Elderly Women’s Experience of the Role of Hydrotherapy in Health: Content Analysis

Living to an old age is considered by many elderly women to bring about a decreased quality of life. Hydrotherapy allows individuals to engage in certain physical activities that cannot be done outside the water. The purpose of this study was to explore elderly women’s experience of the role of hydrotherapy in their health and was conducted in selected pools of Guilan province in Iran in 2015-2016. Twenty-three elderly women were selected using a purposeful sampling strategy. The data was gathered through semi-structured interviews; Researchers used a qualitative design, based on a content analysis approach. Analysis results were identified as 3 main themes and 12 subthemes. Improved physical health: reduced consumption of painkillers, improved balance, pleasant breathing, easy menopause; Moving toward ability: increased independence, role fulfillment, application of efficient strategies, will to health; Psychological and social relief: sense of liveliness, reduced stress, peaceful sleep and re-emergence in society. “Competence development” was identified as the central code. Results indicate that participation in hydrotherapy by elderly women supported the benefit of advising them to participate in hydrotherapy sessions, as well as government’s cooperation with regard to creating proper conditions for improving the health and life quality of this valuable population

College Students, Experiences on Smart Phone Technology Usage: A Qualitative Content Analysis Study

Besides many benefits of the cell phone technology, numerous arguments are raised on the different and important negative effects of such a technology. This qualitative content analysis study explored the common usages of smart phone technology, its challenges, and benefits among Iranian college students. Participants were 32 bachelor degree students who were recruited using purposive sampling method with maximum variation. Data were collected through 11 individual semi-structured interviews and 3 focus group discussions (5-8 students in each group). Data analysis was done based on a conventional content analysis approach. Data analysis resulted in 3 main themes and 12 sub-themes. The main themes included “Easy life” (achieving information, handling school affairs, easy communication, and cheap communication); “Spending time” (virtual friendship, participation in various social networks, computer games, watching movies and cartoons, and reading stories and novels); and “The experience of challenges” (physical problems, psychosocial stress, and mood and behavioral problems). Based on the students\u27 experiences about the smart phones technology usage, authorities, cultural institutions, and educational policy makers should encourage culture development using education through media and education during the early childhood and before using any software

The Learning Experience of Graduate Nursing Students: Content Analysis

Learning is also considered as an important which can create changes in individuals’ knowledge, attitude, values, and feelings. As learning requires a new conceptual framework where one can take decisions in which change and innovation manifests, it is evident that this conceptual realization is only possible through a qualitative research. The present study aims to explore and justify graduate nursing students’ learning experience.The present study is a conventional qualitative content analysis research which was conducted in 27 graduate nursing students studying in Guilan university of Medical sciences in Iran. The study population was selected through purposive sampling, and the data was gathered through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed as per the stages recommended by Graneheim & Lundman. Data strength and their scientific accuracy were evaluated, and ethical aspects of the research were also taken into consideration. Data analysis results were identified as three main themes and 10 subthemes which were named as per their nature:“effective learning,”: learning from a qualified instructor, accessible equipment and resources, awareness of teaching objectives / “Effective learning strategies”: pre-requisite knowledge before attending the class, participating educational workshops, joining group discussions, taking shorthand at home and in the class / “Decline in learning”: the difference in learners’ knowledge background, recurring lesson subjects, inappropriate time and place for learning. Graduate nursing students’ experience confirmed the necessity for provision of a proper educational framework as well as decreasing or removing the factors causing the decline in learning for the purpose of improving the quality of education at universities

Perceived Stressors of Hospitalized Patients’ Family in Cardiac Care Unites: A Qualitative Content Analysis

The present study attempts to justify the factors inducing stress in the families of patients hospitalized in cardiac intensive care units in the east of Guilan province in Iran. The study aims at gaining an accurate understanding on these stressors for appropriate planning directed at removing or decreasing these tension-inducing components. The present study is a qualitative study based upon a conventional content analysis approach. The study population was selected through purposive sampling (28 family members of cardiac patients), and the data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed as per the stages recommended by Graneheim and Lundman (2004). The strength and scientific accuracy of the study was also established. The study yielded three main themes and seven sub-themes: Heavy shadow of illness (fear of loneliness on the caring path, fear of disease, poor personal knowledge); Hesitation in the treatment (doubting the efficiency of technology, ungenial healthcare providers); and Economic storm (high cost of treatment, potential economic problems). The study results indicated that patients’ families underwent stress in various areas, pointing to the need for providing adequate training and information on the disease to family members and caregivers, as well as the sympathy of healthcare providers on the treatment path for reducing the disease-associated tensions suffered by hospitalized patients’ families

Medical Students’ Experiences of Part-Time Hospital Work: A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study explored the experiences of medical science students of part-time hospital work. Twenty-four participants from Guilan University of Medical Sciences in Rasht, Iran were recruited purposively from the fields of nursing (10 students), surgery (4 students), laboratory sciences (4 students), radiology (3 students), and anesthesiology (3 students). Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews and were analyzed through conventional content analysis. Data analysis identified three main themes and eight sub-themes: perceived personal benefits (effective learning, improved self-confidence, financial gain), organizational outcomes (operational benefits, unprofessional care delivery), unpleasant clinical environment (job burnout, financial strains, academic discouragement). The data indicate that part-time hospital work, although fostering learning and providing income, also poses challenges such as burnout for the student. Healthcare authorities, managers, and policy makers can use these findings to improve the effectiveness of students’ part-time work in hospital

Consequences of Using Smartphone Technology in University Students: Experiencing Challenges

