The journal of nursing research : JNR
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Patients with heart failure (HF) have multiple distressing symptoms that are associated with poor outcomes. These symptoms do not occur in isolation from each other but likely occur as discrete clusters that may prove helpful to clinicians trying to counsel patients about symptom monitoring and management. Defining common symptom clusters and determining the associations between symptom clusters and outcomes may improve patient management. ⋯ Symptom clusters play an important role in the prognoses of patients with HF. Both patients and healthcare providers may use the information that is provided by this study to improve the surveillance and management of related symptoms.
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Psychosocial care is the culturally sensitive provision of psychological, social, and spiritual care through therapeutic communication. Current evidence suggests that effective psychosocial care improves patients' health outcomes and quality of life. ⋯ This study highlighted the perceptions of nurses regarding psychosocial care and the challenges in providing this care. Future studies are needed to explore ways to overcome these barriers and to enhance nurses' competencies in providing psychosocial care. The findings indicate a need to plan future interventions to provide nurses with both skill development and support to improve their ability to integrate psychosocial care, which will improve patient outcomes.
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Comparative Study
Effects of a Home-Based Resistance Training Program on Recovery From Total Hip Replacement Surgery: Feasibility and Pilot Testing.
Postoperative exercise rehabilitation helps patients recover normal joint functions after total hip arthroplasty (total hip replacement surgery or THR) by strengthening the muscles that surround the replaced hip joint. However, the high cost of professionally supervised exercise rehabilitation programs limits access to program participation and, thus, to optimal recovery of normal joint functions. Therefore, the development of an effective home-based, self-monitored exercise rehabilitation program is critical to promote the optimal recovery of THR patients. ⋯ The results of this study support the hypothesis that a home-based resistance training program is safe, feasible, and effective for improving the mobility, functional exercise capacity, and health-related quality of life of THR patients. Considering the low cost and convenience of a home-based resistance training program, health professionals should consider this and similar exercise programs when providing guidance to THR patients.
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Critically ill children frequently receive inadequate nutritional support. Feeding protocols have been shown to facilitate optimal nutritional care. ⋯ This study found that nursing experience and level of education do not significantly affect the readiness of nurses to adopt a feeding protocol. Medical and nursing teams should not shy away from introducing a new protocol although their nurses have little experience or prior knowledge of that protocol. Future studies to investigate the impact of tailoring of educational needs before introduction of a new protocol are necessary to study the overall effectiveness of this teaching before introducing a new protocol in the ICU.