Burnout, anxiety and depression in healthcare workers during the early COVID-19 period in Singapore

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The Use of Internet to Search for Health Information before Surgery: A Descriptive Study

Introduction: The Internet is becoming increasingly important as a source of health information. In Singapore, two in three households have access to Internet at home and the proportion of Internet users is rising each year 1 . This study seeks to investigate the characteristic of patients who used the Internet to seek for health information before scheduled surgery and their preferred mode of education from the healthcare professionals. Methods: This study was carried out in a general surgical ward. Using convenience sampling, subjects were asked to fill up a standard set of closed-ended questionnaires, which consist of the patients' demographics data, their perception of using the Internet and their preferred mode of education from the health-care professionals. Results: A total of 107 subjects completed this study. The percentage of subjects who owned a computer and had access to the Internet were 90%. Higher level of education and income were more likely to search the Internet before their operation (p=0.03). There was no significance difference between age group and Internet search (p=0.574). The most preferred mode of education were Internet-based when discharge from the hospital (n=48). Conclusions: The findings showed that patients and their love ones are taking a pro-active approach in their health and are resourceful in acquiring information about their surgery. Nurses play a vital role in providing patient education and guiding them to a reliable and accurate websites. Hence, it is imperative to adopt an Internet-based education especially for the IT-literate population

Physical restraints among the elderly in the acute care setting: Prevalence, complications and its association with patients’ characteristics

Aims: This study aimed to identify the prevalence and circumstances of the use of physical restraints, complications associated with its use and its association with patients’ characteristics. Methods: This is a prospective observational study design. A convenience sample of elderly patients (aged 65 and above) who were admitted to an acute care hospital from February 2012 to August 2012 were tracked daily to monitor the use of physical restraints during hospitalization. Patient-related variables and type of physical restraint used were gathered from the medical records and the Multi-Dimensional Dementia Assessment Scale was completed through interviews with nurses who had cared for the patients. Independent t -test or Chi-square (χ 2 ) tests were used to examine the effect of a single variable on the use of physical restraints. Multiple logistic regression was done to predict the patient-related variables to the likelihood of being placed on physical restraints. Results: Altogether, 998 patients accounting for 1048 admission episodes, were included in this study, of which 84 admission episodes involved the use of physical restraints (8%). Major reasons for restraints include ‘Behavioural/confused/violent’ ( n = 55; 65%) and to prevent falls ( n =53; 62%). Regression analysis indicated that male gender, behavioural changes, memory disturbance, impaired physical function, the use of anti-psychotic drugs and higher psychiatric workload predicted the likelihood of being put on physical restraints. The strongest predictor was memory disturbances with an odds ratio of 30. Conclusion: The prevalence of physical restraints used was higher than that in published literature for acute care hospitals. Preventive strategies would need to be targeted for the elderly, who suffered from memory disturbances upon admission

A Descriptive Study on Registered Nurses' Continuing Educational Needs in Research from Three Different Health Care Institutes in Singapore

Introduction: Nurses are encouraged to engage in research activities in order to stay abreast with the current nursing practice. However, limited knowledge about the research process may influence their level of involvement and utilisation of research in their daily nursing practices. This study examines Singapore nurses' perceived knowledge and educational needs in research as well as to explore their preferred mode and duration of education delivery. Methods: This is a multi-site, cross-sectional study that recruited 2248 registered nurses working in Singapore. A self-administered tool was used to examine nurses' perceived knowledge and educational needs in research. Descriptive statistics were used to present the nurses' demographic data; the Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests were used to examine the relationship between the nurses' education level and their perceived knowledge and educational needs in research. Results: Nurses in this study perceived low levels of knowledge in research. Majority of those who were involved in research activities had a bachelor's degree. There were statistically significant differences between education level and perceived knowledge (p=0.001). However, there was no significant difference between education level and perceived educational needs. Younger nurses (19–35 years old) preferred shorter duration when attending workshops compared to older nurses (36 years old and above). Skill-based workshop and tutorial or seminar that last no longer than a week was the most preferred educational mode and duration. Conclusion: Nurses with high level of education perceived a higher level of research knowledge and thus reported lower educational needs in research. The results showed the need for continual training programs, even for nurses with bachelor's and master's degrees, in order to better prepare them for evidence-based practice. Understanding the demographic of the nurses and their learning styles is important when devising strategies to teach research

A flexible multiplexed immunosensor for point-of-care in situ wound monitoring

10.1126/sciadv.abg9614Science Advances721eabg961

Healthcare worker stress, anxiety and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore : A 6-month multi-centre prospective study

Aim The long-term stress, anxiety and job burnout experienced by healthcare workers (HCWs) are important to consider as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic stresses healthcare systems globally. The primary objective was to examine the changes in the proportion of HCWs reporting stress, anxiety, and job burnout over six months during the peak of the pandemic in Singapore. The secondary objective was to examine the extent that objective job characteristics, HCW-perceived job factors, and HCW personal resources were associated with stress, anxiety, and job burnout. Method A sample of HCWs (doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative and operations staff; N = 2744) was recruited via invitation to participate in an online survey from four tertiary hospitals. Data were gathered between March-August 2020, which included a 2-month lockdown period. HCWs completed monthly web-based self-reported assessments of stress (Perceived Stress Scale-4), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), and job burnout (Physician Work Life Scale). Results The majority of the sample consisted of female HCWs (81%) and nurses (60%). Using random-intercept logistic regression models, elevated perceived stress, anxiety and job burnout were reported by 33%, 13%, and 24% of the overall sample at baseline respectively. The proportion of HCWs reporting stress and job burnout increased by approximately 1·0% and 1·2% respectively per month. Anxiety did not significantly increase. Working long hours was associated with higher odds, while teamwork and feeling appreciated at work were associated with lower odds, of stress, anxiety, and job burnout. Conclusions Perceived stress and job burnout showed a mild increase over six months, even after exiting the lockdown. Teamwork and feeling appreciated at work were protective and are targets for developing organizational interventions to mitigate expected poor outcomes among frontline HCWs.publishedVersionPeer reviewe