Biomedical subjects

A A Ryan

Publications and source records attributed to A A Ryan.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Exploring the emotional support needs and coping strategies of family carers.

This paper explores the emotional support needs and coping strategies of family carers derived from two focus group interviews, each group comprising seven family carers. The interviews were carried out in Northern Ireland as part of phase one of the ACTION (Assisting Carers using Telematics Interventions to meet Older persons Needs) project. The purpose of the interviews was to investigate family carers' needs and experiences, but this paper focuses specifically on the emotional support needs and coping strategies identified by group members. The issues discussed included information and social support needs, the emotional impact of caring, and coping with and adaptation to the caring role. The findings reveal that for the majority of family carers their experience was one of constant searching for support and information. The anxiety and frustration associated with inconsistent and irregular support and lack of information was a major source of concern for the carers in the study. However, the carers employed a number of positive and negative coping strategies to deal with the stress associated with their caregiving role. The study concluded with the recommendation for nurses and other health care professionals to become more proactive in assessing and meeting carers' emotional support needs.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2000

Family and staff perceptions of the role of families in nursing homes.

Family and staff perceptions of the role of families in nursing homes Admission to a nursing home is generally regarded as the termination of family care and the commencement of institutional care. Research suggests that following placement families are often expected to relinquish their dependent older relative to the bureaucracy of the institution. The aim of this study was to investigate family and nursing home staff perceptions of the role of families caring for residents in nursing homes. A convenience sample of 44 family carers and 78 nursing home staff completed questionnaires, and interviews were conducted with 10 family carers and 10 nursing home staff. The results suggest that family carers perceived themselves to have a greater role in caring for relatives than that perceived by the nursing home staff. Either families overestimated their involvement, or staff underestimated family involvement in caring for residents in nursing homes. Families were mostly satisfied with their role and with the care provided in nursing homes. They perceived nurses as providers of technical care and they perceived themselves as having an important role in providing social and emotional care. Families trusted the clinical judgement of the staff but the staff were reluctant to trust family carers, especially in situations where care involved an element of risk. Family roles were limited by members' own ability to care and the dependency of the resident, while professional responsibility and accountability discouraged nurses from sharing some caring roles. The results indicate that families in this study were more willing to help in nursing home care and were perhaps under-valued as a resource within the nursing home setting.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Nursing home placement: an exploration of the experiences of family carers.

This study examines some of the factors leading family carers to place their older relatives in a nursing home. It also explores their thoughts and feelings about their relatives' admission to a nursing home. Analysis of in-depth interviews with relatives (n=10) found that the decision to place an older relative in a nursing home was a difficult one for families. The interviewed carers stated that admission to a nursing home was held off as long as possible but the deteriorating health of the older relative and in some cases their own health meant that there was no other option. Admission to institutional care usually followed a period of prolonged home care and occurred at a time of crisis. Family carers complained that they were given inadequate support from health care professionals and often had no choice in the decision-making process. This was particularly evident in the case of carers whose relative was transferred directly from hospital to a nursing home setting. The majority of carers in this study experienced ambiguous feelings about placing their elderly relative in a nursing home. Feelings of relief that the burden of care had been lifted, contrasted sharply with feelings of guilt that they could not continue with their 'duty of care'. Families also felt a need to justify their decision by emphasizing how friends and other family members agreed that they could not continue with home care in the interests of both their own and the older relative's health. The findings suggest that while many carers are relieved of the physical exhaustion surrounding home care, the emotional turmoil continues long after admission to a nursing home.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1999

Medication compliance and older people: a review of the literature.

The purpose of this paper is to critically review a select body of literature pertaining to medication compliance among older people. As there is a vast amount of literature on the topic, this review is selective to include (1) a critique of the more commonly cited compliance theories, (2) an analysis of the key variables influencing medication compliance among older people and (3) a critical evaluation of the literature which examines these phenomena. In addition, studies, which explore the benefits of Self-Administration of Medication Schemes, are the subject of particular scrutiny, by virtue of the fact that they address not only the education component but also the behavioural component of a well-organised patient education programme. The review is limited to material published in English since 1980 with the exception of the literature on compliance theories, which originated in previous decades. Key search terms including medication, compliance, older people, self-medication and education were used to derive the relevant material from the Medline and CINAHL databases. The literature was then critically reviewed using the criteria identified by Roe (1993) [Roe, B., 1993. Undertaking a critical review of the literature. Nurse Researcher 1(1), 35-46.] which emphasises the need for clarity in key areas such as research design, sample selection, research methods, results, discussion and conclusions. Empirical research which met this criteria was included in the review and in the main, this was found in academic rather than professional journals. The review concludes with a summary of the main points and a discussion of the implications for nursing practice, education and research.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

A comparative study of the attitudes of users and non-users towards computerized care planning.

The aim of this study was to compare the attitudes of nurses who had little or no experience of computerized care planning (non-users) with those who had at least two years' experience (users). The study also assessed levels of computer literacy among both cohorts and the training methods that were considered most appropriate to meet their needs. The approach was quantitative, using a questionnaire to collect data from 15 non-users and 14 users. The overall results suggest that both non-users and users had favourable attitudes towards the use of computerized care plans. However, non-users with previous computer experience had more favourable attitudes towards the introduction of computerized care planning than those with no previous experience. The preferred teaching method identified by both groups was training by technical staff in the clinical area.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Developing an audit tool for primary nursing.

Despite the proliferation of research on primary nursing, most studies have investigated the effects of primary nursing on quality of care, job satisfaction and collegial relationships. Few researchers have attempted to isolate the key dimensions of primary nursing in an observable and measurable form. The purpose of this exploratory study was to devise an audit tool for primary nursing that builds on Mead's research and incorporates views of patients/clients, relatives, nurses and other members of the multidisciplinary team. Preliminary findings suggest that the audit is a useful indicator of the extent to which the crucial elements of primary nursing are present or absent in any clinical setting. Furthermore it suggests that while many wards claim to practise primary nursing there is a considerable variation in the extent to which this is actually carried out.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1994

A comparative study of the attitudes of nursing and medical students to aspects of patient care and the nurse's role in organizing that care.

The purpose of this study was a comparative analysis of the attitudes of nursing and medical students toward some issues relating to patient care and the role of the nurse in organizing that care. The data were collected from 11 medical students and 19 undergraduate nursing students in their fourth or final year of study. Findings suggested that there was a statistically significant difference in the attitudes of both groups of students to the areas under investigation. Medical students were rather more cure-oriented than nursing students who showed a care orientation. Further, the nursing students had a more positive attitude towards the need for a nursing assessment than their medical colleagues. Finally there was a marked difference in the way in which each group perceived the nurse's role, the nursing students emphasizing its independent scope while the medical students were less convinced on this issue. The conclusions suggest that both nursing and medical students need to develop a mutual understanding and respect for each other's roles if interprofessional relations are to improve.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A systematic approach to self-medication in older people.

This aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an individualized education programme on older patients' knowledge of prescribed medication. A questionnaire for assessment of medication knowledge was used to collect data from 15 patients before and after an individualized education programme which lasted approximately 2 weeks. Following the collection of pre-intervention data, an individualized education programme was developed for each patient. In addition to verbal instruction, each patient was provided with written information on his/her drug regimen. As part of the education programme each patient also had an opportunity to self-administer his/her medication. The results of the study showed that all participants scored higher in the post-test than the pre-test, although the degree of improvement varied between participants. The average increase in knowledge was 26%. Patient satisfaction with the education programme was also assessed using a questionnaire. Results suggested that there was a very high level of satisfaction with the programme.

Aged↗