Nursing & health sciences
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Nursing & health sciences · Dec 2006
Cardiac pain or panic disorder? Managing uncertainty in the emergency department.
Emergency department admissions for chest pain might be related to a psychological problem, such as panic. Panic disorder adversely affects the person's lifestyle, general health, and psychological well-being. Panic disorder is difficult to recognize, so nursing assessment and management of these clients is important. ⋯ The findings confirm that a panic disorder is not always diagnosed when biomedical assessment is used in isolation from a psychosocial assessment. Emergency nurses are pivotal in reversing the cycle of repeat presenters with non-cardiac chest pain. Recommendations for assessing and managing this complex condition are presented.
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Nursing & health sciences · Sep 2006
The meanings of pain: A qualitative study of the perspectives of children living with pain in north-eastern Thailand.
This qualitative paper explores the perception of pain among north-eastern Thai children experiencing illness, aged from 4-18 years. Data was obtained from 17 children living in the community and 32 children admitted to two major hospitals in Isan, totaling 49 children. ⋯ The research found that children described their experience of pain as "disheartening", "suffering", and "torturing" and that the expression of pain in Isan families is characterized by avoidance and endurance. The findings suggest a role for a model of pain management in children specific to the sociocultural context of Isan, which focuses on family-centered care and acknowledges cultural diversity.
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Irukandji Syndrome can be frightening for the patient and make care delivery difficult for the nurse. Nurses' knowledge of Irukandji Syndrome has been limited to information provided by marine biologists, doctors, and tropical medicine specialists. ⋯ An algorithm of nursing management is presented that has been derived from the continuing debate among scientists about the etiology of signs, symptoms, and treatment rationales. Community safety and education surrounding Irukandji Syndrome requires concurrent progression of nursing knowledge and scientific inquiry.
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Nursing & health sciences · Dec 2005
ReviewEffects of acculturation and social exchange on the expectations of filial piety among Hispanic/Latino parents of adult children.
This study explores the effects of acculturation and social exchange variables on the expectations of filial piety (values and beliefs about parents' care) among Hispanic/Latino parents of adult children. A convenience sample of 318 Hispanics/Latinos with adult children was assembled in Texas and North Carolina, USA, for face-to-face interviews in order to collect information about their families and to assess their expectations of filial piety by their adult children. ⋯ The significant variables explained 46.3% of the variance in the EFPS scores. A conceptual model that includes both acculturation and social exchange variables is a useful approach for understanding the expectations of filial piety by Hispanic/Latino parents of adult children.
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Nursing & health sciences · Dec 2005
Comparative StudyAttitudes toward advance directives and the impact of prognostic information on the preference for cardiopulmonary resuscitation in medical inpatients in Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand.
Our previous study revealed that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed in 65.7% of 411 terminally ill patients who died in a tertiary-care university hospital in northern Thailand. Advance directives (ADs) are needed to ensure that life-sustaining therapies are used more appropriately. To investigate inpatients' attitudes regarding ADs for CPR and the impact of providing prognostic information on treatment preferences for CPR, we interviewed a randomly selected group of 200 ambulatory medical inpatients in multiple sessions. ⋯ The majority preferred to have CPR when no information was provided on the chance of survival. However, this proportion decreased depending on the prognostic scenarios. Our investigation suggested that the preference of patients for CPR should be assessed individually and gradually, with adequate information given on the chance of survival.