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Introduction: Nurses became the largest medical group exposed to direct contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In this study, we aimed to assess the readiness and motivation for vaccination, as well as the use of sources of information and attitudes toward vaccination depending on the psychological profile. Material and methods: A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted. The study included 145 novice nurses from 8 medical universities who completed 3-year undergraduate studies. Women constituted 97.2% of the respondents (N = 141). The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Brief Resilient Coping Scale, and an original questionnaire were used. Variables were analyzed with descriptive statistics methods. A p-value of

(1) Lockdown-related fatigue occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic is a complex problem that can be experienced in different social groups. The objective of the current study is to attempt to identify socio-demographic and lifestyle-related factors that determine the impact of fatigue on health in general as well as in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial terms and to determine whether, and to what extent, these were predictors of fatigue in nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) The study was conducted by the diagnostic poll method between 20 March and 15 December 2021 among 894 nursing students at six Polish universities. To collect the data, a validated Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) was used. (3) Students from the age group of ≤20 experienced a significantly greater impact of fatigue on health in general as well as in physical and cognitive terms. The study demonstrated a significant negative relationship between the year of study and the impact of fatigue on health in general terms (r = −0.12; p < 0.0001) and the analyzed health terms, on physical (r = −0.12; p < 0.0001), cognitive (r = −0.10; p < 0.002), and psychosocial (r = −0.07; p < 0.041). In predicting the impact of fatigue on health in general and physical terms, it was the variable related to a reduction in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic that had the greatest contribution, while for the cognitive and psychosocial functions, it was the number of meals consumed per day. (4) It is recognized that action is needed to reduce the impact of fatigue on student health by modifying the predictors related to student lifestyles.

Aim The aim of the study was to assess the influence of the number of hours of daily nursing care for NHPPD in medical departments on missed care and the correlation between NHPPD and in-hospital mortality. Background Patient mortality can be a consequence of missed care as it correlates with the nurse-patient ratio. One of the methods to measure missed care is the Nursing Hours per Patient Day rating. Methods The study sample included 44,809 patients including 971 deaths in 8 wards. The influence of nursing hours, nursing education, and the percentage of patients' classification on in-hospital mortality were evaluated with backward stepwise linear regression. Results One hour added to the average NHPPD in medical departments was related to a decrease in mortality rate by 6.8 per 1,000 patient days and a lower chance for the emergence of unplanned death by 36%. Conclusions The number of NHPPD and the percentage of professional nurses are factors influencing missed care and in-hospital mortality. Implications for nursing management The severe consequences of missed care, that is mortality, and the correlation between in-hospital mortality, nursing education and nursing-patient ratio, which are indicators of care quality, are arguments for maintaining adequate staffing levels to avoid missed care.

Background: Readmissions are adverse, costly, and potentially preventable. The study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of reducing readmissions resulting from missed care, depending on the level of education of nurses, from the perspective of the service provider. Methods: We calculated missed care resulting in additional readmissions based on the longitudinal study conducted between 2012 and 2014, as well as readmissions that could have been potentially prevented by adding a 10% increase in hours of nursing care provided by BSN/MSc nurses for 2014. The cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) was performed to calculate the cost-effectiveness of preventing one hospitalization in non-surgical and surgical wards by increasing the number of nursing hours provided by BSN/MSc nurses. Cost–benefit analysis (CBA) was performed, and the CBR (cost–benefit ratio) and BCR (benefit–cost ratio) were calculated. Results: Increasing the number of hours of nursing care (RN) by 10% decreased the chance for an unplanned readmission by 11%; (OR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.78−1.01; p = 0.08) in non-surgical wards and 43% (OR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.49−0.67; p < 0.001) in surgical wards. In non-surgical wards, the number of readmissions that were preventable with extra hours provided by BSN/MSc nurses was 52, and the cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) was USD 226.1. The number of preventable readmissions in surgical wards was 172, and the CER was USD 54.96. In non-surgical wards, the CBR was USD 0.07, while the BCR was USD 1.4. In surgical wards, the CBR was USD 0.02, and the BCR was USD 4.4. Conclusions: The results of these studies broaden the understanding of the relationship among nursing education, patient readmission, and the economic outcomes of hospital care. According to the authors, the proposed intervention has an economic justification. Hence, the authors recommend it for approval by the service provider.

