JOURNAL OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HEALTH SCIENCES
Year:2012 | Volume:1 | Issue:2|Papers Count:8

Introduction: HIV/AIDS stigma has influenced HIV/AIDS patients and the medical system. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of perceived stigma in these patients in relation to the public and health care workers (PLWHA).Method: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were held with a purposively selected group of 61 PLWH recruited from two HIV care clinics in Tehran during 2009-2010. Data were analyzed using the content analysis approach.Results: The results were categorized into two themes based on the two major themes of extrinsic stigma (i.e. taunting, bashfulness and discrimination) and intrinsic stigma (i.e. rejection, seclusion, and frustration).Conclusion: Taunting and rejection were among the patients' main experiences. This study implies that it is crucial to integrate education to reduce stigma into HIV education programs by behavior change theories.

Introduction: Puberty is a beginning of significant developments to adolescents. This event is associated with many changes in different aspects of an individual’s life. One of the changes is menstruation. The first menstruation (or menarche) is a natural phenomenon and an important occurrence in a girl’s life, but sometimes it involves physical disturbances and health challenges that can have negative physical, mental and social effects. The literature indicates a strong relationship between understanding menstruation and cultural backgrounds. This study was carried out to explore the first menstruation experience among student girls.Method: 17 student girls were selected by purposeful sampling from target high schools. For data gathering, semi-structured interviews and the focus group method were used. The data were analyzed through a qualitative content analysis based on Graham and landsman method.Results: The findings of this study showed 5 themes including: inadequate readiness, paradox feeling, numerous problems, support, and subjective and serious event occurrence.Conclusion: The findings of this study gave a clear understanding of the menarche phenomenon in student girls. This understanding can be enriched by future studies and considering the above mentioned themes. These categories and themes can be used in teaching girls, mothers and instructors. Hence, a better understanding of girls’ wishes and concerns in this context is useful and vital.

Introduction: Severe psychological stress is potentially threatening for anyone. Chronic combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder is accompanied by other psychological problems including depression. Thus the aim of this study was to describe the consequences of living with this disorder.Method: In this qualitative study, 20 male veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder were selected purposefully and studied using semi-structured deep interview. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis in 2011.Results: The consequences of living with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder were classified into three main categories of psychological, physical, and social consequences, based on the common experiences of the participants. Psychological consequences include three subcategories of lack of self-confidence, lack of entertainment, and negative emotions. Physical consequences include four subcategories of sleep disorders, sexual dysfunction, physical pain, and restricted physical activity. Social consequences include three subcategories of disrupted interpersonal relations, lack of income or job, and restricted duty fulfillment.Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated that combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder has had a negative effect on all different aspects of their health including physical, psychological and social. Reducing this problem requires interventions and continuous monitoring of the medical health status of these clients.

Introduction: In clinical nursing education, evaluation is mostly the instructors responsibility. This process causes challenges for both instructors and students. It seems that, a way to confront these challenges is to use multi-rater evaluation. The aim of this study is to investigate the experiences and viewpoints of nursing instructors of multi-rater evaluation in the clinical evaluation of nursing students.Method: This is a qualitative, descriptive study. Study samples were 14 nursing faculty members from nursing schools of Medical Sciences Universities in Tehran. They were selected by purposive sampling to the point of data saturation. Data was gathered through semistructured interviews. Data was analyzed by latent qualitative content analysis. First, each interview was read several times and the meaning units were found. Then, coding was done. Codes were categorized based on their similarities and themes, and created the categories.Results: Data analysis showed 3 themes including instructors centralization, challenges, and ability.Conclusion: The results of the current study showed most participants believed that the instructors have the most important role in student evaluation. Among other people, clinical nurses and students were also mentioned; the participants argued about some challenges these groups face and discussed their ability to participate in the evaluation. It is obvious that multirater evaluation, in the clinical evaluation of nursing students, has positive aspects, but implementing this method needs planning and preparation.

