Pain,health perception and sleep: impact on the quality of life of firefighters/rescue professionals

Objective:

to evaluate the quality of life of firefighters and rescue professionals, and characterize their socio-demographic, health, work and lifestyle profile.

Methods:

cross-sectional study that used a socio-demographic, lifestyle, health, work data questionnaire and the WHOQOL-BREF quality of life aspects, in Fire Department bases, Civil Air Patrol Group of the Military Police and Rescue Group of Emergency Services.

Results:

ninety professionals participated in this study - 71 firefighters, 9 nurses, 7 doctors and 3 flight crew members. The average age of the group was 36.4 ± 7.8 years; they worked about 63.7 hours per week; 20.2% reported pain in the last week and 72.7% had body mass index above 25 kg/m2. The average of the WHOQOL-BREF domains was: physical (74.6), psychological (75.2), social (76.5) and environmental (58.7). Significant association was found (Mann-Whitney test and Spearman correlation) between the WHOQOL-BREF domains and pain in the past six months, in the last week, health perception, job satisfaction, hours of sleep, domestic tasks and study.

Conclusion:

the main factors related to quality of life were presence of pain, health perception, sleep and domestic activity.     

Napping during the night shift and recovery after work among hospital nurses

OBJECTIVE:

To analyze the association between the length of napping during the night shift and the recovery after work among nurses.

METHOD:

Cross-sectional epidemiological study involving 1940 nurses from 18 public hospitals in the City of Rio de Janeiro. A multidimensional and self-applied questionnaire was used with information about health, sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, health-related behaviors and housework. Multiple logistic regression was applied to identify the association, adjusted for confounding variables.

RESULTS:

The gross analyses showed 44%, 127% and 66% higher chances of a high level of recovery after work for nurses who sleep up to two hours, between 2.1 and 3 hours and 3.1 hours or more, respectively, when compared to the nurses who do not sleep. After adjusting for confounding variables, the association only continues significant for the group that sleeps 2.1 to 3 hours during the night shift (OR=1.79; 95%CI=1.33-2.41).

CONCLUSION:

The association between the length of napping and the high level of recovery after work, confirmed in the present results, can be included in the studies that aim to support more appropriate policies aimed at improving the workers'' work, life and health conditions, not only in nursing, but night-shift workers in general.     

Impact of a physical activity program on the anxiety,depression, occupational stress and burnout syndrome of nursing professionals

Objective

to assess the effects of a workplace physical activity (WPA) program on levels of anxiety, depression, burnout, occupational stress and self-perception of health and work-related quality of life of a nursing team in a palliative care unit.

Methods

the WPA was conducted five days per week, lasting ten minutes, during three consecutive months. Twenty-one nursing professionals were evaluated before and after the intervention, with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Maslch Burnout Inventory, and the Job Stress Scale. The changes in self-perceived health and work-related quality of life were measured using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Results

the WPA did not yield significant results on the levels of anxiety, depression, burnout or occupational stress. However, after the intervention, participants reported improved perceptions of bodily pain and feeling of fatigue at work.

Conclusion

the WPA did not lead to beneficial effects on occupational stress and psychological variables, but it was well accepted by the nursing professionals, who reported improvement in perceptions of health and work-related quality of life.     

Experience of nurses in the process of donation of organs and tissues for transplant

Objective

to investigate the meaning of the action of nurses in the donation process to maintain the viability of organs and tissues for transplantation.

Method

this qualitative study with a social phenomenological approach was conducted through individual interviews with ten nurses of three Organ and Tissue Procurement Services of the city of São Paulo.

Results

the experience of the nurses in the donation process was represented by the categories: obstacles experienced in the donation process, and interventions performed. The meaning of the action to maintain the viability of organs and tissues for transplantation was described by the categories: to change paradigms, to humanize the donation process, to expand the donation, and to save lives.

Final considerations

knowledge of the experience of the nurses in this process is important for healthcare professionals who work in different realities, indicating strategies to optimize the procurement of organs and tissues for transplantation.     

Development and assessment of learning objects about intramuscular medication administration

OBJECTIVES:

to develop and assess a learning object about intramuscular medication administration for nursing undergraduates and nurses.

METHOD:

a random, intentional and non-probabilistic sample was selected of nurses from a Brazilian social network of nursing and students from the Undergraduate Program at the University of São Paulo School of Nursing to serve as research subjects and assess the object.

RESULTS:

the participants, 8 nurses and 8 students, studied the object and answered an assessment instrument that included the following criteria: educational aspects (relevance of the theme, objectives and texts/hypertexts), interface of the environment (navigation, accessibility and screen design) and didactic resources (interactivity and presentation of resources). In total, 128 significant answers were obtained, 124 (97%) of which were positive, assessed as excellent and satisfactory, considered as a flexible, dynamic, objective resources that is appropriate to the nursing learning process.

CONCLUSION:

the educational technology shows a clear and easily understandable language and the teaching method could be applied in other themes, contributing to the education and training of nursing professionals, positively affecting nursing teaching, stimulating the knowledge, autonomous and independent learning, aligned with the new professional education requirements.     

