Effect of topical local anaesthesia on injection pain associated with administration of sterile water injections - a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Sterile water injections can provide effective pain relief during childbirth, particularly for low back pain related to childbirth. However, the pain associated administering the injections can negatively impact women's impressions of the procedure. It may discourage women from considering repeat doses despite the quality of analgesia experienced. Determining strategies to reduce the pain related to the administration of sterile water injections would improve the acceptability of the technique. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of topical local anesthesia on the pain associated with administration of sterile water injections. METHODS: The study was designed as a multi-arm single-blind, randomized, controlled trial and 120 female healthy students were randomly divided according to one of four groups. The Intervention group received sterile water injections with topical local anesthesia. Control group 1 received sterile water injections without topical local anesthesia, control group 2 received injections of isotonic saline 0.9% with topical local anesthesia and control group 3 received injections of isotonic saline 0.9% without topical local anesthesia. Pain Immediately after the injections and subsidence in pain were recorded using a visual analogue scale. Sensations in the injection area were reported 15 min and the day after the injections. RESULTS: The main finding of this study was that local anesthesia with EMLA® reduces the pain associated with the administration of intracutaneous sterile water injections. There was a significant difference in the self-assessed pain score immediately following the injections between the control (73.3 mm) and intervention groups (50.0 mm), p = 0.001. No adverse side effects were reported. CONCLUSION: Local anesthesia with EMLA® reduces the pain associated with intracutaneous administration of sterile water injections. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered 08/07/2014 at ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02213185 .

Patient experience of health and care when undergoing colorectal surgery within the ERAS program.

BACKGROUND: Several studies show that the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program reduces complications postoperatively and leads to faster recovery and shorter hospital stays. However, little is known about patients' self-reported health in an enhanced recovery context. The aim of this study was firstly to describe patient experiences of health within the concept of ERAS after colorectal (CR) surgery during a hospital stay and within 2 weeks of discharge. Secondly, to explore whether the ASA classification/co-morbidity, sex, and surgical method affect the patient's experience of health. METHODS: Data were collected through the ERAS-HEALTH questionnaire, including two open-ended questions, and through telephone interviews postoperatively. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was used. Patients undergoing CR surgery (n = 80) were included from October 2016 to June 2018. RESULTS: The patients had mainly positive experiences of their hospital stay as well as most of them felt comfortable coming home. However, experienced state of health is affected by factors like surgical method and co-morbidity. Improvements were desired concerning information, food/food intake, pain management, and environment. At home, the patients experienced a lack of information about food/food intake and ostomy care. Decreased appetite and difficulties with micturition were also described. The most troublesome symptom was postoperative fatigue (POF). Analysis of the ERAS-HEALTH questionnaire showed that patients with higher co-morbidity and those who underwent open surgery have a significantly worse experience of their health compared with patients who underwent laparoscopy. However, it seems that the surgical method affects postoperative health to a greater extent than co-morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: The patients reported many positive aspects and challenges when being cared for within the ERAS program. However, several improvements are needed to satisfy patient wishes regarding their care both in hospital and at home. Laparoscopic surgery affects patient state of health positively in several respects compared with open surgery.

Undergraduate nursing students' transformational learning during clinical training.

BACKGROUND: Undergraduate nursing students encounter patients at the end of life during their clinical training. They need to confront dying and death under supportive circumstances in order to be prepared for similar situations in their future career. AIM: To explore undergraduate nursing students' descriptions of caring situations with patients at the end of life during supervised clinical training. METHODS: A qualitative study using the critical incident technique was chosen. A total of 85 students wrote a short text about their experiences of caring for patients at the end of life during their clinical training. These critical incident reports were then analysed using deductive and inductive content analysis. FINDINGS: The theme 'students' transformational learning towards becoming a professional nurse during clinical training' summarises how students relate to patients and relatives, interpret the transition from life to death, feel when caring for a dead body and learn end-of-life caring actions from their supervisors. IMPLICATIONS: As a preparation for their future profession, students undergoing clinical training need to confront death and dying while supported by trained supervisors and must learn how to communicate about end-of-life issues and cope with emotional stress and grief.

