Background: One of ten women in Sweden will at some point in her life get breast cancer. In today's society, more women than ever before suffer from breast cancer, but the chance of survival increases. As a nurse, it is important to have knowledge about the woman's experiences of breast cancer in order to provide as optimal and individualized care possible.
Aim: The aim of the study was to elucidate how the woman experience the first time with breast cancer.
Method: A literature-based method is used to bring out the woman´s experiences of getting breast cancer. The results of the studies were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis consists of five steps. The analysis resulted in four themes and twelve subthemes.
Results: The results showed that the woman are in great need of support, feeling anxiety and fear, experiencing an altered self-image, and that treatment hinders.
Conclusion: The conclusion showed that regardless of the situation, it was important for the woman that someone always was there for them as support. An important aspect was the need for information to reduce fear and anxiety. Breast cancer affecting the whole of the woman's lives and she strove to reclaim as much as possible of her previous life. This could be difficult because of fatigue and other major changes the woman experienced after the treatments, both physically and mentally.
Background: Self-harming behavior has increased globally and has recently become its own diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Methods of self-harm can consist in cutting, burning, hitting and starving yourself. Self-harming behaviors are more frequent among women in a prison environment than in rest of society. Aim: The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for self-harming behavior among females serving a prison sentence. Method: A literature review was performed and data was collected from eight scientific articles with both quantitative and qualitative approach.
Results: The results were analyzed and compiled into three main themes considering risk factors for self-harm: 1) Social strains and past negative life-experiences, 2) Mental illness and 3) Prison environment. The subthemes describe factors as family relations, age and ethnicity, abuse and traumas in the past; mental stresses, psychiatric diagnosis, substance abuse and withdrawal and relationships; and finally imprisonment, activities and restrictions in the environment and relations. Conclusion: Women who engage in self-harming behavior while serving a prison sentence often carry a problematic background with severe events who has affected them. The prison environment does not support their health and risk factors for self-harming behavior remains and even increases. This study can reinforce increased knowledge about self-harming behavior in women prisons and improve preventive work.
Backround: Many people today live with mental illness. But what is often forgotten is their families that also they will be affected. Knowledge of how families perceive their situation is of great importance to health care. This is to be able to involve family members in care and meet their needs for support, which in the long term is vital for patient recovery. Aim: To illustrate the relatives' experiences of having a loved one with mental illness. Metod: A literature study with qualitative approach. Ten articles where chosen to be read, reviewed and analyzed according to Friberg (2012a) analysis model.
Results: Two themes with eight subthemes appeared. The first theme was: Experiences of inner suffering. The theme was marked by feelings of concern, fear, shame, guilt, and sorrow. The second theme was: Experiences of increased responsibility. This revealed feelings of a wasted life, feelings of lack of knowledge and the need of confirmation. Conclusion: The result of this study shows that the need for support from health care his huge for the next of kin. The feelings of concern, fear, shame, guilt and sorrow leads to inner suffering, and can there for involve to a depression for themselves. With a few actions from the nurse, which involves to listen to the next of kin, give emotional and practical support and to give knowledge of the mental illness, there can lift a huge load of the mental stress the next of kin is feeling.
Background: Drugs have been around for ages. Previous studies show that drug use among young people is a problem that exists in large parts of the world. In Europe, 11.2% of young adults aged 15-24 have used cannabis in 2011. A survey conducted in Swedish schools shows that drug abuse is the number of students using drug increase but consumption is increasing. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe factors that affect relapse in drug abuse among young people. Method: A literature review of 10 scientific articles from the years 2003 to 2015 were used in which various factors that affect relapse in adolescents discerned.
Results: The factors that affect a relapse can vary from individual to individual and therefore it is difficult to point out one single factor. The factors found to counteract a relapse is physical health, physical activity, treatment and the environment surrounding youth including engagement of family. Conclusions: The interaction of influencing factors is complex and indicates that no factor alone can be considered as anti-relapse into drug abuse. The study shows that several factors need to cooperate to prevent a relapse, such as the environment and the emotional state of the youth. Interacting factors have been shown to minimize the risk of recurrence.