This study aimed to investigate the mediatory role of emotional control with respect to the control of anger, depression, and anxiety in the relationship between positive orientation and tiredness/fatigue occurring in a group of Polish nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included 894 nursing students from six universities in Poland. A diagnostic survey was applied as the research method, and the data were collected using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS) and the Positive Orientation Scale (SOP). The mean participant age was 20.73 years (SD = 1.81). More than half of the students in the study showed a low level of positive orientation. Correlational analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between positive orientation and tiredness/fatigue experienced by the students participating in the study (r = −0.336; p < 0.001), and correlation between positive orientation and the overall emotional control index (r = −0.317; p < 0.001), and the indices of control of anger (r = −0.154; p < 0.01), depression (r = −0.376; p < 0.001), and anxiety (r = −0.236; p < 0.01). Analysis of the results also revealed the occurrence of significant, positive links between the controlled emotions and their components and the tiredness/fatigue experienced by nursing students. It is important to take action associated with the prevention of tiredness/fatigue among students and to reinforce a positive orientation and the capacity to control emotions to effectively minimize the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing students.

(1) Background: An individual’s health status can be perceived as a consequence of their health behaviours. This research aimed to determine the intensity of health-promoting behaviours and to identify factors determining the health behaviours of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: This study included 894 nursing students from six universities in Poland, and it was conducted between 20 March and 15 December 2021. A diagnostic survey was applied as the research method, and the data were collected using the Health Behaviour Inventory and the Satisfaction With Life Scale. (3) Results: Nearly half of the students participating in the study (48.43%) declared that the intensity of their general health behaviours was low. A positive and significant correlation (r = 0.426) was found between general health behaviours and satisfaction with life. A regression model demonstrated general satisfaction with life to be a predictor of taking up health-related behaviours (18%; β = 0.34), as well as in terms of proper eating habits (4%; β = 0.15), prophylactic behaviours (6%; β = 0.21), positive mental attitudes (26%; β = 0.44) and applied pro-health practices (10%; β = 0.25). (4) Conclusions: Most nursing students showed low levels of health-promoting behaviours. More research is needed on health behaviours and their determinants among nursing students, as it may be important in explaining the mechanisms of health behaviour formation.

COVID-19 vaccination raises numerous concerns among the public, and also among medical personnel including nurses. As nurses play a crucial role in the process of vaccination, it is important to recognize the attitudes of students of nursing, nurses in spe, toward COVID-19 vaccination, as well as to define the factors influencing students’ pro-vaccine choices. The study was conducted between March and April 2021 at all medical universities in Poland educating nurses in spe. The study included 793 first-degree students from 12 universities. The results revealed that the vast majority of students of nursing (77.2%) were vaccinated against COVID-19, as 61.2% received an mRNA vaccine and 16% a viral vector vaccine. Every other person in the non-vaccinated group declared their intention to get a vaccination. A trend was observed whereby people co-living with persons from the risk group, who are at risk of a severe form of COVID-19, showed greater willingness to get a vaccine. The study results identified the role of universities in increasing the vaccination rate among students, both in terms of education about vaccinations and in shaping pro-vaccine attitudes among students, as well as organizing vaccinations on university campuses to facilitate the process.

