This study sought to determine the attitudes, beliefs and values towards clinical work organization of students entering undergraduate medicine, nursing and pharmacy programmes in order to frame questions for a wider study. In the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland students entering medicine, nursing and pharmacy programmes completed a questionnaire based on that used by Degeling et al. in studies of the professional subcultures working in the health system in Australia, New Zealand, England and elsewhere. Findings indicate that before students commence their education and training medical, nursing and pharmacy students as groups or sub-cultures differ in how they believe clinical work should be organized. Medical students believe that clinical work should be the responsibility of individuals in contrast to nursing students who have a collective view and believe that work should be systemized. Pharmacy students are at a mid-point in this continuum. There are many challenges for undergraduate programmes preparing graduates for modern healthcare practice where the emphasis is on systemized work and team based approaches. These include issues of professional socialization which begins before students enter programmes, selection of students, attitudinal shifts and interprofessional education.

Drawn from a larger study, this article reports the experiences of a group of male nurses regarding the use of intimate physical touch. Using discourse analysis, interview data from 18 male nurses were analyzed and related to existing text on men as nurses. The analysis reveals that although touch is important in nursing care, it is problematic for men because discourses have normalized women's use of touch as a caring behavior and have sexualized men's touch. Participants described their vulnerability, how they protected themselves from risk, and the resulting stress. The complicity of nurses in sexualizing men's touch and the neglect of educators in preparing men for providing intimate care are revealed. A paradox emerged whereby the very measures employed to protect both patients and men as nurses exacerbate the perceived risk posed by men carrying out intimate care. Deconstructing and reframing prevailing discourses around nursing, gender, and caring involving touch can help to legitimize men's involvement in physical caring.

This article examines similarities and differences in the way that hospital staff in Australia and New Zealand are evaluating efforts to improve quality, clinical effectiveness and service integration, and to strengthen clinical accountability. We draw on data from a cross-national study of hospital staff in Australia and New Zealand. The results highlight the way in which respondents' views about reform are influenced by the interplay of two factors: the impact of respondents' occupational backgrounds (our findings point to differences in the profession-based subcultures of medicine, nursing and general management and the way that these are reflected in respondents' assessments of particular aspects of reform); and the way that the impact of professional subcultures may be mitigated by differences between the systems in which respondents were located, including differences between the programs of reform that have been pursued in each country. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Drawn from a larger study, this article reports the experiences of a group of male nurses regarding the use of intimate physical touch. Using discourse analysis, interview data from 18 male nurses were analyzed and related to existing text on men as nurses. The analysis reveals that although touch is important in nursing care, it is problematic for men because discourses have normalized women's use of touch as a caring behavior and have sexualized men's touch. Participants described their vulnerability, how they protected themselves from risk, and the resulting stress. The complicity of nurses in sexualizing men's touch and the neglect of educators in preparing men for providing intimate care are revealed. A paradox emerged whereby the very measures employed to protect both patients and men as nurses exacerbate the perceived risk posed by men carrying out intimate care. Deconstructing and reframing prevailing discourses around nursing, gender, and caring involving touch can help to legitimize men's involvement in physical caring.

Health service reforms and structures have, in general, emphasised hierarchical systems to enable control and accountability. In doing so, policies have substantially sidelined networks and their potential for contributing to health service performance. Networks play a number of roles, such as in supporting expertise development, arranging referrals, coordinating programs, undertaking projects, sharing common interests and providing mutual support in managing common conditions. They handle knowledge, support expertise and deal with complexity in ways that hierarchies are unable to, and are fundamental to supporting professionalism. Until networks are used to a greater extent, the development of health services will be substantially impeded. This will require enhancing the role and contribution that networks play, which is dependent on resources, leadership and skills.