The purpose of this study was to explore the ways mental health providers continue developing and strengthening their skills to have a great impact and overall beneficial effect on the families they are supporting. An interview questionnaire was created to explore participants’ experiences working with families and their children to generate an understanding of their current experiences in the mental health field. Through this study we have learned that the mental health providers are aware of the traits that they have to possess in order to provide the best care for the clients and their families. The participants in the study stay motivated by seeing the positive client outcomes and receiving feedback from their clients and families. They apply new research, go to workshops, are change agents, seek supervision, and network with other professionals for support. The qualitative design was used in order to collect the data from the participants. The study sample consisted of twelve Mental Health Providers. One‑on‑one interviews were conducted, a consent was obtained per participant, and transcribed for thematic analysis. Based on participant narratives, a key finding in this study found that there are barriers to the mental health professionals, due to cost, time restraints, lack of peer support, and supervision. A key finding was the motivation of the Mental Health Professionals to continue providing services to the families was high due to the feedback and positive client outcomes. Future research is needed to explore additional ways to better support the Mental Health Provider in the mental health field.

Difficulties experienced at work can cause feelings of burnout that become prolonged and intensified without acts of self-care. The intense nature of mental health workers' jobs may make them, more vulnerable to burnout than other professionals. Because mental health professionals' mental and emotional wellness can significantly affect their work, adequate self-care is critical to both their well-being and that of their clients. Previous researchers have investigated the self-care behaviors of mental health professionals, but little was known about how gender affected the use of these behaviors in burnout prevention among mental health professionals. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between self-care behaviors and burnout among a sample of 325 mental health professionals working in New York. Differences in the ways male and female mental health professionals practiced self-care behaviors were also investigated. Burnout and gender role theories were used as the theoretical framework. Study instruments included the MBI-HSS and the Brief COPE. Multiple regression analysis and independent sample t tests were employed to analyze survey data. Analysis revealed levels of self-care behaviors were significantly predictive of depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and reduced personal accomplishment. Gender differences in self-care behaviors were indicated for substance use, self-blame, depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and reduced personal accomplishment. Since burnout is a significant problem for many mental health professionals, understanding how self-care affects burnout is critical to promoting behavioral changes among these professionals. Self-care among mental health professionals may improve their professional and personal lives.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Limpopo,2009. / The term “brain drain” became a reality in South Africa after doors opened for South Africans in overseas markets and the emphasis moved from hospital bed based care to total health for all South Africans. The lack of services in rural areas seems a problem with focus on migration of health professionals between rural and urban areas, and even overseas markets, leaving a possible imbalance. More allied health professionals from previously disadvantaged groups are trained but the need in specifically the rural areas continues to rise. Recruitment and retention strategies were implemented for scarce skilled health professionals in the Public Service but no proof is available whether it is successful or not for the allied health professional group. The vacancy rates for allied health professional posts are reportedly too high despite the fact that more candidates are recruited from rural areas to be trained as professionals, hoping they will return to work in rural areas. Allied health professionals seem to be constantly on the move despite the strategies already implemented, reasons for this are unknown. The purpose of this study is to explore and determine if there is an imbalance of allied health workers in rural and urban areas within Limpopo Province. Secondly, it was to determine what factors may influence and contribute to allied health professional‟s decision to consider migration and thirdly to establish if the current recruitment and retention strategies are having the desired outcome. A survey was conducted over a period of three months with respondents representing the dietetic, physiotherapy, radiography, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy professions. The sample population was randomly selected as well as cluster sampling from the different districts within the Limpopo Province. Data was collected from a total of 122 respondents. xv Because the type of data collected was mainly nominal data, graphical and tabular descriptive techniques like frequencies, relative frequencies, tables and graphs were used to provide information. Numerical descriptive techniques were also used to calculate sample statistics and the only statistical technique that involves nominal data, the Chi-Squared Test was also applied. The findings of the research survey enabled the researcher to make final conclusions as well as specific recommendations to the target groups that may benefit from this study in order to change the “brain drain” to a “brain gain” situation for allied health professionals within the Limpopo Province. / N/A

