Knowledge expectations of surgical orthopaedic patients: a European survey

Ageing population entails a growing international problem of osteoarthritis. Best practices for education of these patients are lacking. This study focused on empowering education in Northern (Finland, Iceland, Lithuania and Sweden) and Southern Europe (Cyprus, Greece and Spain). The aim was to analyse associations between expected knowledge and background factors. The data were collected from European arthroplasty patients with the Knowledge Expectations of hospital patients- scale, (KE(hp) - scale), including bio-physiological, functional, experiential, ethical, social and financial dimensions. Patients had essential bio-physiological and functional knowledge expectations. Women expected more than men, employed less than retired, unemployed or who worked at home. Generally, patients in Northern countries expected more than in Southern countries. However, highest expectations were found in Sweden and Greece, lowest in Spain and Cyprus. There are differences in knowledge expectations based on patients' backgrounds. Development of common standards in European patient education needs further research

The role of the nurse in the formation of health policy

Although nurses constitute the majority of health professionals and they are in direct contact with healthy or sick individuals in all kind of health facilities, many of the decisions concerning nursing are made by physicians, administrators or other health professionals. The major problems facing nursing in Greece that lead to that situation include: 1) lack of definition of nursing care, 2} shortage of registered nurses, and 3) three different and competitive educational levels

Patient satisfaction with nursing services

In the past the evaluation of the quality of health care was based mainly on health professional’s views. Nowadays, there is agreement that patient satisfaction represents an important index of the quality of health services. Patient satisfaction from nursing care has a special meaning since nurses represent the majority of health professionals and they provide bedside care. In the literature most of the authors agree that nursing care is the most important factor contributing to the total patient satisfaction with hospital services. The basic findings of this literature review were that most of the studies had methodological problems, they used instruments developed years ago or/and without proper psychometric properties

Patient classification systems in nursing

In a health care environment with continuously increasing patient needs and economic constraints, nurse executives concern about the quality, cost and effectiveness of the health services. There is a need for better use of the available, and usually scarce resources, as well as for documentation of the extent to which these resources contribute to the patient outcomes. Patient classification systems (PCSs) were developed in the 1960s for staffing purposes. Today, PCSs are a valuable tool not only for allocating staff, but also for supporting cost services, QA/QI programs, measurement of patient outcomes, research and decision making. This paper intends to give a brief description and discuss the use, the problems, the strategies which are implemented as a response to these problems and the future directions of the PCSs

