Suporte social para idosos portadores de insuficiência cardíaca / Social support for elderly people suffering from cardiac insufficiency

O objetivo do presente estudo foi identificar a existência de suporte social em 20 idosos portadores de Insuficiência Cardíaca (IC) internados em um hospital especializado de cidade do interior paulista. Os dados foram obtidos através de entrevista individual utilizando o modelo Canadian Social Support Inventory for People who are Positive or Have Aids, validado no Brasil em 2001 e adaptado para o foco do estudo. O referido instrumento é constituído de duas dimensões de suporte social, instrumental e emocional, com seus respectivos itens e subitens. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio da estatística descritiva e análise de correlação cruzada (cross correlation). A correlação das variáveis foi dada pelo coeficiente de correlação de Pearson e o nível de significância adotado foi p 0,05. Os resultados permitiram a caracterização dos idosos e a manifestação de que ainda que recebam pouco suporte social, tanto na dimensão instrumental, como na emocional, manifestaram-se satisfeitos ou muito satisfeitos com o pouco apoio recebido. O referido suporte é oferecido por familiares, amigos e até vizinhos, com pouca expressividade por parte dos profissionais de saúde e praticamente inexistente por parte de chefes e/ou colegas de trabalho.

The aim of this study was to identify the existing social support for 20 elderly people suffering from Cardiac Insufficiency (CI), confined to a specialized hospital in upstate Sao Paulo, Brazil. The data were obtained by means of individual interviews, using the Canadian Social Support Inventory for People who are HIV-Positive or Have Aids form, validated in Brazil in 2001 and adapted to the group focused in this study. The aforementioned inventory was designed to assess two aspects of social support, instrumental and emotional, each with their respective items on the availability and sources of support and patient attitudes to it. The data was analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and cross-correlation analysis. The correlation of the variables was given by the Pearson correlation coefficient and significance wasdeclared when p 0.05. The results permitted a characterization of the elderly CI patients, revealing that even though they received little social support, either instrumental or emotional, they professed themselves satisfied or very satisfied with the little aid received. The support referred to was provided largely by family members, friends and even neighbors, with little help on the part of health professionals and virtually none from employers and/or workmates.

[Program of community integration: search for new strategies and new life styles]. / Programa de integração comunitária: em busca de novas estratégias e novos sentidos à vida.

The Program of Community Integration of the Municipal Bureau of Health of the city of Ribeirão Preto aims at promoting health, directing its actions for the change of life styles. The purpose of this study is to look, in the light of the framework of Health Promotion and through declarations of users of the program, how it has been formed as an important strategy to increase the autonomy and emancipation of the population. The analysis reveals that the program has improved the autonomy and emancipation of the population, as an important instrument for life defence.

[Permanence of nurses in their profession]. / Estudo da permanência dos enfermeiros no trabalho.

The main cause for nursing shortage in the world is that nurses are withdrawing the profession. However few research has been carried out to prove this. This study investigates nurses' permanence in job and their motives for withdrawing it. Researchers tried to contact 1112 nurses who enrolled the profession after finishing the undergraduate nursing course at the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, Brazil, in the period from 1957 to 1990. They were not able to contact 95 nurses (8.54%) from the total. Therefore, 1017 (91.46%) were contacted by mail, telephone or interview to answer a questionnaire, 808 (72.66%) answered, 194 (17.45%) did not reply, 4 (0.36%) refused to answer and 11 (0.99%) died, generating the following data: 19 (2.35%) never worked, 661 (81.81%) are working in the profession, 102 (12.62%) worked and withdrew nursing, 26 (3.22%) retired. Considering this group, the analysis showed that the percentage who left the profession is small, nevertheless other studies are suggested in order to enable the comparison of these results. The motives for their permanence are their attachment to the profession, even though they say that their work is not recognized and they are badly paid. The reasons for withdrawing the profession are family and personal problems as well as constant changes in the schedule and general frustration. In sum, nurses love their profession and would like to continue working. Some of them are returning and asking for better conditions.

[Average working life of nurses graduating form the University of Sao Paulo at Ribeirao Preto, USP - Brazil]. / Vida média de labor dos enfermeiros egressos da Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, USP-Brasil.

This study aimed at measuring the average working time in health care of nurses graduating from the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, Brazil. This research includes 1,112 nurses who graduated from 1957 to 1990. It is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from March, 1992 to February, 1993. Statistical methods for survival data analysis were used. The average time was 18.12 years.

[Perspectives of basic health unit functions: report from an experience]. / Perspectiva de ampliação das funções da unidade básica de saúde: relato de experiência.

The authors report an experience of primary health care emphasizing aspects of Health Promotion within the Epidemiologic Model: "The field of force and the Paradigm of well-being". This experience combines physical exercises, leisure, excursions and a course about individual and environmental health to 255 adults (35 to 80 years old) in a square near the Basic Health Unit. The authors mention the necessity of a new arrangement of health services activities comprehending a wide conception of health.

[Investigation of the school life of students entering an undergraduate nursing course at a Brazilian school from 1984-1988]. / Acompanhamento da vida escolar dos alunos ingressantes no curso de graduação em enfermagem numa escola Brasileira-Período 1984 a 1988.

An investigation of professional nursing training was carried out by examining the time spent in nursing school of the 336 students registered at the Nursing College of Ribeirão Preto at University of São Paulo from 1984 to 1988. The data showed that during this time 197 (58.6%) students graduated, two students were still enrolled, 26 (7.7%) transferred to other schools, 15 (4.4%) officially interrupted their course of study, and 96 (28.5%) abandoned the school.

Continuing education in Brazil.

In the present study, we discuss some specific aspects of the National Health System of Brazil in terms of nursing practice, education, and investigation, which require further professional training through continuing education. With this objective, we shall report a historic view of how this process occurred and is being transformed in this country in an attempt to meet the social realities of our time.

[A program of adult health promotion by health care workers]. / Um programa sobre promoção da saúde do adulto para trabalhadores em saúde.

The purpose of this work is to evaluate an alternative methodology of education in adult health care undertaken with health care workers. The evaluation was made by the directional question: what did the Adult Health Course mean to you? The analysis consisted of detecting in the responses, the affirmatives that were respective and grouping them in seven categories: 01. Learning new things. 02. Learning to orient people who goes to the basic Health Unit. 03. Interaction with colleagues. 04. Feeling professionally appraned. 05. Worrisome with sons. 06. Improving way of life. 07. Suggestions. The results refers to the presuppositions presented in the introduction of the article, as well as, with the Epidemiologic Model proposed by BLUM.