Indian nurses in Italy: a qualitative study of their professional and social integration

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the lived subjective experiences of immigrant Indian nurses in Italy and specifically their professional and social integration. BACKGROUND: To study the worldwide, nursing flux is a health priority in the globalised world. The growth in migration trends among nurses, not only from Philippines or India, has proliferated in recent years. The research on nurses' mobility for Southern European countries is underexplored, and in Italy, the out-migration flows of Indian nurses were never analysed. DESIGN: Qualitative methodological approach. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews (n = 20) were completed with Indian clinical nurses working in Italy for more than one year mainly in private organisations. A purposive sampling technique was used for recruitment. The data were then content-analysed using an inductive method. RESULTS: The findings were categorised into four themes: (1) aspects of professional integration and working experience, (2) intra- and interprofessional relationships and perceptions of the IPASVI Regulatory Nursing Board, (3) initial nursing education and continuous professional development and (4) perceptions of social integration. CONCLUSION: The results show that for Indian nurses in Italy emigration is important to gain opportunities to expand economic and social privileges as well as escape from historical assumptions of stigma associated with nursing work, especially for women. However, these conclusions have to be seen in wider socio-cultural complexities that are at the basis of transnational fluxes (Prescott & Nichter ). RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The research offers an insight into the complicated reasons for Indian nurses out-migration to Italy. Without comprehending the interwoven textures of the political and social relations that are continually constructed and re-constructed among different nations, it is difficult to understand nurses out-migration and consequently have a better and safer collaborative teamwork in the host countries

Dignity in Professional Nursing: Guaranteeing Better Patient Care

Nursing professional dignity is a complex topic. This article describes intrinsic and professional nursing dignity and gives some historical background on nursing in Italy as the setting for a qualitative study of dignity conducted in the same country. The study results show the importance of recognition of nursing professional dignity as it relates to professional satisfaction and patient car

Statistical assessment of automotive PLC multipath channel modelss

This paper addresses the modeling of in-vehicle power line communication channels via multipath parametric representations. The study is based on a set of frequency-domain measurements carried out on a commercial automobile. The proposed procedure for the computation of model parameters from real measured data is briefly summarized and a systematic assessment aimed at collecting some useful statistical information on both the estimated models and the channel features is thoroughly discussed. Specific emphasis is given to the definition of the range of the key parameters that allow characterizing real automotive PLC channel

Structural effects of anomalous current densities on manganese hexacyanoferrate for Li-ion batteries

A battery management system (BMS) plays a pivotal role in providing optimal performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the eventual malfunction of the BMS may lead to safety hazards or reduce the remaining useful life of LIBs. Manganese hexacyanoferrate (MnHCF) was employed as the positive electrode material in a Li-ion half-cell and subjected to five cycles at high current densities (10 A g$_{MnHCF}$$^{−1}$) and to discharge at 0.1 A g$_{MnHCF}$$^{−1}$, instead of classical charge/discharge cycling with initial positive polarization at 0.01 A g$_{MnHCF}$$^{−1}$, to simulate a current sensor malfunctioning and to evaluate the electrochemical and structural effects on MnHCF. The operando set of spectra at the Mn and Fe K-edges was further analyzed through multivariate curve resolution analysis with an alternating least squares algorithm (MCR–ALS) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy to investigate the structural modifications arising during cycling after the applied electrochemical protocol. The coulombic efficiency in the first cycle was dramatically affected; however, the local structural environment around each photo absorber recovered during charging. The identification of an additional spectral contribution in the electrochemical process was achieved through MCR-ALS analysis, and the Mn-local asymmetry was thoroughly explored via EXAFS analysis

Structural effects of anomalous current densities on manganese hexacyanoferrate for Li-ion batteries

A battery management system (BMS) plays a pivotal role in providing optimal performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the eventual malfunction of the BMS may lead to safety hazards or reduce the remaining useful life of LIBs. Manganese hexacyanoferrate (MnHCF) was employed as the positive electrode material in a Li-ion half-cell and subjected to five cycles at high current densities (10 A gMnHCF−1) and to discharge at 0.1 A gMnHCF−1, instead of classical charge/discharge cycling with initial positive polarization at 0.01 A gMnHCF−1, to simulate a current sensor malfunctioning and to evaluate the electrochemical and structural effects on MnHCF. The operando set of spectra at the Mn and Fe K-edges was further analyzed through multivariate curve resolution analysis with an alternating least squares algorithm (MCR–ALS) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy to investigate the structural modifications arising during cycling after the applied electrochemical protocol. The coulombic efficiency in the first cycle was dramatically affected; however, the local structural environment around each photo absorber recovered during charging. The identification of an additional spectral contribution in the electrochemical process was achieved through MCR-ALS analysis, and the Mn-local asymmetry was thoroughly explored via EXAFS analysis

The Evolution of Professional Nursing Culture in Italy: Metaphors and Paradoxes

We explored the perceptions of Italian nurses regarding their developing culture as a health profession. We sought to understand the ongoing evolution of the nursing profession and the changes that were central to it becoming an intellectual discipline on par with the other health professions in Italy. In 2010, the Regulatory Board of Nursing established a center of excellence to build evidence-based practice, advocate for interdisciplinary health care, and champion health profession reforms for nursing. In this study, focus groups—involving 66 nurse participants from various educational, clinical, and administrative backgrounds—were utilized to better ascertain how the profession has changed. Six themes, three of them metaphors—“vortex,” “leopard spots,” and “deductive jungle”—explain nurses’ experiences of professional change in Italy between 2001 and 2011 and the multiple dimensions that characterize their professional identity and autonomy

