Biomedical subjects

Eva Gjengedal

Publications and source records attributed to Eva Gjengedal.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

'Preparative waiting' and coping theory with patients going through gastric diagnosis.

AIM: This paper reports a study of how hospitalized patients with gastro-intestinal problems going through diagnostic workups experience and handle the situation. It presents a theory of 'preparative waiting' and discusses it in relation to Lazarus' theory of appraisal, stress and coping. BACKGROUND: The pre-diagnostic phase is reported to be the most stressful time of the illness for patients, but there is little research on this with patients in gastric units. According to Lazarus, appraisal and coping are concurrent, and stress must be understood as both an intra- and an inter-personal process. METHOD: A grounded theory design was chosen to conduct and analyse 18 in-depth interviews with 15 patients in a gastric unit at a Norwegian university hospital. The data were collected in 2002-2003. FINDINGS: Participants' main concern was found to be how to prepare themselves for the results of the investigation and for life afterwards. The substantive grounded theory of 'Preparative waiting' presented here explains how they acted to do so. To be in the diagnostic phase meant to be in a process of continuously attempting to make sense of one's situation. Participants could judge their case to be harmful, a threat, a challenge, a benefit, or combinations of these. Their searches for realistic interpretation were balanced with searches for hopeful signs. This, together with lowering and rising of awareness, prevented them from despair. The process of understanding and handling the situation was concurrent, and was influenced by their relationships with family, friends, fellow patients, healthcare personnel and God. CONCLUSION: To the degree that patients trusted that nurses understood and were sensitive to the complex processes of appraising and coping, they became patients' key support persons. By providing adjusted information, coordinating care and examinations, respecting privacy, and inquiring about existential concerns, nurses could promote patients' ability to prepare for receiving the diagnosis and life after.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

Are there gender differences related to symptoms of acute myocardial infarction? A Norwegian perspective.

The purpose of this study was to compare symptom presentation and illness behavior among women and men with acute myocardial infarction and assess various aspects that influence prehospital delay. This is a cross-sectional, retrospective study using self-reported questionnaires. The sample consisted of 82 women and men in Norway, up to 65 years of age, with first-time acute myocardial infarction between March and October 1999. The findings demonstrated that the most commonly reported symptom in both genders was chest pain. More than 90% of women and men experienced chest pain, with no difference between the genders. More women than men had nausea as well as pain located in their arms, back, jaw, and throat. More men than women attributed their symptoms to be cardiac in origin. Experiencing pain in the shoulders, attributing symptoms to be noncardiac, consulting a family member, and contacting several medical practitioners increased prehospital delay. During the year before the event, women were more likely to experience fatigue than men. The conclusion of this study is that women experienced a greater diversity of symptoms than men. Acute symptoms, interpretation of symptoms, and illness behavior may influence prehospital delay.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗

PubMed2006

How can everyday practical knowledge be understood with inspiration from philosophy?

Many nursing scholars are inspired by philosophy when investigating phenomena within nursing. This paper focuses on the everyday practical knowledge of nurses. Based on an empirical project carried out in a surgical ward the authors make an attempt, with help from philosophy, at identifying and conceptualizing elements of knowledge in everyday practice. With reference to texts by Heidegger and Wittgenstein the authors investigate two dimensions of nursing knowledge: a dimension of doing and a dimension of being. These dimensions are further developed and concretized in the paper. The doing dimension is emphasized through the concepts of adapting and exploring. The being dimension has its basis in being understanding and being connected. These two dimensions constitute a form of knowledge which is mobile and flexible. This knowledge is in place in everyday situations and it works where it is supposed to work.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

Significance of fellow patients for patients with myocardial infarction.

