International journal of nursing studies
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Children continue to experience unrelieved moderate to severe pain post-operatively despite the evidence to guide practice being readily available. Previous studies have relied on self-report measures; there is a need to establish exactly how nurses manage children's pain in practice. ⋯ The sub-optimal pain management practices may be attributable to several factors. The professional culture of nursing and/or ward culture may result in poor pain management practices being perpetuated. Nurses may not have the requisite theoretical knowledge to manage pain effectively. A lack of priority may also be attributed to pain management. These areas need exploring further.
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Although job satisfaction is a factor that influences retention, turnover and quality of nursing care globally, there are few studies exploring these factors in European countries. ⋯ Norwegian nurses' views on the importance of different job factors mirrored views of the importance ascribed to working milieu in the Norwegian society. As such, the instrument used seemed sensitive to cultural differences. Nurses' actual satisfaction with their job was similar to respondents in many other countries and may imply that structures and content defining nurses' working situation are similar in many parts of the world. Participation in a clinical ladder did not increase nurses' overall job satisfaction. However, further education and the opportunity for professional development increased nurses' intention to stay in the organization.
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Literature review indicated there is no existing nursing competency framework or instrument for Chinese registered nurses. By virtue of its global leadership role in nursing, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) developed an ICN Framework of Competencies for the Generalist Nurses in 2003. On the basis of the ICN's framework, a qualitative study was conducted to explore the expectations of Chinese nurse professionals on nursing competency in the previous study. A competency framework for Chinese registered nurses was formed. This paper describes the development and testing of the Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses (CIRN). ⋯ The CIRN has demonstrated evidence of internal consistency reliability, content validity, and construct validity, and it provides an objective tool for assessing registered nurse competencies in the various areas of clinical practice.
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A significant proportion of patients undergoing chemotherapy for many cancer types may experience oral problems, such as mucositis and any deterioration in the health of the oral cavity can have a significant effect on a person's well-being. Trends towards shorter hospital stays and the increase in out-patient chemotherapy mean that patients are required to adopt increasingly participatory roles in their self-care and are subsequently coping with mouth problems while they are at home without the direct support of oncology health professionals. ⋯ The oral care diary is an acceptable and feasible method of enhancing oral self-care during a course of chemotherapy. Further study is required to evaluate its impact on clinical outcomes.
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Encounters in emergency departments have been described from different perspective and with different research approaches. On reviewing the literature, along with medical skills, interpersonal skills such as the ability to create a relationship with the patient was considered significant. Patients exposed to high-energy violence arrive at the emergency department in a vulnerable condition. Apart from their physical condition, they might be in shock and frightened by the experiences of the injury. The team at the emergency department is responsible for a complex situation and has to quickly establish rapport, gather information, assess the physical condition, and design a treatment plan. ⋯ The main conclusion is that a high-quality encounter in trauma care is likely to be received from caregivers who can shift their mode of being with the patient between the instrumental and the attentive mode as the patient/situation demands. That is, flexibility between the physical and psycho-social care.