Coming theses from other universities
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Registered nurses' work motivation and intention to stay at the workplace
Link: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-523652
There is currently a shortage of registered nurses (RNs) and high turnover of RNs, both nationally and internationally. Work motivation is an important part of a healthy work environment and something we need to know more about from an RN perspective.
The overarching aim of this thesis was to enhance our understanding of the organisational and social workplace factors that contribute to an attractive environment for RNs, by exploring factors associated with work motivation. Four research questions were posed. (i) What factors create the conditions for motivation in RNs’ daily work? (ii) What role does social support in the workplace play in RNs’ work motivation? (iii) What role does the opportunity to work with relevant tasks play in RNs’ work motivation? (iv) Are there differences between healthcare settings regarding RNs’ social support, illegitimate tasks, and associations with work motivation? Four empirical studies were performed to answer these questions. Two were qualitative studies based on an ethnographic approach and two were quantitative cross-sectional studies based on a stratified national sample of RNs. The results of the qualitative studies indicate that crucial factors for RNs' work motivation include a friendly and permissive atmosphere in daily work. Visible progress and receiving feedback from the work itself also positively contributed to motivation. Additionally, RNs' opportunities to learn and support each other through ongoing communication during daily work tended to have a positive impact on work motivation. Effective collaboration between physicians and RNs with mutual respect, understanding of each other's competencies, and creating an environment where RNs could seek clarification were also central to work motivation. The quantitative studies revealed that the opportunity for social support from the immediate manager or co-workers was significant for dimensions related to RNs’ work motivation and the willingness to stay in the workplace. The associations differed in strength between healthcare settings. Furthermore, the results indicated that a factor in RNs' work motivation was the ability to work with tasks perceived as relevant, not illegitimate. However, the results highlighted that a significant portion of RNs performed illegitimate tasks, and that illegitimate tasks were more prevalent for RNs in home healthcare than those in primary care and hospitals. This is something to consider as more complex care is being conducted outside of hospitals. The thesis adds new knowledge that can be useful to the development of attractive workplaces, which could contribute to more RNs choosing to remain in their position for a longer period.
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The Temporomandibular Joint in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis : Psychosocial, clinical, imaging and parotid saliva biomarkers
Link: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-66397
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease in children. The disease can affect the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and cause orofacial growth disturbances, pain, and jaw dysfunction. TMJ arthritis is often asymptomatic and therefore a challenging joint to diagnose. Clinical assessment of the TMJ is hampered by the low sensitivity and specificity of joint pain and the absence of physical findings early in the disease process. More specific methods are therefore needed for diagnosing TMJ arthritis. Saliva and blood are promising as diagnostic fluids for various diseases. Also, adolescents with chronic pain report high rates of psychosocial stress. Psychosocial stress may also be involved in JIA as a trigger and maintaining factor of the disease. Aim: The main aim of this thesis research was to investigate the relation between clinical variables, psychosocial factors, MRI findings, and inflammatory biomarkers in saliva and blood in relation to TMJ involvement in JIA. The secondary aim was to investigate the relation between stress and change in stress over time in comparison with orofacial pain, psychosocial factors, and jaw function in JIA patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional case-control study and a longitudinal cohort study. Forty-five patients (6-16 years old) with JIA and 16 healthy age- and sex-matched healthy individuals were examined according to the diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (DC/TMD). The study subjects completed questionnaires regarding psychosocial factors and underwent bilateral MRI of their TMJs. Unstimulated parotid saliva and venous blood samples were collected. Biochemical analyses were performed using a multiplex platform electrochemiluminescence assay from Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) for measuring cytokine concentrations in saliva and blood. A two-year prospective follow-up study was performed in 40 JIA patients from our original baseline study. The JIA patients underwent the same clinical examination and completed the same questionnaires regarding psychosocial factors as in the baseline studies. Results: The JIA patients