Exclusion and inclusion of parents of hospitalized children in Norway in the period 1877-2017.

BACKGROUND: Today, Norwegian parents have the right to stay with their children when they are in hospital. This right is relatively new. The purpose of this article is to examine the nursing profession's ideas on how parents should be included/excluded when their children are in hospital, and to examine the social and ideological conditions that made the nursing profession's ideas on inclusion/exclusion practices possible. METHODS: The analyses are done in the tradition of the French philosopher Michel Foucault's writings on how different kinds of knowledge have been used to discipline citizens. Such studies include analyses of descriptive and normative material and analyses of the ideological and social conditions that made the practices possible. The analyses are based on Norwegian textbooks on nursing. RESULTS: Parents are rarely mentioned in Norwegian nursing textbooks from the period 1877-1940, and they are not present in photos from hospitals. The exclusion of parents may be due to the absence of welfare services and the fear of parents transmitting diseases from the hospitals to the general population.The first Norwegian nursing textbook that argued for the importance of letting parents visit their children in hospital was published in 1941. In 1968, nursing textbooks started to argue for parents' participation in the care. Since 1987, nursing textbooks have advocated full parental participation. The inclusion of parents was in accordance with humanistic ideology. The inclusion of parents occurred in a period of great nursing shortage. In this situation, it would have been of interest to entrust as much as possible of the nurse's work to the family. CONCLUSIONS: Our conclusion is that ideas break through when they are in line with social conditions. From 1877 to 1940 social and economic conditions made it difficult for parents to be with their children in hospital, and hygiene ideology/theory contributed to legitimization of the exclusion of the parents in the care. During the period 1941-2017 it has been economically advantageous for the hospitals that parents care for their children. Ideas on the vulnerable child and self-help ideology have contributed to legitimization of the inclusion of the parents.

The traditional care culture and the Western nursing culture in Cameroon.

AIM: This study explored the relationship between the traditional care culture and the Western nursing culture. BACKGROUND: Cameroonians are highly dependent on seeking medical aid from traditional healers and medicines, despite the emergence of contemporary health practices that are provided by Western nursing care. METHODS: This study was conducted based on Bourdieu's praxeological approach using observational and descriptional research, and interviews. RESULTS: While the traditional care culture and the Western nursing culture practices coexist, there are also conflicts and challenges. The people of Cameroon prefer the availability of both health care forms because they are provided with options in terms of the care they are offered and can afford. CONCLUSION: Traditional care culture practices can be combined with the contemporary practices of Western nursing care. Both health care forms have advantages, and when integrated, they can contribute to providing more effective health care practices that can improve health care services in Cameroon.

Crucial dimensions constituting dignity experience in persons living with dementia.

Dignity is seen as an essential need, fundamental right, and inherent quality of each human being. There is however, a need for increased knowledge on crucial dimensions constituting dignity experience in persons living with dementia. This study explored personal dimensions of life which persons with dementia perceived crucial for experiencing dignity in their daily lives. Based on the findings of eight empirical sub-dimensions, three main dimensions crucial for constituting dignity experience, were identified through hermeneutical interpretation: A historical dignity-dimension, acknowledging one's own life-projects and life-history; an intrapersonal dignity-dimension, recognizing one's own human worth, and living according to internal values; and an interpersonal dignity-dimension, experiencing being part of a caring and confirming communion. Knowledge of dignity preservation should be a crucial foundation for future dementia care.

Relational interactions preserving dignity experience: Perceptions of persons living with dementia.

BACKGROUND: Dignity experience in the daily lives of people living with dementia is influenced by their relational interactions with others. However, literature reviews show that knowledge concerning crucial interactional qualities, preserving their sense of dignity, is limited. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore and describe crucial qualities of relational interactions preserving dignity experience among people with dementia, while interacting with family, social network, and healthcare professionals. METHODOLOGY: The study was founded upon Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics, and an exploratory design employing qualitative research interviews was conducted. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: A total of 11 individuals diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia, living in their own homes, were recruited from two Hospital Memory Clinics in Norway. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: In recruiting persons with dementia as study participants, sensitivity toward their life history, autonomy, integrity, relationships, and dignity is essential. These standards, and the ethical principles of moral sensitivity to their vulnerability, doing no harm, showing justice, and respecting their personal utility, guided our research. RESULTS: Three main interactional qualities preserving the participants' dignity experience were found: Experiencing love and confirmation; experiencing social inclusion and fellowship; experiencing humane warmth and understanding within a caring culture, while being met as an equal human being. A total of 10 sub-qualities were identified within these 3 main qualities. DISCUSSION AND FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: Dignity experience among the participants was preserved when certain interactional qualities were present in their interactions with family, social network, and healthcare professionals. While supporting some of the findings of previous studies, this study adds new knowledge on the subject. Knowledge of relational interactions toward preserving dignity experience should be a fundamental part of future dementia care practice. Based on the results of this study, an empirical-theoretical model was developed for this purpose.