Family perceptions of nurses' roles toward family members of critically ill patients: a descriptive study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the nurse with families of critically ill patients as perceived by family members and whether meeting family expectations impact family satisfaction. METHODS: A descriptive design was conducted with 29 family members from a 19-bed intensive care unit. Nonparametric statistics, known for their appropriateness for small samples, were used to examine the research questions. RESULTS: Overall, the expectations that family members held regarding nurses' roles with families were not different from their perceptions of what nurses actually did (P = .087). Family members were more satisfied with care when nurses' performance either met or exceeded their expectations (P = .046). CONCLUSION: Nurses did well with regard to meeting family members' expectations. Variations in expectations among family members reflect their diversity and highlight the importance of assessing family needs on a case-by-case basis.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome: another challenge for critical care nurses.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral disease that may be contracted by exposure to a newly recognized form of the coronavirus. It often manifests through a set of common respiratory symptoms that include fever and nonproductive cough. To date, SARS has no vaccine or definitive treatment. Approximately 20% of SARS patients develop respiratory failure, which requires mechanical ventilation and close cardiopulmonary monitoring. Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses and other healthcare workers who care for SARS patients are at risk of contracting the disease. Thus, it is important that ICU nurses be familiar with the disease and its implications for critical care. This article provides critical care nurses with an update on the first SARS outbreak, its origin, case definition, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, relevant infection control practices, management, and recommendations for the role of ICU nurses in dealing with future outbreaks.

Evaluation of a self-awareness education session for youth education with type 1 diabetes.

This research sought to determine if a one-hour education session about self-awareness had any short-or long-term impact on young participants with Type 1 diabetes. The study was conducted within Hernandez' (1991) theory of integration. Twenty-nine adolescents and young adults participated in the intervention, which was operationalized through the collaborative alliance educational method. The intervention consisted of viewing a videotape on self-awareness and participating in discussion of cues of low, high, and normal blood glucose as well as the situations that cause these. Questionnaires were completed pre-education, immediately following education, and 12 months later. The number of cues identified for all levels of blood glucose was significantly increased by the intervention. Many of the body cues identified by participants were different than those typically presented in diabetes education materials and programs. Participants identified issues regarding changes in body cues over time, frequency of classic signs of hypoglycemia, and the frequency of severe lows. Findings have implications for the content, delivery method, and educational materials of diabetes education programs.