Do they really care? How trauma patients perceive nurses' caring behaviors.

Applying the theory of Nursing as Caring can help the nurse provide care that is perceived as caring by moderately to severely injured trauma patients. The Caring Behaviors Inventory was administered in a 1-to-1 interview format to hospitalized trauma patients in a level 2 trauma center. Nurses were positively perceived in their caring behaviors with some variation based on gender and ethnicity. The modified Caring Behaviors Inventory is quick to use and is reliable and valid.

The efficacy of frequency specific microcurrent therapy on delayed onset muscle soreness.

This study compared the effects of frequency specific microcurrent (FSM) therapy versus sham therapy in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in order to determine whether specific frequencies on two channels would produce better results than single channel single frequency microcurrent therapy which has been shown to be ineffective as compared to sham treatment in DOMS. 18 male and 17 female healthy participants (mean age 32+/-4.2 years) were recruited. Following a 15-min treadmill warm-up and 5 sub-maximal eccentric muscle contractions, participants performed 5 sets of 15 maximal voluntary eccentric muscle contractions, with a 1-min rest between sets, on a seated leg curl machine. Post-exercise, participants had one of their legs assigned to a treatment (T) regime (20 min of frequency specific microcurrent stimulation), while the participant's other leg acted as control (NT). Soreness was rated for each leg at baseline and at 24, 48 and 72 h post-exercise on a visual analogue scale (VAS), which ranged from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain ever). No significant difference was noted at baseline p=1.00. Post-exercise there was a significant difference at 24h (T=1.3+/-1.0, NT=5.2+/-1.3, p=0.0005), at 48 h (T=1.2+/-1.1, NT=7.0+/-1.1, p=0.0005) and at 72 h (T=0.7+/-0.6, NT=4.0+/-1.6, p=0.0005). FSM therapy provided significant protection from DOMS at all time points tested.

"Helping them understand": nurses' caring behaviors as perceived by family members of trauma patients.

This qualitative study explored family members' perceptions of nurses' caring behaviors. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 family members of moderately to severely injured trauma patients cared for at a level II trauma center. The dominant behavior identified as being caring was explaining what was going on and interpreting medical jargon. Appearing hurried and abrupt was noted as behavior that was not caring. In a highly stressful situation such as trauma, the interpersonal relationship the nurse develops with the family influences the perception of the care received.