Nursing and Health Sciences via MedWorm.com

Knowledge and involvement of nurses regarding health policy development in Thailand

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this descriptive study was to explain the levels of knowledge about and involvement in national health policy development by nurses in Thailand. The study used quantitative and qualitative means to gather data about the topic from two groups of professional nurses: 2121 nurses who worked in hospitals around the country and 26 nurse leaders who were members of steering committees in nursing professional organizations. A self-administered questionnaire and an interview guide regarding knowledge and involvement in national health policy were used for collecting the data. The content validity and reliability of the questionnaire were assured. The results showed that almost two-thirds of the sample had a high level of knowledge about national health policy development but that al...

Antiretroviral therapy adherence among patients living with HIV/AIDS in Thailand

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The importance of antiretroviral therapy adherence for patients living with HIV/AIDS has been well documented. Despite this critical need, many do not follow prescribed regimens. To examine the barriers that lead to non-adherence, we used cross-sectional survey data from a randomized controlled intervention trial in northern and north-eastern Thailand. Of the 507 patients that were enrolled in the trial, we analyzed 386 patients on antiretroviral therapy in order to examine the barriers to adherence. In addition to demographic characteristics, depressive symptoms, physical health, access to care, social support, and internalized shame, HIV disclosure and family communication were examined. The correlation analysis revealed that adherence is significantly associated with internalized shame,...

Experiences of widows with children: A qualitative study about spousal death in Iran

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The experience of the spousal bereavement of widows who are single parents has been largely neglected in the literature. This qualitative study provides insight into how such women grieved over their spouse's death in Iran. In-depth interviews with 24 participants were held and field notes were written. The generated data were analyzed by using the constant comparative method. The results indicated four main categories: "intense grief", "becoming hopeless", "internalizing bereavement and continuing bonds", and "the contexts of experience of spousal death". The fourth category consisted of two subcategories: "the unexpected nature of death" and "full dependence". The findings suggested that hopelessness related to spousal death changed the lifestyles of the participants, which led to health...

Environment for nursing scholarship and journal impact factors in Taiwan

Nursing and Health Sciences — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The objective of this study was to explore the conditions that have been created within Taiwan as a result of such national and institutional policies. A case study design was used. Information was sought from five senior faculty members, who responded to a questionnaire with items derived from the literature. A key participant provided context within the country. The data were summarized and described. The respondents confirmed the presence of governmental and university policies for publication in high-impact factor journals; they saw some positive aspects, yet described the obstacles faced by many scholars, felt that the policies led to competition rather than cooperation, and viewed national, compared to international, publications in opposing terms. The findings are discussed within t...

New mothers' experiences of social disruption and isolation during the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in Hong Kong

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

In Hong Kong during the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak of 2003, sustained uncertainty caused daily stress for residents for > 3 months. Expectant women experienced unexpected social disruption and isolation within their day-to-day life that have not been described in their own voice. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of women who became mothers during the outbreak and the ways in which these experiences impacted their early post-partum mothering. A phenomenological research design was chosen. The participants' responses then led the interview process. As the women's experiences had many similarities, saturation was reached after eight interviews. Four themes emerged: living with uncertainty, intense vigilance, isolation, and disrupted expectations. The p...

Diabetes empowerment related to Pender's Health Promotion Model: A meta-synthesis

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This study adopted a meta-ethnographic approach. Nine qualitative studies were synthesized in order to contribute to a deeper understanding of what clients perceive as being important in an effective empowerment strategy for diabetes self-management. Four central metaphors that influenced empowerment were identified: trust in nurses' competence and awareness, striving for control, a desire to share experiences, and nurses' attitudes and ability to personalize. The lines-of-argument synthesis suggested the need for an evaluation system to appraise clients' diabetes knowledge, health beliefs, and negative emotions, as well as the outcome of interventions. Based on Pender's Health Promotion Model, this study emphasizes the fact that health-care professionals need to understand and address mod...

Readiness for self-directed learning among nursing students in Thailand

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This study took place in Thailand where didactic and lecture-driven teaching styles are beginning to transform into student-centered methods. At Chiang Mai University Faculty of Nursing in Thailand, the readiness of 272 undergraduate students to undertake self-directed learning was investigated using two instruments: a demographic data questionnaire and Guglielmino's Self Directed Learning Readiness Scale. The study found that the overall self-directed learning readiness of participants was at a high level in the categories of openness to learning opportunities, self-concept as an effective learner, initiative and independence in learning, informed acceptance of responsibility for one's own learning, creativity, and the ability to use basic study and problem-solving skills. The findings pr...

Education strategies to foster health professional students' clinical reasoning skills

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Clinical reasoning is an important skill for health professionals that should be developed to achieve high levels of expertise. Several education strategies have been suggested for implementation by health professional educators to foster their students' clinical reasoning skills. The strategies have included the following: problem-based learning, the integrative curriculum, reflection, and concept mapping. This review assesses which is the most effective education strategy for developing the clinical reasoning skills of health professional students. Four publications, from a total of 692 identified records, were included. Overall, this review was not able to make a final conclusion to answer the question. Therefore, there is a need to conduct more studies with larger samples and to undert...

Risk factors of paternal depression in the early postnatal period in Japan

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This study investigated risk factors of depression in fathers at 4 weeks post-partum using a cross-sectional design. Mothers were recruited at the 4 week postnatal health check between March and July 2007. A total of 510 mothers agreed to participate in the study. One-hundred-and-fifty-six fathers and 181 mothers returned the questionnaires. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale were filled out to assess depressive symptoms. There was no association between paternal and maternal depression. According to the logistic regression analysis, paternal depression was associated with employment status, history of psychiatric treatment, and unintended pregnancy. Of eight fathers with unstable employment, seven were temporary employees and...

Stress and coping in Singaporean nurses: A literature review

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Stress is ubiquitous in the nursing profession and is also prevalent in Asian countries, particularly the "four tigers of Asia": Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea. Based on the theoretical framework of Lazarus and Folkman (1984), the present review of the nursing literature aims to identify sources and effects of stress in Singaporean nurses and the coping strategies they use. Nurses reported major stressors including shortage of staff, high work demands and conflict at work. Common coping strategies included problem orientation, social support and relaxation techniques. Several studies reported nurses' intent to leave the profession. Recommendations to minimize the impact of stress include in-service programs to facilitate a problem-solving approach to resolving work-related i...

Patient satisfaction with nursing care and its relationship with patient characteristics

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction with nursing care and the relationship between patient satisfaction and patient characteristics. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a 1100-bed tertiary care teaching hospital in Turkey. Data were collected using the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scales and a patient information form. Overall, data indicated a high level of patient satisfaction. Hospitalization affected the Experience of Nursing Care Scale independently, while the type of ward, sex, income, and education independently affected the Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale. Patients who underwent surgical procedures, male patients, the 40[ndash]59-year-old age group, those who had low levels of education or income, and patients who were hospitalized for ...

Prevalence, self-care behaviors, and self-care activities for peripheral neuropathy symptoms of HIV/AIDS

Nursing and Health Sciences — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

As part of a larger randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of an HIV/AIDS symptom management manual (n = 775), this study examined the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in HIV-infected individuals at 12 sites in the USA, Puerto Rico, and Africa. Neuropathy was reported by 44% of the sample; however, only 29.4% reported initiating self-care behaviors to address the neuropathy symptoms. Antiretroviral therapy was found to increase the frequency of neuropathy symptoms, with an increased mean intensity of 28%. A principal axis factor analysis with Promax rotation was used to assess the relationships in the frequency of use of the 18 self-care activities for neuropathy, revealing three distinct factors: (i) an interactive self-care factor; (ii) a complementary medicine factor; and...

