Papers by Mari Salminen-Tuomaala
European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, Feb 16, 2011
Acute myocardial infarction threatens patients&am... more Acute myocardial infarction threatens patients' psychological balance and causes varied coping needs. The aim was to describe factors that influence patients' coping with acute MI during hospitalization. The data were obtained by theme interviews from 28 myocardial infarction patients and analyzed by the grounded theory method. The core category "Coping with myocardial infarction: Seeking lost control" was found to include two main categories: factors supporting coping and factors interfering with coping. The factors were related to patients, conditions and interaction. Nurses need to become aware of their patients' needs to maintain a sense of control over their situation. They also need to focus on empowering counselling and mental support, and assist in patient-family interaction. Updating education on the recognition of depression and on the factors that affect coping is indicated. The findings of this study can be used in health care education and in nursing practice when organizing counselling and support interventions for MI patients.
Nursing Research and Practice, 2012
Background. Patients recovering from a myocardial infarction (MI) are faced with a number of seri... more Background. Patients recovering from a myocardial infarction (MI) are faced with a number of serious challenges. Aim. To create a substantive theory on myocardial infarction patients' coping as a continuum. Methods. Grounded theory method was used. Data were collected by using individual interviews. The informants were 28 MI patients. Results. The core category "coping experiences-a pathway towards different coping orientations" includes 2 main categories: "positive and negative coping experiences" (4 months after MI) and "different coping orientations" (12 months after MI). Conclusion. Coping with a myocardial infarction is a long-term dynamic process of dealing with varied emotions and adjustment needs. Coping is threatened, if the patient denies the seriousness of the situation, suffers from depression and emotional exhaustion, or if there are serious problems in the interaction with family members. This study stresses the importance of recognizing the patient's depressive state of mind and the psychological aspects which affect family dynamics. A more family-centered approach involving a posthospital counseling intervention is recommended. Relevance to Clinical Practice. The results of this study can be used in nursing care practice when organizing support interventions for myocardial infarction patients.
Research Square (Research Square), Sep 15, 2021
The purpose of the study was to describe challenges and factors that support coping as anticipate... more The purpose of the study was to describe challenges and factors that support coping as anticipated by registered nurses preparing for a merger of intensive and intermediate care units. The data were collected from the nursing staff (n=20) at intensive and intermediate care units. The data consisted of the stories produced using the empathy-based method by the registered nurses. The stories were analysed using inductive content analysis. According to the findings participants anticipated challenges related to personal factors that affect coping at work, challenges in cooperation among nursing staff and problems associated with the new work context. Participants expected to need informational, concrete and social support from colleagues in future clinical nursing situations. As conclusion it can be stated that fostering team spirit is important to ensure staff cooperation , peer support and smooth care processes following restructuring. It's important to arrange common education concerning care interventions of new patient groups and new equipment. Besides, meetings and workshops are needed in order to agree common procedures and practice.
Clinical nursing studies, Nov 16, 2017
Objective: This follow-up study is part of a larger study on emergency medical services. Its purp... more Objective: This follow-up study is part of a larger study on emergency medical services. Its purpose was to describe emergency care providers' perceptions of their work, its challenges and their clinical competence. The study aimed at producing knowledge of the perceived influence of an educational intervention, to be used in developing emergency care providers' further and updating education. Methods: Data were collected from staff working in out-of-hospital emergency care of a hospital district in Finland using a questionnaire developed for this purpose. The results were analyzed statistically using SPSS for Windows 24. Results: Over 90% of the respondents found that their work was interesting and provided sufficient challenges. The majority were also interested in continuous professional development. After the educational intervention, respondents found the work somewhat more challenging and slightly more strenuous both physically and mentally compared to the first survey. Respondents more commonly reported that new capacities were required at work and they rated their practical skills lower than in the first survey. However, work in a multiprofessional environment was found less challenging. Over 70% of the respondents planned to have further education in the near future. They rated their clinical skills as good, but slightly lower compared to the first survey. Conclusions: The results regarding work, its challenges and self-rated clinical competence remained the same or were somewhat poorer after the educational intervention. The results help improve the education to meet the needs of emergency staff.
