Search Results (342)

Background: Men with prostate cancer who undergo radical prostatectomy experience a decrease in quality of life, often related to sexual disfunction and urinary incontinence. Knowing and measuring the impact of radical prostatectomy on the individual’s social, emotional, and family quality of life could help to plan and develop an appropriate, patient-centred therapeutic approach. Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate changes in quality of life of patients with prostate cancer before and after radical prostatectomy. Methods: A longitudinal, observational study of 114 participants was conducted using the method of test–retest. Quality of life before and after radical prostatectomy was measured through the following self-administered questionnaires: (1) The EORTC QLQ-C30 in its Spanish version was used to assess the generic quality of life the participants; (2) the EORTC QLQ-PR25 in its Spanish version was used to assess the specific, health-related quality of life of prostate cancer patients. Results: A total of 114 men took part in this study. The results from the QLQ-C30 questionnaire indicated an improvement in the dimensions of emotional role and cognitive function, as well as in the symptoms of fatigue, pain, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, and loss of appetite, after surgery. Patients scored lower in the dimensions of role functioning, social function, and economic impact after radical prostatectomy. According to the results from the QLQ-PR25 questionnaire, 61.40% of the participants experienced sexual impotence and 26.31% suffered urinary incontinence after surgery. There were significant differences in some postsurgical outcomes between patients who had neurovascular bundles preserved and those who had not. Conclusions: In-depth knowledge of, and measurement of changes in, quality of life after radical prostatectomy should allow for comprehensive, multidisciplinary, patient-centred care planning. Psychosocial assessment, both before and after surgery, is crucial in patients with prostate cancer. This study was prospectively registered with the CEIC-A on 2012-06-27, with registration number C.P.-C.I. PI12/0088 Full article

Medication errors represent a concern for healthcare organizations due to their negative consequences. In the nursing context, these errors represent a threat to the quality of care and patient safety. Many factors have been identified as potential causes for these errors in intensive care units. A scoping review will be developed to identify interventions/strategies to minimize the occurrence of medication errors by nurses, considering the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. A search will be conducted in the EbscoHost (CINAHL Complete and MEDLINE), Embase and PubMed databases. Data analysis, extraction and synthesis will be carried out by two reviewers independently. This review will attempt to map which interventions are more specific to minimizing medication error by nurses in intensive care and to recognize which factors influence this type of error to mitigate practices that may lead to error. This protocol acts as the framework for a scoping review in the strategy to map the interventions and which factors contribute to the medication error by intensive care nurses. This study was prospectively registered with the Open Science Framework on 21 April 2023 with registration number DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/94KH3. Full article

The coronaviral pandemic has led to a shift in traditional teaching methods to more innovative approaches, such as high-fidelity patient simulation (HFPS), which can improve students’ clinical judgment and decision making for quality patient care. A modified guideline was introduced to enhance students’ satisfaction and self-confidence in learning through HFPS. The study involved 189 baccalaureate nursing students, with 92 in the intervention group and 97 in the control group. The intervention group received the modified HFPS guideline, while the control group received standard treatment with basic instruction. After the HFPS debriefing session, students provided narrative feedback on their learning experiences. The quantitative results showed that students in the intervention group reported a significant improvement in satisfaction and self-confidence in learning compared to the control group. The modified HFPS guideline provided clear guidance for students to learn and apply knowledge and skills more effectively, leading to increased engagement during interactive simulation sessions. The results suggest that the HFPS guideline should be added to the curriculum to enhance students’ satisfaction and self-confidence in learning, even for junior students. After the pandemic, innovative teaching methods, such as HFPS, can be necessary and beneficial for healthcare professional training. Full article

