Luiza Hiromi Tanaka

The Effects of Meditation-Based Interventions on the Treatment of Fibromyalgia

Meditation is the third most commonly requested complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy reported in a US survey. Those who suffer from chronic pain are those who most frequently use CAM therapies. This review aims to evaluate whether meditation-based interventions can help the treatment of fibromyalgia. A PubMed search was conducted using the terms “fibromyalgia” and “meditation”, or “mindfulness”, or “mantra” or “relaxation response”. We selected articles which clearly described a meditation intervention being used in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Only four articles were classified with score 3 in the Jadad scale. Another seven articles were included in this review. Most of the results indicate improvement in fibromyalgia-related symptoms in patients who participated in a meditation-based intervention. Considering only 4 of the 13 studies achieved a score of 3 on the Jadad scale, researchers of meditation interventions should discuss the best methodologic control for these studies.

Profile of an intensive care nurse in different regions of Brazil

The aim of this quantitative study was to identify the socio-demographic and academic profile of intensive care registered nurses and participants of the events organized by the Department of Nursing of the Brazilian Association of Intensive Care Medicine. Data were collected by means of 400 questionnaires applied between January and July of 2010, however only 324 questionnaires were returned and 295 questionnaires were considered for the analysis. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics resources with absolute relative frequency and simple mean, presented in tables. Results show the predominance of women, with specific graduate degrees. The skills and values highlighted include technical and scientific knowledge, and leadership. These professionals seek work in intensive care because of the high technological complexity. The study emphasized the existence of the professional profile required to work in the intensive care unit. The qualification of these professionals must prioritize the mastering of the technological language and the comprehensive and safe care. DESCRIPTORS: Nursing. Intensive Care Units. Professional competence. Nursing research. Nursing education.

Ausências dos colaboradores de enfermagem do pronto-socorro de um hospital universitário

Objective: To verify and analyze absences of nursing staff of the adult emergency room (AER) of a university hospital. Methods: A study using a quantitative approach, observational and prospective, conducted between January and December, 2009, involving the nursing staff of a AER. Results: The AER had, on average, 96.8 employees per month. Expected absences corresponded to 30.1% of working days. The absenteeism rate was 11.7%. There was a greater incidence of unplanned absences during the periods of May (15.3%) and August (13.3%). Conclusion: There was a correlation between the variables: professional category, employment contract and shift work, and the distribution of expected and unexpected absences. Absenteeism was considered high and motivated, mainly, by allowances for health care greater than 15 days. The monthly deficit of staff also contributed to the work overload of the team.OBJETIVO: Verificar y analizar las ausencias de los colaboradores de enfermeria de un servicio de emergencias de adultos (SEA) de un hospital universitario. METODOS: Estudio de abordaje cuantitativa, observacional y prospectivo, realizado de enero a diciembre del 2009, involucrando a los colaboradores de enfermeria de un SEA. RESULTADOS: El SEA tuvo, en promedio, 96,8 colaboradores por mes. Las ausencias previstas correspondieron a 30,1% de los dias de trabajo. La tasa de ausentismo fue de 11,7%. Hubo mayor incidencia de ausencias no previstas en el periodo de mayo (15,3%) y agosto (13,3%). CONCLUSION: Hubo correlacion entre las variables: categoria profesional; vinculo empleaticio y turno de trabajo y la distribucion de las ausencias previstas y no previstas. El ausentismo fue considerado elevado y motivado, sobre todo, por las licencias para tratamiento de la salud superiores a 15 dias. El deficit mensual de personal contribuyo tambien para la sobrecarga del trabajo del equipo.

