The experiences of nursing students, instructors, and hospital administrators of nursing clerkship

Introduction: Most studies concerning clinical education of nursing students have been performed qualitatively. This study was performed to more deeply investigate the students’ education at nursing clerkship and explore the experiences of nursing students, instructors, and hospital administrators from the clinical education of nursing students. Methods: In a qualitative study a semi-structured interview was done with 8 nursing students at the end of clerkship, four nurses working as ward administrators, an education supervisor, and two supervising instructors. Qualitative content analysis was employed for analyzing the data. Results: Six central variables were realized (emerged) including lack of readiness for entering into clinical learning environment, undesirability of student assessment process, lack of advantageous relationship between the nursing school and the hospital, ideal planning for clerkship shifts, deficiency in clinical education, and the effects of clerkship on hospital and patients' affairs. Conclusion: According to the findings of the study, it is necessary for the nursing administrators to place more effort to resolve the present problems specially the relationship between the nursing school and the hospital, and to renovate hospital into a favorable learning space to meet educational goals of nursing clerkshi

Effect of designed self-care educational program on anxiety, stress, and depression in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia undergoing prostate surgery

BACKGROUND: Stress, anxiety, and depression are common psychological problems in prostatic conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of designed self-care educational program on anxiety, stress, and depression in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia undergoing prostate surgery. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study including 33 participants in the intervention group and 34 participants in the control group. During the study demographic data and the rate of stress, anxiety, and depression were measured. In the intervention group, self-care educational program was presented in two sessions and was followed up one month after surgery. Stress, anxiety, and depression were measured before surgery, and during and one month after discharge using depression anxiety stress scales (DASS-21), which is a standard questionnaire. Later data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: Participants in the study were between 45-80 years of age. Student’s independent t-test before the intervention revealed no significant difference in mean score of stress (P = 0.684), anxiety (P = 0.937), and depression (P = 0.727) between the two groups. Mean score of stress and anxiety significantly reduced in the intervention group on discharge (stress: P = 0.031, anxiety: P = 0.043), and a month after the operation (stress: P ≤ 0.001, anxiety: P = 0.016). However, mean score of depression revealed no significant difference on discharge (P = 0.514), and a month after operation (P = 0.221). CONCLUSION: The results showed that designed self-care educational program was effective in stress and anxiety reduction in patients under prostate surgery

Exploring Strategies Adopted by Adolescent Girls for Continuing Sports Activities

Background: Physical activity maintenance is an active process that requires active use of strategies and techniques for its maintenance. The present study was designed to understand these strategies from the viewpoints of adolescent girls, who are often significantly less physically active than their male counterparts. Methods: This study was a qualitative content analysis conducted through semi-structured interviews with 25 participants (16 adolescent girls, 7 mothers and two fathers). Data gathering was continued until data saturation. All the interviews were recorded, transcribed, and finally were analyzed by conventional content analysis using OneNote. Results: The Strategy of "strive for perfection", with categories of reviewing experiences and thoughtful decision making and activity, was the dominant strategy used by adolescent girls to continue their sport activities. Conclusion: Adolescent girls in the recent study facilitated the continuation of their sports activities through using cognitive and behavioral strategies appropriate to their conditions. Therefore, it seems that paying attention to creating conditions for adolescents to have their own choices, decisions and strategies is useful in the continuation of sports activities

Effect of designed self-care educational program on anxiety, stress, and depression in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia undergoing prostate surgery

BACKGROUND: Stress, anxiety, and depression are common psychological problems in prostatic conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of designed self-care educational program on anxiety, stress, and depression in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia undergoing prostate surgery. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study including 33 participants in the intervention group and 34 participants in the control group. During the study demographic data and the rate of stress, anxiety, and depression were measured. In the intervention group, self-care educational program was presented in two sessions and was followed up one month after surgery. Stress, anxiety, and depression were measured before surgery, and during and one month after discharge using depression anxiety stress scales (DASS-21), which is a standard questionnaire. Later data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: Participants in the study were between 45-80 years of age. Student’s independent t-test before the intervention revealed no significant difference in mean score of stress (P = 0.684), anxiety (P = 0.937), and depression (P = 0.727) between the two groups. Mean score of stress and anxiety significantly reduced in the intervention group on discharge (stress: P = 0.031, anxiety: P = 0.043), and a month after the operation (stress: P ≤ 0.001, anxiety: P = 0.016). However, mean score of depression revealed no significant difference on discharge (P = 0.514), and a month after operation (P = 0.221). CONCLUSION: The results showed that designed self-care educational program was effective in stress and anxiety reduction in patients under prostate surgery

Adolescent Girls and Their Parents’ Perception of Exercise Habit Barriers

Introduction: Despite the importance of physical activity and exercise for lifelong health, involvement in physical activity declines during adolescence, particularly for girls. Identifying barriers of physical activity habit helps researchers to design better and more effective interventions for participation in exercise and physical activity. This study was designed to explore barriers of physical activity habit in adolescent girls. Method: A qualitative study was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews with twenty five participants (adolescents, mothers, and fathers). The interviews were tape-recorded transcribed verbatim and analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Results: Two main themes emerged as exercising habit barriers in adolescent girls: explicit restraints, implicit restraints. Conclusion: This study provided a better understanding of exercising habit barriers in adolescent girls that is often missing from quantitative work. Identifying and removing barriers can help researches to develop exercising habit which has a main role in human health promotion. Keywords: Exercise habit, Adolescent girls, Barriers, Content analysi

