American Journal of Nursing Research

by Selene Cordeiro Vasconcelos, Iracema da Silva Frazão, Estela Maria Leite Meirelles Monteiro, Murilo Duarte da Costa Lima, José Francisco de Albuquerque and Vânia Pinheiro Ramos

Original Research

Objective: To identify the Brazilians nurses’ interventions in the drug users care. Methods: Research on the databases LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, CINHAL, and Cochrane, indexed from 2003 to 2012, using the keywords ‘health education’ and ‘substance-related disorders’. Obtained 8 articles as sample that resulted in a thematic and two sub themes. Results: Demonstrated that Brazilian nurses’ interventions in the drug users care are grounded in health education. Conclusion: Health education actions are relevant to the process of rehabilitation and social reintegration of drug user, can promote improvement in self-care and in the quality of life of this clientele, in addition to strengthening the nursing professional identity in this setting of care.

American Journal of Nursing Research. 2013, 1(1), 24-27. DOI: 10.12691/ajnr-1-1-4
Pub. Date: November 15, 2013

Full-Text PDF

14343 Views5544 Downloads36 Likes

Effectiveness of Infrared Rays on Wound Healing among Caesarean Section Mothers at Puducherry

by Manju Bala Dash and Sengathir Selvi

Original Research

To evaluate the effectiveness of Infrared rays on wound healing and pain level in the experimental group comparison with control group mothers were conducted at Puducherry, India. Methodology: quantitative approach and pre- test/ post- test control group design adopted and 100 caesarean section mothers (50 experimental & 50 control group) were selected by simple random sampling technique. Pre–test was done to assess the existing wound healing & pain level for both group with standard scale (Modified Southampton wound assessment scale &Numeric pain rating scale). Experimental group received infrared therapy whereas the control group received routine dressing for twice a day for 3 days. Post-test assessment of wound healing & pain level was done on 5^th& 7^th post operative days with the same standard scales. Result and findings: Pre& post-test mean wound healing scores in experimental group was 2.1 ± 1.446 & 1.26 ± 0.828 respectively with ‘t’ value 4.365(p<0.05), Similarly the mean pain level scores was 3.90±0.303 & 1.94±0.424 with the ‘t’ value 28.100(p<0.05) and found statistically significant. There was a positive correlation between the wound healing and pain level score r = 0.22.

American Journal of Nursing Research. 2013, 1(1), 43-46. DOI: 10.12691/ajnr-1-1-7
Pub. Date: December 15, 2013

Full-Text PDF

22812 Views8340 Downloads34 Likes

Telemedicine, Nursing and Medical Management: Applications, Case Studies, and Intelligence from RFID

by Lidong Wang and Cheryl Ann Alexander

Review Article

The American population continues to age rapidly as more baby boomers reach retirement. Technology is evolving to meet the demands of an aging population that is plagued with chronic illness, the need for health promotion and education, and access to care in rural areas. Physicians and nurses in hospitals are using telemedicine and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology medical management as advanced technologies and continually expanding to develop new modes of medical care delivery. In this paper, concepts about telemedicine and its application, the use of RFID in medical management and telemedicine applications, challenges and technical progress, and several case studies are presented in evidence of the need for global expansion of new technology.

American Journal of Nursing Research. 2013, 1(1), 34-42. DOI: 10.12691/ajnr-1-1-6
Pub. Date: November 24, 2013

Full-Text PDF

26090 Views13283 Downloads90 Likes

Children’s Incidence and Mortality Reduction Measures Taken by Medical State Institutions in Ukraine

by Svetlana Luparenko

Review Article

Human health is considered to be one of the most significant values in the system of people’s values. However, the modern life conditions (social and economic problems, bad ecology, educational factors, etc.) lead to deterioration of people’s health. The situation in is getting more complicated as all these conditions influence people greatly, and it’s very difficult to change something drastically. Children are even in worse position, because they are under the influence of these conditions from the first days of their life; and as they are only growing up and their organisms continue to get formed, they need special nursing. However, all people realize that there is an urgent need to improve the situation and take special notice of children’s health. That is why there have been developed a plan of measures for reduction in children’s incidence taken by different state institutions. For example, use of educational technologies that aim at maintaining health in learners, appearance of health promoting schools have been the measure in the system of education. In medical sphere medical state institutions have taken special measures for reduction in children’s incidence and mortality. The results of modern surveys show that these measures can really improve children’s health under some conditions: they are taken as early as possible; medical staff knows their theoretical and practical basis; families and other state and private organizations are involved in this process and facilitate it.

