Reasons for choosing and completing nursing studies among incoming and outgoing students: A qualitative study

Background The shortage of nurses is causing instability and crisis in health systems and will continue. The WHO reinforced the importance of recruiting and retaining new students. Authors of various studies recommend the need to identify and understand the reasons for pursuing a nursing degree. Objectives To determine students' preference for nursing studies and to identify the reasons for choosing, continuing, and completing a bachelor's degree in nursing. Design Qualitative, descriptive study. Participants 106 nursing students at the University of Huelva (Spain) participated during their first year (2017) and final year (2021) of the nursing degree. Methods This study was conducted with the same group of students in two phases. Data were collected in writing in a document with open-ended questions and no maximum wordcount. The responses were analysed using content analysis. Results A total of 76.4 % of participants stated that nursing had been their first choice. The main reasons for choosing a nursing degree were associated with fulfilment, and a desire to help others and interact with them. The reasons for completing their studies were primarily related to an interest in providing professional care, showing a deeper and more concrete knowledge of nursing care work. Conclusion For most participants, nursing was their first choice due to a strong intrinsic motivation related to self-satisfaction in helping others. The reasons for completing this degree had extrinsic motivations linked to nursing activity in hospital. Areas such as management, teaching, or research were not interesting to our students. Knowing the causes of this lack of interest could help us attract them to these areas.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva / CBU

Barriers and Facilitators of Communication in the Medication Reconciliation Process during Hospital Discharge: Primary Healthcare Professionals’ Perspectives

The WHO established that medication errors are the most common and preventable errors and represent an expenditure of 42 billion U.S. dollars annually. The risk of medication errors increases in transitions between levels of care, mainly from hospital care to primary healthcare after hospital discharge. In this context, communication is a key element in the safety of the medication reconciliation process. The aim of this paper was to describe the barriers to, and facilitators of, effective communication during the medication reconciliation process at hospital discharge in people over 65 years of age, from the perspective of primary healthcare professionals. A qualitative descriptive study was designed, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 individuals, of whom 13 were nurses and 8 were physicians. This study was carried out with healthcare professionals belonging to primary healthcare centres in Huelva (Spain). Following content analysis of the discourses we identified 19 categories, grouped into three areas: interlevel communication, communication between primary healthcare professionals, and communication between healthcare professionals and patients/caregivers. The barriers found mainly relate to the adequacy and use of technological tools, time available, workload and the level of collaboration of patients/caregivers. Facilitating elements for communication in medication reconciliation included technologies, such as computerized medical history, protocolization of clinical sessions, the presence of case management nurse and interdisciplinary teamwork

Psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the MM-CGI-SF in caregivers of people with dementia

Background: Caregivers of people with dementia may experience characteristic grief linked to present and anticipated losses before the physical death of the care recipient occurs, which is related to physical and mental health problems. The Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Inventory-Short Form (MM-CGI-SF) is an instrument that assesses this type of grief. Since there are no studies on an adaptation of the MM-CGI-SF to the Spanish population, the aim of the study was to evaluate its psychometric properties in a sample of caregivers of dementia patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out. The tool was translated and adapted into Spanish, which was administered to 250 caregivers of people with dementia in the province of Huelva, together with other related instruments. Descriptive statistics and internal consistency reliability were calculated using Cronbach's alpha, for the total questionnaire and for each subscale. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed and the Spanish version of the MM-CGI-SF was correlated with the rest of the variables by calculating Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: 80.4% of the participants were female and had high levels of caregiver grief (x = 64.62, SD = 14.86). Cronbach's alpha for the general questionnaire was 0.927 and between 0.822-0.854 for its subscales. The fit values of the CFA were: x2 = 202.033, degrees of freedom = 121, x2 /df = 1.670, TLI = 0.954, CFI = 0.963, SRMR = 0.047, RMSEA = 0.052; and all the correlations were statistically significant. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the MM-CGI-SF shows adequate psychometric properties. Thanks to this instrument, health professionals may measure caregiver grief, get closer to the reality of dementia care, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to manage this grief.The Spanish Ministry of Universities has supported the first author of this research through the University Teacher Training Programme, with reference number (FPU19/04001). Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva/CBUA

