Health, sleep and lack of time: relations to domestic and paid work in nurses

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether reported morbidity and complaints of lack of time and sleep are associated with the burden of professional work and housework among nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional exploratory study was carried out among female nurses and nurse assistants (N=206) of a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire. The prevalence ratio and 95% confidence intervals were estimated. RESULTS: Mean duration of professional work and housework time was 40.4 and 31.6 hours/week, respectively. Long professional working time (over 44 hours/week) were associated with mild emotional disorders (PR=1.37; 95% CI: 1.05-1.80), complaints of lack of time for resting/leisure (PR=1.61; 95% CI: 1.31-1.97), housework (PR=1.48; 95% CI: 1.12-1.97), and childcare (PR=1.99; 95% CI: 1.51-2.63). Long housework time (over 28 hours/week) was associated with lower prevalence of lack of time for childcare (PR=0.62; 95% CI: 0.46-0.84). High housework load was associated with lack of personal time and complaints of varicose veins (PR=1.31; 95% CI: 1.14-1.50 and PR=1.31; 95% CI: 1.08-1.58, respectively). Complaints of varicose veins were also frequent among female nurses with a total work load above 84 hours (PR=1.30; 95% CI: 1.05-1.61), though this group has shown a lower prevalence of arterial hypertension and recurrent headaches (PR=0.35; 95% CI: 0.15-0.83 and PR=0.53; 95% CI: 0.32-0.89, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that both professional and home environments are relevant in the evaluation of work overload on nurses' health and their family and social life. It is stressed the need for instruments for analyzing total workload among female populations.

Time's Social Metaphors: An empirical research

The article addresses the analysis of time images furnished by a qualitative research made in Spain on the relations of working time and family/personal time. The analysis focuses on three widespread time metaphors used in day-to-day speeches by social agents. The first one is the metaphor of time as resource for action. Its value is equally economical, moral and political. Used in different context of action, it may mean something that can be either invested, donated generously to others, appropriated for caring for oneself, or spent without purpose with others. The second metaphor represents time as an external environment to which action must adapt. This metaphor shows many variants that represent time as a dynamic/static, repetitive/innovative, ordered/chaotic environment. In this external environment, the agents must resolve the problems of temporal embeddedness, hierarchy and synchronization of their actions. The third metaphor shows time as a horizon of action intentionality where the agents try to construct the meaning of their action and identity. Within this horizon the construction of a significant narrative connecting past and present experiences with future expectations is possible.

DISTINCT TEMPORALITIES IN THE BREAST CANCER DISEASE PROCESS

Comprehensive approach study aimed understanding the reflections and contrasts between personal time and medical therapy protocol time in the life of a young woman with breast cancer. Addressed as a situational study and grounded in Beth’s life story about getting sick and dying of cancer at age 34, the study’s data collection process employed interviews, observation and medical record analysis. The construction of the analytic-synthetic box based on the chronology of Beth’s clinical progression, treatment phases and temporal perception of occurrences enabled us to point out a linear medical therapy protocol time identified by the diagnosis and treatment sequencing process. On the other hand, Beth’s experienced time was marked by simultaneous and non-linear events that generated suffering resulting from the disease. Such comprehension highlights the need for healthcare professionals to take into account the time experienced by the patient, thus providing an indispensable cancer therapeutic protocol with a personal character.

