Is perioperative home the future of surgical patient care?

Perioperative home （PH） or perioperative surgical home （PSH） is a patient centered medical service or primary care provider aimed at share decision-making and seamless continuity of care for the surgical patient. The goal is to improve operational efficiency, decrease resource utilization, reduce length of hospital/intensive care unit （ICU） stay and readmission, and to decrease complication and mortality rates. PH is an innovative model of delivering health care during the entire patient surgical/procedural experience. This model is centered around patient from the time of the decision for surgery till the patients have recovered and returned to the care of themselves.

Health Workers’ Documentation Process as a Prerequisite to the Integration of Patient Care at a Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda

Background: Integrated patient care is necessary for better care outcomes. Documentation enhances the integration of care;however, in the Ugandan setting, documentation of care is poor (e.g., omissions and incomplete records) and integration of patient care is not visible. This study presents a review of patient health records that was undertaken to understand documentation of care at a regional referral hospital in Eastern Uganda. This information will help in developing a documentation model to facilitate the integration of patient care in Uganda. Methodology: This retrospective review involved 513 patient health records from the medical-surgical, pediatric, and obstetric/gynecological departments of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital. Data were collected using checklists. Stratified sampling was used to capture variations in ward unit records and identify a fair representation of each department. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. All analyses were performed with SPSS version 22. Results: On average, the study hospital attended to 1000 patients per day and discharged 100 patients per ward unit per month. Our record review showed that documentation by both nurses and doctors was incomplete, and care was fragmented. However, doctors documented care more often than nurses, although the integration of patient care was not evident in doctors’ documentation. Conclusion: To establish integrated patient care, documentation must meet standards set by relevant professional bodies. The findings of this study will inform the development of a feasible documentation model to facilitate the integration of patient care in Uganda.

The Addition of Pharmacists on a Patient Care Team to Improve Diabetic Patient Outcomes

As diabetes becomes more prevalent throughout the United States, there is an increased demand for healthcare providers and healthcare resources. Pharmacists have started to collaborate with primary care providers, and through this collaboration, pharmacists are able to augment patient care and provide additional resources to diabetic patients. This essay reviews the effect of one clinic that incorporates pharmacist interventions as an addition to established patient care teams, and evaluates the effect that the pharmacist interventions have on patient hemoglobin A1C%. While this essay provides data to show the positive benefits of pharmacist intervention on diabetes patients and A1C% goals, additional data and research are needed to demonstrate how pharmacists are a necessary addition to patient care teams.

Extending the Role of Pharmacists in Patient Care: Are Pharmacists in Developing Nations Ready to Change?

Patient care in a community is becoming critical due to change in the impact of diseases on health. The provision of pharmaceutical care in a community will bring in positive changes in health care delivery. However, the pharmacist in developing countries has remained obscure in direct health- care of the patient. The main aim of this article is to reinforce the concept that there is a need to strengthen the basic pharmaceutical system in the Arab and African world before implementing any advanced clinical pharmacy or pharmaceutical care services to our communities. This article gives a good insight of where pharmacy practice in Arab, African and other developing countries globally stand in comparison to developed nations. A trend is apparent towards increased emphasis on clinical pharmacy practice. Country-specific pharmacy education and practice are discussed, analyzing the progress and opportunities available to pharmacy graduates. In addition, the future of pharmacy practice and clinical roles of hospital and community pharmacists were reviewed. It was realized that pharmacy practice and progress in many of the Arab and African countries were a mirror image of the status of the country itself. A new vision for the future of pharmacy practice needs to be considered and reorientation of pharmacy services in the existing system is needed. There should be a professional approach to speed up the rise towards practicing clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical profession. This is achieved by interviewing patients, documenting their health details and educating them on methods of improving their health, including proper medication usage and lifestyle modification. Furthermore, colleges of pharmacy need to revise and update their curricula to accommodate the progressively increasing development in the pharmaceutical education and the evolving new roles of practicing pharmacists in their community.

