This dissertation combines the empowering methodology of photovoice with focus groups and in-depth interviews, to develop a contextual understanding of the meaning of breast cancer for Aboriginal women. Photovoice is a participatory action research method, as well as a process towards health promotion. The participants in this study took pictures to document their realities and engaged in critical reflection individually and in a group process, using images and stories to advocate community and policy changes. A combination of epidemiological, sociological, and anti-oppressive theoretical lenses were used to analyze the womens stories and data, which served to acknowledge heterogeneity, while integrating multiple social contexts.<p> The emerging framework revealed multi-faceted identities, commonalities of situation, and prominent social forces that affect identity and cancer experience. Interpretation of the womens stories and pictures resulted in four general themes: 1) adjusting to physical and psychological changes; 2) the need for culturally relevant sources of support; 3) shifting identities; and 4) personal and political advocacy/policy directions. Prominent social forces include: culturally derived meanings of identity and sexuality, cultural and historical experiences/traditions of Aboriginal peoples, racism and racial stigmas, and socio-economic inequalities. Breast cancer experiences are shown to be significantly linked to history and the impact of colonization and neo-colonialism. Findings also point to the importance of recognizing heterogeneity, which does not minimize the impact of colonial histories and oppression, but points to the importance of employing an anti-oppressive theoretical lens and research framework, able to handle complex intersecting social forces and multiple agencies. These findings provide support for using the photovoice methodology with Aboriginal women, especially for its ability to shift power from researchers to insiders, privilege Indigenous knowledges, and for providing opportunities for critical and multiple tellings. The dissertation concludes by introducing a governmentality lens, which questions whether photovoice methods can address the social and historical problems at the level of policy. This study directs our attention to the need for further research on: 1) the link between breast cancer experiences to historical, political, and social contexts of lives of Aboriginal peoples; and 2) the potential of photovoice methods to affect policy and social justice.

Prior research has indicated that family experiences, including parental divorce, interparental conflict, and the parent-child relationship, play an important role in adult childrens romantic relationships (e.g., Wallerstein & Lewis, 1998; Mahl, 2001; Harvey & Fine, 2004). Research on how these variables may work in combination and on how these family experiences affect romantic relationships during the developmental period of emerging adulthood is lacking. The current study investigated the impact that family divorce has on features of emerging adults romantic relationships. It also examined whether these relationships are mediated by parent-child relationship, are moderated by interparental conflict, and vary with gender and age at the time of divorce.<p>A total of 310 students between the ages of 18-25 from University of Saskatchewan participated in this study. Contrary to the hypothesis, the findings showed that in their romantic relationships emerging adults from divorced families, compared to emerging adults from intact families, had a higher degree of three romantic features: care, commitment, and maintenance. Partly in line with the hypothesis, only retrospective interparental conflict moderated the link between family structure and romantic conflict. Finally, differences, regardless of family structure, were found between males and females, where females indicated having higher levels of intimacy and males indicated having higher levels of coercion in their romantic relationships. Possible explanations for the findings and implications for future research are discussed.

Bakgrund: Schizofreni finns hos 24 miljoner människor i världen. Travelbee (1972) menar att enda sättet att uppnå omvårdnadens mål är att skapa en genuin mellanmänsklig relation. För ett gott bemötande behöver vårdpersonalen veta hur patienten upplever mötet. Det bör vara mottagarens behov som styr. Syftet: Syftet var att belysa hur personer med schizofreni upplever mötet med vårdpersonalen. Metod: En allmän litteraturstudie baserad på nio vetenskapliga artiklar genomfördes. Resultatet: Resultatet visade att personer med schizofreni upplevde mötet med vårdpersonalen som både positivt och negativt. De ville bli sedda som individer, vilket uppnåddes med varierande resultat. Det framkom att personer med schizofreni upplevde att de blev förbisedda, generaliserades och nedvärderades av vårdpersonalen. Diskussion: Utifrån resultatets fynd fördes en diskussion kring betydelsen av vårdpersonalens bemötande för patienten, vad patienterna önskade för förbättringar och möjliga anledningar till ett mindre bra bemötande. Slutsats: Såväl omvårdnadsteori som svensk lagstiftning lyfter fram vikten av att förstå patienten, för att ge en god omvårdnad och ett gott bemötande. / Background: Schizophrenia affects 24 million people around the world. Travelbee (1972) believe that the only way to achieve good nursing is to create a genuine interpersonal relationship. Good treatment needs care staff to know the patient's experiences of meeting. It should be the recipient's needs who determine. The aim: was to illuminate how people with schizophrenia experience meeting with nursing staff. Method: A literature review based on nine scientific articles was performed. Result: The results showed that people with schizophrenia experienced the meeting with nursing staff as both positive and negative. They wanted to be seen as individuals, which was achieved with varying results. It was found that people with schizophrenia felt that they were overlooked, generalized and belittled by the nursing staff. Discussion: Based on the result's findings was a discussion about the importance of nursing staff attitude to patients, patients' desired improvements and possible reasons for a less good response. Conclusion: Both nursing theory and Swedish law highlights the importance of understanding the patient, by doing this good nursing can be created.

