Nursing research
-
Depression in the elderly has become a serious healthcare issue worldwide, but studies of self-care strategies and risk factors for depressive symptoms are limited. ⋯ Because older persons tended to engage in activities and to interact with others to manage their depressive symptoms, healthcare providers in public elder care homes may consider arranging enough activities and people contacts for residents. Due to the limited number of healthcare providers in these homes, the author recommends increasing the knowledge of both providers and residents about depression and self-care management strategies.
-
Pregnancies after perinatal loss are known to be anxiety-filled. Stress in pregnancy and the response to it, often seen as anxiety and depression, have known negative consequences for obstetric outcomes, parenting, and infant behaviors. Women have reported fluctuating emotions in response to events in their subsequent pregnancies, but these pregnancies have not been studied longitudinally. ⋯ Women find pregnancy after loss stressful and a threat, and this appraisal remains across pregnancy. Because pregnancy anxiety is common, and highest in early pregnancy, providers should address worries and fears with all women early in PAL. Interventions must be tested in future studies.
-
Supportive care during childbirth is as old as humankind and has been a cornerstone of intrapartum practice for decades. Researchers have postulated that supportive care during labor leads to positive outcomes by enhancing normal labor physiology and the mother's childbirth experience. Questions, however, have risen about the ability of intrapartum nurses to provide effective supportive care within today's medicalized hospital birth environment. ⋯ Both attitude and social pressures had a significant impact on the intention to perform PLS, and results show the relative importance of these variables in understanding the nurse's intention to provide support. Although behavioral intent had no significant influence on behavior, as measured by the patient's length of labor, clinical significance needs to be addressed. The regression correlation suggested that as the behavioral intent scores increased, length of labor decreased in the nurse's parturient population. Further studies are required to determine if the TPB can predict health outcomes through nurses' intentions to provide care.
-
Because rapid therapy can improve the unfavorable prognosis of individuals with acute coronary syndromes (ACSs), it is critical that nurses accurately associate the cues of ACS and quickly and aggressively initiate interventional strategies that reduce mortality. ⋯ Using GA was as accurate as results found by BLR and can be used to predict nurses triage decisions for ACS. The GA presented as flow charts may be user-friendly.