International Journal of Nursing Knowledge

PURPOSE. To describe the experience of impaired verbal communication during short-term oral intubation in surgical critical care patients.

METHODS. Semi-structured interviews(N=10)

FINDINGS. Patients identified feelings related to discomfort, fear, and frustration. Patients desired to communicate messages regarding pain and discomfort, difficulty breathing, length of intubation, use of restraints, family, physical status, and suctioning.

CONCLUSION. Findings can be used to educate patients and families and develop patient-driven communication tools.

PURPOSE. To document nursing diagnoses on nursing care plans in an Australian context where NANDA nursing diagnoses were utilized.

METHODS. An audit of 198 nursing care plans at three selected hospitals by three university lecturers involved in teaching nursing diagnosis.

FINDINGS. Pain was the nursing diagnosis most often documented; the majority of other diagnoses pertained to physical problems experienced by patients.

CONCLUSIONS. The results of this research add to the knowledge of nursing diagnosis utilization and have implications for the provision of nursing care and its teaching and research.

PURPOSE. To examine the relationship among cognitive development, clinical knowledge, and clinical experience in nursing students.

METHODS. A survey of junior and senior baccalaureate nursing students from three Midwestern colleges (N = 55).

FINDINGS. Students' diagnostic ability increased as they gained clinical experience and clinical knowledge. However, students failed to identify many nursing diagnoses and demonstrated only moderate levels of cognitive development.

CONCLUSIONS. Nurse educators and nursing students need to change their approaches to teaching and learning to enhance students' diagnostic ability and cognitive development.

TOPIC. Nursing assessment of altered sexuality.

PURPOSE. To review salient factors affecting assessment and objective measures available for use in assessment.

SOURCE. Literature specific to nursing assessment of sexuality and to instruments measuring altered sexuality.

CONCLUSIONS. Many standards of care include the assessment of sexuality, and nurses believe it to be an important aspect of care. However, the assessment of altered sexuality does not often occur in actual practice. The use of an objective measure of sexuality is recommended for both initial and on-going assessments in acute-care and community-based settings.