Den flexibla kuratorn - En diskursanalys av hur en yrkesroll formas i hälso- och sjukvården

The aim of this study was to illustrate how the counselors who work in health care themselves talked about their professional role. We wanted to highlight what the counselors describe as central factors in their creation of the professional role. Our chosen method was qualitative discourse analysis through interviews. We have interviewed eight counselors in health care; four from physical illnesses and four from mental illnesses. To analyze our empirical data we used Goffman's role theory, Giddens and his structuration theory/ modernity analysis and discourse theory. The results that emerged from the study was that the counselor‘s role was difficult to define. One factor that emerged from the interviews about how the counselors’ professional role was shaped was expectations from other professions. Another factor was that the counselor himself was actively aware of and shaped their professional role. How counselors used their language with other professions also emerged as an important factor in the creation of the professional role. Our study was current when it was investigated whether social workers in health care would be licensed. The majority of the counselors expressed that this was to be desired but would not affect their professional role in the encounter with other professions

Caring through barriers—Newly graduated registered nurses' lived experiences in emergency departments during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aim - To illuminate the meaning of newly graduated registered nurses' experiences of caring for patients in emergency departments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design - A phenomenological hermeneutical study guided by Lindseth and Norberg. Methods - In-depth one-on-one interviews with 14 nurses from five hospitals were conducted from March to November 2020 and analysed using thematic analysis. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) were used as the reporting guideline. Results - The findings comprise one main theme Caring through barriers and three themes with sub-themes. In the first theme, having intention to care, participants revealed their dedication to care for patients during the pandemic despite extensive stress, little experience and skills. The second theme, with tied hands in human suffering, illuminates experiences of being disconnected from the patient, overwhelmed by responsibility and unable to relieve suffering. The third theme, feeling inadequate, reveals experiences of lack of support and doubts meaning less space to develop into the nurse one wants to be. Conclusion - Findings reveal a new understanding of new nurses' experiences during times of crisis. The essence of caring in the emergency department during the pandemic can be explained as mediated through spatial, temporal and emotional barriers preventing new nurses from providing holistic care. Impact - The results may be used as anticipatory guidance for new nurses and inform targeted support interventions to support new nurses entering the profession in crisis conditions. Public Contribution - This study involved new nurses in semi-structured interviews

Integration eller återvändande? -Tillämpningen av tidsbegränsade uppehållstillstånd på bosnienkroatiska asylsökande i Sverige

Uppsatsen behandlar det motsägelsefulla flyktingmottagandet den bosnienkroatiska flyktinggruppen fick 1995, vilket resulterade i 5 års väntan på permanent uppehållstillstånd. De omfattades av både integration och återvändande samtidigt och fokus har lagts i uppsatsen på resultaten och upplevelse av integration idag. Till grund för uppsatsen ligger dessutom ett antal intervjuer med bosnienkroater och berörda tjänstemän

"Låt lärare vara lärare!" : En kvalitativ studie om stress bland grundskollärare

Litteraturgenomgång: Läraryrket framställs ofta som belastande och stressigt, samtidigt som det i Sverige idag råder en kraftig lärarbrist. Den kombinationen gör att lärare blir en utsatt grupp i samhället med hög risk för stressorsakad ohälsa. Syfte: Att undersöka lärares upplevelser av arbetsrelaterad stress. Metod: En kvalitativ studie har genomförts med fokusgrupper som undersökningsmetod. Urvalet gjordes utifrån en redan existerande lista, först genom ett bekvämlighetsurval och därefter utifrån självselektion. Analysen har gjorts med hjälp av kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Studiens resultat kunde ställas samman under sex kategorier: fysisk miljö, relationer, krav, arbetsuppgifter, tidsbrist, positiv stress och undvika negativ stress. Deltagarna upplevde betydligt fler stressorer i den psykosociala miljön jämfört med den fysiska, där de främsta riskfaktorerna som upplevdes var hur krävande relationer och mängden arbetsuppgifter ledde till en ständig tidsbrist. Slutsats: Resultatet har till stor del visat sig stämma överens med tidigare forskning inom området. Det preventiva hälsoarbetet för att minska stress bland lärare behöver kompletteras med ett mer promotivt synsätt eftersom upplevelsen av stress till stor del är individuell, vilket gör att alla riskfaktorer blir svåra att förebygga

