Quality of life for patients with schizophrenia living in the community in Greece

Several quality of life instruments were considered for use in a Greek mental health environment. Subjective Quality of Life Profile was chosen as it was easy to complete and covered the issues raised by patients with schizophrenia through interviews. Confirmatory factor analysis gave credence to the four-dimensional structure identified by the original authors. Patients with schizophrenia were generally satisfied with their quality of life, found the items in the instrument important and were optimistic about expectations for change. Age, gender, education, marital status and years of sickness were not statistically significant in a general linear model with quality of life as the outcome for the 27 core questions. There were some statistically significant results for the three disease-specific questions; positive expectation was correlated positively with education and negatively with years of sickness.     

Cholestatic hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed by deposits of Lipiodol and treated by combination of endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage and transcatheter arterial embolization

Cholestatic hepatocellular carcinoma, which grows into the bile duct and causes obstructive jaundice, is rare and difficult to diagnose. A case is presented in which cholestatic hepatocellular carcinoma was detected by deposit of Lipiodol. This is also the first case that was successfully treated by endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage and transcatheter arterial embolization.     

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

A requirement of many nurses in the process of licensing for practice each year is a declaration of continuing competence to practice. In Australia, each state and territory currently has its own regulatory authority for nurses and midwives, whose main role is to protect public safety. Like many other registering authorities in the Asia-Pacific region, Australian regulatory authorities undertake the random auditing of nurses and midwives in order to assess their competence to practice. Professional portfolios commonly are considered to be a tool that nurses can use to demonstrate to regulatory authorities, employers, and others how they meet the required competencies. 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.     

Altered intrahepatic pathway of para-umbilical vein in portal hypertension

The object of this study was to determine the frequency and characteristics of altered paraumbilical vein in the hepatic parenchyma, developed from portal hypertension, using computed tomography (CT). Two hundred and ninety-two patients who presented with portal hypertension from 1986 to 1996 were studied retrospectively. The pathway of the dilated para-umbilical vein was demonstrated by contrast-enhanced CT. Thirty-one (11%) patients had a dilated para-umbilical vein arising from the left portal vein into the falciform ligament. In 24 (77%) of these patients, the para-umbilical vein followed the expected route, passing through the fissure of ligamentum teres hepatis. The remaining seven patients (23%) displayed the unusual pathway, with the vein arising from the left branch of the portal vein and passing into the hepatic parenchyma. In these seven patients, four had one collateral vein, and three patients had two collateral veins in the liver parenchyma. The dilated para-umbilical vein frequently passes through the hepatic parenchyma in patients with portal hypertension.     

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

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 indicated a significant and positive relationship. Also, a statistically significant relationship was found between affective organizational commitment and life satisfaction. The implementation of a comprehensive program to improve the work conditions and life satisfaction of nurses could enhance their organizational commitment.     

The measurement of psychotic acuity by nursing staff

Accurate evaluation of patients' psychotic state is essential to decrease psychotic symptoms and protect the patient and others. The aim of this paper is to conduct a literature review in order to access the utility, reliability and validity of current rating scales that are purported to measure psychotic acuity of inpatient population. A search of a number of electronic databases was undertaken to retrieve potential articles that focus on the measurement of acute psychosis. We identified some conceptual and theoretical problems when using a scale that is monitoring the progress of discharge and assesses the outcome of treatments. The findings revealed a difficulty in finding a commonly agreed definition of acute psychosis and a problem of obtaining frequent measures, and the frequency of measurement and fluctuation in psychosis. The most dominant scales in assessing psychosis were reviewed: the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale. Several issues related to the scales' inter-rater reliability and construct validity remain unexplored. None of these scales addressed the conceptual and theoretical problems that we identified. A new scale that will measure acuity of symptoms in inpatient settings needs to be created.     

Growing together: a qualitative study of leading nurse scholars in Thailand

TURALE S., KLUNKLIN A. & CHONTAWAN R. (2010) Growing together: a qualitative study of leading nurse scholars in Thailand. International Nursing Review 57 , 202–210 Background: Asia‐Pacific nursing education and research is growing but little is known about the nature and development of nursing scholarship in the region. Aim: This qualitative study explored the perspectives of 14 leading Thai scholars about the development, facilitators and barriers relating to Thailand's nursing scholarship. Method: In‐depth interviews were digitally recorded, and data were subjected to content analysis. Findings: Five themes arose: (1) growing together, (2) visionary leadership, (3) external support to grow nurse scholars, (4) developing nursing through research, and (5) barriers to scholarship. A history of visionary nursing leadership was revealed, underpinned by leaders' values of growing nursing together. Resource sharing among universities, and a significant number of scholarships for study abroad were major facilitators of scholarship growth. Barriers to scholarship included high teaching loads, especially for newly graduated faculty; a low rate of research publications; not enough mentorship for research and changes to teaching practice; and a wide range of different agencies providing courses for entry to practice. Conclusions: Scholarship development in Thailand is a role model for a number of South‐East Asian countries, with inclusiveness and collaboration to facilitate the growth of nursing education inside and outside of the country as a hallmark of its character. However, against a backdrop of nursing shortages, Thai scholars are challenged, in the future, to produce meaningful research outcomes, including publications of studies; to collaborate with other health professionals; change practices to overcome high teaching loads; and provide the much needed mentorship for young scholars.