Rostrum of Asclepius Vol 7, No. 1 (2008): January - March 2008

Most of the diseases that the modern person faces in developed countries are chronic. These illnesses in their majority are not cured finally, but constitute situations that we try to control. The use of pharmaceutical medicines and the changes in the life of an individual allow henceforth in the chronically patients to live for along time duration an almost "physiologic" life, even if the chronic disease continues accompanying them. It is already known in all the interdisciplinary health care team that the chronically suffering patients present an enormous variety and differentiation of behaviours and experience abundance biological, psychological and social problems. This ascertainment led the researchers to develop a wide spectrum of theoretical approaches and clinical applications, with basic protractor of their efforts the maintenance of life’s quality as much patients who bear from chronic diseases as their familial environment. Aim of the present literature review was to investigate all the factors that interact in the psychology of an individual at the event of chronic disease, to report all the ways of adaptation in the new situation, and to assign all the nursing interventions that contribute positively in the acceptance of chronic illness. The education of patients with chronic diseases constitutes the corner stone of right therapeutic confrontation. The acceptance by the patient of changes that is required in his way of life is easier provided that when he has completely comprehended the nature of his illness, the gravity of his situation and role that plays the right collaboration with the health care providers.

Keywords: Chronic  Disease,   psychological  interactions,   education,   chronically  patients,   nursing interventions

Technological and social changes as well as changes in health and demographic developments have modified considerably the role of nursing and made nursing research more and more essential. Nursing research aims at developing knowledge that guides and supports the whole field of nursing practice in order to improve the quality of nursing care and thereby improves the status of the profession. Like nursing itself, nursing research began with Florence Nightingale in her hospital reforms first in Crimea and later in London. Her spirit of enquiry took root in America in the 1950s and with the founding of the journal Nursing Research in 1952 nursing research was starting to grow. In Europe nursing research activity began to burgeon in 1980s, mainly with the improvement of nursing education. Today there is an important scientific knowledge base for nursing practice. Scientific national and international journals, councils, seminars and the internet are the main means of dissemination of nursing research findings. But perhaps the greatest challenge of all is for nursing research to begin to make more impact on nursing practice and policy in order to improve the quality of nursing care. In the words of the ICN Nurses’ Day slogan of 1996, our aspiration must be the achievement of “Better health through nursing research”.

Keywords: Nursing research,  nursing practice 

The purpose of this research work is to investigate the experience of undesirable behaviourable patterns from nursing students in the university and in the places of clinical practice. For this purpose we used the questionnaire of Rautio, Synnari, Nuutinen and Laitala (2005). The data were collected from 104 nursing students (18 male and 86 female), age between 20-26. For the statistical analysis of data was used the SPSS 10.0 for Windows and the chi-square. Results: a) the male nursing students had experienced more verbal undesirable behavior from their teachers and negative comments for their professional carrier from patients. The female nursing students had verbal undesirable behavior from the hospital personnel. b) The students between the ages of 23-26 had experienced verbal undesirable behavior from teachers and hospital personnel. c) The students in the final semester who were doing their clinical practice had more often experienced verbal undesirable behavior from teachers and injustice criticism from hospital personnel. d) The students who were working in the hospital had experienced negative behavior from hospital personnel and negative comments from teachers in comparative with students who were not working

Keywords: Undesirable behavior,  education,  nursing students 

Introduction: From the literature review it derives that the concept of care is multidimensional. Every individual forms a specific attitude towards care depending on the particular social framework he/she has been raised in as well as his/her religious beliefs and cultural background. The theoretical framework of the research is based on both selected terms of meaning of “care” as well as on selected principles of intercultural Nursing care as they have been described by Leininger (1997). According to Leininger, Nursing care as a phenomenon is met in all civilizations while there are particular cultural care standards. The aim of this research is semantic determination of care and therefore, how the Greeks perceive the meaning of Care. Methodology: To answer the above research questions, we chose the approach of phenomenological research method. The collection of data has been accomplished with the method of interviews with open questions. Then, the analysis of the interview data followed in accordance to the technique of content analysis with the Mayring method (summary).Result: From the content analysis the following categories derived: 1. Care means love 2. Care means understanding 3. Care means prevention 4. Care means touch Conclusions: The semantic approach of care as it is perceived from the individuals, accentuates in fact the thesis that the philosophy of nursing science is based on ideals and universal values, whose respect from the professional ensures high quality in provided care and promotes the nursing work for the benefit of the individual and the society, too.

Keywords: Concept of care,  meaning of care,  love,  understanding,  touch 

Aim: The aim of the current study was to investigate the frequency of development of bacterial vaginitis (BV) in women of reproductive age, aged 18 to 45 years old. Those women undertook a microbiological examination of vaginal secretion either in the context of preventive control or because of the appearance of clinical symptoms. Material and method: A microbiological test of vaginal secretion was done in 500 women of reproductive age, aged 18 to 45 years old. Those women came for examination, either in the context of preventive control or because they had disturbing symptoms in the genital area. The following factors were recorded: age, existence of clinical symptoms such as itching, burning, excessive vaginal secretion, pain, as well as history of vaginitis. During the sample intake, the presence of pathological secretion, rush or pain were recorded. The diagnosis of bacterial vaginitis was based on the Amsel’s criteria. Results: Out of the 500 women of reproductive age, BV was detected to 145 (29%) and 33% of them were asymptomatic. 86,2% of the women reported excessive smelly vaginal secretion. Furthermore, 95,8% of women were found with excessive vaginal secretion and last but not least in 73% of women, pain was detected. History of vaginitis was reported by the 83,3% of women with BV. Conclusion: It can be argued that BV was detected in a great number of women of reproductive age. The high percentages of asymptomatic women with BV, as well as the serious complications, and the fact that BV constitutes a predisposition factor for infection with HIV, impose the application of preventive laboratory control in order to avoid bacterial vaginitis.

Keywords: Bacterial vaginitis, Gardnerella vaginalis,   excessive vaginal secretion