Cette recherche doctorale se propose d’apporter un regard constructiviste et critique à l’objet « Alzheimer et sexualité », en s’intéressant aux différentes manières dont les membres de la famille et les professionnel·le·s de santé perçoivent la sexualité des personnes labellisées Alzheimer (PLA). Quarante-trois entretiens ont été réalisés auprès de ces deux groupes et ont été analysés dans une perspective de théorisation ancrée. Fondé sur une articulation de la théorie des scripts de la sexualité et de celle des représentations sociales, ce travail présente dans une première partie une typologie des représentations, majoritairement anormalisantes, des PLA. La seconde partie montre que les scripts et représentations ne sont pas mobilisés de la même manière par les professionnel·le·s de santé et par les familles, les conduisant à concevoir la sexualité respectivement comme problématique et comme accessoire. Enfin, la dernière partie propose une analyse des subjectivités replacées dans leur contexte social, restituant la singularité et la complexité des positions individuelles des professionnel·le·s de santé et des membres de la famille. Ce travail permet finalement d’éclairer les mécanismes de construction de l’altérité, conduisant à des formes d’âgisme et de validisme qui se manifestent par l’interdiction de la sexualité des PLA, par sa limitation, ou par son caractère impensable. / This dissertation adopts a constructivist and critical approach of the subject “Alzheimer and sexuality”, by focusing on how relatives and health professionals perceive sexuality. Forty-three interviews were conducted among these two groups and analyzed by grounded theory. By combining the sexual script theory with social representation theory, this research presents in a first part a typology of the representations of the people labeled Alzheimer (PLA), that are mainly characterized by abnormalization. The second part shows that the scripts and representations are not used in the same way by health professionals and relatives. While professionals tend to conceive the PLA’s sexuality as problematic, relatives see it as secondary. In a last part, the subjectivities of health professionals and relatives are analyzed in their social context, allowing to shed light on the singularity and the complexity of their individual positions. Eventually, this work highlights the mechanisms of construction of otherness, leading to forms of ageism and validism manifested by the prohibition of PLA’s sexuality, its limitation, or its unthinkable nature.

<p>Äldre vårdtagare med sömnproblematik är, enligt studier, undervärderat i forskning. Sömnproblematik hos äldre visar sig vanligen som svårigheter att fästa sömn och uppvaknande nattetid eller tidig morgon. Ett antal kroppsliga, neurologiska och psykiska sjukdomar kan störa sömnen, även miljöförhållanden, samt vissa läkemedel.</p><p><strong>Syftet med studien var att beskriva vilka förhållanden och omvårdnadsåtgärder som, enligt vårdpersonalen, påverkar och främjar sömnen hos äldre vårdtagare med sömnproblematik. Som <strong>metod användes semistrukturerade intervjuer. Sex undersköterskor och fyra sjuksköterskor intervjuades. Materialet analyserades med hjälp av manifest innehållsanalys och presenterades i två kategorier: Vårdtagarnas behov och vårdmiljö. Till huvudkategorierna hörde två underkategorier vardera, fysiska och psykiska behov, behov av läkemedel respektive yttre förhållanden och bemötande. <strong>Resultatet visade att otillfredsställda behov så som smärta, förstoppning, hunger och existentiella funderingar samt den sociala situationen ansågs påverka sömnen. Miljön runt vårdtagaren har också betydelse för sömnen, dels utifrån ljus och ljud men även den psykosociala miljön såsom bemötande från vårdpersonalen. <strong>Slutsats, omvårdnadsåtgärder behöver lyftas fram som ett led i att främja sömn hos äldre med sömnproblematik. </strong></strong></strong></strong></p> / <p>Elderly patients with problems related to sleep are, according to studies, undervalued in research. Sleep problems among elderly usually shows as difficulties to fall asleep and awakening during night or early morning. A number of physical, neurological and psychiatric disorders may disrupt sleep, including environmental conditions, and certain medicines. The purpose of the study was to describe the conditions and nursing measures that, according to caregivers, affect and promote sleep in elderly patients with sleeping problems. The method used was semi-structured interviews. Six assistant nurses and four nurses were interviewed. The material was analyzed using manifest content analysis and presented in two categories: patient needs and environment. To the main categories were two sub-categories each, physical and psychological needs, the needs of pharmaceutical respectively external conditions and treatment. The results showed that the unmet needs such as pain, constipation, hunger, and existential concerns and the social situation were considered to affect sleep. The environment around patients is also important for sleep, for example light and sounds but also the psychosocial environment as the response from the staff. Conclusion, nursing measures should be emphasized as a way to promote sleep in elderly people with sleeping problems.</p>

