Nursing professionals' anxiety and feelings in terminal situations in oncology.

This study aimed to investigate, through a cross-sectional study, factors that influence anxiety levels and feelings of a nursing team who care for terminal patients with cancer. The sample consisted of 50 Nursing Assistants and Technicians from the Hospital reference on cancer care in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Data were collected through the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results showed that 69.8% of the professionals have medium anxiety levels and 30.2% have high levels of anxiety. The Number of Patients attended and "Working in another Institution" interfered in the anxiety levels. The most remarkable professionals' feelings were suffering and sadness, and Child was the most difficult age group to care for. Studies which develop support strategies to those health professionals are necessary to reduce and/or to prevent high anxiety and stress levels.

Resilience and treatment adhesion in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune, rheumatic inflammatory disease that can cause significant morbidity with evident psychological impacts and obvious harm to quality-of-life that require the patient to adapt treatment. OBJECTIVE: Assessment of resilience and the self-reported treatment adhesion behaviors of patients with SLE, investigating which of these factors are associated to resilience. METHOD: Cross-sectional study of 40 women with SLE. A questionnaire with social demographic data, health history and the Wagnild Young Resilience Scale were used. RESULTS: 62.5% followed the medical treatment properly but 55% found it difficult. 27.5% of the patients presented low resilience, 57.5% medium and 15% high resilience. Resilience was associated in the chi-square test (p-value < 0.05) with the variables work, understanding SLE, trying to find out about SLE, following the treatment correctly, difficulty in following the treatment and stopping some activity because of the disease. In the correlation analysis, resilience was associated with age (-0.3960), number of working hours (0.5533), specialized treatment duration (-0.8103) and disease duration from diagnosis (-0.8014). CONCLUSION: Patients with high resilience tended to follow treatment correctly, tried to understand the disease and adhered more to the treatment to avoid risks and promote protection factors. Therefore knowledge of resilience in patients with SLE is necessary. It is important that the state takes necessary actions to facilitate access to treatment, to educational programs and to medical support. Awareness and counselling sessions must be initiated to develop and promote individual capacities to learn how to tackle with the disease for which psychological support of family and doctors can play a significant role.

Nursing professionals' anxiety and feelings in terminal situations in oncology / Ansiedades e sentimentos de profissionais da enfermagem nas situações de terminalidade em oncologia / Ansiedades y sentimientos de los profesionales de enfermería en situaciones de terminalidad en oncología

This study aimed to investigate, through a cross-sectional study, factors that influence anxiety levels and feelings of a nursing team who care for terminal patients with cancer. The sample consisted of 50 Nursing Assistants and Technicians from the Hospital reference on cancer care in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Data were collected through the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results showed that 69.8 percent of the professionals have medium anxiety levels and 30.2 percent have high levels of anxiety. The Number of Patients attended and "Working in another Institution" interfered in the anxiety levels. The most remarkable professionals' feelings were suffering and sadness, and Child was the most difficult age group to care for. Studies which develop support strategies to those health professionals are necessary to reduce and/or to prevent high anxiety and stress levels.

Trata-se de investigação de caráter transversal que avaliou o nível de ansiedade da equipe de enfermagem que lida com o paciente terminal com câncer, procurando identificar os fatores que a influenciam, bem como os sentimentos dos profissionais frente ao atendimento destes pacientes. Foram analisados 50 auxiliares e técnicos de enfermagem do hospital de referência de atendimento ao câncer do Rio Grande do Norte. Os dados foram coletados através de questionário e do Inventário de Ansiedade Traço-Estado. Os resultados revelaram que 69,8 por cento dos profissionais possuem Ansiedade-Estado média e 30,2 por cento alta. O número de pacientes atendidos e 'trabalhar em outra instituição' interferiram na Ansiedade-Estado. Os sentimentos mais destacados foram sofrimento e tristeza, e 'criança' foi apontada como sendo a faixa-etária mais difícil de se lidar. Verifica-se a necessidade de realização de estratégias de apoio para profissionais a fim de reduzir e/ou prevenir altos níveis de ansiedade e estresse.

Se trata de una investigación transversal que evaluó el nivel de ansiedad del equipo de enfermería que se dedica al enfermo terminal con cáncer, investigando los factores que influencian este equipo, así como los sentimientos de los profesionales ante la atención a estos enfermos. Fueron analizados 50 auxiliares y técnicos de enfermería del hospital de referencia de atención al cáncer de Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. Datos fueron recolectados a través de un cuestionario y del Inventario de Ansiedad Rasgo-Estado. Resultados revelaron que el 69,8 por ciento posee ansiedad-estado media y el 30,2 por ciento alta. El número de enfermos atendidos y 'trabajar en otra institución' interfirieron en el nivel de ansiedad-estado. Los sentimientos más destacados fueron sufrimiento y tristeza, y 'niño' fue indicado como el grupo de edad más difícil de dedicarse. Se verifica la necesidad de estrategias de apoyo para los profesionales a fin de reducir y/o prevenir altos niveles de ansiedad y estrés.