A narrative inquiry into the communication experiences of mothers caring for children with cancer in Jordan

BACKGROUND

This study aims to investigate the parenting experiences of mothers who care for children with cancer in Jordan and specifically focuses on the communication experiences of mothers who care for children with cancer.

METHODOLOGY

A qualitative research design employing a narrative inquiry methodology was adopted; it employed the implementation of twenty semi-structured interviews with the mothers of children with cancer recruited from one pediatric hospital located in Amman, Jordan.

FINDINGS

The findings of this study reveal that the majority of mothers attempted to conceal or delay any discussion regarding the diagnosis with their child, particularly during the immediate post-diagnosis period. Additionally, the mothers expressed that their relationships with the parents of children diagnosed with the same illness contain positive and negative aspects. Finally, most mothers participating in this study praised the role of hope in helping them cope with the challenging health condition of their children.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study reveal that mothers would withhold diagnostic information from their children for several reasons: firstly, they wished to safeguard their children from feelings of distress; secondly, they perceived that their children were too immature to fully comprehend the seriousness of their diagnosis; and, finally, they desired to protect their children from unnecessary fear and negative emotions.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Pediatric cancer care requires effective communication between physicians, pediatric nurses, caregivers, and children; clear and accurate communication between healthcare providers and parents of children with cancer ensures that they fully understand the diagnosis and can make values-based decisions.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurses' Knowledge and Use of Sucrose for Neonatal Pain Management in Saudi Arabia

Introduction

Sucrose is an evidence-based intervention used for short-term pain management and distress from minor procedures. Limited research exists on nurses' knowledge and use of sucrose in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Saudi Arabia.

Objective

To assess nurses' knowledge and use of sucrose in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 68 neonatal intensive care nurses in Saudi Arabia. A modified tool assessed the knowledge and use of sucrose. Logistic regression analysis was used to find the predictors for sucrose use.

Results

Most respondents never used sucrose for neonatal pain management and did not receive any training on sucrose. The mean knowledge of nurses regarding sucrose and its use was very low (38%): 16% had a high level of knowledge regarding sucrose, 13% moderate, 19% low, and 52% very low. Nurses who received training on sucrose use and nurses who read or heard about sucrose predicted the use of sucrose.

Conclusion

Nurses' knowledge and use of sucrose were inadequate. Interventional programs are needed to enhance the nurses' knowledge regarding sucrose and its use and to enhance the utilization of sucrose as a pain management intervention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Saudi Arabia.

Psychological wellbeing and associated factors among nurses exposed to COVID 19: Findings from a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus pandemic known as COVID-2019 poses a global concern. The psychological well-being of front-line nurses and other healthcare providers is a major concern.

AIMS

This study evaluated the psychological well-being and the associated factors among nurses in Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

The cross-sectional survey was conducted during the peak period of COVID 19 among 367 nurses recruited from Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital. The online survey was used with the snowballing sampling technique to collect the participants' socio-demographic data and assess their psychological status using DASS-21; in addition, the major traumatic event was assessed by Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and self-efficacy was evaluated.

RESULTS

67.7% of the 367 respondents experienced moderate or severe psychological problem; 46.1% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms; 48.0% moderate to severe anxiety symptoms; and 48.4% moderate to severe stress levels. The psychological status and influence of a major traumatic event and self-efficacy were statistically significant different among nurses according to age, gender, working experience, marital status, working in a COVID 19 unit or with suspected cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses had a significantly increased risk of developing psychological problems, negatively impacted by the major traumatic event and poor self-efficacy.

Cancer related emergencies with the chief complaint of pain: Incidence, ED recognition, and quality of care

BACKGROUND

Pain is the most common reason for cancer-related emergency department (ED) visits and a precursor of the urgency of oncological emergencies.

PURPOSE

To identify the incidence of oncological emergencies with the chief complaint of pain and evaluate ED recognition and quality of care in managing the associated emergency.

METHODS

This was a retrospective observational study of cancer patients presented to three EDs during the four-year study period.