Awareness of Radiologists and Radiographers toward Patient Care in the Interventional Radiology Department

Background: The hospitals and health care centres are organized around the patient, a model in which healthcare providers partner with patients and families to identify and satisfy patients’ needs and preferences. Providers respect patients’ values and preferences, address their emotional and social needs, and involve them and their families in decision making. According to the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence to prove, radiologists and radiographers are aware enough about the patient safety, care, and code of conduct with their patients in the interventional radiology department. Objective: This article aims to measure the awareness of radiologists and radiographers toward care and safety in an interventional radiology department. Material and Method: This study was carried in period from 15 February to 20 April 2022. One hundred sixty-four radiographers and radiologists participating in this study completed the questionnaire, which equals a response rate of approximately 82%. The questionnaire was fully completed by almost all responders;only a few of them gave partial answers. Results: The first question for radiographers and radiologists was “the sufficient awareness about the patient safety and care during the interventional radiology procedure. Also, the majority of the radiographers and radiologists are providing the patients with sufficient information when he/she ask for help or queries. A large number of radiographers and radiologists were participating in this study explaining the procedures to patients before starting the examinations in a structured way. Finally, the result shows both radiographers and radiologists respect the patient’s rights, privacy, and dignity and also kept the radiation protection during the interventional radiology procedures. Conclusion: This article summarizes the key categories of awareness of patient care issues in the provision of interventional radiology services, from the joint perspectives of radiographers and radiologists, and provides references for further reading in all major relevant areas.

Improvement of the nutritional support management system for patients in intensive care units

BACKGROUND Nutritional support for patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit(ICU)is an important part of clinical treatment and care,but there are significant implementation difficulties.AIM To introduce a modified nutritional support management system for ICU patients based on closed-loop information management and psychological counseling.METHODS The division of functions,personnel training,system construction,development of an intelligent decision-making software system,quality control,and improvement of the whole process were carried out to systematically manage nutritional support for ICU patients.RESULTS Following the implementation of the whole process management system,the scores of ICU medical staff’s knowledge,attitudes/beliefs,and practices regarding nutritional support were comprehensively enhanced.The proportion of hospital bed-days of total enteral nutrition(EN)in ICU patients increased from 5.58%to 11.46%,and the proportion of EN plus parenteral nutrition increased from 42.71%to 47.07%.The rate of EN initiation within 48 h of ICU admission increased from 37.50%to 48.28%,and the EN compliance rate within 72 h elevated from 20.59%to 31.72%.After the implementation of the project,the Self-rating Anxiety Scale score decreased from 61.07±9.91 points to 52.03±9.02 points,the Self-rating Depression Scale score reduced from 62.47±10.50 points to 56.34±9.83 points,and the ICU stay decreased from 5.76±2.77 d to 5.10±2.12 d.CONCLUSION The nutritional support management system based on closed-loop information management and psychological counseling achieved remarkable results in clinical applications in ICU patients.

Perceptions of nurses in Japan toward their patients' expectations of care: A qualitative study

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate ideal nurse involvement based on the expectations of patients.Data on conflicts between nurses and patients were obtained.The patient situation involved standard nursing treatment,rather than acute phase or palliative care.Methods: Questionnaires were distributed among senior nurses attending a series of trainings in 2012 and 2013.The nurses were requested to return their completed questionnaires within two weeks.We ensured the effectiveness of the interview process to obtain accurate answers.The sample comprised 240 head nurses and assistant head nurses who were asked to respond anonymously to 57 questions about non-acute (stable) psychiatric or physical nurse-patient scenarios.Qualitative data analysis was conducted using these responses.Results: We received 41 completed responses (response rate =17.1%).The expectations of patients and their families were reflected in five categories,namely,inference,empathic understanding,listening attitude,individual treatment,and reliable skills and explanations.Inference was independently categorized as a particularly strong characteristic of Japanese patients' expectations.Conclusions: Nursing care in situations where conflicts or misunderstandings may arise can be improved by encouraging nurses to be attentive to the moods,feelings,and expectations of patients and their families.The findings from this study can improve the quality of Japanese nursing care with regard to sensing (inferring) and reacting to the expectations of patients.

