Providing coping assistance for women with behavioral interventions

What Are the Perceptions and Experiences of Care Delivery Among Faith Community Nurses? A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review set out to identify the unique perceptions and experiences of care delivery among faith community nurses (FCNs).

DATA SOURCES

This review was conducted and has been reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was conducted using the following databases, Medline (OVID), EmCare for Nurses (OVID), PsycINFO (OVID), CINAHL (EBSCO), Cochrane, and PubMed. The search strategies included the use of truncations, adjacency search parameters, and Boolean operators using a range of key search terms. Predetermined eligibility criteria were applied to all studies. The review process was managed using Covidence systematic review software. Data extraction and quality assessment was conducted across all included studies. Data were analyzed using a narrative synthesis approach.

CONCLUSION

This review has made an important contribution by identifying the role that FCNs play in care delivery as trusted members of their communities who act as a conduit at the intersect of faith and health care. Irrespective of the location or faith denomination, what was common to FCNs was that they delivered care to address the physical, psychological, spiritual, congregational, communication, health system, and family-related needs of those in their care.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

The nurses represented in the included studies expressed concerns that patients experienced unmet supportive care needs because of a fragmented and highly complex existing health care system. Often, FCNs provided a valuable contribution in supporting patients in their care pathways and facilitated continuity of care among people who lived with preexisting comorbidities and who had complex health care needs. Further research is needed to understand the role that faith community nursing models might have in cancer care from the perspective of patients and other members of the multidisciplinary team across different international contexts.

Re-examining definitions of spirituality in nursing research

AIM

To discuss the definition of spirituality and its limitations for nursing research. It proposes a definition that will capture more accurately the role of spirituality in health outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Studies have increasingly examined spirituality in nursing research as a coping mechanism attenuating the negative impact of traumatic stress on mental health. Existing definitions of spirituality in nursing research include elements of positive emotional states (meaning, purpose, general well-being) which confound mental health outcomes.

DATA SOURCES

Medline and CINAHL databases were searched from 2007-2011 for research articles examining spirituality definitions and measures used by nurse researchers.

DISCUSSION

An analysis of the definitions of spirituality in nursing research reveals inconsistencies and confounding mental health concepts. The authors propose defining spirituality in the context of religious involvement when conducting research, while using a broader definition of spirituality when providing spiritual care. They argue such definition provides a more appropriate method of measuring this concept in research aimed at evaluating mental health outcomes while preserving the currently used patient-defined definition of spirituality when providing spiritual care.

NURSING IMPLICATIONS

A consistent definition of spirituality in nursing research evaluating mental health outcomes, distinct from 'spiritual care' in a clinical setting, is essential to avoid tautological results that are meaningless. Appropriate definitions will enable nursing researchers to more clearly identify resilience mechanisms and improved health outcomes in those exposed to traumatic stress.

CONCLUSION

A definition of spirituality that focuses on religious involvement provides a more uniform and consistent measure for evaluating mental health outcomes in nursing research.

Predictors of adolescents' health-promoting behaviors guided by primary socialization theory

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of parents and peers on adolescents' health-promoting behaviors, framed by primary socialization theory.

DESIGN AND METHOD

Longitudinal data collected annually from 1,081 rural youth (mean age = 17 ± 0.7; 43.5% males; 44% Hispanic) and once from their parents were analyzed using generalized linear models.

RESULTS

Parental monitoring and adolescent's religious commitment significantly predicted all health-promoting behaviors (nutrition, physical activity, safety, health practices awareness, and stress management). Other statistically significant predictors were parent's responsiveness and health-promoting behaviors. Peer influence predicted safety and stress management.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Nurses may facilitate adolescents' development of health-promoting behaviors through family-focused interventions.