The value of peer learning in undergraduate nursing education: A systematic review
- Authors: Stone, Robyn , Cooper, Simon J. , Cant, Robyn
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: ISRN Nursing Vol. 2013 (Art. ID: 930901), no. (2013), p. 1-10
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The study examined various methods of peer learning and their effectiveness in undergraduate nursing education. Using a specifically developed search strategy, healthcare databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed articles, with studies involving peer learning and students in undergraduate general nursing courses (in both clinical and theoretical settings) being included. The studies were published in English between 2001 and 2010. Both study selection and quality analysis were undertaken independently by two researchers using published guidelines and data was thematically analyzed to answer the research questions. Eighteen studies comprising various research methods were included. The variety of terms used for peer learning and variations between study designs and assessment measures affected the reliability of the study. The outcome measures showing improvement in either an objective effect or subjective assessment were considered a positive result with sixteen studies demonstrating positive aspects to peer learning including increased confidence, competence, and a decrease in anxiety. We conclude that peer learning is a rapidly developing aspect of nursing education which has been shown to develop students’ skills in communication, critical thinking, and self-confidence. Peer learning was shown to be as effective as the conventional classroom lecture method in teaching undergraduate nursing students.
Undergraduate midwifery students' sense of belongingness in clinical practice
- Authors: McKenna, Lisa , Gilmour, Carole , Biro, Mary Anne , McIntyre, Meredith , Bailey, Carolyn , Jones, Janet , Miles, Maureen , Hall, Helen , McLelland, Gayle
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nurse Education Today Vol. 33, no. 8 (2013), p.880-883
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Summary Background Clinical placements form a large and integral part of midwifery education. While much has been written about nursing students' clinical placements, less is known about clinical experiences of undergraduate midwifery students. In nursing, belongingness has been demonstrated to be a key factor in clinical learning but little is known about this in midwifery education. Objectives This study sought to examine undergraduate midwifery students' sense of belongingness in their clinical practice. Design A quantitative design using an online questionnaire was employed. A tool adapted by Levett-Jones (2009a), and previously used with nursing students, was utilised to examine sense of belonging in undergraduate midwifery students. Participants Sixty undergraduate midwifery students from two campuses at one Australian university participated in the study. Students were drawn from a single Bachelor of Midwifery degree and a double Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery degree. Methods On completion of a scheduled lecture, students were invited by one of the researchers to participate in the study by completing the online questionnaire and the link provided. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results Midwifery students generally reported similar perceptions of belongingness with previous studies on nursing students. However, a few differences were noted that require further exploration to fully understand. Conclusions Midwifery students experienced a sense of belonging in their clinical placements. The findings contribute to understandings of the experiences for midwifery students and provide a foundation on which to develop future clinical placement experiences.
Working with your team to minimize the impact of anticipatory anxiety in relation to aggression towards nurses
- Authors: Edward, Karen-Leigh , Warelow, Philip , Ousey, Karen , Lui, Steve
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Mental Health Nursing Vol. 22, no. Supplement S1 (October 2013), p. 8-9
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: C1
'Right' for publication: Strategies for supporting novice writers across health and medical disciplines
- Authors: Paliadelis, Penny , Parker, Vicki , Parmenter, Glenda , Maple,
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Health Review Vol. , no. (2014), p.165-168
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
Addressing information needs of vulnerable communities about incontinence: a survey of ten CALD communities
- Authors: Cross, Wendy , Cant, Robyn , Manning, Deborah , McCarthy, Susan
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Collegian (Royal College of Nursing, Australia) Vol. 21, no. 3 (2014), p. 209-216
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Urinary incontinence is a common and distressing condition. Using focus groups, we explored the views of ten ethnic language groups in Melbourne about knowledge and awareness of incontinence. The 218 participants (with or without incontinence) spoke with trained interpreters. Twenty focus group discussions of single and mixed sex groups were audio-recorded and transcribed into English. Narratives were analyzed using thematic analysis with open coding and also incorporated themes from literature. Participants' knowledge of incontinence was low and incontinence was thought to be an inevitable consequence of ageing. There was little understanding of treatments or assistance available under government-funded programmes. No group was aware of the national continence programme or phone helpline. Sensitivities of the topic plus language barriers in immigrant culturally and linguistically diverse communities may impose barriers to accessing help. Several groups thought they would cope with incontinence by themselves, while all groups suggested they would be able to discuss the condition with a doctor. Various preferences voiced about social limitations and permissible communications with others are described. Nurses should be aware of the needs and communication preferences of ethnic language groups regarding continence information and continence service delivery.
