Critical care nurses' experiences during the Illness of family members : a qualitative study

Introduction: A loved one's hospitalization in a critical care unit is a traumatic experience for families. However, because of their status and professional competence, a family member who is also a critical care nurse has additional obstacles and often long-term consequences. Objectives: To describe the experiences of critical care nurse-family members when a loved one is admitted to a critical care unit at the Hotel-Dieu de France hospital. Methods: A qualitative path based on van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenology combining both descriptive and interpretive models were adopted. Results: The lived experience of critical care nurses in providing care for their family members admitted into the same critical care were summarized in five themes. Nurses were torn between roles, consisting of confounding roles, their registered nurse status, and watchfulness. The lived experience of critical care nurses in providing care for their family members admitted into the same critical care was summarized into specialized knowledge that included a double-edged sword of seeking information and difficulty delivering the information. Critical nurses compete for expectations, including those placed on self and family members, resulting in emotional and personal sacrifice while gaining insight into the experiences. Conclusions: Critical care nurse-family members have a unique experience compared to the rest of the family, necessitating specialized care and attention. Increased awareness among healthcare providers could be a start in the right direction

The Arabic Version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised : psychometric evaluation among psychiatric patients and the general public within the context of COVID-19 outbreak and quarantine as collective traumatic events

The Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has provoked the development of negative emotions in almost all societies since it first broke out in late 2019. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) is widely used to capture emotions, thoughts, and behaviors evoked by traumatic events, including COVID-19 as a collective and persistent traumatic event. However, there is less agreement on the structure of the IES-R, signifying a need for further investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the IES-R among individuals in Saudi quarantine settings, psychiatric patients, and the general public during the COVID-19 outbreak. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the items of the IES-R present five factors with eigenvalues > 1. Examination of several competing models through confirmatory factor analysis resulted in a best fit for a six-factor structure, which comprises avoidance, intrusion, numbing, hyperarousal, sleep problems, and irritability/dysphoria. Multigroup analysis supported the configural, metric, and scalar invariance of this model across groups of gender, age, and marital status. The IES-R significantly correlated with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-8, perceived health status, and perceived vulnerability to COVID-19, denoting good criterion validity. HTMT ratios of all the subscales were below 0.85, denoting good discriminant validity. The values of coefficient alpha in the three samples ranged between 0.90 and 0.93. In path analysis, correlated intrusion and hyperarousal had direct positive effects on avoidance, numbing, sleep, and irritability. Numbing and irritability mediated the indirect effects of intrusion and hyperarousal on sleep and avoidance. This result signifies that cognitive activation is the main factor driving the dynamics underlying the behavioral, emotional, and sleep symptoms of collective COVID-19 trauma. The findings support the robust validity of the Arabic IES-R, indicating it as a sound measure that can be applied to a wide range of traumatic experiences

Nurses experience of caring for patients with COVID-19 : a phenomenological study

Introduction: COVID-19 has impacted all dimensions of life and imposed serious threat on humankind. Background: In Jordan, understanding how nurses experienced providing care for patients with COVID-19 offers a framework of knowledge about similar situations within the context of Arabic culture. Aim: To explore nurses' experience with providing hands-on care to patients with active COVID-19 infection in an Arabic society. Methods: A descriptive phenomenological study interviewed 10 nurses through a purposive sampling approach until data saturation was reached. The research site was hospital designated to receive patients with active COVID-19 infection. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. Findings: Three themes were generated from the data: the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on nurses' health; unfamiliar work and social environments; and conforming to professional standards. Discussion: There are specific risks to the physical and mental wellbeing of nurses who provide hands-on care to patients with COVID-19 in an Arabic society. Implication for nursing and health policy: Health care institutions should consider establishing programs that promote nurses' wellbeing and support their productivity in a crisis. A danger pay allowance should be considered for nurses during extraordinary circumstances, such as pandemics