Background: Endometriosis is a relatively unknown disease both among society as in health care. Women suffer from severe pain and suffer multiple losses of relationship, social life, careers loss and low self-esteem. Aim: The aim of the study was to illuminate women's experiences of living with endometriosis. Method: This was a qualitative literature-based study. The data where analyzed and described in four categories.
Results: Four main categories where found that had a major impact on the women's lives. The unpredictable pain, difficulties in getting pregnant, the feeling of powerlessness and to finally get a diagnosis. Conclusion: The women in the study experienced a lot of difficulties in daily life because of the endometriosis-related pain. Vague symptoms that are difficult to discern makes it difficult for both the patient and the health professional in the diagnosis. More knowledge about the disease and how it appears is needed to enhance the well-being of these patients.
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease that affects the body mentally and physically. The disease is usually caused by smoking and it gives the affected chronic cough, sputum production and shortness of breath. This means an impaired quality of life and cause suffering to the patient. Aim: Was to describe the patient's experience of living with COPD, focusing on the patient's lifeworld, health and suffering as well as how the disease affected daily life. Method: A literature study where ten quality articles from the databases Cinahl and PubMed / Medline has been analysed. The analysis method used was a qualitative content analysis. Results: The results show that those affected by the disease suffered from both physical and mental limitations. This affected them in everyday life and in social life. It also gave feelings of guilt, a sense of hopelessness and could lead to depression. Conclusion: Living with COPD means great physical and mental limitations which sufferers experience in many different ways. They all have individual strategies to cope with their disease and to facilitate daily life. It is therefore essential that nurses be aware of this and to respond to the patients with respect and understanding.
Background: The demand to receive palliative care at home is increasing. Relatives are often involved in palliative home care, and are forced to take on a large responsibility. The nurse carries the responsibility for the education of the relatives in caring for the patient, and it’s an advantage if the nurse possesses knowledge of how relatives experience the situation when palliative care takes place at home.
Aim: The aim of this study was to illuminate relatives’ experiences of palliative care at home.
Method: A literature-based study based on ten qualitative studies. Results: It was found that relatives need more support and help when caring takes place in the home. The relatives experience both positive and negative feelings but they’re mostly characterized by negative strain in their daily lives. A feeling that many relatives experience is that they are in never ending duty, and that they are neither seen or heard by the nurses. The availability of nurses created a sense of relief for the relatives and they felt as if they were participating when they received relieving support in their daily lives.
Conclusion: As a nurse these are difficult situations to be confronted with since these are people in a large life crisis that we meet. In this study the authors have found that it’s important for relatives that the nurse is competent in how to meet the relatives, to show respect and trust, and to let the relatives take their place and get the participating they wish to have.
Background: Overweight and obesity is increasing among children and adolescents. Only in Sweden, overweight among adolescents has increased twice as much during the past few years. It's a global problem and it particularly affects many low- and middle-income countries. Adolescents with overweight and obesity run a higher risk of developing chronic diseases as adults; such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and orthopedic problems. Aim: The aim of this study is to highlight adolescent's experience of their overweight and obesity. Method: A literature-based study was made of 10 qualitative articles. The articles were analyzed using the Friberg (2012) method.
Result: Adolescents with overweight and obesity had different experiences depending on the situation they were in. For some the experience of the body was different at home and at school. Young people often experienced an acceptance of their body at home, which they didn't at school. Sports lessons were a big problem for many. Gender could also have an impact; both positive and negative. Food situation was often perceived as problematic. Many young people experienced both a physical concern over their health and mental worry of not being accepted in the social context. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity have a negative effect on many young people physically, mentally and socially. Many adolescents suffer physical difficulties in everyday life. Overweight and obesity can cause problems in social situations and this can lead to young people experience anxiety and depression. Many adolescents also experience exclusion and being judged in social situations.
