Keeping SARS out: an education program for SARS screeners in one Ontario hospital.

On March 14, 2003, the Ontario (Canada) Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care alerted healthcare providers about four cases of atypical pneumonia resulting in two deaths within a single family in Toronto, Ontario. These cases were just the first of many that occurred in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the months to come. This article describes one community hospital's response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) crisis and the important, although initially overlooked, role of staff development in keeping SARS out of this Ontario hospital.     

SARS: Key factors in crisis management

This study was conducted at a single hospital selected in Taipei during the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak from March to July, 2003 in Taiwan. During this period of time, 104 SARS patients were admitted to the hospital. There were no negative reports related to the selected hospital despite its being located right in the center of an area struck by the epidemic. The purpose of this study was to identify the key factors enabling the hospital to survive SARS unscathed. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with the nursing directors and nursing managers of the SARS units, along with a review of relevant hospital documents. The five key elements identified as survival factors during this SARS crisis are as follows: 1. good control of timing for crisis management, 2. careful decision-making, 3. thorough implementation, 4. effective communication, and 5. trust between management and employees. The results of this study reconfirmed the selected hospital as a model for good crisis management during the SARS epidemic.     

The SARS crisis: reflections of Hong Kong nurses

Background:  Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) exerted a massive toll on Hong Kong's healthcare system in 2003.
Aim:  This research examines front-line nurses' reflections on the time of SARS in Hong Kong in order to articulate: (1) the nature and complexity of their experience, and (2) what lessons can be learned for future disease crises.
Methods:  Personal reflective essays written in 2004 by seven senior nurses studying a part-time Masters in Nursing degree at a Hong Kong university were analysed using a form of content analysis.
Findings:  The nurses' stories report immense personal costs on nurses, on their families and on the wider community. The analysis of the narratives was used to build a model, indicating how nurses' personal lives were 'sandwiched' between, on the one hand, their commitment to families and local community and, on the other hand, their professional commitment to the needs of a health system in crisis.
Conclusion:  In dealing with future health crises, it is imperative that a multilevel approach be taken.     

The crossmatch. A brief historical perspective

First described in 1907, the crossmatch has been in a constant state of modification since that time. Major milestones in the evolution of the test include demonstration of the relative importance of red blood cell typing and of the matching test, development of rapid techniques for the test, advent of high protein, antiglobulin and enzyme techniques, and resolution of issues related to the minor crossmatch and the need for complement in the test.     

Magnetic resonance imaging: historical perspective.

Since Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield independently published in 1974 the technique that later became known as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), this technology has become an invaluable clinical and research tool. Their Nobel Prize-winning discovery, however, was preceded by a series of seminal contributions by scientists from the fields of mathematics, physics, and chemistry dating back to the 19th century and subsequently followed by rapid developments in clinical MRI. This article provides a brief overview of the key developments that have led to today's MRI and its application to the cardiovascular system.     

The doctor-nurse relationship: an historical perspective

The purpose of this historical research was to explore the evolution of the doctor-nurse relationship. Specifically, older nurses were interviewed regarding their nursing interactions with physicians approximately 50 years ago. A grounded theory approach was employed to analyse the data. Inherent to the difficulties nurses experienced was the dominant power position assumed by doctors in the health profession. The data give added insights into the development of this relationship. It was found that because nurses were educated primarily by doctors and because they were hired by doctors if they were considered to be 'good' nurses, a sex role stereotype of the nurse emerged. Historically these roles have influenced and continued to influence the nursing profession.     

2例SARS病区病人心理危机的干预

2例SARS病区的病人因对SARS的恐惧、对隔离病区的不适应以及将失去亲人的打击,引起了情绪危机,产生了自杀的意愿和计划。笔者采用倾听、接纳、充分利用病人的个人资源、提供适当的建议和指导等技术与病人沟通,从增强战胜疾病的信心、取得家庭支持、利弊分析、认识自我价值等方面对病人进行心理疏导,达到了改变病人认知、积极配合治疗的目的和效果。     

The Nurse Training Act: a historical perspective

In response to a national cry of nursing shortage, the federal government passed the Nurse Training Act of 1964. This article traces the history of this critical nursing legislation, examines its outcomes, and analyzes the effect of the Act on nursing in the future.     

The future of oncology nursing. A historical perspective

This article provides a perspective on the history of oncology nursing and the technologic and societal factors that have impacted on the development of this specialty. This article attempts to raise issues that will confront the profession of nursing as it moves into the twenty-first century. I hope that the comments and questions about the future made in this article will challenge nurses to participate in charting a preferred future for the profession of nursing in the twenty-first century.     

Miconazole: a historical perspective

Miconazole is an imidazole that has been successfully used for over 30 years for the treatment of superficial and cutaneous disease. This agent is distinguished from other azoles by possessing two mechanisms of action. The first mechanism is shared with other azoles and involves the inhibition of ergosterol synthesis. Another mechanism involves inhibition of peroxidases, which results in the accumulation of peroxide within the cell resulting in cell death. Susceptibility patterns for miconazole demonstrate that yeast fungi remain largely susceptible even in light of repeated exposures. Despite the release of newer azoles and other classes of antifungals, miconazole remains a highly prescribed treatment for vaginal candidiasis.