Implicações gerenciais para o sentido do trabalho

O trabalho constitui elo de ligação entre indivíduo organização; ambos se buscam se escolhem para efetivação de uma realização prática, concreta. entre o indivíduo seu trabalho encontra-se figura do gerente. Grande parte do tempo pessoal dedicada vida profissional. Se tempo no trabalho aumenta, tempo que trabalho deve prover significado também aumenta. não se trata de uma relação meramente quantitativa. Sua renovação se faz necessária diariamente de forma qualitativa. fundamental que tempo no trabalho seja bem utilizado, tenha um propósito contribua para contínuo crescimento não para limitação do indivíduo ao longo do tempo. Se aumento da quantidade de produtos produzidos se constituía no principal desafio do início do século XX, hoje dirigentes passam ter como principal meta fazer com que os conhecimentos existentes na organização se tornem produtivos. tipo de produto que se almeja mais intelectual, de maior valor agregado, demanda maior envolvimento do empregado. Acreditamos que uma das formas para conseguir envolvimento seja através da capacidade do trabalho de prover significado. Gerentes não podem criar sentido para indivíduo, mas podem intervir na organização do trabalho quando necessário. estudo apresenta implicações gerenciais partir do grupo pesquisado: os sentidos os dessentidos do trabalho e as ações gerenciais para administração desta percepção. pesquisa de campo foi realizada através da utilização de questionário fechado efetuada com profissionais retirados de programas de pós-graduação com ênfase em Administração (MBAs). Após coleta dos dados no campo, os dados foram tabulados por meio de parâmetros estatísticos baseados na freqüência. Os indivíduos pesquisados anseiam por eficiência resultados e, partir da clareza das direções gerenciais, espera-se esclarecimento do objetivo de suas atividades. Percebe-se importância da qualidade da relação gerente-subordinado para sentido do trabalho. Há grande demanda pelas habilidades de comunicação do gerente (direções, utilidade do trabalho, feedback). desejo de segurança no trabalho inclui parte financeira mas não exclui emocional, que se manifesta pelo desejo do trabalho em equipe. preocupação da invasão do labor no mundo do trabalho, referenciando os conceitos propostos por Arendt, se manifesta pela rejeição rotinização das atividades e ausência de liberdade de criação. anseio pelo exercício da criatividade, em última instância, reflete necessidade primordial de um trabalho intrinsecamente satisfatório.

Los impactos de los cuidados de salud en los ámbitos de vida de las personas cuidadoras

El objetivo del artículo es analizar la distribución del tiempo de las personas cuidadoras en las distintas esferas de la vida (la esfera laboral, la privada o personal y la doméstica). El estudio se basa en el análisis de los datos de la Encuesta de Empleo del Tiempo 2002-2003 del Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). Los resultados de la investigación muestran los impactos negativos del cuidado informal sobre los distintos ámbitos de la vida en términos de reducción de la vida privada o personal, de la participación en el ámbito laboral y de mayor carga del trabajo total. Asimismo, también ponen de manifiesto la heterogeneidad de los efectos del cuidado informal en la vida cotidiana de las personas cuidadoras según el sexo, la edad y el nivel de ingresos.

The relationship between extra-role behaviours and job burnout for primary school teachers: A preliminary model and development of an organisational citizenship behaviour scale

Recent research on teacher stress in primary schools (e.g. Leonard, Bourke & Schofield, 1999) has shown that higher levels of teacher exhaustion are associated with higher levels of student satisfaction. This paper seeks to explain this surprising finding by considering a construct discussed widely in the organisational literature known as extra-role or organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Teacher OCB may include extra efforts to make lessons enjoyable and interesting, organising extra-curricular activities and spending personal time talking with students. The proposed model of analysis also draws on literature relating to job burnout (Maslach, 1982), which generally suggests that the three components of chronic occupational stress - exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced accomplishment - occur together. However, this paper proposes that although teachers who engage in more OCB experience more exhaustion, they may simultaneously increase their feelings of personal accomplishment and work identification, which may in turn help to avert burnout. It is argued that only with this particular set of job attitudes are the effects of exhaustion caused by high levels of OCB sufficiently buffered to avoid job burnout, and thus positively affect students' quality of school life. The development and piloting of an instrument to measure teachers' OCB will be discussed. The preliminary findings reported herein are part of a larger ongoing study investigating the consequences of stress and OCB in primary school teachers.

AnSBBR Applied to a Personal Care Industry Wastewater Treatment: Effects of Fill Time, Volume Treated Per Cycle, and Organic Load