Background Work patterns are important factors in employees’ decisions to change their job or leave their profession. The majority of nurses in Poland are women who play other social roles besides work. For this reason, satisfaction with their work patterns including input into work schedules, has a particularly significant impact on considering the idea of quitting their job. Material and Methods The study was conducted in 2008–2011 in 8 out of 10 higher education institutions which train nurses. Data obtained from 1045 questionnaires collected from a total of 1049 respondents from 3 randomly selected higher education institutions was used in this research paper. The relationship between the qualitative features and dichotomus quality features under examination was assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Results The results of the univariate logistic regression indicate that the risk of quitting increases to the highest extent with a mixed work pattern; it is lower for 12/24 h, and slightly lower for 2 day/night shifts. Conclusions A pattern with a single day shift was adopted as the reference level to reduce the risk of Polish nurses’ quitting their job. Med Pr. 2018;70(2):145–53

Background: Shift work is the basis for health care system functioning. The non-standard schedules enforce abrupt changes in the timing of sleep and light-dark exposure. It can contribute to the increased risk of various medical conditions, including reproductive and sexual health issues. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of shift work with night shifts on midwives’ reproductive and sexual health. Methods: This cross-sectional, exploratory study included 520 midwives. A descriptive questionnaire was distributed in person (414) and online (106) from July 2019 to May 2020. We used the Female Sexual Function Index (PL-FSFI) standardized questionnaire and proprietary research tools (applicable to demographic and social data and reproductive health). All statistical calculations were performed with the IBM SPSS 23 statistical package. Results: Shift work affects midwives’ reproductive and sexual health. Midwives working night shifts are more likely to experience reproductive problems and sexual dysfunctions. The most pronounced differences are observed in the experience of infertility and the number of miscarriages. PL-FSFI results clearly showed the adverse impact of working shifts including night shifts on functioning in various dimensions of sexual health. Conclusion: Shift work negatively affects reproductive and sexual health and causes work-life conflict experience. It is necessary to develop procedures that minimize shift rotation and implement work schedules that allow for recuperation or rest and ensure proper family and social life.

Background: Informed consent is important in clinical practice, as a person’s written consent is required prior to many medical interventions. Many informed consent forms fail to communicate simply and clearly. The aim of our study was to create an easy-to-understand form. Methods: Our assessment of a Polish-language plastic surgery informed consent form used the Polish-language comprehension analysis program (jasnopis.pl, SWPS University) to assess the readability of texts written for people of various education levels, and this enabled us to modify the form by shortening sentences and simplifying words. The form was re-assessed with the same software and subsequently given to 160 adult volunteers to assess the revised form’s degree of difficulty or readability. Results: The first software analysis found the language was suitable for people with a university degree or higher education, and after revision and re-assessment became suitable for persons with 4–6 years of primary school education and above. Most study participants also assessed the form as completely comprehensible. Conclusions: There are significant benefits possible for patients and practitioners by improving the comprehensibility of written informed consent forms.

Background. The working environment of nurses is associated with the presence of many stressors, for instance working the night shift and sleep deprivation, which may impair the secretion of various substances, such as prolactin, cortisol or cytokines. One of the groups particularly exposed to stress due to the specificity of work is oncological nurses.Aim. The aim of this work is to undertake an attempt at assessing the impact of work environment on psychological and biochemical parameters of occupational exposure to stress among nurses and to examine mutual correlations between the studied variables.Design and participants. Cross-sectional research design with the study group consisting of 90 registered nurses including 60 nurses working in oncology units and 30 primary health care nurses,Method. A diagnostic survey was used to collect psychological and socio-demographic data. The following research tools were used: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) and the authors' questionnaire. Also, serum levels of cortisol, prolactin, C-reactive protein, tumour necrosis factor α, interleukin 6 and urine cortisol levels were assessed.Results. Psychological parameters significantly correlate with selected biochemical variables. A higher level of trait anxiety was associated with higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines in serum and a higher level of cortisol in urine.Conclusions. This study provides evidence that work-related stress is associated with selected proinflammatory cytokines and hormones. There are psychological strategies and relaxation techniques which nurses should use as they significantly reduce the level of perceived stress and positively influence the values of the biochemical markers of stress.

