Magister Pharmaceuticae - MPharm / Tuberculosis and mv Tuberculosis (TB) is a major contributor to the disease burden in developing countries resulting in the deaths of approximately 2 million people a year. South Africa (SA) has one ( of the highest annual TB incidences with an estimate of 558 per 100 000 population (2003) and the situation shows no sign of abating. TB remains the most common opportunistic infection and cause of death amongst HIV- infected patients. Both TB and HIV treatment depends exclusively on multi-drug regimens that require close monitoring among health care professionals. With increasing workload due to staff shortage and high patient load, the quality of care in nurse-led primary care clinics may be compromised. Existing clinic staff may overlook drug-drug interactions, side effects and may not be aware of the consequences when a formulation is modified during multi-drug therapy administration. As the custodian of medicines, pharmacists are ideally placed to monitor therapy. Clinic-based training programs that are offered to nurses provide an opportunity to work alongside clinic staff and engage in patient-centered care where the pharmacotherapeutic the outcome of TB and HIV drug regimens could be closely monitored. XVll Aims The primary and secondary aims of the study were to: • Assess current practice patterns of TBIHIV at primary healthcare clinics in the Western Cape, • Assess the need for a clinic-based TBIHIV training among final year pharmacy students in UWC. http://uwc.ac.za Objectives To achieve the primary aim the researcher; 1. Conducted a baseline study at Ravensmead Community Health Centre(CHC) to assess current TBIHIV practice among HCP's and co-infected patients, 2. Assessed current practice patterns at Delft South ARV clinic and Elsies River TB clinic (pre-intervention), 3. Designed and implemented a clinic-based TBIHIV intervention tool for potential use by pharmacists at Delft South and Elsies River clinics (intervention phase), 4. Evaluated patient receptivity of the intervention tool amongst patients at Delft South and Elsies River clinics (post-intervention phase). XVlll To achieve the secondary aim the researcher; 5. Introduced a clinic-based training for seven final year pharmacy students, 6. Designed and administered an assessment to both control and experimental students, 7. Assessed scores between students who received the training (experimental group) with those who did not receive the training (control group). Results and discussion Findings from the baseline study indicate the need for the involvement of a trained pharmacist in TB and HIV management. Even though three-quarters (77.8%; 14) of the patients preferred receiving their TB information from the clinic nurse, almost two-thirds (63.2%; 12) of the patients believed that pharmacists assisted with their treatment provision. Patient data obtained from the clinic record card showed that almost two-thirds of the patients reported that they had experienced side effects (64.4%); the therapy of more than one-quarter (26.4%) showed drug-drug interactions and onset of adverse effects (1.1 %). Post-intervention, the data showed that patients' viewed the pharmacist's role more positively. Almost all responses (97.5%; 39) favored the services of a pharmacist in the clinic. In conclusion, findings from the post-intervention patient study underpin that a clinic-based role for the pharmacist is imminent. All seven (100%) of the experimental students passed the assessment and had scores in the range between 26 and 45 and more than three-quarters (78.4 %; 29) of the control students passed with marks within this range. Conclusion A trained pharmacist would be competent to work alongside nursing staff in optimizing care provision in the clinical management of TB and HIV in patients. The existing clinic-based TB/HIV program could be supplemented with theoretical concepts in the final year of undergraduate pharmacy training.

No description available.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The current South African mental health context can be described as skewed in favour of the predominantly white, paying clientele in the private sector. The mental health needs of the predominantly poor, black population and people in rural areas are consequently left unmet. Community psychology is identified as a suitable approach to providing relevant psychological services to the South African population. However there are many structural barriers to the efficient practice of community psychology, which is further compounded by misconceptions and discouraging connotations attached to this field of practice. The overarching aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of registered psychologists regarding different aspects of community psychology. A further aim was to explore the current practice patterns of registered clinical, counselling, research and educational psychologists in the Cape Winelands district. A postal survey was undertaken, which incorporated both quantitative and qualitative components. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to all psychologists in the Cape Winelands district who have been registered with the Professional Board of Psychology of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for at least three years. The data was analysed using frequencies and descriptive statistics as well as content analysis. In this study psychologists raised diverse opinions about community psychology, barriers to service delivery, service providers and users of such services. It appears that despite numerous calls for a more relevant psychology in the South African context, psychologists maintain a preference for the private practice setting. Suggestions were also made for changes so that the provision of community-based psychological services could be more attractive for mental health professionals in South Africa.

