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- Ahlberg, Mona, 1966-
(författare)
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Being cared for in an Intensive Care Unit – family functioning and support
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- When COVID-19 came as an uninvited guest into our everyday lives, nursing in intensive care was affected and thus the studies contain data from both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Before the pandemic, most intensive care units, which care for patients with critical illness in a technical setting, allowed family members to visit the patient 24 hours a day. The intensive care unit is a stressful and frightening environment for both the patient and their family. They can be affected both mentally and physically, showing symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, stress and depression. The intensive cared patient often does not remember anything from the time they were cared for in the intensive care unit, and the family needs to explain and recount this unconscious time. During the pandemic, this changed, with restrictions and limited opportunities to visit the hospital and patient due to virus outbreaks. Family members received information about the patient's medical condition by phone from a physician. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore and conceptualise the family functioning of families with a family member treated in the intensive care unit. There was also an intention to describe and evaluate how an intervention affects the family and individual family members in families where a family member received intensive care.In these studies, qualitative, quantitative, as well as mixed methods were utilised. Participants were adult intensive cared patients from seven intensive care clinics, and their families. The results examined between families are based on the patient and family characteristics. The results from study I show that families who have experienced COVID-19 and with a family member who was cared for in an intensive care unit, have existential thoughts. Study II shows no major impact on family function between families, but the answers differ within the families who experienced intensive care. In study III, concerning families experiencing intensive care and attending family health conversations, there was an awareness of family function. The conversations brought the family closer together, through improved understanding of each other. In study IV family functioning, hope and sense of coherence were com-pared among the participants in two intervention groups: Family health conversations and support group conversations. Family functioning and hope were higher in the group that participated in the family health conversations and comprehensibility, meaningfulness and vitality were higher among the participants in the support group conversation. By exploring how family function affects the individual family member and the family as a unit during critical illness and intensive care, new ways of working can be strengthened in the care of patients and their families.
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- Ahlberg, Mona, 1966-, et al.
(författare)
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Family Health Conversations create awareness of family functioning.
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nursing in Critical Care. - : Wiley. - 1362-1017 .- 1478-5153. ; :2, s. 102-108
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The whole family is affected if one family member is critically ill. The Family Health Conversation Intervention may give the family tools that support healthier family functioning.AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify which components of family function are affected when families participate in Family Health Conversations.DESIGN: A secondary analysis was performed of existing qualitative interviews. The Family Health Conversation is an intervention where nurses ask the family reflective questions, and reflection is made possible in three conversation sessions.METHODS: This study included transcribed data from 13 follow-up interviews from seven families attending Family Health Conversations after three and 12 months. Data were analysed with narrative analysis, focusing on family function.RESULTS: Three themes were identified. The families' family functioning had been supported with: improved understanding of each other-there was an understanding of being in the same situation but still having totally different experiences; more concern for each other-they talked about their different experiences and felt they had become closer to each other; and a process of working through-they had experienced working through various experiences, standing by and supporting, and then being able to move on.CONCLUSIONS: The Family Health Conversation Intervention is provided to families, accompanied by nurses. The families in this study gained an awareness of their family function that brought the family closer because of improved understanding of each other and the situation. The families experienced openness, and the family members spoke more freely with each other, which facilitated the progress of working through the experience of critical illness and helped to maintain healthy family functioning.RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: It is important to have an overall perspective and to recognize the patient and the family as equally important within the family for awareness of family function.
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| 6. |
- Hollman Frisman, Gunilla, 1953-, et al.
(författare)
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Health-promoting conversations : a novel approach to families experiencing critical illness in the ICU environment
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 27:3-4, s. 631-639
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify and describe the outcomes of a nurse-led intervention, "Health-promoting conversations with families," regarding family functioning and well-being in families with a member who was critically ill.BACKGROUND: Families who have a critically ill family member in an intensive care unit face a demanding situation, threatening the normal functioning of the family. Yet, there is a knowledge gap regarding family members' well-being during and after critical illness.DESIGN: The study utilized a qualitative inductive-descriptive design.METHODS: Eight families participated in health-promoting conversations aimed to create a context for change related to the families' identified problems and resources. Fifteen qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 adults who participated in health-promoting conversations about a critical illness in the family. Eight participants were patients (6 men, 2 women) and 10 were family members (2 male partners, 5 female partners, 1 mother, 1 daughter, 1 female grandchild). The interviews were analyzed by conventional content analysis.RESULTS: Family members experienced strengthened togetherness, a caring attitude, and confirmation through health-promoting conversations. The caring and calming conversations were appreciated despite the reappearance of exhausting feelings. Working through the experience and being confirmed promoted family well-being.CONCLUSION: Health-promoting conversations were considered to be healing, as the family members take part in sharing each other's feelings, thoughts, and experiences with the critical illness.RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Health-promoting conversations could be a simple and effective nursing intervention for former intensive care patients and their families in any cultural context. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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| 7. |
- Lovén Wickman, Ulrica, 1966-
(författare)
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Self-care: the way to find balance in life : development and evaluation of a self-care questionnaire for patients with inflammatory bowel disease