American Journal of Nursing Research. 2013, 1(1), 28-33. DOI: 10.12691/ajnr-1-1-5
Pub. Date: November 22, 2013

Full-Text PDF

11593 Views4451 Downloads37 Likes

The Sunrise Model: a Contribution to the Teaching of Nursing Consultation in Collective Health

by Lucas Pereira de Melo

Case Report

This paper aims to report the experience about a teaching process of nursing consultation in Collective Health using the Sunrise Model with nursing students (baccalaureate level). This teaching experience was conducted between August and December 2011 at a private university in Southeast Brazil during the course “Nursing Practice in Collective Health” offered in the sixth semester of the nursing general curriculum. This course lasted 100 hours, divided into 60 hours of theoretical classes, and 40 hours of practical classes. A four-stage process was developed to teach nursing consultation: Theory of Culture Care; Nursing Consultation in Collective Health; Practice of nursing consultation in Primary Care Centers; Evaluation. In this teaching program students were able to develop abilities and competencies to identify and understand the multiple factors that influence care, as well as comprehend it from a holistic-humanistic perspective.

American Journal of Nursing Research. 2013, 1(1), 20-23. DOI: 10.12691/ajnr-1-1-3
Pub. Date: October 27, 2013

Full-Text PDF

79434 Views30306 Downloads39 Likes

Investing in Human Relations for Healthy Nursing Practice Environment, Nurses’ Job Satisfaction and Quality of Nursing Care

by Nazlee Siddiqui

Original Research

Relationship between the three domains of nursing practice environment, nurses’ job satisfaction and quality of nursing care have been studied for a way forward to superior healthcare delivery. However, the literature and management practices frequently viewed the relationship as one directional; which may have resulted to restructuring in the nursing practice environment that are insensitive to nurses’ need. This paper provides evidence of reciprocal relationship between the three domains in the context of interactions between nurses at NSW health organisations. Mixed methods of survey questionnaire and one-on-one semi-structured interview were used in this research in sequential design, with 136 survey respondents and 21 interviewees. The research result identified interactions between nurses as a vehicle through which the reciprocal relationship between the domains are kept in motion. While healthy interactions between nurses that generate trust and gratitude were seen to positively impact the domains, the opposite was noticed in case of unhealthy interactions. Therefore, management practices in nursing administration should invest for healthy human relations to achieve enhancements across the three domains.

American Journal of Nursing Research. 2013, 1(1), 10-19. DOI: 10.12691/ajnr-1-1-2
Pub. Date: March 04, 2013

Full-Text PDF

25732 Views9826 Downloads34 Likes

Doctors' and Nurses' Perceptions of Barriers to Conducting Handover in Hospitals in the Czech Republic

by Katarzyna Machaczek, Malcolm Whitfield, Karen Kilner and Peter Allmark

Original Research

Background: Patient care is shared between clinicians, and the effectiveness of their collaboration and information exchange will often determine the safety and quality of care provided.Handover enables clinicians to exchange information aboutprovision of patient care. Handovers are complex, their level of standardisation varies across departments and hospitals and they are influenced by the work environment. If during handover information pertinent to a patient's care is not transferred between clinicians it may lead to adverse events, including death. Methods: This paper reports a study of doctors’ and nurses’ perceptions of barriers to conducting handover in hospitals in the Czech Republic.This was an exploratory study using a self-administered questionnaire survey. The questionnaire evaluated clinicians’ perceptions of barriers to handover, including individual performance-related, organisational and environmental factors. Results:The questionnaire was sent to clinicians in two hospitals in the Czech Republic. A total of 181 doctors and 118 nurses returned the questionnaire. They held similar perceptions as to the most common performance-related obstacles to handover: messy, illegible and out-of-date records; and handover between more senior/junior members of staff. Also, social relationships and hierarchy seemed to have a negative impact on handover. The environmental factors negatively influenced included:not enough time, poor workforce planning, busy periods in the department, and interruptions. Conclusions: Handover emerged as a complex process negatively influenced by the work environment and social relationships. Nursing handover emerged as being conducted in a more standardised manner than handover between doctors; however, standardisation did not enhance the quality of information conveyed.Improvements in handover practices require organisational changes such as a reduction in workload and training for staff in conducting handover.

American Journal of Nursing Research. 2013, 1(1), 1-9. DOI: 10.12691/ajnr-1-1-1
Pub. Date: March 04, 2013

Full-Text PDF

35046 Views17412 Downloads33 Likes