ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on health systems and health professionals, due to the high number of cases and a lack of preparation. The aim of this study was to understand how nurses working in hospital units and in intensive care perceived the performance of nurse managers and senior hospital management during the first two waves of the pandemic. METHODS: The phenomenological approach proposed by Giorgi was used to investigate perceptions of the performance of nurse managers and senior hospital management during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. Fourteen clinical nurses who worked on the front line in inpatient units or intensive care units of the Health Services of Extremadura and Madrid in the first (March-April 2020) and second (October-November 2020) waves of the COVID-19 pandemic participated in this study. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, following a script of themes, in a theoretical sample of nurses who were worked during the pandemic. RESULTS: Two main themes emerged from the analysis of the data: (1) perceptions about the performance of nurse managers and senior hospital managers during the first and second waves of the pandemic (health system failure; belief that senior hospital management professionals could have managed the pandemic better; recognizing the efforts of middle management (nursing supervisors); insufficient institutional support) and (2) strategies employed by nurses to compensate for the weaknesses in pandemic management. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical nurses perceived that the nurse managers demonstrated better management of the pandemic than the hospital's senior management, which they attribute to their proximity, empathy, accessibility, and ability to mediate between them and the senior management. The nurses also believe that the senior management of the hospitals was to blame for organisational failures and the poor management of the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Among the methods available for assessing body composition, traditional methods like hydrodensitometry and skin-fold measurements are well known. In this review, we focus on the impedance and interactance methods, which use systems that are usually inexpensive, easily transportable and simple to operate. We also discuss the usefulness of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, particularly for the measurement of fat distribution. Nurses need to be skilled in the use of the equipment and familiar with the techniques.
Subject(s)
Body Composition , Nursing Diagnosis/methods , HumansABSTRACT
Among the methods available for assessing body composition, traditional methods like hydrodensitometry and skin-fold measurements are well known. In this review, we focus on the impedance and interactance methods, which use systems that are usually inexpensive, easily transportable and simple to operate. We also discuss the usefulness of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, particularly for the measurement of fat distribution. Nurses need to be skilled in the use of the equipment and familiar with the techniques.
Entre os métodos disponíveis para a determinação da composição corporal, os tradicionais, como a hidrodensitometria e a avaliação de pregas corporais, são bem conhecidos. Para esta revisão, centrou-se nos métodos baseados na impedância e a interactância, caracterizados pela utilização de equipamentos econômicos, fáceis de transportar e manobrar. Também discutiu-se a utilidade da absorciometria dual de raios X, especialmente para a determinação da distribuição da gordura corporal. É importante que o pessoal de enfermagem adquira conhecimentos sobre o uso desse equipamento, bem como que se familiarize com as técnicas descritas.
Entre los métodos disponibles para la determinación de la composición corporal, los tradicionales como la hidrodensitometría y la valoración de pliegues corporales son bien conocidos. En esta revisión nos centramos en los métodos basados en la impedancia y en la interactancia, caracterizados por la utilización de equipos económicos, fáciles de transportar y manejar. También discutimos la utilidad de la absorciometría dual de rayos-X, particularmente para la determinación de la distribución de la grasa corporal. Es importante que el personal de enfermería adquiera competencias en el uso de estos equipamientos y también se familiarice con las técnicas descritas.