Injury Prevention, Sep 1, 2016
Background Safety of patients in tertiary care hospitals in India was found to be a big problem. ... more Background Safety of patients in tertiary care hospitals in India was found to be a big problem. 62.9% of unsafe injections are administered every year 1 in India. Estimated risk of HCAI is up to 20 times higher than industrialised countries and is approx 10% and 15-30% in acute care. 77% of all reported cases of counterfeit and substandard drugs are from developing countries. Methods A longitudinal study on patient safety practice in 12 (6 public+6 private) multi-specialty hospitals* was conducted by DGHS from 2005-2011 with objective of identifying, analysing and improving the gaps in hospital patient safety system, so that it is compliant to WHO guidelines on patient safety 2005.The study took up safety practice for hand hygiene, surgery, injection, medication, blood transfusion, infection control and hospital waste management as core areas of hospital patient safety system. Data were collected & analysed annually and at the end of study. It provided for annual gap identification and introduction of corrective measure in each core area and also for system development at end of study in areas of advocacy, infrastructure, capacity building and funding for practice of patient safety in hospitals. Results This study created a patient safety unit in DGHS, a patient safety committee in the hospitals, a targeted advocacy programme, guidelines for survey and root cause analysis, protocols for safety practice in hospitals, training manuals, standard reporting format for adverse events, supportive monitoring system , and annual and study-end evaluation of outcome in terms of mortality and adverse events. Policy and practice changes like introduction of auto-disable syringe in public health (2009), revision of guidelines for disposal and syringe/needle under bio-medical disposal rules (2010), introduction of antibiotic policy in tertiary hospitals, strengthening of pharmaco-vigilance programme took place during this period. Success stories, reports of hospital, study report and technical report were documented. Conclusions The study was able to showcase relevance of patient safety system in tertiary hospitals for better quality outcome.
Journal for Nurses in Staff Development (jnsd), Jul 1, 2010
The authors describe a Web-based continuing education course focusing on patient counseling in an... more The authors describe a Web-based continuing education course focusing on patient counseling in an emergency department. Course materials were developed based on data collected from the department_s patients and their family members and on earlier findings on counseling. Web-based education is an appropriate method for continuing education in a specific hospital department. This puts special demands for nurse managers in arranging, designing, and implementing the education together with educators.
Journal of Family Nursing, Apr 12, 2013
The spouse of a patient who has experienced a myocardial infarction (MI) reportedly has psycholog... more The spouse of a patient who has experienced a myocardial infarction (MI) reportedly has psychological and social needs and challenges during the patient’s hospitalization but there is a lack of knowledge regarding spouses’ coping experiences and resources. The aim of this study was to develop a substantive theory to help explain the coping experiences of the spouse during the patient’s hospitalization following an acute MI. Twenty eight spouses of patients in two Finnish hospitals participated in an open-ended interview within 2 to 5 days of the MI and included 12 husbands and 16 wives. The core category “Seeking balance” included the spouses’ emotional, cognitive, and social coping experiences following an acute MI. This study adds new information about spouses’ coping experiences as well as tensions and problems in interaction between the patient and the spouse. Challenges were reported in talking about serious illness concerns between the spouse and patient and also with other family members.
Clinical Nursing Studies
Objective: The study purpose was to describe secondary school nurses’, subject teachers’, special... more Objective: The study purpose was to describe secondary school nurses’, subject teachers’, special needs teachers’, study counselors’ and school social workers’ (n = 60) experiences of stressors that contribute to the development of mental health problems in secondary school pupils. Another purpose was to describe the professionals’ educational needs regarding mental health problems of secondary school pupils. The study aimed at producing information that can promote the detection of mental health problems and facilitate early interventions in secondary schools. The information collected came from the professionals only, not from the pupils or their parents.Methods: Data were collected in Finland using a Webropol online survey and analyzed by inductive content analysis.Results: According to the results, secondary school pupils’ mental health problems are associated with physical and psychosocial stressors, and with stressors pertaining to learning and studying, lifestyle, family, fri...