A study was performed regarding the effect of the relation between fill time, volume treated per cycle, and influent concentration at different applied organic loadings on the stability and efficiency of an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor containing immobilized biomass on polyurethane foam with recirculation of the liquid phase (AnSBBR) applied to the treatment of wastewater from a personal care industry. Total cycle length of the reactor was 8 h (480 min). Fill times were 10 min in the batch operation, 4 h in the fed-batch operation, and a 10-min batch followed by a 4-h fed batch in the mixed operation. Settling time was not necessary since the biomass was immobilized and decant time was 10 min. Volume of liquid medium in the reactor was 2.5 L, whereas volume treated per cycle ranged from 0.88 to 2.5 L in accordance with fill time. Influent concentration varied from 300 to 1,425 mg COD/L, resulting in an applied volumetric organic load of 0.9 and 1.5 g COD/L.d. Recirculation flow rate was 20 L/h, and the reactor was maintained at 30 A degrees C. Values of organic matter removal efficiency of filtered effluent samples were below 71% in the batch operations and above 74% in the operations of fed batch followed by batch. Feeding wastewater during part of the operational cycle was beneficial to the system, as it resulted in indirect control over the conversion of substrate into intermediates that would negatively interfere with the biochemical reactions regarding the degradation of organic matter. As a result, the average substrate consumption increased, leading to higher organic removal efficiencies in the fed-batch operations.

Evaluation of the determinism of the actuator sensor interface (ASI) on programmable logic controllers (PLC), personal computers (PC) and real-time operating systems (RTOS)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the determinism of the AS-lnterface network and the 3 main families of control systems, which may use it, namely PLC, PC and RTOS. During the course of this study the PROFIBUS and Ethernet field level networks were also considered in order to ensure that they would not introduce unacceptable latencies into the overall control system. This research demonstrated that an incorrectly configured Ethernet network introduces unacceptable variable duration latencies into the control system, thus care must be exercised if the determinism of a control system is not to be compromised. This study introduces a new concept of using statistics and process capability metrics in the form of CPk values, to specify how suitable a control system is for a given control task. The PLC systems, which were tested, demonstrated extremely deterministic responses, but when a large number of iterations were introduced in the user program, the mean control system latency was much too great for an AS-I network. Thus the PLC was found to be unsuitable for an AS-I network if a large, complex user program Is required. The PC systems, which were tested were non-deterministic and had latencies of variable duration. These latencies became extremely exaggerated when a graphing ActiveX was included in the control application. These PC systems also exhibited a non-normal frequency distribution of control system latencies, and as such are unsuitable for implementation with an AS-I network. The RTOS system, which was tested, overcame the problems identified with the PLC systems and produced an extremely deterministic response, even when a large number of iterations were introduced in the user program. The RTOS system, which was tested, is capable of providing a suitable deterministic control system response, even when an extremely large, complex user program is required.

An exploration of women elementary school teachers' perceptions of how their decision to return to teaching part-time from a maternity leave influences their professional and personal lives /

The purpose of this research was to explore women elementary teachers' perceptions of how their decision to return to teaching part-time from a maternity leave influences their professional and personal lives. The investigation focused on the decisions surrounding a mother's choice to reenter the teaching profession parttime in a field where each mother had previously been employed full-time. A collective case study was undertaken based on an in-depth interview with five mothers who had made the choice to return to the classroom part-time. The data collected in this study were analyzed and interpreted using qualitative methods. The following four major themes emerged from the interviews: decisionmaking process, challenges faced by mothers who teach part-time, the importance of support, and the enhancement of instructional practice from parenthood. Using these four themes, an analysis was conducted to examine the similarities and differences among the experiences of the participants. The mothers' reflections, my analysis, and the related literature were used at the conclusion of this report to compile implications for teaching practice, theory, and further research.

History of the First Light Battery Connecticut Volunteers, 1861-1865 : personal records and reminiscences. The story of the battery from its organization to the present time /

Mode of access: Internet.

A complete history, political and personal, of the boroughs of Great Britain; together with the Cinque Ports. To which is now first added The history of the original constitution of parliaments, from the time of the ancient Britons to the present day. With a state of the representation, and an account of contested elections, &c. &c.

Vol. 3 has half-title: History of the original constitution of parliaments.

The history of duelling : including, narratives of the most remarkable personal encounters that have taken place from the earliest period to the present time /

Mode of access: Internet.

Christ's second advent; or, Lectures delivered before late general conventions, in Boston, Lowell, and New York, vindicating the Lord's personal appearing on earth, to judge the world, "at hand", without fixing the time, without a previous millenium; or return of the Jews to Palestine.

Mode of access: Internet.

Famous American men and women; a complete portrait gallery of celebrated people, whose names are prominent in the annals of the time, each portrait accompanied by an authentic biographical sketch, secured by personal interview--the whole forming a text book of national character.

Afterwards reissued under title: Eminent sons and daughters of Columbia.