Bakgrund: Hjärtoperationer förekommer över hela världen. Förutom den genetiska faktorn så ökar antalet insjuknanden delvis på grund av välfärdssamhället. Studier har visat att personer med hjärtsjukdom upplever ökad oro vid vardagliga aktiviteter. På grund av oron är informationen som ges till patienter mycket viktig. Syfte: Belysa patienters upplevelser av information inför planerad hjärtoperation. Metod: Allmän litteraturstudie, 10 artiklar användes. Resultat: Under analysen framkom fyra kategorier; emotionell påverkan, behov av information, mottaglighet och hanterbarhet samt delaktighet. Studier visade att information minskade oron och ökade tillfredsställelsen. Patienter som hade fått rutinmässig information efterfrågade ytterligare. Andra studier visade att informationsnivån inte hade någon effekt på oron inför operation och det fanns studier som visade att information ökade oron. När informationen gavs spelade stor roll för hur patienterna upplevde den preoperativa tiden. Patienter uttryckte även en önskan om att få ytterligare information för att kunna uppleva delaktighet i sin vård. Diskussion: Tre kategorier arbetades fram; positiv påverkan, informationskrav och negativ påverkan. Informationen var viktig och ledde till en bättre utgång. Patienternas krav på information har ändrats genom åren och är större nu. För lite information ledde till känslor som oro, rädsla och ovisshet. Slutsats: Information påverkar patienters upplevelser inför operation, både positivt och negativt. / Background: Cardiac surgery is carried out worldwide. The genetic factor and today’s welfare society has resulted in an increase in the number of episodes. Studies have shown that people with heart disease experience increased anxiety in everyday activities. The information given to patients therefore becomes highly important. Purpose: Highlight the patients' experiences of information prior to planned cardiac surgery. Method: Literature review. Results: Four categories was revealed: emotional impact, need of information, responsiveness and manageability and participation. Studies showed that information decreased anxiety and increased the level of satisfaction. Additional information was requested by patients who had received routine information. Other studies showed that the level of information had no effect on the patient’s anxiety and in other cases increased the anxiety. The timing of when the information was given had a large impact on how patients experienced the preoperative period. Discussion: Three categories were developed; positive impact, information requirements and negative impact. The information was important and led to a better outcome. Patients' information requirements are bigger today than in the past. A lack of information led to feelings of anxiety, fear and uncertainty. Conclusion: Information has both positive and negative impact on the patients’ experiences prior to surgery.

Bakgrund: I Sverige är det 31000 stycken människor som har palliativ vård. Cancer är oftast den vanligaste orsaken till palliativ vård. Palliativ vård handlar om att vårda hela människan och lindra symptom. Hopp är motiverande impuls som driver människan till att hantera svåra och stressiga situationer. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien är att belysa upplevelser av hopp i palliativ vård vid cancer ur ett patientperspektiv. Metod: Studien är gjord som en allmän litteraturstudie med systemisk ansats. Till hjälp används 14 artiklar. Resultat: Fynden som hittades var överlevnad, mål, framtiden, meningen med livet, relationer till andra, symptom kontroll och självkänsla. Slutsats: Patienten bör få vara delaktig i sin vård och känna tillit till vårdpersonalen. Vårdpersonalen kan hjälpa till med det genom att vara ärlig. / Background: In Sweden it is 31000 persons who have palliative care. Cancer is usually the most common cause palliative care. Palliative care is about nurturing the whole person and relieves symptoms. Hope is the motivating impulse that drives man to deal with difficult and stressful situations. Purpose: The purpose of literature is to illuminate the experience of hope in palliativ care for cancer from a patient perspective. Method: The study is designed as general literature review with a systematic approach. For help using 14 items. Results: The findings that were found were survival, goals, future, meaning of life, relationships with others, symptom control and self-esteem. Conclusion: Patients should be involved in their care and have confidence in caregivers. Health professionals can help with that by being honest.

Background: Alzheimer's disease is a disease that primarily affects the elderly but also younger people. Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia which means that you get changes in the cerebral cortex and cells gradually die. The disease causes memory loss and things that were obvious before will be difficult for the sufferer. Alzheimer's disease also affects next of kin to a large degree; they will have to take a great responsibility. The next of kin are entitled to support from healthcare. Aim: The aim was to highlight next of kin' experiences of healthcare to their family members with Alzheimer's disease. Method : The study was based on narratives, which in this case means analysis of autobiographies. Five biographies were analyzed in accordance with Dahlborg-Lyckhage Results : Four categories and eleven subcategories emerged which were based on what the next of kin had experienced. The experiences were reflected in four categories: powerlessness, joy in caring, grief and lack of trust. This result shows gaps in knowledge and treatment of relatives. To make it easier for the next of kin caregivers should for example provide information on the course of the disease, get individual support and caregivers should take next of kin seriously. Conclusion : Alzheimer's disease affects the entire family. It is important that nurses take their responsibility by providing information and support to the next of kin so that they can better deal with the situation. The next of kin are an important part of the sufferer's life and have influence for the development of the disease.