An evaluation of the effect of a mental health clinical placement on the mental health attitudes of student nurses
- Authors: Chadwick, Louise , Porter, Joanne
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nursing and Health Vol. 2, no. 3 (2014), p. 57-64
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of a mental health clinical placement on student nurses attitudes towards mental illness and mental health nursing. Health holds different definitions for different people. The term health can mean wellness or a state of being. Mental health in our society still is wrought with stigma. It is the use of negative labels to identify someone living with a mental illness. Stigma can be a barrier and may discourage families and individuals from seeking help. In the health care system, these barriers need to be broken, from the first contact with the health profession, these being the nurses. Nurse’s attitudes can develop for many different reasons, these being, and lack of knowledge, stigma, and prior experience with mental illness. As a health care profession, we need to start at the beginning, with assessing and encouraging more understanding and tolerance of mental illness with our student nurses. This study used a longitudinal descriptive pre-post survey design to determine the degree to which a clinical placement with a psychiatric/mental health agency changed student nurses’ attitudes towards mental illness and mental health/psychiatric nursing. Bachelor of nursing students are required to complete a mental health unit of study within the Bachelor of Nursing Degree. This unit of study required student nurses to complete a 4 week clinical placement in a mental health facility. Students were invited to complete a survey before the clinical placement and at the completion of the clinical placement. Of the (n=184) nurses invited to participate in this study, 65 completed the pre and post clinical placement surveys, giving a response rate of 35%.The results show that there is a statistical significance of .001 in the mean attitude scores towards mental illness for pre and post placement. The attitudes towards psychiatric nursing show a statistical significance of .01.Results from this study support recent literature towards a positive change in student nurses attitudes towards mental illness and mental health nursing on the completion of a clinical placement in a mental health facility.
Approaches to study in undergraduate nursing students in regional Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Brown, Stephen , Wakeling, Lara , Naiker, Mani , White, Sue
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship Vol. 11, no. 1 (2014), p. 1-10
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: In developmental research to devise a strategy to identify students who may benefit from assistance with learning habits, approaches to study were explored in undergraduate nursing students (n=122) enrolled in a compulsory first-year course in physiology at a regional Australian university. The course constituted 30 credits (25%) of their first year of study. Using the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory (ASSIST), students were identified as adopting a deep (n=38, 31%), strategic (n= 30, 25%), or a surface (n=54, 44%) approach to study. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha [
At the crossroads of violence and aggression in the emergency department : Perspectives of Australian emergency nurses
- Authors: Morphet, Julia , Griffiths, Debra , Plummer, Virginia , Innes, Kelli , Fairhall, Robyn , Beattie, Jill
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Australian Health Review Vol. 38, no. 2 (2014), p. 194-201
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objective Violence is widespread in Australian emergency departments (ED) and most prevalent at triage. The aim of the present study was to identify the causes and common acts of violence in the ED perceived by three distinct groups of nurses. Methods The Delphi technique is a method for consensus-building. In the present study a three-phase Delphi technique was used to identify and compare what nurse unit managers, triage and non-triage nurses believe is the prevalence and nature of violence and aggression in the ED. Results Long waiting times, drugs and alcohol all contributed to ED violence. Triage nurses also indicated that ED staff, including security staff and the triage nurses themselves, can contribute to violence. Improved communication at triage and support from management to follow up episodes of violence were suggested as strategies to reduce violence in the ED Conclusion There is no single solution for the management of ED violence. Needs and strategies vary because people in the waiting room have differing needs to those inside the ED. Participants agreed that the introduction and enforcement of a zero tolerance policy, including support from