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Although the finding of convergent validity is insufficient to establish construct validity for competency as used in both measures in this study, it is an important step towards this goal. Future studies on relationships between competencies must take into account the validity and reliability of the tools.

BackgroundPsychological distress has been well identified in recently resettled refugee groups; however, evidence on psychological distress over time is not conclusive. Australia has welcomed a large refugee population in recent decades, including Iraqis who currently form one of the largest groups being resettled in Australia.MethodsThis study aimed to explore psychological distress in two samples of Iraqi refugees, those who recently arrived (n = 225, average length of stay = 0.55 months) and those with a longer period of resettlement (n = 225, average length of stay = 58.5 months). To assess general symptoms of anxiety and depression, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale was employed. Associations between participants’ demographic characteristics and psychological distress levels were examined.ResultsA significant difference between groups, t (441) = −2.149, p = 0.0324, was found, indicating that study participants with longer periods of resettlement were experiencing higher levels of psychological distress than recent arrivals.ConclusionOur findings have implications for both for government and non-government funded organisations who should consider the provision of assistance programs beyond the initial arrival period.

The changing roles within health care teams reflect the rapid pace of change in contemporary health care environments. Traditional nursing roles and responsibilities are being challenged as fiscal constraints drive health reform. How nursing teams are configured in the future and the scope of practice of the individuals within those teams will require clear and unambiguous boundaries. This study explores the relationships in and between scope of practice and communication amongst teams of nurses. Six focus groups with both Registered and Enrolled Nurses were undertaken in three Sydney metropolitan hospitals in New South Wales. Nurses report that confusion surrounding scope of practice particularly in the areas of medication administration, patient allocation and workload are resulting in situations whereby nurses are feeling bullied, stressed and harassed. With the imminent widespread introduction of a third tier of nursing into acute care hospitals in Australia the findings of this study are timely and suggest that unless nursing team members clearly understand their roles and scope of practice there is potential for intra-professional workplace conflict. Furthermore the impact of the conflict may have consequences for both the individual nurse and their patients.