Expectations prior to needle-related procedures can influence individuals' decision making and compliance with immunization programmes. To protect from human papilloma virus (HPV) and cervical cancer, the immunization needs to be given before sexual debut raising interest for this study's aim to investigate how 11 to 12-year-old girls narrate about their expectations prior to HPV vaccination. A total of 27 girls aged 11 to 12 years participated in this qualitative narrative study by writing short narratives describing their expectations. The requirement for inclusion was to have accepted HPV vaccination. Data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Findings showed the following expectations: going to hurt, going to be scared and going to turn out fine. The expectations were based on the girls' previous experiences, knowledge and self-image. The latent content revealed that the girls tried to transform uneasiness to confidence. The conclusion drawn from this study is that most girls of this age seem confident about their ability to cope with possible unpleasantness related to vaccinations. However, nurses need to find strategies to help those children who feel uneasy about needle-related procedures.
Background: Fibromyalgia is a disease characterized by chronic pain, dizziness and sleep disturbances. It is an invisible disease with visible symptoms and no known cause nor cure. While the knowledge and acceptance of the disease has increased these patients to some degree still have to face skepticism, distrust and lack of understanding from health care professionals, family, and society. This forces the patient to spend precious energy altering their actions and appearances to convince others of the legitimacy of their symptoms. The process of getting a diagnosis can be long and strenuous which for many patients can lead to the development of depression and anxiety.
Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe persons with fibromyalgia's experiences of encounters with health care professionals. Method: A literature-based study based on eleven qualitative studies.
Results: Three main themes were identified; A struggle for legitimacy, the importance of understanding and frustrating meetings. The subthemes describe I am not being believed, The symptoms are invisible, Diagnosis - the false relief, Lack of support from healthcare professionals, The good meeting, Lacking commitment, Knowledge deficiency and Lack of effective treatment. Conclusion: Patients with fibromyalgia are to some extent met with skepticism, poor knowledge about the disease and lack of commitment, which cause unnecessary suffering for these patients. A good encounter involving emotional support, commitment from health professionals and a functioning dialog is seen as important to the patients and can counteract unnecessary suffering.
Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly degenerating disease that changes the affected person´s life, including family and relatives. ALS creates new experiences and feelings for the person suffering from the disease but it also effects their family. Therefore it is important to identify these experiences that the persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their family will experience. As a nurse you have to understand the experiences that the affected person and their family will go through.
Aim: The aim was to illuminate how people with ALS and their relatives experience their daily life from their own perspective.
Method: This study is based on a qualitative literature-based review of scientific articles.
Results: The result is presented in five main themes; Loss of abilities, Confidence in the dark, Existential thoughts and death, The interdependence and The experience of care. They sum up the experiences that ALS causes.
Conclusion: Persons who are suffering from ALS have to change their daily life even if he or she doesn't want to. The disease effects the family who also have to change their daily life. To cope with the situation both the person with ALS and their family used strategies, such as a constructive attitude to ease their whole life.
About a million people every day get infected by sexually transmitted deceases (STD), according to WHO. These infections cause unease, illness and suffering for the patient, as well as social costs. Condom use is the only protection against STD. The aim of this study is to describe the nursing measures that can be used by midwives/nurses in their daily work as a way to increase the condom use in order to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted deceases, and reduce sexual risk behavior.The study is a literature overview that includes quantitative, and mixed methods as well as intervention studies.The results of the study show that the following nursing measures that was common for the articles increase condom use and reduced sexual risk behavior. These nursing measures are: information about STD/HIV, practical training how to use condoms, such as using a dildo, practicing negotiating with partner about use of condoms, and access to condoms free of charge and information about how to use a condom correctly.Conclusion: These measures are easy and cost effective for midwives/nurses to implement in their every-day work related to the sexual health area.
Background: Each year about 9000 people try to commit suicide in Swedish in patient care. There is an unreported number of suicide attempts in Sweden, but an estimation is a total of 20 000 cases yearly. A prior suicide attempt is the biggest risk for dying by suicide. There has been limited research focused on patients' experiences of surviving suicide attempts. Little is also known about how patients perceive health care personnel's attitudes in connection to the suicide attempt. Nurses have an important role in the care of suicidal patients.
Aim: The aim of this study were to illuminate patients' experiences of attempted suicide and how they perceived the attitudes of health care personnel in connection to the suicide attempt.