Background Achieving high quality care through full use of potential stemming from the use of the principles of evidence based practice (EBP) requires adequate shaping of student attitudes toward EBP already at an early stage of education, as well as teaching in the scope of knowledge and skills essential to apply EBP in future professional work. Therefore, nursing educators need a tool to assess competency in EBP. This study aims to present the adaptation of the psychometric test and setting norms to the Polish version of the Evidence Based Practice Competence Questionnaire (EBP-COQ_P). Methods Poland-wide multicentre study, cross-sectional validation design, a representative sample of 1636 nursing students. The EBP-COQ_P was validated in terms of content validity through an expert review. The EBP-COQ_P was administered to evaluate test reliability and validity. Settings norms for the Polish nurse population were also done. Results Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that 25 items are grouped into three categories which define competences related to EBP: attitude, knowledge, and skills. Cronbach's alpha was 0.856 for the entire questionnaire. EBP-COQ_P had good parameters of absolute stability. EBP-COQ_P was also characterized with external construct validity. Measurement with the use of EBP-COQ_P allowed for a good differentiation of the respondents in terms of their expertise in EBP (known-groups validity). Conclusions In terms of reliability and validity, EBP-COQ_P is compared with its original version. EBP-COQ_P may be used in educational practice (graduate and postgraduate education). Polish norms set for a representative group of nursing students may serve as a benchmark for the results obtained from individual and group measurements.

Celem pracy jest analiza sytuacji prawnej udzielania zgody pacjenta na podanie produktu leczniczego. Zgoda ta stanowi warunek legalności ingerencji w integralnośc psychiczną i fizyczną czlowieka. Zgodnie z wymogami prawa, niezbedne jest wyrazenie przez pacjenta zgody w sposob nie budzący jakichkolwiek wątpliwości natury prawnej. Omawiany temat ma wymiar praktyczny w odniesieniu do zawodu pielegniarki, ktora na co dzien zmierza sie z dylematami prawno-etycznymi związanymi z prawami pacjenta. Elementem profesjonalizmu w dzialaniu zawodowym jest znajomośc zasad prawnych odnoszących sie miedzy innymi do sposobu i formy wyrazania zgody na udzielenie świadczenia zdrowotnego. W pracy dokonano przeglądu roznych sytuacji, w ktorych element zgody pacjenta na podanie leku nabiera wyjątkowej wagi, czyli podania leku stosowanego poza wskazaniami rejestracyjnymi (off-label) oraz podania leku osobie maloletniej.

Mobbing w miejscu pracy staje sie problemem, nad ktorym coraz wiekszą uwage skupiają eksperci zajmujący sie bezpieczenstwem pracy. Do przyczyn sprzyjających wystepowaniu zjawiska mobbingu zalicza sie czynniki spoleczne, cechy kierującego organizacją, szczegolną pozycje spoleczną pokrzywdzonego. Przemoc w miejscu pracy polega na manipulacji osoby poszkodowanej w celu jej emocjonalnego wyniszczenia. Skutki mobbingu ponosi ofiara, rodzina, przedsiebiorstwo oraz spoleczenstwo. Celem pracy byla ocena przyczyn, form i skutkow mobbingu wśrod pracownikow ochrony zdrowia.

Wstep. Pielegniarki odgrywają zasadniczą role w identyfikacji oraz ograniczaniu ryzyka problemow zdrowotnych i spolecznych swoich świadczeniobiorcow. Zakres ich kompetencji obejmuje szereg zadan wynikających z pelnionej przez nie funkcji profilaktycznej. Cel. Celem niniejszej pracy bylo uzyskanie odpowiedzi na pytanie, czy jezykiem terminologii referencyjnej Miedzynarodowej Klasyfikacji Praktyki Pielegniarskiej (ICNP®) mozna opisac interwencje pielegniarskie związane z szeroko pojetą profilaktyką? Wyniki. Pojecie „profilaktyka” stanowi termin nadrzedny w stosunku do prewencji, w zakresie ktorej zawarto określenie „unikanie” oraz „chronienie”. W Klasyfikacji ICNP® mozna odnaleźc liczne interwencje dotyczące zarowno oceniania zapotrzebowania na dzialania profilaktyczne, jak i konkretnego oddzialywania w tym zakresie. Wnioski. Zawarte w ICNP® terminy umozliwiają efektywne i — co warte podkreślenia — szczegolowe opisywanie i dokumentowanie aktywności profilaktycznych podejmowanych przez pielegniarki.

