The Nursing Field: Related to Maintaining Skin Integrity - Essay Example

? Literature Review Insert Insert This paper is meant to review literature on selected articles in the nursing field that are related to maintaining skin integrity. Stewart et al (2006) did some research on “Cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to freshwater cyanobacteria- human volunteer studies”. The research was meant to do a pilot survey on skin hypersensitivity as a result of exposure to cyanobacteria. The study was carried out on volunteers mainly between the ages of 18 to 65 years. The use of a wide age range expanded the research and ensured reliable data was got. The study subjects were categorized by sex and age after which their demographic data was taken. cyanobacteria isolates were cultured in sterile inorganic media. The research was conducted using skin patch technique in which the nurses prepared subjects’ backs using acetone and the patches applied (Ian, Ivan, Penelope, Philip, & Glen, 2006, p. 2). The patches contained aqueous suspensions of cyanobacteria which were applied for 48 hours. Dermatological assessments were carried out after 48 and 96 hours of application. The subjects were advised to keep their backs clean and not to participate in any vigorous activity that might interfere with the patches. The hypothesis that was evaluated in this research was to assess the potential of cyanobacteria to cause skin hypersensitivity reactions. The literature review mainly covered two variables: cyanobacteria and skin patch technique. These are the most important variables since they form the core of the research hypothesis. The literature review starts by describing what cyanobacteria are and associated public health risks. Skin rashes have been reported as a result of exposure to cyanobacteria. Usually, these rashes are very pruritic and itchy (Ian, Ivan, Penelope, Philip, & Glen, 2006, p. 2). In order to understand the hypothesis, conditions that favor growth of these algae and their health effects have to be known. This literature review was therefore, very relevant to the hypothesis. The author also gives information on the reports arising from exposure of cyanobactreia especially in recreational situations. The fact that few of these reports have been reported for domestic water supplies is also reviewed. From the literature it can be seen that skin patch testing has been in used as a procedure for testing effects of cyanobacteria since 1900s (Ian, Ivan, Penelope, Philip, & Glen, 2006, p. 2). It is also indicated that 20-24 percent of volunteers reacted to cyanobactreia in a study by Pilotto et al (Ian, Ivan, Penelope, Philip, & Glen, 2006, p. 2). Therefore, the use of skin patching to assess the effects of cyanobacteria has been used successfully in several studies. This means that the same procedure can be used in this research and give good results. The literature review used in this study fully supported the research hypothesis. In the literature review the author points out that reports of skin rashes as a result of cyanobactreia have been reported. Most of these cases are as a result of recreational exposure. Very few cases have been reported as a result of poor water treatment facilities hence their presence in water supplies (Ian, Ivan, Penelope, Philip, & Glen, 2006, p. 2). There is a gap in information concerning cyanobacteria in water supplies. The literature review was somehow biased. This is because the researcher only covered two aspects (cyanobacteria and Skin patch testing) in the literature review. It could be more interesting if the author could incorporate hypersensitivity in the literature review. Important information to be included would include types of hypersensitivity caused by cyanobacteria and long term effects of these hypersensitivity. Nevertheless, the review on cyanobacteria and skin patch testing presented in the paper gave a good background information about the field of study. Therefore literature review can be used to form a good base for a research. The literature review mainly concentrated on primary information sources. This was mainly from publications from other previously done research for instance the research by Pilotto et al (Ian, Ivan, Penelope, Philip, & Glen, 2006, p. 2) Gardiner et al carried out research on “Evidence-based practice in maintaining skin integrity”. The study collected data on skin maintenance practices which were compared with data from skin maintenance integrity. The data was collected from the clinicians’. Nurses and patients were also evaluated. Efficiency of the study method was enhanced by use of a consistent documentation system. There were also interactive programmes for the staff members (Gardiner, Lampshire, Biggins, McMurray, Noake, & Van Zyl, 2008, p. 5) The overall research objective was to promote best practices in skin maintenance as a measure to prevent skin breakdown. From the literature review, the author reveals that pressure ulcers and other forms of skin breakdown are causing problems to many patients. Skin breakdown is very difficult to manage. However, proper clinical guidelines to promote best practices are lacking and patients rely on clinicians’ knowledge. The author indicates that research on skin integrity maintenance is faced with a lot of problems. Research has mainly focused on