The purpose of the study was to present both positive and negative experiences with respect to the significance of fellow patients for patients with myocardial infarction (MI), both inside and outside the hospital. Five focus group sessions were carried out, each having between four and six participants. A total of 25 patients with MI at an age of 40-71 participated. The analysis was carried out by the moderator and co-moderator of the focus groups. The results, which are elucidated by theories of social support, show a great amount of positive support in the interactions of patients, such as support from others in the same situation, a lot of humour, encountering true understanding and consideration, getting practical assistance, and benefiting from other patients' knowledge and experience as well as experiencing an increase in motivation. The participants also discussed negative experiences such as dramatic situations when fellow patients got worse and sometimes even died. Many patients were bothered by various kinds of noise and other disturbances. Insight into the significance of fellow patients will make health personnel able to encourage a patient environment that will strengthen positive and reduce negative effects of fellow patients on the health of each individual patient. One relevant measure would be involving former patients or starting up physical activity in groups. The findings show that the informal patient community among fellow patients is an important part of their social support system and thereby also may contribute to health and well-being.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

The nature of nursing care and rehabilitation of female stroke survivors: the perspective of hospital nurses.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the nature of nursing care and rehabilitation of female stroke survivors, as described by hospital nurses. The objectives were to uncover how the nurses perceived the care of female stroke survivors and to explore whether, and in what way, the nurses paid attention to the fact that the patients were women. BACKGROUND: Nursing care is an important aspect of the rehabilitation of stroke survivors. Little attention has been paid to gender differences in the health care system in general and in the nursing profession in particular, although it is reasonable to think that gender issues may have important implications in the rehabilitation process following a stroke. DESIGN: Design was phenomenological with feminist perspective. METHODS: The nurses were interviewed in-depth. In the data analysing process we were inspired by Giorgi's phenomenological method. RESULTS: The nurses were focusing primarily on functional and practical aspects of the women's situation. They perceived the rehabilitation process predominately from a professional rather than the patient point of view, and from a non-conscious and primarily gender-neutral perspective. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the nurses perceived nursing care primarily in terms of practical actions to promote the body's functional and practical abilities. Little attention was directed to the stroke survivors' experiences of their life body, nor to the fact that the patients were women. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: In order to promote care from the perspective of the female stroke survivors, we believe it is necessary to attend to the life experiences of the patient, which also mandates paying attention to how gender has an impact on their diseased bodies, every day life, values and preferences in the situation.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Fighting back--struggling to continue life and preserve the self following a stroke.

The aim of this longitudinal phenomenological study was to explore how female stroke survivors experienced their life following a stroke and how they managed their altered situation. Twenty-five women suffering first-time stroke were interviewed in depth three times during the first one and a half years after the stroke. Applying the method of Giorgi, we found that there was a lengthy struggle to continue life and preserve the self following the stroke. The struggle was closely related to their deeply rooted identity as mothers, wives, grandmothers, and housewives. The situation of women following a stroke needs particular attention because their needs may conflict with their female caring roles. On the other hand, supporting them in transforming these roles may secure their sense of self and a continued meaningful life.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2003

[Cystic fibrosis as seen from the patients' perspective].

BACKGROUND: We present the results of a study of adults with cystic fibrosis, with an emphasis on their experience of symptoms and treatment, future prospects, and quality of life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 86 adults (above the age of 18) with cystic fibrosis, recruited through the Norwegian Centre for Cystic Fibrosis. The response rate was 84%; average age of respondents 29; 48% were women. RESULTS: The most frequently reported symptoms were coughing, phlegm and fatigue. 26% experienced great difficulties living with cystic fibrosis. 75% were satisfied with their life and 71% had a positive outlook for the future. Lung function was the variable most strongly related to symptoms, treatment and outlook for the future. INTERPRETATION: It is possible to experience life as good even though one is living with a life-threatening disease such as cystic fibrosis.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Gaining access to the life-world of women suffering from stroke: methodological issues in empirical phenomenological studies.