How Effective Are Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Reducing Stress and Weight? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Stress contributes to the development and maintenance of obesity. Mindfulness-based therapies are being used to reduce stress and promote weight reduction and maintenance. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for stress and weight reduction in the short, medium, and long term. Searches on PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, WOS, and Science Direct were conducted until March 2021. Intervention studies with a sample of adults were included; these evaluated a mindfulness-based intervention and used stress and weight or body mass index as outcome variables. These criteria were met by 13 articles. A meta-analysis of 8 of the 13 articles was performed with a random-effects or fixed-effects model, depending on the level of heterogeneity between studies. Mindfulness-based interventions had a small effect on stress reduction over a 3-month period: effect size (standardized mean difference) = −0.29 (95% CI: −0.49, −0.10). However, no significant evidence was found for stress reduction from 3 months onwards, nor for weight or body mass index reduction in any period. Mindfulness-based interventions are effective in reducing stress in the short term, but not in the medium or long term, nor are they effective for weight or body mass index. More robust and longer study designs are needed to determine their effects.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education, as allocated to the intern E.S.-C., with reference number [FPU18/04620]

Effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving grief and depression in caregivers of people with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Caregivers of people suffering from dementia may go through a grieving process prior to the death of the cared-for person, which is related to mental health and physical problems. Interventions aimed at improving grief and depression are being used in response to these difficulties. The aim of this study was to synthesize and evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving the grief process in home-based caregivers of people with dementia with the aim of reducing grief and depression. A systematic review, including a meta-analysis, was designed. Following the PRISMA guideline, original articles were searched in the databases: Medline, WOS, Scopus and PsycINFO, up to September 2022. Articles that evaluated interventions aimed at improving the grief process in caregivers of people with dementia, whose care recipients were alive at the beginning of the study at minimum and living at home were selected. Grief and depression were considered outcome variables. A meta-analysis was carried out with a fixed effects model for these variables and for the domains of the Caregiver Grief Scale (CGS). Eight articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most of the interventions aimed at improving the grief process showed an improvement in grief and depression. The "emotional pain" and "absolute loss" domains of the CGS stood out with an improvement in these variables. Interventions aimed at improving the grief process are relatively effective in reducing grief and depression. Interventions that are even more effective and more robust studies are needed.The Spanish Ministry of Universities has supported the first author of this research through the University Teacher Training Programme, with reference number (FPU19/04001). Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva / CBUA

Análisis de la situación de salud de los/as inmigrantes en los asentamientos de Huelva

Informe de Investigación sobre la situación de salud de los/as inmigrantes en los asentamientos de Huelva. Estudio realizado a través de un contrato de investigación 68/83 entre Cáritas Diocesana de Huelva y la Universidad de Huelva y realizado por un equipo de investigación del Grupo HIgia CTS500 del Departamento de Enfermería de Huelva

The experiences of older individuals providing care to older dependents: A phenomenological study in Spain

Objective: Non-professional care provided in domestic settings by a family member or someone from the close environment and without a connection to a professional care service, is increasingly assumed by older people, mainly the spouses of those requiring care. The aim of this study was to describe the experience of older people providing care at home to older dependents. Methods: A qualitative study was carried out to describe and explore the experience of older people, caregivers of dependent older people in the home. Results: Four themes emerged as a result of the analysis: interpersonal relationships established in the caregivers’ immediate environment; the need and request for public and private resources; consequences of providing care during old age; and adaptation to the circumstance of being a caregiver during old age. Older people who provide home-based care, experience their situation as stressful, feel that it limits their daily life, deprives them of their freedom, and affects their interpersonal relationships and social activities. Discussion: Older caregivers learn quickly and can manage the skills issues. The volume of work is their challenge. Interpersonal relationships are altered depending on the length of time spent together and the demand for care. Public services and benefits are not adapted to the demands of caregivers or dependent persons

