Support provided by nurses to parents of hospitalized childrencultural adaptation and validation of Nurse Parent Support Tool and initial research resultsIntroduction: Child's illness and hospitalisation are difficult and stressful situations both for the patients themselves and for their parents. Supporting the ill child and their guardians is an indispensable element of caring for ill children. The Nurse-Parent Support Model developed by Margaret Miles is based on four elements, namely emotional support, appraisal support, informational support and instrumental support. Aim: The aim of the research was (i) cultural adaptation and validation of The Nurse-Parent Support Tool into Polish and (ii) initial assessment of parents' perception of nursing support given to the parents of children hospitalised in five paediatric wards in Poland. Material and method: Quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted in a group of 195 parents of children hospitalised in five different hospital wards in eastern Poland. Results and conclusions: Theoretical validity of the fourfactor version of NPST is proved by the correlation matrix analysis and inter-correlation between the dimensions of the described tool as well as the analysis of the internal structure of the test verified on the basis of its internal validity which also confirms its reliability. However, theoretical validity of the test is not confirmed by the factor analysis whose results indicate that the tool encompasses two factors that explain 58.5% of variances. Respondents rated instrumental support provided by the nurses the highest, appraisal and informational support were rated slightly lower, and emotional support was rated the lowest. Negative correlation between the level of stress and emotional support (r = À0.35), informational support (r = À0.29) and support in general (r = À0.30) was demonstrated. Polish four-factor version of NPST is recommended only for international comparative analyses, whereas the use of two-factor version of NPST is recommended for national research programmes. The level of support given to the parents of children hospitalised in Poland seems to be unsatisfactory.

Introduction. Depressive disorders are one of the most common psychiatric disorders. Recognition of signs of mental health disorders is not always easy, hence the availability of simple and accurate tools for assessing them is very important in the practice of primary care. Objective. The aim of the study is to assess the theoretical accuracy and reliability of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in Polish conditions, when applied to general population studies for adults aged between 35-64. Materials and method. The study comprised a population of 4,040 people. Women constituted 59% of the research population and people living in the countryside 65%. The average age of participants was 53.45 ± 7.05 years. According to PHQ-9, 727 people (18.0%) had moderate, moderate to severe or severe depression. PHQ-9 showed a significant positive internal cohesion (Cronbach's alpha = 0.77), and factor charges oscillated between 0.43-0.63, and the R 2 coefficients of determination were in the range of 0.21-0.40. Conclusions. The Polish version of PHQ-9 is a valid tool for diagnosing depression in the general population aged 35-64. Good psychometric properties and compactness make the PHQ-9 a useful clinical and research tool.

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BackgroundA program of immunization that ensures optimal development of acquired immunity should be carried out in all healthy newborns. The aim of the present study was to verify, at 2.5–3 years after the last dose of basic vaccination, if preschool children who have been delivered preterm and at term differ in their levels of post-vaccination protective antibodies.Material/MethodsHumoral response was assessed in 352 children (mean age: 5.22±0.34 years) who received a series of obligatory vaccinations in the period from birth to 2.5–3 years of age. Antibodies (in IgG class) against vaccine antigens – diphtheria (D), tetanus (T), pertussis (P), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), poliomyelitis (IPV), measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) – were measured using ELISA. The level of antibodies against hepatitis B (HBV) was assessed by chemiluminescence.ResultsAll children had been immunized according to the Polish National Vaccination Program. The group of 352 children eligible for the study included 46 (13.1%) preschoolers delivered preterm (32–36 weeks of gestation), and 306 (86.9%) born at term (37–42 weeks of gestation). All children maintained seroprotective antibody levels against polioviruses type 1, 2, and 3 (>12 mIU/mL), and against measles antigens (>300 U/mL). No statistically significant differences were found in the proportions of preschoolers born preterm and at term who were seroprotected against other vaccine antigens.ConclusionsAmong preschool children who were immunized according to chronological age, those we were born late preterm do not seem to differ in vaccine-induced immunity from those who were born full-term.

