[A preliminary study of the work values of male nurses in Taiwan and related factors].

BACKGROUND: Male nurses account for 1.08% of Taiwan's total professional nursing workforce. While work values are known to impact the practice of female nurses, the work values of male nurses have never been fully evaluated. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore the work values of male nurses in Taiwan and related factors. METHODS: We applied a cross-sectional design that targeted all male nurses nationwide and used a structured questionnaire distributed by mail to collect data. RESULTS: Data were collected from 1,087 Taiwan-based male nurses with 745 valid responses. Mean score for overall work value was 2.78 (on a maximum scale of 4). Socio-demographic differences contributed to work value variance among respondents. Major factors of influence on work value included education, work unit, work position, work rank, salary, hospital classification, and reason for choosing a nursing career. CONCLUSION: This study found personal characteristics, occupational roles, job performance, and reason for choosing a career in nursing to all correlate strongly with work value.

Assessment of xerostomia and its impact on quality of life in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, and validation of the Taiwanese version of the xerostomia questionnaire.

The purposes of this study were to (a) explore the impact of xerostomia and saliva flow on quality of life and (b) validate the Taiwanese version of the Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ) for patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer in Taiwan. This was a prospective longitudinal study. Instruments consisted of the Xerostomia Questionnaire-Taiwan version (XQ-T) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Taiwan Version. Salivary output was measured by collecting unstimulated whole saliva. The questionnaires and measurements of salivary output were completed before RT was initiated and at two, four, six, and eight weeks after RT had started. Changes in xerostomia scores, quality of life, saliva flow, and predictors of quality of life over time were examined by using general estimating equations. The XQ-T is the first xerostomia measurement instrument developed for use with Taiwanese cancer patients and demonstrated excellent reliability and validity. Saliva flow was significantly correlated with XQ-T scores at two, four, six, and eight weeks after RT had started, but not before RT had begun. Saliva flow and quality-of-life scores significantly diminished and xerostomia scores significantly increased over the eight-week period. Saliva flow and XQ-T scores significantly predicted quality of life, after adjusting for the maturation effect. The results of this study show that the XQ-T is the first xerostomia measurement instrument to be developed for Taiwanese cancer patients and demonstrates excellent reliability and validity.

Assessment of chemotherapy-induced oral complications in children with cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To assess children with cancer for oral complications using the oral assessment guide (OAG) and ascertain the efficacy of an oral hygiene care regimen in children undergoing chemotherapy and at 1 to 2 weeks postchemotherapy administration. METHODS: Thirty pediatric cancer patients with either leukemia or lymphoma were randomly selected from 3 medical centers. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the difference between pre- and post-oral hygiene care. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to analyze the data. The interrater agreement between the nurse and the dentist was calculated using a Kappa score. A paired t test was to examine the difference between pre- and post-oral hygiene care regimen. RESULTS: The OAG scores ranged from 8 to 24. The higher the score, the more severe the oral complications. Ninety-six percent of the participants had a score > or = 9, on the pre-test, 26.7% had an OAG score > or = 12. Oral complications included ulcerated mucous membranes, dry lips, deeper or raspy voice, and oral debris. No scores were > or = 12 on the OAG following the posttest. The oral hygiene care regimen significantly improved oral assessment among patients (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The authors postulate that the OAG and oral hygiene care regimen may be clinically useful in improving oral assessment and hygiene in children with cancer during and after chemotherapy, thus decreasing associated infection and enhancing patient comfort.

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) among highway toll station workers in taipei: direct and indirect exposure assessment.

In this study, the authors assessed occupational exposure to PM2.5 among 47 highway toll station workers in Taipei, Taiwan. The subjects were monitored for 10 days to assess integrated 8-hr fine particulate matter (PM2.5) breathing zone concentration. Researchers constructed a microenvironment-time-concentration matrix and applied direct and indirect approaches to assess cumulative exposure. Mean PM2.5 concentration for workers in the truck and bus lanes was 308 microg/m3 (SD = 115.5 microg/m3), substantially higher compared with cash-payment car lanes (mean 115, SD = 41.8, p < 0.001) and ticket-payment car lanes (mean 109, SD = 48.7, p < 0.001). Concentration per vehicle in the truck and bus lanes was 6.4 and 3.7 times higher, respectively, than that of ticket- or cash-payment car lanes. Mean cumulative exposure for the 10-day period was 4,900-13,407 microg/m3.hr, with a mean of 8,019 microg/m3.hr (SD = 2,375.3). Indirect and direct concentrations were strongly correlated (r2 = .61, F(1,125); p = 0.000). The results of this study show that personal exposure to PM2.5 can be reliably estimated using indirect approaches.