managers to follow up reports of violence, would reduce violence and improve safety for staff. Education of the public regarding ED processes, and the ED staff in relation to patient needs, may contribute to reducing ED violence. What is known about the topic? Violence is prevalent in Australian healthcare, and particularly in emergency departments (ED). Several organisations and government bodies have made recommendations aimed at reducing the prevalence of violence in healthcare but, to date, these have not been implemented consistently, and violence continues. What does this paper add? This study examined ED violence from the perspective of triage nurses, nurse unit managers and non-triage nurses, and revealed that violence is experienced differently by emergency nurses, depending on their area of work. Triage nurses have identified that they themselves contribute to violence in the ED by their style of communication. Nurse unit managers and non-triage nurses perceive that violence is the result of drugs and alcohol, as well as long waiting times. What are the implications for practitioners? Strategies to reduce violence must address the needs of patients and staff both within the ED and in the waiting room. Such strategies should be multifaceted and include education of ED consumers and staff, as well as support from management to respond to reports of violence. © AHHA 2014.
Attitudes of healthcare providers towards family involvement and presence in adult critical care units in Saudi Arabia : A quantitative study
- Authors: Al Mutair, Abbas , Plummer, Virginia , O'Brien, Anthony , Clerehan, Rosemary
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Clinical Nursing Vol. 23, no. 5-6 (2014), p. 744-755
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Aims and objectives: To describe healthcare providers' attitudes to family involvement during routine care and family presence during resuscitation or other invasive procedures in adult intensive care units in Saudi Arabia. Background: Previous research has shown that healthcare professionals have revealed a diversity of opinions on family involvement during routine care and family presence during resuscitation or other invasive procedures. Attitude assessment can provide an indication of staff acceptance or rejection of the practice and also help identify key potential barriers that will need to be addressed. It has also been evident that participation in the care has potential benefits for patients and families as well as healthcare providers. Design: A quantitative descriptive design. Methods: A questionnaire was used with a convenience sample of 468 healthcare providers who were recruited from eight intensive care units. Results: The analysis found that healthcare providers had positive attitudes towards family involvement during routine care, but negative attitudes towards family presence during resuscitation or other invasive procedures. Physicians expressed more opposition to the practice than did nurses and respiratory therapists. Staff indicated a need to develop written guidelines and policies, as well as educational programmes, to address this sensitive issue in clinical practice. Conclusion: Family is an important resource in patient care in the context of the critical care environment. Clinical barriers including resources, hospital policies and guidelines, staff and public education should be taken into account to facilitate family integration to the care model. Relevance to clinical practice: The findings can help to develop policies and guidelines for safe implementation of the practice. They can also encourage those who design nursing and other medical curricula to place more emphasis on the role of the family especially in critical care settings. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Babies and machines that go 'beep' : first-year nursing students' preferred areas of future practice
- Authors: Birks, Melanie , Missen, Karen , Al-Motlaq, Mohammad , Marino, Emma
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International journal of nursing practice Vol. 20, no. 4 (2014), p. 353-359
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Students of nursing enter their programmes of study with preconceived ideas of what a career in their chosen profession will entail. The literature suggests that images from the media and past experiences contribute to these perceptions. Although it is positive images of the profession that will usually attract an individual to a career in nursing, often more negative perceptions will direct students away from potentially rewarding areas of specialization. This paper describes career projections of nursing students enrolled in the first year of four preservice nursing programmes at the rural campus of one Australian university. Part of a larger study, the data reported here indicate that most respondents intend to practice in the areas of midwifery, paediatrics and emergency nursing. Oncology, community nursing, aged care and mental health nursing all ranked poorly across three rounds of surveys. These findings have implications for practicing nurses and nurse educators who seek to dispel inaccurate images of these important specializations. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