RESULTS

The study's sample consisted of 252 patients admitted with oncological emergencies with a chief complaint of pain. Some oncological emergencies were more likely to be prioritized appropriately, such as febrile neutropenia and increased intracranial pressure. However, most patients with spinal cord compression and cardiac tamponade were more likely to be triaged to less urgent triage categories. Timeliness of ED care was suboptimal for most patients, particularly among those assigned to less urgent triage categories. Indicators for the low quality of care extended beyond ED with multiple adverse events in the hospital.

CONCLUSION

Triage nurses are expected to use the oncological emergencies' prevalent symptoms to allocate the patients to high triage urgency accurately. Patient waiting to be seen expected to be reassessed periodically to ensure waiting remain safe. Hospitals can adopt or establish pathways, protocols, or standardized order sets to fast-track patients with oncological emergencies. The health information system should be available to monitor and improve the delivered care continuously.

The relationship between Internet addiction, psychological distress, and coping strategies in a sample of Saudi undergraduate students

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Internet addiction (IA), psychological distress, and coping strategies.

METHODS

Data were collected using a convenience sample of 163 student nurses.

FINDINGS

The results showed that there was high prevalence rate of IA among students. In addition, the use of avoidance and problem-solving coping mechanism was statistically significant among the IA group compared with the non-IA group (P < .05). This was associated with a more negative impact on psychological distress and self-efficacy (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

IA is an increasing problem in the general population and among university students. It can affect many aspects of a student life.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The results will raise awareness of the deleterious effects of IA on a wide range of student life.

Assessment of nursing students’ attitudes and stigma towards mental illness: A cross-sectional study

This study aimed to assess nursing students’ attitudes toward mental illness in Saudi Arabia. The research design was cross sectional survey. A convenience sample of 315 nursing students. The attitudes towards patients with mental illness questionnaire (AMI) was employed. The results of analysis found that nursing students had favorable attitudes (social relationships) toward people affected by mental illness. Their AMI1 score was slightly higher than the neutral score 20.82. In addition, the findings suggested that students showed slightly affirmative attitudes of tendency to inform others in case oneself or a close relative being mentally ill. 10.50 was the score of AMI2. Nursing students had favorable attitudes towards mental illness despite having negative stereotyped attitudes toward mental illness.

The value of caring behavior and its impact on students' self-efficacy: Perceptions of undergraduate nursing students

BACKGROUND

Clinical instructors are the key mediators in helping students conquer clinical experiences by preparing them for clinical workplaces. The caring behavior of instructors plays an important role in the instructor-student relationship.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to (a) assess the perception of nursing students of clinical instructors' caring behavior and (b) explore the correlation between their perception of instructors' caring behavior and their self-efficacy.

DESIGN

A quantitative descriptive correlation design was adopted.

SETTING

The sample was collected from the faculty of nursing at a major governmental university for females in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

PARTICIPANTS

A sample of nursing students (N = 200) was recruited.

METHODS

The data were collected using the inventory for nursing students' perceptions of instructor caring (NSPIC) and general self-efficacy (GSE) scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics, such as Pearson r correlation and regression analysis, were used.

RESULTS

The total mean of NSPIC was moderate to high (mean = 3.06, SD = 1.04). The level of GSE among students was high (mean = 3.45, SD = 0.849). NSPIC is significantly correlated with its GSE (r = .282). In addition, GSE turned out to be a major indicator of caring behavior, with P = .021 and R²  = 0.642.

CONCLUSION

Caring relationships between clinical instructors and nursing students enable students to grow as caring professionals. Therefore, nursing programs must have highly qualified clinical instructors to teach and train students and be a good role model in the workplace.

Prevalence of internet addiction, its association with psychological distress, coping strategies among undergraduate students

PURPOSE

This study aimed to describe the prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) among undergraduate students, and its impact on psychological distress and coping strategies.

METHODS

Data were collected using a convenience sample of 163 student nurses.

FINDINGS

The results showed that there was high prevalence rate of IA among students. In addition, the use of avoidance and problem-solving coping mechanism was statistically significant among the IA group compared with the non-IA group (p < 0.05). This was associated with a more negative impact on psychological distress and self-efficacy (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

IA is an increasing problem in the general population and among university students. It can affect many aspects of a student's life and performance.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The results will raise awareness of the deleterious effects of IA on a wide range of student life.

