This monograph is the first St Vincent's Hospital Nursing publication. As Director of Nursing I am delighted to introduce these selected articles. The selection was made from a range of works by St Vincent's nurses and 1 congratulate all who submitted papers. The papers in the publication cover a wide variety of interests and demonstrate the diversity of nursing.
Nursing research is an integral activity of professional nursing. With well directed research we are able to enrich nursing practice with the ultimate aim of improved patient care.
In supporting the monograph, 1 am demonstrating the importance I place on nurses evaluating nursing practice.
Research activity at St Vincent's is well established under the umbrella of the Nursing Research Ethics Committee who act as mentors and a resource for the nurse researcher. 1 would also like to thank those committee members for their untiring work in the preparation of this publication:
I would also like to thank Kathy Love whose original thought gave the monograph its beginning. I am confident that this will be the first of a yearly production of nursing works.
I look forward to our next publication when we will have examples from the clinical, administrative and educational fields of nursing.
Robyn Elizabeth Brown
Director of Nursing.