The objective of this research was to describe the experience of selective abortion following prenatal genetic testing in a purposive sample of parents of children with hereditary diseases in order to provide suggestions for nursing in conjunction with genetic testing during pregnancy. The study used methods adapted from hermeneutic phenomenology described by Cohen et al., including participant observations and in-depth interviews. The setting of prenatal genetic testing was observed when three couples to participate at the time after informed consent, and interviewed three times for provided one person of an agreement to participate in a study. Two major themes emerged from these interviews,: the “breakdown of ties between others”and“the realization that they had conflicting values concerning disabilities in human beings.”Based on these main themes, narrative was represented, as follows.
I. The effect of known genetic diseases
1. Discordance between couple
2. Differentiation between disabilities
3. Looking for the root of genetic disease in a family
4. Self-alimentation
II. Selecting life
1. Tentative fetal presence
2. Being torn between negation and affirmation of disabled people
3. Dealing with a dilemma: guilty feelings about forgetting the aborted child versus antipathy regarding grief work of the loss
4. Meeting with internal eugenic idea
III. Seeking to repair ties
1. The ties between the couple and the family
2. The need to lie
3. Fear that one's present suffering will again be experienced by future generations
These results suggest that nurses have to apply care to relationships with clients and their families, as well as society. Moreover, for consistent counseling and care, it is necessary for us to establish new nursing area that integrates genetic, pediatric, obstetric clinic, and the obstetric ward.

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Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between participation in a self-help group for diabetes and self-care agency and management of diabetes.
Method: A matched-pair, controlled study was conducted, consisting of 90 diabetic patients: 30 diabetic patients participating in a self-help group (self-help group) and two sex-matched and age-matched (±5 years) controls for each patient (control group).
Subject selection criteria included absence of serious diabetes complications, ability to answer the questionnaires, and informed consent for participation in the study. Subjects were assessed for self-care ability via the self-care agency questionnaire (SCAQ), resource-seeking activity (number of efforts to obtain information from other patients, doctors, and nurses), and diabetes management (HbA₁c and self-assessed health). Data were analyzed by using x² test and t test.
Results: There was no difference in SCAQ scores (mean scores were above 70%).
Resource-seeking activities were significantly more frequent for the self-help group than the control group. There was no significant difference in diabetic management. Sixty percent of both the self-help and control groups had good diabetic control, with HbA₁c below 7.0%.
Conclusions: The results suggest that participation in a self-help group has a positive effect on the resource-seeking activity of diabetes patients.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between the lifestyles, such as daily physical activity and dietary status, and liver functions in patients with hepatitis C. 107 patients with positive serum HCV who had been admitted in T hospital in 1992 were studied by mail. 41 patients were enrolled, and levels of daily physical activity, dietary status, and blood examination values of the subjects were investigated. As a result, there were 15 light level patients, 16 moderate level patients, 10 light heavy level patients in terms of daily physical activity. The average age of the subjects was 57.4±9.4 years old, and an average period of following up the subjects was 11.7±4.7 years. There were no significant differences between levels of daily physical activity on dietary status, symptoms, variation of ALT and AST 39 among 41 patients received interferon treatments and 12 patients received Stronger -Neo-Minophagen C, 34 patients except for those who had complete responses were included for analysis. Subjects were compared by levels of daily physical activity and, serum bilirubin values of the patients in light heavy were higher, there was significant difference between in moderate and light heavy of '92 (p<0.01), light and light heavy of '98 (p<0.05). These results suggested that the instruction for lifestyles of patients with chronic hepatitis C was important.

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Most Australian nurses are female, employed by acute care hospitals and reside in capital cities. Although the majority work as clinicians in the medical and surgical field, nursing homes have also increased as a significant employer during recent years. Current challenges for Australian nursing include rural nursing, public health nursing and a projected national shortage in certain clinical areas. Staff retention rates are becoming problematic as increasing numbers leave the profession because of family commitments and limited employment satisfaction. Their workloads are also increasing, and many feel that recent technological changes have not really given nurses any more spare time. This paper provides a brief overview of contemporary nursing within Australia. Detailed statistics are provided, along with education and registration arrangements, historical aspects and future challenges. The opportunities and requirements for foreign nurses wishing to emigrate to Australia are also discussed.

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