Optimization of methods verifying volunteers' ability to provide hospice care

The subject of the presented work was an attempt at optimization of the methods used for verification of the candidates for medical voluntary workers in a hospice and decreasing the danger of a negative influence of an incompetent volunteer on a person in a terminal stage of a disease and his or her relatives. The study was carried out in St. Lazarus Hospice in Krakow, Poland, and included 154 adult participants in four consecutive editions of "A course for volunteers - a guardian of the sick" organized by the hospice. In order to improve the recruitment of these workers, the hitherto methods of selection (an interview with the coordinator of volunteering and no less than 50% of attendance in classes of a preparatory course for volunteers") were expanded by additional instruments-the tests whose usefulness was examined in practice. Knowledge of candidates was tested with the use of a written examination which consisted of four open questions and an MCQ test comprising 31 questions. Practical abilities were checked by the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). A reference point for the results of these tests was a hidden standardized long-term observation carried out during the subsequent work of the volunteers in the stationary ward in the hospice using the Amsterdam Attitude and Communication Scale (AACS). Among the tests used, the greatest value (confirmed by a quantitative and qualitative analysis) in predicting how a given person would cope with practical tasks and in contact with the sick and their relatives had a practical test of the OSCE type

Modification of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Department of Medical Education of Jagiellonian University Medical College

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic contributed to the implementation of changes in the methodology of conducting many courses at medical universities. Achieving learning outcomes was associated with self-discipline and an increased portion of students’ independent work. The aim of the study is to analyze the adaptation of teaching methods to the requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic at the Department of Medical Education of Jagiellonian University Medical College. The university authorities, instructors and students made every effort not to neglect their education. The Microsoft Teams platform allowed for the efficient organization of remote classes. Lectures, activities based on dialogue, brainstorming and role-playing were conducted via the Internet. Presentations and short films were made available to students. The safety of individuals participating in classes was guaranteed by password access and an invitation sent prior to an online meeting. Remote learning allowed for the synthesis and deepening of students’ knowledge, improvement of communication skills and development of clinical thinking as future doctors. The disadvantages of online education was the inability to improve practical skills, especially on phantoms, under the direct supervision of a trained instructor

The motivations of people taking on the role of medical volunteer in a hospice

Wolontariusze są ważnymi członkami zespołu sprawującego opiekę nad chorymi w hospicjum. Rola, której się podejmują, jest bardzo wymagająca i niesie ze sobą wiele obciążeń. Autorzy badania postanowili sprawdzić, dlaczego ludzie dobrowolnie i nieodpłatnie podejmują się pełnienia tak trudnej funkcji. Poznanie motywacji osób deklarujących chęć zostania wolontariuszami medycznymi w hospicjum. Badaniami objęto 169 uczestników czterech kolejnych edycji "Kursu dla wolontariuszy opiekunów chorych", organizowanego przez Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Chorych "Hospicjum im. św. Łazarza" w Krakowie. W badaniu zastosowano anonimową ankietę oraz rozmowy z kandydatami na wolontariuszy. Kandydatami na wolontariuszy kierowała głównie "potrzeba zrobienia czegoś dobrego dla innych" (96,3%). Ponad połowa z nich odczuwała także "potrzebę pozyskania nowych umiejętności" (57,4%) bądź czyniła to z pobudek religijnych (50,6%). Najrzadziej wskazywanymi motywami były: "potrzeba zagospodarowania wolnego czasu" oraz "potrzeba wykazania się w życiorysie dodatkową aktywnością" (po 9,3%). Motywacje osób pragnących dołączyć do grona wolontariuszy hospicyjnych są zazwyczaj altruistyczne, a najczęściej deklarowanym motywem jest "chęć zrobienia czegoś dobrego dla innych". Trafniejszą metodą poznania rzeczywistych motywacji wolontariusza jest szczera rozmowa z nim niż pisemne badanie ankietowe.Volunteers are important members of the team who takes care of patients in a hospice. The role of hospice's volunteers is demanding and hard. Authors of the study decided to check why people voluntarily and free of charge undertake to perform such a difficult function. Recognition the motivation of people declaring their intention to become a medical volunteer in a hospice. The study was carried out in St. Lazarus Hospice in Krakow and included 169 candidates participating in four consecutive editions of "A course for volunteers - a guardian of the sick" organized by the hospice. The analysis of their motivation was carried out on the basis of an anonymous questionnaire and interviews. The most frequently indicated by the candidates reason for applying for hospice volunteering was "desire of doing something good for others" (96.3%). More than half of the examined also felt "the need to acquire new skills" (57.4%) or did so for religious reasons (50.6%). Least likely indicated motives were, "the need for organizing of free time" and the "need to demonstrate extra activity in CV" (both the 9.3%). The motivations of people who want to join the group of hospice volunteers are generally altruistic, and frequently stated motive is "desire of doing something good for others". A more relevant way to learn the real motivation of the volunteer is sincere conversation with him than a written survey

