Promoting family-centred care through primary nursing practice in Nigeria : an action research project

The context of the family in developing countries, especially in Nigeria, is very wide and embraces the immediate as well as the extended family members. The involvement of the family in health care can not be over-emphasised in the Nigerian society where every family member assumes the role of his/her brother's keeper. The expectations of and the role of the Nigerian extended family system in the health care of its members, the problem of incompatibility of the nursing process with the Nigerian nursing organisational pattern, which is predominantly functional nursing, and the increased call for the improvement of the quality of nursing care in Nigeria informed this study.The 'outsider' model of action research project using an 'insider' was undertaken to promote family-centred care through the introduction of primary nursing in Nigeria. The project involved introduction and evaluation of change in a model ward in a Nigerian hospital. The change was implemented in phases. A 37-bed medical-surgical ward in a 400-bed tertiary health institution formed the nucleus site for the change. Twenty-eight nursing staff (25 trained and 3 untrained), all patients and their families in the model ward and others took part in the change. In the pre-change evaluation study, 10 patients and 8 family members were assessed, while 8 patients and 6 family members were involved in the post-change evaluation. Data collection was carried out before and after the introduction of the change through observation, review of records, interview and self-report questionnaire. Measures used in the study included: QUALPACS, nurse-patient and nurse-family interaction sheets, modified Riser satisfaction questionnaire for patient and family satisfaction, questionnaire to determine the focus of nursing care and questionnaire to assess the practice of primary nursing in the model ward.Families and patients were supportive of the change, nurses were receptive of the change, hospital administration was helpful and other health care practitioners were neutral about the change. Other wards in the hospital and other hospitals expressed willingness to join in the change. After the introduction of primary nursing into the model ward, there appeared to be (1) marked improvement in the quality of nursing care received by the patients, (2) higher levels of family and patient satisfaction with nursing care, (3) an increase in the frequency of nurse-patient and nurse-family interactions, (4) improvement in the level of patient and family involvement in interactions and (5) an increase in the number of nurse-patient and nurse-family interactions in which supportive nursing activities were involved.Despite the study limitations, further research and replication studies are suggested to enable the spread of family-centred nursing care into other hospitals. Possibilities for continuity measures, outcomes for nursing staff and other health care practitioners have been raised as necessary variables for future evaluative studies. The need for more long term studies on primary nursing, and an in-depth study to ascertain the association between presence of family at patient's beside while the patient is under care and the level of patient satisfaction with nursing care have been implicated from this study

Management Strategies Employed by Master Blaster Band in the 2014 Carnival Calabar

Carnival is a festive activity. It typically involves public celebrations combining some elements of circus with masks, public street party and displays of folklore. This study tends to investigate, identify and evaluate the different management strategies that were employed in the management of the Master Blaster Band in the Carnival Calabar 2014. Information about the band and details that are not in public domain was revealed through interviews with the band personnel, Carnival Commission and some members of the Band. It is pertinent for the Band to have in their employ, creative managers in the different categories. Keywords: Carnival Calabar; Management skills, Performance Arts; Band management; Master Blaster Ban

Why undertake a pilot in a qualitative PhD study? Lessons learned to promote success

YesBackground Pilot studies can play an important role in qualitative studies. Methodological and practical issues can be shaped and refined by undertaking pilots. Personal development and researchers’ competence are enhanced and lessons learned can inform the development and quality of the main study. However, pilot studies are rarely published, despite their potential to improve knowledge and understanding of the research. Aim To present the main lessons learned from undertaking a pilot in a qualitative PhD study. Discussion This paper draws together lessons learned when undertaking a pilot as part of a qualitative research project. Important methodological and practical issues identified during the pilot study are discussed including access, recruitment, data collection and the personal development of the researcher. The resulting changes to the final study are also highlighted. Conclusion Sharing experiences of and lessons learned in a pilot study enhances personal development, improves researchers’ confidence and competence, and contributes to the understanding of research

Urban development in the third world and threat to wetlands: The case study of Calabar, Nigeria

Wetlands constitute only two percent of the world’s land mass. Yet, a total of 10% of the world population live in wetlands. Also, about 13% of global urban settlements are found in wetlands. Coastal ecosystems are among the most productive in the world and are among the most threatened. A significant global response to this threat was the 1971 Convention held in Ramsar, Iran, to save the world’s wetlands. Unfortunately, most developing countries are not signatories to the convention, and those that are have paid passive attention to its articles; leading to massive loss of wetlands in these countries. Cities along water ways and basins (such as Calabar) are known for their rapid growth. Calabar has witnessed a rapid urban growth of recent. This growth has led to severe encroachment into the city’s wetlands formed by the Great Kwa and Calabar Rivers with the attendant degradation of the ecosystems. This paper examines the danger posed by the spread of the city to these wetlands and proffers solutions that would check the incursion into these pristine natural habitats. The paper also recommends the development of eco-tourism resort as part of the larger Calabar urban landscape architecture. This will add to the tourism potentials of the city as envisaged by Cross River State.Keywords: Calabar, Coastal ecosystem, Kwa River, Ramsar Convention, wetland

