476 research outputs found
Long-term treatment for emotional distress in women with breast cancer
Purpose: Breast cancer patients have many needs, including strategies to cope with the associated distress, during and after cancer treatment. Establishing and
implementing adequate social and emotional support for these women, to reduce the detrimental effects of stress resulting from their treatment and disease, is the
need of the hour. This study aims to assess how women, diagnosed and treated for breast cancer, combat emotional stress using mechanisms of coping and control
and emotional defense, as well as to identify potential groups among them, with different long-term patterns and needs.
Methods: 98 patients belonging to a local breast cancer support association (ALMOM), were enrolled in this study. A questionnaire specifically designed for them was
administered, and its internal consistency and reliability assessed. A hierarchical clustering was employed to classify the women. The questionnaire focused on four
sections, including personal feelings, coping strategies, environmental influences and maladaptive coping.
Results: An adequate internal reliability was obtained with Cronbach's α near or greater than 0.60. Personal feelings were significant and clearly correlated with
coping strategies and maladaptive coping. Three groups of women with different patterns of emotional characteristics and needs were identified: positivist, unsafe,
and hopeless women, with different long-term emotional needs to be satisfied.
Conclusions: Psychological therapeutic interventions should be maintained in many breast cancer patients over time, even after treatment completion, in order to
consolidate adaptive and sustainable responses
Design and psychometric analysis of the COVID-19 prevention, recognition and home-management self-efficacy scale
In order to control the spread of COVID-19, people must adopt preventive behaviours that can affect their day-to-day life. Peopleâs self-efficacy to adopt preventive behaviours to avoid COVID-19 contagion and spread should be studied. The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically test the COVID-19 prevention, detection, and home-management self-efficacy scale (COVID-19-SES). We conducted an observational cross-sectional study. Six-hundred and seventy-eight people participated in the study. Data were collected between March and May 2020. The COVID-19-SESâ validity (content, criterion, and construct), reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability), and legibility were studied. The COVID-19-SESâ reliability was high (Cronbachâs alpha = 0.906; intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.754). The COVID-19-SES showed good content validity (scaleâs content validity index = 0.92) and good criterion validity when the participantsâ results on the COVID-19-SES were compared to their general self-efficacy (r = 0.38; p 0.001). Construct validity analysis revealed that the COVID-19-SESâ three-factor structure explained 52.12% of the variance found and it was congruent with the World Health Organisationâs recommendations to prevent COVID-19 contagion and spread. Legibility analysis showed that the COVID-19-SES is easy to read and understand by laypeople. The COVID-19-SES is a psychometrically robust instrument that allows for a valid and reliable assessment of peopleâs self-efficacy in preventing, detecting symptoms, and home-managing COVID-19
Design and psychometric evaluation of the 'Clinical Communication Self-Efficacy Toolkit'
Nursing students experience difficulties when communicating in clinical practice. Their self-efficacy in clinical communication should be explored as part of their competence assessment before they are exposed to real human interactions in the clinical setting. The aim of this study was to design and psychometrically evaluate a toolkit to comprehensively assess nursing studentsâ self-efficacy in clinical communication. The study followed an observational cross-sectional design. A sample of 365 nursing students participated in the study. The âClinical Communication Self-Efficacy Toolkitâ (CC-SET) was comprised of three tools: the âPatient-Centered Communication Self-efficacy Scaleâ (PCC-SES), the âPatient clinical Information Exchange and interprofessional communication Self-Efficacy Scaleâ (PIE-SES), and the âIntrapersonal communication and Self-Reflection Self-Efficacy Scaleâ (ISR-SES). The toolsâ reliability, validity (content, criterion, and construct) and usability were rigorously tested. The Cronbachâs alpha coefficient of the three tools comprising the CC-SET was very high and demonstrated their excellent reliability (PCC-SES = 0.93; PIE-SES = 0.87; ISR-SES = 0.86). The three tools evidenced to have excellent content validity (scalesâ content validity index > 0.95) and very good criterion validity. Construct validity analysis demonstrated that the PCC-SES, PIE-SES, and ISR-SES have a clear and theoretically-congruent structure. The CC-SET is a comprehensive toolkit that allows the assessment of nursing studentsâ self-efficacy in interpersonal, interprofessional, and intrapersonal communication
Olive Oil and the Hallmarks of Aging
Aging is a multifactorial and tissue-specific process involving diverse alterations regarded as the âhallmarks of agingâ, which include genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion and altered intracellular communication. Virtually all these hallmarks are targeted by dietary olive oil, particularly by virgin olive oil, since many of its beneficial effects can be accounted not only for the monounsaturated nature of its predominant fatty acid (oleic acid), but also for the bioactivity of its minor compounds, which can act on cells though both direct and indirect mechanisms due to their ability to modulate gene expression. Among the minor constituents of virgin olive oil, secoiridoids stand out for their capacity to modulate many pathways that are relevant for the aging process. Attenuation of aging-related alterations by olive oil or its minor compounds has been observed in cellular, animal and human models. How olive oil targets the hallmarks of aging could explain the improvement of health, reduced risk of aging-associated diseases, and increased longevity which have been associated with consumption of a typical Mediterranean diet containing this edible oil as the predominant fat source
Promoting dignified end-of-life care in the emergency department: a qualitative study
Background: Preservation of a dying personâs dignity in the emergency department (ED) is fundamental for the patient, his/her relatives and healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to explore and interpret physiciansâ and nursesâ experiences regarding conservation of dignity in end-of-life care in dying patients in the ED.
