Holism in community leg ulcer management: a comparison of nurses in Sweden and the UK.
Collaboration between Kronoberg County Council and Växjö University, Sweden, and Hull and East Riding Community NHS Trust and the University of Hull, UK, enabled an international comparison of care of patients with chronic leg ulcers in the two countries. An aim of the survey study was to compare what "holistic care" meant to nurses working in primary health care (PHC) and nursing home settings in Kronoberg County (KC) and the East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull (ER). A questionnaire, which obtained quantitative and qualitative data, was returned by 311 (222 completed) nurses in KC and 124 in ER (response rates of 54 and 50% respectively). Assessment and planning of wound management focused on the wound. Swedish nurses paid more attention to patients' experience of the wound, lifestyle factors and environment than UK nurses, but in both countries holistic care appeared to be lacking. Issues for nurse education concerning holistic care were identified. Revision of guidelines and consensus documents to facilitate holistic care is also suggested.
Hjelm
K
K
Department of Health Science and Social Work, University of Växjö and Department of Community Health Sciences Malmö, University of Lund, Sweden. katarina.hjelm@ivosa.vxu.se
Rolfe
M
M
Bryar
R M
RM
Andersson
B-L
BL
Fletcher
M
M
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001458:Bandages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000451:nursing*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D013548:Sweden; D006113:United Kingdom