Cystic fibrosis is an inherited pathological condition which can be treated but not cured and is ultimately life threatening. Those affected by cystic fibrosis require daily treatment to minimize the symptoms of the illness and retard the progression of pulmonary deterioration. An important component of the prophylactic therapy regime is chest physiotherapy which enhances the clearance of lung secretions. However, chest physiotherapy is time consuming and not always enjoyable, particularly for infants and toddlers. This study utilized an independent and repeated measures design to evaluate the effect of recorded music as an adjunct to daily routine chest physiotherapy on children's enjoyment, caregivers' enjoyment and caregivers' perception of time taken to complete the routine. Participants were caregivers of one or more children with cystic fibrosis who were aged between 4½ months and 24 months at the commencement of the clinical trial and required chest physiotherapy on a daily basis. / The children's cystic fibrosis care was managed by the Department of Thoracic Medicine at the Royal Children's Hospital in Victoria. Participants were randomly allocated into treatment and control groups and were involved in the study for 12 weeks. Participants in the treatment group were given the treatment tape: a specifically compiled music tape consisting of instrumental music and children's songs, newly composed for use as an adjunct to chest physiotherapy. Participants in the control group received no tape for the first 6 weeks, then received their choice from two commercially available, children's audiocassettes) both of which were familiar to the participants. Enjoyment and perception of time were assessed at the commencement of the trial and then twice more at 6-week intervals. After 6 weeks of using the treatment tape, children's and caregivers' enjoyment of chest physiotherapy increased significantly compared to no music. There was no change in perception of time taken to complete the chest physiotherapy after using the treatment tape. Use of the familiar music tape was not associated with significant increases in enjoyment for children or caregivers. Familiar music did not alter the perception of time taken to complete the routine. The results suggest that recorded music is an effective adjunct to daily chest physiotherapy which enhances caregivers' and children's enjoyment, particularly when that music is specifically compiled for use with the physiotherapy.

<p>Patients that have been undergoing surgery often experience pain and anxiety. Pain relief can be problematic because of the side effects and complications that may occur. This leads to a prolonged recovery phase. Music therapy has long been used as an alternative treatment, it is useful from an economic point of view and no side effects have emerged. However, few studies conducted to evaluate its clinical efficacy. The purpose of this literature study was to describe if music as a complementary treatment method can alleviate post-operative pain, anxiety and if any physiological effects occur in the patient. Literature search was performed in the databases Cinahl, Pubmed, Psychinfo and the search base Elin@Kalmar. The main result showed that the postoperative pain decreased in eight scientific articles and anxiety in four of the scientific articles. In two articles, results showed that there were no improvement in pain and cause for anxiety on the scale of patients. Some of the articles also examined whether the alternative treatment had any effect on the patient's vital signs such as heart rate and respiratory values. The results were varied, indicating that further research is needed for an efficient evaluation. The authors believe that music therapy is an appropriate alternative treatment which can relieve post-operative pain and anxiety. Music therapy is also seen as a simple, contact-building and cost-effective method in daily nursing work.</p>

This study utilized a combination of intrinsic and instrumental case studies to describe the experience of four dying persons and their significant relations, as they engaged in music therapy sessions designed with the goal of facilitating relationship completion. The four primary participants were inpatients of the Baycrest palliative care program who were diagnosed with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of less than six months. Two spouses who were involved in music therapy sessions were co-participants. I developed four case studies to represent each of the rich and detailed stories. Through the use of narrative research methods I was able to describe, interpret, and understand the complexity held within the multiple data sources that informed each case study. Data sources included: music created, utilized, recorded, and/or discussed in music therapy sessions; discussions during music therapy sessions; the researcher’s field notes; formal notes placed in the participant’s medical charts; the formal written assessment; transcriptions of audio-taped music therapy sessions; interviews; interview transcriptions; artistic pieces crafted by myself that emerged from the experiences of the participants as reflected in their interviews, and weekly participation in sessions which were verified by the participants; and other artistic material. The rich knowledge that emerged from the individual case studies informed a cross-case analysis where global themes were identified from a thematic analysis of participants’ experiences; and process motifs arising from the progression of participant engagement in music therapy are described. Global themes included: love; loss; gratitude; growth/transformation; courage/strength; and goodbye. The five process motifs that emerged were: (1) music therapy helps and was valued as a means of sharing the participants’ perceptions of their situation. (2) music therapy provides a safe place to become aware of, explore, and express feelings. (3) music enhances communication. (4) music therapy techniques provide creative avenues for self-expression. (5) music therapy provided a vehicle for revisiting and reminiscing. The thesis concludes with a summary of the knowledge revealed and a discussion of implications for music therapists and health care professionals, as well as a presentation of final thoughts and reflections on my role as researcher in this study.

