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The sibling perspective : Living with a chronically ill sibling
No full textBakgrund: Barn med långvarig sjukdom står inför regelbundna medicinska behandlingar och sjukhusvistelser, vilket påverkar hela familjen, särskilt syskonen som kan uppleva stress, isolering och mindre uppmärksamhet. Barnsjuksköterskor har en viktig roll i att stötta syskonet och hela familjen genom familjefokuserad omvårdnad, i linje med barnets rättigheter enligt barnkonventionen och lagar. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva erfarenheten av hur det är att vara syskon till barn med långvarig sjukdom. Metod: En systematisk litteraturöversikt med kvalitativa studier genomfördes utifrån Evans metod som baserades på 12 artiklar. SPICE-modellen användes för att på ett organiserat och strukturerat sätt samla in data. Resultat: I resultatet framkom tre teman. Det första temat beskrev erfarenheter av behov av egna strategier, som bestod av två subteman: hantering av stress och upplevt vårdansvar. Det andra temat beskrev stödbehov vid emotionella utmaningar, som bestod av två subteman: känslomässiga reaktioner och kommunikationens betydelse för stöd. Det sista temat handlade om anpassningar i familjelivet, som bestod av två subteman: förändrad familjedynamik och förändrad upplevelse av normalitet. Slutsats: Syskon till barn med långvarig sjukdom möter ansvar och utmaningar, ofta i en beskyddande och vårdgivande roll. De har erfarenhet av känslomässig stress och förändrad familjedynamik, samtidigt längtar de efter stöd och normalitet. Erfarenheterna understryker behovet av förståelse och stöd.Background: Children with chronic illness face regular medical treatments and hospital stays, impacting the entire family, especially the siblings who may experience stress, isolation and less attention. Pediatric nurses play an important role in supporting the siblings and the whole family through family focused care, in line with the child´s rights under the convention on the rights of the child and laws. Aim: The purpose was to describe experiences of being a sibling to a child with a chronic illness. Method: A systematic literature review with qualitative studies was conducted based on Evans´ method, using 12 articles. The SPICE model was used to collect data in an organized and structured manner. Results: Three themes emerged from the results.The first theme described experiences of the need for personal strategies, consisting of two subthemes: managing stress and experienced caregiving responsibility. The second theme described support needs for emotional challenges consisting of two subthemes: emotional reactions and the importance of communication for support. The final theme dealt with adaptations in family life, consisting of two subthemes: altered family dynamics, and changed perception of normalcy. Conclusion: Siblings of children with chronic illness face responsibilities and challenges, often in a protective and caregiving role. They experience emotional stress and alter family dynamics, while longing for support and normalcy. The experiences underline the need of understanding and support
COVID-19 healthcare success or failure? : Crisis management explained by dynamic capabilities
No full textIntroduction This paper presents a structured review of the use of crisis management, specifically examining the frameworks of surge capacity, resilience, and dynamic capabilities in healthcare organizations. Thereafter, a novel deductive method based on the framework of dynamic capabilities is developed and applied to investigate crisis management in two hospital cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background The COVID-19 pandemic distinguishes itself from many other disasters due to its global spread, uncertainty, and prolonged duration. While crisis management in healthcare has often been explained using the surge capacity framework, the need for adaptability in an unfamiliar setting and different information flow makes the dynamic capabilities framework more useful. Methods The dynamic capabilities framework’s micro foundations as categories is utilized in this paper for a deductive analysis of crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic in a multiple case study involving two Swedish public hospitals. A novel method, incorporating both dynamic and static capabilities across multiple organizational levels, is developed and explored. Results The case study results reveal the utilization of all dynamic capabilities with an increased emphasis at lower organizational levels and a higher prevalence of static capabilities at the regional level. In Case A, lower level managers perceived the hospital manager as brave, supporting sensing, seizing, and transformation at the department level. However, due to information gaps, sensing did not reach regional crisis management, reducing their power. In Case B, with contingency plans not initiated, the hospital faced a lack of management and formed a department manager group for patient care. Seizing was robust at the department level, but regional levels struggled with decisions on crisis versus normal management. The novel method effectively visualizes differences between organizational levels and cases, shedding light on the extent of cooperation or lack there of within the organization. Conclusion The researchers conclude that crisis management in a pandemic, benefits from distributed management, attributed to higher dynamic capabilities at lower organizational levels. A pandemic contingency plan should differ from a plan for accidents, supporting the development of routines for the new situation and continuous improvement. The Dynamic Capabilities framework proved successful for exploration in this context.CC BY 4.0</p
