The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmières
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This paper provides an overview of Canadian home-care utilization, highlights the health-policy assumptions that have resulted in an increasing reliance on in-home services, and assesses the current roles of the private and public sectors in the financing of home care. Significant interprovincial variations in per capita home-care expenditures and potential inequalities in access to home care call for resolution by federal and provincial governments. There is a need for consensus with respect to medically and socially necessary services that are subject to national standards, irrespective of the setting in which services are sought, received, and delivered. The development and enforcement of national home-care standards that complement the principles of the Canada Health Act would be a useful first step in ensuring that the Canadian health-care system is ready to confront the challenges of the new millennium.
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The purposes of this study were: to identify the perceived support needs of family caregivers of persons living with chronic illness (physical or cognitive) and receiving home-care services, and to describe the types of telephone services that would meet the expressed needs of caregivers. The qualitative design used semi-structured interviews. A total of 34 caregivers (mean age 62 years) participated in the study. ⋯ The most commonly expressed caregiver needs were: a social life, instrumental support (e.g., respite, assistance with physical care, financial compensation), informational support, and emotional support. Most caregivers said they would use a telephone support service provided by a professional (71%) or a fellow caregiver (59%) if available. The results of this study support a pilot study and evaluation of a telephone support service for family caregivers.
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This study examined responses to a survey on violence in the workplace from a sample of 8,780 registered nurses practising in 210 hospitals in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Findings relate to the frequency of violence against nurses, reported as the number of times they experienced a violent incident in the workplace. Nearly half (46%) of those surveyed had experienced 1 or more types of violence in the last 5 shifts worked. ⋯ These findings illustrate important differences in models that use the individual and the institution as the unit of analysis. Implications include targeting prevention strategies not only at the nurse but, perhaps more importantly, at the hospital. Overall, the findings suggest that health-care institutions are not always healthy workplaces and may increasingly be stressful and hazardous ones.
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A cross-sectional design was used to examine the mediating effect of physical activity between dyspnea and fatigue in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dyspnea was measured using a vertical visual analogue scale, fatigue using the Profile of Mood States-Fatigue subscale, and physical activity using the 6-minute-walk (6MW) test. A convenience sample of 17 male and 22 female patients with COPD provided data for analysis. ⋯ Controlling for age and FEV1, dyspnea, physical activity, and fatigue were significantly interrelated. Results of the regression analysis suggested the mediating function of physical activity between dyspnea and fatigue. Limitations and suggestions for practice and future research are presented.
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The physiological and behavioural effects of music during recovery from heel lance were examined in 14 preterm infants at 29 to 36 weeks post-conceptual age (PCA). Infants were tested on 2 occasions: during a music condition and during a no-music control condition. Each condition was videotaped during 3 periods: baseline, heel lance, and recovery. ⋯ The stress response was greater in the older group. During recovery, the older group had a more rapid return of heart rate, behavioural state, and facial expressions of pain to baseline levels in the presence of compared to the absence of music. It was concluded that music is an effective NICU intervention following a stress-provoking stimulus in infants older than 31 weeks PCA.