A specific nursing educational program in patients with Cushing's syndrome.

Cushing's syndrome (CS) is a rare endocrine disease, due to cortisol hypersecretion. CS patients have comorbidities, often still present after biochemical cure. Specific nursing healthcare programs to address this disease and achieve improved health related quality of life (HRQoL) are lacking. Thus, an educational nursing intervention, through the development and promotion of specific educational tools, appears to be justified. The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of an educational nursing program in CS patients on HRQoL, clinical parameters, level of pain and physical activity, patterns of rest, and use of health resources. A prospective, randomized study was conducted in two reference hospitals for CS. Sixty-one patients (mean age 47 ± 12.7 years, 83.6 % females) were enrolled and divided into 2 groups: an "intervention" group where educational sessions were performed over 9 months and a "control" group, without these sessions. Specific questionnaires were used at the beginning and end of the study. After educational sessions, the intervention group had a better score in the CushingQoL questionnaire (p < 0.01), reduced level of pain (p < 0.05), improved physical activity (p < 0.01) and healthy lifestyle (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. A correlation between the CushingQoL score and reduced pain (r = 0.46, p < 0.05), improved physical activity (r = 0.89, p < 0.01), and sleep (r = 0.53, p = 0.01) was observed. This educational nursing program improved physical activity, healthy lifestyle, better sleep patterns, and reduced pain in CS patients, influencing HRQoL and reducing consumption of health resources. Moreover, the brief nature of the program suggests it as a good candidate to be used in CS patients.

[Trans-cultural relationships in treatment situations]. / La relación transcultural en los cuidados.

This article comprises part of the theoretical format for the project "The intercultural relationships in nursing cures, a qualitative look", defended in June 2008 at the International University of Catalonia under the auspices of the Official Masters Program for Nursing. The effects of migratory movements inside a specific territory activate as they develop new phenomena among human relationships in practically all spheres. Nursing is not unaffected by these changes. This new scene increases the different number of ways to see the world according to different values and beliefs which can affect the quality of nursing care. The two theories described in this report, a humanistic theory by Paterson and Zderad and Leninger's cultural cares theory propose a reflection about each one of us and about the care we offer; and at the same time foment interventions from various nursing perspectives.