Method: A literature-based study were conducted, based on analysis of nine qualitative articles.
Results: The results are presented in three main themes and eight sub-themes. The main themes were 'Experiences of attempted suicide', 'Experience of health care personnel's attitudes' and "Returning to life".
Conclusion: Suicide were described as an escape from an unbearable suffering. Patients had an intense longing to be confirmed and seen in their suffering. Health care personnel's attitudes affect the patients' suicidality and experiences of the received care.
Background: Using drugs leads to an increased risk of physical and mental illness. In Sweden, drug use is significantly higher among young people than the rest of the population. In adolescence young people still are developing both mentally and physically. They want to be more independent and make their own decisions. Parents often have a significant role in a youths’ health. They are considered to be a protective factor against drugs.
Aim: The aim of the study was to illuminate parents’ experiences of having a child who uses illegal drugs.
Method: A method to contribute to evidence-based care based on analysis of qualitative research was performed, based on seven qualitative articles.
Results: The analysis resulted in four categories: "unfortunate ignorant", "a broken family", "who will cope, unless I" and "a struggle". The parents suffered as a result of the youth’s behavior. They struggled through some tough times before they finally accepted the situation.
Conclusion: This study revealed that parents need support from both the community and the nurse in order to cope with the situation. Support made the situation easier to deal with and reduced the suffering.
Background: People who live with diabetes type 1 must adapt their life after the illness. Diabetes type 1 is a chronic disease that requires lifestylechanges to mantain a good health. Trying to live like a normal young adult can also be challenging, especially when you have a chronic disease.Aim: To describe young adults experiences of living with diabetes type-1.Method: The study is a qualitative literature review and the results of the included articles were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis.Results: Experiences of young adults are presented in three themes: Support, the social life and worries.Conclusion: To live with diabetes type 1 can lead to limitations in life causing young adults feel excluded in the society. The support from their family and the people around them were found as central part in the young adults' life to help them managing a good self-care.
Background: The knowledge within the care of the patient's experiences of colostomy is limited. It is important that nurses has knowledge about what a patient with colostomy experiences, in order to be able to respond, support and help the patient to increase his/her quality of life. Aim: The purpose of this study is to highlight patient's experiences of living with colostomy. Method: A literature overview method was used. Six qualitative articles and two quantitative articles were fund. The scientific articles were elected from the databases Cinhal and Pubmed.
Results: A colostomy affects a person's lifestyle and quality life. They are often expressed in bodily changes, which create problems in everyday life as well as professionally. The body changes and many other experiences are negative changes which can lead to psychological and physical problems. The changes lead to low self-esteem and often deteriorate any relationship. This change of situation often leads to anxiety and poorer quality of life. However, in time many patients with colostomy experience that they learn how to handle their colostomy. Conclusion: The situation for patients with colostomy should receive more attention, by focusing on their life situation, it is likely that more resources are allocated for research and development of a cure.
Objectives: To evaluate the concurrent and construct validity and the interrater reliability of the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability (FLACC) scale during procedural pain in children aged 5–16 years.
Background: Self-reporting of pain is considered to be the primary source of information on pain intensity for older children but a validated observational tool will provide augment information to self-reports during painful procedures.
Methods: Eighty children scheduled for peripheral venous cannulation or percutaneous puncture of a venous port were included. In 40 cases two nurses simultaneously and independently assessed pain by using the FLACC scale and in 40 cases one of these nurses assessed the child. All children scored the intensity of pain by using the Coloured Analogue Scale (CAS) and distress by the Facial Affective Scale (FAS).
Results: Concurrent validity was supported by the correlation between FLACC scores and the children's self-reported CAS scores during the procedure (r = 0.59, P < 0.05). A weaker correlation was found between the FLACC scores and children's self-reported FAS (r = 0.35, P < 0.05). Construct validity was demonstrated by the increase in median FLACC score to 1 during the procedure compared with 0 before and after the procedure (P < 0.001). Interrater reliability during the procedure was supported by adequate kappa statistics for all items and for the total FLACC scores (κ = 0.85, P < 0.001).
