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In the shadow of cancer : Nurses' experiences of encountering children as relatives of a parent with cancer - A qualitative literature review
No full textBackground Children of parents with cancer often find themselves in emotionally vulnerable situations, yet they are frequently overlooked in adult care settings. Nurses play an important role communicating and supporting children during this time. Aim The aim of this study was to highlight the nurses experiences when meeting children who are relatives to a parent with cancer. Method A literature-based method was used, following Friberg’s model for analysing qualitative research. Results The result compiled of three themes. (1) Parents as gatekeepers showed that nurses described how parents could act as gatekeepers by limiting their children's involvement in matters concerning the parent’s cancer. This placed the nurses in an ethical dilemma to recognise the children's needs while at the same time respecting their patient (the parent) and the patient's will. (2) To meet the children showed nurse’s uncertainty to meet and involve the children, especially the teenagers and (3) Balancing emotional involvement and professional responsibility highlighted the emotional strain it had on them as nurses. Conclusion This study highlights the need for education, clearer guidelines and enhanced training for nurses to support a family-centred care to safeguard children's rights.Ett cancerbesked drabbar inte bara den som insjuknar, utan hela familjen och inte minst barnen. Barnet ställs inför en skrämmande verklighet och tillvaron fylls av ovisshet och frågor utan svar. Att möta ett barn i denna situation kräver mer än medicinsk kunskap; det kräver också mod och empati. Sjuksköterskor, som ofta har nära kontakt med både patienten och anhöriga, spelar en viktig roll i att uppmärksamma och möta barns behov samt ge dem stöd. Syftet med studien var att belysa sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att möta barn som anhöriga till en förälder med cancer. Studien som genomfördes var en litteraturbaserad studie där nio kvalitativa artiklar sammanställdes och analyserades, vilket resulterade i tre huvudteman. Det första temat, Förälderns roll som portvakt, visade att vissa föräldrar inte ville att sjuksköterskor skulle involvera barnen i samtal om sjukdomen. Detta skapade ett etisk dilemma för sjuksköterskorna, som behövde balansera barnets rätt till information mot föräldrarnas önskemål. Det andra temat, Att möta barnen, beskrev sjuksköterskors osäkerhet i hur de skulle närma sig och samtala med barn, särskilt med tonåringar. Det tredje temat, Sjuksköterskans roll och utmaningar i mötet med barn som anhöriga, visade att dessa möten ofta var känslomässigt påfrestande. I vissa fall påverkades sjuksköterskorna extra starkt om de själva hade egna barn och kände igen sig i familjens situation. Samtidigt kunde mötena upplevas som meningsfulla och bidra till personlig utveckling. Mötet mellan sjuksköterskan och barnet präglas ofta av en maktobalans, vilket kräver att sjuksköterskan reflekterar över sin maktposition och agerar medvetet och etiskt för att stärka barnets rätt till delaktighet och information. Brist på kunskap, tid och tydliga riktlinjer försvårar sjuksköterskans möjlighet att ge stöd till barnen. Samtidigt finns ett tydligt behov av förbättrad interprofessionell samverkan där psykosociala aspekter lyfts fram och barnets situation tydligt synliggörs. Vår studie visar att sjuksköterskorna ofta vill göra mer men saknar i nuläget verktygen. Genom att lyfta sjuksköterskans röst om erfarenheterna av att ge vård när barn är närstående, kan möjligheten att ge rätt stöd till barn som är närstående ökas. Det kan också möjliggöra att den vården som ges blir en vård som ser hela människan, även den lilla människan
Between expectations and reality - The support from specialeducator inpreschool : A qualitative study about collaboration with specialeducator from a preschool teacher perspective
