The role of occupational nurses

Praca jest wartością szczególną, a przez to chronioną przez polskie prawo. Działalność zawodowa polegająca na och ronię zdrowia pracownika to, w jej najbardziej dosłownym znaczeniu, medycyna pracy. Personel wykonujący zadania medycyny pracy stanowią odpowiednio wykształceni lekarze, pielęgniarki oraz psychologowie. Pielęgniarki mogą zdobyć umiejętności konieczne do wykonywania zadań medycyny pracy uczestnicząc w edukacji na poziomie podyplomowym, a konkretnie dzięki ukończeniu odpowiedniego kursu lub szkolenia specjalistycznego. Pozyskanie wymaganych kompetencji za wód owych pozwala im na wykonywanie zadań medycyny pracy, do których należy m.in. ochrona zdrowia pracowników przed czynnikami ryzyka zawodowego w środowisku ich pracy, a także profilaktyka zdrowotna i monitorowanie stanu zdrowia.Work bears special value and therefore, it is under protection from the Polish law. Activities focused on the protection of employee's health, are to be seen as occupational medicine in its purest form. The personnel who carry out such tasks are properly qualified doctors, nurses and psychologists. Nurses can acquire qualifications necessary to perform the tasks of the occupational medicine by way of postgraduate education, namely, by completing a qualification or specialization training course. Obtaining the necessary competences lets them complete objectives such as occupational health protection against the harmful effects o f working environment conditions. occupational prophylaxis and health monitoring

Właściwości bielonych mas celulozowych ze zużytej tektury falistej o zróżnicowanym stopniu roztworzenia

The strength, structural, optical and water absorption properties of bleached pulps from unprinted, low and high kappa number old corrugated containers (OCC) were determined. The results were compared with the properties of bleached birch pulp and pine pulp. It was found that old corrugated containers pulps show higher Shopper-Riegler freeness, distinctly lower tensile strength, and lower maximum short-span compressive strength (SCT) than birch and pine pulps. However, they also show quite good tear resistance, optical properties, bulk and water absorption. In order to explain the differences in the properties of bleached OCC pulps and birch and pine pulps, they were evaluated using image analysis. This study showed that OCC pulps contain both long softwood and short hardwood fibres, with a predominance of the former. An analysis of the lower tensile strength of OCC pulps was also made. It was established that it is mainly caused by the lower degree of polymerisation (DP) of cellulose and the higher degree of damage of OCC fibres.Oznaczono właściwości wytrzymałościowe, strukturalne, optyczne oraz chłonne bielonych mas celulozowych wytworzonych z niezadrukowanej zużytej tektury falistej o liczbie kappa odpowiednio 52,6 i 103. Uzyskane wyniki oznaczeń porównano z właściwościami bielonych mas celulozowych brzozowej i sosnowej. Stwierdzono, że bielone masy celulozowe ze zużytej tektury falistej charakteryzują się wyższą smarnością, znacząco niższą wytrzymałością na zerwanie i niższą wytrzymałością na zgniatanie przy krótkim wpięciu w porównaniu z bielonymi masami celulozowymi z drewna brzozowego i sosnowego. Wykazują jednak dobrą odporność na przedarcie, dobre właściwości optyczne i objętość właściwą oraz zdolność do absorpcji wody w postaci pulchnego arkusika i puchu. W celu wyjaśnienia różnic we właściwościach bielonych mas ze zużytej tektury falistej i mas brzozowej i sosnowej oznaczono ich właściowści morfologiczne metodą komputerowej analizy obrazu. Badania te wykazały m.in., że masy makulaturowe zawierają zarówno włókna drewna iglastego, jak i liściastego z przewagą tych pierwszych. Przeanalizowano również przyczynę niższej wytrzymałości na zerwanie bielonych celulozowych mas ze zużytej tektury falistej. Stwierdzono, że głównym jej powodem jest niższy stopień polimeryzacji celulozy tych mas i większy stopień uszkodzenia włókien

Ways of toping with stress s at work paramedics

Wykonywanie zawodu ratownika medycznego wiąże się z wieloma sytuacjami stresującymi, takimi jak narażenie na utratę zdrowia lub życia, obcowanie ze śmiercią i cierpieniem, decyzje o zaprzestaniu prowadzenia resuscytacji krążeniowo-oddechowej, ale także konfliktami interpersonalnymi oraz znacznym obciążeniem pracą. Artykuł prezentuje wyniki badań z zakresu oceny stresu w pracy grupy zawodowej ratowników medycznych oraz ukazuje strategię aktywności podejmowanej przez badanych w obliczu stresu zawodowego. Prawie 92% badanych odczuwa stres w związku ze swoją pracą Kobiety charakteryzują się wyższym poziomem odczuwanego stresu w porównaniu z mężczyznami. Ratownicy medyczni w procesie radzenia sobie ze stresem najczęściej stosują strategię aktywnego radzenia sobie. Inną strategią jest akceptacja, czyli przyjęcie zaistniałej sytuacji i uczenie się, jak z nią żyć.The paramedic profession is accompanied by a wide range of stressful situations, especially: health-threatening as well as life-threatening events, dealing with death and suffering. decisions to terminate CPR, however also interpersonal conflicts and work overload. The paper presents the results of evaluation of stress m the work of a group of professional paramedics and reveals the strategy of the activity undertaken by the respondents in the face of occupational stress. The findings suggest that approximately 92% of respondents consider their job as stressful. Women have a higher level of stress compared with men. Paramedics in the process of compared with stress most frequently use active coping strategies. Another strategy used is the acceptance, i.e adoption of the situation and learning how live with it