Impact of health literacy and patient trust on glycemic control in an urban USA population

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Diabetes, with its consequences of premature death, complications, and economic costs, is a precursor to a public health crisis that is expected to worsen over the next several decades. The improvement of diabetes outcomes, specifically glycemic control as measured by glycosylated hemoglobin concentration (HbA1c), can impact this critical situation. A quantitative study was conducted that examined health literacy and patient trust as predictors of glycemic control. The related factors of demographics, socioeconomic status, diabetes knowledge, self-care activities, and depression were also considered. Implementing a cross-sectional, predictive design, a convenience sample of 102 patients with diabetes was recruited from two urban primary care clinics in the USA. A simultaneous multiple regr...

Competence assessment of nursing graduates of Jordanian universities

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This cross-sectional survey assessed the level of competence of nursing graduates of Jordanian universities (2001[ndash]2004 cohorts) in relation to the type of university, sex, hospital type, and working area. A convenience sample (n = 258) of full-time nurses (6 months[ndash]4 years' experience) was selected from public, private, and teaching hospitals. A specifically designed tool with a rating scale of 1[ndash]5 was used to evaluate the nurses' competence in five nursing competencies (management, professionalism, problem-solving, nursing process, and knowledge of basic skills). The findings showed a satisfactory competency level with no significant differences related to the type of university or sex. General ward nurses scored significantly better than those in intensive care units in...

Influence of marital and educational status on clients' psychosocial adjustment to HIV/AIDS in Calabar, Nigeria

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

A comparative descriptive design and a stratified random sampling technique were adopted to study the influence of marital and educational status on the psychological, social, and spiritual adjustment of 280 respondents living with HIV/AIDS in two randomly selected clinics within Calabar, Nigeria. A 30 item questionnaire, with a content validity index of 0.92 and a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.94, was used for data collection, with due attention to ethical considerations. The findings showed that marital status had a significant influence on the respondents' psychological and social adjustment but not on their spiritual adjustment. Those that were married and those with higher educational qualifications had better psychological adjustment than those who had never married. ...

Obtaining confirmation through social relationships: Norwegian first-time mothers' experiences while on maternity leave

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The social relationships of employed women on maternity leave undergo significant changes. The aim of the study was to illuminate first-time mothers' experiences of social relationships while on maternity leave. Nine mothers were interviewed at both 3[ndash]5 months and 11[ndash]14 months post-partum and the data were analyzed by means of interpretative analysis. The main theme of obtaining confirmation through social relationships was based on two themes (being confirmed by other mothers and balancing between being a mother and an employee) and on four subthemes (seeking company, sharing experiences, feeling ineffective and in a state of stagnation, and trying to handle contact with the workplace). In order to strengthen the social relationships of mothers, the mother[ndash]child health s...

Genetic content in Korean nursing textbooks

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study examined the amount and the content of genetics education in Korean nursing textbooks. We analyzed 165 textbooks that were published by four companies between 2005 and 2009. Eighty percent contained some information on genetics; however, the content was limited to bioscience, the latest information on common diseases, and nursing interventions in genetics. There was an average of six pages of genetics content in the seven specialized textbooks on nursing that were analyzed. This indicates that many topics on genetics need to be incorporated into Korean nursing education, especially in light of the recent genetic innovations in all curricular areas of nursing education. We recommend the establishment of strategic perspectives to bridge the content gaps in genetics education in nu...

Management of flood victims: Chainat Province, central Thailand

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This article focuses on the processes of flood management and the experiences of flood victims in Chainat Province, central Thailand, so as to develop knowledge about the future handling of such disasters. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used to describe the processes of providing assistance to flood victims. In-depth interviews and observation were used to collect the data. Criterion sampling was used to select 23 participants. Content analysis of the data revealed that some flood victims could predict flooding based on prior experiences, so they prepared themselves. The data revealed six themes that demonstrated that those who could not predict how floods would impact on them were unprepared and suffered losses and disruption to their daily life. Damaged routes meant people c...

Evaluation of individual and facility factors that promote hand washing in aged-care facilities in Japan

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study used a correlational, cross-sectional design to clarify, for the first time, individual and facility factors related to the hand-washing behaviors of care staff at Japanese aged-care facilities. In 56 facilities (31 special nursing homes and 25 health-service facilities) in Yamaguchi Prefecture, data were gathered through survey questionnaires from care staff and facility managers. A total of 1323 (79.6%) questionnaires were returned and 1016 (61.1%) were analyzed. Using logistical regression analysis, two individual factors were investigated ("willingness to practice standard precautions" and "attendance at seminars") and two facility factors were investigated ("implementation of hand-washing evaluation" and "hand-washing environment"). These factors were found to promote hand ...

Experiences of nurse leaders surviving Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans, Louisiana, USA destroyed by its impact on 29 August 2005. Working during a hurricane was nothing new to these authors. Having lived in New Orleans all our lives, we were used to preparing our homes and our families to weather the storm. Nurses are in leadership positions before, during, and after any disaster. Nurses are called upon to report to duty, leaving their loved ones to care for themselves while the nurses care for the sick and frail in unbelievably difficult situations. The purpose of this article is to share our experiences as nurse survivors during Hurricane Katrina, reflecting on 10 major aspects of disaster planning from the perspective of the "Then" (during the storm) and the "Now" (current recommendations). (Source: Nursing and Health Sci...

Comparisons of the gait parameters of young Korean women carrying a single-strap bag

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study compared the gait parameters of young women using various methods to carry a single-strap bag during walking. Twenty-one Korean healthy women walked on a GAITRite-instrumented carpet at a self-paced speed for each of the four following conditions in random order: no bag, carrying a bag over the shoulder, carrying a bag on the forearm, and carrying a bag by the hand on the dominant (right) side. There was a significant reduction in the stride length for the contralateral leg when carrying a bag on the forearm, a significant decrease in the heel-to-heel base of support, and a significant increase in the toe angle on the ipsilateral leg when carrying a bag by hand. The results of our study suggest that, among the asymmetric bag-carrying methods preferred by Korean young women durin...

Validation of the Cognitive Appraisal Health Scale with Jordanian patients

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric properties and the theoretical structure of the Cognitive Appraisal Health Scale for patients with acute and chronic diseases in medical and surgical wards. Previously, the Scale was validated with patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, in order to examine the psychometric properties of the scale with patients diagnosed with health problems other than prostate cancer, this study was conducted. The convenience sample of 140 male and 128 female patients was selected from an educational hospital and three private hospitals in Jordan. The factor structure for the Scale was examined by using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. The 13 item model with three factors yielded highly acceptable indices in all respects for pat...

Support for infertility treatment in Japan: Differences in perceptions between female clients and staff

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The aim of this study was to clarify the perceptions of both infertile women accessing support services from local governments related to infertility treatment and the public servants providing that assistance. This cross-sectional descriptive study surveyed 62 local government staff members who managed medical expense subsidy programs for infertility treatment in the Hokuriku region of Japan and 84 infertile women attending the clinics. We measured the levels of satisfaction regarding the support services from local governments and the perceptions of the importance of each type of support. The data were analyzed descriptively and included factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. Local governments' support services were analyzed by using four factors: providing information, educat...