Delirium in older hospitalized patients-signs and actions: a retrospective patient record review.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is common in older hospitalized patients, and is associated with negative consequences for the patients, next of kin, healthcare professionals and healthcare costs. It is important to understand its clinical features, as almost 40% of all cases in hospitals may be preventable. Yet, delirium in hospitalized patients is often unrecognized and untreated. Few studies describe thoroughly how delirium manifests itself in older hospitalized patients and what actions healthcare professionals take in relation to these signs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe signs of delirium in older hospitalized patients and action taken by healthcare professionals, as reported in patient records. METHODS: Patient records from patients aged ≥65 (n = 286) were retrospectively reviewed for signs of delirium, which was found in 78 patient records (27%). Additionally, these records were reviewed for action taken by healthcare professionals in relation to the patients' signs of delirium. The identified text was analyzed with qualitative content analysis in two steps. RESULTS: Healthcare professionals responded only in part to older hospitalized patients' needs of care in relation to their signs of delirium. The patients displayed various signs of delirium that led to a reduced ability to participate in their own care and to keep themselves free from harm. Healthcare professionals met these signs with a variation of actions and the care was adapted, deficient and beyond the usual care. A systematic and holistic perspective in the care of older hospitalized patients with signs of delirium was missing. CONCLUSION: Improved knowledge about delirium in hospitals is needed in order to reduce human suffering, healthcare utilization and costs. It is important to enable older hospitalized patients with signs of delirium to participate in their own care and to protect them from harm. Delirium has to be seen as a preventable adverse event in all hospitals units. To improve the prevention and management of older hospitalized patients with signs of delirium, person-centered care and patient safety may be important issues.

Sterile water injections for childbirth pain: An evidenced based guide to practice.

BACKGROUND: About 30% of women in labour suffer from lower back pain. Studies of sterile water injections for management of low back pain have consistently shown this approach to be effective. The objective of this evidence-based guide is to facilitate the clinical use of sterile water injections to relieve lower back pain in labouring women. METHODS: To identify relevant publications our search strategy was based on computerised literature searches in scientific databases. The methodological quality of each study was assessed using the modified version of the Jadad scale, 12 studies were included. FINDINGS: Recommendations regarding the clinical use of sterile water injections for pain relief in labour are reported in terms of the location of injection administration, various injection techniques, number of injections used, amount of sterile water in each injection and adverse effects. DISCUSSION: Both injection techniques provide good pain relief for lower back pain during labour. The subcutaneous injection technique is possibly less painful than the intracutaneous technique administered, but we are unsure if this impacts on effectiveness. The effect seems to be related to the number of injections and the amount of sterile water in each injection. CONCLUSION: The recommendation at present, based on the current state of knowledge, is to give four injections. Notwithstanding the differences in injection technique and number of injections the method appears to provide significant levels of pain relief and can be repeated as often as required with no adverse effect (apart from the administration pain) on the woman or her foetus.

Undergraduate nursing students' attitudes and preparedness toward caring for dying persons - A longitudinal study.

Nursing education needs to prepare students for care of dying patients. The aim of this study was to describe the development of nursing students' attitudes toward caring for dying patients and their perceived preparedness to perform end-of-life care. A longitudinal study was performed with 117 nursing students at six universities in Sweden. The students completed the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale (FATCOD) questionnaire at the beginning of first and second year, and at the end of third year of education. After education, the students completed questions about how prepared they felt by to perform end-of-life care. The total FATCOD increased from 126 to 132 during education. Five weeks' theoretical palliative care education significantly predicted positive changes in attitudes toward caring for dying patients. Students with five weeks' theoretical palliative care training felt more prepared and supported by the education to care for a dying patient than students with shorter education. A minority felt prepared to take care of a dead body or meet relatives.