AIM: First to give a brief introduction to some dimensions of phenomenology as philosophy, and then to discuss some problems related to empirical research. The objectives of the discussion are: (1) to show what is involved in investigating changes in the life-world caused by illness and (2) to show what must be taken into consideration to obtain adequate descriptions of the changes. RATIONALE: To discuss some of the methodological requirements and challenges that phenomenological studies are expected to meet, particularly focusing on the data collection phase. METHODS: This is primarily a theoretical analysis supplemented by illustrations drawn from an ongoing study of women who have had suffered stroke. FINDINGS: Openness is essential in the whole research process. It is a precondition for conversation with the informants. In interview-based investigations two forms of openness are at issue - the informant's openness in describing his/her life-world, and the sensitivity of the researcher as regards seeing and hearing what is conveyed in the situation. Both forms of openness can be influenced positively or negatively by many factors, including the physical and mental health of the informants, the researcher's theoretical insight, her ability to communicate, and not least the relationship between the informant and the researcher. A relationship of power, for example, might reinforce gender differences, differences in cultural background, education and social status. CONCLUSION: Openness on the part of the researcher is a prerequisite in order to gain access to the informant's life-world.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

The bodily suffering of living with severe psoriasis: in-depth interviews with 22 hospitalized patients with psoriasis.

Psoriasis is one of the most common chronic skin diseases. The author presented results from a qualitative study focusing on patients with severe psoriasis in an acute phase and their experience of living with the disease. Twenty-two hospitalized patients with psoriasis were interviewed in depth. The interviews were consecutively analyzed according to grounded theory methodology. Bodily suffering emerged as a core variable in the data. Bodily suffering includes the following categories: the visible body, staying on an even keel, coping with an all-consuming disease, and social vulnerability. The results of this study indicate that the criterion for the management of soriasis should be the patients' own perception of the consequences of the disease.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Expressions of hope in cystic fibrosis patients: a comparison with the general population.

PURPOSE: Hope was evaluated in Norwegian patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). PARTICIPANTS: The subjects were 87 Norwegian adults with CF and a control group of 1020 from the general population (GP). METHODS: Subjects completed a questionnaires that included the Herth Hope Index and demographic variables. Data on health-related variables were collected for the CF group. RESULTS: The mean age of the CF patients was 29 years (range 18-54). Almost 50% had a forced expiratory volume for one second percent predicted (FEV1%) below 50%, and 21% reported perceiving being in a bad phase of the disease. The CF patients reported lower (poorer) levels of hope than the GP sample, especially for the item scared about the future. However, they scored higher on inner strength and were younger, more often living alone, unmarried, not in paid work, but with similar educational levels. Levels of hope increased with increasing age in the CF patients but decreased for the GP subjects. The health variable that most affected hope in the CF sample was pulmonary function, not the presence of asthma or chronic lung infections. CONCLUSIONS: Persons growing up with CF experience many challenges. CF patients expressed slightly lower levels of hope and were more scared of the future. They scored higher on inner strength than the general population.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Living with cystic fibrosis: impact on global quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Because of better health care, most people with cystic fibrosis (CF) now survive into adulthood, raising issues related to quality of life. Few studies have focused on satisfaction with broader life domains in people with CF. The aim of this article was to examine the impact of living with CF from a global quality of life perspective. METHODS: The sample consisted of 86 adults with CF recruited from the Norwegian Competence Centre for Cystic Fibrosis and a control group of 1021 individuals from the general population (GP). The Norwegian version of the Quality of Life Scale was used to measure global quality of life (satisfaction with broader life domains) in both groups. RESULTS: The mean global quality of life score was 84.88 for the CF group and 83.33 for the GP group. This difference was significant after controlling for age, sex, educational level, and marital status, indicating that people with CF have better global quality of life. The groups also differed significantly on other specific measures of life satisfaction. Persons with forced expiratory volume in 1 second values below 30% of predicted values reported the lowest mean global quality of life value. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest the existence of a type of response shift in the CF group through changes in life standards and goals. However, people with CF who have low forced expiratory volume in 1 second values may need special attention from health care professionals on issues related to global quality of life.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Growing up and living with cystic fibrosis: everyday life and encounters with the health care and social services--a qualitative study.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to illuminate experiences of growing up and living with cystic fibrosis (CF). The patients' and their families' encounters with health care and social services were of particular interest. Four focus groups (adults with CF and parents of children with CF) were conducted. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: "From uncertainty to certainty," "A demanding but normal life," and "A wish for continuity, stability, and respect." As also documented by other studies on the chronically ill, normalization seems to be an important strategy, a strategy that seems not to be fully understood by the helpers.

Adaptation, Psychological↗