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Biomedical subjects

L Bramwell

Publications and source records attributed to L Bramwell.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Need for overnight respite for primary caregivers of hospice clients.

A major reason for admission of community hospice clients to the hospital is exhaustion of the primary caregiver. One way to prevent the problem of caregiver exhaustion may be the use of trained laypersons who remain overnight with the ill person, thereby providing respite that allows the caregiver to sleep. A survey was conducted to assess primary caregivers' appraisal of the need for overnight respite and their willingness to receive this support from trained laypersons. Thirty-seven primary caregivers, who used the services of a community hospice, were interviewed to determine primary caregivers' appraisals of problems, resources, and needs. Ten (27%) primary caregivers reported usually receiving 0 to 4 of sleep per night and 27 (73%) reported receiving > 4 h. Sleep time was described by the majority as insufficient, but insufficient, sleep was statistically not a main reason for hospital admission. Findings suggested that those in the 0- to 4-h category were more vulnerable to exhaustion. Seventy percent of respondents indicated that they would use the services of a trained layperson for overnight respite and an additional 6% indicated that they would under certain conditions.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Uncertainty and anxiety after mastectomy for breast cancer.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between uncertainty and anxiety in women after mastectomy for breast cancer and to describe women's responses to partial or complete mastectomy for breast cancer during the early rehabilitative phase after surgery. A theoretical framework for the study was derived from the Scott, Oberst, and Dropkin Stress-Coping Model and from a review of the literature. Major study variables and variable measures were uncertainty, measured by the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale (MUIS), and anxiety, measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Twenty-five women admitted to two acute-care teaching hospitals for their first partial or modified radical mastectomy made up the convenience sample of this study. Data were collected 1-2 days before and 1-2 weeks after hospital discharge. From study findings, it was shown that only at the postdischarge testing was there a significant positive correlation between uncertainty and state anxiety. The development of appropriate interventions to assist breast cancer patients in dealing with the fears of recurrence and uncertainties regarding treatment effectiveness and sequelae has relevance for nursing practice.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The congruence of elderly client and nurse perceptions of the clients' self-care agency.

Congruence of client and nurse perceptions is vital to mutual goal-setting as a means of achieving self-care in the elderly. The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to explore the relationship between nurse and elderly client perceptions of the clients' self-care agency. A sample of 40 elderly client subjects and registered nurses' selected from two community health agencies, completed a questionnaire consisting of three instruments: (a) a demographic sheet; (b) the appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale; and (c) the Perceived Health Status. Pearson product moment correlation coefficients were significant for the relationships between: (a) client and nurse perceptions of clients' self-care agency (r = 0.42, P less than 0.01); (b) client and nurse perceptions of clients' health status (r = 0.38, P less than 0.01; and (c) nurse perceptions of clients' self-care agency and nurse perceptions of clients' health status (r = 0.44, P less than 0.01). With increasing emphasis on health promotion of the elderly in the community, identified relationships may have potential implications for gerontological and community nursing practice.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Social support in cardiac rehabilitation.

Since support from the primary social network is vital to an individual's cardiac rehabilitation, comprehensive nursing care includes assisting the recuperating person and partner to achieve optimal recovery. A model of collaborative social support, based upon the work of Corbin and Strauss (1984) and Norbeck (1988) is offered as a guide to the nursing process of assisting the recuperating individual and partner to work toward optimal recovery. A definition of social support is integrated with nursing actions of a) assessing collaborative potential, b) bringing the couple into open awareness, and c) assisting the couple to develop collaborative strategies to enhance cardiac rehabilitation. Although this model has face validity, it should be tested in clinical settings by practitioners and researchers.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed1989

The supportive role of the staff nurse in the hospital palliative care situation.

The supportive comforting role of the nurse is complex. Comprehensive supportive role behaviours need to be described for nurses in the hospital setting in order to identify actual role competencies, enhance the definition of professional practice, and evaluate clinical competence. As a first step in definition of this supportive role, an exploratory study was conducted with five registered nurses on a four bed palliative primary nursing unit in a hospital setting. Their supportive role behaviours were elicited in order to answer the following research question: What supportive nursing interventions are identified and described by staff nurses to promote physical, psychological, and spiritual comfort for palliative care patients? A model of supportive nursing care in the palliative care setting was generated from study findings and presented for testing through further research.

Communication↗
PubMed1989

Cancer nursing--a problem-finding survey. The London Nursing Research Consortium.

A survey was conducted to identify the most difficult patient-care problems encountered by nurses who care for patients with cancer and the most difficult problems personally experienced by nurses as a consequence of caring for these patients. Nurses who provided care to patients with cancer in two community health agencies, one cancer treatment center, one chronic care hospital, and three acute care hospitals were invited to participate. A total of 566 nurses responded (43% response rate). Results are presented by total sample for 15 top-ranked patient care problems, 10 top-ranked physical care problems, and 5 top-ranked personally experienced problems. Results are also presented as a qualitative analysis of 1,052 comments made by respondents. For all groups of nurses within the total sample, coping with diagnosis, disease progression, and emotional response comprised the top-ranked patient care problems. Nutrition and pain management were top-ranked physical care problems. Top-ranked personally experienced problems paralleled patient care problems. A comparison of study findings with two previous surveys to identify research problems indicated high consensus about important areas for cancer nursing research. Scott, Oberst, and Dropkin's Stress-Coping model will be used to guide development of the research program that began with this problem-finding survey.

Ethics, Nursing↗
PubMed1984

Use of the life history in pattern identification and health promotion.

The life history is presented as a tool for the identification of human patterning and as a process of nursing intervention for the promotion of health through expansion of consciousness. The life history process is presented in a pilot study involving a selected sample of eight persons aged 65. Qualitative study findings were interpreted through integration of two theoretical perspectives on patterning. Recommendations for further study are made that will increase the validity and reliability of life history as a measure of patterning and increase the ability to generalize study findings.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of role clarity and empathy on support role performance and anxiety.

The purpose of this study was to examine wives' anxiety in response to their husbands' first myocardial infarction from the perspective of perceptions and interpretations of their support roles, their husbands' experience, their abilities to act supportively, and how these and other factors contributed to their degree of anxiety. Major study variables were: role clarity (measured by an instrument developed for the study), empathy (measured by the Barrett-Lennard [1978] Relationship Inventory), support role performance (measured by an instrument developed for the study), and anxiety (measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form A [Spielberger, Gorsuch, & Lushene, 1970]). Four exogenous variables, husband's condition, previous experience in the support role, self-esteem, and trait anxiety, were used to test alternate hypotheses. Subjects were 82 wives of men admitted to three cardiac care units. Data were collected prior to the husband's hospital discharge and at 3 weeks postdischarge. Data were analyzed with path analysis procedures. Study findings supported two hypotheses, that support role performance has a direct negative effect on anxiety and trait anxiety has a direct positive effect on anxiety. Descriptive data obtained during the postdischarge interview provided documentation of uncertainty as another source of anxiety.

Adult↗