Methods: A qualitative study based on the hermeneutic phenomenological approach, was carried out in the emergency department of two general hospitals. A total of 16 nurses and 10 physicians participated in the study. Data collection included 12 individual in-depth interviews and 2 focus groups.
Results: The findings revealed that two themes represent the practices and proposals for the conservation of dignity in the emergency department: dignified care in hostile surroundings and the design of a system focused on the personâs dignity.
Conclusion: Dignifying treatment, redesigning environmental conditions, and reorienting the healthcare system can contribute to maintaining dignity in end-of-life care in the ED
Perceptions about the sexuality of women with fibromyalgia syndrome: a phenomenological study
Aims: The aim of this study was to explore and understand the perceptions and experiences of women with fibromyalgia syndrome regarding their sexuality.
Background: Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic pathology, which compromises a womanâs physical, mental and emotional health. Although concerns related to sexuality are commonly reported, research has tended to focus on the physical symptoms.
Design: An interpretive qualitative research methodology using Gadamerâs philosophical hermeneutics was carried out.
Methods: This qualitative study explores the sexuality of women with fibromyalgia syndrome. A focus group and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 women with fibromyalgia syndrome. Data were collected between April - June 2014. Participants were recruited until findings reached saturation.
Findings: Three themes define the perception of sexuality for these women: (i) Physical impact: donât touch, donât look; (ii) Sexuality and identity: fighting against their loss; (iii) Impact on the relationship: sexuality as a way of connecting the couple.
Conclusion: Despite limitations, sexuality is important for the identity and quality of life of women with fibromyalgia syndrome. Together with the physical symptomology, guilt, fear and a lack of understanding compromise the coping process. Women need the support of their partner, their socio-family environment and health professionals. Nurses can aid the successful adjustment to sexual problems related to fibromyalgia syndrome
Psychometric evaluation and cultural adaptation of the Spanish version of the âScale for End-of Life Caregiving Appraisalâ
Objective: To translate, culturally adapt and psychometrically evaluate the Spanish version of the âScale for End-of Life Caregiving Appraisalâ (SEOLCAS).
Methods: Observational cross-sectional study. Convenience sample of 201 informal end-of-life caregivers recruited in a southern Spanish hospital. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed through its internal consistency (Cronbachâs α) and temporal stability (Pearsonâs correlation coefficient (r) between test-retest). The content validity index of the items (I-CVI) and the scale (S-CVI/Ave) was calculated. Its criterion validity was explored through performing a linear regression analysis to evaluate the SEOLCASâ predictive validity. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine its construct validity.
Results: The SEOLCASâs reliability was very high (Cronbachâs α=0.92). Its content validity was excellent (all itemsâ content validity index=0.8â1; scaleâs validity index=0.88). Evidence of the SEOLCASâ criterion validity showed that the participantsâ scores on the SEOLCAS explained approximately 79.3% of the between-subject variation of their results on the Zarit Burden Interview. Exploratory factor analysis provided evidence of the SEOLCASâ construct validity. This analysis revealed that two factors (âinternal contingenciesâ and âexternal contingenciesâ) explained 53.77% of the total variance found and reflected the stoic Hispanic attitude towards adversity.
Significance of the results: The Spanish version of the âScale for End-of Life Caregiving Appraisalâ has shown to be an easily-applicable, valid, reliable and culturally-appropriate tool to measure the impact of end-of-life care provision on Hispanic informal caregivers. This tool offers healthcare professionals the opportunity to easily explore Hispanic informal end-of-life caregiversâ experiences and discover the type of support they may need (instrumental or emotional) even when there are communicational and organisational constraints
Transferencia de pacientes de cuidados paliativos desde el hospital hasta atenciĂłn primaria: un estudio cualitativo = Transferring palliative-care patients from hospital to community care: a qualitative study
Aim: To know the experience of case-manager nurses with regard to transferring palliative-care patients from the hospital to their homes.
Design: Qualitative phenomenological study carried out in 2014 2015.
Setting: Poniente and AlmerĂa health districts, which referral hospitals are Poniente Hospital and TorrecĂĄrdenas Hospital, respectively.
Participants: A purposive sample comprised of 12 case-manager nurses was recruited from the aforementioned setting.
Method: Theoretical data saturation was achieved after performing 7 in-depth individual interviews and 1 focus group. Data analysis was performed following Colaizziâs method.
Results: Three themes emerged: (1) âCase-management nursing as a quality, patient-centred serviceâ (2) âFailures of the information systemsâ, with the subthemes ââpatientsââ insufficient and inadequate previous informationââ and ââineffective between levels communication channels for advanced nursingââ; (3) âDeficiencies in discharge planningâ, with the subthemes ââdeficient management of resources on admissionââ, ââuncertainty about dischargeââ and ââinsufficient human resources to coordinate the transferââ.
Conclusions: Case-manager nurses consider themselves a good-quality service. However, they think there are issues with coordination, information and discharge planning of palliative patients from hospital. It would be useful to review the communication pathways of both care and discharge reports, so that resources needed by palliative patients are effectively managed at the point of being transferred home
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