Factors Influencing the Structure of Design Processes : A Qualitative Study on How Processes Are Practically Applied by Agency Designers
No full textThere are several areas within research that address design processes as a whole. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the factors that influence how design processes are structured by professional designers at agencies. The thesis also aims to explore how designers work at agencies from a practical perspective and to determine if there are steps in the design processes that are deprioritized.We conducted four interviews with respondents who work in various roles within design.The results based on our interviews suggest that time constraints, client collaboration, clear structure, and teamwork and communication are the central factors that influence how a design process is organized. Further conclusions we reached are that clear structure and planning can reduce the risk of scope creep and improve productivity. The client's role and good communication are crucial to avoiding problems, and designers often adapt their methods to specific projects rather than following a strict theoretical model.The study also emphasizes the importance of balancing time, resources, and client needs to optimize the design process and achieve effective solutions.Det finns flera områden inom forskningen som berör designprocesser i sin helhet. Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka de faktorer som styr hur designprocesser läggs upp hos yrkesverksamma designers på byråer. Uppsatsen syftar även på att ta upp hur designers jobbar på byråer genom ett praktiskt perspektiv och ta reda på om det finns steg i designprocesser som prioriteras bort. Vi har utfört 4 intervjuer med respondenter som genom olika roller arbetar med design.Resultaten som baseras på våra intervjuer antyder att tidsaspekt, kundsamverkan, tydlig struktur samt samarbete och kommunikation är de centrala faktorer som styr hur en designprocess läggs upp. Vidare slutsatser vi kom fram till är att en tydlig struktur och planering kan minska risken för scope creep och förbättra produktiviteten. Kundens roll och god kommunikation är avgörande för att undvika problem, samt att designers ofta anpassar sina metoder efter specifika projekt snarare än att följa en strikt teoretisk modell.Studien betonar även vikten av att balansera tid, resurser och kundens behov för att optimera designprocessen och uppnå effektiva lösningar
Inform more : Patients’ experiences of patient education in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
No full textBackground Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a global problem and the thirdleading cause of death worldwide. The biggest risk factors that can lead to development of COPD are smoking, old age, and occupational exposure to dust. COPD is a palliative disease with no cure. Through patient education, patients' health can be improved, and the burden of the disease can be reduced. Aim The aim of this study was to describe experiences of patient education in patients with COPD.Method A qualitative literature-based study with ten scientific articles was included and analyzed with Friberg´s five-step model. Results The analysis resulted in three themes. "The hand that is always there" showed when the healthcare staff had a deep knowledge of COPD, it generated that the patients learned how they could manage the disease on their own. "A challenging struggle" pointed out that lack of knowledge about COPD, in both patients and healthcare professionals negatively affected the patient's management of their disease. "Paths to good disease management" emerged that all patients had different conditions for how to process information which required person centered care. Conclusion It was important for patients that the healthcare staff had a good knowledge of COPD as this reflected the information that patients then absorbed. When the healthcare staff lacked knowledge about COPD it led to uncertainty about self-care and management of the disease.Syftet med studien var att beskriva erfarenheter av patientutbildning hos patienter med Kronisk obstruktiv lungsjukdom (KOL). Studiens resultat visade att patienterna erfor att kontinuitet och tillgänglighet till vårdpersonal gav en känsla av trygghet. Tryggheten baserades på en snabb åtkomst till vårdpersonal vid behov av ytterligare information gällande egenvårdsåtgärder och vid eventuell försämring av sjukdomen. Garantin att alltid kunna kontakta vårdpersonal gav patienterna känslan av kontroll vilket ökade motivationen att ta ett eget ansvar över sin hälsa. När vårdpersonalen arbetade utifrån ett personcentrerat förhållningssätt och agerade utifrån empati och respekt gav detta patienterna möjlighet att få individuellt anpassad information utifrån de egna önskemålen. När vårdpersonalen upplevdes ha en bristande kunskap om KOL speglades detta i mötet med patienterna som då kände skuld och skam, att de hade orsakat sin KOL-sjukdom på egen hand. Patienterna kände sig ifrågasatta och upplevde att vårdpersonalen saknade engagemang och intresse för att vårda dem. Brist på kunskap och erfarenhet hos vårdpersonalen resulterade