Prediction model of blood pressure control in community-dwelling hypertensive adults in Korea

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The purpose of the present descriptive study was to test a hypothetical model explaining the factors that influence blood pressure control among hypertensive Korean adults [ge] 20 years of age. Subjects were 1041 individuals with hypertension identified from 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Twelve of the 24 hypothesized paths in the structural model were significant. Gender ([beta] = 0.09, P < 0.00), medication ([beta] = [minus]0.24, P < 0.00), regular physical activity ([beta] = 0.06, P = 0.02) and comorbidity ([beta] = 0.14, P < 0.00) were significantly associated with blood pressure control, representing 10% of the variance therein. The fit of the model to the data was supported. The study results indicate that health professionals should develop strate...

Early psychosocial interventions after disasters, terrorism, and other shocking events: Guideline development

Nursing and Health Sciences — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This article describes the development of guidelines on psychosocial interventions during the first 6 weeks after a major incident. Scientific literature, expert opinions, and consensus among relevant parties in the clinical field were used to formulate the recommendations. Early screening, a supportive context, early preventive and curative psychosocial interventions, and the organization of interventions are covered. The implications for the clinical field and future research are discussed. It is concluded that the international knowledge base provides valuable input for the development of national guidelines. However, the successful implementation of such guidelines can take place only if they are legitimated and accepted by local key actors and operational target groups. Their involvem...

Botulism Questionnaire: A tactical tool for community use in a mass casualty incident

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

A botulism-induced mass casualty incident has the potential to severely compromise a community's health-care infrastructure, based upon its lethality, rare occurrence, and duration of symptoms, which require extensive support and care. Although early recognition and treatment with antitoxin or botulism immunoglobulin are essential to the effective management of this type of an incident, the two major challenges in recognition and treatment are the hundreds, if not thousands, of casualties or potential casualties requiring rapid screening and the fact that most clinicians remain ignorant of the management of botulism. The purpose of this article is to present the Botulism Questionnaire, which will assist with the screening of casualties, provide educational and diagnostic cues for clinician...

Black Saturday: The personal recollection of a doctor working during the worst bushfire in Australian history

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The date, 7 February 2009, will be known forever in Victoria, Australia as "Black Saturday". In the worst bushfires in Australian history, 173 lives were lost. Townships were razed. Over 1800 homes were destroyed, resulting in > 7000 people being made homeless. The provision of health care to the injured, and then to the displaced communities, was provided by a range of health professionals, including paramedics, nurses, and doctors. This is a personal recollection of the related events. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Evaluation of an information booklet for caregivers of people with dementia: An Australian perspective

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This study investigated the application of a new dementia information booklet for family caregivers, accessing those that were both community-based and linked to a residential aged-care facility through the distribution of 672 information booklets. This occurred via 14 dementia advisory services and 48 residential aged-care facilities throughout New South Wales, Australia. A total of 233 carers (33%) completed the booklet questionnaire evaluation. The descriptive statistics indicated that most carers found the booklet useful and thought that the booklet should be freely available to them. Almost half of the carers said that they wanted to receive the information at the time of, or soon after, the diagnosis of dementia. Only a small group of respondents considered the information to be conf...

Inauguration of the first Psychological Support Center for Disaster Victims in Korea

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This article argues that, although material relief helps disaster victims to regain their physical losses, it is equally important to aid their psychological needs to prevent long-term mental health problems. This article highlights Korea's first regional Psychological Support Center for disaster victims, which can be accessed online. With this Center, the country continues to strive in providing her people with holistic approaches to further enhance each citizen's quality of life. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Are laboratories useful fiction? A comparison of Norwegian and Australian undergraduate nursing skills laboratories

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Drawing on the findings from studies in Australia and Norway that explored the use of laboratories in the preparation of nursing students for entry to practice, this article identifies the pedagogical challenges for the undergraduate education of nurses. The findings from both countries are compared and, in spite of distinct differences in the level of financial investment, there are striking similarities between the ways in which laboratories are used in the two countries. The laboratories were designed to predominately represent acute care hospital environments. The participants demonstrated a high level of commitment and strongly held beliefs in the laboratory as a safe place to facilitate self-paced learning and as an environment where students can practice until they become competent ...

Health-care system and nursing in Sri Lanka: An ethnography study

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This study highlights the adverse conditions under which nurses in Sri Lanka try to administer care, within a powerless and unchanging professional situation. Although this study extends the level of understanding of the situation for nurses in a government hospital, it also offers directions for policy-makers and international nursing organizations to improve nursing education and governance in Sri Lanka. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Volunteer experiences in community housing during the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, Japan

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This article reports on the authors' experiences as health professional volunteers caring for dislocated people living in temporary housing after the earthquake, when kodokushi (death alone and, initially, unnoticed) and alcoholism claimed the life of some of these people. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Perspectives and experiences of elective surgery patients regarding pain management

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives and experiences of elective surgery patients regarding pain management. A qualitative design, based on the content analysis approach, was used to collect and analyze the experience of 20 elective surgery patients who all had abdominal surgery in surgical wards in two teaching hospitals in Tehran, Iran. After employing purposeful sampling for the selection of the participants, semistructured interviews were held for data collection. During the data analysis, three main themes emerged: "perceptions of pain management goals", "patients' views of nurses' role in pain management", and "interaction in pain management". It was concluded that understanding the factors that influence pain management after surgery from the patients' viewpoint...

Desire to survive emotional pain related to self-harm: A Norwegian hermeneutic study

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This study indicates that self-sacrifice appears to imply a longing for reconnection with the self and others. To preserve their self-image, the women require courage to survive the painful state of unworthiness. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Solving the barriers to diabetes education through the use of multimedia

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This study examined the knowledge capacity of villagers in the Klongmai community of Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, regarding diabetes by way of action research. A health status assessment and a survey of the community were carried out and used as the basis for designing an educational video on diabetes that is accessible regardless of age and educational background. Evaluations of the pre- and poststudy questionnaires were carried out using statistical analysis. The results indicated that the devised educational materials were effective in encouraging the community's self-awareness and perception of diabetes at the significance level of 0.05. Most importantly, the participants demonstrated proficiency in adapting the knowledge gained from the workshop to their own lifestyle. (Source: Nursing an...

Use of educational games in the health professions: A mixed-methods study of educators' perspectives in the UK

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Educational games have been shown to be effective in supporting learning, especially to reinforce knowledge, and students are generally positive about the use of games. The aim of this mixed-methods study that was conducted in the UK was to explore educators' views towards the use of educational games in the health sciences. The data were collected via semistructured interviews with 13 health educators and an online survey that was completed by 97 health educators. Three factors influence the use of classroom games: reflective practice, the impact of games on students, and the impact of logistical factors. Educators assess their own performance and the impact of the games on students when planning their use; however, large classes and the need for preparation time have a negative impact on...

Australian Bachelor of Midwifery students' mental health literacy: An exploratory study

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Many pregnant and post-partum women experience mental health problems, but midwives are frequently ill-equipped to provide support. The purpose of this study, conducted in Melbourne, Australia, was to examine first-year Bachelor of Midwifery students' mental health literacy about post-partum women with schizophrenia, using the vignette of "Mary". A non-probability sample of 38 commencing students was used. The results showed that the students had a mainly lay person-informed conceptualization of mental health interventions for post-partum women. They acknowledged that Mary had a mental health problem that might have a more favorable outcome with professional support, but this agreement did not extend to their understanding of the consequences of the failure to receive professional help. Th...