Map the interventions/components directed to the caregivers of heart disease patients in cardiac rehabilitation programs that promote their role and health. Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institute method was used to guide this scoping review. Two independent reviewers assessed articles for relevance and extracted and synthesized data. Inclusion criteria comprised articles published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese since 1950. The following databases were searched: CINAHL Complete (Via EBSCO), Medline (via PubMed), Scopus, PEDro, and Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP). Results: From 351 articles retrieved, 10 were included in the review. The interventions identified directed to the caregiver were: educational interventions and lifestyle changes; physical exercise; psychological interventions/stress management; and a category “Other” with training interventions in basic life support, elaboration of guidelines/recommendations, and training for the role of caregiver. Conclusions: It was found that most of the related cardiac rehabilitation interventions are aimed at the dyad heart failure patient and their caregivers/family. Including specific interventions targeting caregivers improves the caregiver’s health and empowers them. Patient care planning should include interventions specifically aimed at them that result in health gains for caregivers and patients, striving to improve the quality of care. This study was not registered. Full article

(1) Background: Clinical practice constitutes a scenario where the student approaches reality. The pedagogical relationship that is built between the nurse, the tutors and the student becomes important. And this requires intentional and reflective accompaniment. The principal objective was to design a hybrid-learner-centered training model requiring reflection and acquisition of specific skills. (2) Methodology: This was a prospective observational study using an intentional sample of 87 students. A hybrid model based on a dynamic virtual forum and Individual Improvement Plan (IIP) was constructed, evaluated using a self-completed questionnaire with a Likert scale. (3) Results: A model of accompaniment to the practices was built that allows for unifying a work plan. A transversal activity IIP was designed. A discussion forum was incorporated for each subject tutor. The analysis of the questionnaire showed that learning assessment, tutorials, virtual forums, self-assessment and satisfaction statistically differed. (4) Conclusions: The model allows students to be accompanied to acquire skills, knowledge, and attitudes and to develop critical thinking, as well as to improve the teaching quality of the practices of the Curriculum of the Nursing degree and to achieve their own competences through student-centered methodologies. This study was not registered. Full article

Chronic kidney disease affects many people around the world, leading those affected to replacement therapy such as hemodialysis. People who undergo hemodialysis generally undertake 2–3 treatments per week, lasting about 3–4 h each; patients spend many hours per week in contact with nurses, building a therapeutic relationship. The purpose of this work is to assess the quality of nurses’ perceived caring attitudes and behaviors and to determine their perceptions regarding the importance of the therapeutic relationship with the assisted patients. A self-reported questionnaire composed of three sections was administered to nurses; the first section included sociodemographic questions, the second the Caring Nurse–Patient Interaction Scale (CNPI-23), and the third part of the questionnaire was composed of open-ended questions investigating patients’ expectations according to nurses, the relevance of the therapeutic relationship on their work, and its effect on themselves and/or their own job satisfaction. Statistically significant correlations and trends have been observed between nurses’ sociodemographic data and the CNPI-23 items. In the clinical care area, nurses who have a post-basic degree or more years of experience feel more competent than those in other categories; in the relational care area, women tend to feel more competent than men. No correlations were found between the humanistic and comfort care areas. According to the results, the post-basic training of dialysis nurses and the adoption of organizational strategies that encourage nurse retention should be enhanced. This study was not registered. Full article

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV is a progressive and incurable disease. The hallmark of the disease is breathlessness, and it is graded into four different stages, from mild to severe. Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease impacts almost every aspect of everyday life for an affected person. As the illness progresses to stages III and IV, the need for support from close relatives increases. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of close relatives of women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV and it used qualitative content analysis of individual, semi-structured interviews. Close relatives (n = 9) were interviewed about their experience of being close to a woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV. They experienced stress and uncertainty in an unpredictable everyday life. Close relatives supported the women both practically and emotionally and they called for tailored information about the illness, considering it as an essential tool for support. The results highlighted that healthy close relatives had difficulty in understanding the experience of living with chronic obstructive pulmonary, as they take the simple fact of breathing for granted most of the time. Full article