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn’s disease (CD) occur worldwide and are life-long chronic conditions. The symptoms, which include abdominal pain and frequent diarrhea, cause limitations in life. Thus, patients with IBD need self-care in accordance with their symptoms, their own commitment to maintaining health, and decisions on symptom management. To strengthen self-care, there is a need for a tool that assesses self-care in patients with IBD, which aims to support the patient dialogue about self-care.The overall aim of this thesis was to develop and evaluate a questionnaire for the clinical assessment of self-care, and to explore self-care in relation to disease activity and to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with IBD.Design and method: The thesis includes four studies, where studies I, II and IV were conducted in Sweden, and study III was conducted in the United States (U.S.). In study I, a descriptive design, interviews were conducted with twenty adult patients, in order to explore self-care in patients with IBD. In study II, the self-care questionnaire was developed and tested with 193 patients with IBD in Sweden. In study III, a crosssectional descriptive design, the self-care questionnaire was translated into English, and the responses of 67 patients in the U.S. were evaluated. Finally, in study IV, a cross-sectional exploratory design was used to explore self-care in relation to patient characteristics, disease activity, and HRQOL among 234 patients. For a total of 421 patients, the data was analyzed using content analysis, and descriptive and analytic statistics (studies I, II, III and IV).Results: Among patients with IBD, self-care relates to symptom recognition, handling of symptoms, planning life, and seeking new options. Self-care varied according to how the patient managed daily life with regard to the symptoms of the disease (study I). Based on the results from study I, the self-care questionnaire was developed in Swedish, resulting in a valid and reliable questionnaire comprising 22 items (study II). The questionnaire was translated to English, and performed self-care activities were associated with a lower degree of well-being in relation to age and gender (study III). The patients were taking medication for IBD, paying attention to their intestinal symptoms, adapting their diet, managing their stress, planning their day and avoiding activities (studies III and IV). Self-care was more frequent in patients with CD when it came to paying attention to psychological symptoms; diet adaption; avoiding various activities including sex; and looking for new approaches to living with IBD. A greater degree of self-care activities was associated with a lower degree of HRQOL (IV).Conclusion: The results indicate the importance of identifying the total symptom experience, and of the patient’s need to discuss self-care, in order to strengthen selfcare and achieve better treatment. The self-care questionnaire can be a useful tool to benefit the discussion of self-care for the patient, and to secure health literacy, medication adherence, and HRQOL. The valid and reliable self-care questionnaire is available for patients with IBD at gastroenterology clinics or out-patient clinics, as primary care. Disease activity affects self-care, and consequently the self-care activities.
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- Nielsen, Elinor, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating Pictures of Nature and Soft Music on Anxiety and Well-Being During Elective Surgery
- 2018
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Ingår i: Open Nursing Journal. - : Bentham Open. - 1874-4346. ; 12, s. 58-66
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Patients going through surgery being awake often have a sense of anxiety and need support to relax.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether looking at pictures of natural scenery could reduce anxiety and pain and increase relaxation and well-being being awake during the elective surgery.Methods: This three-arm, randomized intervention study consisted of one group viewing pictures of natural scenery, one group listening to soft instrumental music, and one control group without distraction, all adult patients (n=174). The State Trait Anxiety Inventory short form and a visual analogue scale on well-being were used as well as sedation treatment if necessary.Results: No differences related to anxiety after surgery were found among the three groups. When controlling for the effect of sedative treatment, however, patients without sedation had a lower degree of anxiety postoperatively (p=0.014). Younger patients had a higher degree of anxiety and lower degree of postoperative relaxation and well-being.Conclusion: Viewing pictures of natural scenery while being awake during elective surgery is as relaxing as listening to soft instrumental music. Offering nature scenery pictures for patients to view could be relaxing during the elective surgery.
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| 9. |
- Pihl Lesnovska, Katarina, 1973-
(författare)
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Life situation among persons living with inflammatory bowel disease.
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects physical, psychological and social dimensions, limiting the ability to engage in daily activities. Persons with IBD may need frequent and lifelong contacts with the healthcare (HC), highlighting the importance of quality care. High quality HC for persons with IBD involves a partnership between the HC professionals and the person living with the disease. Information is essential, the more a person knows about their disease, the more concordant and satisfied with their treatment they are likely to be.The overall aim of this thesis was to describe the knowledge need, life situation and perception of HC among persons living with IBD, in order to develop a questionnaire to evaluate the quality of HC.This thesis is based on three studies that are presented in four papers. Qualitative methods were used to describe aspects of life situation in relation to the disease, whereas quantitative method was used to develop a questionnaire measuring quality of care. Study I and II have an inductive qualitative design. In study I, qualitative interviews with 30 people were performed to describe the knowledge need and experience of critical incidents in daily life while living with IBD. The interviews in study I were analyzed using content analysis (results presented in Paper I) and critical incident technique (results presented in Paper II). In study II, the perceptions of HC among persons living with IBD was explored in five focus group interviews and two individual interviews, in total n=26. Study III aimed to develop and evaluate a questionnaire, measuring quality of care among persons with IBD, including 318 persons with IBD and 8 professionals. The knowledge need among persons with IBD focused on managing symptoms and course of the disease and learning to assimilate the information in order to manage everyday life. Losing bowel control was of great concern for most of the informants in the study. Many of the informants said that “the bowel ruled their life” and that it influenced them to a great extent in their daily lives. The perception of HC among persons with IBD meant being met with respect and mutual trust, receiving information at the right time, shared decision-making, competence and communication, access to care, accommodation, continuity of care and the pros and cons of specialized care. The quality of care questionnaire QoC-IBD was constructed in five dimensions, building on the results from Study I and II. The dimensions were trust and respect, decision-making, information, continuity of care and access to care consisting of 21 questions in total. QoC-IBD is a short, self-administrated questionnaire that measures experiences of healthcare among persons with IBD with promising validity and reliability.To improve quality of care, HC is recommended to consider individual care needs and take the person’s daily life and social context into account. The QoC-IBD questionnaire measures the subjective experience of quality of care. Further testing in clinical practice is necessary to evaluate if QoC-IBD can be used to evaluate the care given and areas of improvement in HC for persons living with IBD.
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