Introduction: The dramatic increase in prevalence of cell phone use, especially among adolescents and young people, is a growing concern among many experts about the harmful effects of cell phones. The present study aimed to explore the consequences and challenges of the application of this technology from the perspective of university students. Method: In this qualitative study, participants were 32 students of nursing, midwifery, and paramedicine in East Guilan, Iran, who were selected purposefully and with maximum variation. Data were collected using 11 semi-structured interviews and 3 focus group discussions. All interviews were continued till data saturation was occurred. Data analysis was done using conventional content analysis approach. Results: Three themes and 11 subthemes were extracted from the qualitative analysis. The themes were as “physical-psychological stresses” with 4 subthemes of physical problems, disturbed comfort, information security concerns, and progressive dependence, “decreased performance” with 3 subthemes of decline in academic performance, depleted energy, and wasting time, and “drowning in the virtual world” with 4 subthemes of away from the real world, unhealthy relationship, blind imitation, and luxury-oriented, and lying. “In the virtual turbulence” was designated as the main theme. Conclusion: Based on the students' experiences, appropriate cultural planning is necessary with approaches such as mass media education, early childhood education, and education before entering the technologies with the aim of properly usage of these technologies. Keywords: Smartphone, Technology, Students, Qualitative researc

Coronary Care Unit Nurses’ Experiences of Care Management Self-Efficacy: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Recognizing various aspects of the self-efficacy concept in specialized medical units such as intensive care units (ICUs) and coronary care units (CCUs) has the potential to help nurses improve their quality of care. Therefore, we conducted a qualitative content analysis study in 2018 in hospitals of the Guilan Province, northern Iran, to help explain nurses’ perceptions of self-efficacy in care management within CCU wards. Thirty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses from CCUs. Using Graneheim and Lundman’s (2004) analytical techniques, we extracted three main themes and nine sub-themes from the data: decline in self-efficacy (e.g., time constraint, high work pressure, emotional stresses, and loss of motivation); care development (e.g., experience-based care, knowledge-based care, and personal capability); and organizational challenges (e.g., weak management and unavailable physician). Our findings suggest that decreases in nurse self-efficacy (and resulting weak care management) could be prevented by establishing clear plans and enrolling nurses into appropriate training courses. The constant development of knowledge and experience alongside supportive supervisors and physicians are also effective in improving nurses’ self-efficacy

Explaining the Experiences of Health Care Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Background: Healthcare providers in different countries have different experiences during epidemic conditions based on their nursing resources and healthcare systems and the cultural norms of the community. The present study aimed to explore the experiences of healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: This qualitative study was conducted on 36 medical personnel from eastern Guilan in the north of Iran. The participants were selected via purposive sampling. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The interviews continued until data saturation. Data analysis was performed using conventional content analysis, simultaneous with data collection.Results: Data analysis revealed three main categories and 10 subcategories: peaceful coexistence (scientific-professional development, enhanced emotional proximity, and resilience in critical situations), the outburst of despair (exhaustion in clinical settings, annoying obsessions, ambivalent decision making, and excessive fear), and in the shadow of sorrow (the shadow of depression, painful public rejection, and in financial distress).Conclusion: An analysis of the participants’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed three main themes: peaceful coexistence, the outburst of despair, and in the shadow of sorrow. Paying attention to the physical, psycho-social, emotional, and financial challenges and needs of healthcare providers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, is an undeniable necessity and requires the full attention and support of the authorities and the community

The New Perceptions on Life of Iranian Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Qualitative Study

Various studies suggest that ankylosing spondylitis (AS) as a chronic inflammatory disease with many disabilities can have impacts on different aspects of patients’ life. Despite many quantitative studies, only few qualitative studies have thus far been published on this subject. For the first time, the present study aims at gaining insight into the life experience of Iranian AS patients. We performed a content analysis through semi-structured interviews with twenty-eight patients diagnosed with AS, including three females and twenty-five males with an average age of 38.5 years, to gain insight into their experiences. Whatever the patients expressed was written and transcribed verbatim. Then, we did analysis of the results after each interview. The detailed information completely extracted from the interviews was classified as sub-themes and main themes. Three main themes were identified by the analysis: (i) “Always with pain” describing the effects were found in regard to pain on patients’ life, (ii) “The perceived limitation” describing many difficulties that people may face in the society as a result of their disease, and (iii) “Fearing the unknown future” which implies to both patients and their families have concerns about the future and what will happen. Our research findings in line with other qualitative studies showed that AS disease puts a heavy and intolerable burden on patients and their family. It seems that the experiences of people living with AS can be useful to meet challenges caused by the disease and it can enhance their coping with the disease

The Experience of Nursing Professors and Students about the Objective Structured Clinical Examination

Background: Clinical evaluation in medical sciences is one of the important components of education. One of these evaluations is the clinical assessment for final-year nursing students when they are going to graduate and start their profession. To this end, this study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing professors and students regarding the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using a content analysis approach on 7 nursing professors and 21 nursing students who completed OSCE in 2019 at the Nursing and Midwifery School of Guilan University of Medical Sciences in northern Iran. The participants were selected using purposive sampling and the data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews. The collected data were analyzed using the content analysis approach proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. The credibility of the findings was checked using the criteria proposed by Guba and Lincoln.Results: The data analysis revealed 3 main categories and 10 subcategories: OSCE as a highly efficient test(the requirement for reviewing the courses, student benchmarking, and randomly arranged questions), OSCE challenges (the low assessment ability of the test, the influence of the nursing instructor’s prior knowledge, and having little practical experience), the solutions to improve OSCE (diversification of evaluation techniques, shortening the distance between theory and practice, the effectiveness of the OSCE scores for graduation, and the application of stress reduction methods).Conclusion: Despite some problems such as its stressful nature and its unknown format for students, OSCE seems to be effective for the clinical assessment of students before their graduation. Taking advantage of the professors’ and students’ perspectives can eliminate or reduce the problems and improve the positive points for planning and conducting the OSCE in the future