<p>Syftet med studien var att beskriva hur vårdpersonal skattar användbarheten av stöd samt i vilken frekvens de använder sig av stöd gentemot syskon till svårt sjuka barn. Syftet var även att undersöka skillnader mellan sjuksköterskor och undersköterskor gällande den skattade användbarheten samt frekvens i användandet av stöd till syskon till svårt sjuka barn.</p><p>Studien var deskriptiv och jämförande. Ett bekvämlighetsurval användes. Datainsamlingen skedde med hjälp av en enkät som delades ut till 94 personer på tre avdelningar och mottagningar i ett mellansvenskt län. Femtiofem respondenter besvarade enkäten och inklusionskriterierna motsvarades av 53 respondenter, vilka inkluderas i studien. Undersökningsgruppen bestod av sjuksköterskor och undersköterskor, alla kvinnor. Enkäten var en, till svenska, översatt version av instrumentet Sibling Social Support Questionnaire. Deltagarna bedömde "användbarhet" och "frekvens" av stöd inom 30 påståenden. Dessa berörde områdena emotionellt-, instrumentellt- och informativt stöd samt uppskattning som stöd. Huvudresultatet visade att stödområdet "Uppskattning som stöd" sammantaget ansågs vara mest användbart och också användes mest. Resultatet visar också en statistiskt signifikant skillnad mellan yrkesgrupperna (p = 0,03). Sjuksköterskorna använde stödområdet "Uppskattning som stöd" mer frekvent (mean rank 29,88) än undersköterskorna (mean rank 20,63).</p> / <p>The purpose of the study was to describe how health professionals estimate the usefulness of support and in what frequency they use the support towards siblings of seriously ill children. The aim was also to examine differences between nurses and assistant nurses regarding the estimated usefulness and frequency of use of support for siblings of severely ill children.</p><p>The study was descriptive and comparative. A convenience sample was used. The data collection was done using a questionnaire that was distributed to 94 people in three care units and open care units in a mid-swedish region. Fifty-five respondents answered the survey and 53 of those met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The study group consisted of nurses and assistant nurses, all women. The questionnaire was a, into Swedish translated version of the instrument Sibling Social Support Questionnaire. The participants assessed the "usefulness" and "frequency" of support within 30 claims. These areas touched emotional-, instrumental-, informational-, and appraisal support. The main results showed that the area <em>"Appraisal support"</em> was considered most useful and also used most frequently. The results also showed a statistically significant difference between professional categories (p = 0.03). The nurses used the support area <em>"Appraisal support"</em> more frequently (mean rank 29.88) than the assistant nurses (mean rank 20.63).</p>

Äldre vårdtagare med sömnproblematik är, enligt studier, undervärderat i forskning. Sömnproblematik hos äldre visar sig vanligen som svårigheter att fästa sömn och uppvaknande nattetid eller tidig morgon. Ett antal kroppsliga, neurologiska och psykiska sjukdomar kan störa sömnen, även miljöförhållanden, samt vissa läkemedel. Syftet med studien var att beskriva vilka förhållanden och omvårdnadsåtgärder som, enligt vårdpersonalen, påverkar och främjar sömnen hos äldre vårdtagare med sömnproblematik. Som metod användes semistrukturerade intervjuer. Sex undersköterskor och fyra sjuksköterskor intervjuades. Materialet analyserades med hjälp av manifest innehållsanalys och presenterades i två kategorier: Vårdtagarnas behov och vårdmiljö. Till huvudkategorierna hörde två underkategorier vardera, fysiska och psykiska behov, behov av läkemedel respektive yttre förhållanden och bemötande. Resultatet visade att otillfredsställda behov så som smärta, förstoppning, hunger och existentiella funderingar samt den sociala situationen ansågs påverka sömnen. Miljön runt vårdtagaren har också betydelse för sömnen, dels utifrån ljus och ljud men även den psykosociala miljön såsom bemötande från vårdpersonalen. Slutsats, omvårdnadsåtgärder behöver lyftas fram som ett led i att främja sömn hos äldre med sömnproblematik. / Elderly patients with problems related to sleep are, according to studies, undervalued in research. Sleep problems among elderly usually shows as difficulties to fall asleep and awakening during night or early morning. A number of physical, neurological and psychiatric disorders may disrupt sleep, including environmental conditions, and certain medicines. The purpose of the study was to describe the conditions and nursing measures that, according to caregivers, affect and promote sleep in elderly patients with sleeping problems. The method used was semi-structured interviews. Six assistant nurses and four nurses were interviewed. The material was analyzed using manifest content analysis and presented in two categories: patient needs and environment. To the main categories were two sub-categories each, physical and psychological needs, the needs of pharmaceutical respectively external conditions and treatment. The results showed that the unmet needs such as pain, constipation, hunger, and existential concerns and the social situation were considered to affect sleep. The environment around patients is also important for sleep, for example light and sounds but also the psychosocial environment as the response from the staff. Conclusion, nursing measures should be emphasized as a way to promote sleep in elderly people with sleeping problems.