with orofacial pain had higher degrees of stress, depression, catastrophizing, and jaw dysfunction than did those JIA patients without such pain. These factors were also associated with orofacial pain intensity. Additionally, patients with orofacial pain had higher systemic inflammatory activity. In the two-year follow-up study, we observed that change in stress was associated with changes in catastrophizing, psychological distress, as well as limitations in both general and jaw functions. Regarding TMJ MRI findings, there were no significant differences between JIA patients and healthy individuals in either the inflammatory or damage domain. Moderate/severe TMJ changes in the inflammatory and damage domains were, however, only found in the JIA patients. Among JIA patients, orofacial pain intensity was correlated to TMJ bone marrow edema, and pain in jaw muscles during jaw function was related to both TMJ bone marrow edema and erosion. JIA patients had lower concentrations of interleukin receptor 6 (IL-6R) and glycoprotein 130 (gp130) in parotid saliva than in plasma. Higher concentrations of IL-6 were found in parotid saliva than in plasma. The members of the interleukin-6 family (i.e., IL-6, IL-6R, and gp130) in parotid saliva were found to be explanatory factors for the presence of bone marrow edema and effusion in the JIA patients. Conclusions: Orofacial pain in patients with JIA is associated with stress, psychological distress, jaw dysfunction, and loss of daily living activities. Pain intensity seems to be the major aspect related to these factors. Increased disease activity with more joint involvement seems to be an important factor contributing to orofacial pain in JIA. Myalgia, in addition to arthritis, seems to be an important source of orofacial pain in these patients. Maintaining a low stress level in JIA patients seems to be crucial, as an increase in stress level over a two-year period appears to negatively impact both jaw function as well as psychosocial distress and catastrophizing. There was an overlap of TMJ MRI findings regarding signs of inflammatory and bone tissue changes between JIA patients and healthy individuals. Among, JIA patients, the presence of inflammatory MRI signs, and bone marrow edema seems to worsen orofacial pain intensity. The IL-6 family in parotid saliva is associated with TMJ bone marrow edema and effusion in patients with JIA, suggesting that IL-6 has promising properties as a parotid saliva biomarker of TMJ inflammatory activity. In addition there seems to be local production of the IL-6 family in the parotid gland in JIA patients and healthy individuals. However, parotid saliva does not seem to reflect the plasma content in terms of the investigated biomarkers in JIA.
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Prolonged passive second stage of labour in nulliparous women : A multi perspective study
Link: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-128381
Aim: This study aimed to describe the prolonged passive second stage of labour in nulliparous women in relation to its prevalence, risk factors, birth outcomes, midwives’ intrapartum management, and women's birth experiences.
Methods: Study I was a qualitative study in which 36 midwives participated in seven focus group discussions. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Studies II and III were retrospective observational cohort studies where medical records from 1131 nulliparous women in Sweden were reviewed. Analyses were performed using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. Study IV included 15 individual interviews with nulliparous women who had a passive second stage lasting three hours or more. Data were analysed using thematic analysis based on descriptive phenomenology.
Results: Midwives’ management of the passive phase is complex, especially if progress is slow. Guidelines were considered, but women were preferably managed individually. The prevalence of prolonged passive second stage (≥2h) was 38%. Epidural analgesia, malpresentation, maternal age ≥30 years, and birth weight of ≥4 kg were identified as risk factors for prolonged passive second stage. Longer duration of the passive second stage was associated with an increased risk of operative delivery. There were no associations with adverse maternal outcomes. Associations with adverse neonatal outcomes were found, although the rate of adverse neonatal outcomes were low in the study population. Women’s experiences of prolonged passive second stage were described in four themes: “An unknown phase”, “Trust and mistrust in the body’s ability”, ”Loss of control“, and “Support through presence and involvement”.
Conclusion: This thesis describes the prolonged passive second stage from multiple perspectives, including midwives, epidemiological data, and women’s experiences. The midwives’ management of the passive second stage included a complex continuous process of assessment and balancing options for the next step. A prolonged passive second stage was common and did not result in increased risks of adverse maternal outcomes, although further fetal surveillance can be called for. Nulliparous women experienced the passive second stage as an unknown phase and expected a different path for birth, and the experience could include loss of control and increased need for emotional and physical support.