Mindfulness and its efficacy for psychological and biological responses in women with breast cancer.

Many breast cancer survivors have to deal with a variety of psychological and physiological sequelae including impaired immune responses. The primary purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the efficacy of a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention for mood disorders in women with breast cancer. Secondary outcomes were symptom experience, health status, coping capacity, mindfulness, posttraumatic growth, and immune status. This RTC assigned 166 women with breast cancer to one of three groups: MBSR (8 weekly group sessions of MBSR), active controls (self-instructing MBSR) and non-MBSR. The primary outcome measure was the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Secondary outcome measures were: Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, SF-36, Sense of Coherence, Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire, and Posttraumatic Growth Index. Blood samples were analyzed using flow cytometry for NK-cell activity (FANKIA) and lymphocyte phenotyping; concentrations of cytokines were determined in sera using commercial high sensitivity IL-6 and IL-8 ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) kits. Results provide evidence for beneficial effects of MBSR on psychological and biological responses. Women in the MBSR group experienced significant improvements in depression scores, with a mean pre-MBSR HAD-score of 4.3 and post-MBSR score of 3.3 (P = 0.001), and compared to non-MBSR (P = 0.015). Significant improvements on scores for distress, symptom burden, and mental health were also observed. Furthermore, MBSR facilitated coping capacity as well as mindfulness and posttraumatic growth. Significant benefits in immune response within the MBSR group and between groups were observed. MBSR have potential for alleviating depression, symptom experience, and for enhancing coping capacity, mindfulness and posttraumatic growth, which may improve breast cancer survivorship. MBSR also led to beneficial effect on immune function; the clinical implications of this finding merit further research.

Nursing students' perceptions of caring for dying people, after one year in nursing school.

AIM: To describe Swedish nursing students' perceptions of caring for dying people after the first year of a three year in a nursing programme at three university nursing schools in Sweden. METHODS: Interviews (n=17) were undertaken with nursing students at the end of their first year. A phenomenographic approach was used to design and structure the analysis of the nursing students' perceptions. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in five categories: 1) from abstract to reality, 2) from scary to natural, 3) increased knowledge can give bad conscience, 4) time limits versus fear of end-of-life conversations, and 5) meeting with relatives. CONCLUSION: Nursing students need to be prepared both theoretically and within practice to encounter death and dying and to care for dying persons. By combining their theoretical knowledge of dying and death with their own encounters of death and dying people in practice, the students can be supported to develop an understanding of dying and death as a natural part of life rather than something frightening.

Factors influencing attitude toward care of dying patients in first-year nursing students.

AIM: To describe Swedish first-year undergraduate nursing students' attitudes toward care of dying patients. Possible influences such as age, earlier care experiences, care education, experiences of meeting dying patients and place of birth were investigated. METHOD: The Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale (FATCOD) was used in six universities. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used. RESULTS: Some 371 students (67.3%) reported overall positive attitude toward caring for dying patients (total mean FATCOD 119.5, SD 10.6) early in their first semester. Older students, students with both earlier care experience and earlier education, those with experience of meeting a dying person, and students born in Sweden reported the highest scores, a more positive attitude. CONCLUSION: Age, earlier care experience and education, experiences of meeting a dying person and place of birth seems to affect students' attitudes toward care of the dying and need to be considered among nursing educators.

Assessment and documentation of women's labour pain: A cross-sectional study in Swedish delivery wards.

BACKGROUND: A woman's pain during labour plays a dominant role in childbirth. The midwife's role is to assess the degree of pain experienced during labour. When professionals respond to labour pain with acknowledgement and understanding, the woman's sense of control and empowerment is increased, which could contribute to a positive experience of childbirth. The aim of this study is to describe how labour pain in Swedish delivery wards is assessed and documented. METHODS: This quantitative descriptive study was designed as a national survey performed through telephone interviews with the representatives of 34 delivery wards in Sweden. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The majority of the participating delivery wards assessed and documented women's labour pain, but in an unstructured manner. The wards differed in how the assessments and documentation were performed. In addition, almost all the delivery wards that participated in the survey lacked guidelines for the assessment and documentation of the degree of pain during labour. The findings also showed that the issue of labour pain was sometimes discussed in the delivery wards, but not in a structured or consistent way.

