Bereavement Part 2: Breaking bad news

Breaking bad news, whether telling a patient about a poor prognosis or informing relatives of the sudden death of a loved one, is one of the most daunting tasks facing nurses. It requires a sensitive approach, based on individuals' right to know the truth.     

Breaking bad news to people with a learning disability

Schilder's diffuse myelinoclastic sclerosis is a rare demyelinating disease which often mimics intracranial neoplasm or abscess. We have treated 3 patients with this disorder in the past 5 years and followed their postoperative course. Certain distinct features of this disease will allow neurosurgeons to preoperatively entertain this diagnosis. We discuss postoperative treatment and propose a new hypothesis regarding the variable prognoses of this disorder. Schilder's disease constitutes an important diagnosis for any neurosurgeon to be aware of (especially those treating the pediatric age group) which has not received adequate coverage in the neurosurgical literature.     

Giving patients bad news

Dating violence presents many challenges to pediatric health care providers. It spans an age range from early high school to early adult years. Prevalence of dating violence appears to be greater than for violence among married couples. In addition, both males and females appear to be at risk for perpetration and victimization. Therefore, physicians and other health care providers need to screen all adolescent and young adult patients for dating violence. Primary prevention at the community level is also an important task to stem the tide of dating violence.     

对生产过程中的违规行为分析

对生产过程中的违规违制行为进行分析，并提出预防措施。     

When bad isn't all bad: Strategic use of sample information in generalization and stereotyping.

The influence of the reliability and valence of sample information on generalization to in-group and out-group target populations was investigated in 2 studies. In both studies the valence of the information was either favorable (i.e., a positive in-group sample and a negative out-group sample) or unfavorable. The reliability of sample information was manipulated in terms of sample variability (Study 1) and sample size (Study 2). In both studies the perceived central tendency of favorable sample information was directly generalized, but unfavorable and unreliable sample information was not. Moreover, generalizations based on unfavorable and unreliable samples were characterized by enhanced variability estimates for both in-group and out-group populations, thereby undermining unfavorable group differences. These results are discussed in terms of strategic use of sample information in the formation of social stereotypes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health habits of health professionals

The conduct of medical professionals is an important educational point of reference for the many people who see and know them. Nurses and other medical workers are often role models in which their daily health habits may be imitated by their patients, family of friends. With this in mind a study, based on a previously published work in the United States (Health Practices of Nursing Students), was performed to determine, first, if the daily habits of nurses are indeed healthy and adequate to communicate a salubrious lifestyle; second, to see if this group considers themselves capable and responsible for changing those unsanitary habits that they do have. Results of the surveys of 125 subject nurses from the University of Navarra indicate that there is a great amount of consciousness regarding the danger of most unsanitary habits and the need to avoid them, although many of them remain firmly entrenched in their daily lives. The percentage of nurses who felt capable or responsible for changing unhealthy practices was low (67.5%).     

Is violence itself necessarily bad?

Comments on J. P. Murray's (see record 1974-06895-001) article concerning TV and violence, focusing on the evidence cited and the definitions of aggression and violence used. Murray fails to recognize that watching violent programs might have certain beneficial consequences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Feeling bad and feeling badly.

An alternative psychoanalytic theory of affect is presented. It is suggested here that affective response consists of rapidly repeated generation of a series of brief responses each enduring for fractions of seconds, continuing over whatever period conscious or unconscious focus on a specific mental content is maintained. The subjective impression, however, is that of a continuous steady state. The experiencing of affect is, in this way, similar to that of sensory process experience in general. Affect cannot store. Since affect does not store, there is no damming of affect and no requirement for affect expression or discharge. A sequence of theoretical ramifications and elaborations results in a redefinition of the classic neuroses and some other disorders. Extensive paths of implications of affect actualities and affect dynamics are suggested as impinging on various aspects of human psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)