Helena Laukkala

Imagery-Induced Relaxation in Children's Postoperative Pain Relief: A Randomized Pilot Study

This study aimed to test the efficacy of imagery and relaxation in hospitalized childrens postoperative pain relief. Sixty children aged 8-12 years who had undergone appendectomy or upper/lower limb surgery and had been randomly assigned to the experimental group (n(1) = 30) listened to an imagery trip CD, whereas those in the control group (n(2) = 30) received standard care. An investigator-developed questionnaire was used, and the intensity of pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale: before (Phase 1), immediately after (Phase 2), and 1 hour after (Phase 3) intervention or standard care. The children in the experimental group reported having significantly less pain (p < .001) than the control children based on a comparison of VAS pain scores in Phases 1 and 2. There were no significant differences in nurse-assessed pain scores. The type and time of operation were related to pain intensity in children. The nurses underestimated the pain of pediatric patients. The imagery trip CD can be used to reduce childrens postoperative pain in a hospital setting, although its effect is short-lasting.

Stress of conscience among staff caring for older persons in Finland.

Caring for older persons is both rewarding and consuming. Work with older people in Finland has been shown to be more burdensome than in the other Nordic countries. The aim of this study was to try out a Finnish version of the Stress of Conscience Questionnaire (SCQ) and explore stress of conscience in staff caring for older persons in Finland. The data were collected from the nursing staff (n = 350) working with older people in health centre wards, municipal and private nursing homes, and municipal and private dementia care units in Finland. It emerged clearly from the results that Finnish nursing staff mostly felt that they did not have enough time to provide good care to patients, and this gave them a troubled conscience. They also felt that the demanding work taxed their energy, a consequence being that they could not give their own families and loved ones the attention they would have liked.

Psychosocial and socio‐economic issues relating to female workers in Bangladesh

Identifies religious and cultural factors affecting attitudes towards, and behaviours of, female workers in Bangladesh. Discusses the role of government, non‐governmental organisations and the private sector in moving beyond this history and tradition to a state where female workers are accorded equal rights with regard to education, health, employment prospects and an acknowledgement of their role in society.