<p>In nursing education the clinical component comprises an important part of the students&rsquo / training. Clinical teaching and learning happens in simulated as well as real world settings. First&ndash / year students spend the first quarter of their first year developing clinical skills in the skills laboratory. In the second-term they are placed in real service settings. This study was aimed at exploring the experiences of first year nursing students of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) during their first clinical placement in the hospital. A qualitative phenomenological exploratory study design was used and a purposive sample of twelve nursing students was selected to participate in the study. The research question was &ldquo / Describe your experiences during your first placement in hospital?&rdquo / Written informed consent was given by every participant and ethical approval was obtained from the relevant UWC structures. In-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted, audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded and sub-categories, categories, and themes were extracted during the data analysis process. Trustworthiness of the data collection and data analysis processes were ensured. Many of the first year nursing students described theirexperience in hospital as being stressful. However, the first placement in hospital allowed them to work with real patients and provided them an opportunity to develop a variety of clinical skills. Even though the hospital environment was unfamiliar and the ward staff unwelcoming, the patients&rsquo / acknowledged and valued their contribution to patient care. Students tend to seek support from family members and lecturers. It is recommended that first year nursing students be prepared adequately for their first placement in hospital as well as to&nbsp / provide practical and emotional support to students during their hospital placement</p>

The purpose of this thesis was to explore Dakota Aboriginal caregivers' involvement in their children's education. The needs of Aboriginal parents, who may share different perspectives regarding the purposes of education, have been ignored historically because of North American assimilation policies. Thus, listening respectfully to the voices of the Wahpeton Dakota caregivers and understanding their involvement in their children's education has been the intent of this research. Qualitative research techniques were used to elicit narratives through semi-structured interviews. The participants in this research were able to reflect back to their childhood educational experiences- traditional and formal- and accept the sometimes troubled experiences that their education provided. Resilience prevailed, as the Aboriginal parents and care givers in this study envisioned a positive future for their own children.<p> The participants' narratives reflected similar, yet different expectations for "formal" education. In mainstream research literature, when educators define parent/care giver involvement, the ideal parent has been described as somehow directly involved in the school setting. This thesis challenges that perception and creates a different understanding of education for Wahpeton caregivers and its relevance to their children's lives. The Wahpeton parents and caregivers saw education as much more than academics. This viewpoint has the potential to provide a much more balanced, inclusive education process for our Aboriginal children.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to address the problem of the silencing of adolescent girls and young women by exploring their spiritual experiences and knowledge of their inner selves. Five participants between the ages of 18 and 25 were interviewed 3 times over several weeks about their spiritual experiences, artefacts of spiritual significance, and beliefs about their inner selves. The findings of this study reveal that young women are deeply interested in nurturing their spirituality, which they are not finding in religion, and they are looking elsewhere for a spirituality that embraces a feminine ethic of care and responsibility.

Bakgrund: Bröstcancer är den vanligaste formen av cancer hoskvinnor i Sverige. Behandling av bröstcancer kan leda till att kvinnan blitvungen att operera bort sitt bröst. Kvinnobröstet har i alla tider varit ensymbol för det absolut feminina. Syfte: Syftetvar att belysa de drabbade kvinnornas upplevelser efter mastektomi. Metod: Studien var en litteraturstudiebaserad på antal kvalitativa vetenskapliga artiklar. Resultat: I resultatet visades att många kvinnor upplevdeförändring av sin kropp. Genom förlust av bröstet förlorade de kvinnlighet,sexualitet och identitet. De upplevde sina kroppar som stympade vilket leddetill sorg. Relationen till partnern påverkades både positivt och negativtberoende om kvinnorna ansåg sig vara sexuellt accepterade eller inte. Ärretsymboliserade både förlust, rädsla för ny cancer och seger över att ha blivitbotad. Slutsats: Det är viktigt attsjuksköterskan har det hälsofrämjande tänkesättet i mötet med kvinnor som hargenomgått mastektomi, för att hjälpa dem att bearbeta sina upplevelser ochuppmuntra dem att uppnå en hög känsla av sammanhang. / Background: Breast cancer is themost common cancer among women in Sweden. Thetreatment of breastcancer may lead to women being forcedto surgery remove her breast. Women’s breasthas always been a symbol of the very feminine. Aim: The aim was to highlight theaffected women's experiences after a mastectomy. Method: The study was a literature review based on qualitative, scientificarticles. Results: The results showed thatmany women experiencechanges in their body.Through the loss ofthe breast, they lost femininity, sexuality and identity.They experienced theirbodies’ mutilated, causing grief. Their relationshipfor their partner was affected, positively or negatively depending on if thewomen considered themselves to besexually accepted or not. The scarsymbolizes both the loss, fear of new cancer and victory to having beencured. Conclusion: It is important that thenurse has the healthpromotion forethought when meeting with women who have undergone a mastectomy.To help themovercome their experiencesand encourage themto achieve a highfeeling of life connection.