Conclusions: The findings of this study support the use of FLACC as a valid and reliable tool for assessing procedural pain in children aged 5–16 years.
Background: 250 children develops cancer in Sweden every year and 75 percent of these children survives. History show that the treatment for cancer has improve. Every child has at least one parent who is affected and who is associated with suffering during the child's cancer diagnosis. Aim :The aim was to illuminate parents' experiences of living with a child with cancer diagnosis. Method: A literature-based study. Qualitative content analysis of 10 qualitative articles. Results: The results are presented in four main themes: "The feeling of powerlessness", "The need of support", "Lives ups and downs" and "Changed life". Conclusion: The results show that parents of a child with cancer diagnosis describe many different emotions and a changed life. The parents feel powerless and have need of support in various forms. Parents get a new life to adapt to and see life and every day as unique.
Background: Diabetes type 2 has become en epidemic both in the world and Sweden. According to the International Diabetes Federation’s report, 387 millions people diagnotised of diabetes and according to the World Health Organisation’s report, diabetes type 2 is representating 90 percent of them. On 2014 Diabetesförbundet reported that on 2013 diagnotised 365000 peopled in Sweden of diabetes type 2. Self-care is the the first step of treatment och complications prevention. There are different factors that influence the patient’s adherence to self-care. To know which factors that influence the patient’s adherence to self-care is important. The knowledge gives the nurses understanding of the patient’s problems and needs of help and support to improve the patient’s adherence to self care.
Aim: The aim of this study was to illuminate the factors that influence the patient’s adherence to self-care in type 2 diabetes.
Method: The literature study was based on eight qualitative studies analyzed according to Friberg (2012).
Result: The analysis resulted two major headings and six sub headings: A patient-nurse relationship and patient’s view about healthy and unhealthy.
Conclusions: A good relationship between nurse and patients is an important factor to increase the patient’s adherence to self care. Nurse’s communication’s skill and nurse’s ability to see the patient as an unique individual are the two most important factors in creating of a good relationship between nurse and patient.
Background: In Sweden 120 000 infants are born each year, 5% of these are premature born. More infants survive because of the development in perinatal care, which leads to more infants being treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Therefore, new research is necessary. During the last decades NICU has developed a more family-centered care, which encourage parents to become involved in the care of their infant. Nurses have an essential role to involve parents in the care of their infant.
Aim: The aim of this study was to illuminate parents’ experiences of what is effecting their participation in the care of their premature born infant.
Method: A qualitative literature-based study has been conducted, which involves analysis of 11 qualitative articles.
Results: The results are five categories, "Being close to the infant", "A feeling of support", "Being lost", "Staff doesn’t meet the parents’ needs" and "Being separated from the infant".
Conclusion: Parents experienced a lot of feelings during their stay in the NICU. Nurse’s reception is a determinant part in parents’ participation. If nurses take a step back and let parents care for their infant it will encourage their participation. This requires that nurses have offered support to parents in their way to become more familiar with the infant.
Background: The aim of this study was to observe nurses' experiences of palliative care. The method used was a literary survey based on 10 qualitative studies. The studies were published in scientific journals.
Result: Two themes and four categories were found. The themes were: "The nurse as coordinator" and "The nurse's experienced needs for improvement". The categories were "Communication", "Relation/commitment", Work routines" and "Education/Further education". Our study indicates that the experiences concerning palliative care among nurses are similar. The nurses experienced that they had a coordinating role in the palliative nursing situation. They also expressed the need for developed work routines together with additional education and training in the field of palliative care.
Conclusion: a majority of the examined studies stress the fact that nurses were responsible for the overall planning of the palliative care. This general overview of the entire work field provides nurses with necessary tools to define any needs for improvement that might occur in the daily care. The professional attitudes among nurses in palliative care contributed to the request of need of support and continuous education in order to be able to provide good quality care. If the health care quality measurements were not reached the nurses would feel inadequate in their role as coordinating nurses. Nurses argue that they are in need of continuous knowledge development in order to achieve greater comfort in their professional situation.