Introduction. The professional image of a nurse which is influenced by a whole variety of factors is the main subject of this work. The social attitudes toward nurses are related to people’s own beliefs, opinions, stereotypes, as well as the nurses’ professional, personal and interpersonal skills. The proper image of a nurse is very important. Patients are becoming increasingly demanding toward nurses which poses new challenges for nurses attempting at creating a positive image of this profession. Aim. The aim of this work was to elicit the opinions about nurses’ work from parents of children hospitalized on the oncologic ward. Material and methods. The authors used a questionnaire of their own making and conducted a literature analysis. The literature review was made using the data taken from Main Medical Library. The research group consisted of 50 parents of children hospitalized in Oncology, Hematology and Child Transplantology Department in Lublin. All the parents were advised about the aim of the study and informed that the questionnaire is anonymous and voluntary. The obtained results have then undergone a statistical analysis, using a Chi2 test. Statistical significance was reached at the level of p<0.05. Results. The most important factors affecting the professional image of a nurse are as follows: the parent’s sex, their place of residence, nurse’s appearance, as well as the following traits: being nice, protective and friendly. Discussion. The image of a nurse as someone who is smiling, friendly and calm appears to be the closest to an ideal picture of such a professional. This pertains not only to parents but to the society as a whole. The nurse should pay attention to patients’ physical needs and expectations, as well as their spiritual side. Conclusions. The researched group provided a positive opinion about the work of nurses at the Department. They paid special attention to their being nice, protective and friendly. It is the nurses’ physical appearance that sheds a positive light on them, as competent and friendly professionals. Even though most people perceive nursing as a rather unattractive profession, there is a huge deal of respect for nurses.

Introduction and objective. The aim of the study was assessment of the internal consistency and accuracy of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-40 v. GP (ISEL-40 v. GP) in a group of mothers of healthy children and in a group of mothers of children with a medical history, and presentation of the initial research results. Materials and method. A group of 230 mothers were involved in the research: 57 mothers of healthy children, 26 mothers of infants with a perinatal medical history, as well as 147 mothers of hospitalized children. The method of a diagnostic survey with standardized tools, such as the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-40 v. GP), Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) and the authors' own questionnaire was utilized. Results. Analysis of the research results suggests satisfactory internal consistency of the ISEL-40 v. GP in the researched group (α=0.86). It was also noticed that internal consistency of the subscales varied. The subscales of tangible support (α=0.79) and belonging support (α=0.73) obtained acceptable values. Internal consistency of self-esteem support (α=0.51) and appraisal support (α=0.62) was too low to be recommended for individual and scientific use. An attempt to modify the number of items did not come up to expectations in terms of the subscales internal consistency. Social support in mothers of healthy and ill children was moderate (29.92-33.45 points) and no statistically significant differences in their perception of the support were observed. Conclusions. In the research on a group of mothers of healthy and ill children it is recommended to use only a social support indicator based on the general result of the ISEL-40 v. GP. Further research aimed at verification of the theoretical structure of the Polish version of the ISEL-40 v. GP is advised.

Introduction and objective. An important role in the pathogenesis of asthma in children is played by individual parameters and environmental factors, in particular, those related to the place of residence. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the living environment on the basic demographic and clinical parameters of preschool children with IgE-dependent asthma Materials and method. 176 children (126 from urban and 52 from rural areas) aged 5.22±0.34 years, with newly-diagnosed IgE-dependent asthma, hospitalised at the Clinic for Lung Diseases and Paediatric Rheumatology of the Prof. Antoni Gębala Children's Hospital of Lublin, were qualified for the study. Medical documentation of the children was analysed, including the implementation of vaccinations. Due to the clinical form of the disease, patients were separated into groups with mild, moderate and severe asthma. Results. No statistically significant differentiation was observed between age and current body weight and height of the children. Similarly, gender and the clinical form of asthma were not significantly correlated with the place of residence. Children with asthma, at the time of exacerbation symptoms of the disease, living in a city, significantly more often (p <0.05) were treated with antibiotics in the hospital during hospitalization, while the value of OR (5.08) indicated that the rural environment enforces more frequent use of OGCs during asthma exacerbation therapy. In children from the urban environment, there was a significant correlation between the current body weight and serum calcium concentration, as well as a negative statistically significant correlation between the current body weight and serum selenium concentration. Conclusions. Residence does not determine the clinical course of IgE-dependent asthma in preschool children.

Aim: To describe the relationship between quality of life (QOL) and cigarette smoking among lung cancer patients as measured by the functional and lung cancer symptom scale. Design: Data for this exploratory study were collected using a cross-sectional model. Methods: The research sample consisted of 198 patients from six hospitals in Slovakia. Two questionnaires were used in this study, the EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 3) and its module EORTC QLQ-LC13. Results: The average age of respondents was 60.28 (SD ± 13.83). 40% of patients were current smokers, 39% were former smokers, and 21% were non-smokers. Global health status and physical functioning were better among non-smokers in comparison with former smokers and current smokers. Significant differences were found in symptomspain, dyspnoea, coughing, haemoptysis, dysphagia, pain in chest, and pain in other parts, all of which were worse among current smokers and former smokers in comparison with non-smokers. Conclusion: Smoking seems to be a risk factor that has an impact on the quality of life of the patients with lung cancer. It is necessary to improve interventions focusing on prevention and overcoming of addiction to smoking in a multidisciplinary context.