Caring for prisoners-patients: A quandary for registered nurses
- Authors: Crampton, Ruth , Turner, De Sales
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing Vol. 29, no. 2 (2014), p. 107-118
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to unveil the complexity of registered nurse (RN) care for prisoner-patients in an acute care perioperative setting. Design: The study design was based on phenomenology and the philosophy of Hans George Gadamer. Method: This study used researcher journaling and two audio-taped in-depth interviews with each of the 12 nurse participants. Findings: Five key fused horizons or joint understandings emerged that resonated for all participants. They were the following:. •. RNs give prisoner-patients perfunctory care;. •. Prisoner-patient care is reactive;. •. Caring for prisoner-patients is emotionally draining;. •. Knowing or imagining a prisoner-patient's crime creates practice dilemmas; and. •. Expressions of care straddle ideal and real caring perspectives. Conclusion: In the caring literature, caring is altruistically presented as an ideal that (ought to) guide RN interactions with patients. However, the study findings call into question the assumptions that are made about what it means to care and how RNs enact their caring role, particularly in vexatious situations. © 2014.
Current continuing professional education practice among Malaysian nurses
- Authors: Chan Chong, Mei , Francis, Karen , Cooper, Simon J. , Abdullah, Khatijah Lim
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nursing Research and Practice. Vol. 2014, Article ID 126748
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Nurses need to participate in CPE to update their knowledge and increase their competencies. This research was carried out to explore their current practice and the future general needs for CPE. This cross-sectional descriptive study involved registered nurses from government hospitals and health clinics from Peninsular Malaysia. Multistage cluster sampling was used to recruit 1000 nurses from four states of Malaysia. Self-explanatory questionnaires were used to collect the data, which were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Seven hundred and ninety-two nurses participated in this survey. Only 80% (562) of the nurses had engaged in CPE activities during the past 12 months. All attendance for the various activities was below 50%. Workshops were the most popular CPE activity (345, 43.6%) and tertiary education was the most unpopular activity (10, 1.3%). The respondents did perceive the importance of future CPE activities for career development. Mandatory continuing professional education (MCPE) is a key measure to ensure that nurses upgrade their knowledge and skills; however, it is recommended that policy makers and nurse leaders in the continuing professional development unit of health service facilities plan CPE activities to meet registered nurses’ (RNs) needs and not simply organizational requirements.
Emergency resuscitation team roles: What constitutes a team and who's looking after the family
- Authors: Porter, Joanne , Cooper, Simon J. , Taylor, Beverley
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Nursing Education and Practice Vol. 4, no. 3 (2014), p. 124
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Aim of study: This study aimed to investigate the attitudes of personnel working in emergency departments on the constitution of a resuscitation team in particular the perceptions of the family liaison role. Methods: A paper base survey on family presence during resuscitation was distributed to emergency personnel working in 18 public departments in the state of Victoria, Australia. Results: A combination of nurses (n = 282) and doctors (n = 65) working in rural and metropolitan emergency departments, identified seven unique resuscitation team roles. Resuscitation teams were identified as comprising of three doctors, three nurses and one other which could be either. Respondents identified seven unique roles as consisting of a team leader, airway doctor, airway nurse, procedure doctor and procedure nurse, drugs nurse and a scribe. The respondents identified the following components as key to discussions with family members; emergency personnel, reassurance, diagnosis, regular updates, intervention, and prognosis (ER-DRIP). Conclusion: The acronym ER-DRIP can be used as a reminder to emergency staff when speaking with family members during resuscitation events ensuring they receive all the necessary information and support.
