ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Nurses' lack of competence to be caring affects patients' health and patients describe a desire for more individual and compassionate care. Nursing education tends, however, to focus less on the caring approach in nursing practice and more on developing knowledge in psychomotor skills. The aim of this study was to describe nursing students' experiences of simulating caring and uncaring encounters founded on the caritative perspective at a Clinical Training Centre (CTC). METHOD: A qualitative, inductive approach using a qualitative latent content analysis. Written reflections of 49 students were analysed. FINDINGS: By intertwining reflection with acting and observation, the students experienced that they achieved an open mind and gained an understanding of how important it was to treat the patient based on a caring approach. To act, first uncaring and thereafter caring, gave them an awakening. The students were touched and an overwhelming feeling of suddenly understanding human uniqueness and vulnerability appeared. CONCLUSIONS: To simulate caritative caring and uncaring encounters at the CTC enhanced students' knowledge and understanding about caring and strengthened their prerequisites to acquire a caritative ontological basic view and attitude which in the long run may lead to an increased feeling of patient well-being in the encounter.
Subject(s)
Students, Nursing , Empathy , HumansABSTRACT
A healthy 72-year-old Danish male presenting with recurring sigmoid volvulus was found to be infested with Schistosoma mansoni. No other explanation for recurring volvulus was found. A travel history 12 years ago, which included bathing in the Botswana Okavango delta for 10 minutes, revealed the likely time and place of infection. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of recurrent sigmoid volvulus and chronic intestinal schistosomiasis in a patient from a nonendemic area.
ABSTRACT
A high degree of adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is necessary for long term treatment effects. This study explores the role of timing of ART intake, the information patients received from health workers, local adherence patterns, barriers to and facilitators of ART among 28 HIV-positive adults at the Senkatana HIV Clinic in Maseru, Lesotho. This qualitative, semi-structured interview study was carried out during February and March of 2011 and responses were analyzed inspired by the Grounded Theory method. Results were then compared and discussed between the authors and the main themes that emerged were categorized. The majority of the respondents reported having missed one or more doses of medicine in the past and it was a widespread belief among patients that they were required to skip the dose of ART if they were "late". The main barriers to adherence were interruptions of daily routines or leaving the house without sufficient medicine. The use of mobile phone alarms, phone clocks and support from family and friends were major facilitators of adherence. None of the patients reported to have been counseled on family support or the use of mobile phones as helpful methods in maintaining or improving adherence to ART. Being on-time with ART was emphasized during counseling by health workers. In conclusion, patients should be advised to take the dose as soon as they remember instead of skipping the dose completely when they are late. Mobile phones and family support could be subjects to focus on during future counseling particularly with the growing numbers of mobile phones in Africa and the current focus on telemedicine.