The Community Intervention and Empowerment Assessment Model (MAIEC) offers a framework for community empowerment in several fields such as Climate Change (CC), the largest health emergency crisis globally, through diagnosis and interventions in Community Health Nursing. This study aims to assess the level of community empowerment in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and to identify nursing diagnosis through the MAIEC clinical decision matrix, within a local intermunicipal association in the northern region of the Portuguese Atlantic Coast. A convergent mixed-methods design was used, applying a focus group technique to a purposive sampling of ten key stakeholders of this community. A Portuguese version of the Empowerment Assessment Rating Scale and a questionnaire were both applied to the same participants, and qualitative and quantitative data generated were analysed using a content analysis technique and an Excel database sheet created using Microsoft Office 365. The analysis of the Portuguese northern community exposed: a low level of community empowerment for mitigation and adaptation to climate change; a nursing diagnosis of community management impairments in several dimensions, such as community process, community participation and community leadership. However, the study confirmed that MAIEC contributed to future community-based solutions, responding to the challenges of climate change, and enabling the planning of interventions to address MAIEC diagnoses in the form of CC-specific training and recommendations for new cooperation approaches from all stakeholders. This study was not registered. Full article

It is estimated that by 2030, 24 million people worldwide will develop cancer, and 13 million will die annually, with 75% of deaths in low- and middle-income countries. The management and effective control of care have not been fully achieved due to a lack of material and human resources exacerbated by poor governance and co-ordination of the services. The study aimed to explore barriers to accessing oncology services for effective cancer care in the public health institutions in Limpopo province. The study was conducted in the five district hospitals in Limpopo province. A qualitative exploratory descriptive and contextual approach was used to collect data that employed focus group discussions amongst healthcare professionals in different disciplines. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to sample participants from various sections contributing to oncology care. Five focus group discussions were conducted at the selected hospitals. The data were analysed using the eight steps of Tesch’s method. The findings revealed that Limpopo province has a shortage of high-technology medical equipment, poor coordination, and a lack of oncological and allied expertise. Governments should ensure that patients receive the care required as stated in the constitution to navigate cancer care pathways to improve patient health outcomes, particularly in rural areas where care is fragmented and poorly financed. Recommendations to support oncology patients involve psychosocial work and palliative care of the multidisciplinary teams to be put forward. The identified barriers regarding oncology care may contribute to changing the departments’ outlook and effective functioning by including interdisciplinary oncology teams at all levels of care. Full article

This study aimed to determine the degree of alarm fatigue and mental workload of ICU nurses, and to clarify the relationship between these two variables. A cross-sectional, descriptive research design was used. Data were collected from 90 nurses working in four ICUs in Seoul, Republic of Korea, using a questionnaire determining their degree of alarm fatigue and mental workload. Data were collected from 6 March to 26 April 2021 and were analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The average alarm-fatigue score was 28.59 out of 44. The item with the highest score was “I often hear a certain amount of noise in the ward”, with a score of 3.59 out of 4. The average of the mental workload scores was 75.21 out of 100. The highest mental workload item was effort, which scored 78.72 out of 100. No significant correlation was found between alarm fatigue and mental workload. Although nurses were consistently exposed to alarm fatigue, this was not directly related to their mental workloads, perhaps owing to their professional consciousness as they strived to accomplish tasks despite alarm fatigue. However, since alarm fatigue can affect efficiency, investigations to reduce it and develop appropriate guidelines are necessary. This study was not registered. Full article

Background: The sanitary measures imposed by COVID-19 intensified challenges in the pain management of cancer patients. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in a chronic pain unit of an oncological hospital aiming to explore the experiences of cancer patients with chronic pain and their caregivers during the pandemic period, as well as identify strategies to improve care in chronic pain management. An electronic questionnaire was developed containing sociodemographic variables, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, and open-ended questions exploring the experiences and circumstances of pain management. Results: A total of 30 patients and 13 caregivers filled in the questionnaire. Patients revealed a higher level of depression, anxiety, and stress than caregivers, without statistically significant differences. Both groups mentioned having experienced difficulties in self-care, particularly in relation to sleep, nutrition, and recreation. In total, 83.7% patients needed pain relief medication related to uncontrolled pain. Both mentioned that they would have benefited from a digital application to ease the communication with the healthcare professionals of the chronic pain unit, as well as non-pharmacological interventions, such as therapeutic massage. Conclusions: Recognizing that chronic pain leads to significant limitations, it is essential to implement and anticipate objective and effective responses in pain management. Full article

