Oncology nurses' experiences of meeting with men with cancer-related fatigue : a qualitative study

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The Use of Information and Communication Technology to Meet Chronically Ill Patients’ Needs when Living at Home

The aim of the study was to describe influences, benefits, and limitations in using information and communication technology to meet chronically ill patients’ needs when living at home. The study is a descriptive, exploratory designed pilot study and the intervention was performed using an electronic communication program enabling communication between ill persons and the district nurse in real time by web cam pictures and sound. The participant used the programme once or twice a week from February to August 2008. Data were collected by means of repeated interviews and logbook notes, and were subjected to qualitative content analysis. The results showed that all participants appreciated being able to communicate regardless of time and place and their experiences of using information and communication technology revealed that it created feelings of safety and security. The information and communication technology became a tool in their communication and improved nursing care among seriously chronically ill persons living at home

Swedish District Nurses’ Attitudes to Implement Information and Communication Technology in Home Nursing

The use of information and communication technology has increased in the society, and can be useful in nursing care. The aim of this study was to describe district nurses’ attitudes regarding the implementation of information and communication technology in home nursing. The first and third authors performed five focus group discussions with 19 district nurses’ from five primary healthcare centres in northern Sweden. During the focus group discussions, the following topics were discussed: the current and future use of information and communication technology in home nursing; expectations, advantages, disadvantages and hindrances in the use of information and communication technology in home nursing; and the use of information and communication technology from an ethical perspective. The transcribed focus group discussions were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results showed that district nurses’ attitudes were positive regarding the use of information and communication technology in their work. They also asked for possibilities to influence the design and its introduction. However, the use of information and communication technology in home nursing can be described as a complement to communication that could not replace human physical encounters. Improvements and risks, as well as the importance of physical presence in home nursing were considered vital. The results revealed that the use of information and communication technology requires changes in the district nurses’ work situation

Swedish District Nurses’ Attitudes to Implement Information and Communication Technology in Home Nursing

The use of information and communication technology has increased in the society, and can be useful in nursing care. The aim of this study was to describe district nurses’ attitudes regarding the implementation of information and communication technology in home nursing. The first and third authors performed five focus group discussions with 19 district nurses’ from five primary healthcare centres in northern Sweden. During the focus group discussions, the following topics were discussed: the current and future use of information and communication technology in home nursing; expectations, advantages, disadvantages and hindrances in the use of information and communication technology in home nursing; and the use of information and communication technology from an ethical perspective. The transcribed focus group discussions were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results showed that district nurses’ attitudes were positive regarding the use of information and communication technology in their work. They also asked for possibilities to influence the design and its introduction. However, the use of information and communication technology in home nursing can be described as a complement to communication that could not replace human physical encounters. Improvements and risks, as well as the importance of physical presence in home nursing were considered vital. The results revealed that the use of information and communication technology requires changes in the district nurses’ work situation

Disability and social network. A comparison between children and adolescents with and without restricted mobility

The purpose of this study was to compare the social network (with particular emphasis on roles, relationships and activities) of school children and adolescents with restricted mobility (investigated group) with the social network of non-disabled school children and adolescents (comparison group). The group investigated consisted of 23 children and adolescents aged 7 to 19 years from northern Sweden. The results were compared with a group of 23 children and adolescents matched for age and gender from the same area. The children and adolescents were individually interviewed using the instrument “My social network.” The results showed that children and adolescents with restricted mobility had considerably fewer peers in their social network. Furthermore, these differences were greater among the adolescents. A plausible interpretation of these results is that there is a clear association between the number of peer relationships, accessibility to different surroundings and the possibility to perform various activities. How a social network that consists of members of the same age group affects children with restricted mobility is discussed according to Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory and the perspective of Oliver's (1996) social model of disability

Normalizing suffering: A meta-synthesis of experiences of and perspectives on pain and pain management in nursing homes