A silent epidemic of depression among adolescents in the Middle East and North Africa region : emerging tribulation

Unipolar depressive disorder, otherwise known as depression or clinical depression, is a debilitating mood disorder common among adolescents worldwide (Thapar et al. 2012) and is the second leading cause of death in this age group. In particular, adolescents are identified as those who fall between 10 and 19 years of age (Csikszentmihalyi 2020). Over the past decade, incidences of depression have shown an upward trend across all age groups, with a noticeable increase among adolescents, reaching unprecedented levels worldwide (Thapar et al. 2012). To illustrate, the incidence of depression has increased from 172 million in 1990 to 258 million in 2017, indicating a 49.86% increase (Liu et al. 2020). This suggests that depression remains a pressing public health issue globally

Self-esteem, stress, and depressive symptoms among Jordanian pregnant women : social support as a mediating factor

This study purposed to assess the mediating role of social support between stress, depressive symptoms, and self-esteem among Jordanian pregnant women. Across-sectional study recruited a total of 538 pregnant Jordanian women using a cluster stratified random sampling technique, during the period from September 2019 to February 2020. The study used the following measures: The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Multidimensional Social Support Scale (MSPSS). Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to test the mediating effect of social support in terms of the association between depression and self-esteem. The results were considered significant if p ≤.05. The findings showed that 75.6% of participants had moderate-to-high stress levels. High levels of stress, depressive symptoms, and low self-esteem were highly correlated with low social support (p <.05). Depressive symptoms predict the self-esteem (F(2, 537) = 158.631 p <.05). Social support significantly mediates the relationship between the depressive symptoms and self-esteem with p =.01. Thus, during the antenatal care, administration of screening tools to identify pregnant women with low social support levels and at risk of developing psychological difficulties would allow primary healthcare to promote for positive health outcomes for the mothers and the babies

Psychosocial factors correlate with adherence to medications among cardiovascular outpatient clinics in Jordan

BACKGROUND: Adherence to medications is a significant element of self-care behaviors for patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Non-adherence to cardiovascular medications is the major risk for poor outcomes following any cardiac event. However, there is a lack of studies that addressed medication adherence among patients with CVDs attending outpatient clinics in Arabic countries, including Jordan. Thus, this study purposed to assess the psychosocial factors (e.g. depression, anxiety, stress, social support and self-esteem) and their correlation with adherence to medications among patients with CVDs attending outpatient clinics in Jordan. METHODS: A total of 395 Jordanian patients attending CVDs outpatient clinics at government, military and private healthcare facilities were recruited. RESULTS: Our study findings showed that 31.4% of the patients reported complete adherence to their medications. The proportion of psychological reactions reported by the participants was 72.1% for depressive symptoms, 62.6% for anxiety and 50.1% for stress; 79.7% had moderate and normal social support, and 44% had low self-esteem. Depression, anxiety and stress had a significant negative correlation with adherence to medications; however, self-esteem had a significant positive relationship with adherence to medications. In addition, depression, anxiety and stress were the main predictors of adherence to medications. CONCLUSION: Our findings might aid in paving the road for designing and developing strategies and interventions to increase adherence to medications and minimize these psychosocial problems among CVD patients in outpatient clinics

The influence of shift-work on perceived stress, sleep quality, and body mass index among emergency nurses

Shift-work leads to many negative health outcomes among nurses, including overweight/obesity, high stress level, and sleep disturbances. This study purposed to evaluate the influence of shift-work on perceived stress, sleep quality, and Body Mass Index (BMI) among emergency department (ED) nurses in Jordan. A descriptive correlational design was employed. A structured self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data from emergency nurses in government and private hospitals. A total of 450 emergency nurses responded to the questionnaire. Findings found that around 81.1% and 14.0% of the study participants endorsed moderate and high levels of stress, respectively. The majority of the participants (94.5%) had poor sleep quality; 35.3% had overweight and 18.7% had obesity. The study findings indicated that shift-work influenced on perceived stress (β = 0.18, p <.001) and BMI (β = 0.15, p <.001). The mixed shift-workers had lower perceived stress and higher BMI than their counterparts who were doing other shift-work categories. Hence, shift-work had a negative influence on the levels of perceived stress and BMI. Hence, this influence should be taken into consideration when planning interventions and strategies to minimize the negative effects of shift-work