Patients that have been undergoing surgery often experience pain and anxiety. Pain relief can be problematic because of the side effects and complications that may occur. This leads to a prolonged recovery phase. Music therapy has long been used as an alternative treatment, it is useful from an economic point of view and no side effects have emerged. However, few studies conducted to evaluate its clinical efficacy. The purpose of this literature study was to describe if music as a complementary treatment method can alleviate post-operative pain, anxiety and if any physiological effects occur in the patient. Literature search was performed in the databases Cinahl, Pubmed, Psychinfo and the search base Elin@Kalmar. The main result showed that the postoperative pain decreased in eight scientific articles and anxiety in four of the scientific articles. In two articles, results showed that there were no improvement in pain and cause for anxiety on the scale of patients. Some of the articles also examined whether the alternative treatment had any effect on the patient's vital signs such as heart rate and respiratory values. The results were varied, indicating that further research is needed for an efficient evaluation. The authors believe that music therapy is an appropriate alternative treatment which can relieve post-operative pain and anxiety. Music therapy is also seen as a simple, contact-building and cost-effective method in daily nursing work.

This study utilized a combination of intrinsic and instrumental case studies to describe the experience of four dying persons and their significant relations, as they engaged in music therapy sessions designed with the goal of facilitating relationship completion. The four primary participants were inpatients of the Baycrest palliative care program who were diagnosed with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of less than six months. Two spouses who were involved in music therapy sessions were co-participants. I developed four case studies to represent each of the rich and detailed stories. Through the use of narrative research methods I was able to describe, interpret, and understand the complexity held within the multiple data sources that informed each case study. Data sources included: music created, utilized, recorded, and/or discussed in music therapy sessions; discussions during music therapy sessions; the researcher’s field notes; formal notes placed in the participant’s medical charts; the formal written assessment; transcriptions of audio-taped music therapy sessions; interviews; interview transcriptions; artistic pieces crafted by myself that emerged from the experiences of the participants as reflected in their interviews, and weekly participation in sessions which were verified by the participants; and other artistic material. The rich knowledge that emerged from the individual case studies informed a cross-case analysis where global themes were identified from a thematic analysis of participants’ experiences; and process motifs arising from the progression of participant engagement in music therapy are described. Global themes included: love; loss; gratitude; growth/transformation; courage/strength; and goodbye. The five process motifs that emerged were: (1) music therapy helps and was valued as a means of sharing the participants’ perceptions of their situation. (2) music therapy provides a safe place to become aware of, explore, and express feelings. (3) music enhances communication. (4) music therapy techniques provide creative avenues for self-expression. (5) music therapy provided a vehicle for revisiting and reminiscing. The thesis concludes with a summary of the knowledge revealed and a discussion of implications for music therapists and health care professionals, as well as a presentation of final thoughts and reflections on my role as researcher in this study.

People with motor disabilities have a limitation or a loss of capacity carrying out activities considered as normal for human beings. This may incline the relationship with the society and thus it is essential for these people to undergo therapeutic treatments. However, rehabilitation is a tedious process that often fails due to that patients drop treatment. For this reason, this thesis investigates if music in a serious game for rehabilitation can make the experience to become more engaging and, accordingly, whether positive experiences from playing such a game can encourage the rehabilitation process of a patient i.e. to make the rehabilitation process less tedious for the patient. The results, based on a pilot study conducted in a rehabilitation center, indicates that this is the case and further research on the matter is suggested.

