Although promotion of health and healthy lifestyles are accepted tasks of registered nurses, the assessment of nurses' own health and health behaviours has rarely been assessed. In this study questionnaire responses from 59 female registered nurses and interviews with ten nurses employed full-time in south-west Alberta were analyzed. The questionnaire consisted of items taken and adapted from the Canada Health Survey (Health & Welfare Canada, 1981) on subjective well-being (Affect Balance Scale and Health Opinion Survey) and certain lifestyle practices (pap test, breast examination, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and seat belt use). A question on leisure time physical activity was take from Godin, Jobin and Bouillon (1986). Questions assessing self-reported immune status and perception of self as a health role model for others were designed by the researcher. Data from the questionnaires were described in narrative, frequency counts and percentages. Comparisons were made among responses in various parts of the questionnaire as well as with the results of the Canada Health Survey. Interview questions designed by the researcher assessed the ways in which the nurse participants thought about health and their goals for health; transcribed interview responses were categorized according to themes; further interpretation was done on three main themes (maintenance of health as a goal, perceived lack of nurses' self-care and nurses' expectations of themselves). The nurses' scores on the Affect Balance Scale and the Health Opinion Survey place them toward the positive end of a positive-negative continuum of subjective well-being (Okun, Stock, Haring & Witter, 1984). Comparison of the participants' responses regarding lifestyle and preventive practices with the Canada Health Survey suggests that these nurses had relatively adequate health practices with the possible exception of participation in vigorous physical activity. A majority of the participants perceived themselves as role models of health, particularly non-smokers and those with post-RN education. The ten interviewed nurses generally gave maintenance of health as their primary present and future goal for health. Lack of self-care was associated by participants with nurses' and women's traditional concern for others before themselves. The participants seemed to have generally high expectations for themselves and other nurses. This descriptive and exploratory study may provide a baseline for future study of nurses' health, an indication of areas for health promotion programs for nurses and a discussion point for nurses to continue to assess their own health and the factors affecting their own health and goals for health. / x, 149 p. ; 28 cm

published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Tuberculosis (TB) to be a global emergency (Baral, Karki & Newell, 2007). In KwaZulu-Natal 5704 TB cases were registered in 2009 (KwaZulu-Natal Uthukela Health District report, 2009). According to Mak, Mo, Cheung and Woo (2006) pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) has the longest history compared to other two types of infectious diseases which are HIV/AIDS and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The purpose of this study was to explore student nurses’ risk perceptions of contracting tuberculosis (TB) during their clinical placement in a selected KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing campus. The researcher used quantitative descriptive exploratory design. A questionnaire with closed and open ended questions was used to collect data from the respondents. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15. One hundred and thirty-two respondents participated in the study, 66 (50%) were first year students and 66 (50%) were second year students. The majority of the respondents were females n= 93 (70, 5%). The findings of the study indicated that student nurses perceived TB as a serious disease and they perceived themselves to be susceptible to contracting the disease during clinical placement. They also displayed good knowledge of preventive measures of risk perceptions, the highest mean score was 3, 79. The Fisher’s exact test was performed to establish a relationship between the variables, and it showed that there was a relationship between age and perceived barriers, p-value was 0,039. In conclusion, the respondents displayed relevant knowledge on TB preventive measures and positive perceptions of contracting TB, which will be the predisposing factors for behavioural change. / Thesis (M.N.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

A descriptive correlational study was conducted to develop and test a Universal Precautions (UP) Scale designed to monitor nurses' compliance with the practice of universal precautions in the hospital setting. Subscales of the Universal Precautions Scale included barrier precautions usage, personal carefulness factors and handwashing. Nurses (n = 59) working in special care units completed the demographic survey, the UP scale, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Concurrent validity was investigated by observing handwashing behavior of a subgroup (n = 34) of those nurses surveyed. Self-report of handwashing frequency did not correlate with observed handwashing frequency, although observed handwashing adequacy did relate with self-reported handwashing adequacy and personal carefulness factors. The UP scale, as constructed, was not related to the handwashing behavior, one behavioral indicator of use of universal precautions, but has demonstrated a potential for further refinement and testing.

