[The health care through the critical eyes of the users: a survey]. / Le criticità dell'assistenza sanitaria attraverso lo sguardo degli utenti: un'indagine conoscitiva.

INTRODUCTION: Hospitalization is a condition, in which the individual ceases his daily normal acti- vities to be taken over by a hospital, in order to solve a health problem. The healthcare profes- sionals have the responsibility to make the event "admission" the least traumatic as possible. In this regard the welcome is a crucial moment - like a "business card" for the structure - and it will mostly define the satisfaction of the hospitalization experience. OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study is to explore the experience of hospitalization of the respondents, to outline the main issues that affect the quality of care provided in two hospitals in Rome and to detect the most common critical situations, in relation to the thematic areas identified. METHOD: Data collected through semi-structured questionnaires and following phenomenological approach focused on the analysis of experiences of respondents to extract the meaning themes with inductive technique of Van Kaam. RESULTS: Thanks to the interviews about the users hospitalization experience, there were outlined four key-elements that affect the quality of care provided and the more obvious critical issues detected; therefore it is highlighted a relational and communicative asymmetry between the heal- thcare provider and the user and also a lack of awareness of healthcare professionals on the impor- tance of the "primacy effect", which is a preliminary element to strengthen the subsequent posi- tive perceptions of hospital care. CONCLUSIONS: In the light of the results, that work can provide interesting insights and guidance to all those who, for various reasons, are active in the health professions in addition to contribu- ting to the improvement of the quality of care in our facilities.

[Multidimensional approach aimed at the frail elderly. Review of the literature]. / L'approccio multidimensionale rivolto all'anziano fragile. Una revisione della letteratura.

Italy is among the EU countries with the highest number of elderly persons, with a percentage of over sixties destined to increase further in the next few years. As far as health care demands are concerned , life expectancy of 65 year-olds is about 16 years for men ( with at least 5 years of disability) and about 20 years for women (with 6 years of disability), according to the CEIS Health figures for 2006. This tendency has brought about a proportional increase in the demand for nursing experience in the field of geriatrics. The principal problems regarding the basic needs of the elderly are identified with reference to nursing studies and to other sources. In fact, a multidimensional approach is necessary not only for a complete evaluation but also to allow nurses to identify any problems related to functionality and autonomy and to keep them under control.

[Educational needs of sterilization central area. A case study]. / I bisogni formativi nel servizio centralizzato di sterilizzazione. Un'indagine conoscitiva.

Sterilization process requires to be performed by well-trained experts: this necessity is confirmed by so common cases of infection related to gaps into medical tools sterilization process. In many cases the process including all the steps from employment of sterile tools to reconditioning and re-usage is quite unknown and this lack of knowledge may be the cause of sensitive issues and mistakes. The case study is performed by a 15 questions test with a multiple answers system. The test has been given to be filled to nursing professionals and students. The scope of the research is to evaluate the grade of knowledge in the process of sterilization of one-use surgical tools. Results of this investigation display good chances of improvement either in the culture than in the procedure of such a sensitive aspect of medical care.

[The obese person undergoing non invasive treatment: description of a case study]. / La persona obesa sottoposta a trattamento terapeutico non invasivo. Descrizione di un caso studio.

In the last years, there are always more people with obesity those recourses at the specifics therapeutics treatments to answer at the behaviour food disorders. In this case, to cure the obesity more people to resort at bariatric surgical treatments or with not invasion treatments, with the objective to improve the quality of life. In reference at this problem, will be introduced a typical case as evidence towards a problem who the national nursing literature do not to be concerned with enough attention. The object will be that to increase the awareness towards mental and physical problems that obese people lived today in the society and the importance about this problem of the management nursing care.

[The role of voluntary associations in healthcare politics]. / Il ruolo del volontariato nelle politiche socioassistenziali.

In the recent years an increasing interest has been observed on volunteering; among social scientist, politicians, and economists. A different approach to the management of volunteering has been observed both in the political and social set. Furthermore a remarkable development of the phenomenon is present worldwide as within Italy. The contribute to social development, universally attributed to the volunteer action has been acknowledged by the General Assembly of United Nations that declared the 2001 The International Years of Volunteering. Different aims was attributed to this event: the promotion of volunteer action, as expression of cohesiveness and democratic participation of civic society progress; stimulate the improvement of the volunteering status and role; increasing facilities to the activities realization; facilitate the communication opportunities among volunteers, associations and governments. Nevertheless, the phenomenon relevance has to be viewed in social, cultural, political and economical changes taking place in the last years and still in action in the country that on the one hand have produced new needs and an increasing socio-assistance demand and the other hand the needs of changing the responding traditional style and way from Institutions. The major aims of this paper consist in the analysis of motivation and relevance of socio-sanitary role of volunteer in contemporary society.

[Nurses presence in the sterilisation service according UNI EN directives]. / La presenza infermieristica nel servizio centralizzato di sterilizzazione alla luce della normativa UNI EN.

The aim of the sterilisation process is to inactivates the microbiological contamination, changing the status of contaminated product in sterile one. The exposition time at the correctly sterilisation is not the only factor which allow the process succeed: we need to pay attention at the microbiological charge that is present on the primary material, (bioburden), the place where the process occur, the assemblage, the pack and stockage. In the health services for a good successful of this passage, we need to identify an professional figure of reference as supervisors of the sterilisation process and as an expert adviser (consultant). This article represent an reflection of the nursing role.

[Self-esteem in adolescents. A study]. / L'autostima negli adolescenti. Uno studio.

In the present article the adolescents, self esteem is considered. An investigation has been effected in two schools of the Capital. Results show a strong relationship between Nursing and the problems related to the adolescence. Nursing answer and activities have to be expounded in the considered reality in order to have a nurses taking care of adolescents not only inside the hospital but also in the community. It is the case to develop a new model of nursing, an educational model related to health and wellness.

[Anxiety, stress and preoperative surgical nursing]. / Ansia, stress ed assistenza chirurgica preoperatoria.

The hospitalisation represents a stressful event, particularly for subjects facing surgical procedures. Assuming this situation is traumatic event in which anxiety and stress are lived experiences, we have analysed their influences and implications of the psychological aspects on surgical nursing care process. Patient affected of a various disease, waiting for surgery have been submitted a two different questionnaire (Cognitive, S.T.A.I.). The finding showed that different specific and complex aspects of hospital life are stressful conditions. The surgical procedures in general cause an increase of the level of anxiety in all subjects examinaed. This phenomenon was greater in those subjects in which the anxious personality was already present and in those with more serious disease. The surgical procedures is a stressful condition that require a positive adaptation for the patient and his relatives. The therapeutical-educative relationships represent the instrument to interact positively with the person and his need to be cured.

[Bifocal model in the management of respiratory problems. Application in a critical care unit]. / Il modello bifocale nella gestione dei problemi respiratori. Un'applicazione in area critica.

The peculiar situations involved in critical care need a complex and efficient team work. This induces very often an overlapping of different specific roles, due to the complexity of clinical situations. G. Buchechek and J. Mc Closkey define nursing interventions as every care treatment by nursing staff, including: nurse treatment initiated by nurse diagnosis, physician-initiated treatment, and daily tasks, defined as performances, for the patient that it is not autosufficient (Nursing interventions: Treatments for potential nursing diagnoses 1989). Thus, nursing initiative cannot be considered autonomous. The following manuscript represents a survey on nursing activities in respiratory care in a large hospital of the city of Rome, Italy, which follows the bifocal method of nursing care by Lynda J. Carpenito (1983).