It has been argued that a secure and comfortable atmosphere is essential in order for a therapeutic or learning environment to be beneficial (Bakken 1998). In Functionally Oriented Music Therapy (FMT) there are arguably certain elements that help create this kind of atmosphere. By looking at the nature of FMT, what these elements might be, and FMT with two different clients, this paper tries to obtain a clearer idea of what creates a secure and comfortable atmosphere in FMT.

published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing

Pain is a common problem that affects nearly all cancer patients (Kwekkeboom, 2008). There are various factors that constitute suffering to cancer patients. Apart from physical pain, cancer patients usually experience emotional crisis and spiritual struggles (Magill, 2008). Music therapy is believed to be one of the most effective treatments for cancer patients. It provides a holistic care to patients with cancer. It will not only manage the physical sensation, but also address the psychological, social and spiritual parts of the patients (Magill, 2009). Although current studies have suggested the benefits of using music therapy in reducing pain for cancer patients, it is not a common practice in Hong Kong. As the administration rate of music therapy relies heavily on the knowledge of the nurses (Kwekkeboom, 2008). Therefore, this paper aims at providing evidence on the use of music therapy. In the hope of a clinical guideline, it can increase the administration rate of music therapy for cancer pain management in clinical setting. Apart from the clinical guideline, an implementation and evaluation plan on music therapy will also be discussed in this paper. There will be a full description from preparation to evaluation. Nurses can make use of this reference guide to provide music therapy for their cancer patients in respect to pain management. / published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing

Introduction: Patients having total joint replacement often experience moderate to severe pain postoperatively. Postoperative pain can reduce patients’ mobility, affecting their motivation to participate in any rehabilitation activities. For patients having total join replacement, rehabilitation plays an important role in promoting their early recovery. Therefore, it is crucial for healthcare professionals to develop and evaluate intervention that can better control patients’ post-operative pain. In the clinical setting that I am working, pharmacological method is the major means of postoperative pain management. However, many Chinese patients are reluctant to use analgesic to control their post-operative pain because of the side effects and adverse reactions of the drugs. In this dissertation, music therapy, a non-pharmacological method that can be managed by nurses, is adopted for postoperative pain control. It is used to promote rehabilitation for patients who have undergone total joint replacement. Objectives: The objectives of this study are (1) to review the published research articles that investigated the effects of music therapy in reducing the post-operative pain and promoting rehabilitation for patients having total joint replacement; and (2) to establish an evidence-based guideline for the use of music therapy by nurses to control postoperative pain and to facilitate rehabilitation for patients having total joint replacement. Methods: A comprehensive literature search on four electronic databases including CHINAL, Medline (OvidSP), PubMed and the British Nursing Index were conducted. A total of eight RCTs and two non-randomized controlled trials were eventually identified. Results: All the reviewed studies showed that music therapy has a statistically significant effect on reducing postoperative pain. Sedative or relaxation music (music which has no lyrics, sustained melodic quality; rate of 60-80 beats per minutes; absence of strong rhythms or percussion) are recommended in the guideline. The target setting is a total joint replacement centre in a public hospital of Hong Kong. The target clients are adult patients (aged 19 or above) that are referred by the orthopedic out-patient department and are pending for their total knee/ hip replacement in the center. The transferability and feasibility of the literature are high. The guideline is developed based on the evidence in reviewed literature. A pilot testing plan is established to detect the potential barrier and friction of the guideline before the implementation. After that, an evaluation plan for patients, healthcare providers and system outcomes was also proposed. Conclusion: An evidence based guideline is developed for the total joint replacement center. It is anticipated that, with the use of this guideline by nurses, it will not only facilitate better rehabilitation for patients having total joint replacement, but also enhances nurses’ autonomy in their nursing practice. / published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing