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Copyright of Rostrum of Asclepius / Vima tou Asklipiou is the property of Technological Educational Institute of Athens and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Rostrum of Asclepius / Vima tou Asklipiou is the property of Technological Educational Institute of Athens and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Patient care is an integral part of Nursing science. Nurse implements effective strategies to promote patient healthy behavior which appears to be one of their needs. In this way, patients are willing to adopt and maintain lifelong changes regarding their lifestyle. Patients after open heart surgery perceive the care provided by the nurse as a clinical need for them to learn or be trained with respect to their individual habits. In recent years health professionals' interest has focused on the design and effectiveness of individualized educational programs. The central idea behind an effective training program is to change patient's behavior regarding quality of life. Additional aim of these training programs is patient satisfaction, anxiety and depression reduction, compliance with treatment, and finally to improve the quality of life not only for the patient but also for the family too. The education provided by the nurse must focus on patient needs along with patients' participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the present study was to explore the degree of compliance with the protocol on the prevention of VAP by nurses in ICU. Material and methods: The studied sample consisted of 164 nurses (response rate 76.6%) working in ICU of nine (9) Hospitals in Attica. For data collection it was used a special designed questionnaire. Data analysis was performed by the statistical package SPSS ver. 15. Results: 25.6% (n = 42) of the sample were men. 43.9% (n = 72) had experience in ICU <5 years, 30.5% (n = 50) 6-10 years and 25.6% (n = 42) 11-15 years. The compliance rate of the sample with the instructions of the protocol on the prevention of VAP was 69.3 ± 17.2%. Men complied significantly more (69.3 ± 17.2%) than women (68.5 ± 18.2%) (p <0.001). Nurses with less experience in ICU complied significantly less than the others (p <0.001). The compliance of the respiratory ICU nurses was significantly greater than in other ICUs (p <0.001). Conclusions: The compliance rate for ICU nurses with protocols to prevent VAP is satisfactory. The role of nurses in the prevention of VAP is very important and can help reduce morbidity, mortality, length of patient stay in hospital and reduce health care costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure ulcers are a challenge for health systems worldwide. Reducing the frequency criterion of prevention and treatment of each country can be more effective. Aim: The purpose of the present study was to explore the level of knowledge of nurses in the ICU on the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. Material -- Method: The studied sample consisted of 148 nurses working in ICU of 2 Hospital in Athens, of which one was public and one private. The collection of data was completed through a questionnaire, which included demographic and business information as well as questions relating to preventive measures for pressure ulcers and their treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical package SPSS ver.19. Results: 73.7% (n = 110) of the studied sample were women. The mean age was 32 years, with a standard deviation of ±3.81. According to the proportion of nurses - patients, policy of 1/2 presented in 76.4% of the studied population and policy of 1/3 in 23%. 64.2% (n = 95) reported having attended an educational seminar for prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. There was statistically significant difference between whether they have attended a seminar or not with the views of nursing staff. Another factor that seemed to affect the responses of nurses was the ratio of nurse-patient policy in the ICU. Conclusions: There is a lack of knowledge about the prevention of pressure ulcers and implementation of guidelines. It is concluded that continuous training of nurses through seminars is crucial both to enrich the knowledge and the proper treatment of pressure ulcers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) hospitalized patients with major decisions taken with regard to their treatment. The cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) process is critical for patients with potentially reversible diseases. In Medicine "do not resuscitate" (DNR) is a legal order which concerns patient's desire not to accept CPR if the heart cease to operate or stop breathing.Aim: The aim of this review was to investigate doctors' and nurses' views on DNR decision making concerning ICU patients.Material-Method: The methodology used was the review of Greek and foreign literature in databases (Iatrotek, Pubmed, Cinahl, Scopus,). The keywords used were "do not resuscitate decision," "intensive care unit", "ethical issues", "doctor" "nurse", "end-stage patient." Results: 15 published articles were found. Nurses having greater self-confidence discuss more easily DNR decisions with patients and their relatives. Moreover they would like to participate more often in such decision. With regard to doctors, it seems that their experience in ICU affect their decision making. Most of the doctors are not aware of the legal side of DNR decision. Moreover, they appear more willing to discuss such decision for patients with poor prognosis. Conclusions: The decision-making such as DNR is a point of reflection on the legal framework and ethical rules governing the implementation of CPR. Different views of doctors and nurses in deciding DNR cause a lot of worry and it is necessary to carry out further studies to draw firm conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]