Motivational interviewing in obesity reduction

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a clinical, person-centred way of talking about change based on cooperation and aimed at strengthening a person, enhancing their motivation, and commitment to change. The phenomenon of the type of communication lies in its interdisciplinary character and effective application in health promoting education. The purpose of the article is to present the method of MI and possibilities of using it in the practice of obesity reduction on the basis of literature review reports on MI in health promotion delivered in the databases of, among others, PubMed and Scholar Google. The numerous research findings prove that MI is an effective intervention, which activates and supports people in the process of change due to bolstering their self-awareness, self-efficacy, and motivation, which, consequently, favours the effort made to achieve or maintain health. The potential of the approach in health promotion relies on the vast array of its application

Polska adaptacja Interpersonalnej Skali Wsparcia Społecznego, wersja dla studentów (Isel-48v.Coll.: Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, Version College)

Background. The objective of the study was the adaptation and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Social Support Scale version for students (ISEL-48v.Coll.: Interpersonal Support Evaluation List College Version). Material and methods. The validation of the instrument was performed according to methodological standards, and statistical validation covered the assessment of criterion and construct validity, and reliability of the scale. The study was conducted with the use of the test-retest method, and a package of research instruments was applied, including, apart from the ISEL-48v.Coll., the PSS-14, HADS and SOC-29. The validation sample covered a group of 167 nursing students for the test and 115 for the retest. Results. Reliability of the ISEL-48 v. Coll. as evaluated by Cronbach’s alpha was 0.88, and for the subscales, it ranged from 0.82 to 0.69. The stability of results determined by the correlation in test-retest analysis ranged within 0.76 – 0.61 (p<0.001 and p<0.01). Conclusions. The analysis of results shows that the adopted ISEL-48v.Coll. is an instrument possessing satisfying psychometric properties.Wprowadzenie. Celem badań było przeprowadzenie procedury adaptacji i oceny właściwości psychometrycznych Interpersonalnej Skali Wsparcia Społecznego w wersji dla studentów (ISEL-48v.Coll.: Interpersonal Support Evaluation List College version). Materiał i metody. Adaptacja lingwistyczna skali została przeprowadzona zgodnie z obowiązującymi standardami metodologicznymi, a walidacja statystyczna poprzez określenie trafności kryterialnej, teoretycznej i rzetelności. W badaniu wykorzystano metodę test-retest i zastosowano pakiet narzędzi badawczych oprócz ISEL-48v.Coll. również PSS-14, HADS, SOC-29. Próba walidacyjna obejmowała grupę 167 studentów dla testu i 115 dla retestu. Wyniki. Rzetelność ISEL-48 v.Coll. oceniana współczynnikiem alfa Cronbacha wynosiła 0.88 a dla podskal waha się od 0.82 do 0.69. Stałość wyników określona współczynnikiem korelacji w badaniu test-retest przyjmowała wartości od 0.76 do 0.61 (p<0.001 and p<0.01). Wnioski. Analiza wyników wskazuje iż zaadaptowana ISEL-48v.Coll jest narzędziem o zadowalających właściwościach psychometrycznych

Quality of life predictors in informal caregivers of seniors with a functional performance deficit &ndash; an example of home care in Poland

Barbara Ślusarska, Agnieszka Bartoszek, Katarzyna Kocka, Alina Deluga, Agnieszka Chrzan-Rodak, Grzegorz NowickiDepartment of Family Medicine and Community Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, PolandBackground: There is insufficient research into informal caregivers&rsquo; quality of life (QoL) in Poland. The purpose of this work is to study predictors that considerably affect QoL of informal caregivers (IC) providing home care for seniors with chronic diseases and a functional performance deficit.Materials and methods: In the cross-sectional research design, ICs were randomly chosen among the geriatric population receiving care in 5 primary health care settings. The WHOQoL-AGE questionnaire was used to assess QoL of ICs (n=138). The Barthel scale and Polish version of the Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS) were applied to assess individuals with chronic diseases and functional and mental performance deficits (n=138). The Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form (GDS-SF) was used to measure the extent of risk of depressive symptoms in care-receivers. A hierarchical regression analysis was carried out to determine predictors of caregivers&rsquo; QoL.Results: Mean values in the group of seniors provided with home care were as follows: the Barthel scale M=43.20, SD=27.06, the AMTS M=7.78 (SD=1.65), and the GDS-SF M=7.34 (SD=3.10). QoL of ICs (the WHOQoL-AGE) was M=70.14 (SD=15.31). Significant predictors of caregivers&rsquo; QoL turned out to be support in care given by others &beta; =0.605, p&lt;0.001, experience in care &beta; =&ndash;0.220; p&lt;0.001, caregivers&rsquo; health self-assessment &beta; =0.174, p&lt;0.001, and depressive disorders in care-receivers GDS &beta; = &minus;0.178, p&lt;0.001.Conclusions: The QoL of ICs who provide care for individuals with chronic diseases and a functional performance deficit improves with an increase in the support they receive from others, their higher health self-assessment, and greater experience in care. An increase in depressive symptoms in care-receivers determines a lower level of caregivers&rsquo; QoL.Keywords: predictors, informal caregivers, quality of life, home care, functional performance deficit, patients with chronic disease