equipment to manage skin breakdown. There is also the problem of poor documentation of skin integrity (Gardiner, Lampshire, Biggins, McMurray, Noake, & Van Zyl, 2008, p. 6). The literature review was mainly on the problems encountered in skin maintenance field. This can be used to support the hypothesis since solutions to these problems could promote best practices in skin integrity. The gap introduced in this literature review is that research should not be based on equipment alone, but rather on management strategies. The literature review has supported evidence based practices when it showed that such a study gave positive results in South Australia (Gardiner, Lampshire, Biggins, McMurray, Noake, & Van Zyl, 2008, p. 6). Through bringing in the problems in skin maintenance research, this literature review supports the hypothesis. This is because the research will be trying to find solutions for these problems The literature review however, has failed to tackle important variables in the research. The research was supposed to be looking at based practices for skin integrity. This has not been reviewed in the literature. Instead the literature has mainly focused on the limitations (Gardiner, Lampshire, Biggins, McMurray, Noake, & Van Zyl, 2008, p. 5 & 6). This can be taken as evidence for biasness in the literature review. It is therefore, not complete until the important variables are included in the literature review. The review has mainly used sources from work done by other researchers. Therefore only primary sources have been used. Nonetheless, the materials presented in the literature review have been well synthesized and presented. Carneiro and Leite carried out a research on “Skin lesions in the intra operative period of cardiac surgery: incidence and characterization”. The study was conducted in surgical center for a public university hospital. Consent forms were signed by all participants. A total of 182 patients participated in the study. Two instruments were used to collect data before and after surgery respectively (Leite & Rita, 2009, p. 611). The research was mainly to assess patients who experienced cardiac surgery and thus skin lesions in the healing process. In the literature review, the author talks of skin integrity as an important sign of quality nursing (Leite & Rita, 2009, p. 611). It is also indicated that most skin lesions begin at the surgical room therefore; good nursing care can be used to reduce these lesions. The literature also showed that there is inadequate literature concerning development of skin lesions after surgeries. The writer also refers to other studies that showed that skin lesions are common during the intra operative period of the surgery. The literature therefore, provides evidence that skin lesions begin in the surgical room during the intra operative period. It provides support for the hypothesis and objectives of the research Inadequacy in literature concerning skin lesions in the intra operative period provides a gap in the literature review. Other than supporting the hypotheses in question literature review also provide insights to new areas of research. The literature review provided support for evidence based approaches when it shown that provision of quality nursing care to patients reduced skin lesions in the post operative period (Leite & Rita, 2009, p. 611). Generally, the literature review in this paper provides a base upon which the research can be laid. It gives an insight into the areas to be tackled in the research as well as providing gaps for future research. I all the three research this paper has reviewed, literature review has proved to be of value in creating knowledge base for research. The main variables in this research are skin lesions and intra operative period of surgery. This variables have been not been extensively tackled in the literature review. For instance, it has been indicated that lesions are common in the surgical room (Leite & Rita, 2009, p. 611). The literature has failed to explain conditions present in the intra operative period that encourage development of skin lesions. There is evidence of the use of primary sources for citation when the author quotes other studies to indicate that skin lesions begin in the intra operative period during surgery. As indicated above the author has not exhaustively handled the important variables in the literature review. This introduces a bias in the literature review. This is because it has not completely dealt with the main issues onto which the research is developed upon. In the literature review, the description of skin lesions has been well presented. The relationship between skin lesions and intra operative period have also been well presented in the literature review References Gardiner, L., Lampshire, S., Biggins, A., McMurray, A., Noake, N., & Van Zyl, M. V. (2008). Evidence-based best practice in maintaing skin integrity. Journal of Wound Practise and Research . Ian, S., Ivan, R., Penelope, W., Philip, S., & Glen, S. (2006). Cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to freshwater cyanobacteria- human volunteer studies. Journal of BMC Dermatology . Leite, C., & Rita, C. (2009). Skin lesions in the intraoperative period of cardiac surgery: incidence and characterisation. Journal of the University of Sao Paulo Medical School , 610-615. Read More