THERAPEUTIC HEALTH EDUCATION OF DIABETIC PATIENTS. ASSESSMENT OF AN EDUCATIONALPROGRAM

THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WAS THE ASSESSMENT OF A PROGRAM OF EDUCATION FOR DIABETIC PATIENTS. SPECIFICALLY, THERE WERE MEASURED FIRST: THE LEVEL OFKNOWLEDGE CONCERNING DIABETES MELLITUS OF A GROUP OF PATIENTS IN AN OUT-PATIENT CLINIC BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AND, SECOND: THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING THE VARIABILITY OF THIS KNOWLEDGE. ORIGINALLY, THE STUDY SAMPLE INCLUDED 149 PEOPLE, BUT OF THESE, ONLY 87 COMPLETED THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. THIS FINAL GROUP INCLUDED 53 WOMEN AND 34 MEN WHOSEMEAN AGE WAS 56.8 YEARS (SD-13,4). THE PROGRAM TOOK PLACE IN THE LAIKO GENERALHOSPITAL OF ATHENS, GREECE, AND INCLUDED 4 INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS 1 HOUR PER WEEKFOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. THE INSTRUCTION WAS DONE THROUGH AUDIO-VISUAL MEANS CAUDIO-CASSETTES AND OVERHEAD PROJECTOR), FOLLOWED BY A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD BETWEEN THE STUDENT PATIENTS (4-6 IN EACH GROUP) AND A SPECIFICALLY TRAINED NURSE INSTRUCTOR. THE INSTRUCTION FOCUSED ON THE FOLLOWING TEACHING UNITS: GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ON DIABETES, TREATMENT, SELF MONITORING OF THE DISEASE, AND DIET. (SHORTENED)ΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΣ ΗΤΑΝ Η ΑΞΙΟΛΟΓΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΓΩΓΗΣ ΥΓΕΙΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΔΙΑΒΗΤΙΚΩΝ ΑΣΘΕΝΩΝ. ΤΟ ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΟ ΤΗΣ ΕΡΓΑΣΙΑΣ ΑΝΑΦΕΡΕΤΑΙ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΚΤΙΜΗΣΗ ΔΤΩΝ ΓΝΩΣΕΩΝ ΟΜΑΔΑΣ ΕΞΩΤΕΡΙΚΩΝ ΔΙΑΒΗΤΙΚΩΝ ΑΣΘΕΝΩΝ ΠΡΟ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΕΦΑΡΜΟΓΗ ΕΙΔΙΚΟΥ ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΤΙΚΟΥ ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΟΣ ΩΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΜΕΛΕΤΗ ΤΩΝ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΟ-ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΩΝ ΠΑΡΑΓΟΝΤΩΝ ΠΟΥ ΠΡΟΣΔΙΟΡΙΖΟΥΝ ΤΙΣ ΓΝΩΣΕΙΣ ΑΥΤΕΣ. ΣΤΗΝ ΜΕΛΕΤΗ ΠΕΡΙΕΛΗΦΘΗΣΑΝ ΑΡΧΙΚΑ 149 ΑΤΟΜΑ, ΜΟΝΟ ΟΜΩΣ 87 ΑΣΘΕΝΕΙΣ (53 ΓΥΝΑΙΚΕΣ ΚΑΙ 34 ΑΝΔΡΕΣ), ΜΕΣΗΣ ΗΛΙΚΙΑΣ 56,8- 13,4, ΟΛΟΚΛΗΡΩΣΑΝ ΤΟΝ ΚΥΚΛΟ ΜΑΘΗΜΑΤΩΝ. ΤΟ ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΠΕΡΙΕΛΑΜΒΑΝΕ ΜΙΑ ΣΕΙΡΑ ΤΕΣΣΑΡΩΝ (4) ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΤΙΚΩΝ ΜΑΘΗΜΑΤΩΝ, ΜΕ ΟΠΤΙΚΟΑΚΟΥΣΤΙΚΑ ΜΕΣΑ, ΤΑ ΟΠΟΙΑ ΕΓΙΝΑΝ ΣΤΟ ΛΑΙΚΟ ΝΟΣΟΚΟΜΕΙΟ, ΑΘΗΝΩΝ ΑΝΑ ΕΒΔΟΜΑΔΑ ΣΕ ΟΜΑΔΕΣ 4 'Η 6 ΑΤΟΜΩΝ ΑΝΤΙΚΕΙΜΕΝΑ ΤΩΝ ΜΑΘΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΗΤΑΝ: ΓΕΝΙΚΕΣ ΓΝΩΣΕΙΣ ΣΤΟ ΔΙΑΒΗΤΗ, ΘΕΡΑΠΕΙΑ, ΑΥΤΟΕΛΕΓΧΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΔΙΑΙΤΑ. Η ΕΚΤΙΜΗΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΓΝΩΣΕΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΑΣΘΕΝΩΝ ΕΓΙΝΕ ΜΕ ΤΗ ΣΥΜΠΛΗΡΩΣΗ ΕΙΔΙΚΟΥ ΕΡΩΤΗΜΑΤΟΛΟΓΙΟΥ, 25 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΕΩΝ, ΠΡΟ ΚΑΙ ΜΕΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΤΙΚΗ ΠΑΡΕΜΒΑΣΗ. ΟΙ ΔΕΙΚΤΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΓΝΩΣΗΣ ΠΟΥ ΑΞΙΟΛΟΓΗΘΗΚΑΝ ΗΤΑΝ: ΗΟΡΘΗ, Η ΘΕΩΡΟΥΜΕΝΗ ΚΑΙ Η ΑΚΡΙΒΕΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΓΝΩΣΗΣ. Η ΑΞΙΟΛΟΓΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΠΙΔΡΑΣΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΩΝ ΠΑΡΑΓΟΝΤΩΝ ΣΤΗ ΓΝΩΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΑΣΘΕΝΩΝ, ΣΕ ΘΕΜΑΤΑ ΔΙΑΒΗΤΗ, ΕΓΙΝΕ ΜΕ ΤΗ ΜΕΘΟΔΟΤΗΣ ΠΟΛΛΑΠΛΗΣ ΓΡΑΜΜΙΚΗΣ ΕΞΑΡΤΗΣΗΣ. ΟΙ ΠΑΡΑΓΟΝΤΕΣ ΠΟΥ ΜΕΛΕΤΗΘΗΚΑΝ ΗΤΑΝ: ΦΥΛΟ, ΗΛΙΚΙΑ, ΔΕΙΚΤΗΣ ΣΩΜΑΤΙΚΟΥ ΒΑΡΟΥΣ (Β.Μ.Ι.), ΔΙΑΡΚΕΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΝΟΣΟΥ, ΟΙΚΟΓΕΝΕΙΑΚΗ ΕΠΙΒΑΡΥΝΣΗ, ΕΙΔΟΣ ΑΓΩΓΗΣ, ΣΥΝΥΠΑΡΧΟΥΣΕΣ ΝΟΣΟΙ, ΜΟΡΦΩΤΙΚΟ ΕΠΙΠΕΔΟ ΚΑΙ ΤΙΜΕΣ ΣΑΚΧΑΡΟΥΑΙΜΑΤΟΣ ΝΗΣΤΕΙΑΣ. (ΠΕΡΙΚΟΠΗ

