Journal of advanced nursing
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Recent evidence suggests that postoperative pain is poorly controlled and it is reported that nearly 75% of hospitalized patients failed to receive adequate pain relief. It was hypothesized that there was no difference between expected and experienced pain and that pain scores on the first postoperative day would be 'low'. Factors affecting the management of pain were identified using a patient questionnaire. ⋯ The nurse did not play a key role in the preoperative information given to the patient. Patients experienced 'worsened' pain in the morning and evening. Nurses questioning patients about their pain often failed to identify those in pain.
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Comparative Study
A comparison of nurses' and patients' perceptions of intensive care unit stressors.
This study was designed to compare intensive care unit (ICU) nurses' and patients' perceptions of the stressfulness of items in the environment for patients in an ICU. The sample consisted of 20 ICU patients and 23 registered nurses employed in the medical and surgical ICUs at a large midwestern university hospital. The patients were contacted 1 to 2 days after transfer from an ICU and asked to complete the Intensive Care Unit Environmental Stressor Scale (ICUESS), a Likert-type questionnaire designed to measure the stressfulness of commonly occurring items in the ICU environment. ⋯ These responses were compared using chi-square tests for homogeneity. Nurses mentioned 'being tied down by tubes' and 'not being in control of oneself' significantly more times than did patients. The items 'being in pain', 'having tubes in your nose or mouth', and 'not being able to sleep' were listed most often by both nurses and patients.
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Comparative Study
The clinical assessment of chronic pain in rheumatic disease: evaluating the use of two instruments.
Health care professionals are becoming increasingly aware of the complex nature of chronic pain. Measurement instruments are needed which will assist in better understanding the patient's response to the pain. The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and an expanded version useful in comprehensive clinical assessment, the McGill Comprehensive Pain Questionnaire (MCPQ), are currently-available tools for assessing chronic pain. ⋯ The information gained through the use of the MCPQ was helpful in determining what living with chronic pain means to the individual. Such information should be useful in the future development of a valid and reliable instrument for more efficiently measuring the chronic pain experience. Such an instrument would be useful in coordination with the MPQ which focuses on pain description.
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This correlational descriptive study examined the relationship between the uses of humour and health outcomes as measured by perceived health, life satisfaction, and morale in older adults. The sample of this pilot study consisted of 24 volunteers from a senior citizen community centre who are ambulatory adults over 61 years old. Subjects were administered questionnaires which consisted of a demographic data sheet, the Situational Humour Response Questionnaire, Coping Humour Scale, Current Health Subscale, Life Satisfaction Index, and the Affect Balance Scale. ⋯ Furthermore, there was a significant negative relationship between coping humour and perceived health (r = -0.46). These findings suggest that humour may be one phenomenon which influences the older adult's perception of perceived health, life satisfaction and morale and may assist in successful ageing. These preliminary findings support the need for further research to examine these relationships with a larger study.
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Comparative Study
A comparison of nurse-related behaviour, philosophy of care and job satisfaction in team and primary nursing.
The study compares team and primary nursing modes of organization of nursing care on three related variables, namely: nurse-related behaviour and quality of care, philosophy of care and job satisfaction for nurses. The historical dimension and evolution of modes of care, quality of care, philosophy of care and theories of job satisfaction are discussed within the context of the study. ⋯ The results of the study suggest that when compared to team nursing mode of organization of care, primary nursing affords increased quality of care, a more coherent philosophy of nursing and increased job satisfaction for nurses. Methodological problems are examined and implications for policy explored.