Bakgrund: Eftersom sjukvård på sjukhus bedrivs 24 timmar om dygnet sju dagar i veckan behövs således bemanning för samtliga timmar, skiftarbete är den mest förekommande arbetsmodellen. Sjukvården är sedan tidigare ansträngd där personal slutar för att undgå att arbeta skift. Skiftarbete är associerat med störd dygnsrytm. Sömnbrist, bristande återhämtning, samt fysiska och psykiska åkommor är följder av dygnsrytmsrubbningar. Sjuksköterskans arbetsområde är varierat och den främsta uppgiften innebär att skapa en säker och trygg relation till patienten. För att sjuksköterskan ska kunna ge god omvårdnad krävs även att den egna hälsan är god. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva hur skiftarbete påverkar sjuksköterskans upplevelse av hälsa samt påverkan på arbetsförmågan. Metod: Designen som tillämpades var en allmän litteraturstudie. Litteraturstudien innehåller tolv artiklar som har granskats och beskrivits. Resultat: Fyra teman identifierades och huvudfynden var att treskiftssystem gav mest negativ hälsopåverkan men att även tvåskiftssystem medförde konsekvenser. Skiftsystem kunde medföra nedsatt livskvalitet och negativ hälsopåverkan och sjuksköterskorna upplevde en oro över att begå trötthetsrelaterade misstag. Konklusion: Skiftarbete kan leda till hälsopåverkan på flera nivåer. Mest problematiskt tycks den begränsade tiden med familj och vänner vara, samt den bristande fritiden. Sjuksköterskor upplever trötthet som följd av skiftarbete vilket ger konsekvenser på och utanför arbetet. Ett globalt problem kan urskiljas vilket tyder på att problematik med skiftarbete inte kan antas vara individ- eller kulturellt baserat. / Background: Since health care is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it requires around the clock staffing, shift work is the most common system. The health care system is already highly strained where personnel quit due to the complexity of shift work. Shift work is associated with disturbed circadian rhythm, lack of sleep and recovery. There are both negative physical and physiological effects due to disturbed circadian rhythm. The nursing profession is a diverse area of work and the main task is to provide a secure and safe patient care. Maintaining a good personal health is of key importance in order to provide patients with good nursing. Aim: To describe nurses experience of shift work and its impact on their health and work performance. Methods: The design of the study was a literature review. The review used twelve articles, which have been examined and described. Results: Four themes were identified and the main findings included that three-shift rotation was associated with negative health impact, however two-shift rotation also gave negative health consequences. Shift systems reduce quality of life and cause negative physical and physiological health. Nurses experienced concern regarding committing fatigue related mistakes at work. Conclusion: Shiftwork can cause health consequences on several levels. Most problematic seems to be the lack of time spent with family and friend. Nurses experience fatigue caused by shift work, which generate consequences at and outside of work. Since this seems to be a global issue it indicates that no individual or cultural association can be made.

Thesis (M.N.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2002. / Bibliography: leaves 180-188.

In this thesis by published work nine works are presented, prefaced by a Critical Summary and Review which discusses the genesis of the work and its theoretical presuppositions, and evaluates their contribution to knowledge. The work includes both sole-authored and collaborative writing. This published work adopts a social constructionist approach to knowledge in health and welfare. The first work explores critical approaches to child development and their relevance to professional practice. Subsequent work adopts a post-Wittgensteinian approach to language as practical activity, exploring how practitioners such as social workers and nurses do 'case work1 , making knowledge about people, events and situations in their talk and writing and, in doing so, enact the institutional order. An exploration of the ways in which practitioners construct their practice in reflective writing is a significant focus within several pieces of work. Attention is paid to what social actors (patients/service users and professionals) do in their interactions and communicative practices. Thus, talk and text are not treated as simple vehicles for conveying literal, factual descriptions but as the means by which moral adequacy is portrayed and authentic versions of events are established. These analyses draw inspiration from a variety of sources including micro sociology, discursive psychology and narrative analysis, emphasizing the practical-moral aspects of health and welfare practice in which the production of identity, for example as a caring practitioner, plays a key part. The published work has a strong practice orientation and the implications for professional education are highlighted throughout. 'Reflexive awareness' is promoted as a means by which health and welfare VIprofessionals may challenges tendencies to take practice for granted. By engaging in the processes of making the familiar strange, it is argued that better understandings of practice can be achieved and a stance of 'respectful uncertainty' deployed.

