Alexandra de Souza Melo

Stress in the professional practice of oncology nurses.

Oncology nurses have been identified as a group at risk for stress. This project aimed at identifying stress-generating situations. There was an attempt at identifying stressful situations through the application of a stress evaluation scale (Stressor Scale for Pediatric Oncology Nursing) (Hinds et al, Cancer Nurs. 1990;13:354-360). In the opinion of 35 oncology nurses, 88.57% of whom were women and 73% of whom had more than 24 months of experience, 38 out of the 50 analyzed statements involving work situations were considered stressful in some way. Fifty-four percent of the statements disclosed a medium or high stressor capacity, and 22% were seen as extremely high stressors. These situations were included in the categories “work organization,” “relationships among staff members,” and “care restrictions.” It is reiterated that the set of activities developed by oncology nurses is stressful, and that there is a need for institutional intervention, due to the narrow relation between work environment and care results.

The sexuality of patients with onco-hematological diseases

We interviewed 20 patients staying at a hospital unit, by means of a data collection instrument that is based on the eclectic model, with a view to characterizing the biological, psychological and sociocultural aspects involving human sexuality which are affected in patients with onco-hematological diseases. The research complied with ethical requirements for studies involving human beings. The results revealed that these clients presented problems related to biological aspects, mainly with respect to the phase of sexual desire (60% of the sample), sexual excitation (75%) and orgasm (75%). The psychological aspects related to sexual self-image were affected in 60% of the sample; problems related to social aspects (85%) were mainly due to the fear of acquiring an infection as a result of the low immunity provoked by the disease and treatment. These clients demonstrated alterations in their sexual function and in the way they expressed their sexuality.Com o proposito de caracterizar os aspectos biologicos, psicologicos e socioculturais que envolvem a sexualidade humana, afetados nas pessoas portadoras de patologias onco-hematologicas, foram entrevistados 20 pacientes, internados em uma unidade hospitalar, por meio de um instrumento de coleta de dados baseado no modelo ecletico. A investigacao atendeu as exigencias eticas para estudos com seres humanos. Os resultados evidenciaram que essa clientela apresenta problemas relacionados a aspectos biologicos quanto a fase do desejo sexual (60% da amostra), da excitacao sexual (75%) e do orgasmo (75%). Os aspectos psicologicos que se relacionam com a auto-imagem sexual apresentaram-se comprometidos em 60% da amostra; a presenca dos problemas relacionados aos aspectos sociais (85%) deu-se, principalmente, pelo medo de adquirir infeccao decorrente da baixa imunidade provocada pela doenca e tratamento. Essa clientela apresentou alteracoes na funcao sexual e na maneira de expressar a sua sexualidade.

Defining characteristics, validated by specialists and manifested by patients: a study of the sexual dysfunction and ineffective sexuality pattern diagnoses

This observational and descriptive study was carried out to validate the nursing diagnoses Sexual Dysfunction and Ineffective Sexuality Pattern and relate the relevance of the defining characteristics validated by experts with their incidence in patients. Validation by experts involved 32 specialists and 20 patients to verify clinical evidence. For the diagnosis Sexual Dysfunction, the experts attributed scores higher than 0.80 to seven defining characteristics; for Ineffective Sexuality Pattern, four characteristics received scores between 0.50 and 0.80. The clinical occurrence of these characteristics for the Sexual Dysfunction diagnosis ranged between 55% and 90% of the sample and, for Ineffective Sexuality Pattern, between 30% and 85% of the sample. The study contributed to the improvement of these diagnoses and to careful consideration on their defining characteristics according to experts and as observed in a given clientele.This observational and descriptive study was carried out to validate the nursing diagnoses Sexual Dysfunction and Ineffective Sexuality Pattern and relate the relevance of the defining characteristics validated by experts with their incidence in patients. Validation by experts involved 32 specialists and 20 patients to verify clinical evidence. For the diagnosis Sexual Dysfunction, the experts attributed scores higher than 0.80 to seven defining characteristics; for Ineffective Sexuality Pattern, four characteristics received scores between 0.50 and 0.80. The clinical occurrence of these characteristics for the Sexual Dysfunction diagnosis ranged between 55% and 90% of the sample and, for Ineffective Sexuality Pattern, between 30% and 85% of the sample. The study contributed to the improvement of these diagnoses and to careful consideration on their defining characteristics according to experts and as observed in a given clientele.