Integration of Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine in Clinical Practice(Patient Care):Past,Present,and A Proposed Model for the Future

Historic Background Chinese medicine （CM） has over 2,000 years of history in China and was the only health care system providing care for Chinese prior to the introduction of Western medicine （WM） into China. WM was slowly introduced into China by missionaries from the middle 17th century to the beginning of the 19th century. By 1840, WM began to take root in China. Western hospitals, clinics, medical schools and nursing schools spread rapidly throughout the country. At that time, with the might and power portrayed by Western countries,

Effect of patient COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy on hospital care team perceptions

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic posed new challenges in patient care worldwide.Vaccinations,which have proven efficacious in lowering the COVID-19 hospital burden,are still avoided by large populations.We,therefore,hypothesized that hospital care teams would have worse perceptions regarding the characteristics and care of patients with vaccine hesitancy.AIM To evaluate whether patient vaccine hesitancy affected the hospital care team(HCT)perceptions.METHODS We performed a prospective clinical study using structured questionnaires.We approached physicians and nurses with previous experience caring for COVID-19patients from 11 medical centers across Israel during the fourth COVID-19 surge(September and October 2021).The participants completed a questionnaire with the following parts:(1)Sociodemographic characteristics;(2)Assessment of anger(STAXI instrument)and chronic workplace stress(Shirom-Melamed burnout measure);and(3)Three tools to assess the effect of patient vaccine hesitancy on the HCT perceptions(the difficult doctor-patient relation questionnaire,the medical staff perception of patient’s responsibility questionnaire and the characterological derogation questionnaire).Results were evaluated according to each part of the questionnaire and the questionnaire as a whole.Associations between HCT perceptions and their baseline characteristics,anger or chronic workplace stress were assessed.RESULTS The HCT experienced their relationship with unvaccinated patients as more difficult(P<0.001,Cohen’s d=0.85),perceived unvaccinated patients as responsible for their medical condition(P<0.001,d=1.39)and perceived vaccinated patients as having a higher character value(P<0.001,d=1.03).Unvaccinated patients were considered selfish(P<0.001),less mature(P<0.001)and less satisfying to care for(P<0.001).The relationship with unvaccinated patients was more difficult among HCT with higher burnout(r=0.37,n=66,P=0.002).No correlations with baseline characteristics were found.All three study tools showed high internal consistency(αbetween 0.72 and 0.845).CONCLUSION Our results should raise awareness of the possible effects of vaccine hesitancy on HCT perceptions regarding unvaccinated patients.In order to minimize the potential negative impact on patient care,designated departments should promote specific patient-centered preparations.Further investigations should assess whether vaccine hesitancy directly affects patient quality of care.

Knowledge levels and attitudes of health care professionals toward patients with hepatitis C infection

AIM:To study knowledge levels and attitudes of health care providers toward patients with hepatitis C virus infection in Guilan,a northern province of Iran.METHODS:This cross-sectional study was performed on 239 health care professionals from the Razi Hospital,including doctors,nurses,and operating room technicians.The questionnaires consisted of questions on demographic characteristics,knowledge levels,and attitudes toward hepatitis C patients.The questionnaire was tested in a pilot study and validated by Cronbach' s alpha coefficient.Data were analyzed using SPSS16 software.RESULTS:The mean ± SD knowledge score was 17.43 ± 2.65(from a total of 22).51.9% of the participants achieved scores higher than the mean.There was a significant relationship between knowledge score and age(P = 0.001),gender(P = 0.0001),occupational history(P = 0.0001),and educational history(P = 0.027).There was also a significant relationship between attitude level and age(P = 0.002),gender(P = 0.0001),occupational history(P = 0.0001),and educational history(P = 0.035).Physicians were significantly more knowledgeable and showed more positive attitudes.There was a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude scores(P = 0.02).CONCLUSION:Discriminatory attitudes are common among health care providers toward hepatitis C patients.It is therefore necessary to improve their knowledge level and attitude toward this disease.

The Introduction of Pharmaceutical Care in Psychiatric Outpatients in Community Pharmacy of the Northeast Region of Argentina

The purpose of this paper is to implement a pharmaceutical care program in psychiatric outpatients in a community pharmacy. Outpatients （536） with psychiatric treatment requiring the dispensing of medication prescribed by a psychiatrist were followed up in a community pharmacy, where different medicines were prescribed as PS （pharmaceutical specialties）, PC （pharmaceutical compounding） or both PS and PC. Each prescription was registered with details on a patient level. Also, three reporting sheets were designed： patients profile, patients monitoring and patients counseling. The total study population in the community pharmacy consisted of 536 outpatients： 357 （66.6%） females and 179 （33.4%） males. Most of the outpatients （78.5%） have health insurance, 50% correspond to public and 28.5% to private institution. The other patients （21.5%） do not have medical insurance. We also observed that the education level of these patients was： primary school 19.1%; high school 45.9%; college 15.3% and university 20.7%. Many patients had more than one psychiatric diagnosis, to whom were prescribed different medicines. All the medication studies on the charts were screened for prescriptions with antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs, starting on the date of first diagnosis made by a psychiatrist. The counseling to the patients was also registered. The possibility of the follow-up of these outpatients in the community pharmacy promoted the development of the psychiatric pharmacy and all advances in care for patients with mental health needs, working in closer collaboration with psychiatrists.

