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N Parent

Publications and source records attributed to N Parent.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

[Use of research in clinical practice: support program for cardiac patients].

The research aims at the acquisition of knowledge and its application in the practice. The knowledge which most interests the nurses is the one pertaining to the improvement of nursing practice. Before initiating a change in the clinical practice on the basis of the research results, it is important to consider some rigorous criteria which will provide guidance to an enlightened decision as to whether such results should be adopted or not. With the help of an example of nursing care concerning a support programme for the benefit of heart patients, this article presents the application of a model of use of research results. The model consists of six phases in support of a critical judgement on the value of a scientific work: preparation, validation, comparative evaluation, decision making, adoption/application and evaluation. Each of these phases states the application of the model criteria, not only to the results, but to the whole research processes followed by the author. This model of research use can provide the nurse with means of proposing changes in the practice, based on the knowledge issuing from research.

Clinical Nursing Research↗

[Social support intervention by former model patients for persons undergoing heart surgery].

The objectives of this study were to determine whether vicarious experiences, in which expatients exemplify the active lives they are leading, can strengthen the belief in the restorability of cardiac functions. An experimental research design was used to evaluate an intervention designed to link volunteers who have successfully recovered from cardiac surgery in dyadic support with those individuals about to undergo similar surgery, by means of visits during the hospitalisation and recovery period. The intervention was intended to reduce anxiety and increase self-efficacy and activity performance. Through a randomised trial, 55 bypass surgery patients, aged 40-69 years, were allocated to either the experimental intervention (n = 27) or usual care (n = 28). The anxiety level was measured with the SPIELBERGER, GORSUCH and LUSHENE (1970) scale; self-efficacy and activity performance were measured with JENKIN's scales (1989). Data analysis with independent t tests revealed significant (p < 0.05) differences between groups in the anxiety level at 24 hours before surgery, and at 5 days and 4 weeks after surgery. Only the experimental group showed a significant (p < 0.02) decrease in anxiety during hospitalisation. Repeated analysis of variance showed significant (p < 0.05) differences between groups in perceived self-efficacy and performance of activities at 5 days and at 4 weeks after surgery. These results indicate that dyadic social support that volunteers offer cardiac surgery patients seems to be effective in helping the latter deal with cardiac events. Implications and recommendations for nursing practice and research were generated.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Adherence of Bordetella bronchiseptica and Pasteurella multocida to porcine nasal and tracheal epithelial cells.

The ability of 19 different Bordetella bronchiseptica isolates and 25 Pasteurella multocida isolates to adhere in vitro to porcine nasal and tracheal epithelial cells was examined. It was found that B. bronchiseptica adhered well to upper respiratory tract cells. In contrast the number of P. multocida organisms which adhered was four to six times less than the number of B. bronchiseptica adherent organisms. This difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.0001). Both microorganisms adhered in greater numbers to nasal cells than to tracheal cells (p less than 0.005). The data indicated that B. bronchiseptica possesses a greater ability than P. multocida to attach to porcine upper respiratory tract cells.

Animals↗

A randomized, controlled trial of vicarious experience through peer support for male first-time cardiac surgery patients: impact on anxiety, self-efficacy expectation, and self-reported activity.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether vicarious experience, in which former patients exemplify the active lives they are leading, reduces anxiety and increases self-efficacy expectation and self-reported activity in patients after cardiac surgery. DESIGN: A randomized, controlled trial was used to evaluate an intervention that linked volunteers who had recovered from cardiac surgery in dyadic support with patients about to undergo similar surgery. The linking was achieved by means of visits during the hospitalization and recovery period. SUBJECTS: Fifty-six first-time male patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, with a mean age of 56.5 years, were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 27) or control group (n = 29). OUTCOME MEASURES: Anxiety was measured at 48 hours and 24 hours before surgery, and again at 5 days and 4 weeks after surgery. Self-efficacy expectation and self-reported activity were both evaluated at 5 days and 4 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: Only the experimental group showed a significant decrease in anxiety during hospitalization. At all measurement times after the first intervention, the experimental group reported significantly lower levels of anxiety compared with the control group. The experimental group reported significantly higher levels of self-efficacy expectation and self-reported activity for general activities, walking, and climbing stairs evaluated at 5 days, and for general activities at 4 weeks after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Vicarious experience provided through dyadic support is effective in helping patients undergoing cardiac surgery cope with surgical anxiety and in improving self-efficacy expectations and self-reported activity after surgery. Dyadic support is a valuable tool for recovery from cardiac surgery that needs to be maintained and explored through nursing practice and research.

Activities of Daily Living↗