Perceptions of women and health-care providers in Tokyo of appropriate weight gain during pregnancy

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This study explored how and from whom pregnant women in Tokyo receive information related to body weight. Four focus groups were conducted with nine pregnant women, nine nurse-midwives, and eight obstetricians between March and June 2006. The recorded interviews were content-analyzed. Weight gain was a common concern among the participants, regardless of the women's body size, and sufficient weight gain was rarely mentioned. However, the health-care providers were aware of their lack of expertise and training in behavior modification. Pregnant women consistently expressed a desire for reassurance and praise from health-care providers, which might be a culture-specific phenomenon. The findings point to a need for culturally appropriate and accurate communication about weight gain during pre...

Structural empowerment, job satisfaction, and turnover intention of Chinese clinical nurses

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this study was to examine the levels of workplace structural empowerment perceived by Chinese clinical nurses, as well as to identify the relationship between nurses' perceptions of empowerment and job satisfaction, and turnover intention. A total of 189 staff nurses from two hospitals in central China completed a self-administered questionnaire. The results indicated that these nurses perceived moderate levels of workplace empowerment. Structural empowerment and job satisfaction were found to be negatively related to turnover intention. These findings have important implications for administrators providing an effective work environment for clinical nurses. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Predictive validity of a modified fall assessment tool in nursing homes: Experience from Slovenia

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The aim of the study was to evaluate the predictive validity of the Modified Fall Assessment Tool (MFAT) in a nursing home setting. The study involved 83 residents from a nursing home in Slovenia with an average age of 81 years. To determine the predictive characteristics of the MFAT, a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was applied. During the observation period of 12 weeks, 18 residents fell. The fallers had a significantly higher history of falls, a higher number of diagnoses, more medication, and a higher MFAT score than the non-fallers. Using the estimated criterion of 20 points, the sensitivity of the MFAT score was 61%, its specificity was 80%, its classification accuracy was 64%, its positive likelihood ratio was 3.1, its negative likelihood ratio was 0.5, its positiv...

Thai women's experience of intimate partner violence during the perinatal period: A case study analysis

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This exploratory descriptive study is part of a larger program that investigated the prevalence and frequency of different forms of intimate partner violence during pregnancy and the immediate post-partum period among Thai women and the associated maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Two case studies are used to illustrate the different experiences of victims, as well as the barriers to seeking help and the strategies used to manage their circumstances. The study highlights the neglect of women's rights by police and community leaders, the attribution of blame to women, and their perceived sense of powerlessness and a lack of knowledge about the available resources. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Organizational commitment, work environment conditions, and life satisfaction among Iranian nurses

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Employee commitment to the organization is a crucial issue in today's health-care market. In Iran, few studies have sought to evaluate the factors that contribute to forms of commitment. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between nurses' organizational commitment, work environment conditions, and life satisfaction. A cross-sectional design was utilized. Questionnaires were distributed to all the staff nurses who had permanent employment (with at least 2 years of experience in nursing) in the five hospitals affiliated to Birjand Medical Sciences University. Two hundred and fifty participants returned completed questionnaires. Most were female and married. The correlation of the total scores of nurses' affective organizational commitment and work environment conditions...

Role conflict, role ambiguity, and burnout in nurses and physicians at a university hospital in Turkey

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This study explored the relationship between burnout, and role conflict and role ambiguity in nurses and physicians at a university hospital in Turkey. The data were collected by questionnaires that included sociodemographic variables, Maslach's Burnout Inventory (MBI), and Rizzo's Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity Scales. Two hundred and fifty one health-care professionals (170 physicians and 81 nurses) responded to the survey. There was a strong positive correlation between the MBI and Rizzo's Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity Scales. The nurses showed significantly higher levels of role conflict, role ambiguity, and burnout compared to the physicians. A multiple regression analysis showed that role conflict and role ambiguity might help to explain the higher level of burnout experienced b...

Caregiver suctioning education for Japanese patients with an invasive home ventilator

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

In Japan, more people require care activities at home. In particular, patients with an invasive mechanical ventilator in the home require extensive care by family caregivers. Collaboration between their nurses and paid caregivers in the provision of care activities, especially tracheal suctioning, is necessary. This three-round Delphi study identifies the essential items required by nurses to instruct the paid caregivers in how to carry out tracheal suctioning on patients with an invasive mechanical ventilator in the home. By the final round, three competencies were found to be important by the home-visit nurses and paid caregivers: the anticipation of risk, the manner of handling an emergency situation, and the observation of a patient's breathing. The Delphi technique was used to obtain ...

Work satisfaction of Japanese public health nurses: Assessing validity and reliability of a scale

Nursing and Health Sciences — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The Index of Work Satisfaction, developed by Stamps et al., was administered to 583 nurses who had practiced public health nursing in Japan. After psychometric evaluation, three components were identified as contributing to their job satisfaction: the work environment, professional confidence, and commitment to the profession. Overall, the participants in the study were quite satisfied. The findings corroborated previous reports on Japanese nurses' job satisfaction, in that the nurses in the study were most satisfied with their relationships with peers, patients/families, and supervisors. However, they were least satisfied with having enough time for client care, having confidence, and promotion opportunities. The implications are discussed, to the effect that understanding the factors rel...

Severity of dementia as a risk factor for repeat falls among the institutionalized elderly in Japan

Nursing and Health Sciences — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The study examined the impact of dementia severity on repeat fallers among the institutionalized elderly. A secondary analysis of a dataset containing information on 466 residents (86 of whom were fallers) of nine care facilities around Tokyo was carried out. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the baseline characteristics. Then, logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify the risk factors between the non-fallers and fallers and between the single and repeat fallers. Finally, the relative risks that had an impact on the repeat fallers were calculated. Sixty-one persons (13.1%) were identified as single fallers and 25 (5.4%) were identified as repeat fallers. An unstable gait was a dominant risk factor. In addition, the person's sex and the facility type were identifi...

Improving mental health care for older people within a general hospital in the UK

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This article describes a participatory action research study aimed at improving the care of older people with mental health needs who are cared for in an older people's unit of a general hospital in the UK. A multicollaborative and interpretivist action research approach was adopted, whereby the researchers, managers, clinical staff, patients, and carers came together to identify the problems and their potential solutions. Focus groups, interviews, and observations of care were used to collect the data and to inform the action and development cycles and a grounded theory approach was used to analyze these data and to develop theoretical descriptions regarding the dynamics that occur within this setting. Four overarching themes were identified as contributing to the theoretical understandin...

An evaluation of Web-based education as an alternative to group lectures for diabetes self-management

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This study evaluated the efficacy of Web-based diabetes self-management education for newly diagnosed patients with type II diabetes as an alternative to group lectures. Using a non-equivalent control group, pretest-post-test design, the participants in the Web group (n = 15) took part in a Web-based diabetes self-management program, while those in the lecture group (n = 16) attended 3 h of group lectures provided by health-care professionals specializing in diabetes care. The outcome variables were measured at the baseline (T0), and 6 weeks (T1) and 3 months (T2) after the interventions. The glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) percentage and diabetes care knowledge in the Web group improved significantly from T0 to T1, while the diabetes care behavior improved significantly from T0 to T1 and ...

