One of many difficult issues in veterinary medicine is the assessment of an animal's experience of pain. As a licensed veterinary nurse in Sweden you are obligated by law to work by the concept of evidence based medicine. To achieve this the author of this study sees the need for standardized methods of pain assessment. A Swedish version of Short form of the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale (CMPS-SF) has recently been translated and developed. Furthermore, a psychometric validation needs to be performed to ensure its validity and reliability.

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine to what extent documentation of pain assessment with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) on patients with pain problems was carried out. The study also explored how the documentation followed the existing guidelines of pain. The material was analyzed with descriptive statistics and a qualitative content analysis. The results shows that 43,24 % of total 37 analyzed patient records contained documentation of pain with VAS on the day of hospitalization. All studied journals contained documentation of pain.

Elective joint surgery increases for every year and the operations are associated with postoperative pain. Postoperative pain is a well known phenomenon and pain physiology and analgesics are well known by caregivers, but the significance of the interaction between patient and caregiver is not illuminated. There are still patients experiencing unnecessary postoperative pain. Among patients in elective surgery, 25% runs a risk for underestimated pain. The aim of the study was to describe patient?s experiences of nursing interaction in the context of postoperative pain during hospitalisation after going through knee- or hiparthropasty.

Dementia is a concept that describes different conditions when memory and cognitive abilities degenerate. Approximately 140 000 persons in Sweden suffers from some kind of dementia. Many are stricken with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, BPSD. The aim of this study was to illuminate nursing staff?s experiences of caring for persons suffering from dementia and BPSD within municipal and institutional care.

Background: Examinations with the intent to assess neurological functions and level of conciousness are common in neurocritical care, but the effect on the patient is not entirely researched.Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe the patient?s situation at the neurological wake-up test concerning the environment, nursing interventions and the possibility given the patient to become awake, and if these conditions affect the outcome of the wake-up test.Methods: A quantitative observational study took place at a neurocritical care unit, where 20 patients were observed from interruption of sedation to the neurological assessment, which was performed by a neurosurgeon or a specialized critical care registered nurse. Nursing interventions, environmental factors and physiological parameters were documented.Result: Twelve intervention varieties to control patients? physiological parameters were used. CPP > 80 mmHg was found in 90 % of observations.

The aim with the literature study was to describe how persons with dementia and health care workers in the geriatric care experiences soft massage and to describe the derived effects for persons with dementia. Scientific articles were sampled from the databases: Medline (Pub Med), Cinahl and Psyc INFO. The main results of the study are presented in three parts: how persons with dementia experiences soft massage, health care workers experiences of giving soft massage and the health care workers descriptions on derived effects on persons with dementia. The results showed that persons with dementia experienced a positive reaction to soft massage and the health care workers did no longer feel helpless in their care service towards persons with dementia. The studies showed that soft massage decreased agitation, wandering, pain and sleeplessness.

Between 1999 and 2009, I followed three of my grandparents, all of whom suffered from dementia. Numerous times, when I visited them in their nursing homes, I was met by residents of the ward who were very unhappy. Through conversations at home with my family, I understood more and more that this was a commonly occurring problem at nursing homes. All too often it was solved with heavy medication, which made the residents tired and they slept more often.During my undergraduate education at Konstfack, I have reflected on whether I, as an interior designer and furniture designer, can have an influence on spaces and furniture so that dementia patients can experience greater calm and security. The idea is if that I perceive the environment as calm and secure, I will also be calm and secure.In my degree project, I want to study how interior design and furniture design can contribute to decreased agitation in people with dementia in nursing homes..

Background: The amount of elderly patients who?s suffering from dementhia increases every year. Many of these patients develop and decrease in their cognitive ability. The development can lead to people's communication skills deteriorate. It can be a problem for the nurse to communicate with these patients.

