Collaboration between relatives of elderly patients and nurses and its relation to satisfaction with the hospital care trajectory

Background: Relatives are often involved in the care of frail elderly patients prior to admission and are thus important collaborative partners for nurses. They hold valuable knowledge, which may improve care planning for the benefit of the patient and the hospital care trajectory. Satisfaction among relatives may be an indicator of this. Aim: To investigate collaboration between relatives and nurses among those relatives reporting high versus low satisfaction with the hospital care trajectory. Further, the aim was to investigate the relationship between satisfaction with the hospital care trajectory and (i) participants’ characteristics and (ii) the dimensions of collaboration. Sample: Relatives of elderly patients (n = 156) in acute hospital wards. Women constituted 74.8%, adult children 63.9% and spouses 20% of the participants. Mean age was 60.78 (SD 11.99). Design: Cross‐sectional, comparative, analytical. Method: A self‐report, structured questionnaire covering attributes, prerequisites, outcome and barriers/promoters for collaboration. Respondents reporting high versus low satisfaction were compared with regards to characteristics and mean scores in dimensions of collaboration. Multivariate logistic regression analyses examined predictors for satisfaction with the hospital care trajectory. Findings: Low satisfaction was significantly related to low level of collaboration. Other predictors for low satisfaction were: feelings of guilt and powerlessness, having provided help for less than a year and not providing psychosocial help. Conclusion: Satisfaction with care as a hypothesized outcome of collaboration was supported in this study. Hitherto, research has mainly focussed on relatives as potential clients; this study has focussed on relatives as competent collaborative partners in care. A new role for relatives as partners in decision‐making rather than passive recipients of information is indicated for the benefit of care quality. Further, increased collaboration between relatives and nurses, assigning relatives’ influence, may reduce their powerlessness and guilt and thereby indirectly increase their satisfaction.     

Using repertory grid research methodology in nurse education and practice: a critique

This paper defines and describes the repertory grid technique and critically evaluates its potential as an effective research tool in nurse education and practice. Discussion includes a focus on both the merits and limitations of the technique, and suggestions for curriculum development in nurse education are put forward.     

Feminist research: definitions, methodology, methods and evaluation

The literature relating to feminist research both within and beyond nursing is reviewed in this paper Feminist research is located within a post-positivist paradigm, and various definitions are considered The distinctive methodological approach of feminist research is discussed, and interviewing and ethnography are evaluated as suitable methods for use in feminist research Oakley's (1981) paper on interviewing women is subjected to criticism A final section examines attempts by three sets of writers to propose evaluation criteria for feminist research The review concludes that a number of paradoxes and dilemmas in feminist research have yet to be resolved     

Quality of life of adults with acute leukaemia

The cause of acute leukaemia is unknown Untreated, the disease is generally fatal after a few months The therapeutic regimen is chemotherapy, and sometimes also bone marrow transplantation, and the aim is to cure the patient Not only does the person live under pressure from a life-threatening disease with all the physiological complications that therapy can result in, the therapeutic regimen also involves a great psychological effect The concept of quality of life (QOL) is individual for each person, as is his/her experience of the value of the contents of life The principal aim of the study was to describe what QOL means to adults with acute leukaemia, not to describe the degree of QOL The second aim was to give the concept of QOL a theoretical and empirical significance relevant to nursing care Eight adults with diagnosed acute leukaemia detected in adulthood have been interviewed about their quality of life The concept was given one superior dimension in all the interviews, positive attitude to life Below the superior dimension were two further dimensions, interpersonal relationships and autonomy Different qualities were given below these dimensions, viz security, support, respect, information and conversation     

The influence of educational theory on the development of nurse training to education in the United Kingdom

This paper discusses the development of nurse training to education from its historical apprenticeship-style approach to the current position of professional education through diploma-level programmes The influence of education theory on nurse training over the years is explored The slowness of the transition from training to education is shown to have been dependent on the view of what is considered as appropriate preparation for the role Historically, one can see that it was expedient that preparation for the role began as training, and the development to education was thwarted by the lack of resources, the shortage of nurses, and the medical and political ideologies of the day The implementation of Project 2000, with students being supernumerary to the workforce, and the programme being educationally led, created the need for the development of professional education from the traditional training model     

Nurses' attitudes towards older people: a comparison between nurses working in acute medical and acute care of elderly patient settings

Drawing on a sample of 76 nurses from two health authorities working in acute medical or acute care of elderly patient wards, a quantitative approach was taken to compare their attitudes A questionnaire which identified possible predictors of attitude, knowledge about older people (via a modified Palmore's Facts on Ageing Quiz) and attitudinal disposition (via Kogan's Old People Scale) was distributed Results indicated a statistically significant difference ( P =003) in attitudes, with elderly care nurses scoring more favourably Factors which might explain such a finding are identified, namely post-basic gerontological education, age of respondent and knowledge of older people, and their relative influences discussed Conclusions are based on the premise that any variation based on specialist area is unacceptable since care of older people is now within every nurse's remit, and suggested interventions are outlined     

Patients to people

The ideas discussed in this paper are derived from a longitudinal study of student nurse socialization. The emergent views of a cohort of student nurses were explored by the researcher, over a period of 3 years, utilizing the approach referred to as grounded theory. 'Patients to people' represents a continuum of changing perceptions about those whom the students were nursing. It seemed that the cohort had to move along this continuum in order for them to be able to empathize with those they nursed. In the context of the students' changing perceptions, several things were of significance. For example, encounters with individuals who failed to demonstrate the passive and compliant attitude associated with 'typical patients', such as children, challenged the cohort's thinking about those they nursed. During their training the students matured as both nurses and adults and this was also important, as was their recognition of their own 'personhood'. The cohort's emergent views suggested that there was a reciprocity between the way they viewed themselves and the perceptions they held about those they nursed. Such findings are important to people involved in preparing individuals to enter the caring professions. However, it should be noted that the experiences described in this study represent those of 'traditionally' trained rather than of Project 2000 students. The names used to describe people involved in this research are pseudonyms.     

The multifaceted role of the nurse in the day hospital

This paper presents the initial findings from an action research study designed to explore and improve rehabilitation practice in a geriatric day hospital The role of nurses in day hospitals and their contribution to rehabilitation form the focus of the discussion, which emanates from the analysis of semi-structured interviews with 13 members of the multi-disciplinary team, and observation of team meetings and patient reviews Factors which influence the therapeutic activity of nurses are identified and tentative interpretations offered The findings indicate that the nurse's role in day hospitals is multifaceted and varied and the conclusion is drawn that, far from being marginalized in rehabilitative and therapeutic terms, the nurse's central co-ordinating role should be recognized as the lynchpin of day hospital activity