q: What are your plans for the
A: I'm ok with the present curriculum clinical supervision college in the next 5 - 10 years?
but with the increasing number of A: The plans for the colleges are
colleges there is no uniformity in Q: What are the important methods decided by the university and
the standard of implementing the and inputs that can help teachers they lay down the rules which are
curriculum. I'm utilizing my impart excellence in education to to be followed by the teachers
experience to implement the their students? and the students.

4. Q: Could you tell us a little bit about with them so that they don't feel collective decisions and we don't
yourself? Your academic pressurized and know that they usually take unilateral decisions.
highlights? Your personal can approach us for help. Q: When any student transgresses, is
philosophy vis-à-vis educating Q: Would you consider yourself a he/she given a second chance to
the young? mentor and friend or do you make good?
A: I have done my specialization in believe in keeping a certain A: We always go by the university
Psychiatry, doing my PhD; I have distance between yourself and decision and the rules laid down
retired voluntarily from Army as a your students? by university are treated as final.
Lt. Colonel in 2003. My personal A: I would prefer to be a mentor Q: Do you believe that everything in
philosophy is to “Do your Best”, and there should a gap between the college has to be as per the
try to bring about change and as students and the teachers which letter of the law?
a teacher you have to be firm is necessary to inculcate A: No, I think there should always
and at the same time be student discipline among them. be some scope of flexibility so
friendly. Q: Do you listen to your students? that the rules can be modified
Q: Do you consider your students as Ask for their suggestions and and one doesn't feel suffocated.
being family? What is the role of inputs? Or is the Principal's word Q: How did you find the program
discipline in your student's life? the final decision on any subject? and your feedback on this?
A: Yes, because some students A: Yes, I do listen to the students A: This program is really useful and
come to me for suggestions as and there are cases when it has created a common
they feel comfortable talking to students come to me for platform by which the colleges
me. We do have to make our suggestions. No, the Principal's can directly approach the
students disciplined and at the decision is not the final one. In publishers for their books and
same time have to be friendly fact, by and large, we take journal requirement.
Our Mission Gyandeep Help Desk: A Contact Point
To build a community of leaders Meet Dr. Jasneet,
Gyandeep - Relationship Manager
in the nursing profession.
We would like to introduce
To build a community
of leaders who can Dr. Jasneet, who will be your
interact & share first line of contact at Gyandeep.
knowledge and Dr. Jasneet will be happy to answer
expertise amongst your queries, provide touch points,
nursing professionals. help to gather relevant information
- in short, facilitate interaction between Gyandeep and
our community of professionals.
We would like to hear from you. We look forward to your feedback on the healthcare
To enable Gyandeep to better serve your needs and industry as well as your suggestions on what we can do
requirements, it is imperative that we get feedback from to enhance and improve Gyandeep. And as we are keen
you: to collaborate with your institute by helping your faculty
publish with us, we will be happy to receive articles to be
1 Your opinions on the subjects we feature
published by us.
2 Your suggestions on how to keep enhancing and
To contact us, please call Dr. Jasneet at:
improving the look and feel of every issue
011-46074929
3 Your take on new and innovative thinking and
theories in the areas of education and information
011-41664558
management
All these are of great importance to us, so please email contactus@elsevier.com
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