The Restorative Potential of Icelandic Nature

This study aimed to investigate if proposed restorative attributes according to attention restoration theory and supportive environment theory could be experienced and identified in Icelandic landscape and contribute to a restorative experience in nature sites in rural Iceland. A prospective mixed-method study was conducted over the period of one year. Seven different nature sites that were considered likely to have restorative qualities were selected for the evaluation i.e., three forest sites, three seashores, and one park in and in the vicinity of Ísafjörður, Iceland. Each site was evaluated regarding how the participants experienced its restorative qualities and how a stay therein affected their mental state. Nature visits were offered once a week, where the participants visited one of the seven locations for two hours. The findings show that the participants perceived and experienced nature sites as having the characteristics of a restorative environment and that staying at the nature sites positively affected their mental state. External conditions, like weather, which can affect nature visits, were rarely a hinderance. Thus, it can be concluded that numerous coastal areas, forests, and parks in Iceland, especially in rural areas, might possess restorative qualities as well. This result shows that wild and open nature in North West Iceland has the characteristics of a restorative environment and can be utilized for health promotion

The restorative potential of Icelandic nature

Publisher Copyright: © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.This study aimed to investigate if proposed restorative attributes according to attention restoration theory and supportive environment theory could be experienced and identified in Icelandic landscape and contribute to a restorative experience in nature sites in rural Iceland. A prospective mixed-method study was conducted over the period of one year. Seven different nature sites that were considered likely to have restorative qualities were selected for the evaluation i.e., three forest sites, three seashores, and one park in and in the vicinity of Ísafjörður, Iceland. Each site was evaluated regarding how the participants experienced its restorative qualities and how a stay therein affected their mental state. Nature visits were offered once a week, where the participants visited one of the seven locations for two hours. The findings show that the participants perceived and experienced nature sites as having the characteristics of a restorative environment and that staying at the nature sites positively affected their mental state. External conditions, like weather, which can affect nature visits, were rarely a hinderance. Thus, it can be concluded that numerous coastal areas, forests, and parks in Iceland, especially in rural areas, might possess restorative qualities as well. This result shows that wild and open nature in North West Iceland has the characteristics of a restorative environment and can be utilized for health promotion.Peer reviewe

Skólaþjónusta sveitarfélaga við nemendur og foreldra: : Stefna, skipulag og inntak

Í þessari grein er sjónum beint að þeim þætti í skólaþjónustu sveitarfélaga sem skilgreindur er í reglugerð um þjónustuna (nr. 444/2019) sem stuðningur við nemendur í leik- og grunnskólum og foreldra þeirra. Leitast er við að svara því hvað einkenni stefnu sveitarfélaga um þennan þátt skólaþjónustu, skipulag hans og inntak, og hversu líklegt sé að það stuðli að menntun fyrir alla. Niðurstöður greinarinnar eru hluti stærri rannsóknar á skólaþjónustu sveitarfélaga. Þær eru byggðar á spurningakönnun til skólastjóra leik- og grunnskóla og forsvarsaðila skólaþjónustu, viðtölum við forsvarsaðila skólaþjónustu í fimm tilvikum og greiningu á stefnuskjölum á vefjum sveitarfélaganna. Meginniðurstöðurnar eru eftirfarandi: 1) að stefna og starfshættir skólaþjónustu einkennist af áherslu á greiningu frávika sem skilgreind eru sem vandi nemenda, 2) að auka þurfi skilvirkni ráðgjafar í kjölfar greininga og efla sameiginlegan skilning á eðli og inntaki hennar, 3) að efla þurfi stuðning skólaþjónustu við að takast á við áskoranir varðandi menntun fyrir alla og 4) að þörf sé á virkari samhæfingu þjónustukerfa utan skólans. Niðurstöðurnar beina athygli að menntun fyrir alla og jafnræði til náms á landsvísu og þær munu nýtast sveitarfélögum til að styrkja þjónustu við einstaka nemendur og kennara og til að efla skóla sem faglegar stofnanir.This paper focuses on the part of municipal school services in Iceland that comprises support to students in preschools and primary schools, and their parents. It seeks to answer the question what characterises the policy, organization and content of the services and how likely they are to support education for all. The findings are a part of a larger research project on municipal school services. They are based on a questionnaire submitted to the principals of preschools and compulsory schools and school service directors, interviews with school service staff in five cases, and a document analysis of the respective municipal web pages. The main findings are: 1) that the policy and practices of school services are characterized by an emphasis on the analysis of deviations defined as students’ problems, 2) that the effectiveness of consultation following diagnosis needs to be increased and that the common understanding of its nature and content needs to enhanced, 3) support for school services needs to be strengthened in tackling the challenges of education for all, and 4) there is a need for more active coordination of service systems outside the school. The results draw attention to education for all and equity in education at the national level and can be used by municipalities to enhance services for individual students and teachers and to strengthen schools as professional institutions.Peer reviewe

