Chemotherapy outpatients have significant unmet needs following treatment, indicating an urgent need for improved continuity of care and better integration of primary and tertiary health care services.

Creation of a more positive work environment requires increased understanding of the way nurses relate to each other and appreciation of the factors in the environment that contribute to conflict and a negative atmosphere. This appreciation is a necessary prerequisite to developing a more satisfying and productive workplace enhancing the recruitment of new nurses and the retention of experienced nurses.

As a result of advances in anaesthesia and surgical procedures, increasing numbers of patients in Australia are being discharged 'early' into the home environment with residual care requirements. As many of these patients have undergone surgery that in the past would have required a period of hospitalisation and care from qualified staff lasting several days, this situation has the potential to create problems for both patients and their carers. A total of fourteen interviews were conducted with seven patient/carer dyads. Analysis identified three themes related to the uncertainty both patients and carers experienced attributed to a lack of sufficient discharge preparation and information, pointing to gaps in continuity of care and also in discharge planning and home-health care. It is suggested that the identified issues have applicability for the development of patient education in a day surgery/acute context and that the use of evidenced-based and innovative interventions among health professionals might improve both patient and caregiver outcomes.

This article describes the experience of chemotherapy-induced alopecia. Data resulted from an ongoing study, which sought to explore the experience of Australian women with a primary diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Phenomenological analysis of written accounts or interviews with 15 Australian women resulted in 13 of these 15 women giving priority to describing their experience of alopecia. The women described alopecia as the most distressing corporeal feature of the ovarian cancer experience. Factors which contributed to women's distress included: loss of sense of self and altered body image; reminder of their illness and potential for an early death; public statement about their private life, practical issues and re-growth. No literature was located, worldwide, which specifically explores the experience of alopecia for women with ovarian cancer. This article presents the first in-depth exploration of the experience of alopecia for Australian women with ovarian cancer. Insight gained from this study will inform understanding of the issues associated with alopecia for women with ovarian cancer and may facilitate the provision of optimal supportive care provided by health care professionals for female cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

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