Home healthcare teams' assessments of pain in care recipients living with dementia: a Swedish exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Pain assessment in people living with dementia is a challenge due to the complexity of pain and dementia and the difficulties in self-reporting. In home healthcare, nurses are frequently involved in pain assessment situations and there is a need to explore how home healthcare teams' manage pain assessment in this setting. AIM: The study aimed to explore home healthcare teams' experiences of pain assessment among care recipients with dementia. DESIGN: An exploratory qualitative design was used. METHODS: Open-ended individual interviews were conducted with thirteen registered nurses and ten nursing assistants, working in three different home healthcare teams in one municipality in western Sweden. Philosophical hermeneutics was utilised to interpret the home healthcare teams' experiences. RESULTS: Four interpretations emerged: the need for trusting collaboration, the use of multiple assessment strategies, maintenance of staff continuity in care and assessment situations, and the need for extended time to assess pain. CONCLUSIONS: The home healthcare teams recognise pain assessment in people with dementia as involving a complex interaction of sensory, cognitive, emotional and behavioural components in which efforts to acquire understanding of behavioural changes mainly guides their assessments. The solid team coherence between registered nurses and nursing assistants aided the assessment procedure. To assess pain, the teams used multiple methods that complemented one another. However, no systematic routines or appropriate evidence-based pain tools were used. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The team members'concern for care recipients when assessing pain is evident and needs to be acknowledged by the organisation which is responsible for the quality of care. Future studies should focus on further exploration of nurses' experiences with pain and dementia in home healthcare settings and address what nurses identify and how they deal with their findings. It is imperative to investigate how organisations and nurses can ensure best practices and how the implementation of evidence-based routines for assessing pain may aid in pain assessment situations.

Death and caring for dying patients: exploring first-year nursing students' descriptive experiences.

AIM: To describe first-year nursing students' experiences of witnessing death and providing end-of-life care. METHODS: This study is part of a larger longitudinal project. Interviews (n=17) were conducted with nursing students at the end of their first year of education. To analyse the interviews (lived-experience descriptions), a thematic analysis, 'a search for meaning' ( Van Manen, 1997 ) was applied. RESULTS: The results are presented within the framework of four separate themes: (1) The thought of death is more frightening than the actual experience, (2) Daring to approach the dying patient and offering something of oneself, (3) The experience of not sufficing in the face of death and (4) Being confronted with one's own feelings. CONCLUSION: Nursing students require continuous support and opportunity to reflect and discuss their experiences about caring for dying patients and confronting death throughout the entirety of their education. In addition, teachers and clinical supervisors need to give support using reflective practice to help students to develop confidence in their capacity for caring for dying patients.

Swedish nursing students' reasoning about emotionally demanding issues in caring for dying patients.

AIM: To describe nursing students' reasoning about emotionally demanding questions concerning the care of dying patients. METHODS: The Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD) Scale was completed by students at the beginning of their education, and there was great variation in the responses to five items. At a follow-up measurement in the second year, an open-ended question, 'How did you reason when completing this question?', was added to each of the these five items. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the responses. RESULTS: Of 140 students who completed the FATCOD, 111 provided free-text responses. The analysis of these responses revealed three themes: death perceptions, the students' understanding of their current situation, and the nurse's responsibility. CONCLUSION: This study provides useful information on students' reasoning about emotionally demanding questions relating to the care of dying patients. Such knowledge is valuable in helping students to overcome their fear and fulfil their expectations concerning their future proficiency.

Comparison between mixed and laminar airflow systems in operating rooms and the influence of human factors: experiences from a Swedish orthopedic center.