Positive Effects of a Stress Reduction Program Based on Mindfulness Meditation in Brazilian Nursing Professionals: Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation

CONTEXT Mindfulness meditation has been shown to effectively mitigate the negative effects of stress among nursing professionals, but in countries like Brazil, these practices are relatively unexplored. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of a Stress Reduction Program (SRP) including mindfulness and loving kindness meditation among nursing professionals working in a Brazilian hospital setting. DESIGN Pilot study with a mixed model using quantitative and qualitative methods was used to evaluate a group of participants. The quantitative data were analyzed at three different time points: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up. The qualitative data were analyzed at post-intervention. SETTING Hospital São Paulo (Brazil). PARTICIPANTS Sample 13 nursing professionals, including nurses, technicians, and nursing assistants working in a hospital. INTERVENTION Participants underwent mindfulness and loving kindness meditation during a period of six weeks. INSTRUMENTS Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment, and Work Stress Scale (WSS). Qualitative data were collected via a group interview following six weeks participation in the SRP. RESULTS The quantitative analyses revealed a significant reduction (P < .05) between pre-intervention and post-intervention scores for perceived stress, burnout, depression, and anxiety (trait). These variables showed no significant differences between post-intervention and follow-up scores. The WHOQOL-BREF revealed significant increase (P < .05) just in the physical and psychological domains at post-intervention scores, which remained at the follow-up. Qualitative results showed improvement in the reactivity to inner experience; a more attentive perception of internal and external experiences; greater attention and awareness of actions and attitudes at every moment; and a positive influence of the SRP in nursing activities.

Nursing staff absences in the emergency room of a university hospital

Objective: To verify and analyze absences of nursing staff of the adult emergency room (AER) of a university hospital. Methods: A study using a quantitative approach, observational and prospective, conducted between January and December, 2009, involving the nursing staff of a AER. Results: The AER had, on average, 96.8 employees per month. Expected absences corresponded to 30.1% of working days. The absenteeism rate was 11.7%. There was a greater incidence of unplanned absences during the periods of May (15.3%) and August (13.3%). Conclusion: There was a correlation between the variables: professional category, employment contract and shift work, and the distribution of expected and unexpected absences. Absenteeism was considered high and motivated, mainly, by allowances for health care greater than 15 days. The monthly deficit of staff also contributed to the work overload of the team.OBJETIVO: Verificar y analizar las ausencias de los colaboradores de enfermeria de un servicio de emergencias de adultos (SEA) de un hospital universitario. METODOS: Estudio de abordaje cuantitativa, observacional y prospectivo, realizado de enero a diciembre del 2009, involucrando a los colaboradores de enfermeria de un SEA. RESULTADOS: El SEA tuvo, en promedio, 96,8 colaboradores por mes. Las ausencias previstas correspondieron a 30,1% de los dias de trabajo. La tasa de ausentismo fue de 11,7%. Hubo mayor incidencia de ausencias no previstas en el periodo de mayo (15,3%) y agosto (13,3%). CONCLUSION: Hubo correlacion entre las variables: categoria profesional; vinculo empleaticio y turno de trabajo y la distribucion de las ausencias previstas y no previstas. El ausentismo fue considerado elevado y motivado, sobre todo, por las licencias para tratamiento de la salud superiores a 15 dias. El deficit mensual de personal contribuyo tambien para la sobrecarga del trabajo del equipo.

O cuidar no processo de trabalho do enfermeiro: visão dos professores

Objetivou-se compreender o processo de trabalho do enfermeiro - cuidar, e verificar as competencias - do aprender a fazer, conhecer e ser - desenvolvidas na formacao dos graduandos na visao dos sujeitos. Tratou-se de um estudo qualitativo, a tecnica de coleta de dados foi o grupo focal e o metodo de analise de conteudo. O resultado foi expresso em seis categorias: A tecnica e essencial para o cuidar do enfermeiro; A complexidade da tecnica e do cuidado no trabalho do enfermeiro; Diferentes expressoes do processo de cuidar; As competencias do aprender a conhecer e fazer sao essenciais no processo do cuidar; O aprender a ser e compreendido por diferentes vertentes; Necessidade de os professores discutirem sobre o cuidado tecnico do enfermeiro.The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of undergraduate nursing faculty about the work processes of professional nurses, particularly, nursing care and competency - from ways of learning, knowing, and doing, which were developed during their undergraduate nursing education. Focus groups among fifteen undergraduate faculty members were conducted to collect data for this qualitative study. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Six categories have emerged: Technical skills are fundamental to provide nursing care; Complexities of technical skills and nursing care; Differences in the process of providing nursing care; Competency from ways of learning, knowing, and doing are essential for providing nursing care; Learning to be a nurse is understood by different perspectives; The need of undergraduate faculty to discuss about nursing technical care.