Introduction. The essence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are the episodes of paused or shallow breathing, associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation. OSA increases the risk of cardiovascular incidents, secondary hypertension, metabolic diseases, traffic accidents, depression or sudden death. The social consequences of OSA are: impaired interpersonal relationships, social isolation, and decreased quality of life of the patient. The treatment of OSA involves using methods to maintain continuous positive airway pressure, as well as lifestyle modification. The aim of the work. The aim of this work is to present selected aspects of the nursing process in patients with OSA, using the ICNP terminology. Results. In the process of nursing a patient, the ICNP® diagnoses and the corresponding nursing interventions were used: apnoea/risk for apnoea, risk for disease, lack of knowledge of disease, ready to learn, fear/anxiety. Conclusions. The ICNP® catalogue allows to fully describe diagnoses and a plan of care for patients with OSA.

Introduction The development of a nursing practice, improvements in nurses’ autonomy, and increased professional and personal responsibility for the medical services provided all require professional documentation with records of health status assessments, decisions undertaken, actions and their outcomes for each patient. The International Classification for Nursing Practice is a tool that meets all of these needs, and although it requires continuous evaluation, it offers professional documentation and communication in the practitioner and researcher community. Aim The aim of this paper is to present a theoretical critique of an issue related to policy and experience of the current situation in Polish nursing – especially of the efforts to standardize nursing practices through the introduction and development of the Classification in Poland. Discussion Despite extensive promotion and training by International Council of Nurses members worldwide, there are still many countries where the Classification has not been implemented as a standard tool in healthcare facilities. Recently, a number of initiatives were undertaken in cooperation with the local and state authorities to disseminate the Classification in healthcare facilities. Conclusions Thanks to intense efforts by the Polish Nurses Association and the International Council of Nurses Accredited Center for ICNP® Research & Development at the Medical University of Łodź, the Classification is known in Poland and has been tested at several centres. Nevertheless, an actual implementation that would allow for national and international interoperability requires strategic governmental decisions and close cooperation with information technology companies operating in the country. Implications for nursing & health policy Discussing the barriers to the implementation of the Classification can improve understanding of it and its use. At a policy level, decision makers need to understand that use Classification in eHealth services and tools it is necessary to achieve interoperability.

Pacjenci ze schorzeniami nerek potrzebują dobrze wyksztalconych, wysoko wykwalifikowanych, zmotywowanych pielegniarek, bowiem zmienia sie profil pacjenta nefrologicznego — coraz cześciej jest nim osoba ze schorzeniami wielonarządowymi, wspolwystepującymi chorobami (sercowo-naczyniowymi, cukrzycą, zmianami nowotworowymi), czy osoba w podeszlym wieku. Wspolczesna opieka nefrologiczna wymaga od pielegniarek specjalistycznej wiedzy i umiejetności, umozliwiających świadczenie optymalnej, wysokiej jakości opieki pielegniarskiej. Przeglądając bazy w poszukiwaniu publikacji poświeconych zagadnieniom badania fizykalnego w praktyce pielegniarskiej, zauwazono wyraźny brak doniesien w piśmiennictwie na temat wykorzystania kompleksowego badania fizykalnego w pracy pielegniarki nefrologicznej. Poszerzenie uprawnien pielegniarek stanowi integralną cześc rozwoju profesji, odzwierciedlającego zarowno potrzeby systemu ochrony zdrowia wielu krajow, jak i oczekiwan spolecznych. W związku z tym istnieje koniecznośc zwiekszenia zakresu umiejetności klinicznych, a jedną z nich, ktora powinna byc uniwersalna dla wszystkich pielegniarek nefrologicznych, jest umiejetnośc dokonywania badania fizykalnego pacjenta. Podyktowane jest to tym, ze wiele schorzen nerek, jak chociazby niewydolnośc nerek, wplywa na caly organizm, dlatego badanie fizykalne nalezy traktowac jako podstawowy element pielegniarstwa nefrologicznego. Problemy Pielegniarstwa 2015; 23 (4): 533–536

