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- Sprung, Charles L., et al.
(author)
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Attitudes of European physicians, nurses, patients, and families regarding end-of-life decisions : the ETHICATT study
- 2007
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In: Intensive Care Medicine. - Berlin : Springer. - 0342-4642 .- 1432-1238. ; 33:1, s. 104-110
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To evaluate attitudes of Europeans regarding end-of-life decisions. DESIGN AND SETTING: Responses to a questionnaire by physicians and nurses working in ICUs, patients who survived ICU, and families of ICU patients in six European countries were compared for attitudes regarding quality and value of life, ICU treatments, active euthanasia, and place of treatment. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Questionnaires were distributed to 4,389 individuals and completed by 1,899 (43%). Physicians (88%) and nurses (87%) found quality of life more important and value of life less important in their decisions for themselves than patients (51%) and families (63%). If diagnosed with a terminal illness, health professionals wanted fewer ICU admissions, uses of CPR, and ventilators (21%, 8%, 10%, respectively) than patients and families (58%, 49%, 44%, respectively). More physicians (79%) and nurses (61%) than patients (58%) and families (48%) preferred being home or in a hospice if they had a terminal illness with only a short time to live. CONCLUSIONS: Quality of life was more important for physicians and nurses than patients and families. More medical professionals want fewer ICU treatments and prefer being home or in a hospice for a terminal illness than patients and families.
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- Enskär, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Attitudes to and knowledge about pain and pain management, of nurses working with children with cancer : A comparative study between UK, South Africa and Sweden
- 2007
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In: Journal of Research in Nursing. - 1744-9871. ; 12:5, s. 501-515
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pain is among the most common effects of cancer and its treatment. Children and young people with cancer often consider pain from procedures and treatment to be the worst aspect of their illness. This study aimed to i) identify and describe knowledge and attitudes to pain and pain management amongst nurses working with children with cancer and ii) compare the perspectives on pain and pain management of nurses from UK, South Africa and Sweden. 106 nurses working with children with cancer in UK, South Africa and Sweden completed Salanterä’s (1999) questionnaire on nurses’ attitudes to pain in children. Nurses had good levels of knowledge and positive attitudes to pain management, with Swedish nurses’ having higher levels of knowledge and a more positive attitude to pain management than nurses from UK or South Africa. A high level of knowledge was correlated to a more positive attitude to pain management. Knowledge levels need to be improved to ensure more positive attitudes to pain management, especially for nurses in South Africa. Swedish nurses’ level of knowledge about non-pharmacological pain management strategies has scope for improvement. British nurses may need to focus more on the sociology and psychology of pain.
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- Westius, Anders, et al.
(author)
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View of life in persons with dementia
- 2009
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In: Dementia. - London : Sage. - 1471-3012 .- 1741-2684. ; 8:4, s. 481-499
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To study the view of life in dementia. The view of life of an individual is defined as a conception of reality, a central system of values and a basic emotional attitude.Method: Interviews with persons (N = 21) with mild to moderate dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. The interview data were interpreted with a phenomenological hermeneutical method.Results: Despite their cognitive deterioration it was possible to understand the view of life of the participants in the frame of their life story. Their view of life seemed to guide them towards selecting mainly emotionally powerful and value-oriented memories. No exceptional characteristics that could be traced to their dementia disease were found in the participants’ views of life. Conclusions: The view of life of the participants with mild to moderate dementia was vital for their life story and was not erased by dementia.Implications: In order to respect people with dementia as persons, caregivers should strive for gaining some knowledge of their view of life.
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- Ekbäck, Maria [Palmetun], et al.
(author)
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"It is always on my mind" : women's experiences of their bodies when living with hirsutism
- 2009
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In: Health Care for Women International. - London : Taylor & Francis. - 0739-9332 .- 1096-4665. ; 30:5, s. 358-372
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many women suffer from excessive hair growth, often in combination with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). It is unclear how hirsutism influences such women's experiences of their bodies. Our aim is to describe and interpret women's experiences of their bodies when living with hirsutism. Interviews were conducted with 10 women with hirsutism. We used a qualitative latent content analysis. Four closely intertwined themes were disclosed: the body was experienced as a yoke, a freak, a disgrace, and as a prison. Hirsutism deeply affects women's experiences of their bodies in a negative way.
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- Söderström, Marie, et al.
(author)
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Weekday and weekend patterns of diurnal cortisol, activation and fatigue among people scoring high for burnout
- 2006
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In: SJWEH Supplements. - 1795-9926 .- 1795-9918. ; :2, s. 35-40:2, s. 35-40
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives The present pilot study attempted to investigate the diurnal pattern of cortisol, subjective activation, and mental fatigue among workers scoring high for burnout. The purpose was also to relate the cortisol data to objective sleep data.Methods One group with high (N=9) burnout scores and one with low (N=11) such scores were compared during a workday and a day off.Results The high-burnout group showed higher awakening cortisol during the workday than during the weekend. They also showed higher ratings for activation and mental fatigue during the weekend than the low-burnout group. A higher frequency of arousals during the prior sleep was associated with a higher diurnal amplitude and an earlier diurnal peak of cortisol during the workday.Conclusions The present results, which, due to the small sample size, should be interpreted with caution, may indicate that stress-induced frequency of arousal during sleep could contribute to the diurnal amplitude of cortisol. Furthermore, increased activation and mental fatigue during the weekend may reflect impaired recovery, which is of possible importance in the burnout process.