Education practices: research-action with nurses of Family Health Strategy

OBJECTIVE to identify the factors that determine the implementation of educational practices of health promotion and to construct proposals to implement the educational actions of the nurses of the Family Health Units (FHU). METHOD research-action in which individual interviews and focus group were conducted, with 17 nurses from 12 FHU in the city of Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre state, Brazil. The results were organized by the thematic analysis method. RESULTS the thematic units emerged from the analysis: dichotomy between knowledge and doing in the production of care and health; the nurses qualification for educational practices; and conditions favorable to health education practices. CONCLUSION the thematic analysis showed that the educational practice is hampered by the high demand for care in the unit, lack of physical structure and professional qualification for health education. In the action phase, nurses and local managers agreed on actions to improve the quality of educational practices.

Significados da comunicação não verbal para as entrevistadoras na seleção de profissionais de enfermagem

This study aims to better understand how nurses in management positions at a university hospital interpret the nonverbal signals of candidates being interviewed for employment as nurses. It is a descriptive research with a qualitative approach, which used semi-structured interviews collected from twelve nurses in management positions and six nurses in continuing education at a university hospital in São Paulo. Data were analyzed using Minayo’s content analysis. Results indicated the most noticed nonverbal signals to be: The importance of presentation and personal care; eye contact; the tone of voice and manner of speaking. These data were interpreted as indicators of selfconfidence, emotional balance and sincerity. It was concluded that the nurses’ knowledge of nonverbal cues was insufficient. They noticed personal appearance, eye contact, tone of voice and posture, and attributed poor personal presentation and alteration in the tone of voice to signs of disinterest and insecurity or emotional leakage. Posture and gesticulation were taken as nervousness. The results reveal that nurses in this study have difficulty deciphering non-verbal communication and feel the need to develop the perception that power of communication to better performance in the selection of candidates.

PERFIL DO ENFERMEIRO DE TERAPIA INTENSIVA EM DIFERENTES REGIÕES DO BRASIL

The aim of this quantitative study was to identify the socio-demographic and academic profile of intensive care registered nurses and participants of the events organized by the Department of Nursing of the Brazilian Association of Intensive Care Medicine. Data were collected by means of 400 questionnaires applied between January and July of 2010, however only 324 questionnaires were returned and 295 questionnaires were considered for the analysis. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics resources with absolute relative frequency and simple mean, presented in tables. Results show the predominance of women, with specific graduate degrees. The skills and values highlighted include technical and scientific knowledge, and leadership. These professionals seek work in intensive care because of the high technological complexity. The study emphasized the existence of the professional profile required to work in the intensive care unit. The qualification of these professionals must prioritize the mastering of the technological language and the comprehensive and safe care. DESCRIPTORS: Nursing. Intensive Care Units. Professional competence. Nursing research. Nursing education.

Perfil del enfermero de terapia intensiva en diferentes regiones de Brasil

The aim of this quantitative study was to identify the socio-demographic and academic profile of intensive care registered nurses and participants of the events organized by the Department of Nursing of the Brazilian Association of Intensive Care Medicine. Data were collected by means of 400 questionnaires applied between January and July of 2010, however only 324 questionnaires were returned and 295 questionnaires were considered for the analysis. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics resources with absolute relative frequency and simple mean, presented in tables. Results show the predominance of women, with specific graduate degrees. The skills and values highlighted include technical and scientific knowledge, and leadership. These professionals seek work in intensive care because of the high technological complexity. The study emphasized the existence of the professional profile required to work in the intensive care unit. The qualification of these professionals must prioritize the mastering of the technological language and the comprehensive and safe care. DESCRIPTORS: Nursing. Intensive Care Units. Professional competence. Nursing research. Nursing education.