Professional nursing care in Tanzania: a descriptive study of nursing care in Ilembula Lutheran Hospital in Tanzania

The purpose of this ethnonursing study is to find new knowledge of the professional nursing care practised in a Bantu cultural context in Tanzania The main questions are How do Bantu nurses describe nursing? What components are there in professional nursing care in Ilembula Lutheran Hospital? The data were collected through participant observation, interviews and personal working diaries in Ilembula Lutheran Hospital Six Tanzaman nurses were interviewed The findings indicated that nursing was based on formal training on one hand, and on a natural mother-child relationship on the other hand The idea of respect towards life, which is central to the Bantu philosophy of life, guided nursing care In professional nursing care there emerged curing and caring components Protection, encouragement and comfort were distinguished as the main constructs of caring     

Smoking habits among Finnish middle-aged men: experiences and attitudes

The purpose of this study was to explain smoking habits amongst middle-aged men in Finland by describing their experiences of smoking and their attitudes towards smoking. As a pilot survey for a major health campaign targeted at 40-year-old men, the data for this study were collected using two questionnaires in connection with voluntary medical examinations. The first questionnaire was based on Prochaska's theory of stages of change in health behaviour. The second instrument was an attitude scale developed specifically for this study on the basis of Green and Kreuter's theory of factors influencing health behaviour. According to the results 31% of males aged 40 were regular smokers. Men with a lower level of education and out of work smoked more often than others. Non-smokers reported a better self-perceived health than smokers. Smoking cessation is a process in which men gradually proceed from one step to the next. In this study 12% of the men were in the contemplation stage and 11% in the preparation stage. One-quarter of the men had recently given up the habit and were in the action stage, while 2% had quit smoking over 6 months ago and were in the maintenance stage. One-quarter of the men regarded smoking as an integral part of their way of life and felt that public opinion towards smoking is hostile.     

Fear of patients related to coronary arteriography

The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate the ability of instruments to produce information about the presence and intensity of fear before, during and after coronary arteriography. Information about patient fear was measured from cognitive, physiological and behavioural dimensions. The sample of the study was 243 patients who were due to have a scheduled coronary arteriography in a university hospital in Finland. Fear was measured by the Visual Analogy Scale (VAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) Scale and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Physiological measurements (blood pressure and heart rate) were obtained. The VAS was given to 46 nurses and seven nurse assistants to measure nurses' perception of patient fear. Over 80% of the patients reported fears. Nurses perceived that the patients had more fears than they reported. Changes in physiological measurements were small but significant. One-third of the patients felt increased fear after the coronary arteriography. VAS, STAI and HAD produced reliable information about the patient fear. The correlations between the instruments suggest that each is a valid and appropriate measure of fear. Nurses need to develop their communication and observation skills in order to develop their recognition of the patients' fear.     

Fatigue,depression, maternal confidence,and maternal satisfaction during the first month postpartum: A comparison of Japanese mothers by age and parity

The aim of the study was to assess fatigue, depressive symptoms, and maternal confidence or satisfaction among older primiparae during the first month postpartum. The number of older Japanese primiparae has rapidly increased. Older primiparae are believed to be at high risk for puerperal morbidity. A multicentre prospective cohort study design was used. Data were examined from 2854 Japanese women who participated in a 6‐month prospective cohort study conducted between May 2012 and September 2013. The women were classified into 4 groups based on maternal age and parity. All participants completed the Postnatal Accumulated Fatigue Scale, Japanese Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Postpartum Maternal Confidence Scale, and Postpartum Maternal Satisfaction Scale. Primiparae in all age groups were more severely fatigued and had a higher risk of postpartum depression than multiparous mothers during the first month postpartum. Older primiparae had significantly lower scores on maternal confidence and maternal satisfaction than the other 3 groups at 1 month postpartum. These findings suggest that postpartum nursing should focus on promoting adequate sleep, providing emotional support, and fostering the process of maternal role adaptation among older Japanese primiparae, particularly during the first postpartum month.     

Safety,risk, and aggression: Health professionals’ experiences of caring for people affected by methamphetamine when presenting for emergency care

The crystalline form of methamphetamine, commonly known as crystal meth (crystal methamphetamine) or ICE, is a highly‐addictive and powerful stimulant. Users of crystal meth often require emergency care, and are associated with a substantial burden of care by emergency care providers. The aim of the present qualitative study was to explore health professionals’ experiences of providing care for patients affected by ICE who presented to the emergency department (ED). Nine semistructured interviews were conducted. The major theme, ‘staying safe’, was revealed, in which participants described their experiences of being exposed to potentially unsafe situations, and their responses to challenging behaviours, including aggression. The findings highlight the need for ED staff to understand the nature of ICE use and its adverse impact on the mental and physical health of users. Furthermore, it is clear that establishing and maintaining safety in the emergency care setting is of utmost importance, and should be a priority for health‐care managers.     

Support interventions for caregivers of physically disabled adults: A systematic review

In developing countries family caregivers are an important community‐based resource who provide care for physically disabled adults. Substantial caregiving commitment is known to adversely affect caregiver health and thereby their capacity to provide ongoing care. This systematic review focused on support interventions for caregivers using Thailand as an example. From 1964 to 2011 international and Thai electronic databases and relevant grey literature were searched. Six English papers and 34 Thai papers published between 1990 and 2010 were found. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool was modified to appraise methodological quality. All nurse‐led interventions mainly focused on improving caregiving capacity; nearly half considered caregiver health. Only 15 interventions were community‐based. Despite variable research quality all studies showed benefits for caregivers, care recipients, and healthcare services. In developing countries without healthy caregivers physically disabled adults would not receive care. There is an urgent need for further investment in community‐based research to develop effective interventions designed to promote caregiver health and help them maintain their role.