The present article is a descriptive survey assessing nurses' knowledge, training, and practices regarding the care of abused women. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to all nurses working within the government health organization on the Aland Islands, Finland. The response rate was 57%. Most nurses had no formal training in domestic violence and were less likely than the in-service-trained nurses to intervene with abused women. Nurses' knowledge, beliefs, and practices were found to be unsystematic and had drawbacks. Nurses were not familiar with the formal structure provided by the health administration. The results suggest that in order to meet the urgent need for training among nurses, an in-service training program needs to be set up. This program would help the nurses in identifying survivors of abuse and make them prepared to intervene more effectively to promote the health of these women.

Several studies have evaluated the effectiveness of various methods of asthma education for parents. This study adds a qualitative and inner perspective from the families of children suffering from asthma. The aim was to illuminate the influence of an asthma education program (AEP) for parents. The study sample consisted of nine parents of five children with moderate to severe asthma in the 2-6 years age group. Data were collected by interviews and qualitative analyses were used. The main findings were that the parents experienced an increased understanding of their child's experience of asthma after having participated in the program. Three themes were revealed: sharing experiences, accepting the illness, and partnership building. In conclusion, the parents in the study expressed that they promote increased self-understanding by meeting other parents in groups.

The aim of the present qualitative study was to describe nine parents' everyday experiences of living with a child suffering from asthma. Data were collected by means of in-depth interviews and phenomenological content analysis. Four main themes emerged: feelings of uncertainty, helplessness and guilt; the need for support and help from healthcare professionals; adaptation to everyday life; and the development of coping strategies. In addition, two subthemes; trying out and seeking information, emerged. Trying out was found to be an important strategy for parents in managing the illness. In encounters with healthcare professionals, parents felt that they were not respected and that their competence was questioned. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the importance of a mutual dialogue between healthcare professionals and parents to enable the parents to develop the competence necessary to care for their child.