International journal of nursing studies
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Successful management of atopic dermatitis poses a significant and ongoing challenge to parents of affected children. Despite frequent reports of child behaviour problems and parenting difficulties, there is a paucity of literature examining relationships between child behaviour and parents' confidence and competence with treatment. ⋯ This study revealed the importance of child behaviour to parents' confidence and practices in the context of atopic dermatitis management. Children with more severe atopic dermatitis are at risk of presenting with challenging behaviour problems and their parents struggle to manage the condition successfully.
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Hospital patients experience significant pain, which can delay healing and increase the risk of developing chronic pain. Nurses are affected by patients' ongoing pain and may cope with consequent anxiety and helplessness by distancing themselves from such patients. Understanding nurses' responses to patients in severe pain will inform strategies to support their coping, their patients and, ultimately, their retention in the nursing workforce. ⋯ The substantive theory proposed a link between the stress of nurses' disempowerment and a coping response that provides direction to support nurses' practice. Strategies indicated include enhanced communication protocols, access to advanced practice nurses, use of nonpharmacological comfort measures, utilization of ward-based pain resource nurses, and unit-specific pain management education. Further research to verify and extend the substantive theory to other settings and nursing populations is warranted.
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The aim of this study was to identify predictors of parental post-traumatic stress symptoms following child hospitalization. ⋯ More than one quarter of parents of children hospitalized on pediatric (non-intensive care) wards experienced significant post-traumatic stress symptoms after their child's discharge. Parents' hospital-related anxiety, uncertainty and use of negative coping strategies are potentially modifiable factors that most strongly influenced post-traumatic stress symptoms. Further research is urgently needed to test the effectiveness of different methods to provide psychological, emotional and instrumental support for parents, focusing on increasing parent coping resources and reducing distress during hospitalization.
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In the decision-making environment of evidence-based practice, the following three sources of information must be integrated: research evidence of the intervention, clinical expertise, and the patient's values. In reality, evidence-based practice usually focuses on research evidence (which may be translated into clinical practice guidelines) and clinical expertise without considering the individual patient's values. The shared decision-making model seems to be helpful in the integration of the individual patient's values in evidence-based practice. ⋯ Furthermore, the patient's willingness to participate in shared decision making, the clinical expertise of the nurse, and the context in which the decision making takes place affect the shared decision-making process. A knowledgeable and skilled nurse with a positive attitude towards shared decision making—integrated with evidence-based practice—can facilitate the shared decision-making process. We conclude that nurses as well as other health care professionals in chronic care should integrate shared decision making with evidence-based practice to deliver patient-centred care.
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While previous research has suggested that health care assistants supporting palliative care work in the community regard the provision of emotional labour as a key aspect of their role, little research has explored the experiences of family carers who are the recipients of such support. ⋯ Through their emotional labour, health care assistants perform an important role in community palliative care which is greatly valued by family carers. While recent reports have highlighted potential dangers in the ambiguity of their role, any attempts to clarify the 'boundaries' of the health care assistant role should acknowledge the advantages health care assistants can bring in bridging potential gaps between healthcare professionals and family carers.