Influence of CYP3A enzymes and ABC transporters on the activity of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia

The introduction of imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was a major break-through and the first drug that was successfully designed to target the specific mechanism of a malignant disease. Imatinib still remains as the standard treatment of newly diagnosed CML patients although a second generation of TKIs has also been approved for first-line CML treatment. Most patients achieve a good therapeutic effect with imatinib, but some patients are resistant to the drug and are at greater risk of disease progression. In order to further improve CML treatment, a better understanding of the underlying reasons for variable responses to imatinib and the second generation TKIs is important. A number of potential determinants of imatinib response have been suggested, including interindividual variability in pharmacokinetics. Variations in drug metabolism and cellular transport might contribute to the large variations observed in imatinib plasma concentrations and might, therefore, affect the amount of drug that reaches target CML cells. Imatinib is primarily metabolized by the CYP3A hepatic enzymes that are known to be highly variable in activity between different individuals. Imatinib is also a substrate of the ABCB1 and ABCG2 efflux pumps that potentially regulate the elimination of imatinib from the plasma. The ABCB1 and ABCG2 genes are polymorphic and contain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that might influence the transport capacity of these proteins. The primary aim of the present thesis was to investigate the influence of CYP3A metabolic activity and cellular transport mediated by genetic variants of ABCB1 and ABCG2 on the response to imatinib and the second generation TKIs used for CML therapy. In vivo CYP3A activity and plasma concentrations of imatinib and its pharmacologically active metabolite CGP74588 were analyzed in CML patients treated with imatinib. CYP3A phenotypes were correlated to plasma concentrations and imatinib outcome 12 months after initiation of treatment. The influence of ABC transport on TKI efficacy was evaluated in vitro by the transduction of genetic variants of ABCB1 and ABCG2 into the CML cell line K562. Functionality of the transport proteins was evaluated by measuring protein expression levels on the cell surface, the intracellular accumulation of TKIs, and the ability of ABCB1 and ABCG2 variants to protect cells from TKI cytotoxicity. We found that CYP3A metabolic activity does not influence the drug plasma concentrations or the therapeutic outcome of imatinib in CML patients. These findings indicate that even though imatinib is primarily metabolized by CYP3A this metabolic activity is not the rate-limiting step in imatinib elimination. CYP3A activity, therefore, is not a suitable predictive marker of imatinib outcome. The in vitro studies revealed that the ABCB1 variants investigated here do not alter the transport of imatinib, CGP74588, dasatinib, or nilotinib. In contrast, the ABCG2 SNPs 421C>A, 623T>C, 886G>C, and 1574T>G significantly impaired the cellular efflux of imatinib, CGP74588, dasatinib, and nilotinib and could possibly influence transport of these TKIs in vivo. It was also found that CGP74588 is by far a better substrate than imatinib for both ABCB1 and ABCG2, and this might have implications in patients with high levels of CYP3A activity. In conclusion, our studies show that ABCG2 SNPs might be important for prediction of imatinib outcome in vivo. On the other hand, CYP3A activity and the ABCB1 SNPs investigated in this study are not likely to be useful as predictors of imatinib outcome