Older people who live in nursing homes commonly suffer from pain. Therefore, relieving suffering among older people thatstems from pain demands knowledge improvement through an integration of international knowledge. This study aimed tointegrate current international findings and strengthen the understanding of older people’s experiences of and perspectiveson pain and pain management in nursing homes. A meta-synthesis study using Noblit and Hare’s interpretative metaethnographyapproach was conducted. Empirical research papers from journals were collected from various databases. Thesearch process and appraisal determined six articles for inclusion. Two studies were conducted in the US and one each inIceland, Norway, the UK, and Australia. The older people’s experiences of pain as well as perspectives on pain managementfrom all involved (older people, their family members, and healthcare staff) were integrated into a theoretical model usingthree themes of ‘‘identity of pain,’’ ‘‘recognition of pain,’’ and ‘‘response to pain.’’ The metaphor of ‘‘normalizing suffering’’was devised to illustrate the meaning of pain experiences and pain management in nursing homes. Society’s commonattitude that pain is unavoidable and therefore acceptable in old age in society*among older people themselves as well asthose who are responsible for reporting, acknowledging, and relieving pain*must change. The article emphasizes that painas a primary source of suffering can be relieved, provided that older people are encouraged to report their pain. In addition,healthcare staff require sufficient training to take a person-centered approach towards assessment and management of painthat considers all elements of pain

Associations Between Mobile Health Technology Use and Self-rated Quality of Life: A Cross-sectional Study on Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is affected even at early stages in older adults with cognitive impairment. The use of mobile health (mHealth) technology can offer support in daily life and improve the physical and mental health of older adults. However, a clarification of how mHealth technology can be used to support the QoL of older adults with cognitive impairment is needed. Objective: To investigate factors affecting mHealth technology use in relation to self-rated QoL among older adults with cognitive impairment. Methods: A cross-sectional research design was used to analyse mHealth technology use and QoL in 1082 older participants. Baseline data were used from a multi-centred randomised controlled trial including QoL, measured by the Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease (QoL-AD) Scale, as the outcome variable. Data were analysed using logistic regression models. Results: Having moderately or high technical skills in using mHealth technology and using the internet via mHealth technology on a daily or weekly basis was associated with good to excellent QoL in older adults with cognitive impairment. Conclusions: The variation in technical skills and internet use among the participants can be interpreted as an obstacle for mHealth technology to support QoL

The meaning of play for children and young people withphysical disabilities: A systematic thematic synthesis

Children and young people with physical disabilities are often reported to play less than their typically developing peers. Few studies explore the meaning of play from the child's perspective; this study carried out a thematic synthesis of the findings of qualitative studies about the meaning of play following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. Methods: A search of CINAHL, AHMED, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ERIC was undertaken between September 2015 and March 2016. Qualitative studies exploring the meaning of play from the perspective of 0‐ to 18‐year‐olds with physical disabilities impacting function were included. Quality appraisal and thematic synthesis were undertaken in order to develop analytical themes. Results: Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria in part addressing the meaning of play for children and young people with physical disabilities. Synthesis of the findings identified 5 analytical themes: Play can feel both positive and negative; play can draw attention towards or awayfrom my disability; play is a social interaction; I participate differently to my peers, and needing help feels normal. Conclusions: The themes highlight the potential for play experiences of individuals with physical disabilities being overlooked by parents and professionals; further research is needed to explore play experience from these individual's perspective

Meanings of being received and met by others as experienced by women with MS

In order to elucidate meanings of being received and met by others as experienced by women with multiple sclerosis (MS) we conducted a qualitative inquiry. We interviewed 15 women with MS and analysed the interviews with a phenomenological hermeneutic interpretation. The findings were presented in two themes: experiencing oneself as a valuable person and experiencing oneself as diminished. Meanings of being received and met by others, as experienced by women with MS, can be understood as containing two dimensions where treatment from others can mean recognising oneself through confirmation, as well as being ignored due to missing togetherness with others

Living with a double burden: Meanings of pain for women with fibromyalgia

Living with fibromyalgia (FM) means living with a chronic pain condition that greatly influences daily life. The majority of people with FM are middle-aged women. The aim of this study was to elucidate meanings of pain for women with FM. Fifteen women with FM were interviewed about their pain experiences and a phenomenological hermeneutic interpretation was used to analyse the interview texts. The findings show that meanings of pain for women with FM can be understood as living with a double burden; living with an aggressive, unpredictable pain and being doubted by others in relation to the invisible pain. The ever-present pain was described as unbearable, overwhelming, and dominated the women's whole existence. Nevertheless, all the women tried to normalize life by doing daily chores in an attempt to alleviate the pain. In order to support the women's needs and help them to feel well despite their pain, it is important that nurses and health care personnel acknowledge and understand women with FM and their pain experiences