Advanced cancer not only affects the physical, psychological, and social functions of patients, but it also impacts their adolescent children. There is a dearth of information regarding the understanding of family functioning and specific needs of patients with advanced cancer and their adolescent children.
This qualitative study aimed to explore the experience and needs regarding family functioning of patients with advanced cancer and their adolescent children, as well as understanding potential approaches for maintaining positive family functioning.
A descriptive qualitative study was employed.
This study was conducted at three tertiary hospitals in Changsha, China, from January to September 2023. Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit participants. 17 stage III and IV patients with cancer and 11 adolescent children were interviewed.
Face-to-face individual interviews were conducted among patients with advanced cancer and their adolescent children. The data analysis employed Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis method. The McMaster family functional model theoretical framework was utilised to facilitate the identification and organisation of topics, ensuring a comprehensive analysis of the data.
Six themes were identified: communication challenges; impaired family role functioning; positive/negative feelings; over-involvement; change of behaviour control pattern; Needs for medical and psychological support. Both patients with advanced cancer and their adolescent children expressed collective views and needs regarding family functioning.
The findings of this study reveal an understanding of family functioning and needs among patients with advanced cancer and their adolescent children. The identified themes provide valuable insights for designing and implementing targeted intervention strategies.
Nursing interventions should focus on helping patients with advanced cancer and their adolescent children improve family functioning and communication skills. The findings indicate that communication challenges are a significant aspect of impaired family functioning, necessitating targeted interventions to enhance communication. Healthcare providers should be trained to recognise the diverse communication needs of families, which include providing resources for age-appropriate communication, counselling, and guidance on maintaining family routines. Enhancing the communication skills of patients and their children is crucial for addressing problem-solving needs and mitigating negative feelings, thereby fostering a more supportive family environment.
The purpose of this study was to describe the strategies older adults use to maintain their balance and prevent themselves from falling in the hospital.
The Expanded Health Belief Model served as the theoretical framework for this qualitative descriptive study.
Audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 (N = 15) older adults (female 53.3%), mean age of 77 (SD 9.9) admitted to a rural community hospital in the United States. Each transcript was analysed independently by two researchers using content analysis before reaching consensus. Sample size was guided by thematic saturation. Trustworthiness was ensured by using the criteria outlined by Lincoln and Guba.
Four main themes emerged: My Balance Problem is My Personal Responsibility, Self-efficacious Common-Sense Balance Management Strategies, Hospital Staff as Contributors or Disruptors of My Balance Management, and My Needs for Balance Management Support. The older adults used extensive mental efforts in planning and executing personal strategies to maintain balance and viewed this as their personal responsibility. Their self-efficacious balance management strategies included observing the environment, assessing furniture and equipment, staying focused, and moving slowly. Assistance from hospital staff members either supported or disrupted the older adults' balance management efforts. The older adults desired to learn more about fall prevention in the hospital. The older adults found physical guidance, demonstration and verbal guidance to be the preferred method of learning.
Rurally hospitalised older adults employ independent, self-efficacious balance management strategies.
Older adults' personal balance management strategies must be recognised by healthcare workers.
Future inpatient fall prevention interventions and policies must focus on exploring hospitalised older adults' optimal and suboptimal balance management behaviours to develop patient-centred fall prevention interventions to decrease inpatient falls among older adults.
The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research.
No patient or public contribution.
To determine patient and nursing factors associated with peripheral intravenous access success among hospitalised adults on medical-surgical units.
A prospective, cross-sectional, correlational design was guided by STROBE.
Within a quaternary care hospital with multiple medical-surgical units, nurses who attempted intravenous access completed case report forms and medical records were reviewed to record 38 factors associated with intravenous access success. After identifying factors associated with first attempt and overall intravenous access success in univariate analyses, prediction models were fit and calibration (based on plots) and discrimination (using the C-statistic) were evaluated using bootstrap sampling.
Of 394 adults, 244 (61.9%) had first attempt and 323 (82.0%) had overall intravenous access success. Ultrasound was used in 227 (57.6%) intravenous access attempts and use was associated with less vein visibility and palpability and higher nurse perception of difficult intravenous access. In multivariable modelling, four factors were associated with first attempt intravenous access success: using a wrist vein, higher nurse expertise in intravenous access, nurse use of an ultrasound in patients with high-risk vein characteristics, and higher nurse confidence in first attempt success; model goodness of fit was good. Seven factors were associated with overall intravenous access success: shorter patient hospital length of stay, no history of diabetes, higher patient anxiety level, nurse use of an ultrasound in patients with high-risk vein characteristics, higher nurse expertise in intravenous access, higher nurse confidence in first attempt success, and nurse prediction of difficult intravenous access was low; model goodness of fit was strong.
Patients' vein characteristics and nurses' confidence in first attempt intravenous access success were predominant characteristics of intravenous access success.
Factors of importance in achieving intravenous access can be easily assessed prior to first attempt and may enhance first attempt and overall success.
Authors adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines and used the following reporting method: STROBE (The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies).
To survey registered nurses' familiarity with delegation standards and confidence to delegate to unlicenced workers within their practice.
Cross-sectional exploratory survey design.
The survey focused on Australian registered nurses (n = 420). Initial descriptive analysis was undertaken. Additionally, inferential analysis was undertaken between two independent variables focused on familiarity of delegation policy, and confidence to delegate, and several demographic and workplace variables. Stepwise linear regression was undertaken to determine predictors of the two delegation variables. The cross-sectional study was undertaken according to the STROBE reporting checklist.
The majority of respondents were somewhat familiar, or not familiar at all with delegation standards. This pattern was followed for results relevant to confidence delegating to unlicenced workers. Nurses working in adult acute, intensive care and emergency department reported the lowest levels of familiarity with delegation. Additionally, intensive care nurses were significantly less likely to feel very confident delegating to unlicenced support workers. Stepwise regression revealed identifying as male, and working in the public sector were less likely to be confident delegating. Nurses working in the acute setting and public sector were less familiar with delegation standards.
The findings of this study highlight the nuanced nature of delegation to unlicenced workers in Australian nursing settings, with nurses from certain contexts being far less likely to be familiar with or confident undertaking the practice.
The findings of this study have significant implications to increase understanding of nurses diverse contexts of practice and how delegation standards might not be implemented in practice in a confident manner.