International journal of nursing studies
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The literature reports inconsistent evidence of the effects of nurse staffing on mortality despite continuing examination of this association. ⋯ The findings provide evidence that nurse staffing may impact provision of basic care and patient mortality and suggest the need for policies for providing adequate nurse staffing.
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Reconciling the good patient persona with problematic and non-problematic humour: a grounded theory.
Humour is a complex phenomenon, incorporating cognitive, emotional, behavioural, physiological and social aspects. Research to date has concentrated on reviewing (rehearsed) humour and 'healthy' individuals via correlation studies using personality-trait based measurements, principally on psychology students in laboratory conditions. Nurses are key participants in modern healthcare interactions however, little is known about their (spontaneous) humour use. ⋯ The middle-range theory differentiates potentially problematic humour from non-problematic humour and notes that how humour is identified and addressed is central to whether patients concerns are resolved or not. The study provides a robust review of humour in healthcare interactions with important implications for practice. Further, this study develops and extends humour research and contributes to an evolved application of constructivist grounded theory.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effect of a short one-on-one nursing intervention on knowledge, attitudes and beliefs related to response to acute coronary syndrome in people with coronary heart disease: a randomized controlled trial.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remain significant public health problems. The effect of ACS on mortality and morbidity is largely dependent on the time from symptom onset to the time of reperfusion, but patient delay in presenting for treatment is the main reason timely reperfusion is not received. ⋯ A relatively short education and counseling intervention increased knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about ACS and response to ACS symptoms in individuals with CHD. Higher perceived control over cardiac illness was associated with more positive attitudes and higher state anxiety was associated with lower levels of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about responding to the health threat of possible ACS.
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Caring for stroke survivors at home can have an enormous impact on informal carers and past research has tended to focus on the negative emotional consequences of caring, with few identifying any positive outcomes. Despite an awareness that the experiences of these carers change over time, there is a dearth of qualitative studies investigating carers' experiences over time. ⋯ Carers experience considerable uncertainty when caring for stroke survivors. Living with uncertainty is central to these carers' experiences and this should be acknowledged by clinicians when supporting stroke survivors and carers. Encouraging the identification of the positive aspects of caring may help carers manage the challenges and uncertainties created by stroke.