Les pédiatres intensivistes ont plusieurs éléments disponibles pour guider leurs décisions par rapport à la ventilation mécanique. Par contre, aucune étude prospective ne décrit les éléments auxquels les intensivistes se réfèrent pour modifier les paramètres du respirateur. Objectifs : Décrire la pratique actuelle de la modification des paramètres du respirateur aux soins intensifs du CHU Sainte-Justine, un hôpital pédiatrique tertiaire. Hypothèse : 80% des modifications des paramètres du respirateur influant sur l’épuration du CO2 sont liées à l’analyse de la PCO2 ou du pH et 80% des modifications des paramètres d’oxygénation sont liés à l’analyse de l’oxymétrie de pouls. Méthodes : En se servant d’un logiciel de recueil de données, les soignants ont enregistré un critère de décision primaire et tous les critères de décision secondaires menant à chaque modification de paramètre du respirateur au moment même de la modification. Résultats : Parmi les 194 modifications des paramètres du respirateur influant sur l’épuration du CO2, faites chez vingts patients, 42.3% ±7.0% avaient pour critère primaire la PCO2 ou le pH sanguin. Parmi les 41 modifications de la pression expiratoire positive et les 813 modifications de la fraction d’oxygène inspirée, 34.1% ±14.5% et 84.5% ±2.5% avaient pour critère primaire l’oxymétrie de pouls, respectivement. Conclusion : Les médecins surestiment le rôle de la PCO2 et du pH sanguins et sousestiment le rôle d’autres critères de décision dans la gestion de la ventilation mécanique. L’amélioration de notre compréhension de la pratique courante devrait aider à l’éboration des systèmes d’aide à la décision clinique en assistance respiratoire. / Pediatric intensivists have a multiplicity of elements available to guide them in mechanical ventilator decision-making; however, no prospective studies describe which elements intensivists currently use to make ventilator setting changes. Objectives: We describe the current practice of ventilator setting modification in the intensive care unit at Sainte-Justine Hospital, a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Hypothesis: Eighty percent of ventilator settings affecting carbon dioxide clearance are based on the PCO2 or pH while eighty percent of settings affecting oxygenation are based on pulse oximetry. Methods: Caregivers recorded the primary element and any secondary elements leading to a ventilator setting change at the time of the change via a custom-designed data gathering software. Results: We included twenty patients. Of a combined 194 changes affecting CO2 clearance, 42.3% ±7.0% were in reference to blood PCO2 or pH. Of forty-one changes to positive end-expiratory pressure, 34.1% ±14.5% were in reference to pulse oximetry, as were 84.5% ±2.5% of the 813 changes to the fraction of inspired oxygen. Conclusion: Physicians over-estimate the role of blood pH and PCO2 in their ventilator management, while under-estimating the role of other elements. Improving our understanding of current practice patterns can help in the development of systems to aid in clinical decision-making in mechanical ventilation, improving clinical outcomes.

Os medicamentos são um recurso terapêutico que vêm ganhando cada vez mais importância no tratamento dos pacientes, o que tem levado várias instituições nacionais e internacionais a implementarem esforços no sentido de estimularem boas práticas de prescrição. Entretanto, várias influências têm levado médicos ao redor do mundo a adotarem práticas irracionais de prescrição, levando a custos cada vez mais elevados e riscos para a saúde dos doentes. Este estudo teve por objetivos descrever as práticas de prescrição de uma amostra de médicos de Curitiba, Paraná, a partir de respostas dadas a um questionário auto-aplicado, bem como investigar se médicos atuando na Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) prescrevem de forma diferente dos que atuam em Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) e em outros serviços e explorar o uso de um questionário auto aplicado para este fim. Trata-se de um estudo transversal com uma amostra de conveniência. Foram entrevistados 17 indivíduos nas unidades da ESF, 22 em UBS, 5 no Hospital Universitário Cajuru e 5 no Centro Clínico Nossa Saúde através de um questionário sobre dados demográficos e com 20 questões em uma escala Likert de 5 pontos que explorava ideias a respeito da prescrição de fármacos. O escore resultante destas questões foi comparado aos dados demográficos e foi constatado que médicos sem especialidade, médicos de família e comunidade, médicos da ESF, que atuam em apenas um local de trabalho, que se encontram nas faixas etárias entre 25 e 34 anos e entre 40 e 59 anos de idade e que se formaram entre os anos de 1985 a 1994 e entre 2005 e 2012 obtiveram escores maiores. Estes resultados permitem levantar a hipótese de que médicos na cidade de Curitiba com este perfil prescrevem de forma mais racional do que seus pares. / Medicines are therapeutic options which are gaining more and more importance in the treatment of patients, leading several national and international institutions to efforts in order to stimulate good prescribing practices. However, many influences have led physicians around the world to adopt irrational prescribing practices, leading to increasingly high costs and risks to patients\' health. This study aimed to describe the prescribing practices of a sample of doctors from Curitiba, Paraná, from responses to a self-administered questionnaire as well as to investigate if doctors working in the Family Health Strategy may prescribe differently of those working in Basic Health Units and in other services and to explore the use of a self-applied questionnaire for this purpose. This is a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample. 