Eliciting Patient Cooperation in Paediatric Radiography with Inducement Devices

Purpose: Obtaining good quality images whilst minimizing repeat examinations and radiation dosage in paediatric radiography requires patient co-operation. This study aims to assess the usability of inducement devices to gain child cooperation during paediatric radiography in Lagos, Nigeria.Method: A cross-sectional study design was employed to sample information on the use of child inducement devices by Radiographer and Radiologist during paediatric radiography. A 19-item close ended questionnaire was administered to 70 Radiology personnel consisting of 45 Radiographers and 25 Radiologists. Questions were fashioned in a way to gain insight on best practices to gain the child patient cooperation. Some questions relating to demographics, experience and employment were included. Following collation descriptive statistics were developed.Results: Results showed that paediatric examinations were frequently carried out in the study area (75%). About 87% of respondents were of the opinion that the use of inducement devices aided in the production of better quality images. Light-up (72%) and Musical (27%) toys constituted the most effective inducement devices, and were considered the most valuable (86.9%) toys by Radiology personnel.Conclusion: The results show that the use of inducement devices elicits child cooperation and improves the ease of paediatric examinations

Managers’ perspectives on promotion and professional development for black African nurses in the UK

YesAn exploratory qualitative study design was adopted for this study and underpinned by Rex’s migrant workers framework (Rex, 1999). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten ward managers from four NHS trusts in the north-east of England to gain an insight into their experiences of working with black African nurses with regard to equal opportunities in accessing professional development and promotion. Managers reported that black African nurses experienced racism from patients, racism from colleagues, discrimination and lack of equal opportunities. A unique finding of the study was that managers stereotyped black African nurses as lacking motivation for professional development and promotion. The authors recommend that NHS ward managers receive training in implementing antidiscrimination policies and valuing equality and diversity

Correction: Archibong, A.E., et al. Effects of Benzo(a)pyrene on Intra-testicular Function in F-344 Rats

We found some errors in Figure 4 in our paper published in the International journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [1].[...

Performance Analysis of Multi-Body Modeled Washing Machines (MBomWM)

One of the key features of an automated washing machine is the noise and vibration it produces, or more technically, the decibel level it produces. Numerous of home appliance companies have put in much effort to solve this problem but there is still large room for further improvements especially in the rinse and the spin cycles of a washing machine. This work illustrates the performances of multi-body modelled of washing machines realized with the aim to analyze the vibrational acoustic emission. An experimental measurement has been carried out using a digital sound level meter (SLM) to determine the overall noise produced by four different modelled of automated washing machines with a view of noting the model with the highest sound pressure level during the three different cycles (the wash, rinse and spin). Results show that all the machines produced their highest noise during the spinning cycle. Out of the four different models considered, IPSO HF: 304 has the highest sound level of 99.62 during its spin cycle when a maximum load of 30Kg was applied, followed by Imesa RC 23 with a 96.13. On the other hands, LG: Direct Drive 13 has the least sound pressure level of 84.75. With this knowledge in mind, one can advise a buyer of which model to purchase from the market and if an operator must use the machine, how long he can operate such machine without health challenges

Moringa oleifera Lam extract attenuates gastric ulcerations in high salt loaded rats

Moringa oleifera Lam is a plant used extensively both in traditional and orthodox medicine to treat myriad ailments, including gastrointestinal disorders. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of leaf extract of M. oleifera some gastrointestinal function parameters in high salt loaded rats. Acute toxicity study was done using 70 male white mice (18-20 g) were used for the study. They were randomly selected and assigned to 7 cages of 10 animals per cage. Percentage mortalities were converted to probits and plotted against the log10 of the dose of the extract from which the LD50 value was calculated. Fresh leaf extract of M. oleifera was Soxhlet extracted. 24 albino Wistar rats were randomly assigned into 4 main groups of 6 rats each. Fed on normal rat chow, high salt (8% NaCl) diet + 1% NaCl drinking water and/or M. oleifera extract (600 mg/kg bw). The feeding regimens lasted for 42 days. Results obtained revealed that the extract had an LD50 value of 1,872.22 mg/kg from which a test dose of 600 mg/kg was derived for the feeding regimen. The salt fed rats had significantly (p<005) raised basal gastric acid output (9.03 ± 0.17 mmol/L/hr) compared with control (7.27 ± 0.17 mmol/L/hr), but had blunted response to administered histamine and cimetidine, while treatment with the extract enhanced the sensitivity of histamine in high salt loaded rats. Gastric mucus concentration was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the salt untreated group (0.25 ± 0.004 g) compared with other groups. The salt fed untreated group also had significantly (p<0.05) raised gastric ulcers (10.83 ± 0.70) compared with other groups, these were reversed following Moringa treatment. In conclusion, Moringa oleifera extract reverses gastric ulcers and blunted histaminergic receptors in high salt fed rats. The mechanism by which high salt increases gastric secretion is independent of the histaminergic mechanism

Why part-time nurses should be valued

YesThe article discusses how nurses are increasingly being valued as autonomous decision makers and co-ordinators of patient care. Topics include relating to the age of the dependent children, a woman's working hours and any successive career breaks, woman's career progression directly related to the school age of the dependent children, and children being inhibit and is driven in part by a determination to maintain traditional employment practices