BACKGROUND: The importance of laminar airflow systems in operating rooms as protection from surgical site infections has been questioned. The aim of our study was to explore the differences in air contamination rates between displacement ventilation and laminar airflow systems during planned and acute orthopedic implant surgery. A second aim was to compare the influence of the number of people present, the reasons for traffic flow, and the door-opening rates between the 2 systems. METHODS: Active air sampling and observations were made during 63 orthopedic implant operations. RESULTS: The laminar airflow system resulted in a reduction of 89% in colony forming units in comparison with the displacement system (P < .001). The air samples taken in the preparation rooms showed high levels of bacterial growth (≈ 40 CFU/m(3)). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that laminar airflow-ventilated operating rooms offer high-quality air during surgery, with very low levels of colony forming units close to the surgical wound. The continuous maintenance of laminar air flow and other technical systems are crucial, because minor failures in complex systems like those in operating rooms can result in a detrimental effect on air quality and jeopardize the safety of patients. The technical ventilation solutions are important, but they do not guarantee clean air, because many other factors, such as the organization of the work and staff behavior, influence air cleanliness.

Midwifery students' conceptions of worst imaginable pain.

BACKGROUND: The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is one of the most widely used pain assessment scales in clinical practice and research. However, the VAS is used less frequently in midwifery than in other clinical contexts. The issue of how people interpret the meaning of the VAS endpoints (i.e. no pain and worst imaginable pain) has been discussed. The aim of this study was to explore midwifery students' conceptions of 'worst imaginable pain'. METHODS: A sample of 230 midwifery students at seven universities in Sweden responded to an open-ended question: 'What is the worst imaginable pain for you?' This open-ended question is a part of a larger study. Their responses underwent manifest content analysis. RESULTS: Analysis of the midwifery students' responses to the open-ended question revealed five categories with 24 sub-categories. The categories were Overwhelming pain, Condition-related pain, Accidents, Inflicted pain and Psychological suffering. CONCLUSIONS: The midwifery students' conceptions of 'worst imaginable pain' are complex, elusive and diverse.

The recovery process after day surgery within the symptom management theory.

PURPOSE: The aim was to illustrate two cases in a postoperative situation following day surgery within the framework of the symptom management theory. METHOD: Template analysis using the symptom management theory. RESULT: Neither the woman nor the man was able to return to their normal activities, health status or functional status, within a week. CONCLUSION: The results illustrate how a postoperative situation may involve personal suffering up to 3 months. PRACTICAL IMPLICATION: To obtain an outcome following day surgery, as optimal as possible, improving clinical practices and routines, such as discharge criteria, guidelines, and care pathways, is necessary.

The Swedish version of the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying scale: aspects of validity and factors influencing nurses' and nursing students' attitudes.

BACKGROUND: Nurses' attitudes toward caring for dying persons need to be explored. The Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD) scale has not previously been used in Swedish language. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to compare FATCOD scores among Swedish nurses and nursing students with those from other languages, to explore the existence of 2 subscales, and to evaluate influences of experiences on attitudes toward care of dying patients. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and predictive design was used. The FATCOD scores of Swedish nurses from hospice, oncology, surgery clinics, and palliative home care and nursing students were compared with published scores from the United States, Israel, and Japan. Descriptive statistics, t tests, and factor and regression analyses were used. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 213 persons: 71 registered nurses, 42 enrolled nurses, and 100 nursing students. Swedish FATCOD mean scores did not differ from published means from the United States and Israel, but were significantly more positive than Japanese means. In line with Japanese studies, factor analyses yielded a 2-factor solution. Total FATCOD and subscales had low Cronbach α's. Hospice and palliative team nurses were more positive than oncology and surgery nurses to care for dying patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although our results suggest that the Swedish FATCOD may comprise 2 distinct scales, the total scale may be the most adequate and applicable for use in Sweden. Professional experience was associated with nurses' attitudes toward caring for dying patients. IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE: Care culture might influence nurses' attitudes toward caring for dying patients; the benefits of education need to be explored.

