A systematic review of the measurement properties of self-care scales in nurses

BACKGROUND

Self-care is a necessary measure against occupational injuries of nurses and improves nursing performance at the bedside. Nurses have different scales to measure self-care, and researchers are confused about choosing valid and reliable scales. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the measurement properties of self-care scales in nurses to identify the best available scales.

METHODS

Four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and ProQuest) were systematically searched, with no date limiters, until 9 Jun 2023. A manual search was performed with Google Scholar and the reference list of articles to complete the search. Studies aiming to develop or determine the measurement properties of self-care in nurses were included. Based on Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments, the methodological quality of the studies was determined, and the result of each study on a measurement property was rated (sufficient, insufficient, or indeterminate). The quality of the evidence was graded using a modified Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach (high, moderate, low, or very low). These processes were used to make recommendations and identify the best scale to assess self-care in nurses.

RESULTS

Out of 8601 articles, six articles with five different scales were included. Only internal consistency was reported across all scales. Criterion validity, measurement error, responsiveness, feasibility, and interpretability, were not reported in any of them. Content validity was reported only in two studies with inconsistent results and low-quality evidence. None of the scales had methodological quality with a rating of very good and sufficient high-quality evidence for all measurement properties.

CONCLUSIONS

None of the scales is strongly recommended to measure self-care in nurses. Only the Professional self-care scale is temporarily recommended until their quality is assessed in future studies. Considering that the content of the examined scales does not meet all the professional self-care needs of nurses, designing a valid, reliable, and specialized scale for nurses is needed.

Effectiveness of Psychological First Aid E-learning on the Competence and Empathy of Nurses in Disasters: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the effect of psychological first-aid (PFA) E-learning on the competence and empathy of nurses in disasters.

METHODS

In a randomized controlled trial, 50 nurses were randomly assigned to 2 intervention and control groups, and psychological first-aid training sessions were implemented for the intervention group. The data were collected using the personal information form, a researcher-made questionnaire to measure competence, and the Davis Empathy Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Two groups were homogeneous in terms of competency (P = 0.691) and empathy (P = 0.363) in the preintervention phase. The intervention group had more competence in the next stage than before the intervention (P < 0.0001). In the post-intervention phase, the intervention group had more competence compared with the control group (P < 0.0001). The overall effect size of PFA E-learning training on the nurses' competency was 1.9. Regarding empathy, in the post-intervention phase, the subscale of personal distress (P = 0.014) was significantly lower in the intervention group and the perspective-taking subscale was higher than in the control group (P < 0.0001). However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of all scores of empathy and the subscale of empathic concern (P > 0.05). The overall effect size of PFA E-learning training on the nurses' empathy was 0.44.

CONCLUSIONS

It is suggested to provide training, including a PFA E-learning model, for nurses and other therapists in disaster situations.

Comparison of challenges of the nursing educational system in Iran and Turkey

OBJECTIVES

This study compares the challenges of the nursing educational system in Iran and Turkey at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. levels.

DESIGN

A narrative review.

DATA SOURCES

A comprehensive computer-based search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, ISI web of knowledge, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and Science direct databases, without time limit, until May 2022. Finally, 31 article were finally included in the study. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines were used.

RESULTS

Some challenges of the nursing educational system were common to the two countries such as: problems in the student enrollment system, the need to add courses to improve critical thinking skills and problem solving and creativity, lack of part-time courses for postgraduate and doctoral students, lack of attention to training community health students, employment of students in hospitals without assessment of clinical skills, lack of job opportunities for PhD students in hospitals. In Turkey, compared to Iran, there are strengths in the nursing educational system, including: have an accreditation program, giving importance to the discussion of research and evidence-based care in undergraduate and strengthening the clinical skills of doctoral students.

CONCLUSIONS

Iranian policymakers can use the strengths of the Turkish nursing education system, which is close to Iran in terms of context, to help improve this education system. Given the many challenges the two countries face in this regard, we suggest that by comparing and modeling the nursing education system of leading countries in this field such, both Iran and Turkey take effective steps to grow and improve the nursing education system.

Evaluating the Effect of Peer-Assisted Education on the Functioning in Family Caregivers of Patients with Schizophrenia: A Clinical Trial Study

Background

High levels burden of long-term care of patients with schizophrenia can disrupt the functioning of family caregivers. This study evaluated a peer-assisted education method on family caregivers’ functioning of patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

In this randomized controlled trial, 64 family caregivers of schizophrenia patients in military hospitals of Tehran, Iran, were selected and randomly allocated to intervention and control groups, in 2018–2019. The peer-assisted education was performed in the experimental group for six 1-hour sessions and the family functioning was measured in both groups by the Family Assessment Device Scale. The data were analyzed by SPSS software ver. 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and group differences at a level of P-value <0.05 were considered as significant.

Results

There was no significant differences between groups in the pre-intervention phase in all dimensions of family functioning (P>0.05). There were significant differences between intervention and control groups, in the post-intervention phase in mean problem-solving dimension (11.80 vs. 15.53, P=0.012) and in 2 weeks after intervention, in the dimensions of roles (21.71 vs. 23.43, P=0.015), affective involvement (19.03 vs. 21.59, P=0.017), behavior control (23.90 vs. 26.93, P=0.045), general functioning (27.15 vs. 31.40, P=0.013), and total family functioning (134.12 vs. 153.09, P=0.001).

Conclusion

The peer-assisted education significantly influenced the functioning of family caregivers of schizophrenic patients and can be recommended to improve the functioning of caregivers.

Effects of acupressure at the P6 and LI4 points on the anxiety level of soldiers in the Iranian military

INTRODUCTION

Military service is a stressful environment. Methods to reduce stress may result in the mental health promotion of military forces. There are various methods for relieving anxiety. Acupressure is one of them. Hence, this study was carried out to explore effects of acupressure at the P6 and LI4 acupressure points on the anxiety level of army soldiers.

METHODS

A randomised double-blind design was undertaken. A total of 120 Iranian army soldiers were randomly assigned to three groups, namely P6, LI4 and control. The P6 and LI4 acupressure points are effective in lowering the anxiety level. In the intervention groups, acupressure was applied at the P6 and LI4 points three times for 10 min at 30 min intervals. In the control group, the thumb pad, which is not an acupressure point, was pressed. The anxiety level of the subjects was measured before the intervention and 30 min after the last intervention. The instruments included a demographics questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between the three groups with respect to the anxiety level in the preintervention phase. However, the mean anxiety score in the P6 group decreased significantly from 53.35±9.7 to 49.02±9.3 (p=0.005). The mean anxiety score in the LI4 group also decreased significantly from 53.37±8.39 to 45.47±8.16 (p<0.001). In the control group, there was no significant difference between the preintervention and postintervention phases (p=0.16). In the postintervention phase, the analysis of variance test showed a significant difference between the three groups in terms of the anxiety level (p=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Acupressure can reduce soldiers' anxiety at the acupressure points, especially at the LI4 point. It is recommended that this simple and cost-effective intervention be used to relieve soldiers' anxiety in stressful situations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

20150715023216N4.