Biomedical subjects

B Andershed

Publications and source records attributed to B Andershed.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Development of a theoretical framework describing relatives' involvement in palliative care.

BACKGROUND: The present study is based on four earlier studies in which the authors classified the relative's involvement in palliative care into different categories and described the involvement as "involvement in the light" or "involvement in the dark". AIM: The aim of the study was to develop a theoretical framework concerning the involvement of relatives based on an in-depth analysis of the results of the four earlier studies. METHOD: Walker & Avant's (1995) strategies for theory construction were used for development of the framework. A number of different concepts, assumptions and statements about relatives' involvement were penetrated in an in-depth analysis. RESULTS: From the concepts two theoretical "blocks" of the relatives' involvement were developed and these constitute the foundation for the framework. One is based on concrete descriptions of the concepts "to know", "to be" and "to do". The other describes how the concepts of "involvement in the light" and "involvement in the dark" differ. Factors that promoted involvement in the light were professional care based on humanistic values, a stronger sense of coherence on the part of relatives, an appropriate illness trajectory, and other available resources. The opposite was the case for those who were involved in the dark. Five assumptions successively developed which together form the theoretical framework. CONCLUSIONS: An important conclusion that can be of importance in palliative care is that the manner in which the staff act toward the patient and relatives influence relatives' possibilities for involvement, patients' possibilities for an appropriate death, and the possibilities the staff have to give good care.

Attitude to Death↗

PubMed2000

Being a close relative of a dying person. Development of the concepts "involvement in the light and in the dark".

The current study is based on an earlier article in which relatives' involvement in care was described as "involvement in the light" or "involvement in the dark." Involvement in the light was characterized as the relative being well informed and experiencing a meaningful involvement. The relatives involved in the dark felt uninformed, that they were "grouping around in the dark" when they tried to support the patient. The present study analyzed further the meaning of "involvement in the light" and "involvement in the dark," and investigated whether two different care cultures, the relationship with the staff, and a rapid course of illness influence the involvement of relatives. Relatives of 52 patients who died, 30 at a surgical department and 22 in a hospice ward, were interviewed after the patients' deaths. All the relatives of the patients in the hospice ward and 13 of those in the surgical department were judged to be involved in the light. Of the relatives judged to be involved in the dark, 12 either had a sick relative with a rapid course of illness or felt that the sick relative had died unexpectedly. A pattern was clearly observed: The relatives involved in the light described being met with respect, openness, sincerity, confirmation, and connection, whereas the opposite was experienced by those involved in the dark.

Caregivers↗

PubMed1999

Involvement of relatives in care of the dying in different care cultures: development of a theoretical understanding.

A prerequisite for the staff to be able to guide relatives through the dying trajectory is that the staff members know what the relative wants and can do. The aim of this study was threefold: (a) to identify and categorize family members' involvement in the care of a dying relative, (b) to develop a theoretical understanding of their involvement, and (c) to discuss the congruence or incongruence between the empirical results and key concepts in Swanson's and Watson's theories of caring. The results show that the relatives' involvement could be classified into three categories: to know, to be, and to do. Good correspondence was found between these three categories and key concepts in Swanson's and Watson's theories of caring.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Involvement of relatives in the care of the dying in different care cultures: involvement in the dark or in the light?

The aim of this prospective study was to increase existing knowledge about the involvement of relatives in care of the dying and to shed light on the relatives' sense of coherence. Six relatives were followed via qualitative interviews during the patients' final period of life and after their deaths. The patients died in different forms of care: surgical department, nursing home, inpatient hospice ward, and at home. What the relatives had in common was that they had, in different ways, followed the patient from the first symptoms, through different forms of care, up until death. Some participated very actively in the care. Relatives' involvement in care can be described as involvement in the light or involvement in the dark. Involvement in the light is based on a trusting relationship between the family and the staff. Involvement in the dark is based on insufficient interplay and collaboration, in which the relatives are not seen or acknowledged by the staff, but instead must grope around in the dark when they try to support the patient. Rapid course of illness can be a risk factor for involvement in the dark. It seems that the relatives' sense of coherence was an important factor enabling them to be involved in the light. Humanistic care can constitute a buffer, thereby increasing the possibilities for relatives to be involved in the light.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Patterns of care for patients with cancer before and after the establishment of a hospice ward.

A majority of people die in acute hospital care, in a culture of quickness primary aimed at curing. There are indications that hospice care in various forms will spread during the present decade in Sweden. The hospice philosophy contributes to a culture of slowness, where the patient is not only allowed but is encouraged to live at his own pace. As a first step in establishing for whom hospice inpatient care is the best alternative, patient flow to a newly started hospice ward was studied. All patients (n = 1464) who died at the Medical Centre Hospital with a primary diagnosis of cancer during the period of study were compared regarding place of death, diagnosis, gender, age and length of the last period of care. The year before the ward was established, 82% of patients died in acute hospital care compared with 59% during the hospice ward's third year of operation. A total of 315 patients (22%) died in the hospice ward during the study period. The percentage of these patients over the age of 80 was significantly higher (p = 0.0001), and they also had a longer continuous final period of care. More women (57%) than men (43%) were cared for at the hospice ward. The hospice ward has in this way influenced the pattern of care in the hospital.

Aged↗

PubMed1993

Ergonomic education for nursing students.

An educational package of common ergonomic training as well as behavioural training was implemented in nursing education. The teaching methods also had the aim of increasing students' awareness of the importance of total work environment for the prevention of back injuries. The experimental group was, on the whole, more pleased with their education than the control group. The experimental group judged their ability to analyse the work environment higher than the control group did. Observations in some practical work-tasks showed that students from the experimental group worked in physically more favourable positions with less strain on the body.

Curriculum↗