17 individuals were interviewed in Family Health Units, 22 in Basic Health Units, 5 in the Cajuru University Hospital and 5 in the Nossa Saúde Clinical Center through a questionnaire on demographic data and 20 questions in a 5-point Likert scale that explored ideas concerning drug prescription. The resulting score from these questions was compared to demographic data and it was found that doctors with no medical specialty, family and community physicians, those working in Family Health Units, those working in just one workplace, who are in the age groups between 25 and 34 years and between 40 and 59 years of age and who graduated between the years 1985 to 1994 and between 2005 and 2012 had higher scores. These results raise the hypothesis that physicians in the city of Curitiba with this profile prescribe more rationally than their peers.

A doença arterial coronária (DAC) é uma das principais causas de morte no mundo. A detecção precoce é importante para prevenir este tipo de ocorrência. O método considerado padrão ouro para avaliar obstruções parciais críticas é a cinecoronariografia, uma técnica invasiva, trabalhosa e cara. Existem métodos não invasivos que podem ser utilizados para estabelecer este diagnóstico. A base do diagnóstico não invasivo da DAC tem sido a análise seqüencial dos fatores de risco e dos resultados do teste ergométrico e da cintilografia de perfusão do miocárdio. Muitos pesquisadores demonstraram que a utilização diagnóstica apropriada da cintilografia de perfusão do miocárdio e da cinecoronariografia é naqueles pacientes que têm probabilidade intermediária e alta para DAC, respectivamente. Apesar desta informação ser útil, ela é utilizada de forma limitada na prática clínica, devido à dificuldade em classificar apropriadamente os pacientes. Desde os artigos pioneiros de Lotfi A. Zadeh, a lógica fuzzy tem sido aplicada em diversas áreas. Ela é especialmente útil nas aplicações médicas, uma vez que as informações utilizadas no processo de decisão são incertas. Neste trabalho, foram desenvolvidos e testados modelos baseados na teoria de conjuntos fuzzy, para selecionar os pacientes que devem ser submetidos a cintilografia de perfusão do miocárdio e a cinecoronariografia. Utilizou-se grupo de 1053 pacientes para desenvolver os modelos e outro de 1045 para testá-los. Comparou-se o desempenho dos modelos com o de médicos especialistas utilizando-se curvas ROC e observou-se que os modelos fuzzy têm desempenho igual ou superior a estes especialistas na seleção dos pacientes que devem ser submetidos a cintilografia e cinecoronariografia, podendo, portanto, ser de grande auxílio ao médico na realização desta tarefa. / Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a worldwide leading cause of death. Early detection is important to prevent such sort of outcome. The gold standard method for evaluating critical partial occlusions is coronary arteriography, a catheterization technique which is invasive, time consuming, and costly. There are noninvasive approaches for early detection of CAD. The basis for the noninvasive diagnosis of CAD has been laid in a sequential analysis of the risk factors, and the results of treadmill electrocardiography and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Many investigators have demonstrated that appropriate diagnostic applications of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and coronary arteriography are in patients who have an intermediate and a high likelihood of disease, respectively. Although this information is useful, it is only partially utilized in the clinical practice due to the difficulty to properly classify the patients. Since the seminal article by Lotfi A. Zadeh fuzzy logic has been applied in numerous areas. It is especially suited to medical applications, since much of the information required for decision-making is uncertain. In this paper, we proposed and tested models to select patients that have to undergo myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and coronary arteriography based on fuzzy set theory. It was used a group of 1053 patients to develop the models and another one of 1045 patients to test them. It was utilized ROC curves to compare the performance of the models with the ones of experts’ physicians and it was observed that the fuzzy models have a performance equal or superior to the experts in the selection of the patients that should perform scintigraphy and coronary arteriography, therefore, they could be a useful tool to assist the general practitioner in this task.

