Management of infections in type 2 diabetes from the patient's perspective: a qualitative approach.

Aim: To explore the knowledge, and health beliefs of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) regarding management of infections of the urinary tract (UTIs) and lower respiratory tract (LRTIs).

Methods: Three semi-structured focus groups with 23 patients with T2DM were conducted and analyzed.

Results: Only a few patients mentioned specific preventive measures for UTIs and LRTIs, like not smoking and taking enough fluids (n=3).

Effects of Bobath-based therapy on depression, shoulder pain and health-related quality of life in patients after stroke.

Objective: To measure the effects of Bobath-based (BB) therapy on depression, shoulder pain and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients during one year after stroke.

Design: In a prospective, non-randomized design, the use of BB therapy was compared with a more task-oriented therapy and no BB therapy.

Subjects: A total of 324 patients in 12 hospitals.

Assessing quality of nursing care as a confounding variable in an outcome study on neurodevelopmental treatment.

When planning a study measuring the effects of a neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT), we were confronted with the methodological problem that while measuring the effects of NDT, a rival hypothesis is that the decision to implement the NDT might be related to the quality of nursing care. Therefore, we measured the quality of nursing care as a possible confounding variable in relation to this outcome study. The quality of nursing care was measured on 12 wards participating in the experimental and control groups of the outcome study.

Qualitative health research in the era of evidence-based practice.

Evidence-based health care (EBHC) sets the tone in health care and health care research nowadays. Qualitative health researchers have to position themselves in a world that is dominated by it. The popularity of EBHC is not due to the rationality of its tenets.

The reliability of two observation methods of nonblanchable erythema, Grade 1 pressure ulcer.

Accurate identification of nonblanchable erythema (NBE) is essential in pressure ulcer prevention. This descriptive study assessed interrater reliability between a researcher and trained nurses in observing blanchable erythema and NBE and examined the predictive validity and level of agreement between two observation methods for NBE. Findings suggest that the transparent disk method should be preferred to the finger method.

Promoting evidence-based practice: the roles and activities of professional nurses' associations.

Aim: This paper reports a study exploring the role perceptions and current activities in evidence-based practice promotion of professional nurses' associations in the Netherlands.

Background: The promotion of evidence-based practice contributes to professional standards in nursing and good quality care for patients. As professional nurses' associations can be key players in this process, the nature of their roles and current activities deserves to be explored.

Effectiveness of an alternating pressure air mattress for the prevention of pressure ulcers.

Background: studies of the effectiveness of alternating pressure air mattresses (APAMs) for the prevention of pressure ulcers are scarce and in conflict.

Objective: evaluating whether an APAM is more or equally effective as the standard prevention.

Design: randomised controlled trial.

The effect of various combinations of turning and pressure reducing devices on the incidence of pressure ulcers.

Background: Turning is considered to be an effective way of preventing pressure ulcers, however almost no research has been undertaken on this method.

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of four different preventative regimes involving either frequent turning (2, 3 hourly) or the use of a pressure-reducing mattress in combination with less frequent turning (4, 6 hourly).

Subjects: 838 geriatric nursing home patients participated in the study.

NDT competence of nurses caring for patients with stroke.

Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) is the most used rehabilitation approach in the treatment of patients with stroke in the Western world today, despite the lack of evidence for its efficacy. The aim of this study was to conduct an intervention check and measure the nurses' competence, in positioning stroke patients according to the NDT approach. The sample consisted of 144 nurses in six neurological wards who were observed while positioning stroke patients according to the NDT approach.

Recognition of early warning signs in patients with schizophrenia: a review of the literature.

This article reviews and discusses the literature on the recognition of the early warning signs of psychosis. The assumption is that nurses, in the everyday exercise of their profession, can contribute to the prevention of psychotic relapse in schizophrenic patients by the early recognition of warning signs. First, the process of psychotic relapse and the factors that influence it are described.

Continuation of caregiving among partners who give total care to spouses with multiple sclerosis.

As is expressed in the term 'caregiving career', caregiving is a dynamic phenomenon. The present study addresses the total care phase in which spouses give direct and ongoing personal care to their partners with multiple sclerosis (MS). The dyadic nature of caregiving is stressed by examining the roles which both spouses play in establishing a commitment that results in the continuation of caregiving.

Risk indicators for pressure ulcers during surgery.

Patients undergoing surgery are prone to develop pressure ulcers during surgery. The aim of this study was to identify pressure ulcer risk indicators in patients undergoing surgery which lasted more than four hours. A prospective follow-up study was conducted in 208 patients.

Incidence of pressure ulcers due to surgery.

Patients undergoing surgery are prone to develop pressure ulcers during the surgical procedure. The aim of the study was to gain insight into the problem by describing the incidence, clinical features and progression of pressure ulcers and closed pressure ulcers in patients undergoing surgery lasting more than 4 hours. A prospective follow-up study was conducted in a university hospital in the Netherlands.