Perceived health, perceived social support and professional quality of life in hospital emergency nurses

Estudio descriptivo, transversal y multicéntrico, realizado por el equipo de investigación del Grupo de Bioética y Humanización de los Cuidados (BIOHU-2018) del Sistema Sanitario Público de Andalucía, cuyo objetivo principal ha sido analizar la Calidad de Vida Profesional (CVP) en enfermeras de servicios de urgencias hospitalarias en relación a la salud percibida, y una serie de variables sociodemográficas y sociolaborales. Entre las conclusiones obtenidas se destaca que los profesionales de enfermería de los servicios de urgencias en hospitales públicos presentan un gran desgaste emocional; los sistemas sanitarios deben desarrollar estrategias de intervención que promuevan una mejora de la calidad de vida de los profesionales sanitarios y, por tanto, una mejora en la atención que se presta a las personas atendidas. El fomento de la compasión entre los profesionales es un elemento clave para mejorar la asistencia sanitaria.Background: Emergency department nurses are continually exposed to distressing experiences that can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassionate satisfaction, thus could affect the professional quality of life. The aim of this study was to analyse professional quality of life in hospital emergency department nurses based on perceived health, social support and a series of socio-demographic and sociooccupational variables. Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study involved nursing professionals working at hospital emergency departments in Andalusia, Spain. Professional quality of life, perceived health, socio-demographic and occupa tional variables, and perceived social support were measured. A descriptive and multiple regression analysis was performed. Results: A total of 253 nursing professionals participated, of which 62.5% had high levels of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction (45.1%). Burnout levels were medium (58.5%). Perceived health significantly influenced on compassion fatigue and burnout. Perceived social support was found to be significantly related to all three dimensions of professional quality of life, but it had the greatest influence on the occurrence of burnout. Conclusions: Emergency department nurses in public hospitals are emotionally drained. Healthcare systems must develop intervention strategies to increase the quality of life of nursing professionals, which would lead to improved patient care. The promotion of compassion is a key element.Research project funded by the Ministry of Health of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Spain (AP-0100–2016). Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva /CBUA

Nurses’ Perceptions on the Implementation of a Safe Drug Administration Protocol and Its Effect on Error Notification

Patient safety and quality of care are fundamental pillars in the health policies of various governments and international organizations. The purpose of this study is to evaluate nurses’ perceptions on the degree of implementation of a protocol for the standardization of care and to measure its influence on notification of adverse events related to the administration of medications. This comparative study used data obtained from questionnaires completed by 180 nurses from medical and surgical units. Our analyses included analysis of variance and regression models. We observe that the responses changed unevenly over time in each group, finding significant differences in all comparisons. The mean response rating was increased at 6 months in the intervention group, and this level was maintained at 12 months. With the new protocol, a total of 246 adverse events and 481 incidents without harm was reported. Thus, actions such as the use of protocols and event notification systems should be implemented to improve quality of care and patient safety

Affective Impact on Informal Caregivers over 70 Years of Age: A Qualitative Study

Given today’s rapidly ageing society, family members providing informal care to dependent older adults face ever-increasing challenges. The aim of this study was to describe the affective impact on older adults over 70 years of age caring for a dependent older person at home. A qualitative study was designed from a phenomenological perspective. Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted with caregivers aged 70 or older. A content analysis of the interviews was carried out in five stages. Three themes were identified: “Emotions”, “Feelings”, and “Looking to the future”. Caregivers express negative emotions (sadness, anger, and fear) and feelings of social and emotional isolation, and they feel abandoned by health professionals, family, and friends. In conclusion, prolonged caregiving by older adults has a negative affective impact and creates uncertainty about the future. There is a need to devise social and healthcare policies and actions, creating social support networks to improve their health and emotional wellbeing