Towards an Effective Communication in the Care of Patients with Long Term Disease in Kenya via Cybernetic—A Systematic Review

In this paper, to effectively treat chronic disorders and improve the standard of care, effective communication between patients and healthcare professionals was essential. The aim of the study was to review the literature on how good communication might improve treatment outcomes for Kenyan patients with chronic and terminal illnesses and to determine whether Cybernetic electronic communication can improve those outcomes even more. We uncovered the history of treatment outcomes for chronic and terminal diseases in this research study, both with and without communication at the core of the patient’s care plan. We discussed the importance of good communication in the treatment of patients with chronic and terminal illnesses and why it is a momentous endeavor comparable to medical diagnosis and treatment for the long-term health of patients. To locate pertinent material for the background literature study, we carried out a comprehensive literature search. Although the preliminary literature review was a continuation of the introduction research, it also highlighted the paucity of local Kenyan literature and suggested that improved communication might help patients with chronic and terminal illnesses have better treatment outcome. Methodology maintained the literature search, as a systematic literature review focused on core of the study, making separate sections of the same body necessary. This ensured that a methodological literature search section is as comprehensive as possible. We used an integrated PRISM model to limit a comprehensive literature search and a systematic literature review design as part of the overall process. Non-probability sampling and snowball approaches on literary papers over the previous 17 years were used in this arrangement. Since this was a multidisciplinary study, the four experts who also serve as authors were chosen from within their respective fields of expertise to design the study. They created search strategies, generated key words, looked up keywords in database engines, assessed the results of the literature using the PRISMA logical model, looked over successful literature, and triangulated their findings. The conclusions of the experts individually revealed a convergence of thoughts, beliefs, and practices across. The study concluded that even though there isn’t much research done in Kenya on the same subject;what is available illustrates how crucial good communication is for patients with chronic illnesses. The study’s findings also highlighted the positive effects of effective communication between patients and healthcare professionals on treatment plan adherence, patient satisfaction, and overall health outcomes. The results also noted that in order to improve patient care and outcome, Kenyan healthcare workers should underscore developing their communication skills. The study also found that the incorporation of cybernetics is crucial if a truly effective communication is required so as to enable centered care for patients with long-term diseases in Kenya. The goal of the Cybernetics is to activate genuinely effective communication in the care of Patients with long-term disease in Kenya. This study is organized to begin with an abstract, followed by keywords, an introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, discussion, and finally conclusions.

Revolutionizing Healthcare—The Integration of Virtual Worlds, AR, and Metaverse Technology

This paper explores the transformative impact of virtual worlds, augmented reality (AR), and the metaverse in the healthcare sector. It delves into the ways these technologies are reshaping patient care, medical education, and research, while also addressing the challenges and opportunities they present. The paper highlights the potential benefits of these technologies and emphasizes the need for comprehensive regulatory frameworks and ethical guidelines to ensure responsible integration. Finally it outlines their transformative impact and discusses the challenges and opportunities they present for the future of healthcare provision.

Current state of cancer patient care incorporating Thai traditional medicine in Thailand: A qualitative study