Elective joint surgery increases for every year and the operations are associated with postoperative pain. Postoperative pain is a well known phenomenon and pain physiology and analgesics are well known by caregivers, but the significance of the interaction between patient and caregiver is not illuminated. There are still patients experiencing unnecessary postoperative pain. Among patients in elective surgery, 25% runs a risk for underestimated pain. The aim of the study was to describe patient?s experiences of nursing interaction in the context of postoperative pain during hospitalisation after going through knee- or hiparthropasty.

Background: Examinations with the intent to assess neurological functions and level of conciousness are common in neurocritical care, but the effect on the patient is not entirely researched.Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe the patient?s situation at the neurological wake-up test concerning the environment, nursing interventions and the possibility given the patient to become awake, and if these conditions affect the outcome of the wake-up test.Methods: A quantitative observational study took place at a neurocritical care unit, where 20 patients were observed from interruption of sedation to the neurological assessment, which was performed by a neurosurgeon or a specialized critical care registered nurse. Nursing interventions, environmental factors and physiological parameters were documented.Result: Twelve intervention varieties to control patients? physiological parameters were used. CPP > 80 mmHg was found in 90 % of observations.

Background: The majority of patients requiring medical attention experience some degree of pain. The nurses´ assessment of pain is crucial in reducing the patients suffering in a proper and timely manner. Previous studies have shown that the treatment of pain in a emergency situation is poorly managed. The patients´ pain experience is often under assessed and undertreated which leads to increased suffering for the patient. This results in higher costs for the health care system due to prolonged hospitalization.

Nursing care of persons having dementia diseases affecting the frontal lobes, sets special demands on the staff, but the knowledge about how to best tailor nursing care is sparse. The aim of the study was to illuminate possibilities and difficulties in nursing care of persons having dementia diseases with frontal lobe dysfunction and was carried out as a descriptive, qualitative study, based on a review of medical records and interviews with nursing staff (n=10) that was analysed with qualitative content analysis. The difficulties were related to the patients lack of inhibition and judgement, anxiety, agitation, reduced ability to care for physical needs, egocentrism, imbalance between rest and activity, and depressed mood. The possibilities were seen in relation to the nursing staffs professional encounter, characterised by being distinct and consequent, being a step ahead, being flexible and catch the moment, being calm and create a positive atmosphere, being close and trusting and being and doing together. To receive continuous feedback and support was a prerequisite for the staffs? engagement.

Nursing care of persons having dementia diseases affecting the frontal lobes, sets special demands on the staff, but the knowledge about how to best tailor nursing care is sparse. The aim of the study was to illuminate possibilities and difficulties in nursing care of persons having dementia diseases with frontal lobe dysfunction and was carried out as a descriptive, qualitative study, based on a review of medical records and interviews with nursing staff (n=10) that was analysed with qualitative content analysis. The difficulties were related to the patients lack of inhibition and judgement, anxiety, agitation, reduced ability to care for physical needs, egocentrism, imbalance between rest and activity, and depressed mood. The possibilities were seen in relation to the nursing staffs professional encounter, characterised by being distinct and consequent, being a step ahead, being flexible and catch the moment, being calm and create a positive atmosphere, being close and trusting and being and doing together. To receive continuous feedback and support was a prerequisite for the staffs? engagement.

Introduction: Pain is a subjective experience. People subjected to pain often experience a reducedquality of life. Chronic pain is pain that has been going on for at least threemonths.Problem area: People with chronic pain are subjected to unnecessary suffering and disability. Therefore it is crucial that the nursing staff takes their situation seriously.Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe the patient's? experiences and apprehensionof living with chronic non-malignant pain, and how this affected their everydaylife.Method: Systematic analysis of 23 depicting articles.

Background: Multiple myeloma is a malignant incurable cancer disease associated with severe chronic pain. The nurse has several important roles in the management of patients with multiple myeloma. This study focuses on nurse´s roles including the caring of pain relief.Aim: The aim of this study was to elucidate the nurse?s role in giving care to patients with multiple myeloma and associated chronic pain.Method: This literature study was based on scientific articles.Results: The nurse is in a key position to facilitate ongoing adequate pain and psychosocial assessment of patients with multiple myeloma. The study presents ways of relieving pain and suffering via different ways of caring management.