Methods. A descriptive comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in October through November, 2021. In total, 115 nursing students participated in a survey where 63 students were from the first year and 52 from the fourth year of a nursing program. The response rate was 83.3%. The questionnaire was developed by the authors. The approval of the Bioethics Center of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences was obtained (No. BEC–SL(N)–17).

Results. The first year students were more likely to take care of dementia patients than the fourth year students (28.6% and 11.6%, respectively). The fourth year nursing students more often than the first year students noted that they were not planning to work in the elderly units (28.8% and 9.5%, respectively, P = 0.007) and felt not having enough patience to provide such care (42.3% and 7.9%, respectively, P = 0.001). Last year nursing students reported being better prepared to work with dementia patients than the first year students (mean ranks 64.85 and 52.35, respectively, P = 0.016) and more often highlighted the high need of hygiene assurance for dementia patience (mean ranks 65.92 and 51.46, respectively, P = 0.007).

Conclusions. The fourth year nursing students are less likely to take care of dementia patients than the first year nursing students. Students see the care of dementia patients challenging because of older age and altered mental status of the patient that creates psychological difficulties and requires much more patience in care. Effective learning strategies alongside with the good mentorship relationship and positive clinical training experience of students may help to encourage and motivate nursing graduates to care for dementia patients during their professional career.

Methods. A quantitative study was performed at a teaching hospital in the Neurology Unit, during January through February, 2020. The inclusion criteria for patients were as follows: patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and illness duration of more than one year. In total, 80 patients participated in the study (response rate – 100.0%). A questionnaire was developed by the authors in according with the scientific literature. The study protocol was approved by the Centre of Bioethics at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, no. BEC-SL(B)-112.

Results. The majority of the patients with multiple sclerosis (75.0%) were women and the mean of age in the patients was 22.89 ± 3.97 years. Their illness lasted approximately 3.85 ± 3.01 years. The patients with a longer multiple sclerosis illness duration had various symptoms more frequently than those who experienced illness for a relatively shorter period of time: hand tremor (78.9% and 57.1%, respectively, P = 0.03), difficulties to stand with toes in (34.2% and 4.8%, respectively, P = 0.01), limited turning around for 360o (57.9% and 16.7%, respectively, P < 0.001). Almost half of the respondents (41.2%) were independent going to the supermarket; however, the patients with illness duration less than 7 years went to the supermarket on their own more often than the patients living with diagnoses of multiple sclerosis for a longer period of time (54.8% and 26.3%, respectively, P = 0.01).

Conclusions. Movement problems and dependency in activities of daily living are relevant to patients who are ill with multiple sclerosis. These problems are increasing with a longer duration of the disease.

Material and Methods. The study was performed at the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno Klinikos Emergency and Trauma Centre. The data were collected from December 2015 through November 2016 by seasons. In total, 357 patients participated in the study. A questionnaire was composed by the authors. The study protocol was approved by the Centre of Bioethics at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (No. BEC-KS(M)-75).

Results. The mean age of patients was 55.78±1.13 years. The most prevalent trauma in an emergency trauma centre for all seasons was concussion injuries, more often in autumn (59.3%) and less in summer (47.3%). The second trauma by frequency was fractures, and more patients came to an emergency trauma centre due to fractures in spring (33.3%) and fewer in autumn (18.6%). The most frequent localization of trauma by all seasons was head trauma, more prevalent in spring and autumn (55.6% each) than in summer (25.3%). The most frequent reason for trauma in all seasons was falls (57.4 % for all seasons), more frequent in spring (64.5%) and less in summer (50.5%).

In 205 of 357 patients, the cause of trauma was a fall. Patients younger than 65 years old mostly had (71.2%) one fall per year, although half (50.6%) of patients ≥65 years experienced two falls per year, and 26.4% three or more falls. Patients in the age group ≥65 years more frequently fall indoors (59.3%) and patients <65 years most often fall outdoors (61.9%).

Conclusion. Concussion injuries and fractures with head localization were the most frequent trauma in patients at an emergency and trauma centre. Almost two thirds of trauma causes were falls in all seasons. Thus, fall prevention must be one of the priorities in community care for nurses and other health care specialists.

Material and Methods. The study was performed at three Vilnius hospitals with dialysis health care service for outpatients. Private dialysis centres were excluded. The data was collected in July through November, 2014. One-hundred forty-one patients met inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in the study (response rate, 100.0%). The questionnaire was made by the authors of this study. Patients were asked to report on their health problems that appeared during the last 4 weeks. The study protocol was approved by the Centre of Bioethics at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences.

Results. The most frequent nursing problems among haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients were high blood pressure (73.3%), weakness (66.7%), hand and leg cramps (65.9%), sleep problems (62.4%) and dry skin (57.4%). Nursing problems such as high blood pressure (74.1% in haemodialysis patients and 69.7% in peritoneal dialysis patients, respectively), weakness (71.3% and 51.5%, respectively) and sleep problems (69.4% and 39.4%, respectively) were more prevalent among haemodialysis patients than peritoneal dialysis patients. Besides, hand and leg cramps were more relevant for peritoneal dialysis patients in comparison with haemodialysis patients (81.8% and 61.1%, respectively). Some health problems were relevant for patients after dialysis treatment that lasted for 10 years and longer: 90.9% of patients had weakness, 81.8% had high blood pressure and dry skin, and 63.6% had headache and muscles pain.

Conclusions. Assessment of nursing problems assures individual care of patients with haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Patient-centred care is provided if nursing professionals ground care planning on identified patients’ health problems and care needs.