No full textBakgrund: Antalet barn i förskolan som är i behov av särskilt stöd har ökat. Detta ställer allt högre krav på förskollärare att följa de mål och riktlinjer som ska bidra till att främja varje barns utveckling och lärande oavsett förutsättningar samt behov. När förskollärares egna metoder och arbetssätt inte räcker till, kan specialpedagogen träda in. Forskning visar att det råder olika uppfattningar om specialpedagogens roll, både i förskolans och skolans kontext. Det framkommer att specialpedagogens uppdrag innefattar att vara handledare, rådgivare och observatör med sina specifika kunskaper. Däremot visar forskningen att det råder en viss otydlighet om specialpedagogens uppdrag där den specifika kompetensen ifrågasätts. Trots att samverkan mellan förskollärare och specialpedagoger är centralt i arbetet med barn i behov av särskilt stöd, finns begränsad forskning som lyfter förskollärares upplevelser. Mot denna bakgrund syftar vår studie till att bidra med kunskap om hur förskollärare upplever samverkan med specialpedagog. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att bidra med kunskap om hur förskollärare upplever samverkan med specialpedagoger. Metod: Studiens metod är av kvalitativ ansats där data samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Informanterna bestod av sex förskollärare som alla hade erfarenhet av att samverka med specialpedagog. För bearbetning och analys av det insamlade materialet har tematisk analys använts. Resultat: Studiens resultat visar att samtliga förskollärare har varierande uppfattningar om samverkan med specialpedagog. Det framkommer att förskollärares olika förväntningar på specialpedagogens uppdrag påverkar samverkan mellan yrkesrollerna. Förskollärarna beskriver både möjligheter och utmaningar i samarbetet. Flera förskollärare lyfter specialpedagogen som ett betydelsefullt stöd, särskilt vid reflektioner, arbetet med kartläggningar och handlingsplaner samt i mötet med vårdnadshavare. Däremot uppstår utmaningar när specialpedagogen föreslår metoder och arbetssätt som redan är implementerade i verksamheten
Exploring energy resilience: households’ perspectives on a changing power system
No full textBackground In many countries, essential infrastructures, like power systems, are often taken for granted and thus invisible to ordinary people. However, because of energy transitions and climate impacts, the power system in countries such as Sweden is changing. For example, due to variable renewable power sources and increasing demand there is a potential need to deal with changing conditions, including disruptions at an end-use level, which makes the energy system come to the foreground. As argued in the paper, deeper knowledge about people’s understanding of a changing energy system is needed to support households in taking on new roles. The aim of this study was to explore energy resilience from a household perspective by investigating how households make sense of possible future power deficit scenarios. The concept of household energy resilience was used as a lens. Twelve interviews were conducted with people from seven households participating in a trial with remote-controlled heat pumps. The participating households all lived in detached houses in Sweden. Results The findings illustrate how the households relate to energy resilience through diverse approaches. More specifically, they anticipate the need to become resilient while questioning the idea that they should have to become resilient, and negotiate resilience as a shared responsibility between the different stakeholders of the grid. These insights reveal conditions under which households anticipate taking more active roles in a changing energy system. However, the insights also show that other energy actors need to communicate clearly which responsibilities they are taking on to support households and the energy transition overall. Households cannot be expected to embrace household energy resilience without reciprocity and other actors’ taking on responsibility. Conclusions Our results show that there is potential for more active and engaged electricity end-users, beyond, for example, flexibility programs. However, households’ active participation, including becoming more energy resilient, is conditional on challenges of value, involvement, and reciprocity. The results will be of interest to professionals involved in electricity supply-related matters including suppliers, policymakers, and researchers.CC BY 4.0</p
Screening tools used by paediatric healthcare providers to identify child maltreatment by parents or caregivers : a systematic review
No full textObjective To evaluate the reliability and validity of screening tools designed to identify child maltreatment by parents or caregivers in paediatric healthcare settings, particularly for use in early childhood or neonatal care. Design Systematic literature review. Data sources The Cochrane Library, Embase, Cinahl and Ovid Medline were searched for studies published up to June 2025. