Shifting of Centricity: Qualitative Meta Synthetic Approach on Caring Experience of Family Members of Patients with Dementia

PURPOSE: This study aimed to synthesize the caring experiences of Korean family members of patients with dementia through a qualitative meta-synthesis method. METHODS: By searching through nine Korean and English databases, we compared 37 qualitative studies on caring experiences of family members of patients with dementia. The selected studies were synthesized through meta-synthesis, proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). RESULTS: The meta-synthesis elicited four themes: tough life due to care for patients, changes in relationships, adaptation to caregiver's roles, and new perspectives of life through personal growth. Caregivers were shocked when a sudden diagnosis of dementia was made prior to any preparation on their part. They were tied to their patients all the time and their mind and body got exhausted. Their relationship with patients began to change and they looked at them differently. They experienced conflicts with the other non-caring family members and were alienated from them. They were also socially isolated. However, by building their own care strategies and utilizing social resources, they gradually adapted to their caregiver roles. Finally, they experienced personal growth and acquired a new perspective toward life by accepting their roles and finding meaning in their lives. Shifting the caregiver's centricity from themselves to the patient was the process of becoming human beings who actively constructed their realities while giving meaning to their painful lives and interacting with the environment. CONCLUSION: The results of the study can be useful for nurses in understanding the experiences of caregivers of the patients with dementia and in providing them with practical interventions.

Effect of a Patient Illness Narrative on Knowledge about Schizophrenia, Attitudes toward Mental Illness, and Learning Satisfaction / 정신간호학회지

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify effects of a psychiatric and mental health nursing class to improve knowledge about schizophrenia, attitudes toward mental illness, and learning satisfaction after using an illness narrative of a patient with schizophrenia. METHODS: This study was in nonequivalent control group and a pretest-posttest design. Of the 88 nursing students, the 34 in the experimental group received 5 hours of lectures on schizophrenia plus 2 hours of learning using a patient's illness narrative. The control group (n=54) received only the 5 hours of lectures on schizophrenia. During September, 2017, an online survey was used to collect data before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests with SPSS Statistics version 22.0. RESULTS: There were no differences for knowledge on schizophrenia or for attitudes toward mental illness between the experimental group and the control group after the intervention. However, learning satisfaction was significantly higher in the experimental group compared to the control group (Z=−2.18, p=.029). CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that patient illness narratives could be a useful tool to improve learning satisfaction in nursing students. Therefore, using patient illness narratives in nursing classes is recommended.

The Factors Influencing Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to identify the influence of hope, resilience, and spousal support on quality of life in women with breast cancer. METHODS: A predictive correlational design was used. The data were collected by questionnaires from a convenience sample of 163 women with breast cancer in 2012. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's Correlation Coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: Mean age of the participants was 51.5+/-6.39 and 46.0% reported to have stage II at diagnosis and 40.5% were more than 5 years since diagnosis. The quality of life was different by age and type of surgery. Hope, resilience, spousal support, and quality of life were significantly correlated each other (r=.35-.64, p<.01). Quality of life accounted for 23.4% of the variance by resilience, spousal support, and type of surgery. The most important factor was resilience, which explained 18.9% of the variation. CONCLUSION: The results of the study show the importance of resilience in explaining the quality of life in Korean women with breast cancer. Thus, oncology nurses should focus on resilience to develop and implement more effective interventions to improve patients' quality of life.