Gerontological care in nursing homes receives little interest from students and newly qualified nurses alike. Yet, this population does have ever-more complex needs that call for a wide array of nursing competencies. This article highlights the essential contributions of registered nurses in the context of nursing homes and is part of a research study aimed at grasping the nature of caring for elders. The researchers used the methodology inspired from activity analysis using focus groups. Situations identified by the respondents as being disruptive have been looked at in cross-perspective. The results show that the work carried out by the registered nurses constitutes the linchpin of institutional functioning. Their contribution consists of coordinating all the activities that take place, while striving to make them relevant to the caretakers, residents, and their relatives. This key role comprises three fields of activities: organizational and innovative activities; autonomous, person-centered activities; and ethical tension management activities. By helping to meet the daily challenges pertaining to the care and monitoring of very old people and by dealing with situations that are often tragic, they carry out tasks that are stimulating on human, intellectual, and relational levels.
A questionnaire assessing the satisfaction of children with their hospital stay has been developed and tested with 136 children (aged 6-12 years) at 2 Swiss hospital sites. Three out of 4 children were satisfied overall with their hospital stay. Their relationships with the professional medical staff, explanations they received, games they played, and environment, all received positive evaluations. The most critical points were pain, fear, and the absence of relatives. Ninety percent of the children appreciated that their opinions were sought. These results reinforce the importance of having questionnaires available for the children to consider their opinions to enhance the quality of care.
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