Biomedical subjects

G van Servellen

Publications and source records attributed to G van Servellen.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Burn-out in hospital nurses: a comparison of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, oncology, general medical, and intensive care unit nurse samples.

Previous research has shown that job-related stress and burn-out are associated with high levels of demand placed on the worker, especially in situations where influence is low. This study examined burn-out among nurses working on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) special care units (SCUs), oncology SCUs, medical intensive care units (ICUs) and general medical units to measure the extent to which delivery method (SCU, ICU, and general unit), patient diagnosis, or other key personal and work-related characteristics were associated with the level of distress in these nurses. A sample of 237 nurses from 18 units in seven hospitals were surveyed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. This study showed no significant differences in burn-out scores across nurse samples representing variations in patient diagnosis and delivery method. Specifically, nurses on AIDS SCUs, oncology SCUs, medical ICUs, and general medical nursing units reported similar levels of distress on the burn-out subscales. There was one exception: medical ICU nurses scored significantly lower on the Personal Accomplishment subscale (P < .001). Regression analyses for the Emotional Exhaustion and Personal Accomplishment subscales indicated that greater job influence had a significant protective effect on emotional exhaustion and enhanced personal accomplishment (P < .05). As expected, job tension was a key predictor of exhaustion (P < .001), and being white was associated with greater feelings of accomplishment (P < .002). Working in a medical ICU continued to show a negative impact on accomplishment when race and other important covariates were controlled for (P < .05), and working on an AIDS SCU was predictive of exhaustion in a multivariate context (P < .05).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Correcting deficiencies in HIV/AIDS care for transgendered individuals.

Studies suggest that transgendered individuals are at high risk for acquiring HIV through injection drug use and sexual risk behaviors. Beginning efforts are being directed to identify the unique needs and concerns of these individuals and to develop culturally sensitive programs that will be successful in recruiting and retaining these individuals in drug abuse and HIV treatment services. These efforts include examining the available and needed services from the perspectives of both the transgendered community and health care professionals. This article reviews the phenomenon of transgenderism and the social context that places these individuals at risk for HIV. Additionally, this article proposes some guidelines for those who are in positions responsible for designing, evaluating, and implementing existing health care services to transgendered populations.

Guidelines as Topic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Emotional distress in women with symptomatic HIV disease.

This article describes emotional distress in 44 women with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) symptomatic disease. Measures of self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression revealed that emotional distress was prevalent in this group and may be sufficiently robust to warrant clinical diagnoses. Limits to functioning and disruptions in physical well-being were found to be associated with both anxiety and depression. Additionally, level of optimism was inversely related to anxiety and depression, and social support was inversely related to anxiety. These findings indicate that emotional distress in women with HIV disease is associated with, and could be ameliorated by, interventions targeted at functional status, social support, and level of optimism.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Age, developmental, and job stage influences on nurse outcomes.

This descriptive study surveyed 412 nurses in three hospitals and found that older nurses and nurses in more mature developmental stages showed greater job satisfaction, productivity, and organizational commitment. Job stages of entry, mastery, and disengagement were examined, and 24% of nurses reported being disengaged from their jobs, with lower satisfaction and commitment. Implications include the compelling need for nurses and organizations to do career planning together to avoid disengagement of nurses so critical to patient and organizational outcomes.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Emotional exhaustion and distress among nurses: how important are AIDS-care specific factors?

This study describes distress symptomatology and levels of job-related exhaustion in a sample of 153 hospital nurses currently caring for AIDS patients. While the level of emotional exhaustion in the sample was not alarmingly high, these nurses did report symptoms of distress. Levels of emotional exhaustion were related to a variety of personal demographic, AIDS-specific, and job-related factors. These factors included: age, income, years of practice on the unit, recent change in shift, type of unit, discomfort caring for AIDS patients, willingness to continue caring for AIDS patients, number of AIDS patients cared for, job tension, job influence, and enthusiasm about returning to work. Regression analysis indicated, however, that six general job-related factors accounted for about 46% of the variation in emotional exhaustion. These results suggest that general job-related factors such as 8-hour shifts, changing shifts, level of job tension, and other factors characterizing all hospital care are particularly worthy of future study.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The relationship of stressful life events, health status and stress-resistance resources in persons with AIDS.

Depression and hopelessness are major problems in persons with AIDS (PWAs). This study provides a paradigm for viewing these mental health states as outcomes that are dependent on stressors, physical health states, and stress-resistance resources. The sample consisted of 30 male, English-speaking PWAs with stage IV AIDS. A significant positive relationship was found between negative life events and the measure of depression, and number of complications and depression. Satisfaction with social support, intrapersonal hope, and global hope were all significantly, negatively associated with hopelessness. The findings support the importance of stress-resistance resources in promoting mental health in PWAs.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The relationship of hospital structural and financial characteristics to mortality and length of stay in acute myocardial infarction patients.

This ex post facto correlational study reports the influence of eight hospital structural and financial characteristics on mortality and length of stay (LOS) in acute myocardial infarction patients in 373 California hospitals. Significant results include: registered nurse hours/patient day (RN hours/pt. day) were inversely related to mortality in bivariate and regression analyses and to LOS in regression analyses. Total operating expenses/patient day (TOE/pt. day) were positively related to mortality (regression analyses) and LOS (bivariate analysis). The authors discuss implications for research and administration.

California↗