Health behaviours and cancer prevention among Polish women.

The problem of early prophylaxis of cancer is especially important, mainly due to the results of epidemiological studies, which show high death rates due to cancer among Polish women. The objective of the study was the recognition of health behaviours with respect to cancer prophylaxis reported by the women examined, as well as the determination of the range of expectations concerning health education in the area analysed. The study was conducted in the form of a diagnostic survey and covered 242 female inhabitants of the city of Lublin situated in the Central-Eastern Region of Poland, aged 40-65. The results of the study showed that the respondents most often evaluated their health as generally 'good' or 'mediocre'. Approximately 20% of women in the study had a family history of cancer. The women examined performed self-examination of the breast less frequently than they visited a gynaecologist for a health check-up, cytological tests and mammography. Only a small group of women had densimetric examinations performed. More than a half of the respondents mentioned that they eagerly read educational materials concerning health, and acquired information which contributed to the development of health promoting attitudes.

Special characteristics of nursing staff scheduling in intensive care units.

The method of determination of working time standards for nursing staff scheduling based on self-observation, which is applied in hospital practice, evokes doubts concerning its methodological correctness. Considering the lack of nursing care standards and not always optimum quality of care, this method may contribute to the preservation of standards which would not guarantee patients' safety. Therefore, studies have been undertaken to find out if there are any differences between the nursing time provided in intensive care units, and the time which patients should be provided with according to their actual demand for care. The study covered 63 patients in the ICU, for whom the time of performing 2,821 various therapeutic and nursing activities was measured. In order to determine working time standards a more reliable method was applied--an active observation with time-scheduling technique and model times. Patients who differed with respect to the diagnosis, state of health, and period of hospitalization were ascribed three categories of care according to their state of health and the adopted criteria of care. Statistically significant differences were noted between the nursing time devoted to patients and the time they should be provided with according to their demand for care.