Early menopause, the cessation of ovarian function prior to age 45, affects 5-10% of Western women and is associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes, including premature mortality and cardiovascular disease. Recent literature suggests that high vegetable protein intake may prolong female reproductive function, but no study has evaluated the association between this exposure and early menopause. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between cumulative vegetable protein intake as a percentage of total calories and early menopause in the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort. Women included in analyses were premenopausal at baseline (1991) and followed for up to 20 years. Cases (n=2,077) were defined as women experiencing natural menopause before age 45; women were excluded if early menopause was a result of hysterectomy, oophorectomy or radiation treatment. Non-cases were women whose age at menopause was 45 or greater or who were older than 45 and still premenopausal in 2011 (n=51,007). Intake of vegetable and animal protein was assessed every four years via food frequency questionnaires. In Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for age, smoking, diet, and behavioral factors, women in the highest quintile of cumulatively averaged vegetable protein intake (median=6.5%) had a significant 18% lower likelihood of experiencing early menopause as compared to women in the lowest quintile (3.9%) (95% CI: 0.71-0.94; P-trend=0.004). In contrast, animal and total protein was unrelated to risk. Results were similar in analyses limited to never smokers and never oral contraceptive users. Our findings suggest vegetable protein intake may be inversely associated with early menopause.

Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to compare the impact of a four-day structured Basic Infection Prevention and Control course on the knowledge of, and adherence to, Standard Precautions in clinical nursing practice amongst nurses who had completed the course and those who did not. The specific precautionary measures of investigation included hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE) and sharps management. The secondary aim of the study was to identify any personal and contextual factors that influenced the application of such Standard Precautions measures in public healthcare facilities within the Cape Winelands and Overberg District. Sixty eight students (those who had been trained) with a similar number of controls (who had not been trained) were enrolled in the study. Although both the participants and controls had the knowledge, their adherence to hand hygiene, PPE and sharps management in clinical nursing practice was poor. Staff attitude was found to be the main factor for non-adherence. The knowledge of the participants was good as they had answered most of the questions correctly. It seems as if there was retention of knowledge after the four-day Basic Infection Prevention and Control course. There were, however, no significant differences between the two groups. For both groups attitude and behavioural change must be addressed in order to improve adherence to hand hygiene, PPE and sharps management. The findings of the study will form recommendations towards improved infection prevention and control practices at public healthcare facility level in the Cape Winelands District. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om die impak van 'n 4-dag gestruktureerde Basiese Infeksiebeheerkursus op die kennis en toepassing van Standaard Voorsorgmaatreëls in kliniese praktyk in die Kaapse Wynland en Overberg Distrikte ondersoek, vergeleke met 'n groep wat nie die kursus bygewoon het nie. Die spesifieke Voorsorgmaatreëls wat ondersoek is, het handhigiëne, die gebruik van beskermende drag en die hantering en beheer van skerpvoorwerpe ingesluit. Die studie het ook gekyk na enige kontekstuele en persoonlike faktore wat die toepassing van Standaard Voorsorgmaatreëls in openbare gesondheidsorgfasiliteite beïnvloed. Agt en sestig verpleegkundiges het die 4-dag Basiese Infeksiebeheerkursus bygewoon en 'n gelyke aantal kontrole studente het nie die kursus bygewoon nie. Alhoewel beide groepe die kennis van handhigiëne, die dra van beskermende drag en die hantering van skerpvoorwerpe gehad het, was die toepassing van die Standaard Voorsorgmaatreëls in kliniese praktyk baie swak. Personeel se houding was die grootste faktor wat gelei het tot die nie-toepassing van Standaard Voorsorgmaatreëls. Die kennis van die kursusgangers was goed, want albei groepe het die meeste van die vrae korrek beantwoord. Die waarneming wat gemaak is, is dat die kursusgangers se kennis wel verbeter het na die bywoning van die 4-dag Basiese Infeksiebeheerkursus. Data weerspieël egter geen noemenswaardige verskille tussen die groepe nie. Beide groepe se houding en gedrag moet aangespreek word om die toepassing van handhigiëne, die dra van beskermende drag en die hantering van skerpvoorwerpe te verbeter. Die bevindinge van die studie sal gebruik word om aanbevelings te maak ten einde infeksiebeheerpraktyke in die Kaapse Wynland Distrik te verbeter.

Thesis (M.N.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, School of Nursing, 1998. / Typescript. Bibliography: p. 108-114.