i kommunikationsbrist där mycket information och stöd till patienterna gick förlorat. Okunskapen hos vårdpersonalen försvårade möjligheten för patienterna att vara delaktiga i sin vård. Patienterna erfor att individuella faktorer så som trötthet, andnöd, ekonomiska besvär och hög ålder försvårade informationsutbytet. Patienterna uttryckte ett behov av en fast vårdkontakt för att kunna få det stöd som önskades samt prata ärligt om den egna hälsan. Att få möjligheten att dela erfarenheter med andra patienter, familj och vårdpersonal upplevde patienterna mycket gynnsamt för deras utbildning om KOL. patientutbildningen. Patienterna uttryckte att olika vårdmöten via telefon, videokonsultation eller genom att finna svar på internet gav möjligheter för vårdkontakt när fysiska möten var svåra att genomföra. Sjuksköterskan besitter ett stort ansvar gällande patientutbildning både på individ- och samhällsnivå där patienternas erfarenheter utav patientutbildningen är ett direkt kvitto på hur sjuksköterskor uppnår sitt ansvar att ge en personcentrerad information och hur den påverkar patientens hantering av sin sjukdom. Det är därför viktigt att öka sjuksköterskans kunskaper gällande patienters erfarenheter av patientutbildning för att skapa de bästa förutsättningarna för patienter med KOL. Studiens resultat bildades genom att analysera totalt tio kvalitativa artiklar med hjälp av Fribergs fem-stegsmodell
Accuracy Enhancement of Robots using Artificial Intelligence
No full textRobots have an underlying model to control their joints with the aim of reaching a specific pose. The accuracy of a robot is based on the underlying model and its parameters. The parameters of the underlying model of a robot are based on the ideal geometry and set by the manufacturer. If the parameters do not represent the physical robot accurately, the movements of the robot become inaccurate. Methods to optimize the parameters to represent the physical robot more accurately exist and result in an accuracy enhancement. Nevertheless, the underlying model of the manufacturer remains of analytical form and therefore has a limited complexity which hinders the model to represent arbitrary non-linearities and higher degree relations. To further enhance the accuracy of a robot by using a model with a higher complexity, this work investigates the use of a model of the inverse kinematics based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The accuracy is investigated for a robot with an attached tool. In a first step, the development and initial evaluation of a suitable AI model is conducted in a simulated environment. Afterwards, the uncompensated accuracy of the robot with the tool is assessed and measurements are recorded. Using the measurements, an AI model based on the measurements of physical robot. The model is evaluated on the physical robot with a tool to quantify the achieved accuracy enhancement
Norwegian Health Professionals’ Attitudes Toward Addressing Sexual Health with People with Intellectual Disabilities
No full textIntroduction Staff working with individuals with intellectual disabilities face challenges addressing sexual health. Professionals in this context have diverse backgrounds and education, and little is known about their attitudes and skills in providing support for a healthy sexual life and preventing abuse. Moreover, this topic has not been explored in the Norwegian context. The current study examined health professionals’ attitudes toward addressing sexual health with individuals with intellectual disabilities in Norwegian municipal health and care services. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Norwegian version of the professionals’ attitudes toward addressing sexual health among 72 health professionals working in municipal services for people with intellectual disabilities in Mid-Norway. The data was collected from November 2022 to January 2023. Results The professionals reported feeling partially comfortable and prepared to address sexual health issues with clients. They consistently expressed a need for more basic knowledge about sexual health and training in communicating about sexuality. Attitudes toward addressing sexual health varied based on the professionals’ education, gender, age, and work experience. Conclusions More targeted training on sexual health is needed within the educational programmes in health and social sciences. Sexual health should also be continuously addressed in the workplace and among colleagues. The differences in attitudes between professionals indicate that the composition of the staff benefits from diversity.Policy Implications Healthcare managers are responsible for ensuring greater openness and reflection on attitudes toward sexuality among individuals with intellectual disabilities in workplaces. Educational institutions must provide the necessary skill development and training in communication about sexual health for this client group.CC BY 4.0</p
Commitment capital: : Bridging the gap between organizational commitment and human capital resources
No full textEven though, the human resource management literature has highlighted the importance of having employees that are committed to the organization, research on strategic human capital has yet to fully consider how commitment is related to human capital resources. In order to overcome the dominant individual-level conceptualization of commitment and to detail how commitment affects human capital resources, we develop the unit-level concept of commitment capital, which we divide into three levels: affiliative commitment capital, affinitive commitment capital, and absolute commitment capital. These conceptualizations are based on a 10-year case study and incorporate commitment into a strategic human capital framework, thus bridging the current gap between organizational commitment and human capital resources.CC BY</p