The Neurological Wake-up Test in Neurocritical Care

The neurological wake-up test, NWT, is a clinical monitoring tool that can be used to evaluate the level of consciousness in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) during neurocritical care (NCC). Since patients with severe TBI or SAH are often treated with mechanical ventilation and sedation, the NWT requires that the continuous sedation is interrupted. However, interruption of continuous sedation may induce a stress response and the use of the NWT in NCC is controversial. The effects of the NWT on intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) were evaluated in 21 patients with TBI or SAH. Compared to baseline when the patients were sedated with continuous propofol sedation, the NWT resulted in increased ICP and CPP (p<0.05). Next, the effects of the NWT on the stress hormones adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine were evaluated in 24 patients. Compared to baseline, the NWT caused a mild stress response resulting in increased levels of all evaluated stress hormones (p<0.05). To compare the use of routine NCC monitoring tools, the choice of sedation and analgesia and the frequency of NWT in Scandinavian NCC units, a questionnaire was used. The results showed that all 16 Scandinavian NCC units routinely use ICP and CPP monitoring and propofol and midazolam were primary choices for patient sedation in an equal number of NCC units. In 2009, the NWT was not routinely used in eight NCC units whereas others used the test up to six times daily. Finally, intracerebral microdialysis (MD), brain tissue oxygenation (PbtiO2) and jugular bulb oxygenation (SjvO2) were used in 17 TBI patients to evaluate the effect of the NWT procedure on focal neurochemistry and cerebral oxygenation. The NWT did not negatively alter interstitial markers of energy metabolism or cerebral oxygenation. In conclusion, the NWT induced a mild stress response in patients with TBI or SAH that did not result in a detectable, significant secondary insult to the injured brain. These results suggest that the NWT may safely be used as a clinical monitoring tool in the NCC of severe TBI and SAH in a majority of patients.

The Neurological Wake-up Test in Neurocritical Care

The neurological wake-up test, NWT, is a clinical monitoring tool that can be used to evaluate the level of consciousness in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) during neurocritical care (NCC). Since patients with severe TBI or SAH are often treated with mechanical ventilation and sedation, the NWT requires that the continuous sedation is interrupted. However, interruption of continuous sedation may induce a stress response and the use of the NWT in NCC is controversial. The effects of the NWT on intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) were evaluated in 21 patients with TBI or SAH. Compared to baseline when the patients were sedated with continuous propofol sedation, the NWT resulted in increased ICP and CPP (p<0.05). Next, the effects of the NWT on the stress hormones adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine were evaluated in 24 patients. Compared to baseline, the NWT caused a mild stress response resulting in increased levels of all evaluated stress hormones (p<0.05). To compare the use of routine NCC monitoring tools, the choice of sedation and analgesia and the frequency of NWT in Scandinavian NCC units, a questionnaire was used. The results showed that all 16 Scandinavian NCC units routinely use ICP and CPP monitoring and propofol and midazolam were primary choices for patient sedation in an equal number of NCC units. In 2009, the NWT was not routinely used in eight NCC units whereas others used the test up to six times daily. Finally, intracerebral microdialysis (MD), brain tissue oxygenation (PbtiO2) and jugular bulb oxygenation (SjvO2) were used in 17 TBI patients to evaluate the effect of the NWT procedure on focal neurochemistry and cerebral oxygenation. The NWT did not negatively alter interstitial markers of energy metabolism or cerebral oxygenation. In conclusion, the NWT induced a mild stress response in patients with TBI or SAH that did not result in a detectable, significant secondary insult to the injured brain. These results suggest that the NWT may safely be used as a clinical monitoring tool in the NCC of severe TBI and SAH in a majority of patients.

Integration eller återvändande? -Tillämpningen av tidsbegränsade uppehållstillstånd på bosnienkroatiska asylsökande i Sverige

Uppsatsen behandlar det motsägelsefulla flyktingmottagandet den bosnienkroatiska flyktinggruppen fick 1995, vilket resulterade i 5 års väntan på permanent uppehållstillstånd. De omfattades av både integration och återvändande samtidigt och fokus har lagts i uppsatsen på resultaten och upplevelse av integration idag. Till grund för uppsatsen ligger dessutom ett antal intervjuer med bosnienkroater och berörda tjänstemän

Influence of CYP3A enzymes and ABC transporters on the activity of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia

The introduction of imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was a major break-through and the first drug that was successfully designed to target the specific mechanism of a malignant disease. Imatinib still remains as the standard treatment of newly diagnosed CML patients although a second generation of TKIs has also been approved for first-line CML treatment. Most patients achieve a good therapeutic effect with imatinib, but some patients are resistant to the drug and are at greater risk of disease progression. In order to further improve CML treatment, a better understanding of the underlying reasons for variable responses to imatinib and the second generation TKIs is important. A number of potential determinants of imatinib response have been suggested, including interindividual variability in pharmacokinetics. Variations in drug metabolism and cellular transport might contribute to the large variations observed in imatinib plasma concentrations and might, therefore, affect the amount of drug that reaches target CML cells. Imatinib is primarily metabolized by the CYP3A hepatic enzymes that are known to be highly variable in activity between different individuals. Imatinib is also a substrate of the ABCB1 and ABCG2 efflux pumps that potentially regulate the elimination of imatinib from the plasma. The ABCB1 and ABCG2 genes are polymorphic and contain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that might influence the transport capacity of these proteins. The primary aim of the present thesis was to investigate the influence of CYP3A metabolic activity and cellular transport mediated by genetic variants of ABCB1 and ABCG2 on the response to imatinib and the second generation TKIs used for CML therapy. In vivo CYP3A activity and plasma concentrations of imatinib and its pharmacologically active metabolite CGP74588 were analyzed in CML patients treated with imatinib. CYP3A phenotypes were correlated to plasma concentrations and imatinib outcome 12 months after initiation of treatment. The influence of ABC transport on TKI efficacy was evaluated in vitro by the transduction of genetic variants of ABCB1 and ABCG2 into the CML cell line K562. Functionality of the transport proteins was evaluated by measuring protein expression levels on the cell surface, the intracellular accumulation of TKIs, and the ability of ABCB1 and ABCG2 variants to protect cells from TKI cytotoxicity. We found that CYP3A metabolic activity does not influence the drug plasma concentrations or the therapeutic outcome of imatinib in CML patients. These findings indicate that even though imatinib is primarily metabolized by CYP3A this metabolic activity is not the rate-limiting step in imatinib elimination. CYP3A activity, therefore, is not a suitable predictive marker of imatinib outcome. The in vitro studies revealed that the ABCB1 variants investigated here do not alter the transport of imatinib, CGP74588, dasatinib, or nilotinib. In contrast, the ABCG2 SNPs 421C>A, 623T>C, 886G>C, and 1574T>G significantly impaired the cellular efflux of imatinib, CGP74588, dasatinib, and nilotinib and could possibly influence transport of these TKIs in vivo. It was also found that CGP74588 is by far a better substrate than imatinib for both ABCB1 and ABCG2, and this might have implications in patients with high levels of CYP3A activity. In conclusion, our studies show that ABCG2 SNPs might be important for prediction of imatinib outcome in vivo. On the other hand, CYP3A activity and the ABCB1 SNPs investigated in this study are not likely to be useful as predictors of imatinib outcome

The Neurological Wake-up Test in Neurocritical Care

The neurological wake-up test, NWT, is a clinical monitoring tool that can be used to evaluate the level of consciousness in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) during neurocritical care (NCC). Since patients with severe TBI or SAH are often treated with mechanical ventilation and sedation, the NWT requires that the continuous sedation is interrupted. However, interruption of continuous sedation may induce a stress response and the use of the NWT in NCC is controversial. The effects of the NWT on intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) were evaluated in 21 patients with TBI or SAH. Compared to baseline when the patients were sedated with continuous propofol sedation, the NWT resulted in increased ICP and CPP (p<0.05). Next, the effects of the NWT on the stress hormones adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine were evaluated in 24 patients. Compared to baseline, the NWT caused a mild stress response resulting in increased levels of all evaluated stress hormones (p<0.05). To compare the use of routine NCC monitoring tools, the choice of sedation and analgesia and the frequency of NWT in Scandinavian NCC units, a questionnaire was used. The results showed that all 16 Scandinavian NCC units routinely use ICP and CPP monitoring and propofol and midazolam were primary choices for patient sedation in an equal number of NCC units. In 2009, the NWT was not routinely used in eight NCC units whereas others used the test up to six times daily. Finally, intracerebral microdialysis (MD), brain tissue oxygenation (PbtiO2) and jugular bulb oxygenation (SjvO2) were used in 17 TBI patients to evaluate the effect of the NWT procedure on focal neurochemistry and cerebral oxygenation. The NWT did not negatively alter interstitial markers of energy metabolism or cerebral oxygenation. In conclusion, the NWT induced a mild stress response in patients with TBI or SAH that did not result in a detectable, significant secondary insult to the injured brain. These results suggest that the NWT may safely be used as a clinical monitoring tool in the NCC of severe TBI and SAH in a majority of patients.