Evaluation of the quality of nursing care

Today, despite the a great interest for the evaluation and the improvement of the health care services the concept of quality remains undefined. All the researchers agree that the concept of quality is dimensional and complex and the identification of the features which compound the concept of quality is very difficult. This article discuss the most important obstacles in the evaluation process and represents a theoretical framework for the measurement of the quality of nursing care , proposing specific areas of great interest

Moral professional personhood: ethical reflections during initial clinical encounters in nursing education

Moral agency is an important constituent of the nursing role. We explored issues of ethical development in Greek nursing students during clinical practice at the beginning of their studies. Specifically, we aimed to explore students' lived experience of ethics, and their perceptions and understanding of encountered ethical conflicts through phenomenological analysis of written narratives. The process of developing an awareness of personal values through empathizing with patients was identified as the core theme of the students' experience. Six more common themes were identified. Development of the students' moral awareness was conceptualized as a set of stages, commencing with empathizing with patients and nurses, moving on to taking a moral stand and, finally, concluding by becoming aware of their personal values and showing evidence of an emerging professional moral personhood. The notions of empathy, caring and emotion were in evidence throughout the students' experience. Implications for practice and nurse education are discusse

Evaluation of patient satisfaction with nursing care: quantitative or qualitative approach?

The purpose of this study was to assess the results, along with the feasibility, applicability and relative merits of paradigm triangulation in the field of nursing care quality by conducting, concurrently, a quantitative and a qualitative study of patient satisfaction. The sample consisted of 200 randomly selected in-patients from two large Greek metropolitan hospitals. Highest ratings were assigned to the technical aspects of care, whilst information delivery items were associated with the lowest ratings. Qualitative analysis revealed a perception of nurses as weak against organisational limitations as the core theme underlying all categories of patients' complaints with nursing care. Seven more common themes were identified. The interpersonal aspect of care was central to patients' experience. The combination of qualitative and quantitative methodology appeared to contribute to the completeness of description and understanding of the phenomenon

Κριτική ανασκόπηση των θεωριών επαγγελματικής ικανοποίησης στη νοσηλευτική

Background: Associations between the lack of professional satisfaction among nurses and phenomena with a negative impact on the quality and safety of nursing care, such as professional burn-out and intention to leave, have been reported in several studies. Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to critically review and to compare current theoretical frameworks and models of professional satisfaction in nursing, along with the pertinent research evidence. Method: A critical narrative review was carried out. Evidence was collected through the MEDLINE and CINHALL databases and the US National Library of Medicine. Books and published studies from 1985 to January 2007 were selected according to pre-specified criteria. Findings: Multiple theoretical frameworks and models on professional satisfaction have been constructed, some of which have been supported by appropriate empirical evidence. Nonetheless, based on research evidence and theoretical premises, the organization and empowerment theories may be viewed as the most pertinent and up to date frameworks for the study of professional satisfaction in nursing, since they have been constructed for nursing specifically, and they take into account the unique political, organizational and social circumstances of the profession