Factors influencing pain management in children.

AIM: To identify factors that influence nurses' pain management in children. METHOD: A qualitative design was used. Twenty-one nurses working in one paediatric department were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed by means of content analysis. FINDINGS: The way nurses manage pain in children is affected by factors such as co-operation between nurses and physicians and between nurses and patients, children's behaviour, routines in the organisation, and the experience and knowledge of nurses. CONCLUSION: Pain management in children could be improved through increased co-operation between nurses, physicians and parents. Planning time and good routines could facilitate pain management. Education about pain management and children's pain behaviour might also improve nurses' ability to manage pain in children.

Lecturers' experiences of participating in an international exchange.

Globalization is a trend in higher education and is judged to be essential to quality; however, there is a lack of publications on the outcome of lecturers' exchange. The aim of this study was to describe lecturers' experiences of participating in an international exchange. Twenty-six lecturers who had taken part in an exchange were invited to participate through writing a narrative. Data was analyzed with a qualitative method, and five categories emerged: Preparation and timing, challenges in teaching, demanding but worthwhile, broadening perspective and expanding network. The overall result showed that participating lecturers judged their international exchange to be a positive experience that had resulted in personal as well as professional development. However, a successful exchange requires planning, support and an open mind from all involved lecturers and institutions.