Objective: To assess the current state of cancer treatment incorporating Thai traditional medicine(TTM)and to identify problems in the system, by using the health system framework of the World Health Organization.Methods: A qualitative study was conducted by interviewing three groups of people involved in the healthcare system. The groups were constructed via purposive sampling of patients with cancer, caregivers and service providers. The study groups included 37 individuals from five TTM hospitals. Indepth interviews were conducted from October 2017 to March 2018. The interview questions were developed based on the six building blocks of a health system framework. Free form answers from participants were analyzed and interpreted to develop the study conclusions.Results: All five TTM hospitals provided treatment to patients with cancer based on provincial public health policy. The policy allows patients with cancer to obtain TTM services in outpatient and inpatient departments and via home visits;most patients used outpatient services. The TTM services were primarily provided by TTM practitioners and included massage, herbal steam, herbal compress and meditation.Herbal medicines were widely used and included Benja-amarit, an anticancer formulation made from Wat Khampramong and Phytoplex. The problems included poor acceptance of TTM practitioners by other healthcare practitioners, lack of experience among TTM practitioners in treating patients with cancer,lack of herbal medicine research trials, contamination in herbal medicine preparations and absence of practical treatment guidelines.Conclusion: TTM is an alternative treatment modality for patients with cancer and is supported by a national policy in Thailand. To increase accountability to patients and other practitioners, TTM treatments should be refined to rely on scientific principles and practitioners of TTM should receive academic training. Practical treatment guidelines need to be established and thoroughly disseminated to TTM practitioners.

Transitional care interventions to reduce readmission in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease:A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective：To objectively assess the effect of transitional care on readmission for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Methods：The PubMed,Science Direct,Web of Science,Cochrane Library,CNKI,and Wanfang databases were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials（RCTs） published from January 1990 through April 2016.The quality of eligible studies was assessed by two investigators.The primary outcome assessed was readmission for COPD and all-cause readmission.The pooled effect sizes were expressed as the relative risk and standard mean difference with 95%confidence intervals.Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions（Version5.1.0） and determined with an I^2 statistic.Results：A total of seven RCTs that included 1879 participants who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed.The results of subgroup analysis showed significant differences in readmission for COPD at the6 month and 18 month time points and all-cause readmission at the 18 month follow-up.Transitional care could reduce readmission for COPD at the 6 month[RR = 0.51,95%CI（0.38,0.68）,P 〈 0.00001]and18 month time points[RR = 0.56,95%CI（0.45,0.69）,P 〈 0.00001,and also reduce all-cause readmission after 18 months[RR = 0.72,95%CI（0.62,0.84）,P 〈 0.0001].The reduction of all-cause readmission between the intervention and control groups in the 2nd year,however,was less than that in the 1st year.Conclusions：Transitional care is beneficial to reducing readmission for patients with COPD.Duration of≥ 6 and ≤ 18 months are more effective,and the effect weakens over intervention time,especially after the end of intervention.Both durations point to the importance of ongoing intervention and reinforcement after the end of intervention.

Logistic Regression Analysis and Nursing Interventions for High-risk Factors for Pressure Sores in Patients in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Objective： To investigate the risk factors related to the development of pressure sores in critically ill surgical patients and to establish a basis for the formulation of effective precautions. Methods： A questionnaire regarding the factors for pressure sores in critically ill surgical patients was created using a case control study with reference to the pertinent literature. After being exam- ined and validated by experts, the questionnaire was used to collect data about critically ill surgical patients in a grade A tertiary hospital. Among the 47 patients enrolled into the study, the 14 who developed nosocomial pressure sores were allocated to the pressure sore group, and the remaining 33 patients who met the inclusion criteria and did not exhibit pressure sores were allocated to the control group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to examine the differences in 22 indicators between the two groups in an attempt to identify the risk factors for pressure sores. Results： According to the univariate analyses, the maximum value of lactic acid in the arterial blood, the number of days of norepinephrine use, the number of days of mechanical ventilation, the number of days of blood purification, and the number of days of bowel incontinence were statistically greater in the pressure sore group than in the control group （P〈0.05）. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the number of days of norepinephrine use and the level of lactic acid in the arterial blood were high risk-factors for pressure sores （P〈0.05）. Conclusions： The best method for preventing and control pressure sores in surgical critically ill patients is to strongly emphasize the duration of the critical status and to give special attention to patients in a continuous state of shock. The adoption of measures specific to high-risk patient groups and risk factors, including the active control of primary diseases and the application of decompression measures during the treatment of the patients, are helpful for improving the quality of care in the prevention and control of pressure sores in critically ill patients.

