ABSTRACT
In response to a long history of problems with defining and measuring fatigue, the University of Kansas School of Nursing established a Center for Biobehavioral Studies of Fatigue Management to facilitate the study of fatigue in diverse populations. The purpose of this article is to review past efforts to define and measure fatigue and the conceptual problems relevant to currently used measures of fatigue. Several distinct characteristics and corresponding measures of fatigue are identified and a definition and framework for the study of fatigue are discussed. Future research on fatigue must attend to the conceptual distinctions among various measures and the measures of fatigue most appropriate to the goals of a study.
Subject(s)
Fatigue/nursing , Diagnosis, Differential , Fatigue/psychology , Humans , Nursing Diagnosis , Psychological Tests , Terminology as TopicABSTRACT
Primary aldosteronism is a rare, curable cause of secondary hypertension. This case study describes the syndrome of primary aldosteronism and includes a description of the nursing assessment, diagnostic tests, medical management, nursing management, and the teaching plan of an actual client.
Subject(s)
Hyperaldosteronism/therapy , Patient Care Planning , Adrenalectomy/nursing , Humans , Hyperaldosteronism/complications , Hyperaldosteronism/diagnosis , Hyperaldosteronism/physiopathology , Male , Middle Aged , Nursing Assessment , Patient Education as TopicABSTRACT
Touch can cause positive or negative neurophysiological responses. In the OR, nurses do a great deal of touching, and they need to be aware of the appropriateness of their touch. Touch can be an alternative mode of conveying empathy and caring for certain patients when it is difficult for the nurse to communicate verbal empathy. Touch assessments and interventions need to be included in perioperative nursing care plans to promote the patient's comfort and avoid unwanted physiological responses from the patient.
Subject(s)
Operating Room Nursing , Touch/physiology , Autonomic Nervous System/physiology , Humans , Nursing Assessment , Patient Care PlanningABSTRACT
Findings from recent research on the self-regulatory process in Type II diabetes mellitus have clinical relevance for nurses and other diabetes educators. We analyzed a symptom self-regulation model and its relationship to demographic and therapeutic variables in persons with Type II diabetes mellitus. The model suggested that when such diabetic clients experienced disease-related symptoms, they used these symptoms as signals of abnormal blood glucose and took action to relieve these symptoms and improve their blood-glucose level. These actions were often judged by the investigators to have no immediate effect on blood-glucose level or, in some cases, to potentially worsen blood glucose. In this article, intervention strategies for nurses and other professionals engaged in diabetic education are developed to improve objective validation of symptom accuracy and to modify some perceptions held by the client with noninsulin-dependent diabetes and, in particular, those clients using oral agents.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/nursing , Homeostasis , Self Care , Adult , Aged , Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism , Female , Glycosuria/urine , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Education as Topic , Sex CharacteristicsABSTRACT
A model for self-regulation of diabetes was tested which proposed that individuals monitor their disease status by comparing their current state with their standard of well-being. When a discrepancy is experienced and associated with a change in blood glucose, action is taken to relieve the symptom and thereby regulate blood glucose. Two variables of the self-regulatory process (symptom-associating and action-taking) were tested through semi-structured interviews of 173 subjects who had Type II diabetes. Most (85%) subjects associated their symptoms with a change in blood glucose levels. Of subjects who associated symptoms with elevated blood glucose, 77% took action; of subjects who associated symptoms with lowered blood glucose, 89% took action. Only sex and insulin use were related to symptom associating and action taking. There was no relation between metabolic control measured by glycosylated hemoglobin and symptom association and action taking.
Subject(s)
Blood Glucose/analysis , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood , Self Care , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , C-Peptide/blood , Demography , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy , Female , Glycated Hemoglobin/analysis , Humans , Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use , Male , Middle Aged , Models, TheoreticalABSTRACT
A model of self-regulation that explains the health behavior of type II diabetic patients was tested by examining the use of symptoms as indicators of perceived blood glucose levels in 38 outpatients. Results of the study supported the self-regulation model by demonstrating that patients use symptoms to monitor blood glucose levels and to guide diabetes-related actions. Implications of the model for planning interventions with type II diabetes are discussed.