Socio-demographic differentiation of selected risk factors in a group of patients with respiratory system diseases

Introduction : Tobacco smoking is the major risk factor of respiratory system diseases. However, it is worth noticing other crucial factors increasing the risk of such diseases, such as alcohol consumption, obesity, excess fat tissue around the neck and throat, malnutrition, tranquilisers and soporifics, and previous respiratory system diseases. Aim of the research : To analyse the socio-demographic differentiation of selected respiratory system diseases risk factors in a group of pulmonological patients. Material and methods : The research covered 126 pulmonological patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis, or lung cancer. The study employed standardised research tools: the Fagerström test, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and a self-designed questionnaire. Neck circumference and body weight measurements were performed to calculate body mass index and waist-hip ratio. The significance level was established at p < 0.05. Results : Most patients smoked tobacco in the past or were active smokers. Over 50% reported occasional alcohol drinking and demonstrated malnutrition risk or abdominal obesity. Smoking was more often practised by men, people with lower education, and COPD and tuberculosis patients. Malnutrition risk was associated with tuberculosis and lung cancer. Tobacco consumption as a respiratory system diseases risk factor more often applied to men and people below 50 years of age. The use of soporifics increased with age and concerned lung cancer patients. Previous respiratory system diseases correlated with the respondents’ education. Conclusions : The most frequent respiratory system diseases risk factors are smoking, malnutrition, and abdominal obesity. Respiratory system diseases risk factors are significantly correlated with sex, age, place of residence, and previous respiratory system diseases

Age discrimination in healthcare institutions perceived by seniors and students

BACKGROUND: Old age-based discrimination is observed as the most tolerated prejudice in society and has also been witnessed in healthcare institutions. AIMS: The aim of this study is to explore age-based discrimination in healthcare institutions as perceived by seniors and students of Medicine and Nursing. RESEARCH DESIGN: A multi-method study design, by involving a triangulation design. Participants and research context: A purposeful sample of individuals aged 65+ (n = 80) and medical and nursing students (n = 100) in the eastern region of Poland. Ethical considerations: Ethical approval of the research protocol was received from the Ethics Committee at the Medical University of Lublin. FINDINGS: 'Old age' was perceived by groups of participants based on three themes: (a) positive, (b) negative and (c) neutral connotations. The negative connotations predominated. The beginning of old age was defined by the metric of age and described by showing the complexity of the ageing process involving subjective, objective and societal aspects. Experience of age discrimination in healthcare institutions was reported by 24 (30%) seniors and witnessed by 47 (47%) students surveyed and for both groups occurred mainly at the hospital level and by physicians. Only 48 students (48%) declared a willingness to work with the older people in the future, and barriers were reported at the personal and professional levels, and also in some visions of older people. CONCLUSION: The conceptualization of old age as reported by seniors and students mainly carried negative connotations, reflecting the profoundly based stereotypes within society regarding the older people. Seniors have reported being exposed to ageism and have witnessed ageism episodes in HCIs; also, students have faced ageism episodes during their clinical education. There is a need for ethical education within medical and nursing courses to shape positive attitudes towards the older people. A positive vision of ageing should be promoted not only among young people but also among adults and older people to avoid self-stereotyping of older people and seeing old age from negative perspective

Exploring the reliability and validity of the Huntington’s Disease quality of life battery for carers (HDQoL-C) within a Polish population

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare genetic neurodegenerative disorder that causes motor disorders, neuropsychiatric symptoms and a progressing deterioration of cognitive functions. Complex issues resulting from the hereditary nature of HD, the complexity of symptoms and the concealed onset of the disease have a great impact on the quality of life of family carers. The caregivers are called the “forgotten people” in HD, especially with relation to genetic counseling. This study aims to explore the reliability and validity of the Huntington’s Disease Quality of Life Battery for carers (HDQoL-C) within a Polish population. A total of 90 carers recruited from the Enroll-HD study in Polish research centers of the European Huntington’s Disease Network completed a polish translation of the HDQoL-C. Data were subjected to Principle Components Analysis (PCA) and reliability measures. The Polish version of the shortened versions of the HDQoL-C is similarly valid compared to the original English version and suitable for use within this population. The HDQoL-C has previously demonstrated a wide range of benefits for practitioners in capturing and understanding carer experience and these benefits can now be extended to Polish speaking populations.N/