Elena Gurková

Quality of life and treatment satisfaction in the context of diabetes self-management education

The aim of this study is to identify and compare factors affecting quality of life and treatment satisfaction in people attending the structured educational programme for patients with intensified insulin therapy. A sample of 104 patients was recruited from diabetes specialized centre between November 2006 and March 2007. For measure patients quality of life, the Audit Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life questionnaire and for measure patients satisfaction with their treatment regimen, the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire status version was used. Treatment satisfaction has different variables or predictors from quality of life. Quality of life was affected by the number of reported diabetic late complications, type of insulin regimen, age and diabetes duration. Type of insulin regimen, the frequency of blood glucose self-monitoring and perceived frequency of hyperglycaemia demonstrated the significant association with treatment satisfaction. Our findings might help health-care professionals have a deeper understanding of the factors affecting quality of life and treatment satisfaction and thereby aid in the design of strategies to maintain or improve quality of life and treatment satisfaction.

Job satisfaction and subjective well-being among Czech nurses

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between domains of the job satisfaction and components of subjective well-being in nurses. A convenience sample of hospital nurses was recruited from six hospitals in Czech Republic. Data were collected using a set of questionnaires that included the McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale, the Positive Affect Scale, the Negative Affect Scale and the Personal Well-being Index. We confirmed low association between job satisfaction and subjective well-being of nurses. Satisfaction with extrinsic rewards, co-workers and family/work balance accounted for only a small percentage of variance in cognitive component of subjective well-being. Positive affect was predicted by interaction opportunities and scheduling. Negative affect was predicted by interaction opportunities and scheduling and intention to leave the actual workplace. Low percentage of the variance suggests that subjective well-being is not strongly influenced by job satisfaction.

Factors influencing the effectiveness of clinical learning environment in nursing education

Cieľ: Cieľom deskriptivnej prierezovej studie bolo zistiť ako studenti osetrovateľstva hodnotia vybrane faktory klinickeho prostredia v priebehu osetrovateľskej praxe v zdravotnickych zariadeniach. Zisťovali sme vzťahy medzi vybranými faktormi klinickej výucby a hodnotenim klinickeho prostredia studentmi. Design: Deskriptivna prierezova studia. Metody: Výskumu sa zucastnilo 503 studentov druhých a tretich rocnikov studijneho programu osetrovateľstvo zo siestich univerzit v ramci SR. Na hodnotenie klinickeho prostredia bol použitý validný a reliabilný dotaznik Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher evaluation scale (CLES+T). Rozdiely v hodnoteni klinickeho prostredia sme zisťovali Pearsonovým chi-kvadratovým testom, viacfaktorovou analýzou rozptylu (ANOVA). Na zistenie zavislosti medzi premennými sme použili Pearsonov korelacný koeficient. Výsledky boli spracovane na hladine statistickej významnosti α ≤ 0,05. Výsledky: Významna casť studentov uvadzala skusenosti s tradicným modelom skupinovej supervizie. Metoda supervizie, frekvencia superviznych stretnuti a dĺžka klinickej praxe na pracovisku mali signifikantný vzťah k hodnoteniu klinickeho prostredia. Zaver: Metoda supervizie predstavuje signifikantný faktor ovplyvňujuci hodnotenie klinickeho prostredia studentmi. V porovnani s europskymi studiami sme zistili nižsiu mieru implementacie individualneho supervizneho vzťahu studenta s mentorom. V ramci univerzit na Slovensku dominoval tradicný skupinový model supervizie. Uvedene výsledky umožňuju analýzu faktorov významných pre zabezpecenie kvality klinickej výucby.

OCCURRENCE OF ANNOYING SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS WITH CANCER

Aim: To determine symptoms those occur by patients with cancer. Design: A cross-sectional survey. Methods: The sample of research consisted of 100 patients with cancer. We used Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) to evaluate the symptoms. This Scale determines 32 symptoms in three subscales (physic, psychic symptoms, and complete distress) focused on frequency, intensity and distress of symptoms of Likert Scale 1–4. Results: The research results demonstrate that in terms of frequency, intensity and distress the patients most frequently suffer pain (4.30 ± 3.30), despite of all the pain treatment options. The other symptoms that patients encountered include nausea (3.52 ± 2.70), restless sleep (3.92 ± 3.48), anxiety (3.81 ± 3.55) and feelings of sadness (1.30 ± 0.22). In terms of disease severity, we had greater incidence of symptoms in patients with stage 3 – cancer metastatic disease (p ≤ 0.05). Our research also confirmed the correlation between the occurrence of symptoms and duration of illness. Greater incidence of symptoms has been reported in patients with longer lasting disease, in most cases, endstage disease (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: A key part of palliative care is minimizing of annoying physical, psychological, social and spiritual symptoms of patients. Assessment of the annoying symptoms in clinical practice allows the planning and implementation of effective interventions to promote quality of life of patients and their families in palliative care.

Evaluation of the Clinical Learning Experience of Nursing Students: a Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Abstract The purpose of the cross-sectional descriptive study was to explore and compare the students’ experiences of the clinical environment and supervision in Slovakia. Students’ clinical learning experience were measured by the valid and reliable clinical learning instrument. A higher frequency of successful supervisory experience was found in the universities which provided accredited mentor preparation programmes or courses and individualised supervisory approaches. Frequency of supervision meetings, the occupational title of a supervisor and mainly the supervision model have an association with students ‘perceptions of different domains of clinical learning environment. The duration of the placement was not related to students’ experience and perceptions of the learning environment. Slovak students reported higher score regarding the quality of nursing care or ward culture than in the supervisory relationships between students, clinical and school staff. Further studies in this field, extended to different Eastern European countries and clinical settings, may help us to understand factors affecting workplace training.

Self-care behaviour, treatment satisfaction and quality of life in people on intensive insulin treatment.

AIM The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify self-care behaviours and their relationships with treatment satisfaction and quality of life in people attending a structured educational programme for patients on intensive insulin therapy. METHODS A sample of 104 people with diabetes (62 with type-1; 42 with type 2) was recruited from the National Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetology in Ľubochňa over six months. The majority of respondents were women (62.5%); had multiple daily injections of insulin (73%); diabetic late complications (68%) and had not previously participated in the structured educational programmes in the specialized diabetes centre (64.4%). Self-management behaviour data were collected by means of structured interviews with patients as well as during clinic visits. For measuring quality of life, the Audit Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life questionnaire and for measuring satisfaction with their treatment regimen, the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire status version was used. RESULTS General satisfaction with the treatment was significantly higher in people with diabetes, who implemented regular self-monitoring of the concentration of glucose in plasma (SMPG). We also demonstrated low adherence in the frequency of SMPG. 17% of respondents in our study performed daily SMPG. However, 52% respondents reported adaptation of insulin dosage in relation to factors such as carbohydrate intake, glycaemia values or degree of physical activity. Differences in quality of life due to performing the regular self-monitoring of glycaemia, adjustments of insulin doses in specific situations as well as carbohydrate counting were not significant. CONCLUSION Performing the regular self-monitoring of glycaemia was associated only with higher treatment satisfaction. No significant improvement in quality of life was seen in people performing the regular self-monitoring of glycaemia, adjustments of insulin doses in specific situations or carbohydrate counting.