Nursing & health sciences
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Nursing & health sciences · Jun 2004
Comparative StudyEthical concerns: comparison of values from two cultures.
The present study was a secondary analysis of data from two phenomenological studies of nurses in the USA and Japan. The study incorporated hermeneutics and feminist methodologies to answer the following questions. ⋯ Nurses in each country also hold unique values not found in the nursing practice of the other country. Understanding these commonalities and differences is critical for the development of global nursing ethics.
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Nursing & health sciences · Sep 2003
Understanding uncertainty and minimizing families' anxiety at the time of transfer from intensive care.
When general ward registered nurses (RN) receive patients from an intensive care unit (ICU) they report that much of their time in the initial phases revolves around meeting family needs (Farvis, 2002). Families experience anxiety when leaving the security of the close monitoring seen in ICU (Leith, 1999) and their anxiety reduces their ability to play a key role in the patient's recovery (McShane, 1991; Leske, 1992) as it can impair their decision-making (Cagan, 1988; Halm et al., 1993). By reducing a family's anxiety, they may be more able to cope with the necessary transition to a general ward and support the patient's recovery. ⋯ Seven out of the top 10 needs of ICU families are information needs, highlighting the importance of communication regarding progress and future plans. Nurses require an increased awareness that transfer anxiety exists for families and to be knowledgeable about ways to reduce its occurrence. Research is required to evaluate the efficacy of interventions to reduce anxiety for families and examine the level of uncertainty in illness in this cohort.
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Nursing & health sciences · Dec 2002
Nurses' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding substance use: a questionnaire survey.
A questionnaire on nurses' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practises regarding substance use was distributed to 302 nurses in Victoria. One hundred and thirty-four returned the questionnaire, giving an overall response rate of 44.3%. The survey results showed that although knowledge and skill gaps exist in assessment and management of alcohol and drug problems, overall knowledge levels were adequate. Although positive attitudes towards substance use were expressed, specific educational programs to enhance nurses' skills in assessment and management of substance-related disorders may be beneficial.
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In Japan, each person is obligated to enroll in a national health insurance plan. Based on egalitarianism, the system is managed by the government and it finances almost the entire healthcare needs. ⋯ Even though the Japanese healthcare system faces many problems at present, it provides everyone with a sense of security. The key to its success is the sense of and art of balance in healthcare policy making.