Os medicamentos são um recurso terapêutico que vêm ganhando cada vez mais importância no tratamento dos pacientes, o que tem levado várias instituições nacionais e internacionais a implementarem esforços no sentido de estimularem boas práticas de prescrição. Entretanto, várias influências têm levado médicos ao redor do mundo a adotarem práticas irracionais de prescrição, levando a custos cada vez mais elevados e riscos para a saúde dos doentes. Este estudo teve por objetivos descrever as práticas de prescrição de uma amostra de médicos de Curitiba, Paraná, a partir de respostas dadas a um questionário auto-aplicado, bem como investigar se médicos atuando na Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) prescrevem de forma diferente dos que atuam em Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) e em outros serviços e explorar o uso de um questionário auto aplicado para este fim. Trata-se de um estudo transversal com uma amostra de conveniência. Foram entrevistados 17 indivíduos nas unidades da ESF, 22 em UBS, 5 no Hospital Universitário Cajuru e 5 no Centro Clínico Nossa Saúde através de um questionário sobre dados demográficos e com 20 questões em uma escala Likert de 5 pontos que explorava ideias a respeito da prescrição de fármacos. O escore resultante destas questões foi comparado aos dados demográficos e foi constatado que médicos sem especialidade, médicos de família e comunidade, médicos da ESF, que atuam em apenas um local de trabalho, que se encontram nas faixas etárias entre 25 e 34 anos e entre 40 e 59 anos de idade e que se formaram entre os anos de 1985 a 1994 e entre 2005 e 2012 obtiveram escores maiores. Estes resultados permitem levantar a hipótese de que médicos na cidade de Curitiba com este perfil prescrevem de forma mais racional do que seus pares. / Medicines are therapeutic options which are gaining more and more importance in the treatment of patients, leading several national and international institutions to efforts in order to stimulate good prescribing practices. However, many influences have led physicians around the world to adopt irrational prescribing practices, leading to increasingly high costs and risks to patients\' health. This study aimed to describe the prescribing practices of a sample of doctors from Curitiba, Paraná, from responses to a self-administered questionnaire as well as to investigate if doctors working in the Family Health Strategy may prescribe differently of those working in Basic Health Units and in other services and to explore the use of a self-applied questionnaire for this purpose. This is a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample. 17 individuals were interviewed in Family Health Units, 22 in Basic Health Units, 5 in the Cajuru University Hospital and 5 in the Nossa Saúde Clinical Center through a questionnaire on demographic data and 20 questions in a 5-point Likert scale that explored ideas concerning drug prescription. The resulting score from these questions was compared to demographic data and it was found that doctors with no medical specialty, family and community physicians, those working in Family Health Units, those working in just one workplace, who are in the age groups between 25 and 34 years and between 40 and 59 years of age and who graduated between the years 1985 to 1994 and between 2005 and 2012 had higher scores. These results raise the hypothesis that physicians in the city of Curitiba with this profile prescribe more rationally than their peers.

Les pédiatres intensivistes ont plusieurs éléments disponibles pour guider leurs décisions par rapport à la ventilation mécanique. Par contre, aucune étude prospective ne décrit les éléments auxquels les intensivistes se réfèrent pour modifier les paramètres du respirateur. Objectifs : Décrire la pratique actuelle de la modification des paramètres du respirateur aux soins intensifs du CHU Sainte-Justine, un hôpital pédiatrique tertiaire. Hypothèse : 80% des modifications des paramètres du respirateur influant sur l’épuration du CO2 sont liées à l’analyse de la PCO2 ou du pH et 80% des modifications des paramètres d’oxygénation sont liés à l’analyse de l’oxymétrie de pouls. Méthodes : En se servant d’un logiciel de recueil de données, les soignants ont enregistré un critère de décision primaire et tous les critères de décision secondaires menant à chaque modification de paramètre du respirateur au moment même de la modification. Résultats : Parmi les 194 modifications des paramètres du respirateur influant sur l’épuration du CO2, faites chez vingts patients, 42.3% ±7.0% avaient pour critère primaire la PCO2 ou le pH sanguin. Parmi les 41 modifications de la pression expiratoire positive et les 813 modifications de la fraction d’oxygène inspirée, 34.1% ±14.5% et 84.5% ±2.5% avaient pour critère primaire l’oxymétrie de pouls, respectivement. Conclusion : Les médecins surestiment le rôle de la PCO2 et du pH sanguins et sousestiment le rôle d’autres critères de décision dans la gestion de la ventilation mécanique. L’amélioration de notre compréhension de la pratique courante devrait aider à l’éboration des systèmes d’aide à la décision clinique en assistance