Scandinavian journal of caring sciences
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The purpose of this study was to culturally validate three pain measurement instruments [Behavioral Pain Scale (BPS), the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) and the Nonverbal Adult Pain Assessment Scale (NVPS)] for sedated intensive care patients and in doing so to prepare the tools for psychometric testing in the Finnish intensive care environment. ⋯ Deciding when this high-quality process is needed requires thorough consideration. However, it is worthwhile to use it when implementing new instruments at a national level. We need a valid, reliable and feasible instrument for pain assessment in sedated intensive care patients in Finland. The next step in our process is conducting psychometric testing of these three instruments to choose the tool with the best properties to be implemented in clinical practice.
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Chronic obstructive lung disease is a disease that is common among the smoking population. In Sweden, more women than men are smokers. The most effective treatment to improve the symptoms of COPD is to quit smoking but still many women continue to smoke, despite their illness. ⋯ The study indicates that these women need some form of individual help to find the inner strength that they lack. Their self-respect as well as their self-image needs to be boosted in order to strengthen their belief that they are going to cope without the cigarette.
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Patients' participation is essential to their well-being and sense of coherence, as well as to their understanding of and adherence to prescribed treatments. Ward rounds serve as a forum for sharing information between patient and caregiver. The purpose of the ward round is to obtain information and plan medical and nursing care through staff-patient communication. ⋯ Several aspects of traditional ward round routines could be improved in regard to the two-way information exchange process between caregivers and patient. Patients' and caregivers' ability to communicate their goals and the environment in which the communication occurs are of great importance. The information provided by nurses is easier to understand than that provided by physicians. The atmosphere must be open; the patient should be treated with empathy by staff; and patients' right to participate must be acknowledged by all healthcare professionals involved.
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Fatigue is reported to be one of the most common symptoms among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. However, there is hardly any qualitative research describing how fatigue affects people living with this illness. ⋯ Fatigue affects the daily lives of people with COPD. Perceived with dyspnoea, fatigue was described as overwhelming. Most importantly, fatigue seems to be unexpressed to healthcare professionals and relatives.
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Spiritual dimensions such as hope, meaning in life and self-transcendence have been found to be predictors of successful ageing, life satisfaction and well-being in older individuals. Connectedness and communicating with others have been seen to facilitate hope, meaning in life and self-transcendence among nursing home patients. ⋯ The SEM model tested comprised 20 variables, indicating a desirable sample size of n = 200, while the present effective sample was n = 187. Also, cross-sectional data do not allow making conclusion on the causality.