Assessment of the multidementional burden among informal caregivers of hospice care patients

Wstęp. Sprawowanie opieki przez opiekunów nieformalnych nad osobą bliską u kresu życia może powodować wystąpienie negatywnych konsekwencji, w tym symptomów obciążenia manifestujących się na różnych płaszczyznach. Cel. Ocena poziomu obciążenia w grupie opiekunów nieformalnych. Materiał i metody. Badaną grupę stanowiło 30 opiekunów nieformalnych, których bliscy byli objęci opieką hospicyjną. W badaniu wykorzystano polską wersję Caregiver Burden Scale. Wyniki. Najwyższy poziom obciążenia stwierdzono w podskali Wysiłek ogólny (Mean=2.71) oraz Rozczarowanie (Mean=2.48), a najniższy w podskali Zaangażowanie emocjonalne (Mean=1.78). Wykazano istotny statystycznie związek pomiędzy wynikiem całkowitym (p=0.009), poziomem obciążenia dla podskali Izolacja społeczna (p=0.012) oraz Otoczenie (p=0.026) a okresem sprawowanej opieki. Wnioski. Jakkolwiek, w badanej populacji opiekunów odnotowano średni poziom obciążenia dla wszystkich podskal z wyjątkiem podskali Zangażowanie emocjonalne, to analiza przypadków wykazała wysoki poziom obciążenia w różnych podskalach u niektórych badanych.Introduction. Taking care of a close relative who is coming to the end of their life may lead to negative consequences for their caregivers including the symptoms of multidimensional burden. Aim of the study. The aim of the study was the assessment of the burden in a group of informal caregivers. Material and methods. The study was conducted in a group of 30 informal caregivers whose close relatives were taken into hospice care. A Polish version of Caregiver Burden Scale was applied in the study. Results. The highest level of burden was observed on the General strain (Mean=2.71) and Disappointment (Mean=2.48) subscales, whereas the lowest level on the Emotional involvement subscale (Mean=1.78). A statistically significant correlation was found between the total score (p=0.009), the level of burden on the Isolation(p=0.012) and Environment (p=0.026) subscales and the period of time during which care was provided. Conclusions. Although in the examined group of caregivers a moderate level of burden was observed on all the subscales except the Emotional involvement one, an analysis of particular cases showed a high level of burden on various subscales in some respondents

Visualization of gold and platinum nanoparticles interacting with Salmonella Enteritidis and Listeria monocytogenes

Ewa Sawosz1, André Chwalibog2, Jacek Szeliga3, Filip Sawosz2, Marta Grodzik1, Marlena Rupiewicz1, Tomasz Niemiec1, Katarzyna Kacprzyk11Division of Biotechnology and Biochemistry of Nutrition, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland; 2Department of Basic Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; 3Division of Microbiology of Analytical Centre, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, PolandPurpose: Rapid development of nanotechnology has recently brought significant attention to the extraordinary biological features of nanomaterials. The objective of the present ­investigation was to evaluate morphological characteristics of the assembles of gold and platinum nanoparticles (nano-Au and nano-Pt respectively), with Salmonella Enteritidis (Gram-negative) and Listeria monocytogenes (Gram-positive), to reveal possibilities of constructing bacteria-nanoparticle vehicles.Methods: Hydrocolloids of nano-Au or nano-Pt were added to two bacteria suspensions in the following order: nano-Au + Salmonella Enteritidis; nano-Au + Listeria monocytogenes; nano-Pt + Salmonella Enteritidis; nano-Pt + Listeria monocytogenes. Samples were inspected by transmission electron microscope.Results: Visualization of morphological interaction between nano-Au and Salmonella Enteritidis and Listeria monocytogenes, showed that nano-Au were aggregated within flagella or biofilm network and did not penetrate the bacterial cell. The analysis of morphological effects of interaction of nano-Pt with bacteria revealed that nano-Pt entered cells of Listeria monocytogenes and were removed from the cells. In the case of Salmonella Enteritidis, nano-Pt were seen inside bacteria cells, probably bound to DNA and partly left bacterial cells. After washing and centrifugation, some of the nano-Pt-DNA complexes were observed within Salmonella Enteritidis.Conclusion: The results indicate that the bacteria could be used as a vehicle to deliver nano-Pt to specific points in the body.Keywords: morphology, nanoparticles, gold, platinum, bacteri