The treatment of childhood cancer: unveiling the experience of parents

Objective

to understand the experiences of parents of children and adolescents with cancer undergoing treatment.

Method

qualitative research, based on Heidegger''s existential phenomenology, in which 13 parents of eight patients under 19 years of age, assisted by a charity association, were interviewed.

Results

three topics resulted from the analysis: "Experiencing the unpleasantness of the treatment"; "Fearing the possibility of a frightening situation" and "Experiencing the carelessness of another person". It was showed that during and after the treatment, the parents experience the fear of the unknown and the uncertainty of the future of their children, especially as they witness the death of other children; they also experience the indifference of professionals working in the local healthcare units and feel helpless and insecure.

Conclusion

It is essential that the healthcare professionals, particularly the nurses, reflect about their care actions focused on the parents of children with cancer, recognizing their existential needs with the purpose of assisting them in their situation.     

Nursing care in Tuberculosis patients at a Spanish sanatorium, 1943-1975

Objectives

the objective in this study is to identify the profile of the nursing staff, the work conditions and to describe nursing care at a sanatorium located in Barcelona, Spain between 1943 and 1975.

Method

historical study undertaken between 2008 and 2010, based on oral sources, five direct and one indirect testimonies, and the analysis of written documents. The data from the testimonies were collected through semistructured interviews.

Results

the nursing staff, mostly religious women, had scarce material and economic resources and no preventive measures to take care of the ill. The nurses undertook activities centered on the basic needs for physical and spiritual wellbeing.

Conclusion

The study reveals how the nurses, despite working in hostile conditions, attempted to safeguard the wellbeing of the patients and accompany them during the death process.     

The reasons of the nursing staff to notify adverse events

OBJECTIVE:

this research aimed to understand the motivation for reporting adverse events from the perspective of nursing staff in the work environment.

METHOD:

qualitative study that used the phenomenology of Alfred Schutz for reference, which offers a systematic approach to understand the social aspects of human action. Data were collected by open interviews with 17 nurses and 14 technicians/assistant nurses in a university hospital.

RESULTS:

motivation was revealed through six categories: all types of occurrences must be reported; the incident report is an auxiliary instrument to health care provision management; the culture of punishment in transition; nurses as the agents responsible for voluntary reporting; sharing problems with higher management and achieving quality in the work process.

DISCUSSION:

it was unveiled that, when reporting adverse events, team members perceived themselves to be in a collaborative relationship with the institution and trusted that they would receive administrative support and professional security, which encouraged them to continue reporting. Reporting allows health care professionals to share responsibilities with managers and encourages corrective actions.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS:

the study revealed the nursing staff''s motivation for adverse event reporting, contributing to reflections on institutional policies aimed at patient safety in health care.     

The involvement of parents in the healthcare provided to hospitalzed children

Objective

to analyze the answers of parents and health care professionals concerning the involvement of parents in the care provided to hospitalized children.

Method

exploratory study based on the conceptual framework of pediatric healthcare with qualitative data analysis.

Results

three dimensions of involvement were highlighted: daily care provided to children, opinions concerning the involvement of parents, and continuity of care with aspects related to the presence and participation of parents, benefits to the child and family, information needs, responsibility, right to healthcare, hospital infrastructure, care delivery, communication between the parents and health services, shared learning, and follow-up after discharge.

Conclusion

the involvement of parents in the care provided to their children has many meanings for parents, nurses and doctors. Specific strategies need to be developed with and for parents in order to mobilize parental competencies and contribute to increasing their autonomy and decision-making concerning the care provided to children.     

Impact of "+Contigo" training on the knowledge and attitudes of health care professionals about suicide

OBJECTIVES:

to evaluate the results of "+Contigo" training, developed by nurses and directed at 66 health professionals of integrated school health teams in Primary Health Care.

METHOD:

quantitative with data collection through the Suicide Behavior Attitude Questionnaire, administered before and after the training.

RESULTS:

significant increases were observed in suicide prevention knowledge and in changing attitudes of health professionals towards individuals with suicidal behavior.

CONCLUSION:

these results allow us to affirm that nurses hold scientific and pedagogical knowledge that grant them a privileged position in the health teams, to develop training aimed at health professionals involved in suicide prevention.     

Efficacy of Chinese auriculotherapy for stress in nursing staff: a randomized clinical trial

Objective

this randomized single blind clinical study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of auriculotherapy with and without a protocol for reducing stress levels among nursing staff.

Method

a total of 175 nursing professionals with medium and high scores according to Vasconcelos'' Stress Symptoms List were divided into 3 groups: Control (58), Group with protocol (58), Group with no protocol (59). They were assessed at the baseline, after 12 sessions, and at the follow-up (30 days).

Results

in the analysis of variance, statistically significant differences between the Control and Intervention groups were found in the two evaluations (p<0.05) with greater size of effect indices (Cohen) for the No protocol group. The Yang Liver 1 and 2, Kidney, Brain Stem and Shen Men were the points most used.

Conclusion

individualized auriculotherapy, with no protocol, could expand the scope of the technique for stress reduction compared with auriculotherapy with a protocol. NCT: 01420835