Prevalence of modifiable risk factors in primary elective arthroplasty and their association with infections

Funding Information: The study was approved by the Science Committee of the Capital area’s Primary Care and University of Iceland and by the Icelandic National Bioethics Committee (case number: VSN-18-098) and is registered at ClinicalTrials. gov (NCT05399186). This study was supported by grants from Landspitali Research Fund (A-2019-056, A-202-042, A-2021-036) and Research fund of Sigridur Larusdottir by University of Iceland. Data sharing is possible after reasonable request. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Completed disclosure forms for this article following the ICMJE template are available on the article page, doi: 10.2340/17453674.2023.8480 Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s).Background and purpose — The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of modifiable risk factors of surgical site infections (SSI) in patients undergoing primary elective total joint arthroplasty (TJA) receiving conventional preoperative preparation, and to explore their association with infectious outcomes. Patients and methods — Information regarding modifiable risk factors (anemia, diabetes, obesity, nutritional status, smoking, physical activity) was prospectively gath-ered in patients undergoing primary TJA of hip or knee in 2018–2020 at a single institution with 6 weeks’ follow-up time. Results — 738 patients (median age 68 years [IQR 61–73], women 57%) underwent TJA (knee 64%, hip 36%). Anemia was detected in 8%, diabetes was present in 9%, an additional 2% had undiagnosed diabetes (HbA1c > 47 mmol/mol), and 8% dysglycemia (HbA1c 42–47 mmol/mol). Obesity (BMI ≥ 30) was observed in 52%. Serum albumin, total lymphocyte count, and vitamin D below normal limits was identified in 0.1%, 18%, and 16%, respectively. Current smokers were 7%. Surgical site complications occurred in 116 (16%), superficial SSI in 57 (8%), progressing to periprosthetic joint infection in 7 cases. Univariate analysis identified higher odds of superficial SSI for BMI ≥ 30 (OR 2.1, 95%CI 1.2–3.8) and HbA1c ≥ 42 mmol/mol (OR 2.2, CI 1.1–4.2), but no association was found with other factors. Conclusion — In a general population undergoing primary TJA an association was found between obesity (52%) and dysglycemia/diabetes (19%) and superficial SSI (8%), which progressed to PJI in 12% of cases, generating a 1% total rate of PJI. Modification of these risk factors might mitigate infectious adverse outcomes.Peer reviewe

Aðgerðasjúklingar liggja ekki aðgerðalausir II : um hjúkrun sjúklinga á skurðdeildum [rafbók]

Titill á kápu á: Hjúkrun aðgerðasjúklinga IINeðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast bókina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn Skoða/Opna(view/open)- ÚR FORMÁLA - Bók þessi er önnur bóka í röðinni sem ber heitið: Aðgerðarsjúklingar liggja ekki aðgerðalausir og er innihald bókarinnar byggt á verkefnum hjúkrunarfræðinga sem stunduðu nám á meistarastigi í hjúkrun skurðsjúklinga við hjúkrunarfræðideild Háskóla Íslands. Innihald bókarinnar verður hvati til umræðu og til þróunar á hjúkrunarmeðferðum aðgerðasjúklinga. Nokkrir hjúkrunarfræðingar sem starfa á handlækningadeildum Sjúkrahússins á Akureyri eru í hópi þeirra sem eiga verkefni í bókinni, en hjúkrunarfræðideildin hefur undanfarin ár skapað hjúkrunarfræðingum jafnræði óháð búsetu til framhaldsnáms í hjúkrun. Aukin þekking þessara hjúkrunarfræðinga í hjúkrun aðgerðasjúklinga verður ómetanlegur styrkur fyrir hjúkrunina á sjúkrahúsinu og stofnunina í heild sinni. Mikil þrýstingur hefur verið undanfarin ár á almenna hjúkrunarfræðinga og stjórnendur í hjúkrun innan íslenska heilbrigðiskerfisins að þróa meðferðarárangur í hjúkrun, auka afköst um leið og krafan hefur verið um að lækka kostnað. Í dag og næstu ár verður staðan í ríkisfjármálum þannig háttað að kröfur verða gerðar um meiri hagræðingu en með þeim formerkjum að aðgengi íbúa skerðist ekki né innihald þjónustunnar. Mikilvægt er að hjúkrunarfræðingar taki ríkan þátt í þeim breytingum sem verða ákveðnar og hver og einn hjúkrunarfræðingur standi vörð um menntun og störf hjúkrunarfræðinga og það sem hefur áunnist í stöðu og þróun hjúkrunar sem fræðigreinar til heilla fyrir skjólstæðinga okkar.Í þágu sjúklingaFasta fyrir skurðaðgerð : „ekkert eftir miðnætti” er gömul klisjaEr þinn sjúklingur í hættu á vannæringu? Hlutverk hjúkrunarfræðinga í næringarmeðferð eldri sjúklinga sem fara í kransæðahjáveituaðgerðHlutverk næringar í sáragræðsluÁhættumat og varnir gegn myndun þrýstingssáraSárameðferð með sárasuguÁhrif fótanudds á svefn eldri skurðsjúklingaFóta- og handanudd sem viðbótarmeðferð við verkjum eftir hjáveituaðgerð á hjarta (CABG)Verkjameðferð við drentöku úr brjóstholi : bætir staðdeyfing á húð verkjameðferðina?Verkjamat aldraðra eftir skurðaðgerðBráðaverkjameðferð aldraðra á bæklunarskurðdeildVerkjamat hjá börnum eftir skurðaðgerðSamskipti og samvinna hjúkrunarfræðinga og læknaViðbrögð kvenna sem fara í endursköpun á brjóstum eftir brjóstnám vegna krabbameinsÚtskriftaráætlun eftir skurðaðgerð vegna brjóstakrabbameinsÚtskrift sjúklinga eftir mjaðmarbrotSjúklingafræðsla : símaeftirfylgd eftir hjartaskurðaðger