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies: studies evaluating screening tools intended for use by caregivers or healthcare professionals to identify child maltreatment in paediatric healthcare settings. Included tools targeted children under 18 years of age. Data extraction and synthesis Key characteristics of included tools were extracted, including type of maltreatment assessed, number of items, tool format and the age range of the child population. Data on reliability and validity were synthesised narratively due to heterogeneity in methods and outcomes. Quality appraisal Risk of bias and the quality of Patient Reported Outcome Measure development were assessed using the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments checklist, which also guided the grading of evidence strength. Results In total, 1874 abstracts and 84 full-text articles were reviewed. 14 articles featuring 13 distinct screening tools were identified, most of which were used to detect physical abuse in emergency room settings. Only the Escape tool was evaluated in two studies, both of very good quality; the study evaluating the Pediatric Hurt Insult-Threaten-Scream-Sex tool also demonstrated very good quality. The remaining studies varied in methodological quality and evidence strength. No tools were identified for children in neonatal care settings, and few were validated for children aged 0–3 years, none for neonatal care. Conclusion This review highlights the limited number of validated tools suitable for identifying maltreatment in very young children and across different contexts, particularly neonatal care. Future research should address these critical gaps to better support the early identification of child abuse within diverse clinical settings.CC BY 4.0</p
Traction voltage battery handling and storage in the workshop
No full textAs electrification continues to grow, the need to remove and replace battery packs is becoming more common. This puts new demands on workshops to diagnose, handle, and store lithium-ion batteries in a safe way before they can be reused or sent for recycling. The purpose of this project is to review how the Automaker currently diagnoses traction batteries, and to see if there are better or safer ways to do it. The report also looks at how the batteries are handled and stored in the workshop, and whether current routines can be improved. Existing regulations and recommendations were also reviewed to understand what rules apply today. The project was carried out through site visits, interviews with staff, and research from academic and industry sources. Based on this, several concrete suggestions have been made, such as the implementation of AI in diagnosing the battery, recommendations on a clear structure for how to classify and handle batteries using the green, yellow and red system, and tracking battery status digitally. We also give recommendations on what a storage area should include such as fire protection systems like water mist or saltwater in case of a thermal runaway. Finally, we point out that there are no clear rules today for how traction batteries should be stored in workshops. The report also shows that there are currently no clear rules for how much battery energy can be stored in one place, which makes it difficult to apply consistent safety standards. The recommendations in this report aim to make work safer and more structured and may help guide future improvements
Föreningslivets engagemang och demokratiskolning I Norra Bohuslän : En studie av barns Och ungas möjligheter till demokratiskt deltagande
No full textStudien bakom denna rapport ingår i projektet Att främja barns och ungdomars hälsa och demokratiutveckling med föreningslivet som arena, som är ett samarbete mellan Högskolan Väst och Thordénstiftelsen. Projektets övergreppande mål är att undersöka hur föreningar kan bidra till barns och ungdomars hälsa och demokratiutveckling. Denna delrapport fokuserar specifikt på demokratiperspektivet med syftet att analysera föreningslivets roll i norra Bohuslän för att främja demokratiutveckling hos barn och unga. Särskilt beforskas hur föreningsföreträdare definierar demokrati, hur föreningarna praktiskt engagerar unga i demokratiska processer och vilka utmaningar och möjligheter som finns för att stärka ungas deltagande. Följande tre forskningsfrågor har lett studien: 1. Hur definierar föreningar i norra Bohuslän demokrati och hur engagerar de barn och unga i demokratiska processer? 2. Vilka möjligheter och utmaningar finns för att engagera barn och ungdomar i föreningsdemokrati? 3. Vilka verktyg och metoder kan föreningarna använda för att stärka barns och ungas demokratiska deltagande? Studien är kvalitativ och bygger på 15 djupintervjuer samt gemensamma reflektioner med föreningsledare. Resultaten visar att föreningarna spelar en central roll för demokratins grogrund, då de ger barn och unga praktisk erfarenhet av självbestämmande, ansvar och dialog. Samtidigt hindras engagemanget av strukturella (administration, resurser) och kulturella (en styrelsen gör allt-norm, låg mötesnärvaro, segregerade nätverk, tjänstelogik/kundtänk) faktorer. För att den demokratiska potentialen i föreningslivet ska omsättas i växande delaktighet identifieras tydliga kanaler, mentorer som vågar släppa taget samt stödjande resurser och värderingar som viktiga förutsättningar. I rapporten presenteras därför en verktygslåda som kan användas för att utveckla en inkluderande och demokratisk föreningskultur. Verktygslådan är framtagen utifrån studiens kartläggning och strukturerad kring sex teman: tillgänglighet, inkludering, kompetens, ledarskap, delaktighet och utveckling