Child drawings and salivary cortisol in children undergoing preoperative procedures associated with day surgery.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative procedures in children can impair their emotional status negatively with stress and/or anxiety. Cortisol concentrations and drawings could be helpful in gaining information about a child's levels of stress and/or anxiety when attending the hospital for surgery. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of anxiety and stress as well as to explore the association between objective measures of stress (cortisol concentration in saliva) and subjective assessment of hospital anxiety (children's drawings) as interpreted by the Swedish version of the Child Drawing: Hospital manual. METHODS: A total of 93 children scheduled for day surgery were included. Salivary cortisol was sampled preoperatively on the day of surgery at which time the children were also requested to make a drawing of a person at the hospital. RESULTS: Results showed no association between salivary cortisol concentration and the CD:H score. CONCLUSION: The drawings and salivary cortisol concentration preoperatively on the day of surgery reflect different components of the conditions of fear, anxiety, or stress emerging in the situation.

Mindfulness based stress reduction study design of a longitudinal randomized controlled complementary intervention in women with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The stress of a breast cancer diagnosis and its treatment can produce a variety of psychosocial sequelae including impaired immune responses. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a structured complementary program that incorporates meditation, yoga and mind-body exercises. Despite promising empirical evidence for the efficacy of MBSR, there is a need for randomized controlled trials (RCT). There is also a need for RCTs investigating the efficacy of psychosocial interventions on mood disorder and immune response in women with breast cancer. Therefore, the overall aim is to determine the efficacy of a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention on well-being and immune response in women with breast cancer. METHODS AND DESIGN: In this RCT, patients diagnosed with breast cancer, will consecutively be recruited to participate. Participants will be randomized into one of three groups: MBSR Intervention I (weekly group sessions + self-instructing program), MBSR Intervention II (self-instructing program), and Controls (non-MBSR). Data will be collected before start of intervention, and 3, 6, and 12 months and thereafter yearly up to 5 years. This study may contribute to evidence-based knowledge concerning the efficacy of MBSR to support patient empowerment to regain health in breast cancer disease. DISCUSSION: The present study may contribute to evidence-based knowledge concerning the efficacy of mindfulness training to support patient empowerment to regain health in a breast cancer disease. If MBSR is effective for symptom relief and quality of life, the method will have significant clinical relevance that may generate standard of care for patients with breast cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01591915.

Certified nursing assistants' perception of pain in people with dementia: a hermeneutic enquiry in dementia care practice.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To interpret certified nursing assistants' perception of pain in people with dementia in nursing care practice. BACKGROUND: Detection and understanding of pain in people with dementia remains a challenge due to their difficulty in verbalising their pain. Nursing assistants provide daily nursing care and therefore play a vital role in pain detection. Nevertheless, pain research from the nursing assistants' perspective is sparse. DESIGN: A qualitative approach within the interpretive tradition was adopted. METHODS: Individual interviews with twelve certified nursing assistants, all working in dementia care, were conducted and interpreted using philosophical hermeneutics. RESULTS: Nursing assistants' perception of pain is on three levels. Each level consists of a theme. The first theme 'Being in the facing phase' refers to the initial perception of the person's expressions. The second theme 'Being in the reflecting phase' means ability to reflect more deeply on one's perception, together with other colleagues and next of kins. The third theme 'Being in the acting phase' means perception arising from preventive and protective care focusing on contributing to well-being. The themes served as a basis for comprehensive understanding, where perception of pain arises from closeness, compassion and dialogue based on personhood, accompanied by professional knowledge of pain and dementia. CONCLUSION: Nursing assistants' perception of pain is based on ethical concerns and on their own subjective pain experiences rather than on medical skills. Their perception derives from fundamental values that are important aspects of nursing care. Interdisciplinary solidarity may strengthen cooperation amongst CNAs and RNs to achieve best pain management practice. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Attention to nursing assistants' perception of pain needs to be highlighted when they are front-line staff and have developed important pain detection skills. Their skills are essential complements and must be used in the development of pain management in dementia care practice.