Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Parents' positioning and distracting children during venipuncture. Effects on children's pain, fear, and distress.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of parental positioning and distraction on the pain, fear, and distress of pediatric patients undergoing venipuncture. An experimental-comparison group design was used to evaluate 43 patients (20 experimental and 23 comparison) who were 4 to 11 years old. Experimental participants used parental positioning and distraction. ⋯ Although no differences was found in distress between the two groups, a significant time trend was discovered (p < .001). The parental positioning-distraction intervention has the potential to enhance positive clinical outcomes with a primary benefit of decreased fear. Further research is warranted.
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It has been more than 2 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, and the emotional fallout is still being felt. Nurses need to understand the crisis presented by terrorism and explore ways of dealing with it. The purpose of this article is to discuss humor as a means of facilitating coping with terrorism. ⋯ In trying to deal with a terrorist event, people pass through several phases of emotional adjustment. Humor is a holistic, noninvasive strategy that may facilitate that adjustment and may be used effectively to heal both survivor-clients and disaster personnel who are working with them. Awareness of the phases of emotional adjustment, associated humor styles, and ways to incorporate therapeutic humor into crisis management approaches are essential for effectively using humor as an antidote for terrorism.
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The purpose of this phenomenological pilot study was to describe the experience that nurses have in providing spiritual care to their patients and/or patients' family members. Three nurses with a variety of clinical backgrounds were interviewed to elicit their experience of providing spiritual care. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method to reveal seven themes: the spiritual nurse, capturing the elusive and abstract nature of spirituality, the nurse-client spiritual journey, opening the doors for the spiritual journey, choosing to be silent, the nurse as a role model for spiritual behaviors, and reaping the benefits of spiritual care. Limitations and implications of the findings are discussed.
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Historical Article
The goddess and healing. Nursing's heritage from antiquity.
In prehistoric and ancient historical times, it was the Goddess who oversaw the health and well-being of human beings and women who controlled many healing processes, rituals, and practices. The professions of nursing and other health care fields owe much to this history yet have moved away from it in significant ways. Drawing on literary and archaeological sources, this study traces the history of healing in Graeco-Roman antiquity, describes the role of the Goddess and women in the healing function, discusses the communal aspects of healing both in the ancient world and in the modern West, and provides connections between the past and present that may empower today's nursing professionals.
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Previous research indicates that hope is an important psychosocial need of families of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. However, there is a lack of nursing research about how to inspire hope in families of the critically ill. The purpose of this study was to explore the hope-inspiring strategies that spouses of critically ill adults used while their family member was critically ill. ⋯ Utilizing a qualitative methodology, 20 spouses of patients hospitalized in an ICU for the first time were interviewed. Data was categorized into eight hope-inspiring themes, including spiritual religious activities, significant others, devotion for the patient, positive relationship with caregivers, physical presence at the bedside, talking to others, and the use of distraction mechanisms. In addition, five sources of hope were identified in this population.