Proceedings of WIL’25 : The 3rd International Conference of Work-Integrated Learning : “Shaping the Future Landscape of Work-Integrated Learning”
No full textPerformance Evaluation of Ultra-wideband-based Indoor Positioning Systems in Complex Environments
No full textUltra-Wideband (UWB) är en radioteknik för noggrann inomhuspositionering. Denna studie utvärderar hur olika uppsättningar påverkar positioneringsnoggrannheten i ett UWB-system, med Localino v4-enheter i en verklig labbmiljö på Högskolan Väst. Tester genomfördes där ankarnas höjd, antal ankare, antal taggar, taggens placering, batterinivå och Wi-Fi-störningar ändrades för att se hur dessa faktorer påverkar noggrannheten. Fel beräknades genom att jämföra uppmätta koordinater med kända referenspunkter på en skalad karta. Resultaten visade att hur man sätter upp enheterna har stor påverkan på noggrannheten. Bästa resultatet (10 cm fel) uppnåddes när både tagg och ankare var på 1 meters höjd. För högt placerade ankare (2,5 m) eller blandade höjder gav sämre resultat. Överraskande nog gav 3 ankare bättre noggrannhet än 4 vid spårning av en tagg, men 4 ankare fungerade bättre med flera taggar. När taggar placerades nära aktiva Wi-Fi-enheter ökade felet med 8 cm, och låg batterinivå ledde till fler avvikelser med upp till 33 cm fel. Taggar på golvet gav bäst resultat när ankare också satt lågt, vilket visar hur viktig vertikal placering är. Studien ger praktiska tips för effektiv uppställning av UWB-system utan att användaren behöver göra egna tester.Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is a radio technology used for accurate indoor positioning. This study evaluates how setup factors affect UWB localization accuracy using Localino v4 de-vices in a real lab environment at University West. Tests were performed by changing anchor height, number of anchors, number of tags, tag placement, battery level, and by introducing Wi-Fi interference to evaluate their effects on accuracy. Positioning errors were calculated by comparing measured coordinates with known reference points on a scaled map. The results showed that localization accuracy is dependent on setup options. The best accu-racy (10 cm) was achieved when both anchors and tag were placed at 1 meter height. Placing anchors too high (2.5 m) or at mixed levels led to reduced accuracy. Contrary to expectations, using 3 anchors gave better accuracy than 4 in single-tag setups, but 4 anchors performed better when multiple tags were active. Tags placed near active Wi-Fi devices got an 8 cm increase in error, and low battery voltage caused more inconsistent readings and errors up to 33 cm. Placing tags on the floor gave better results when anchors were also placed low, proving that vertical alignment plays a significant role. These findings highlight the importance of setup design in UWB systems and offer practical recommendations for users aiming to deploy UWB systems efficiently without running their own experiments
Care in the Twilight : Perspectives of Swedish school-age educare teachers on closing hour
No full textIntroduction Swedish school-age educare (SAEC) has shifted from a social pedagogical tradition to a more education-oriented approach, which, in retrospect, has weakened its role. Despite reforms aimed at strengthening SAEC’s pedagogical role, reduced resources have led to larger groups and fewer qualified teachers, negatively affecting quality. The Swedish School Inspectorate has highlighted these deficiencies, and research indicates that children’s care needs are often overlooked, particularly during evening hours. This period, characterized by fewer children but also limited staff and resources, could provide an opportunity for increased care. To better understand the concept of care, this study explores SAEC teachers’ perspectives, with a specific focus on the closing hours. Theoretical framework The theoretical framework used in the study is Nel Noddings’ (2002) ethics of care. Two key concepts from the theory are used: caring for and caring about. Caring about refers to a broader aspect of care, such as caring for groups or in a more general sense. Caring for involves care between individuals and requires the caregiver’s full attention. Research