To describe surgical nurses’ strategies for enhancing their pain management proficiency. A qualitative design was used to conduct the study. The participants were forty surgical nurses who had at least six years of nursing experience in caring for patients with pain. They responded to open-ended questions based on a review of the policy documents concerning the main elements of the pain management programme to be implemented by surgical nurses. Three key themes emerged from the surgical nurses’ suggested strategies: partnering, disrupting, and becoming familiar with pain management competency concerns. Surgical nurses’ strategies in acute and chronic pain management nursing units included solving patients’ problems and promoting and enhancing pain strategies to address health challenges in organisations. The themes presented in the results include enhancing pain management in nursing competencies. State-of-the-art healthcare technologies are being applied to pain management. Surgical nurses’ strategies should improve the quality of nursing care, especially post-surgery recovery time. It is recommended to engage patients, their families, and multidisciplinary care teams in other healthcare fields. Full article

Background: Although surgical treatments for breast cancer have exhibited advanced interventions, axillary lymph node dissection can limit functionality and compromise women’s self-care. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a rehabilitation nursing program in improving self-care performance in women undergoing breast surgery with axillary lymph node dissection. Methods: This quantitative, quasi-experimental study involved 48 women recruited from a main hospital between 2018 and 2019. The participants completed a three-month rehabilitation program at home. The evaluation instrument used was the DASH questionnaire. This study was not registered. Results: The functionality of the upper limb ipsilateral to the surgery improved significantly (p < 0.001) after the implementation of the program, influencing the participants’ capacity for self-care, including washing/drying their hair, washing their back, and wearing a shirt. The average DASH total score increased from 54.4 to 8.1 after the program. Conclusions: The rehabilitation nursing program positively influenced the participants’ self-care ability. Incorporating rehabilitation nursing programs into breast cancer treatment can improve self-care performance and the overall quality of patients’ lives. This study was not registered. Full article

Concerns about violence against nurses and other medical personnel have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as of yet, limited systematic knowledge of such violence is available. Addressing this gap, we analyse the geographical distribution of, motivations behind, and contexts of collective attacks against health workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. To do so, we systematically recorded and coded attack events worldwide from 1 March 2020 to 31 December 2021. We identify high-risk countries, attack characteristics, and the socio-economic contexts in which attacks tend to occur. Our results show that opposition against public health measures (28.5%), fears of infection (22.3%), and supposed lack of care (20.6%) were the most common reasons for attacks. Most attacks occurred in facilities (often related to a supposed lack of care) or while health workers were on duty in a public place (often due to opposition to public health measures). However, 17.9% of all attacks took place in off-duty settings. Democratic countries with high vaccination rates and strong health systems were relatively safe for nurses and doctors. Distrust in the skills of health workers and the science underlying health interventions is a major driver of collective attack risks and should be addressed before it turns violent. This study was not registered. Full article

Background: Primary Health Care nurses express deficits in their training in Palliative Care. The purpose of this study is to design a Palliative Care training plan and a bereavement care protocol for Primary Health Care nurses of the Dr. Peset Health Department according to their needs. Methods: Assessment of theoretical and practical training needs and literature review for the design of the training plan. Results: A training plan was elaborated that included a protocol of care for the bereaved. The plan was adjusted to the needs detected in Primary Health Care nurses of the Dr. Peset Health Department. Important training deficits were detected in clinical practice; Conclusions: Improving the care of people with palliative needs in Primary Health Care requires adequate training of the nurses who care for them so their knowledge is the basis of their interventions. This study was not registered. Full article