Multipath Modeling of Automotive Power Line Communication Channels

In this paper an in-vehicle power line channel mathematical multipath representation is proposed. The selected approach aims at describing the transmission of a signal on a possibly complex power network by means of a finite number of delayed echoes. Model parameters are computed via a welldefined step-by-step procedure from frequency-domain channel characteristics. The feasibility and strength of the method are demonstrated by means of a measurement campaign. Two-port scattering measurements have been carried out on a commercial automobile and the effect of the measurement setup has been considered in the analysis

Predictive value of hematological and phenotypical parameters on postchemotherapy leukocyte recovery

Background: Grade IV chemotherapy toxicity is defined as absolute neutrophil count <500/μL. The nadir is considered as the lowest neutrophil number following chemotherapy, and generally is not expected before the 7th day from the start of chemotherapy. The usual prophylactic dose of rHu-G-CSF (Filgrastim) is 300 μg/day, starting 24-48 h after chemotherapy until hematological recovery. However, individual patient response is largely variable, so that rHu-G-CSF doses can be different. The aim of this study was to verify if peripheral blood automated flow cytochemistry and flow cytometry analysis may be helpful in predicting the individual response and saving rHu-G-CSF. Methods: During Grade IV neutropenia, blood counts from 30 cancer patients were analyzed daily by ADVIA 120 automated flow cytochemistry analyzer and by Facscalibur flow cytometer till the nadir. "Large unstained cells" (LUCs), myeloperoxidase index (MPXI), blasts, and various cell subpopulations in the peripheral blood were studied. At nadir rHu-G-CSF was started and 81 chemotherapy cycles were analyzed. Cycles were stratified according to their number and to two dose-levels of rHuG-CSF needed to recovery (300-600 vs. 900-1200 μg) and analyzed in relation to mean values of MPXI and mean absolute number of LUCs in the nadir phase. The linear regressions of LUCs % over time in relation to two dose-levels of rHu-G-CSF and uni-multivariate analysis of lymphocyte subpopulations, CD34+ cells, MPXI, and blasts were also performed. Results: In the nadir phase, the increase of MPXI above the upper limit of normality (>10; median 27.7), characterized a slow hematological recovery. MPXI levels were directly related to the cycle number and inversely related to the absolute number of LUCs and CD34 +/CD45+ cells. A faster hematological recovery was associated with a higher LUC increase per day (0.56% vs. 0.25%), higher blast (median 36.7/μL vs. 19.5/μL) and CD34+/CD45+ cell (median 2.2/μL vs. 0.82/μL) counts. Conclusions: Our study showed that some biological indicators such as MPXI, LUCs, blasts, and CD34 +/CD45+ cells may be of clinical relevance in predicting individual hematological response to rHu-G-CSF. Special attention should be paid when nadir MPXI exceeds the upper limit of normality because the hematological recovery may be delayed. © 2009 Clinical Cytometry Society

Prussian blue analogues for potassium-ion batteries: insights into the electrochemical mechanisms

A comprehensive description of the electrochemical mechanisms of the Prussian Blue Analogue (PBA) K1.67Mn0.65Fe0.35[Fe(CN)6]0.92\ub70.45H2O is obtained by combining several complementary ex situ and operando physico-chemical characterisation techniques. This particular PBA, which shows very good electrochemical performance as a cathode material in potassium-ion batteries (PIBs), undergoes three successive redox reactions during the (de-)potassiation that are hereby identified by ex situ57Fe M\uf6ssbauer spectroscopy and operando Mn and Fe K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy. These reactions come along with notable modifications of the crystal structure, which are followed in real time by operando X-ray diffraction. The correlation of these results, interpreted with the support of chemometric methods, also reveals the limitations of this PBA, probably related to the deactivation of the Mn undergoing extensive reversible Jahn-Teller distortion during cycling as well as possible dissolution in the electrolyte. These results underline that optimisation of the chemical composition of PBAs is a crucial step towards the preparation of reliable and stable PBA-based cathodes for PIBs

Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Leader Member Exchange Scale (LMX-7): A Validation Study

For decades, scholars have studied leader–member exchange (LMX) relationships to understand and explain the effects of leadership on follower attitudes and performance outcomes within work settings. One available instrument to measure these aspects is the LMX-7 scale. This measurement has been widely used in empirical studies, but its psychometric properties have been poorly explored. The aim of this study was to test the psychometric characteristics (content, structural and construct validity, and reliability) of the Italian version of the LMX-7 scale and to support its cultural adaptation. We used a cross-sectional multi-center design. The forward–backward translation process was used to develop the Italian version of the scale. The scale was administered through an online survey to 837 nurses and nurse managers working in different settings. The factorial structure was tested using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA), and reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha. For the construct validity, we used hypothesis testing and differentiation by known groups. The Italian version of the LMX-7 scale presented one dimension. All the psychometric tests performed confirmed its validity and suggested its usefulness for future research