Cultural values, parenting and child adjustment in Sweden
No full textTo examine whether mothers' and fathers' individualism, collectivism and conformity values are significantly related to parenting behaviours and child adjustment during middle childhood, mothers (n = 95), fathers (n = 72) and children (n = 98) in Sweden were interviewed when children were, on average, 10 years old. Mothers' collectivism was significantly correlated with mothers' and fathers' higher expectations for children's family obligations. Fathers' collectivism was significantly correlated with mothers' and fathers' higher warmth and with fathers' higher expectations for children's family obligations. Fathers' conformity values were significantly correlated with fewer child internalising problems. Fathers' higher collectivism was associated with more paternal warmth even after taking into account the other cultural values, child gender and fathers' education. Our findings indicate that individual-level cultural values are correlated with some aspects of parenting and child adjustment in Sweden.CC BY 4.0This research was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development grant RO1-HD054805.</p
Nurses' experiences of caring for patients in palliative care within inpatient care : A literature-based study
No full textBackground: Palliative care involves nursing and treatments aimed at alleviating suffering and promoting the patient's quality of life in the case of incurable, life-threatening illness. The patient's last days of life are valuable to both the patient and relatives, thus it is of great importance that the nurse has knowledge about how to promote quality of life and reduce suffering during the patient's last days of life. Nurses need to switch between caring for patients in the end-of-life stage and patients who can be cured within the same shift. Therefore, it is important to gain knowledge about how working with palliative care in a hospital environment affects nurses. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe nurses' experiences of caring for patients in palliative care within inpatient care. Method: A literature-based study founded on the analysis of qualitative research was selected as the method, where nine scientific articles were analyzed according to Friberg's five-step model. Results: The analysis resulted in three themes and seven subthemes: Strain of internal stress, the need for increased competence, and the impact of resource scarcity on the care environment. Conclusion: Nurses experience challenges and difficulties when caring for patients in palliative care. They need to display their professionalism while simultaneously their emotions are affected by various factors during work. Time constraints are a major obstacle for nurses in providing palliative care.Palliativ vård innebär där omvårdnad och behandling sker för att lindra patientens lidande och främja patientens livskvalitet vid obotlig livshotande sjukdom. Varje år avlider 90000 människor i Sverige varav 80% av dessa är i behov av palliativ vård. Runtom i världen är 56,8 miljoner människor i behov av palliativ vård. Sjuksköterskor kommer att möta patienter som är i behov av palliativ vård under sitt yrkesliv. Syftet med studien var att beskriva sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att vårda patienter i palliativ vård inom sluten vård. Metoden som valdes var en litteraturbaserad studie grundad på analys av kvalitativ forskning. Resultatet baserades på nio studier som inhämtades från vetenskapliga publikationer som efter analys ledde till tre teman och sju underteman. I resultatet framkom att sjuksköterskor som arbetar på sjukhus upplevde att de hade behövt ägna mer tid åt patienter som befann sig i livets slut vilket medförde känslor av otillräcklighet. Sjuksköterskor upplevde att det var utmanande och svårt att hantera patienter vid livets slutskede. Detta ledde till att sjuksköterskorna önskade stöd och handledning vid svåra situationer. Vidare visade resultatet att sjuksköterskor upplevde svårigheter med att bemöta familjens sorg samt önskade att de hade mer tid att stödja familjen. Sjuksköterskor ville ha kontinuerlig utbildning kring palliativ vård för att kunna utveckla vårdkvaliteten. Det framkom även vikten av samarbete i team där sjuksköterskor upplevde att de kunde vända sig till kollegor med mer erfarenheter när de behövde hjälp samt att de stöttade varandra. Vidare visade resultatet att andra ansvarsområden och tidsbristen hos sjuksköterskorna bidrog till att de inte kunde lägga så mycket tid på patienterna. Sjuksköterskorna betonade även hur viktigt det var att patienterna skulle få en lugn och fridfull miljö under sista tiden i livet. Sjuksköterskan arbetar utifrån fyra hörnstenar som består av symtomlindring, teamarbete, närståendestöd samt kommunikation och relation för att uppnå god palliativ vård. I denna studie tas utgångspunkt i begreppen lidande och medlidande. Denna studie möjliggör ökad förståelse för sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att vårda patienter i palliativ vård inom sluten vår