Introduction: Due to the increasing of the number of retirees and the duration of the retirement period, as well as the challenges that exist in employees transitioning to retirement, it is necessary to explore these challenges. The aim of this study was to explore the presence of challenges in the transition to retirement.Method: This qualitative study was a conventional content analysis with purposive sampling method. Sampling continued until data saturation. Data were collected through semi-structured and deep interviews. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis.Results: Twenty retired nurses participated in the study. The main theme extracted from the data was shock and disbelief caused by being retired. The categories included “little knowledge”, “dissatisfaction from working conditions before retirement”, and “financial problems”. Each category consisted of several sub-categories.Conclusion: The findings of this study showed challenges in the transition to retirement. Based on the experience of retired nurses, basic challenges in the transition to retirement were limited knowledge about retirement, rigid working conditions before retirement, and financial problems.These challenges cause shock and disbelief in the transition to retirement. Exact planning to confront these challenges will result in the retirees being well prepared and will facilitate their transition to a safe and comfortable retirement.

Introduction: Comfort is a basic human need throughout life and an outcome of nursing. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the comforting needs of cardiac surgery patients, who experience the complications and problems of this surgery. This study was performed to explain the perception of cardiac surgery patients of comfortable resources.Method: This study was conducted with a qualitative, content analysis approach. The participants were 20 cardiac surgery patients. Data collection was performed through unstructured interview and purposive sampling, and continued until data saturation. Continuous analysis of data was performed concurrently with data collection and through a comparative method.Results: During the content analysis process, 4 themes emerged that indicated the nature and dimensions of the patients’ perception of comfortable resources. These themes included “Feeling a close and humanistic relationship with the nurse”, “Understanding the constant presence and monitoring of the nurse”, “Advocacy of family and peer patients”, and “Being in a safe environment”.Conclusion: The results of the current study showed that patients receive more comfort from human resources than environment and modern equipment. This issue shows the importance of highlighting the role of nurses and humanistic nursing care, despite the need for specialized nursing with modern technical facilities. Therefore, considering nurses and the standardization of human resources in health centers is more important than the physical standardization. This will result in nursing interventions being done with real understanding of the patients’ needs.

Introduction: Work–family Conflict (WFC) is described as a two-sided incompatibility between the demands of work and family roles. This means that, participation in work roles due to participation in family roles, or vice versa, is difficult. WFC has been reported in various jobs, including nursing with several outcomes. Therefore, this study is designed to explain the experiences of nurses from the consequences of WFC.Method: This study was conducted based on the qualitative analysis approach. In this study 16 nurses were selected by purposeful sampling. The data was collected through deep and unstructured interviews. The method of data analysis was inductive content analysis approach.Results: Of the total 16 participants 12 were female and 4 male. All participants had a bachelor's degree, and work experience between 4 to 28 years and the average of 14.9 years. The research findings showed that main category (theme) was decline of self-efficacy with the following subcategories: 1-failure in family affairs 2-inadvertent negligence in patient care 3-ignoring themselves.Conclusion: The findings of the current research showed that nurses under certain conditions, such as lack of work and family support, double pressure of work due to shortage of nurses and excessive work and family demands, experience a reduction in their ability to manage work and family affairs and a decline in their self-efficacy. Decline in self-efficacy increases interaction between work and family duties; therefore, the WFC becomes more severe. In fact a defective cycle is formed, the results of which are negative outcomes in both work and family domains. Therefore, in order to prevent the negative consequences of WFC, which are sometimes irreparable, it is recommended that nurses become familiar with scientific management of WFC, and be supported comprehensively by their family and hospital. Thus, they will have more freedom and flexibility, and minimum interference possible in their work and family programs.

Introduction: Despite the importance of physical activity and exercise for lifelong health, involvement in physical activity declines during adolescence, particularly for girls. Identifying barriers of physical activity habit helps researchers to design better and more effective interventions for participation in exercise and physical activity. This study was designed to explore barriers of physical activity habit in adolescent girls.Method: A qualitative study was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews with twenty five participants (adolescents, mothers, and fathers). The interviews were tape-recorded; transcribed verbatim and analyzed through qualitative content analysis.Results: Two main themes emerged as exercising habit barriers in adolescent girls: explicit restraints, implicit restraints.Conclusion: This study provided a better understanding of exercising habit barriers in adolescent girls that is often missing from quantitative work. Identifying and removing barriers can help researches to develop exercising habit which has a main role in human health promotion.