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- Franzén, Kristofer, et al.
(author)
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Impact of chronic heart failure on elderly persons' daily life : a validation study
- 2006
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In: European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. - : Sage Publications. - 1474-5151 .- 1873-1953. ; 5:2, s. 137-145
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Knowledge about how elderly persons perceive the impact of chronic heart failure (CHF) on daily life is important when planning nursing care. For this purpose, disease specific instruments are needed. However, few instruments have been developed or tested specifically on elderly persons. AIM: To validate a Swedish version of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (LHFQ) on elderly persons with CHF, and use it to describe the impact of CHF on daily life in the same population. METHODS: The sample comprised of 357 persons, aged between 65 and 99, diagnosed with CHF. A questionnaire including background data, the LHFQ and the SF-12 was used. RESULTS: A factor analysis resulted in four dimensions: physical, emotional, treatment and pleasure. LHFQ showed convergent validity and ability to discriminate between known groups. Cronbach's alpha for the total scale was 0.94. Impairments in the physical dimension were most common, especially fatigue (88%) and shortness of breath (87%). CONCLUSIONS: The LHFQ showed satisfying psychometric properties in an elderly Swedish population with CHF and can, with minor alterations, be recommended for research and clinical use. The impact of chronic heart failure on daily life was mostly physical, but other impairments were also common.
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- Franzén, Kristofer, et al.
(author)
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Predictors for health related quality of life in persons 65 years or older with chronic heart failure
- 2007
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In: European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. - : Oxford University Press. - 1474-5151 .- 1873-1953. ; 6:2, s. 112-120
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundA main goal in nursing care of persons with chronic heart failure (HF) is to strengthen their health related quality of life (HRQoL). This presupposes knowledge about the relation between heart failure and HRQoL. Existing studies have shown incongruent results about whether HRQoL is affected differently depending on age or sex of elderly persons with chronic HF.AimThis study aimed to investigate if age, sex, disease severity, comorbidity and living conditions predict health related quality of life among persons 65 years or older with chronic HF.MethodsThe study included a sample of 357 persons. HRQoL was measured by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire and the Short Form-12 Health Survey Questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses were performed to analyse the relation between the predictors and HRQoL.ResultsThe main finding was that self-rated disease severity was strongly associated with HRQoL, but also age, sex, diabetes and respiratory diseases was associated with some of the dimensions of HRQoL.ConclusionsInterventions aimed at delaying the progress of the disease, assist persons' to cope with the disease and maintain the domains of HRQoL that are still feasible could be important to improve HRQoL in elderly persons with chronic HF.
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- Andersson, Gunnel, 1958-, et al.
(author)
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Urinary incontinence - why refraining from treatment? : a population based study
- 2005
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology. - London : Taylor & Francis. - 0036-5599 .- 1651-2065. ; 39:4, s. 301-307
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To investigate why persons with urinary incontinence (UI) refrain from seeking care and treatment.MATERIAL AND METHODS: A population-based study was undertaken in which a public health survey and a specific UI questionnaire were sent to 15 360 randomly selected residents (age 18-79 years) of Orebro County, Sweden. For all persons reporting UI, the expressed wish for treatment or no treatment was analyzed in relation to relevant variables from both inquiry forms using binary logistic regression analysis.RESULTS: The response rate was 64.5%. UI was reported by 2194 persons, 1724 of whom comprised the study population. A statistically significant association was found between the degree of UI and a desire for treatment. Persons who did not experience daily leakage and those who did not perceive the leakage as troublesome or having an affect on their daily life mostly stated that they did not desire treatment. Socioeconomic or other health-related factors were not associated with desiring or not desiring treatment for UI.CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that it is the perceived severity of UI that determines whether afflicted persons desire treatment or not. Other factors, relating to seeking healthcare in general, were not found to be of importance. Interventions to identify those in need of treatment for UI should primarily be directed towards those with severe symptoms.
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10. |
- Anderzén-Carlsson, Agneta, et al.
(author)
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Children's fear as experienced by the parents of children with cancer
- 2007
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In: Journal of Pediatric Nursing. - Amsterdam : Elsevier. - 0882-5963 .- 1532-8449. ; 22:3, s. 233-244
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is known that children with cancer experience and express fear, but little is found in the literature about how the parents experience their child's fear. This study aimed to highlight the parents' lived experience and understanding of their child's fear. Focus group interviews with 15 parents were performed. Data were analyzed through a phenomenological hermeneutic method. Fear in children with cancer is described by the parents as a multidimensional phenomenon, which is somehow difficult to identify. It appears in contrast to the absence of fear. The comprehensive understanding of the results reveals that the parents experience their children's fear as both a suffering and an ethical demand for the parents to answer.
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