A sexualidade do paciente portador de doenças onco-hematológicas

We interviewed 20 patients staying at a hospital unit, by means of a data collection instrument that is based on the eclectic model, with a view to characterizing the biological, psychological and sociocultural aspects involving human sexuality which are affected in patients with onco-hematological diseases. The research complied with ethical requirements for studies involving human beings. The results revealed that these clients presented problems related to biological aspects, mainly with respect to the phase of sexual desire (60% of the sample), sexual excitation (75%) and orgasm (75%). The psychological aspects related to sexual self-image were affected in 60% of the sample; problems related to social aspects (85%) were mainly due to the fear of acquiring an infection as a result of the low immunity provoked by the disease and treatment. These clients demonstrated alterations in their sexual function and in the way they expressed their sexuality.Com o proposito de caracterizar os aspectos biologicos, psicologicos e socioculturais que envolvem a sexualidade humana, afetados nas pessoas portadoras de patologias onco-hematologicas, foram entrevistados 20 pacientes, internados em uma unidade hospitalar, por meio de um instrumento de coleta de dados baseado no modelo ecletico. A investigacao atendeu as exigencias eticas para estudos com seres humanos. Os resultados evidenciaram que essa clientela apresenta problemas relacionados a aspectos biologicos quanto a fase do desejo sexual (60% da amostra), da excitacao sexual (75%) e do orgasmo (75%). Os aspectos psicologicos que se relacionam com a auto-imagem sexual apresentaram-se comprometidos em 60% da amostra; a presenca dos problemas relacionados aos aspectos sociais (85%) deu-se, principalmente, pelo medo de adquirir infeccao decorrente da baixa imunidade provocada pela doenca e tratamento. Essa clientela apresentou alteracoes na funcao sexual e na maneira de expressar a sua sexualidade.

Características definidoras validadas por especialistas e as manifestadas por pacientes: estudo dos diagnósticos disfunção sexual e padrões de sexualidade ineficazes

This observational and descriptive study was carried out to validate the nursing diagnoses Sexual Dysfunction and Ineffective Sexuality Pattern and relate the relevance of the defining characteristics validated by experts with their incidence in patients. Validation by experts involved 32 specialists and 20 patients to verify clinical evidence. For the diagnosis Sexual Dysfunction, the experts attributed scores higher than 0.80 to seven defining characteristics; for Ineffective Sexuality Pattern, four characteristics received scores between 0.50 and 0.80. The clinical occurrence of these characteristics for the Sexual Dysfunction diagnosis ranged between 55% and 90% of the sample and, for Ineffective Sexuality Pattern, between 30% and 85% of the sample. The study contributed to the improvement of these diagnoses and to careful consideration on their defining characteristics according to experts and as observed in a given clientele.This observational and descriptive study was carried out to validate the nursing diagnoses Sexual Dysfunction and Ineffective Sexuality Pattern and relate the relevance of the defining characteristics validated by experts with their incidence in patients. Validation by experts involved 32 specialists and 20 patients to verify clinical evidence. For the diagnosis Sexual Dysfunction, the experts attributed scores higher than 0.80 to seven defining characteristics; for Ineffective Sexuality Pattern, four characteristics received scores between 0.50 and 0.80. The clinical occurrence of these characteristics for the Sexual Dysfunction diagnosis ranged between 55% and 90% of the sample and, for Ineffective Sexuality Pattern, between 30% and 85% of the sample. The study contributed to the improvement of these diagnoses and to careful consideration on their defining characteristics according to experts and as observed in a given clientele.

La sexualidad del paciente portador de enfermedades onco-hematológicas

We interviewed 20 patients staying at a hospital unit, by means of a data collection instrument that is based on the eclectic model, with a view to characterizing the biological, psychological and sociocultural aspects involving human sexuality which are affected in patients with onco-hematological diseases. The research complied with ethical requirements for studies involving human beings. The results revealed that these clients presented problems related to biological aspects, mainly with respect to the phase of sexual desire (60% of the sample), sexual excitation (75%) and orgasm (75%). The psychological aspects related to sexual self-image were affected in 60% of the sample; problems related to social aspects (85%) were mainly due to the fear of acquiring an infection as a result of the low immunity provoked by the disease and treatment. These clients demonstrated alterations in their sexual function and in the way they expressed their sexuality.Com o proposito de caracterizar os aspectos biologicos, psicologicos e socioculturais que envolvem a sexualidade humana, afetados nas pessoas portadoras de patologias onco-hematologicas, foram entrevistados 20 pacientes, internados em uma unidade hospitalar, por meio de um instrumento de coleta de dados baseado no modelo ecletico. A investigacao atendeu as exigencias eticas para estudos com seres humanos. Os resultados evidenciaram que essa clientela apresenta problemas relacionados a aspectos biologicos quanto a fase do desejo sexual (60% da amostra), da excitacao sexual (75%) e do orgasmo (75%). Os aspectos psicologicos que se relacionam com a auto-imagem sexual apresentaram-se comprometidos em 60% da amostra; a presenca dos problemas relacionados aos aspectos sociais (85%) deu-se, principalmente, pelo medo de adquirir infeccao decorrente da baixa imunidade provocada pela doenca e tratamento. Essa clientela apresentou alteracoes na funcao sexual e na maneira de expressar a sua sexualidade.