Wstrząs septyczny jest jednym z najczestszych powodow przyjec na pediatryczne oddzialy intensywnej terapii. Pomimo ogromnego postepu w medycynie w ostatnich dziesiecioleciach, nadal pozostaje jedną z glownych przyczyn zgonow wśrod dzieci oraz stanowi wyzwanie w codziennej praktyce klinicznej. Ze wzgledu na dynamiczny przebieg, kluczowe stają sie wczesne rozpoznanie oraz natychmiastowe i wlaściwe leczenie. Celem pracy bylo podsumowanie aktualnych standardow obowiązujących na świecie dotyczących wczesnego rozpoznawania wstrząsu septycznego u pacjentow pediatrycznych oraz postepowanie na wczesnym etapie.

Nursing is a greatly feminised profession, especially in Poland. Low salaries are one of the reasons for the deficiency of nursing staff. Nursing is mainly associated with unprofessional housework that women traditionally performed free of charge. In addition, the necessity to enrol in higher education and the work environment discourage those who want to pursue studies in this profession. Increasing the number of men in nursing may improve this situation. For this purpose, the profession should be actively promoted to young people, thus breaking gender stereotypes. The reason for reluctance of men to join the nursing profession is discussed in the article.

To analyze sexual behavior and the use of contraception among young women in Poland.Cross-sectional study.1,478 young women in higher (78.9%) and secondary (21.1%) education.Gdansk region in Poland.The data were gathered between September and December 2008 by the use of a questionnaire prepared for the purpose of this study, completed anonymously and in person by the young women.Sexual activity had been initiated by 67.2% of the women studied at a mean age of 18.7 years (±1.97). Assessment was made of changes in their contraceptive practice between the time of sexual initiation and later sexual activity. Since their first experience of intercourse 67.0% did not change their contraceptive methods. As many as 40.1% continued using either low effective methods or no contraception. Early sexual initiation was linked to a significantly lower likelihood of highly effective contraception, more frequent unprotected sexual intercourse and more sexual partners (p0.05). Over half of women assigned to a 'high-risk' group with regard to the chance of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection, declared that their behavior did not carry any risk, similar (p0.05) to those who did not have a history of hazardous behavior.Sexual behavior differentiates Polish women from the women in Western Europe. Despite the welcome tendency toward choosing reliable contraceptives, use of appropriate contraception is still insufficient.

The authors overviewed the biographies of 29 medical doctors who became the heads of the state or the prime ministers of their countries. Most of them ruled in a countries of fresh or unstable democracies, most often in Asia, Africa and Latin America, three of them were bloody dictators. With the exemptions of Georges Clemenceau and Sun-Yat-Sen they were not famous as historical figures, although some were good administrators like the prime minister of Norway, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Malayan prime minister Mahatir bin Mohamad, Brasilian and Chilean presidents, Juscelino Kubitschek and Veronica Bachelet. Regarding specialisation was mostly general medics or they specialised in public health.