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
Rationale and AimNurses caring for critically ill patients need compassionate attention and suppo... more Rationale and AimNurses caring for critically ill patients need compassionate attention and support, especially during exceptional times. The aim of this study was to provide a trustworthy description of nurses' experiences and expectations for compassionate leadership and compassion at a central hospital in Finland. The study was conducted during the early stage of the coronavirus 2019 pandemic.Ethical Issues and ApprovalThe voluntary nature and anonymity of the survey were stressed in the cover letter, to make sure that participants did not perceive any undue influence caused by participating in the study.MethodsThe participants were 50 intensive care and emergency nurses of a central hospital. An online survey tool with open questions was used to collect data on the meaning of compassion and on nurses' experiences and expectations of compassion and compassionate leadership. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsThe nurses reported a great variety ...
Clinical Nursing Studies, 2021
The originally Japanese phenomenon of hikikomori, or being socially withdrawn, has been identifie... more The originally Japanese phenomenon of hikikomori, or being socially withdrawn, has been identified in several countries across the world. This qualitative study describes meanings ascribed by self-defined hikikomoris to family and family communication. The study aims at producing knowledge that can be used by professionals in education, health care and social services to support and counsel the socially withdrawn individuals. The data were collected in May 2020 from an anonymous forum for self-defined hikikomoris or socially withdrawn people in Finland. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the data. The socially withdrawn people had both positive and negative experiences associated with their families. Some of the hikikomoris appreciated the support and encouragement from their families, while others associated their failures in life with poor family dynamics, abusive experiences and lack of communication in the family. Counseling and support are required to improve intera...
Clinical nursing studies, 2020
Background: Nursing students need opportunities for authentic learning in contexts that strongly ... more Background: Nursing students need opportunities for authentic learning in contexts that strongly resemble real-life clinical settings. Objective: This qualitative study describes final year nursing students’ experiences of simulation authenticity and presents development needs proposed by the students. The study aimed at producing knowledge that can be used by educators and technology specialists to develop simulation pedagogy for acute nursing. Methods: Eleven final-year nursing students specializing in acute nursing (intensive care and in- and out-of-hospital emergency care) responded to a questionnaire with four open questions in December 2019. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The students stressed the importance of their own preparations and living into the nursing role with proper briefing from an expert teacher, supported by a realistic representation of the setting using real equipment, actors, visualization and other multisensory cues. Conclu...
Pages 112 p. + app. 20 p.
European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, Mar 28, 2012
The purpose of the research was to develop a substantive theory to describe the coping of myocard... more The purpose of the research was to develop a substantive theory to describe the coping of myocardial infarction (MI) patients' spouses. The theory describes spousal coping experiences at 4 and 12 months after the patient's MI. The data were collected by means of theme interviews from 28 spouses in the years 2006 and 2007 and analysed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory method. The substantive theory describes four main categories of spousal coping. The categories are: serene and balanced coping; action-centred coping; illness-centred coping; and coping based on denial of illness. The theory can be useful when developing support and counselling interventions for the spouses of MI patients. The study provides new knowledge about the spouses' coping experiences and about the factors that influence their coping over a longer period of time. The theory also discusses causal, contextual, and concurrent factors, which affect the coping experience and whose identification is important when seeking to support the spouses. Another application of the theory can be found in nursing education.
Clinical nursing studies, Dec 5, 2022
Objective: This qualitative study provides up-to-date knowledge about today's nursing students' v... more Objective: This qualitative study provides up-to-date knowledge about today's nursing students' views and experiences of factors that can increase or decrease the attractiveness of nursing and presents students' ideas for improving the nursing profession. Methods: Data were collected from 168 nursing students at the University of Applied Sciences in Finland through an online survey in March 2022. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: According to the students, the attractiveness of nursing is decreased because nursing is not adequately appreciated, the resources and salary do not match the workload, the working atmosphere can be detrimental to psychological well-being, and there is frequently little support from nurse leaders. Factors that could increase the profession's attractiveness involve advancing nursing's role at the level of individuals, organizations, and society; meaningfulness of nursing duties, influencing one's work; better working conditions and well-being at work; development of nursing leadership; and work and career advancement. Students suggest promoting marketing and the appreciation of nursing, developing leadership and the theoretical and practical competence of supervisors, promoting nurses' daily coping and well-being at work, and raising salaries. Conclusions: The status and image of nursing must be addressed at the level of individuals, organizations, and society, both nationally and internationally. Nurses themselves must appreciate their profession and feel that they have a possibility to advance their careers.
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Papers by Mari Salminen-Tuomaala