This page provides links to the findings of a research study undertaken by Richard Lakeman in June-July 1996.
These findings were
presented at:
Lakeman, R. (1996). The
internet: Facilitating and international nursing culture. (Conference
Proceedings). (pp. 261-282). Auckland: ANZCMHN
and published in:
Lakeman, R. (1996). Psychiatric nursing. The Internet: facilitating an
international nursing culture for psychiatric nurses. Computers in Nursing,
16(2), 87-9.
Email responses were received from 37 people, one omitted from
the analysis because it was illegible. Not surprisingly most responses
were received from members of the 'psych-nursing' list group.
Thirty three responses were received from the 'psych-nursing'
list, two from 'nursenet' and one from 'sci.med.nursing'. The
'psych-nursing' list had 368 members at the time of writing this
report. The response rate for this study was high relative to
comparable studies (Murray, 1995).
Respondents experience of using the internet ranged from 1 week
to 10 years with the majority of people having used the internet
for less than two years. The mean length of time was 22 months.
Figure 4 illustrates the distribution of internet experience of
respondents.
It was not always immediately apparent from which country a response
originated. However some messages were identified as originating
from the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, New Zealand,
Finland, Holland, Hong Kong and Japan. The 'tag-lines' which many
people include in their email, much like a letterhead on a conventional
letter identified that responses were received from nurses in
education, management and practice settings including community
psychiatric nursing, forensic nursing and substance abuse treatment
centres.
Figure 4 - Not Available Length of time
respondents had used the internet.