Arterial hypertension is among the most important risk factors of atherosclerosis and associated cardiovascular pathology with a prevalence rate estimated at 20-30% of the adult population. Nowadays, it is recommended to perform an individual assessment of cardiovascular risk in a patient and to determine the threshold value for arterial hypertension, even though blood pressure classification values according to the European Society of Hypertension and the European Society of Cardiology (ESH/ESC), as well as the Polish Society of Hypertension (PTNT) have remained unchanged.To determine what nurses with a Bachelor of Nursing degree know about the prevalence and classification of arterial blood pressure, as well as sequellae of arterial hypertension.This study was done in 116 qualified nurses (112 females, 4 males; age 21-50; seniority 0-29 years). The research period was from June 2007 to January 2008. The research tool was a questionnaire devised by the authors.We found that half (on the average) of those questioned have an up-to-date knowledge regarding classification of blood pressure and prevalence of arterial hypertension but just one out of three respondents (on the average) was able to describe its sequellae. Relatively less known among nurses with a Bachelor of Nursing degree were aspects of "white coat hypertension". Statistically significant differences regarding correct answers were noted depending on seniority (p = 0.002), place of work p0.001), or position (p0.001). There were no differences depending on age, place of residence, marital status, or form of postgraduate education of nurses with a Bachelor of Nursing degree.It is necessary to improve knowledge among students of nursing (BN degree) about current classification of blood pressure, as well as prevalence of arterial hypertension and its sequellae.

The care of a cancer patient undergoes considerable changes. Patients' most important need is a demand of support in dealing with somatic, psychological, emotional and social complaints. The purpose of this research is to analyse the realization of the psychological support of a cancer patient based on nursing care process records.The research analysis is based on 150 nursing care case histories of cancer children and adults treated in the Independent Public Clinical Hospital No 1 of the Academic Clinical Centre at the Medical University of Gdańsk in such wards as: Paediatric Haematology, Paediatric Chemotherapy, Adults' Haematology, Oncology and Radiotherapy, Thoracic Surgery. Evaluation chart of nursing care histories and statistical methods were tools in this research. The nursing case history evaluation chart created for this very research is successfully used by members of nursing records team in all of 61 wards.The results indicate that in all analysed wards the most problematic factor for nurses was taking the patients' (children's) habits and free time planning into account while establishing the plan of action. In numerous cases a stated nursing care diagnosis was not connected with the realization of psychological support. Providing patients with the feeling of safety and contact with family was positively assessed.In the care process nurses should pay more attention to the evaluation of patients and their families' need of social support.

A patient whose treatment has been unsuccessful and a disease still develops enters a terminal stage of the disease which inevitably leads to death. In nursing the evaluation of care quality and measuring its influence on the quality of patients' life have become enormous challenges and are placed among the most crucial issues. The aim of the research is to evaluate the relationship between the quality of nursing services and the life quality of patients in the terminal stage of a disease. The research activities were carried out in five centres of palliative care, 57 nurses and 99 patients in the terminal stage of a disease were involved. The BOHIPSZO method was used to analyse the quality of care, life quality of the patients was measured by means of RSCL--The Rotterdam Symptom Checklist. The material was subject to statistical analysis. The research results show that high level of hospice nursing care positively affects the quality of life in its physical and psychological spheres.

Postoperative pain causes numerous disorders in systemic homeostasis. It may result in various complications prolonging the period of convalescence and making the rehabilitation difficult, or even being dangerous to life. A nurse becomes irreplaceable in the process of pain evaluation just after surgical procedures since the pain intensity constitutes the basis for later treatment decisions. The aim of the research is the evaluation of postoperative pain in patients after thoracic and abdominal surgical procedures. 50 thoracosurgical patients and 50 general surgical patients were involved in the research. Patients were selected at random. A visual-analogue scale was used for pain evaluation and the categorisation table was used for the evaluation of patients' self-care ability. Statistical analysis was performed by means of STATISTICA 6 package (StatSoft, Inc). The results prove that in thoracosurgical patients pain intensity is lower and there is no dependence on the operation performed, as in the case of patients after surgical procedures within the abdominal cavity. Statistically significant differences were observed between groups of patients and the analgesic drugs used as well as pain intensity. The evaluation of patients' self-care ability does not depend on the intensity of pain declared by patients.