Sjuksköterskor och läkare spelar en stor roll i vården av överviktiga patienter och att denna patientgrupp får samma vård på samma villkor som patienter som inte är överviktiga. Inom hälso- och sjukvård kan det finnas negativa attityder om att patienter med ett högt BMI är lata och odisciplinerade. Vårt syfte var tudelat. Det första delsyftet var att beskriva om det finns negativa attityder från vårdpersonal gentemot överviktiga patienter. Den andra delen av syftet var att beskriva den överviktiga patientens egna upplevelser av vårdpersonalens attityder. Det gjordes en litteraturöversikt för att sammanställa forskningsläget. Sammanlagt har det analyserats 14 artiklar i resultatet, dessa var både kvantitativa och kvalitativa studier. Två teman arbetades fram. Till dessa framkom åtta underteman. Vårdpersonalens attityder visade sig påverkas av ett antal faktorer. Detta ledde i viss mån till att patienterna undvek att uppsöka vård. Resultatet visade att vårdpersonal är medvetna om att det finns negativa attityder mot överviktiga. Trots detta upplevde många överviktiga patienter nedvärderande attityder från just vårdpersonal. Vårdpersonal uppvisade en del attityder. Det visade sig att patienterna påverkades av dessa attityder oavsett om det var en egen upplevelse eller de faktiskt förekom. / Nurses and doctors play a major role in the care of obese patients and that this population receive the same treatment under the same conditions as patients who are not overweight. Within healthcare, there may be negative attitudes that patients with high BMI are lazy and undisciplined. Our purpose was twofold. The first part seeks to describe if there were negative attitudes of health professionals towards obese patients. The second part of the purpose was to describe the obese patient´s experiences of health professionals´ attitudes. This was a literature survey to compile the research situation. 14 articles were analyzed and put in the result, they were both quantitative and qualitative studies. Two themes were produced, to these eight sub-themes emerged. Health-care workers' attitudes were found to be influenced by a number of factors. This led to some extent that patients avoided seeking medical care. The results showed that health professionals were aware that there were negative attitudes towards overweight patients. Despite this, many overweight patients’ experienceed disparaging attitudes when visiting health professionals. Health professionals had a number of negative attitudes. It was found that patients were affected by these attitudes, whether they are their own experience or they do occur.

Syftet med studien var att beskriva hur vårdpersonal skattar användbarheten av stöd samt i vilken frekvens de använder sig av stöd gentemot syskon till svårt sjuka barn. Syftet var även att undersöka skillnader mellan sjuksköterskor och undersköterskor gällande den skattade användbarheten samt frekvens i användandet av stöd till syskon till svårt sjuka barn. Studien var deskriptiv och jämförande. Ett bekvämlighetsurval användes. Datainsamlingen skedde med hjälp av en enkät som delades ut till 94 personer på tre avdelningar och mottagningar i ett mellansvenskt län. Femtiofem respondenter besvarade enkäten och inklusionskriterierna motsvarades av 53 respondenter, vilka inkluderas i studien. Undersökningsgruppen bestod av sjuksköterskor och undersköterskor, alla kvinnor. Enkäten var en, till svenska, översatt version av instrumentet Sibling Social Support Questionnaire. Deltagarna bedömde "användbarhet" och "frekvens" av stöd inom 30 påståenden. Dessa berörde områdena emotionellt-, instrumentellt- och informativt stöd samt uppskattning som stöd. Huvudresultatet visade att stödområdet "Uppskattning som stöd" sammantaget ansågs vara mest användbart och också användes mest. Resultatet visar också en statistiskt signifikant skillnad mellan yrkesgrupperna (p = 0,03). Sjuksköterskorna använde stödområdet "Uppskattning som stöd" mer frekvent (mean rank 29,88) än undersköterskorna (mean rank 20,63). / The purpose of the study was to describe how health professionals estimate the usefulness of support and in what frequency they use the support towards siblings of seriously ill children. The aim was also to examine differences between nurses and assistant nurses regarding the estimated usefulness and frequency of use of support for siblings of severely ill children. The study was descriptive and comparative. A convenience sample was used. The data collection was done using a questionnaire that was distributed to 94 people in three care units and open care units in a mid-swedish region. Fifty-five respondents answered the survey and 53 of those met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The study group consisted of nurses and assistant nurses, all women. The questionnaire was a, into Swedish translated version of the instrument Sibling Social Support Questionnaire. The participants assessed the "usefulness" and "frequency" of support within 30 claims. These areas touched emotional-, instrumental-, informational-, and appraisal support. The main results showed that the area "Appraisal support" was considered most useful and also used most frequently. The results also showed a statistically significant difference between professional categories (p = 0.03). The nurses used the support area "Appraisal support" more frequently (mean rank 29.88) than the assistant nurses (mean rank 20.63).

Several factors inform health professionals decisions to migrate from developing to developed countries to practice their profession. This study explores the Push and Pull factors that informed African-trained physicians decisions to migrate to the province of Saskatchewan, how well they integrated into their new working environments upon arrival and how that might contribute to future migration and retention in Saskatchewan. Based on questionnaire surveys and face-to-face interviews, this study identified differences in the relative importance of precipitating factors for physicans from South, North and Other African nations. Although the majority of African-trained physicians for the study indicated that profession-related push factors were the precipitating factors for their migration, a smaller number did not cite these as important. Most respondents for the study integrated well into the health care system and have remained at their current location of practice because of the support they received from colleagues at their work places.