respiratoire. / Pediatric intensivists have a multiplicity of elements available to guide them in mechanical ventilator decision-making; however, no prospective studies describe which elements intensivists currently use to make ventilator setting changes. Objectives: We describe the current practice of ventilator setting modification in the intensive care unit at Sainte-Justine Hospital, a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Hypothesis: Eighty percent of ventilator settings affecting carbon dioxide clearance are based on the PCO2 or pH while eighty percent of settings affecting oxygenation are based on pulse oximetry. Methods: Caregivers recorded the primary element and any secondary elements leading to a ventilator setting change at the time of the change via a custom-designed data gathering software. Results: We included twenty patients. Of a combined 194 changes affecting CO2 clearance, 42.3% ±7.0% were in reference to blood PCO2 or pH. Of forty-one changes to positive end-expiratory pressure, 34.1% ±14.5% were in reference to pulse oximetry, as were 84.5% ±2.5% of the 813 changes to the fraction of inspired oxygen. Conclusion: Physicians over-estimate the role of blood pH and PCO2 in their ventilator management, while under-estimating the role of other elements. Improving our understanding of current practice patterns can help in the development of systems to aid in clinical decision-making in mechanical ventilation, improving clinical outcomes.

A doença arterial coronária (DAC) é uma das principais causas de morte no mundo. A detecção precoce é importante para prevenir este tipo de ocorrência. O método considerado padrão ouro para avaliar obstruções parciais críticas é a cinecoronariografia, uma técnica invasiva, trabalhosa e cara. Existem métodos não invasivos que podem ser utilizados para estabelecer este diagnóstico. A base do diagnóstico não invasivo da DAC tem sido a análise seqüencial dos fatores de risco e dos resultados do teste ergométrico e da cintilografia de perfusão do miocárdio. Muitos pesquisadores demonstraram que a utilização diagnóstica apropriada da cintilografia de perfusão do miocárdio e da cinecoronariografia é naqueles pacientes que têm probabilidade intermediária e alta para DAC, respectivamente. Apesar desta informação ser útil, ela é utilizada de forma limitada na prática clínica, devido à dificuldade em classificar apropriadamente os pacientes. Desde os artigos pioneiros de Lotfi A. Zadeh, a lógica fuzzy tem sido aplicada em diversas áreas. Ela é especialmente útil nas aplicações médicas, uma vez que as informações utilizadas no processo de decisão são incertas. Neste trabalho, foram desenvolvidos e testados modelos baseados na teoria de conjuntos fuzzy, para selecionar os pacientes que devem ser submetidos a cintilografia de perfusão do miocárdio e a cinecoronariografia. Utilizou-se grupo de 1053 pacientes para desenvolver os modelos e outro de 1045 para testá-los. Comparou-se o desempenho dos modelos com o de médicos especialistas utilizando-se curvas ROC e observou-se que os modelos fuzzy têm desempenho igual ou superior a estes especialistas na seleção dos pacientes que devem ser submetidos a cintilografia e cinecoronariografia, podendo, portanto, ser de grande auxílio ao médico na realização desta tarefa. / Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a worldwide leading cause of death. Early detection is important to prevent such sort of outcome. The gold standard method for evaluating critical partial occlusions is coronary arteriography, a catheterization technique which is invasive, time consuming, and costly. There are noninvasive approaches for early detection of CAD. The basis for the noninvasive diagnosis of CAD has been laid in a sequential analysis of the risk factors, and the results of treadmill electrocardiography and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Many investigators have demonstrated that appropriate diagnostic applications of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and coronary arteriography are in patients who have an intermediate and a high likelihood of disease, respectively. Although this information is useful, it is only partially utilized in the clinical practice due to the difficulty to properly classify the patients. Since the seminal article by Lotfi A. Zadeh fuzzy logic has been applied in numerous areas. It is especially suited to medical applications, since much of the information required for decision-making is uncertain. In this paper, we proposed and tested models to select patients that have to undergo myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and coronary arteriography based on fuzzy set theory. It was used a group of 1053 patients to develop the models and another one of 1045 patients to test them. It was utilized ROC curves to compare the performance of the models with the ones of experts’ physicians and it was observed that the fuzzy models have a performance equal or superior to the experts in the selection of the patients that should perform scintigraphy and coronary arteriography, therefore, they could be a useful tool to assist the general practitioner in this task.