Nursing competencies for physical assessment of the respiratory system in Japan

Nursing and Health Sciences — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this study was to establish the minimum essential Japanese nursing education health assessment competency levels, with particular emphasis on the respiratory system, from the viewpoint of clinical nurses and nurse educators. The design of this study was a quantitative descriptive study using the Delphi technique. The participants consisted of two groups, including 210 clinical nurses and 76 nurse educators. Questionnaires were sent three times to each group, along with summaries of each previous result. The respondents selected 29 competency items in the following categories: five structure and function items; six interview items; eight inspection items; one palpation item; six auscultation items; and three diagnostic test items. By releasing the results of this survey to nu...

Nursing staff shortage in Iran: Issues and challenges

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100

In most countries, nurses are the largest group of health-care professionals that provide direct and indirect care to patients in a variety of health settings. The quality of care is strongly linked to their performance, and shortages of nursing staff cause suffering and diminished patient care. In 2008, it was estimated that there were 90 026 nurses in Iran, but health-care facilities need [sim] 220 000 nurses in order to deliver optimal nursing care. This review article provides a detailed description of the nursing shortage and related factors in Iran. It is hoped that this will inform both Iranian and international policy-makers and administrators about the current situation in this country. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Psychometric testing of the Immigrant Barriers to Health Care Scale: Hispanic Version

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Barriers to care contribute to health inequities for immigrant populations. Although inadequate health insurance is a known barrier, other factors impact the issue. Few instruments exist to specifically measure these other barriers. The purpose of this study was to test the Immigrant Barriers to Health Care Scale [ndash] Hispanic Version. It was first pilot-tested in southern California with a Mexican population. After refinement, the instrument was tested in a north-eastern sample of diverse Hispanic adults. The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. Factor loadings and communalities were used to assess the adequacy of the scale's items. Six items were deleted due to ambiguous factor loadings. The final 11 items loaded onto four factors and explained 54.58% of the variance....

Nursing staff shortages and job satisfaction in Iran: Issues and challenges

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Development of a user-centered health information service system for depressive symptom management

Nursing and Health Sciences — Fri, 15 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100

A user-centered, Web-based depressive symptoms management system might be particularly useful in Korea, where those who seek mental health care face stigmatism and where personal computers and the Internet have reached saturation levels. The purpose of this article is to describe the development process of a Web-based system for depressive symptom management through user-centered design principles. Our design process included four distinct phases: a needs assessment, analysis, design/development/testing, and the application release. The final revised website was released with the URL address, "http://www.baejy.com/smiles/". In the 3 years since the site was made available publicly, it is notable that 161 604 Koreans have accessed this website, either for educational purposes or for managin...

Assessing clinical learning outcomes: A descriptive study of nursing students in Kuwait

Nursing and Health Sciences — Sun, 03 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This study examined the perceptions of 202 nursing students, 14 faculty members, and 32 clinical instructors in the achievement of nursing students' clinical learning outcomes during their different clinical placements. The participants were involved in the bachelor of science in nursing and associate degree in nursing programs. Nine dimensions were studied using the Kuwait Clinical Learning Outcomes for Nursing Students tool. These were knowledge, nursing process, communication, student role, accountability, teaching/learning, organization, caring, and psychomotor skills. The perception of achievement of the clinical learning outcomes was 72% for the students, 77% for the faculty members, and 75% for the clinical instructors. The scores of both the faculty members and the clinical instruc...

Comparison of the protein composition of breast milk and the nutrient intake between Thai and Japanese mothers

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This study compared the protein composition of breast milk and the nutrient intake between Thai and Japanese lactating mothers. The breast milk was collected from 15 Thai and 14 Japanese mothers at the fifth day post-partum. Twenty-four-hour dietary records were performed from the second-to-the-fourth day post-partum. The nutrient intake was calculated by using the nutrient content of a food table. The protein composition of the whey was separated by gel electrophoresis and was identified by mass spectrometry and two-dimensional electrophoresis. The results showed that the concentrations of the major protein types in the breast milk were not significantly different between the two groups. The concentrations of the minor protein types varied markedly with the individuals, with higher concen...

Effect of long-term, community-based daily exercise on the ability to control the dynamic standing balance of Japanese elderly persons in relation to falls

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

It is widely accepted that daily exercise improves the dynamic standing balance of elderly persons. In the current study, 77 community-dwelling Japanese elderly persons (aged 71.1 ± 0.5 years) participated in a daily exercise program to assess its effect on their dynamic standing balance. The daily exercise consisted of walking, stretching, muscle strengthening, and balance exercises. The program ran for 31 months and the dynamic standing balance was assessed at the start of the program and again at 3, 7, 12, 19, 24, and 31 months. In most of the tests of dynamic standing balance, the measured values improved drastically in the first 7 months; thereafter, they either reached a plateau or continued to improve more slowly. These findings can contribute to the future planning of community-ba...

Perceptions of distance education among nursing faculty members in North America

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

A strategy to increase access to nursing education, train nurses for practice, and prepare future nurse educators is distance education. Faculty member shortages are cited as the main reason for not accepting qualified applicants. Faculty members are the core of nursing education. In order to address nursing faculty members' concerns regarding distance education and to assist in faculty member recruitment, retention, growth, and development in order to improve and enhance the quality of distance education, one must answer the question: What are nursing faculty members' perceptions of distance education in nursing? Utilizing a number of databases to locate research specific to this topic, this article provides an integrative review of the nursing literature to ascertain the faculty members'...

Assertiveness process of Iranian nurse leaders: A grounded theory study

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this study was to explore the assertiveness process in Iranian nursing leaders. A qualitative design based on the grounded theory approach was used to collect and analyze the assertiveness experiences of 12 nurse managers working in four hospitals in Iran. Purposeful and theoretical sampling methods were employed for the data collection and selection of the participants, and semistructured interviews were held. During the data analysis, 17 categories emerged and these were categorized into three themes: "task generation", "assertiveness behavior", and "executive agents". From the participants' experiences, assertiveness theory emerged as being fundamental to the development of a schematic model describing nursing leadership behaviors. From another aspect, religious beliefs a...

Norwegian and Swedish preceptors' views of their role before and after taking part in a group supervision program

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This study aimed to explore how group supervision could influence the preceptors' views of their role and how they valued this participation. Forty-eight preceptors, who took part in a 1 year group supervision program conducted by nurse lecturers, filled in open-ended questionnaires before the first and after the last session. The data were analyzed by means of qualitative content analysis. The findings showed changes in the participants' views of the preceptor role, indicating that this group supervision model had a positive influence on the preceptors' pedagogical and professional thinking and supported their attainment of good preceptorship. Further research is needed in using group supervision as a tool to support preceptors. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Sociocultural factors influencing HIV/AIDS caregiving in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

The sociocultural factors that influence care and caregiving vary from place to place, with both beneficial and harmful effects on the health of the caregivers. Therefore, this article presents the cultural and social structural factors that influence care and caregiving from the perspectives of the family caregivers of people living with HIV/AIDS in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Using semistructured interviews and participant observation, a purposive sample of six key participants and 12 general participants were interviewed in their home between December 2005 and January 2006. Four important sociocultural factors that influence care and caregiving have been identified: religious beliefs, economic issues, education, and social stigma and discrimination. The findings of our study underscore the i...

Burnout and productivity among Iranian nurses

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

The concept of burnout describes a number of destructive aspects in the health-care system, especially in nursing. A descriptive study was carried out in order to investigate the relationship between burnout and productivity among 200 baccalaureate nurses working in educational hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Burnout and productivity questionnaires were employed and the data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that emotional exhaustion and depersonalization had significant negative correlations with productivity. Also, a significant positive correlation was found between personal accomplishment and productivity. Efforts to alleviate burnout among nurses should lead to an increased quality of patient care and improved quality of work life; if not, he...

Parental participation and mismanagement: A qualitative study of child care in Iran

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this study was to explore parents' and nurses' experiences of parental participation in child care in hospitals in Iran. Using thematic analysis, the data were collected through interviewing 14 parents and 11 nurses from two pediatric hospitals. The results showed that four major themes emerged, including the necessity of a parent's presence, the unplanned and informal delegation of care to the parents (which itself had five subthemes: the parents as nurses, the delegation of care without sufficient and planned parental training, informal parent-to-parent support, the continuum of parents' willingness to participate, and the neglect of parents' needs), the inconsistency of care, and the parents as informal evaluators of care. Based on the study's findings, effective communic...

Longitudinal study of a health education program for Japanese women in menopause

Nursing and Health Sciences — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

In this longitudinal intervention study, a 6 week health education program consisting of lectures and exercises was implemented for 39 Japanese menopausal women. The effects of the program were assessed by measuring their exercise participation, climacteric symptoms, and quality of life immediately before, 6 weeks after, and 1 year after the program. The Simplified Menopausal Index was used to assess the climacteric symptoms and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health (SF-36) Survey was used to assess the quality of life. Significant improvements were observed in the subscale score for general health perception and the summary score for the physical component summary in the SF-36 Survey. Favorable results also were found for women without a previous exercise habit before the p...

Emotional intelligence, reactions and thoughts: Part 2: A pilot study

Nursing and Health Sciences — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This article, the second in a series of four, focuses on new mothers' perceptions of emotional intelligence, reactions and thoughts by means of a descriptive design. The study included 250 postnatal mothers (a response rate of 80%). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show that, from a health promotion perspective, emotional intelligence might be an important component in relation to stress management and mental health. However, emotionally perceptive women seem to be affected by stress and depression to a greater extent. The relative strength of the associations between the scales also provides a valid and useful overall measure of new mothers' perceptions. Further validity scores for the scales must be obtained before any conclusions can be dr...

Professional portfolios and Australian registered nurses' requirements for licensure: Developing an essential tool

Nursing and Health Sciences — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This article examines the different types of portfolios that fall under the umbrella term, professional portfolio, and recommends that nurses explore the strategies that identify evidence of their continuing competence to practice for inclusion in such a document. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Medication adherence and significant others' support of consumers with schizophrenia in Australia

Nursing and Health Sciences — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Medication adherence is problematic in people with chronic illness. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the effects of the perceived support from significant others on the oral antipsychotic medication taking of consumers with schizophrenia. A convenience sample of 81 consumers took part in the study. The consumers were recruited by case managers from the community in the western region of Melbourne and in regional and rural Victoria, Australia. No difference was found in self-reported medication adherence between the consumers with significant others' support and those without significant others' support. The perceived effect of having a supportive relationship with significant others was not associated with increased medication adherence. The findings indicated that the ...

Evaluation of the birthweight values of newborns presenting at the Mother–Child Health and Family Planning Center in Yenibosna, Istanbul, Turkey

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This study was conducted to examine the effect of a number of variables related to the mother (age, educational level, employment status, cigarette smoking during pregnancy) and to the baby (sex and birth order) on newborns' birthweight. The research was carried out in the province of Istanbul, one of Turkey's large metropolises, at the Mother[ndash]Child Health and Family Planning Center in the district of Yenibosna, where 0[ndash]1 month old infants had been brought in for phenylketonuria screening and vaccinations. The mean age of the mothers was 26.1 ± 4.8 years and the mean birthweight of the newborns was 3236.7 ± 542.2 g. Of the infants, 6.3% were classified as having a low birthweight and 8.3% were large infants. The mean birthweight showed a statistical significance depending upo...

Understanding nurses' psychosomatic complications that relate to the practice of nursing

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This study aimed to acquire an in-depth understanding of being a nurse in the Greek National Health System. Interpretive phenomenology was used and Van Manen's method of analysis was implemented. Conversational interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of nine nurses employed at the University Hospital of Ioannina in Greece. The findings produced three essential themes: a dissonance between the images and reality of nursing, emotional burnout, and psychosomatic entanglement. The dissonance between the idealization of nursing and the reality of nursing, along with the emotional crisis created by daily practice, constituted the two fundamental factors for developing psychosomatic complications. These impacted negatively on the participants' personal and professional well-being. Psych...

Effects of providing a nutrition education program for teenagers: Dietary and physical activity patterns

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This study enhanced nutritional knowledge in an education program and encouraged healthy dietary habits and regular physical activity among teenagers. A total of 203 adolescents from a secondary school in Hong Kong took part in the study. Their Body Mass Index, dietary habits, and physical exercise pattern were recorded and examined before and after the health education program. The prevalence of overweight and obesity, together with the fat composition, were high among the participants before the nutrition education program. There was a marked gain in knowledge upon its completion. A follow-up action conducted 3 months later revealed positive outcomes in relation to the diet and physical activity level. The teenagers were able to take control of their health and requested the tuck shop to...

Nursing scholarship in Japan: Development, facilitators, and barriers

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This qualitative study sought a contemporary view of the development, facilitators of, and barriers to nursing scholarship in Japan from the perspectives of the scholars. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 scholars across Japan, which were digitally recorded, and the data were subjected to content analysis. Five themes emerged: a spirit of collectivism; a lack of nursing control; a lack of English ability; a high workload; and collaboration. The participants considered that culturally based consensus and communication behaviors, as well as the control and dominance by the medical profession, were hampering nursing scholarship. Furthermore, Japanese nurses were not in control of the profession in a period of unprecedented growth in university nursing education and a growing nursing ...

Family experiences of home caring for patients with HIV/AIDs in rural Limpopo Province, South Africa

Nursing and Health Sciences — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

The increasing rate of patients with HIV/AIDS brings a burden to the already weakened health care delivery systems in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Hospitals alone cannot deal with the needs of AIDS patients effectively; the patients are discharged to be cared for at home. A qualitative study was conducted to explore and describe the experiences of the family members that are caring for patients with HIV/AIDS at home. Interviews were conducted with 12 participants who were purposively selected as the caregivers of patients suffering from AIDS at home. Ethical measures were adhered to for the protection of the participants. The findings revealed that the family members experience negative feelings, characterized by sadness, pain, anger, depression, and frustration, as they care for their ...

Developing culturally sensitive interventions for Vietnamese health issues: An action research approach

Nursing and Health Sciences — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This article describes an action research approach to community development in Vietnam. An advisory committee worked with the researchers and identified the stigma of HIV/AIDS as a health issue of importance to it. The advisory committee consisted of representatives from the community. The selected issue was then explored in greater depth by individually interviewing infected persons, their family members, community members, and leaders. At the same time, focus groups were conducted for additional members of each of the above three cohorts. Through open-ended questions, the participants described the impacts of the stigma on their life, the possible causes of the stigma, and the relevant strategies to reduce these causes. Based on the findings, the advisory committee suggested intervention...

