Living with an ever-present breathlessness: Women's experiences of living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV.

BACKGROUND: Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV has a major impact on a person's everyday life. This qualitative study focuses on women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV. AIM: The aim of this study was to describe women's experiences of living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV. METHOD: A purposive sample of fifteen women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV participated in the study. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews that were subjected to qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: One theme was identified, stabilizing an ever-present breathlessness by restoring strength, and three categories are as follows: managing a restricted everyday life as an expert of their illness, being afraid of contracting infections leading to suffocation and suffering and importance of continuous help and support from significant others and digital media. Breathlessness restricted women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, living with a body they have to wait for. Managing everyday life was adapted to their limited abilities and energy. This required detailed planning, good knowledge of their breathing and body. Women were afraid of contracting life-threatening infections that caused suffering, especially COVID-19. The fear leads to isolation and digital media was described as an important means of communication. Significant others gave support and help that was practical and emotional. Women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experienced lack of continuous help and support from healthcare professionals. CONCLUSION: Stabilizing an ever-present breathlessness by restoring strength required women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV to conduct detailed planning to manage everyday life. Being afraid of contracting infections and the consequences of suffocation had increased since the pandemic COVID-19 outbreak, which led to self-isolation and an inactive everyday life. To get help, support and socialize, women used digital media.

The lived experiences of young people living with type 1 diabetes: A hermeneutic study.

AIMS: The aim of this hermeneutic study was to explore and elucidate the lived experiences of young people living with type 1 diabetes in terms of their everyday life and school in Sweden. DESIGN: A qualitative interview study with a hermeneutic approach inspired by Gadamer's thinking. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of seven girls and three boys with type 1 diabetes between January and September 2017 and analysed with a hermeneutic method. RESULTS: Young peoples' everyday lives were transformed and re-organized by their illness and they parodically live a double-edged everyday life. To support young people's healthcare personnel, headmasters and teachers must understand this double-edged situation.

Nurses' experiences of encounters in home care: a phenomenological hermeneutic study.

PURPOSE: nurses working in home care often encounter patients with multiple diagnoses in unpredictable environments. This may cause ethical and emotional challenges and influence nurses' daily work. The aim of this study was to illuminate the meaning of nurses' lived experiences of encountering patients in home care. METHODS: narrative interviews were conducted with 11 nurses. These interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim and analysed using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. FINDINGS: the findings are presented under three main themes: (1)"Being receptive to the other" (with subthemes "Caring about the encounter," and "Establishing trusting relationships"). (2) "Need to handle Handling the unpredictable" (with subthemes "Being alone in the encounter" and "Being experienced and competent"). (3) "Managing frustration" (with subthemes "Feeling insufficient" and "Feeling restricted". Having overall nursing responsibility challenged the nurse's self-confidence in providing care trustfully. CONCLUSIONS: encountering patients in home care means relating to the other unconditionally, which aim to highlight patients' needs. Being a nurse in home care is both emotionally demanding and rewarding. Having the courage to face their own and the patients' vulnerabilities will entail the promotion of natural receptivity and responsiveness to patients' needs.

Position Statement of the International Network for Child and Family Centered Care: Child and Family Centred Care during the COVID19 Pandemic.

It is the position of the International Network for Child and Family Centered Care (INCFCC) that COVID19 restrictions pose tremendous challenges for the health care team in their efforts to provide child and family centered care (CFCC). COVID-19 restrictions impact on the family's right to be presernt with their ill child and to contribute to the caring process. A limited number of articles have discussed challenges about the successful delivery of CFCC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on current literature, the INCFCC stresses the need for continuous facilitation implementation of child and family centred care as, it is essential for children's physical and psychological wellbeing. Furthermore we believe that the families' presence and participation holds more benefits than risks to the health of children, their families, and the health care team.

Student perspectives on health dialogues: how do they benefit?

The vast majority of students in Sweden are healthy and live good lives, but rising health problems and declining academic performance pose risks to the country's student population. School health services (SHS) in Sweden have a long tradition of hosting health dialogues (HD) with students to support their health and its repercussions on their learning. Purpose: To describe experiences from 6- to 16-year-old students participating in the health dialogue in school. Method: Descriptive qualitative design. Data were collected from 734 open-ended responses on a questionnaire distributed among students ranging in age from 6 to 16. The data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Findings: The analysis identified five categories: Important to identify health and health problems, School nurse, a key profession, School environment important for both health and learning, Importance of health screening and Important to have a healthy lifestyle. The findings revealed that students aged 6 to 16 years old consider health and health problems, school environment, health screening and healthy lifestyle to be important areas for health and learning School nurses were identified as key persons in HD and for student's experience of health and learning. Conclusion: HD is an opportunity for students to participate and influence decisions concerning their health and education, to actively engage in their own health and learning in areas that affect them for example, the school environment.

Parental Groups During Pregnancy and the Child's First Year: Swedish Parents' Experiences.

The aim of the study was to assess parents' experience of parental support given before and after childbirth in a mid-Sweden region. A coherent education program implemented in a mid-Sweden region was evaluated. Data from two different samples of parents was collected through questionnaires. From the antenatal classes 563 women and men took part in the study. The other sample consisted of 176 parents from the child health care classes. The vast majority of parents from both groups were content with the sessions and their overall view was very positive. Both men and women felt strengthened before birth and in their parental role. New knowledge about breastfeeding and children's needs were gained. New thoughts about equal parenting and children's needs and development were achieved to a limited extent.

Ward visits- one essential step in intensive care follow-up. An interview study with critical care nurses' and ward nurses'.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe critical care nurses' and ward nurses' perceptions of the benefits and challenges with a nurse-led follow-up service for intensive care-survivors at general wards. BACKGROUND: Patients recently transferred from intensive care to the general ward are still vulnerable and require complex care. There are different models of intensive care follow-up services and some include ward visits after transfer from intensive care. Research methodology/design: This study had a qualitative design. Data from 13 semi-structured interviews with Swedish critical care nurses and ward nurses were analysed using qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: The findings consisted of one theme, namely, "Being a part of an intra-organisational collaboration for improved quality of care", and four subthemes: "Provides additional care for the vulnerable patients, "Strengthens ward-based critical care", "Requires coordination and information", and "Creates an exchange of knowledge". The nurse-led follow-up service detected signs of deterioration and led to better quality of care. However, shortage of time, lack of interaction, feedback and information about the function of the follow-up service led to problems. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that ward visits should be included in the intensive care follow-up service. Furthermore, intra-organisational collaboration seems to be essential for intensive care survivors' quality of care.