Life satisfaction and risk of burnout among men and women working as physiotherapists

Objectives: Recently in Poland as a result of the high rate of aging population and high rates of morbidity, a growing demand for the physiotherapist profession is observed. The results of this study can be used to formulate principles for better organization of physiotherapist's workplace in order to prevent occurrence of burnout. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of gender on satisfaction with life and burnout among active physiotherapists. Material and Methods: The survey was anonymous and voluntary, and involved a group of 200 active physiotherapists working in health care units and educational centers in Poland. The study group was selected randomly and incidentally. Each respondent received a demographic data sheet and a set of self-rating questionnaires (Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, Burnout Scale Inventory). Results: Burnout among men decreased along with increasing satisfaction with one's work and occupation, friends, relatives and acquaintances, sexuality, and increased due to greater satisfaction with one's housing status. Burnout among women decreased along with increasing satisfaction with one's health, free time and friends, relatives and acquaintances, and increased due to work at a setting other than a health care unit or educational center. Statistical analysis failed to reveal any significant differences with regard to the BSI domains and with regard to the overall burnout index as well as with regard to the assessment of satisfaction with life between female and male physiotherapists. Conclusions: Satisfaction with children, marriage and partnership, with one's work and occupation, interactions with friends, relatives and acquaintances and sexuality may contribute to reduction of burnout among men. Women who are satisfied with their children, family, health, free time and contacts with friends, relatives and acquaintances are less prone to burnout. Weak financial situation among women and deficiency of free time among men can induce burnout. Improving staff happiness may contribute to decreasing burnout

Nurses rate readiness for discharge higher than patients do, and nurses scores predict readmission or ED utilisation after discharge better than patient self-assessment

Hegney, DG ORCiD: 0000-0003-1267-1760This paper reports on a substudy within a larger study. Specifically this paper addresses the perception of the registered nurse and patient with regard to: (A) their readiness to be discharged and (B) the postdischarged utilisation of emergency departments (EDs) or their readmission in four linked Magnet designated hospitals in the USA

Community resiliency and rural nursing: Canadian and Australian Perspectives

In the last several years, considerable discussion about the applicability of resiliency to understand and augment community functioning has occurred. Community resiliency is a process that describes change, provides an opportunity to focus on strengths, and offers opportunities for residents to be involved. Agencies such as the Red Cross have found that through the development of social capital and cross-sectoral coalitions in communities that have experienced disasters, resiliency is enhanced (J. Walter, 2005). In this chapter, examples of Canadian-led and Australian-led research on community resiliency in Canada, Australia, and the United States illustrate how rural communities have dealt with adversity. The rural communities in the Canadian-led research discussed here were all under 10,000 in population size, which matches the rural and small town definition commonly used to describe communities of that size outside the commuting zones of large urban centers (du Plessis, Beshiri, Bollman, & Clemenson, 2001). Communities serve to satisfy their members' needs (MacMillan & Chavis, 1986) and are places where interactions and social relationships are tantamount (Bellah, Madsen, Sullivan, Swidler, & Tipton, 1996; Hawe, 1994). The community-based research exemplars suggest how rural registered nurses (RNs) can enhance community resiliency and ultimately improve the health status of rural residents and the sustainability of rural communities

The effectiveness of cabbage leaf application (treatment) on pain and hardness in breast engorgement and its effect on the duration of breastfeeding

Hegney, DG ORCiD: 0000-0003-1267-1760Background:Breast engorgement is a condition that affects breastfeeding mothers early in the postpartum. The discomfort and tenderness as a result of the engorgement is a major contributing factor to the early cessation of breastfeeding. Many treatments for breast engorgement have been attempted and explored.Objective:To examine the effectiveness of cabbage leaf treatment on pain and hardness of the engorged breasts of post-partum women and its influence on the duration of breastfeeding in women with breast engorgement. © the authors 2012

A qualitative systematic review on the experiences of self-management in community-dwelling older women living with chronic illnesses

