55 research outputs found
Water-loss dehydration and aging
This review defines water-loss and salt-loss dehydration. For older people serum osmolality appears the most appropriate gold standard for diagnosis of water-loss dehydration, but clear signs of early dehydration have not been developed. In older adults, lower muscle mass, reduced kidney function, physical and cognitive disabilities, blunted thirst, and polypharmacy all increase dehydration risk. Cross-sectional studies suggest a water-loss dehydration prevalence of 20-30% in this population. Water-loss dehydration is associated with higher mortality, morbidity and disability in older people, but evidence is still needed that this relationship is causal. There are a variety of ways we may be able to help older people reduce their risk of dehydration by recognising that they are not drinking enough, and being helped to drink more. Strategies to increase fluid intake in residential care homes include identifying and overcoming individual and institutional barriers to drinking, such as being worried about not reaching the toilet in time, physical inability to make or to reach drinks, and reduced social drinking and drinking pleasure. Research needs are discussed, some of which will be addressed by the FP7-funded NU-AGE (New dietary strategies addressing the specific needs of elderly population for a healthy ageing in Europe) trial
Rituals in Nursing: intramuscular injections
Aims and objectives: This discursive paper will consider to what extent Intramuscular injection (IM) technique can be described to remain entrenched in ritualistic practice and how evidence based practice should be considered and applied to the nursing practice of this essential skill.
Background: The notion of rituals within nursing and the value or futile impact they afford to this essential nursing skill will be critically reviewed.
Design: discursive paper
Method: Literature review from 2002 to 2013 to review the current position of IM injections
Results: Within the literature review it became clear that there are several actions within the administration of an IM injection that could be perceived as ritualistic and require consideration for contemporary nursing practice.
Conclusions: The essential nursing skill of intramuscular injection often appears to fit into the description of a ritualised practice. By providing evidence based care nurses will find themselves empowered to make informed decisions based on clinical need and using their clinical judgment.
Relevance to clinical practice: For key learning, it will outline with rationale, how site selection, needle selection, insertion technique and aspiration can be cited as examples of routinised or ritualistic practice and why these should be rejected in favour of an evidence based approach. The effect on some student nurses of experiencing differing practices between what is taught at university compared to what is often seen in clinical practice will also be discussed
Development and integration of digital technologies addressed to raise awareness and access to European underwater cultural heritage. An overview of the H2020 i-MARECULTURE project
The Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH)
represents a vast historical and scientific resource that, often, is
not accessible to the general public due the environment and depth
where it is located. Digital technologies (Virtual Museums, Virtual
Guides and Virtual Reconstruction of Cultural Heritage) provide
a unique opportunity for digital accessibility to both scholars and
general public, interested in having a better grasp of underwater
sites and maritime archaeology. This paper presents the
architecture and the first results of the Horizon 2020 iMARECULTURE
(Advanced VR, iMmersive Serious Games and
Augmented REality as Tools to Raise Awareness and Access to
European Underwater CULTURal heritage) project that aims to
develop and integrate digital technologies for supporting the wide
public in acquiring knowledge about UCH. A Virtual Reality (VR)
system will be developed to allow users to visit the underwater sites
through the use of Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) or digital
holographic screens. Two serious games will be implemented for
supporting the understanding of the ancient Mediterranean
seafaring and the underwater archaeological excavations. An
Augmented Reality (AR) system based on an underwater tablet
will be developed to serve as virtual guide for divers that visit the
underwater archaeological sites
Accessibility and equity of health and social care services: exploring the views and experiences of Bangladeshi carers
Abstract There is a paucity of information regarding the extent and nature of caring provided by minority ethnic communities. The proportion of older people from these communities will dramatically increase in the next 20 years, which will be accompanied by increasing health and social care needs and an increased demand for carers. A qualitative, exploratory study was conducted to identify the health and social care needs of informal carers, who were caring for a dependent adult from a Bangladeshi community in South Wales, UK. This paper focuses on Bangladeshi carers' access to formal support services provided by the statutory, private and voluntary sectors to assist them with their caring responsibilities. The findings are based on data collected using face-to-face, focused interviews with 20 Bangladeshi carers. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit the sample. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The dimensions of accessibility and equity of quality of care were drawn upon to aid understanding of the findings. Bangladeshi carers faced a number of barriers in accessing health and social service provision, which impeded uptake of these services. Additionally, there was evidence of inequity in service provision. Recommendations for improving the accessibility of health and social care services are proposed, which may assist in promoting more equitable services for carers from the Bangladeshi community
Men's passage to fatherhood: an analysis of the contemporary relevance of transition theory
This paper presents a theoretical analysis of men's experiences of pregnancy, birth and early fatherhood. It does so using a framework of ritual transition theory and argues that despite its earlier structural-functionalist roots, transition theory remains a valuable framework, illuminating contemporary transitions across the life course. The paper discusses the historical development of transition or ritual theory and, drawing upon data generated during longitudinal ethnographic interviews with men undergoing the transition to fatherhood, analyses its relevance in understanding contemporary experiences of fatherhood
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An exploration of gender in children's nursing literature and practice
The presentation examines representations of parents, mothers and fathers over time in children's nursing literature and considers their impact on current practic
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