Psychoeducational Interventions for People with Schizophrenia: Findings from the Systematic Reviews

Aims: This systematic review examines the effectiveness of the psycho-educational interventions (PEIs) targeted at people diagnosed with schizophrenia and their primary caregivers on improving knowledge level of schizophrenia and health-related outcomes.Methods: A total of 28 studies were reviewed from December 1999 to May 2015. The methods described by Centre for Reviews and Dissemination were used to guide this review.Results: The PEIs showed consistent improvement in the knowledge level of schizophrenia among participants for various follow-up intervals. In addition, PEIs were found to be superior to treatment as usual in influencing health-related outcomes.Conclusions: Implications of the findings for mental health care practice and education and recommendations are discussed.

The effect of a family intervention on primary caregivers psychological outcomes: Findings from the integrative literature review

AIMS

This literature review examines the effectiveness of the family interventions (FIs) targeted at the primary caregivers of people diagnosed with schizophrenia on improving the knowledge level of schizophrenia and health-related outcomes.

METHODS

A total of nine studies were reviewed from December 1999 to May 2017. The methods described by the Center for Reviews and Dissemination were used to guide this review.

RESULTS

The FIs showed consistent improvement in the knowledge level of schizophrenia among participants for various follow-up intervals. In addition, FIs were found to be superior to treatment as usual in influencing health-related outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Implications of the findings for mental healthcare practice to include primary caregivers with the patient in the treatment process.

Psychiatric nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practice towards the use of physical restraints

PURPOSE

This study examines the knowledge, attitudes, and practice of psychiatric nurses towards the use of physical restraint in Saudi Arabia.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Descriptive explanatory cross-sectional design, 101 participants were invited to complete a set of questionnaires to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards the use of physical restraint.

FINDINGS

Participants had a moderate knowledge and attitude as well as practice in using physical restraint. Less than half reported that they recognized alternative approaches to physical restraint and most of them did not understand the reasons for the restraint.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This study highlights some important misunderstandings of nurses about using physical restraint. The findings serve as a supporting reason for recognizing the importance of educating nurses about its use.

The correlation between the quality of life and clinical variables among outpatients with schizophrenia

The study identifies the correlation between the quality of life (QoL) among outpatients with schizophrenia and clinical outcomes. A cross-sectional study design was used with 157 people with schizophrenia treated in outpatient clinics. Demographic, clinical and psychosocial variables were examined for their influence on QoL. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, Pearson product moment correlation and stepwise forward multiple linear regression. The majority of the study participants were female, single, unemployed, had secondary level of education or less and were being supported financially by family members. QoL correlated negatively with advanced age, male gender, longer duration of illness, high body mass index and prescribed typical anti-psychotic medication. However, it was related positively with employment and being married. Illness duration, recurrent hospitalisation, knowledge level about schizophrenia, psychiatric symptoms and coping mechanisms were found to be key significant predictors of QoL among participants. The study findings enhance our understanding of socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial characteristics influencing the QoL in people with schizophrenia. Involvement of families in the management process may improve patients' ability to be integrated in the community and be more socially active.

Self-stigma by people diagnosed with schizophrenia, depression and anxiety: Cross-sectional survey design

AIM

This study investigated self-attitudes towards schizophrenia, depression and anxiety.

METHODS

A survey was conducted with 564 people with a schizophrenia, depression and anxiety who are currently being treated at a psychiatric clinic in Amman, Jordan.

RESULTS

The research found that stigma towards schizophrenia, depression and anxiety was based around three factors: preconceived stereotypes, personal responsibility/blame and the perceived inability of a patient to recover. Schizophrenia, in particular, was linked more strongly to negative stereotypes and an inability to recover and less associated to personal responsibility/blame in comparison to depression and anxiety.

DISCUSSION

Three identical stigma factors emerged for each diagnosis which reflected themes identified in previous literature. People with schizophrenia are seen as more dangerous and less likely to recover than those suffering from other mental illness. Anxiety was seen most favourably by the self; it was associated with less negative stereotypes and seen as more likely to cure. Interestingly, anxiety and depression were seen almost identically.

CONCLUSION

The self-perception of mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety, have important implications for the planning of anti-stigma and awareness raising programmes. By gaining a thorough understanding of these perceptions and the rationale behind them, it may be possible to develop effective, tailor-made interventions.