Social relationships influencing positive perceived health among Thai older persons: A secondary data analysis using the National Elderly Survey

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This study examined the associations between social relationships and positive perceived health among Thai older persons. The data were taken from the 2002 National Elderly Survey in Thailand. The sample of this study included 24 664 elders aged [ge] 60 years. Multiple logistic regression models were employed in this secondary analysis of the national database. The findings revealed that friendship networks, informational and emotional support, and social engagements are positively associated with good perceived health. In addition, for individual pathways, the more that elders engage with regular exercise, prepare for healthy aging, and enjoy psychological well-being, the better they perceive their health to be. There was strong evidence that friendship interactions, social support, and h...

Abstracts from 10th Anniversary Symposium of Nursing & Health Sciences

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

The meaning of complementary therapy from the perspective of Thai women with breast cancer

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

A qualitative study based on Heideggerian phenomenology was conducted with 17 Thai women who had survived breast cancer and had utilized at least one type of complementary therapy. The study explored the meaning of such therapy and the data were collected by an in-depth interview, a demographic data-recording form, and a reflective journal. The data were analyzed by using an interpretative process that was described by Cohen, Kahn, and Steeves. Six themes were generated in relation to the meaning of complementary therapy as perceived by the participants: cancer-controlling treatment; mental strengthening; mind and body therapy; self-determination; natural therapy; and conventional therapy integration. The knowledge gained from this study will help health-care providers better understand th...

Emotional intelligence: Part 1: The development of scales and psychometric testing

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This article, the first in a series of four, describes the development of two scales for deductive and inductive measurement of emotional intelligence (EI), based on the literature and the identification of the psychometric properties of the scales. The data collection comprised two parts: (i) a literature search on the subject of emotional intelligence; and (ii) psychometric testing of the scales. The Emotional Intelligence Scale, comprising 23 items, and the Emotional Reactions and Thoughts Scale, containing 25 items, were tested on a sample of 250 postnatal mothers. The response rate was 80%. An explorative factor analysis was used to investigate the construct validity of the underlying dimensions of emotional intelligence and yielded a three-factor solution for the Emotional Intelligen...

"Time for dialysis as time to live": Experiences of time in everyday life of the Swedish next of kin of hemodialysis patients

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

This study used a descriptive design with a content analysis approach. The analysis of the data from the twenty interviews revealed the experiences of time in the everyday lives of the next of kin of a patient on hemodialysis. The content of time in everyday life can be described as follows: fragmented time, vacuous time, and uninterrupted time. The findings show how everyday life time for the next of kin is minimized and that the common life space is contracted. The next of kin must be provided with supervision in order to provide them with more of their own time in everyday life, which can benefit their health. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Call for Papers: Disasters and Emergencies: Preparing, Managing, and Experiencing

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Welcome to the new look of Nursing & Health Sciences

Nursing and Health Sciences — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Searching for self: The layers and labels of panic disorder: A New Zealand study

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

The diagnosis and management of panic symptoms are relatively neglected. If not treated, people can develop a panic disorder, a condition that has an adverse effect on the client's quality of life and psychological well-being. The aim of this New Zealand research is to understand the clients' perspective of panic disorder and how it impacts on their quality of life. Ten participants were interviewed and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The research findings indicate that recovery from panic disorder occurs in a process of the search for self that is made up of self-understanding and the reclaiming the self. The findings provide a psychosocial perspective of panic disorder that will assist nurses who work with these clients. Nurses are pivotal in teaching clients about their ...

Comparison of the clinical practice satisfaction of nursing students in Korea and the USA

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

The objective of this research was to compare the clinical practice satisfaction of nursing students in South Korea and the United States. A self-report questionnaire on 'Satisfaction of clinical nursing practice of undergraduate students' was used to survey 131 nursing students of the Yonsei University in South Korea and 109 nursing students of the Colorado Christian University in the USA. Findings indicate that American nursing students had significantly higher clinical practice satisfaction levels than the Korean students. Two factors were identified to explain the differences. One is the different motivation for choosing a nursing major and the second is the different clinical practice environment. Although different countries utilize clinical practice differently, it is beneficial to ...

Physicians' perceptions of protocol-directed weaning in an intensive care unit in Norway

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

The aim of this paper is to identify physicians' perceptions of protocol-directed weaning from mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit in Norway. Errors occur in the absence of procedures, plans, and a team culture. Standardized weaning protocols, or pathways, offer a systematic approach. The focus group method was used. Four themes emerged: (i) acceptance, where the participants perceived the protocol as having a positive influence on the weaning process, although some barriers were identified, such as its failure to facilitate the "difficult-to-wean" patient; (ii) indignant responses, which gave the impression that the protocol was prescribed for the benefit of the nurses; (iii) ambivalence was evident in the two different approaches to the weaning process when problems occurred...

Using the posterior pelvic pain provocation test in pregnant Japanese women

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

This study investigated the usefulness of the posterior pelvic pain provocation (PPPP) test for differentiating between pelvic pain and low back pain because of the different prognoses and treatment strategies. We recruited 263 Japanese women who were > 36 weeks' gestation and 213 were included. The PPPP test was applied to 154 women with self-reported lumbopelvic pain. The participants were divided into three groups: the PPPP test positive (PPPP+, n = 60) subgroup, PPPP test negative (PPPP[minus], n = 94) subgroup, and no pain group (n = 59). The disability scores of the PPPP+ subgroup were significantly higher than the scores of the PPPP[minus] subgroup and no pain group. In the PPPP+ subgroup, the intensity of pelvic pain was significantly correlated with the disability scores, but that...

Premature menopause: Exploring the experience through online communication

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

The authors explored the experience of premature menopause by analyzing 1350 posted messages by 98 women, with unique usernames, to an online discussion board over a 90 day period between December 2005 and March 2006. Four particularly problematic aspects emerged that related to the following themes: legitimizing the symptoms, the impact of diagnosis ("losing me"), treatment ("regaining me"), and feeling alone. It appeared that premature menopause, regardless of the cause, was a largely negative experience, compounded by the often lengthy process of confirming a diagnosis based on ambiguous and often vague symptoms, the scarcity of suitable information about the condition, and the subjective lack of perceived support that the women received. Furthermore, a feeling of being different, throu...

Physicians' attitudes and practices regarding advanced end-of-life care planning for terminally ill patients at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

This study examined physicians' attitudes toward advanced directives and practices for the end-of-life care at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand. The data were collected from 55 physicians (24 instructors and 31 residents) using self-reported questionnaires. The majority of the participants affirmed the usefulness of the advance directive (AD) for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and respected the patients' wish for this directive, although advanced end-of-life care and resuscitation planning with the patients was limited. Mostly, the relatives were consulted regarding ADs. This study suggests that, in traditional Thai culture, physicians and families are more inclined to make decisions for the patient when they feel that it is in the patient's best interest. Further research is needed...