Continuing Care for Older Patients During the Transitional Period

Background： The world is facing increasing pressure with the continuous growth of the older population. Older patients are usually discharged with complex medical problems, high stress and vulnerability, and these factors place the elderly at risk for poor outcomes. Purpose： The present review summarizes a method for providing appropriate and affordable health services by nursing professionals to meet older patient＇s health care needs during their transitional period which is defined as a period from discharge after hospitalization for a major disorder to recovery in a home setting. Summary： Older patients with chronic diseases need seamless health care during a transitional period-a highly stressful and vulnerable period for them. Nurse professionals can conduct decent discharge planning to assist older patients with transitional problems through continuous healthcare. This review summarized the need of continuing care for older patients during the transitional period, the definition of discharge planning, the conceptual framework of discharge planning, and the professionals involved in discharge planning. It also highlighted the problems of discharge planning and follow-up intervention implementation in the mainland of China. Clinical implications： Inadequate discharge planning and follow-up were leading factors associ- ated with the readmission of discharged older patients. Further nursing-led discharge planning should be reinforced in China.

Emergence of non-albicans Candida species and antifungal resistance in intensive care unit patients

Objective: To evaluate the epidemiology of candidiasis and the antifungal susceptibility profile of Candida species isolated from the intensive care unit(ICU) patients.Methods: The study used a qualitative descriptive design. Relevant samples depending on organ system involvement from 100 ICU patients were collected and processed.Identification and speciation of the isolates was conducted by the biochemical tests.Antifungal susceptibility testing was carried out as per CLSI-M27-A3 document.Results: Ninety Candida isolates were isolated from the different clinical samples: urine(43.3%), tracheal aspirate(31.1%), urinary catheter(12.2%), endotracheal tube(7.8%),abdominal drains(3.3%), sputum(2.2%). The incidence of candidiasis caused by nonalbicans Candida(NAC) species(63.3%) was higher than Candida albicans(36.7%).The various NAC species were isolated as: Candida tropicalis(41.1%), Candida glabrata(10%), Candida parapsilosis(6.7%), Candida krusei(3.3%) and Candida kefyr(2.2%). The overall isolation rate of Candida species from samples was 53.3%. Antifungal susceptibility indicated that 37.8% and 7.8% of the Candida isolates were resistant to fluconazole and amphotericin B, respectively.Conclusions: Predominance of NAC species in ICU patients along with the increasing resistance being recorded to fluconazole which has a major bearing on the morbidity and management of these patients and needs to be further worked upon.

Characteristics of Nursing Care for Terminally Ill Patients in Hospice/Palliative Care Unit

The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of nursing care for patient with terminally ill in the hospice/palliative care units. Semi-structured interviews on “communication, care, spiritual pain care and prediction of worsening of symptoms” were conducted, incorporating items indicated as important principles of palliative care by Lugton et al. Sixteen nurses at five hospice/ palliative care facilities in urban areas of Japan were surveyed in 2013, and results were analyzed qualitatively. Following characteristics by hospice/palliative care nurses (HPN) were categorized as [HPN sharing meaningful time with the patient] and [HPN’s continual attempts to understand the world in which the patient lives] in the communication;as [HPN providing comfortable care so that patients can value their last moments] and [HPN’s efforts to attend to patients so they can die as they hope to] in the care;and as [HPN’s observation in a range that does not interfere with the patient’s comfort] and [HPN senses that something is different from before] in the prediction of worsening of symptoms. Common characteristic was 【HPN’s support for patients approaching a natural death】. In this study, spiritual pain care was included in the communication and care, and could not be extracted alone. It was suggested that an HPN provides communication, care and prediction of worsening of symptoms with excellent judgment and technological competency, while placing importance on offering support for the patient’s natural death.

The Views of Family Members about Nursing Care of Psychiatric Patients Admitted at a Mental Hospital in Malawi

Family members of a mentally ill person play a crucial role in the recovery of their sick relative. They care for their sick relatives at home and in hospital. Some views of family members indicate that they get satisfaction from participating in nursing care of their sick relative. The aim of this study was to describe the views of family members about nursing care of psychiatric patients admitted at a mental hospital in Malawi. A qualitative study design was used and data were collected from ten participants through in-depth interviews. Ethical approval was granted by relevant authorities. Data were analysed using Colaizzi method. The findings fell into the following four themes that emerged: family participation in nursing care;nurses’ skills and experience in caring;respect for psychiatric patients and interactions and information sharing. This study offers valuable information about the views of families regarding nursing care of psychiatric patients. They are involved in the care of their sick relatives although there is lack of effective cooperation between them and nurses. The lack of collaboration made families receive inadequate information about their sick relative. Therefore, it is imperative that nurses are competent in implementing family involvement in nursing care.