Families' needs of critical care Muslim patients in Saudi Arabia : A quantitative study
- Authors: Al Mutair, Abbas , Plummer, Virginia , Clerehan, Rosemary , O'Brien, Anthony
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nursing in Critical Care Vol. 19, no. 4 (2014), p. 185-195
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Aim: To identify the needs of families of adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients in Saudi Arabia as perceived by family members and health care providers. Background: Family members of critically ill patients are likely to have specific needs that should be addressed by the critical care team and which, if unmet, may produce stress for patients' families and health care providers. The literature has yet to identify the needs of Muslim families in relation to religious beliefs and cultural values in critical care settings in Saudi Arabia. Design: A cross-sectional survey design. Method: A total of 176 family members and 497 intensive health care providers were recruited from eight adult mixed medical-surgical ICUs between November 2011 and February 2012 utilizing a four-point Likert type scale self-administered questionnaire. Results: The findings revealed that family members and health care providers ranked assurance, information and cultural and spiritual needs as the most important, and support and proximity as least important. There were significant differences in the mean values found between family members and health care providers. A significant finding not identified in other studies was 'The need to have the health care providers handle the body of the dead Muslim with extreme caution and respect' which, under the dimension of cultural and spiritual needs, was perceived by family members to be the most important and by the health care providers as the fifth most important need. Conclusion: The recognition of family needs in the critical care unit informed the development of interventions to meet family needs and improve the care quality. © 2013 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.
Family presence during resuscitation (FPDR): Preceived benefits, barriers and enablers to implementation and practice
- Authors: Porter, Joanne , Cooper, Simon J. , Selllick, Kenneth
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Emergency Nursing Vol. 22, no. 2 (2014), p. 69-74
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduction There are a number of perceived benefits and barriers to family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) in the emergency department, and debate continues among health professionals regarding the practice of family presence. Aim This review of the literature aims to develop an understanding of the perceived benefits, barriers and enablers to implementing and practicing FPDR in the emergency department. Results The perceived benefits include; helping with the grieving process; everything possible was done, facilitates closure and healing and provides guidance and family understanding and allows relatives to recognise efforts. The perceived barriers included; increased stress and anxiety, distracted by relatives, fear of litigation, traumatic experience and family interference. There were four sub themes that emerged from the literature around the enablers of FPDR, these included; the need for a designated support person, the importance of training and education for staff and the development of a formal policy within the emergency department to inform practice. Conclusion In order to ensure that practice of FPDR becomes consistent, emergency personnel need to understand the need for advanced FPDR training and education, the importance of a designated support person role and the evidence of FPDR policy as enablers to implementation.
Feasibility and acceptability of a volunteer-mediated diversional therapy program for older patients with cognitive impairment
- Authors: Shee, Anna Wong , Phillips, Bev , Hill, Keith , Dodd, Karen
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Geriatric Nursing Vol. 35, no. 4 (2014), p. 300-305
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Understanding the perceptions of stakeholders is critical for determining acceptability and feasibility of volunteer-mediated programs. This study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability for staff, volunteers, patients and their carers, of a volunteer diversional therapy program for patients with cognitive impairment undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. Post-program structured interviews were conducted with the volunteers (n = 10), patients (n = 30) and their carers (n = 3); and nursing staff (n = 6) participated in a focus group. Thematic analysis identified five themes (values, attitudes, knowledge, purpose, support) in two dimensions (personal, team culture). Overall, patients, carers, staff and volunteers were satisfied with the volunteer program and perceived benefits for quality of care. Recommendations for improvements to the program related to staff engagement with the program and the volunteers' education and training. The volunteer diversional therapy pilot program for patients with cognitive impairment on a sub-acute ward was acceptable and feasible for patients, carers, staff and volunteers. (C) 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Graduate nurse program coordinators’ perceptions of role adaptation experienced by new nursing graduates : A descriptive qualitative approach
- Authors: Missen, Karen , McKenna, Lisa , Beauchamp, Alison
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Nursing Education and Practice Vol. 4, no. 12 (2014), p. 134-141