Assessment and measurement of health literacy: An integrative review of the literature

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

This article provides an integrative review in order to investigate what has been developed to evaluate health literacy in the health-care setting. The research questions considered include: (i) Which instruments or screening tools are available to assess or measure health literacy in the clinical setting?; and (ii) What are the psychometric properties, advantages, and limitations of the identified tools? A number of databases are utilized to locate research specific to this topic. The research is analyzed, the findings are summarized, and the limitations are mentioned. The implications, recommendations, and the need for future research are discussed. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Review of work-related stress in mainland Chinese nurses

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

The aim of this review was to identify the specific work-related stressors of mainland Chinese nurses and to present the current state of stress research in order to discuss directions for further research. A literature search from January 2000 to June 2007 was conducted among three electronic databases. The specific stressors among Chinese nurses were effort[ndash]reward imbalance, the poor image of nursing in the community, and managerial issues. The studies were limited to either descriptive or correlation designs, a variety of stress scales were used to investigate the nurses' work-related stressors, and there were no published studies reporting stress management interventions for Chinese nurses. This review highlights that further stress research targeted to Chinese nurses needs more ...

Wealth Index association with gender issues and the reproductive health of Egyptian women

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

This study investigated the association of the Wealth Index of married women in Egypt with a number of gender and reproductive health issues found in the 2005 Egypt Demographic Health Survey. The data from a subsample of 5249 currently married women from a total of 19 474 was examined using logistic regression analysis. The women's lowest wealth quintile predicted the intention to continue female genital cutting for their daughters, exposure to physical and sexual marital violence, not being empowered in household decisions, having a higher number of children, having an unintended last child, mothers' maltreatment of their children, the perception of a lack of health-care providers or drugs as an obstacle to receiving care, and not being covered by health insurance. The association of pove...

Application of the theory of planned behavior to oral anticoagulant therapy

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Anticoagulation control is imperative for individuals who are prescribed long-term oral anticoagulation therapy. Therapeutic international normalized ratios decrease the risk of the thromboembolic complications that are associated with oral anticoagulation therapy. Individuals on oral anticoagulation therapy are often asked to make lifestyle modifications that can become barriers to medication adherence. The application of the theory of planned behavior to oral anticoagulation therapy can be used to assist advanced practice nurses in assessing individuals for the perceived barriers or obstacles that might interfere with the behavioral changes necessary to successfully comply with the recommended treatment plan. (Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Identifying patient readmission subtypes from unplanned readmissions to hospitals in Hong Kong: A cluster analysis

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

It has been conjectured with regard to patient readmission patterns that there might be significant differences in patient characteristics, need factors, enabling resources, and health behavior. The aim of this study was to identify the profiles of readmitted patients in Hong Kong (n = 120) based on their predisposing characteristics, needs, health behavior, and enabling resources. All the readmitted patients were recruited to the study in three hospitals from 2003 to 2005. A cluster analysis yielded three clusters: Clusters 1, 2, and 3 constituted 27.5% (n = 33), 27.5% (n = 33), and 45.0% (n = 54) of the total sample, respectively. The study results show that community nurse services do affect the rate at which patients are admitted to hospital for a second time. The findings might help b...

Nursing & Health Sciences celebrates its 10th anniversary

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:46:36 +0100

(Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Acknowledgements

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Irish nursing students' experiences of service learning

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Service learning is a teaching tool that facilitates students' ability to link theory to practice while simultaneously providing a needed service to the community. This paper describes Irish nursing students' experiences of a service learning placement undertaken in a developing country. The students complete 30 h of theoretical content, which includes lectures and workshops on such topics as personal safety, health, and human rights, as well as the preparation of students for the emotional impact of the experience. All the content is underpinned by a commitment to developing reciprocal relationships with the service learning communities. To explore these students' experiences, a descriptive qualitative study was conducted. The data were collected using interviews and were analyzed by them...

Having knowledge of metabolic syndrome: Does the meaning and consequences of the risk factors influence the life situation of Swedish adults?

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

The underlying causes of metabolic syndrome (MS) are uncertain. Knowledge from those who have experience of this syndrome should provide new insight. The aim was to explore the meaning and consequences of MS. Thirteen Swedish adults with MS, aged between 33 and 82 years, were interviewed. The interviews were analyzed using constant comparative analysis, which is the basis of grounded theory. The core category for the meaning and consequences of having the risk factors of MS consisted of the recurrence of behavior. The participants attempted to balance their insight into the causes and consequences by referring to their normal life, lifestyle, and fatalistic approach to life. Attention needs to be paid to the attitudes of the individuals with MS, as well as the known risk factors and their ...

Factors influencing fatigue in Chinese nurses

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Factors predicting fatigue in Chinese nurses were examined in a descriptive, correlational study. The participants were 581 nurses working in general hospitals in Chengdu City, China. The study instruments included the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery Scale, the Job Content Questionnaire, the Exposure to Hazards in Hospital Work Environments Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Job Dissatisfaction Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, F statistics, and multiple regression. The findings revealed that 61.7% of the variance in chronic fatigue and 54.9% of the variance in acute fatigue were explained by the independent variables. Intershift recovery was the most impo...

Development of a fall prevention program for elderly Japanese people

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this study was to develop a fall prevention program adapted to the individual risks of elderly patients in a long-term care facility by increasing the caregiving skills and motivation of the staff members. The fall prevention program was created by synthesizing information based on evidence-based practice and action research methodology was chosen to complete the development of the program. There were 31 participating patients in the intervention ward and 20 patients in the control ward. The Generalized Self-efficacy Scale and the Social Support Scale were used to evaluate fall prevention skills the motivation of the staff members. The fall prevention program helped to reduce injuries from 41.9% to 9.7% among the elderly participants and to increase emotional support and sel...

Comparison of the health-promoting lifestyles of nursing and non-nursing students in Istanbul, Turkey

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Undertaking a health-related course at university can facilitate an awareness of health-promoting lifestyles. We carried out a descriptive and cross-sectional study with 1616 university students in Istanbul, Turkey. Students from the nursing schools were compared to those from the schools of social sciences using a Turkish version of the Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) II after a validation study. The nursing students had more positive health-promoting lifestyles than those of the non-nursing students. Furthermore, fourth-year nursing students had higher scores in most of the subscales of the HPLP II than did the students from the lower years; conversely, the fourth-year non-nursing students had lower scores. The sociodemographic variables, self-perceived health status, relations...

Quality of life and physical functioning in HIV-infected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa, accounts for 28.7% of the HIV infection total and one-third of infections among youth and children in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to examine the variables of HIV/AIDS symptoms, social support, influence of comorbid medical problems, length of time adhering to antiretroviral therapy medications, quality of life, adherence to antiretroviral medications, and physical functioning in HIV-infected individuals. Based on our model, the combination of these variables was found to determine physical functioning outcomes and adherence to HIV medications. Significant relationships were observed between physical functioning and the dependent variables of length of time on medications, comorbid health problems, and social support. A linear regression...

Bibliometrics, citation indexing, and the journals of nursing

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Bibliometric research has risen in popularity during recent years and an increasing number of investigations now have examined the nursing literature. Our article provides a comprehensive overview of citation-based research in the nursing profession, as well as a discussion of bibliometrics, journal impact factors, and international publishing trends. The debate on evidence-based practice and its potential influence and relevance for nursing scholars is also covered. Although journal performance indicators are, no doubt, important for the contemporary nursing academic, it is the core research skills and attributes that nursing scholars, academics, and educators will need to consider more carefully in future if the next generation of professional nurse researchers is to truly flourish. (Sou...

Warmest congratulations

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Fly to the future

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of Nursing & Health Sciences

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Gratitude to all

Nursing and Health Sciences — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

How prepared are nurses and other health professionals to cope in and manage disaster situations?

Nursing and Health Sciences — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:43:27 +0100

(Source: Nursing and Health Sciences)

Health literacy: A concept/dimensional analysis