[Study of the effect of bubble blowing on the pain intensity due to IV catheters in children]

Pain is a health problem and a major part of life in childhood. Many children especially the children with chronic diseases such as thalassemia suffer from pain due to treatment procedures. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of bubble blowing on pain intensity during IV catheter insertion in children with thalasemia. This was an experimental single blind clinical trial. The method was cross-over and included one group. In this study, 32 thalassemic children aged between 5 to 12 years entered into the study via convenient sampling method. Each sample was randomly chosen and two methods of bubble blowing and control [Routin intervention] were performed in two stages. The data were collected by use of Ocher scales and CMFS questionnaire. Validity and reliability of Ocher scales have been approved in various studies. Collected data were analyzed by means of t- and wilcoxon tests. The findings of the this study showed that the values for mean pain intensity according to numeral scales were 6.88 and 17.81 in bubble blowing and control groups respectively. According to photographic scales this value was 0.44 for bubble blowing and 1.19 for control group respectively. Paired t-test and wilcoxon test showed a significant difference between bubble blowing and routin interveation [p=0.000]. The results of this study indicated that bubble blowing decreases pain of IV catheter insertion. Since bubble blowing method is more economical, using different distraction methods during catheter insertion will promote life quality of thalassemic children

Death, the strange familiar [meaning of death from Iranian Nurses' Perspective]: a qualitative study

Despite tremendous progressions in medical science and technology, there is no way yet to escape death. Logical attitudes of nurses toward death could be influential on care giving of dying patients and their families. If the health care professionals view death as a terrible and dire thing, they couldn't handle patients' death in a fair and effective manner. So, it seems that the first step toward designing an appropriate care and support system for dying patients and their family is exploring nurses' beliefs and point of views. The aim of this study was to determine the concept of death from Iranian nurses' perspective to reach a new explanation for this concept in community. This study was conducted by qualitative research approach. Data collection was done via semi structured interviews with 12 Nurses from 4 hospitals. They had 2 to 18 years working experience in emergency departments, ICUs, CCUs and oncology wards. All interviews were taped, and then transcribed on paper and analyzed using Strauss and Corbin method. Four main categories emerged: non avoidable ending, ambiguity and uncertainty, feedback for personal behaviors, and changing attitudes toward life and death. This study showed that one of the most important ideas which help nurses to better dealing with death is belief in life after death. Recognizing death as fate of all lives could also bring peace to the man. This sort of attitude gives the nurse a peace of mind which helps to make dying patients and their families comfortable. The perspective of death which emerged from nurses' perspectives in this research is a spiritual one. They believed that their occupation with nursing reinforces this attitude and decreases their uncertainty about life after death. This study provides a deep understanding about nurses' point of view about death which could be a base for nursing education about death and dying

[Nurses' experiences regarding working in the psychiatric wards and its physical outcomes]

The nurses have a significant role in the treatment and care of the patients with mental and psychiatric disorders. They encounter complications and various phenomena of the psychiatric settings such as physical strain. It is essential to have a deep understanding about nurses' attitudes, perceptions, emotions and beliefs about physical results in the psychiatric ward. This study was conducted to access nurses' experiences regarding physical outcome of working in psychiatric settings as an important step in improving psychatric nursing practice in the psychiatric wards. This is a qualtivative study with phenomenology method. Participants of this research were selected through proposal sampling. They were nurses who were employed in psychiatric wards of 4 hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. The hospitals included: Farabi, Al Zahra, Noor and Shahid Modarres. The participants' aged between 25-50 years [M=35]. 35/2 percent were male [N=6] and 64/7 percent were female [N=11]. Data were gathered in spring in 2005 by in depth interviews. Every interview was recorded in a tape. Each interview lasted for 20 to 90 minutes [M=49]. Data analysis was done by Cloaizzi method. Study results were summerized in 2 core concepts: physical strain and workload and 4 subconcepts: physical injury, fatigue, environment management and care provision. Inadequate experience and knowledge in the psychiatric team causes inevitable physical strain. Haring an insight toward nurses' experiences reveals nurses' needs and can help them to have a better picture of themselves. Thus this is an important step in improving psychiatric nursing practice. Having a deep understanding from nurses' experiences about physical outcomes of psychiatrc wards, has a significant and fundamental influence on quality of care given to the patients with psychiatric and method disorders. It helps not only nurses, but also all psychiatric team to decrease physical strain. This study hopes to help all people participating in proviiding care for the patients with mental and psychiatric disorders, inviting them to improve practice and to evaluate this process. Improvement of professional competence is fulfilled through decreasing the physical starin in the psychiatric wards

[ comparison of distraction and EMLA Cream effects on pain intensity due to intravenus Catheters in 5-12 years old thalassemic children]

Intravenous [IV] insertion is a common painful procedure in pediatric care and it is a source of distress in children. Many children especially those suffering from chronic diseases such as thalassemia experince treatment procedures without any pain relief. This study was performed to compare the effect of distraction and eutectic mixture of local anesthetic [EMLA] cream on pain intensity of IV catheterizing in children with thalasemia. In this study a clinical trial was performed on 32 thalassemic children aged 5-12 years selected by convenient sampling method. The methods of distraction, EMLA cream and control [routine intervention] were used for each case in three stages with 14 days intervals. Data was collected by Ocher scales and CMFS questionnaire and was analyzed using t- and Wilcoxon test. There was a significant difference between mean pain intensity [numeral and photographic] of distraction and EMLA cream methods compared to the control, but not between distraction and EMLA cream Our findings showed that both distraction and EMLA cream procedures decreased pain of IV catheter with the same level of efficacy. However, since distraction method is more economical than EMLA ointment, it is recommended