First days in intensive care units: A tragedy for families

The first days of patients’ hospitalization in intensivecare units are very important for theirfamily members. Therefore, it is necessary to explorethe families’ perceived experiences in order to adoptappropriate nursing care. This qualitative study aimedto explore the perceptions of families in the first days ofhospitalization of their loved ones in intensive care units.This is a conventional qualitative content analysis study.Unstructured interviews were conducted on 26 familymembers of patients hospitalized in the first five days ofhospitalization in intensive care units in two private andtwo public hospitals in the Karaj, Iran. The data analysisled to the formation of three categories: “Overwhelmingturmoil”, “Scary events” and “Acute psychosomatic tensions”.The results indicated that the first days of hospitalizationof patients in the intensive care units encompass apainful tragedy. Findings can be applied as a guide for thenursing assessment of families to help them for a healthytransition of this stressful situation

Factors Limiting Families in Elderly Care: A Thematic Analysis

Introduction: The evolution of family structures changes family roles, and challenges in providing care for the elderly. Thus, the exploration of the factors limiting the care of elderly in families is the aim of this study. Method: This was a qualitative study of the experiences of 11 family elderly caregivers through in-depth, semi-structure interviews conducted in 2011-2012. After obtaining informed consents, data collection, recording, and transcribing were done. Data analysis was performed according to thematic analysis by Brown and Clarke. To ensure consistency and accuracy of data, credibility, transferability, dependability, and conformability criteria were assessed. Results: In this study poor health, behavioral problems, shortcomings in knowledge, Insufficient experience, economic problems, problems with the physical environment, being busy, insufficient supportive relatives and friends, and failure in formal support were limitation factors in elderly care for families. Conclusion: Individual problems of family members and the weakening factors of social and familial conditions in elderly care cause family health system infrastructures to be fair and use of existing potentials to be insufficient for family support in elderly care. The role of nurses in the exploration of new strategies with the aim of reducing the gap between family needs and existing potentials will be an effective step in strengthening family health infrastructures. In order to complete the results of this study, further studies should be undertaken for assessing existing potential and new strategies for family support in elderly care. Keywords: Family, Care, Elderly, Limitation factors, Thematic analysi

Mothers’ Experiences of the Strategies Used to Gain Successful Exclusive Breastfeeding: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Effective and appropriate interventions used by nursing mothers in exclusive breast feeding, in accordance with existing conditions, can have a great effect on the maintenance, continuity and promotion of breastfeeding. So, identifying these successful strategies is essential to make future breast feeding health plans for mothers and infants, and to ensure exclusive breastfeeding. Method: This was a qualitative study of conventional content analysis conducted in the year 2014. Participants included sixteen lactating mothers of kids up to one year old, and of successful experience in exclusive breastfeeding, who have refereed to health centers in Golestan and Mazandaran universities of medical sciences, Iran. Their experiences on the strategies used successfully in the first six months of exclusive breastfeeding were collected through unstructured and in-depth interviews. Sampling was purposive and was continued until reaching data saturation. The study data were analyzed using constant comparison analysis technique. Results: Eight main themes related to the nature and dimensions of mothers’ understanding of the strategies used to gain successful exclusive breastfeeding were extracted. These themes were as “comfortable and pleasant preparation before breastfeeding”, “information from reliable sources”, “lifestyle adjustment to breastfeeding”, “intelligent resiliency”, “resolutions for infant’s reluctance in breastfeeding”, “strengthening and ensuring the adequacy of milk and lactation”, “breast care during breastfeeding”, and “the use of religious instructions”. Conclusion: It is recommended to consider the role and eminence of mothers, and their successful strategies and guidelines related to successful exclusive breastfeeding seriously in codification of health care policies. Keywords: Breastfeeding, Exclusive breastfeeding, Empowerment, Mothers, Strategies, Qualitative researc

Causal Conditions of Adolescent Girls' Tendency toward Physical Activities

Introduction: The success of establishing regular physical activity lies in the way these activities are built into a person's daily life. This study was designed to explore the causal conditions of adolescent girls' tendency toward physical activities. Method: A qualitative study was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews with 25 participants (16 adolescents, 7 mothers, and 2 fathers). The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The theme of "the pursuit of excellence" with subthemes of "the need for physical health, psychological health, foresight, progress seeking, and desire for superiority and fitness" emerged as causal conditions of adolescent girls' tendency toward physical activities. Conclusion: In the present study, adolescent girls seeking progress and excellence turned to physical activities. Through a better understanding of the casual conditions of adolescent girls' tendency toward physical activities, we can provide the appropriate context for the formation of exercising habit, and as a result, human health promotion Keywords: Physical activities, Adolescent girls, Causal conditions, Content analysi

Exploring perception and experience of patients from nursing care behaviors for providing comfort during hemodialysis

Introduction: One of the goals of professional nurses is to provide patient’s comfort. This is achieved through an understanding of the possible need for scientific, humanistic, ethical and communication care. Thus, how to identify comfort in hemodialysis patients is necessary, because it seems to be a constant presence in the ward. Therefore, this study aimed to "clarify the understanding and experience of patients undergoing hemodialysis nurse caring behaviors in comfort of hemodialysis patients". Method: This qualitative research was conducted with approaches and methods of content analysis. Purposive sampling began and continued until data saturation. Research environment of hemodialysis was at the Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Collected data and conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 patients reached until saturation. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis in eight steps. Results: Main themes extracted from the data included “understanding the caring-humanistic needs”. The categories included "monitoring patients" and “having humanistic relationship”, "having a professional responsibility, “knowledge” and “having job experience” each of which has several sub-categories, respectively. Conclusion: We understand and respect the need for nurses to patient care and how to handle them in order to provide appropriate supportive measures, the measures that have an important role in the convenience of these patients, during hemodialysis. Keywords: Chronic renal failure, Hemodialysis, Comfort, Nurses, Behavioral care, Qualitative researc