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Aims: This research explores the challenges that new nursing graduates experience whilst adapting to their new role in their first year of practice. These challenges are presented from the perspectives of Graduate Nurse Program Coordinators in the state of Victoria, Australia, previously not described in the literature. Background: Each year, thousands of new nursing graduates join the workforce in Australia, with many suffering major stressors and dissatisfaction in their first year of practice. Much has been written about challenges faced by this group from their own perspectives, yet nothing has been heard from the perspectives of those who support them; that is, the coordinators of year-long graduate nurse transition programs. Methods: This descriptive qualitative study used individual, semi-structured interviews to access information and perceptions from sixteen Graduate Nurse Program Coordinators about the challenges experienced by nursing graduates in their first year of practice. Transcripts were thematically analysed to reveal reoccurring themes and sub-themes. Results: The interviews provided an insight into various challenges that nursing graduates experience in relation to role adaptation in their first year of practice. Nursing graduates found difficulties with reality shock, work-life balancing and having unrealistic assumptions in their capacity to work, assuming they should be at a higher level despite being a beginner practitioner. Conclusions: This study reinforces the need for education providers to maintain currency in their undergraduate nursing programs and to work closely with health care services in providing a quality clinical experience to all nursing students. It also provides evidence that graduate transition programs are essential, with Graduate Nurse Program Coordinators performing a crucial role in providing appropriately planned strategies to support graduates through this vulnerable time.
Here they come, ready or not
- Authors: Missen, Karen
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987) Vol. 29, no. 6 (2014), p. 66
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: As many students begin to undertake their third year of study, the prospect of registration becomes imminent. Most students will be wondering how they will cope when they don their staff nurse uniforms for the first time.
Historical imagination, narrative learning and nursing practice : Graduate nursing students' reader-responses to a nurse's storytelling from the past
- Authors: Wood, Pamela
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nurse Education in Practice Vol. 14, no. 5 (2014), p. 473-478
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Storytelling and narrative are widely used in nurse education and the value of narrative-based curricula, such as those governed by narrative pedagogy, is well recognised. Storytelling stimulates students' imagination, a central feature of narrative learning. One form of story and imagination yet to be fully considered by educators is the historical story and historical imagination. The use of historical storytelling creates a temporal dissonance between the story and reader that stimulates readers' imagination and response, and enables them to gain rich insights which can be applied to the present. Reader-response theory can support educators when using narrative and storytelling. This article presents an analysis of graduate nursing students' reader-responses to a nurse's story from the past. This narrative learning group used their historical imagination in responding to the story and prompted and challenged each other in their interpretation and in translating their responses to their current nursing practice. The article discusses this analysis within the context of reader-response theory and its potential application to narrative-based learning in nurse education. Historical stories stimulate historical imagination and offer a different frame of reference for students' development of textual competence and for applying insights to the present. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.
Management of Maternal and Child Health Services in Victoria Australia : Education or Health Portfolio
- Authors: Breach, Rayleen , Jones, Linda , Sheeran, Leanne
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Nursing Vol. 1, no. 2 (2014), p. 103-114
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In Victoria, Maternal and Child Health (MCH) service is currently located within the State Government’s Department of Education and EarlyChildhood Development (DEECD) portfolio. This department is accountable for the planning and provision of early childhood services in partnership with local government. The MCH service has experienced many changes in State Government departmental portfolios over the years.It was therefore considered relevant to explore the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs held by the MCH workforce in regards to the portfolio that they considered should manage the MCH service.A qualitative exploratory descriptive approach was used to explore the Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of the Victorian MCH nurses regarding the positioning portfolio for the service. The involved interviewing 12 key stakeholders and 36 MCH nurses until data saturation was reached. Presented are the findings that indicated that the majority of the participants believed that the service did not belong well currently in either Victorian Government Education or Health portfolio. The strength of this opinion, however, highlights the need for some collaborative discussion with all concerned parties in order to appropriately position the MCH service in order to achieve optimum outcomes for children in Victoria.