questions This study aims to expand knowledge on SAEC teachers’ perspectives on care during closing hours. The research questions are: How do SAEC teachers describe care? and How do they define the prerequisites for care in SAEC? Methodology The study includes 10 qualitative semi-structured interviews (8 female, 2 male), with data analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Results The findings are presented in two themes: What is care? and Prerequisites for care. Teachers describe navigating between caring for and caring about in their practice. While care is difficult to verbalize, teachers view it as a balance between addressing individual needs and creating a safe environment. This balance is particularly difficult during the first part of closing hours, when supervision often takes precedence over care, to manage what they describe as chaos. Teachers highlight factors like relationships, participation, and premises as affecting their ability to care. However, second part of closing hours provides opportunities for relationship-building and meeting individual needs (caring for), assuming teachers have the resources and dedication to offer both caring for and caring about. Discussion Teachers’ difficulties in verbalizing care may indicate a lack of professional language or that care is tacit knowledge. The non-existing discussion around care risks reducing it to the background. The chaotic start at closing time may deny departing children of care. Teachers view closing hours as either a burden or an opportunity. Some seeing them as monotonous, which diminishes care quality, while others view them as a chance for attentiveness and higher-quality care. Lack of resources also hinders care provision. These challenges must be addressed to provide care based on what the children need. CC BY NC</p
Care is something that just happens : School-age educare teachers’ reflections on care in practice.
No full textIntroduction For decades, care has been a central value within Swedish school-age educare (SAEC). Nevertheless, maintaining the responsibilities of care is complex and multi-faceted. Previous research shows that wellbeing among children in SAEC age has decreased (Udsathed Center for Ungdomsforskning, 2022). Further, the occurrence of violence among children in SAECs can be understood as a lack of care (Borg, 2024). These studies point to a care under pressure where the development and wellbeing of children become affected. Theoretical framework The theoretical framework emanates from Joan Tronto’s (1998) Ethic of care, and more specifically from concepts covering two phases of care; caring about and caring for. Caring about is a general and abstract aspect of care work and concerns paying attention to the need of caring. Caring for requires listening to needs, recognizing unspoken needs and deciding which needs to care for. Caring for is in turn related to the actual work performed by the caregiver. It concerns taking responsibility for meet an identified need. Research questions or hypotheses The aim with this study is to explore how SAEC teachers reflect on care and how they perceive their possibilities to provide care. Methodology Data consists of 14 qualitative interviews with SAEC teachers (female 11; male 3). Semi-structured interviews related to vignettes and explored teachers’ reflections on care. The ongoing analysis is inspired by thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019). Tentative findings are presented by way of three themes related to the concepts within the theoretical framework, caring about, caring for and challenges. The study has been conducted in line with the Swedish Research Council’s ethical principles. Results Within the theme Caring about, reflections concern care as a natural way of acting, something that is inside the person. It is described as implicit knowledge because of its intuitive character. Within the theme Caring for, reflections concern how the teachers see the child and meets the individual child in its needs. Also, this includes how they interpret signals from the child. Within the theme challenges, reflections evolve around structural challenges, such as group sizes, number of teachers, organization, available and suitable rooms and environments. Additionally, challenges are described between policy and the needs of the child from a child perspective. Discussion The tentative findings highlight the complexity of care related to SAEC. The SAEC context is described in some interviews as an arena for doing care, but in other interviews, as having poor conditions which also risk leading to no care or instrumental care because of the feeling of emotional exhaustion, according to the teachers.CC BY NC</p