Ernestina Silva

Vivência dos pais durante a hospitalização do recém-nascido prematuro

Theoretical framework: The birth of preterm infants is increasing and parents are faced with several difficulties and constraints, especially when the prem...

Perspective of health professionals on hand hygiene.

OBJECTIVE To identify the practices reported by health professionals on hand hygiene; To determine how the practices of hand hygiene are related to socio-demographic and professional variables and variables in the context of practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS A descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional study conducted in a hospital in central Portugal, in May and June, 2012. 71 health professionals participated, with 23.9% physicians, 64.8% nurses and 11.3% operating assistants, in paediatrics, neonatology and paediatric emergencies. The majority was female (91.5%) and 32.4% are between the ages of 31 and 40 years. A questionnaire developed from DGS (General Health Directorate) recommendations was applied with questions on socio-demographic and professional characteristics as well as on the context of practice. RESULTS The professionals are motivated to perform hand hygiene (98.6%). In self-assessment, they practice hand hygiene appropriately, however the results revealed that 43.7% of subjects reported little knowledge concerning the interference of ornaments on the practice of hand hygiene, 38% of the sample reported the steps of the hand washing technique improperly, and approximately 43% of the sample does not practice hygiene at the correct times. The majority of the participants who use a proper technique are nurses, with significant differences with regards to doctors and operating assistants (P=.001). CONCLUSIONS Most have knowledge about the practice of hand hygiene; however, some professional groups need to improve their practice of proper technique and the correct time to do so. Approximately a third did not attend specific training, leading us to reflect on the need to invest in training.

Quality of life in children with kidney disease

This book aims to elucidate readers about what is renal pathology in children, the difficulties for which as children and families go through, as well as about the strategies they use to take and deal with the disease. All of these changes have an impact on quality of life of these children and their caregivers. Depending on the type of modification and the way each handles the obstacles that arise throughout life, therefore quality of life takes different meanings. It presented the perspective of children and their caregivers (usually their parents) and are suggested clinical and non-clinical management strategies to health professionals who often deal with these children and families, particularly nurses. Finally, a more playful aspect is addressed, which is gaining more and more fans, that are the summer camps for children with kidney disease. The latter, produce benefits at various levels in children and therefore earn highlight this paper.

Perceção dos profissionais de saúde sobre a cultura de segurança do doente pediátrico

Background: The safety culture of any organization holds special meaning for the patients, taxpayers, managers and care providers, and it is a phenomenon tha...

Perceção das mães sobre as práticas dos enfermeiros na promoção do aleitamento materno

Theoretical framework: The success of breastfeeding depends onthe mother’s historical, sociocultural, and psychological factors,as well as on the health prof...

Qualidade e satisfação com o serviço de urgência pediátrica: a perspetiva dos acompanhantes das crianças

Concern for the quality of services has increased in recent years and it is clear that user satisfaction is one of the most important indicators of quality. ...

Medical paternalism or parental autonomy in decision making : a Portuguese study in premature newborns

Health care providers and parents may have distinctive roles in the decision-making process regarding the care and treatment of premature babies. In this paper, we explore the process of decision making among doctors, nurses, and parents in premature care units (neonatal intensive care unites, NICUs) located in the central region of Portugal. Forty-one semistructured interviews with doctors, nurses, and mothers were conducted and analyzed. There is evidence that the medical teams provide a considerable amount of information to parents of premature babies, although sometimes unfavorable prognostic data are omitted. Mothers showed a high degree of confidence in the skill and knowledge of the medical professionals and accepted the latters role in making decisions regarding the care and treatment of their premature babies. Only when invasive procedures or surgery were serious possibilities was something resembling written informed consent obtained. Ethics committees were seldom consulted. The results show that in the region surveyed, parents neither are invited nor appear to demand a role in making medical decisions that affect their babies. No conflicts between medical providers and parents were detected, suggesting that informed consent and the participation of parents in medical decisions regarding the care and treatment of their babies are not considered necessary or useful in this particular area by the respective parties, in contrast with the tenets of autonomy-based ethics.