Prevalence and correlates of depression and anxiety among Jordanian adolescents : a cross-sectional study

Adolescence is a critical phase in which physical, psychological, and intellectual challenges occur. This study assesses the prevalence and correlates of depression and anxiety among a national sample of adolescents. A cross-sectional correlational design using depression, anxiety, and stress scale was used. Our data revealed that 49.1% and 78.2% of Jordanian adolescents had severe depressive symptoms and anxiety, respectively. Depression and anxiety had a significant positive correlation with gender and age and a negative relationship with monthly income and fathers’ and mothers’ educational levels. Binary logistic regression revealed that the whole model for depression had a coefficient of determination X2: (4, N 1,344), R2 (.149); p < .005, whereas the overall model for anxiety showed a coefficient of determination X2: (4, N 1,344), R2 (.091); p < .005. This study indicates that depression and anxiety are highly prevalent among Jordanian adolescents. Thus, prioritizing funds for mental health services is paramount

Perception of nurses' knowledge about palliative care in West Bank/ Palestine : levels and influencing factors

Objective: Healthcare professionals particularly nurses should be professionally prepared with knowledge about the standards of palliative care and their roles in providing palliative care. Nurses’ knowledge about palliative care and influencing factors has not been examined adequately in Arab countries including Palestine. Thus, this study aimed to assess the adequacy of knowledge level and influencing factors (socio-demographic) about palliative care among nurses in West Bank/ Palestine. Methods: A descriptive-correlational design was utilized. A cluster random sampling method was applied to select 12 hospitals from the three regions in West Bank. Then, four hospitals were selected from each region using a simple random method. All registered nurses working in critical care units and medical and surgical wards in the selected hospitals were recruited. The sample consists of 424 registered nurses and data were collected using Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (PCQN). Results: The Findings revealed that nurses’ level of knowledge about palliative care was low/inadequate (M = 7.75, SD = 2.96). Knowledge about palliative care was influenced by age (B = −.106; p < 0.05), gender (B = −.223; p < 0.001), and hospital ward (B = −.597; p < 0.001), in which younger nurses, females, and those who work in critical care units reported higher levels of knowledge about palliative care. Conclusions: Findings of this study emphasized the need for developing educational and training courses, seminars, and workshops on palliative care to increase nurses’ knowledge in order to enhance the quality of patient care. Also, policymakers should develop national strategic plans and policies regarding palliative care and apply these plans in all hospitals in West Bank/ Palestine

Arab nursing students' perception of the emotional experience of patient care : a phenomenological study

Background: A shared emotional response helps with understanding what other people are feeling and/or thinking; and it is a vital skill in clinical settings. Collectivist communities place more emphasis on the emotional components of their feelings in comparison to the cognitive aspects of their emotions. Purpose: This study aimed to explore the emotions experienced by students at their first clinical placement. Methods: A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used among nine baccalaureate students. Results: Three major themes emerged from the data: overwhelming emotions; unbalanced perception of professional identity; and adjustment and adaptation. Conclusions and Discussion: It is evident that nursing students from collectivist communities encounter challenges in dealing with their emotions and managing their patients' emotions; however, they were capable of empathizing with their patients using the two components of their empathy; affective (emotion) and cognitive (cognition), with prominence given to the affective part. As countries become increasingly multi-cultural, which in turn influences the characteristics of people entering pre-registration nursing programs, nursing leaders are invited to address both dimensions of empathy as part of the nursing curriculum. Attention should also be given in clinical settings to appropriate channeling of clinical empathy to cultivate a professional identity