Objectives To determine the predictors and level of social participation and depressive symptoms within the context of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate if the residence and type of housing had a moderating role in the relationship between social participation and depressive symptoms. Methods This cross-sectional, comparative, and correlational study was conducted on a sample of 299 participants. Research instruments used in this study included: socio-demographic questionnaire, the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Maastricht Social Participation Profile, and Mini-Mental State Exam. Results Social participation was found to contribute negatively to symptoms of depression (β = -0.245, p < .01), with a higher level of depression being found in older adults living in nursing homes (β = -0.152, p < .05). Conclusions The study confirmed a strong relationship between social participation and depressive symptoms in the COVID-19 pandemic.

This retrospective study provides an insight into the levels of radiation exposure of six nuclear medicine (NM) staff (four technologists and two nurses) performing routine diagnostic 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) at the University Clinical Centre of the Republic of Srpska, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Thyroid Disorders, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Data analysis included monthly staff exposure measured with personal thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) between June and December 2018, quantified in terms of normalised dose for the whole body [Hp(10)] and dominant hand [Hp(0.07)] and their comparison between each staff member and between the two groups (technologists and nurses). The study goal was to establish how our Department compared with reports from other PET/CT centres worldwide in terms of annual number of procedures and exposure limits and whether there could be room for further improvements in radiation protection. The number of procedures rose considerably from 208 in 2016 to 876 in 2019 and was 423 in the observed seven-month period. Mean individual whole-body exposure dose per GBq of injected 18F-FDG activity, [Hp(10)/A] was 18.55 μSv/GBq for the four technologists and 15.61 μSv/GBq for the two nurses. Mean dominant-hand exposure dose per GBq of injected 18F-FDG activity [Hp(0.07)/A] was 16.99 μSv/GBq and 25.44 μSv/GBq for the two groups, respectively. The average annual cumulative dose for all staff was (1.06±0.29) mSv for Hp(10) and (1.15±0.32) mSv for Hp(0.07). These results are comparable with those of similar studies. Staff doses were well below the annual limits. Nurses received slightly higher extremity doses than technologists. In view of the increasing trends in the number of PET/CT procedures, dose monitoring should be continued to identify exposure hotspots and maintain doses as low as possible.

Ovo je dovelo da nezvanična himna sestara bude ču-vena pjesma "I can't get no satisfaction" benda Rollingstones.Medicinske sestre predstavljaju temelj zdravstvenih ustanova, te je njihova svakodn.evna aktivnost veoma složena i zahtjevna što često na pravi pogled može i da zavara.U svakodnevnom radu pored stručnog znanja i vještina koje primjenjuju, bitan segment njihovog rada je i komunikacija. Komunkacija sa pacijentima i njihovom porodicom sa jedne strane, sa druge strane komunikacija sa ljekarima i drugim zdravstvenim radnicima i zaposlenima u zdravstvu. Komunikacija se odvija na relaciji sa osobljem istog, višeg ili nižeg nivoa obrazovanja, pa su često u situaciji da razgovor moraju prilagoditi sagovorniku na adekvatan način što nekad iziskuje dodatno vrijeme i napor. A da bi to mogle da sprovode, naravno moraju imati adekvatno znanje, obrazovanje i kulturološke vještine. Takođe su bitna spona u komunikaciji između pacijenta i doktora.Da bi medicinske sestre efi kasno obavljale svakodnevne zadatke, veoma je bitno da se očuva zadovoljstvo bavljenja sestrinstvom, kao profesijom što često bude stavljeno na zadnje mjesto ili potpuno zaboravljeno.Od 2008. godine i u Republici Srpskoj se promovišu diplomirane medicinske sestre koje još uvijek nisu involvirane u zdravstveni sistem. Položaj diplomiranih medicinskih sestara u sistemu zdravstva Republike Srpske odraz je stanja u zdravstvu, koje diplomirane medicinske sestre subjektivno doživljavaju frustrirajućim, bilo zbog odnosa sa drugim kolegama ili zbog vrednovanja sestrinstva u sistemu i društvu.Ukoliko ovo zanimanje ne bude dovoljno atraktivno, postavlja se pitanje kako zainteresovati mlade ljude da upisuju studij zdravstvene njege i kako će funkcionisati sistem koji će u skoroj budućnosti biti konfrontiran sa velikim defi citom diplomiranih medicinskih sestara. Do- Problemi diplomiranih medicinskih sestara u svakodnevnoj praksiDuška Jović 1 , Darija Knežević 1 , Nataša Egeljić-Mihailović 2 SAŽETAKZnačaj diplomirane medicinske sestre u Republici Srpskoj još uvijek nije dovoljno prepoznat i može se reći da je uloga medicinske sestre u regionu i kod nas, potcijenjena. U zdravstvenom sistemu Republike Srpske još ne postoji sistematizacija kojom bi se defi nisale uloge medicinskih sestara sa različitim nivoima obrazovanja. To dovodi do animoziteta između diplomiranih sestara i drugih članova tima zdravstvene njege, a najveću štetu trpe pacijenti. Cilj ove studije je sagledavanje objektivnih, svakodnevnih radnih problema diplomiranih medicinskih sestara u Republici Srpskoj i njihovo poređenje sa sličnim ili istim problemima sa kojima se susreću diplomirane medicinske sestre pri radu u drugim zemljama. Upotrijebljena je metodu pregleda literature u međunarodnim bazama podataka u periodu od 21.12.2014 do 31.12.2014. Glavni problema sa kojima se diplomirane medicinske sestre susreću u svakodnevnom radu su: povezanost medicinske sestre i pacijenta, odnos broja medicinskih sestara na broj pacijenata, komunikacija između medicinske sestre i ljekara, međusobni odnos između...

Introduction. The aim of the study was to examine the correlation between subjective well-being and quality of life of the elderly in relation to their demographic characteristics, health, social and financial status. Methods. The study sample was comprised of 159 subjects of both sexes and of older age. The respondents underwent research in Banja Luka in the premises of the Association of Pensioners of the Republic of Srpska, senior citizens' clubs when coming to some of financial institutions to get help, to open bank accounts etc., as well as in the premises where pensioners gather to socialize and communicate. The survey questionnaire developed for the purpose of the paper and adapted to this population was used in the study. The survey questionnaire consisted of the following elements: sociodemographic data, self-assessment concerning the quality of life and Quality of Life Scale for the Elderly. Results. The study included a total of 159 subjects, 56.6% males and 43.4% females, of whom the majority were 65-75 years old (67.3%). The average health status (M = 2.17; SD = 0.68) was higher than the expected value, while the social status (M = 1.93; SD = 0.60) and the social needs (M = 1.91; SD = 0.72) were slightly lower compared to theoretical mean. Furthermore, the financial status had an average value (M = 2.08; SD = 0.59). The distribution of social needs was unsatisfactory. The obtained value of the Self-Perceived Quality of Life Scale was within the range of the theoretical mean values (M = 5.54, SD = 2.47), indicating that the distribution of the obtained quality of life values was symmetrical. Conclusion. Financial status significantly affects the quality of life of the elderly. The distribution of social needs is unsatisfactory. The level of education significantly affects the quality of life: highly educated respondents have a better health, social and financial status compared to the elderly with a lower level of education.