Bakgrund  Svårläkta sår är ett ökande problem som påverkar såväl individen samt samhället i stort. Dessa typer av sår ger ofta upphov till ett långvarigt lidande hos den enskilde personen eftersom tiden de tar på sig att läka i värsta fall kan dröja år. Andelen äldre antas öka de kommande åren och därmed också de svårläkta såren inklusive lidandet. Att svårläkta sår då behandlas med rutiner som baserar sig på beprövad erfarenhet men också vetenskap blir således essentiellt för att lidandet ska kunna lindras och patientsäkerheten garanteras. I enlighet med tidigare forskning har det visat sig råda viss tveksamhet bland sjuksköterskor angående hur omvårdnaden vid svårläkta sår bör se ut.  Syfte  Syftet var att beskriva faktorer som inverkar på sjuksköterskors omvårdnad av svårläkta sår.  Metod  Med hjälp av databaserna Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL] och Public Medline [PubMed] så inkluderades 16 vetenskapliga artiklar, kvalitativa såväl som kvantitativa, som användes som grund inför resultatet i denna icke-systematiska litteraturöversikt. Resultatet sammanställdes genom en integrerad analys.  Resultat  Huvudkategorierna som utarbetades efter att den integrerade analysen hade genomförts var två stycken till antalet: Faktorer relaterade till sjuksköterskan och Faktorer relaterade till verksamheten. Utöver huvudkategorierna så utarbetades även åtta stycken subkategorier i form av: Kompetens, Utbildning, Teamsamverkan, Invanda rutiner, Känslor och självförtroende, Verksamhetslinjer och policyer, Tid och Resurser.  Slutsats  Resultatet visade på att det var multipla faktorer som inverkade på sjuksköterskors omvårdnad av svårläkta sår. De inverkande faktorerna kunde kopplas ihop med sjuksköterskan respektive verksamheten. Kompetens, utbildning, teamsamverkan, invanda rutiner, samt känslor och självförtroende var samtliga faktorer som kunde kopplas ihop med sjuksköterskan. Även avsaknaden av verksamhetsriktlinjer och policyer, tidsbrist och resursbrister var inverkande faktorer på omvårdnaden och dessa kunde kopplas samman med verksamheten. Samtliga faktorer bör måhända arbetas med simultant och utifrån olika angreppsvinklar för att lidandet svårläkta sår för med sig ska kunna lindras, patientsäkerheten garanteras och för att omvårdnadsförutsättningarna för sjuksköterskan ska kunna förbättras. / Background  Hard-to-heal wounds are a growing problem that affects both the individual and society at large. These types of wounds often give rise to long-term suffering in the individual because the time they take to heal, which in the worst case can take years. The proportion of older people is assumed to increase in the coming years and thus also the hard-to-heal wounds including the suffering brought along by these wounds. That hard-to-heal wounds are then treated with routines that are based on proven experience, but also science, becomes essential for the suffering to be alleviated and for patient safety to be guaranteed. In accordance with previous research, there has been some hesitation among nurses regarding how the nursing care of hard-to-heal wounds should look like.  Aim  The aim was to describe factors that affect nurses' nursing care of hard-to-heal wounds.  Method  Using the databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL] and Public Medline [PubMed], 16 scientific articles, qualitative as well as quantitative, were included, which were used as a basis for the results in this non-systematic literature review. The results were then compiled through an integrated analysis.  Results  The categories that emerged after the integrated analysis had been carried out were two main categories: Factors related to the nursing profession and Factors related to the organization. In addition to the main categories, eight subcategories were also prepared in the form of: Competence, Education, Team collaboration, Routines, Emotions and Self-confidence, Organizational guidelines and policies, Time and Resources.  Conclusions  The results showed that there were multiple factors that influenced nurses' nursing care of hard-to-heal wounds. The influencing factors could be linked to the nurse and the organization. Competence, Education, Teamwork, Routines as well as Emotions and self-confidence were all factors that could be linked to the nurse. The lack of Organizational guidelines and policies, Time and Resources were also influencing factors in nursing and these could be linked to the organization. All factors should perhaps be worked on simultaneously and from different angles of approach so that the suffering of hard-to-heal wounds can be alleviated, patient safety guaranteed and for the nursing conditions to be improved.