Hegney, DG ORCiD: 0000-0003-1267-1760BACKGROUND: With the risk of chronic conditions increasing with age, older women are likely to have co-morbid chronic conditions. In addition, they may have to contend with socioeconomic issues unique to their gender which can challenge their self-management. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the systematic review was to determine the best available evidence related to the experiences of self-management among community-dwelling older women with chronic conditions, specifically non-communicable illnesses which include cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes mellitus and arthritis. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Types of participants included all older women with the following characteristics: aged sixty-five years and above; living in their own community dwellings; community setting rural, suburban or urban; living alone or with others; having co-morbidities and having chronic illnesses for a minimum of one year. Phenomenon of interest was experiences of self-management among community-dwelling older women with chronic conditions. Interpretive studies were considered in the review, which included but were not limited to designs like phenomenology, grounded theory, action research, feminist research and ethnography. SEARCH STRATEGY: The search strategy aimed to uncover both published and unpublished studies, in English language only, and was unrestricted by time. The databases searched included CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO (Ovid), Scopus, Embase, Science Direct, Sociological Abstracts, Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science), Proquest and Google Scholar. Preliminary keywords were drawn from the topic of the systematic review. METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY: Each paper was assessed independently by two reviewers for methodological quality. The Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument QARI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Interpretive & Critical Research was used to appraise the methodological quality of all papers. DATA COLLECTION: Qualitative data were extracted from papers included in the review using standardized data extraction tools developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. DATA SYNTHESIS: Qualitative research findings were synthesized using the Joanna Briggs Institute-Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument. RESULTS: 88 findings from six studies were aggregated into 22 categories, and then into five synthesized findings. The five synthesized findings are: (i) losing control over a failing body, (ii) maintaining control, (iii) developing self-expertise, (iv) re-defining health, and (v) relying on social support. CONCLUSIONS: For these women, self-management involves reclaiming and maintaining their sense of control over their bodies, which is constantly threatened by their chronic illnesses. In addition, they redefine their meaning of health in the context of illness to maintain their emotional well-being in spite of their illness.Healthcare providers can assist their older female patients in maintaining their sense of control through effective symptom management and practical strategies to manage daily life. Because social support is crucial to self-management by older women, healthcare providers should include, where relevant, family members and other loved ones in patient education. Healthcare providers should also endeavour to build and maintain a positive relationship with their patients through effective communication as the provider-patient relationship is a strong influence on an older woman's experience in self-management.Further research is warranted in older women of other cultural backgrounds as the majority of reviewed studies focused on Caucasians in the United States

The impact of knowledge and beliefs on adherence to cardiac rehabilitation programs in patients with heart failure: A systematic review

Hegney, DG ORCiD: 0000-0003-1267-1760BACKGROUND: Heart failure is a global health problem which affects a large percentage of the older population. Cardiac rehabilitation programs have been implemented to aid patients in successfully managing their heart condition. However, non-adherence to cardiac rehabilitation programs is common in this group of patients. This results in higher morbidity and mortality rates, rehospitalisation and ultimately higher healthcare costs. There is a need to have a better understanding of the impact that knowledge and beliefs have on patients' adherence levels, so that healthcare providers can implement appropriate strategies to promote their adherence. OBJECTIVES: This review aimed to establish the best evidence regarding the impact of knowledge and beliefs on adherence to cardiac rehabilitation programs in patients with heart failure; and to make recommendations for healthcare practice and future research. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients above the age of 18, who had been diagnosed with heart failure and had been admitted to a cardiac rehabilitation program in inpatient or outpatient settings.This review considered studies that evaluated the impact of heart failure patients' knowledge and beliefs of their disease, medication, diet, exercise and other lifestyle change recommendations, on their adherence to cardiac rehabilitation programs.Heart failure patients' knowledge, beliefs and adherence toward their medication regime, low-sodium diet, exercise, and other lifestyle change recommendations.Quantitative study designs published in the English language, up to December 2010 were considered for inclusion. SEARCH STRATEGY: Using a three-step search strategy, the following databases were assessed: CINAHL, PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, OvidSP, MDConsult, ScienceDirect, Sociological Abstracts, Mosby's Nursing Consult, Mednar and TRIP. METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY: Two independent reviewers assessed each paper for methodological validity prior to inclusion in the review using standardised critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute. DATA EXTRACTION: Information was extracted by two independent reviewers, from each paper using the standardised data extraction tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute. DATA SYNTHESIS: The findings are presented in narrative form, as statistical pooling was not possible, due to the different instruments used in measuring the outcomes. RESULTS: Twelve quantitative studies were included in this review (one RCT, one pre-test/post-test single group study, and ten descriptive studies). The present findings suggest that the relationship between knowledge and adherence is unclear. However, patient beliefs on medication, symptom monitoring, illness and control were found to have stronger associations of adherence to cardiac rehabilitation programs.Implications for practice Healthcare institutions need to provide adequate support for patients with heart failure; individualise adherence-enhancing interventions to cater for varying patient needs; and work on empowering patients.Implications for research Future quantitative research should be undertaken to investigate the relationship between knowledge and beliefs, determine their combined effect on adherence and examine the effectiveness of strategies used to improve patient knowledge and beliefs. Quantitative and qualitative studies could also be conducted to ascertain the factors correlated with patient knowledge, beliefs, and adherence

Factors influencing workplace violence risk among correctional health workers: Insights from an Australian survey

Little is known about the environmental and organisational determinants of workplace violence in correctional health settings. This paper describes the views of health professionals working in these settings on the factors influencing workplace violence risk. All employees of a large correctional health service in New South Wales, Australia, were invited to complete an online survey. The survey included an open-ended question seeking the views of participants about the factors influencing workplace violence in correctional health settings. Responses to this question were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. Participants identified several factors that they felt reduced the risk of violence in their workplace, including: appropriate workplace health and safety policies and procedures; professionalism among health staff; the presence of prison guards and the quality of security provided; and physical barriers within clinics. Conversely, participants perceived workplace violence risk to be increased by: low health staff-to-patient and correctional officer-to-patient ratios; high workloads; insufficient or underperforming security staff; and poor management of violence, especially horizontal violence. The views of these participants should inform efforts to prevent workplace violence among correctional health professionals. © La Trobe University 2016