Treatment as Prevention for Hepatitis C (TraP Hep C) - a nationwide elimination programme in Iceland using direct-acting antiviral agents

Publisher's version (útgefin grein)A nationwide programme for the treatment of all patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) was launched in Iceland in January 2016. By providing universal access to direct‐acting antiviral agents to the entire patient population, the two key aims of the project were to (i) offer a cure to patients and thus reduce the long‐term sequelae of chronic hepatitis C, and (ii) to reduce domestic incidence of HCV in the population by 80% prior to the WHO goal of HCV elimination by the year 2030. An important part of the programme is that vast majority of cases will be treated within 36 months from the launch of the project, during 2016–2018. Emphasis is placed on early case finding and treatment of patients at high risk for transmitting HCV, that is people who inject drugs (PWID), as well as patients with advanced liver disease. In addition to treatment scale‐up, the project also entails intensification of harm reduction efforts, improved access to diagnostic tests, as well as educational campaigns to curtail spread, facilitate early detection and improve linkage to care. With these efforts, Iceland is anticipated to achieve the WHO hepatitis C elimination goals well before 2030. This article describes the background and organization of this project. Clinical trial number: NCT02647879.Sigurdur Olafsson: Speaker's fee from Merck. Magnus Gottfredsson: Speaker's fee from Astellas and Gilead. MH and the Burnet Institute receive investigator‐initiated research funding from Gilead Sciences, AbbVie and BMS.Peer Reviewe

Prehabilitation of patients for arthroplastic surgery. A new patient pathway

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Umhverfisfræði í rafrænum heimi

Markmið þessa verkefnis er að búa til námsvef með kennsluefni í umhverfisfræði fyrir nemendur á framhaldsskólastigi. Heimasíðunni er fylgt úr hlaði með greinargerð sem er ætlað að svara spurningunni um hvernig nýta megi upplýsingatækni í kennslu innan umhverfisfræðinnar. Í greinargerðinni er sagt frá því hvers vegna þetta efni varð fyrir valinu og það stutt með rökum og farið yfir þær breytingar sem fylgja því að kenna á 21. öldinni frá því sem tíðkaðist á síðustu öld. Einnig er fjallað um fræðimenn sem aðhyllast hugsmíðahyggju og rætt um kennsluaðferðir sem styrkja nemendur í námi og henta vel með rafrænu námi. Þá er einnig fjallað um hugmyndir John Dewey um það hvernig vísindalegt nám byggist á reynslu og hvernig nýta megi reynsluna til sjálfsnáms. Efni heimasíðunnar fjallar um helstu umhverfismál og vandamál því tengd sem nú brenna á fólki, til dæmis gróðurhúsaáhrif, mengun, endurnýjanlega orkugjafa, vistspor og kolefnisspor svo það helsta sé nefnt. Á síðunni er líka að finna myndefni til stuðnings og skemmtunar, auk reiknivélar og verkefna sem nemendur geta unnið með og bætt þannig við sína grunnþekkingu.The purpose of this assignment is to create a website with educational content in environmental science for students in secondary education. The website is prefaced with a summary, which poses the question of whether tutoring online can help with the teaching of these courses in environmental science, as well as highlighting the changes in teaching in the 21st century. The summary explains why this subject was selected and the selection is supported with arguments. It also highlights some of the scholars that have adapted constructivism and theories in teaching that strengthen students‘ resolve to learn and fit well within an online course. It also covers John Dewey‘s ideas about how studying science is supported by experiences that will help the student educate him-/herself. The contents of the website will cover the largest subjects within environmental science and the challenges we face as a species regarding the environment, such as greenhouse effects, pollution, renewable energy, ecological footprint and carbon footprint, to name a few. The website also contains graphic material for educational and entertainment purposes, a calculator and assignments that students can work on to improve their knowledge by searching for answers on the Internet