RESUMEN
This study investigated the difficulties that single caregivers face while providing home health care for a parent while continuing to work. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 single caregivers who balanced working while providing home health care for more than 3 months for a parent discharged from the hospital. The interview contents were inductively analyzed. One core category with 2 factors was extracted, revealing the characteristics of difficulties that single caregivers face while balancing work and providing home health care. The factor [psychological stress associated with care] had the categories [opportunity to provide care] and [an environment where there is no one to take over caregiving. The factor [care reporting system of persons experienced in providing care] had the categories [presence of a person to talk to about troubles] and [areas to watch and respite system]. For single caregivers providing home health care for a parent for 3 months while continuing to work, the care burden was found to increase over time. The presence of a person whom they could talk to when they experienced difficulties influenced their ability both to provide care and to continue working. Establishing a system that allows for cooperation between medical institutions, the workplace, and society is necessary so that single caregivers can more easily provide care for a parent while continuing to work.
RESUMEN
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common entities in hospitals, accounting for about 40% of nosocomial infections. It is said that more than 80% of UTIs are associated with the use of catheters. The discharge opening of the Uro Bag, a type of urine storing bag, is alive with bacteria. The microorganisms can enter the bag and then bladder, causing UTIs. It can also be said that the longer the catheters are used, the greater the risk of catheter-related UTIs becomes. Furthermore, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureas, Serratia mareescensand other kinds of bacteria that have acquired the resistance to drugs are increasing. The incidence of mixed infections with different organisms are on the rise. Such being the present situation, to prevent UTIS we think that the proper management of urinary catheterization and right use of urethral catheters are of the primary importance. Those health providers who handle catheters frequently need to take every precaution against inadvertently acting as intermediaries in the incidence of nosocomial infectious diseases including catheter-related UTIs. Recently, we reviewed the prophylactic measures which had been taken by our hospital, assessed the findings using the checklist made by the Nosocomial Infection Prevention Committee. Later, we held a seminar and discussed the standardization of prophylactic measures. As a result, the assessment items which were rated low in June marked 100% in September and March. Thus, our efforts have led the hospital employees to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the need to watch out nosocomial infection constantly. For the guidance of employees, we included in the educational program on-the-job training, which proved to be helpful for the trainees to have imagery. To maintain the effect of infection prevention and to keep up the interest awakened in the hospital staff, the holding of seminars and meetings for reviewing on a regular basis are called for.
RESUMEN
Specific activities of the working group include reviewing the assessment score sheet of all falls and the preventive measures by degree of risk, making staff education, training, monitoring the implementation of the safety and preventive recommendations for prevention of falls.<br> The data of all inpatient falls which occurred during one year prior to and one year subsequent to the WG intervention were analyzed.<br> The incidence of inpatient secondary falls, decreased from 155 to 108 , and reports of level III severe falls, showed a reduction from five cases to three. Statistically, the total percentage of secondary falls incidence decreased from 2.19‰ to 1.54‰.<br> We therefore concluded that through the activities of the WG, the strengthening of the in-house system to prevent secondary falls, staff education, training, and heightened staff safety awareness have led to a decrease in the total number of primary and secondary inpatient falls.
RESUMEN
We encountered a terminally ill patient, who had resigned as hospital nurse soon after she had fallen ill. As a former health professional, she was acting the good patient and performing her part as a member of the family. The patient was suffering social pain, so much so that she seemed to be unable to express what was really on her mind. One day, the ex-nurse gave us her precious nurse pin. It was when it occurred to us that what the patient had said and behaved was an expression of spiritual pain. Then, we started exploring the meaning of what she had said and done and tried to get at the structure of her spiritual pain referring to Murata's three structures of the spiritual pain of terminally ill patients: “time existence,” “relational existence” and “autogenic existence.” Eventually, we found that her behavior to respond to the wish of her family and to keep a good relationship with her physicians, which she herself regarded as social pain, was to sweep away uneasiness about and fear of being left alone, that is, the spiritual pain associated with “relational existence.” We also found that the spiritual pain associated with “time existence” intermingled with her wish to continue to be a nurse as expressed in the handing over of her nurse's pin.