Burdens and coping strategies among geriatric care nurses during COVID-19: A factorial survey.

The prevalence of hand eczema, low back disorders (LBD) and neck/shoulder disorders (NSD) in geriatric nurses and the association of work-related factors with hand eczema, LBD and NSD in geriatric nurses were examined. The cross-sectional study comprises 1,390 nurses and nursing aides. Nurses underwent clinical examinations of their hands and their back and answered a questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for putative risk factors were calculated by logistic regression. The point prevalence of hand eczema was 18.0%. Disposing factors, like atopic eczema in childhood and dry or itching body skin, were statistically significant risk factors for irritant skin changes. Hand cleaning and hand care were not predictive for hand eczema. LBD was observed in 47.9% and NSD in 16.6% of the nurses. Increasing age and years in the nursing profession, prior treatment of back disorder and psychological stress were significant risk factors for LBD and NSD. Hand eczema and LBD or NSD are often found in geriatric nurses. Therefore, workplace-related health promotion should be improved for geriatric nurses.

BACKGROUND AND AIMSPatient activation refers to the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to manage one's health [1]. Higher patient activation is associated with better health outcomes in long-term conditions [2] such as kidney disease (KD). The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a myriad of additional challenges for people living with KD. Individuals may display different coping strategies in response to stressful and difficult circumstances such as health management during the pandemic [3]. Our group conducted a multicentre survey to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on kidney patient experiences, lifestyle and health care. As part of this larger study, we hypothesized that higher patient activation may be associated with more effective coping strategies. The purpose of this analysis was to explore coping styles utilised during the pandemic across different levels of patient activation in people with nondialysis CKD (ND-CKD) and kidney transplant recipients (KTR).METHOD214 ND-CKD and KTR participants [50.9% male, mean age 60.71 (SD 14.15) years, 56.1% KTRs] completed the Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13). Participants were categorised into ‘low’ and ‘high’ activation based on their PAM-13 score (levels 1–2 as low; 3–4 as high). Coping strategies were assessed using the Brief-COPE questionnaire and categorised into adaptive coping (active coping, information support, positive reframing, planning, emotional support, humour, acceptance and religion) and maladaptive coping (venting, self-blame, self-distraction, denial, substance use and behavioral disengagement) strategies. Chi-square tests were conducted to compare coping strategies used by low- and high-activated patients.RESULTSMost participants were classified as having ‘high’ activation levels (n = 164, 77%). Table 1 shows the three most frequently used adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies across activation levels. A significantly greater proportion of those with high activation used acceptance (P = 0.006), active coping (P = 0.045) and positive reframing (P = 0.031) as coping strategies. No significance was observed between maladaptive coping strategies and activation level.Adaptive coping strategiesMaladaptive coping strategiesHigh activationLow activationHigh activationLow activation1Acceptance (79.5%)Acceptance (58.5%)Self-distraction (53%)Self-distraction (47.6%)2Religion (60.5)Religion (30.8%)Behaviour Disengagement (37.5%)Substance Use (40%)3Active Coping (48.2%)Information Support (30%)Substance Use (31.6%)Self-Blame (37.5%)CONCLUSIONThe most commonly reported coping strategy was ‘acceptance’ for individuals with high and low activation. The findings suggest that a higher proportion of people with high patient activation used adaptive coping strategies. Worryingly, regardless of activation level, about a third of participants used substance use (i.e. alcohol and drugs) as a form of coping. Identifying people with lower activation in KD can indicate the need for additional support to help them cope in challenging circumstances. Interventions to improve activation may assist in developing effective coping strategies.

To realize safe, high-quality treatment, employees should behave according to patient safety standards. Periodic measurement of safety behavior could provide management-relevant information to adjust the implementation of interventions and maximize improvement. Therefore, we constructed a factorial survey measuring safety awareness and intentions for behavior. Cross-sectional results of the factorial survey were compared with results from the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, distributed in MAASTRO radiotherapy in 2010 to 2011. Respondents were presented 20 scenarios about incidents, randomly varying on work pressure, person causing incident, whether patient level was reached, severity of harm, notification by patient, and management support. After each scenario, questions were asked about safety awareness and behavior. χ and multilevel regression analyses were used. Response rates were 64% (n = 54) for the culture survey and 62% (n = 52) for the factorial survey on intentions. The culture survey reflected positive opinions regarding nonpunitive response and incident reporting, in accordance with high scores (factorial survey) on safety awareness (9.0; scale, 1-10) and reporting intentions (8.7). Whether an incident reached the patient level predicted safety awareness and intentions for safety behavior (β = -1.3/-3.08) most strongly. Severity of harm showed minimal additional effects (β = -0.24/-0.42). The factorial survey presented practical information on safety awareness and intentions for behavior. Therefore, it created additional opportunities for improving safety interventions. Because behavior is expected to change before values, one could hypothesize that factorial surveys would be more sensitive to change than culture surveys. Longitudinal research should further study the surveys' sensitivity to measure changes.

Why do nursing students not want to work in geriatric care? A national questionnaire survey

GAPNs have a significant role to play in the care of older people. They provide focused health screening, counseling, crisis intervention, and comprehensive care to this population. They serve as important advocates in directing appropriate utilization of resources and making referrals that promote continuity of care geared to the needs of older adults. GAPNs provide essential educational services to older clients, their families, and other nursing and health care professionals involved in their care. They are innovators in the field of gerontological nursing and geriatric care and initiate or collaborate in research aimed at improving the health status of older persons. GAPNs are true providers of geriatric care, with great potential for serving an increasingly aging society.

ABSTRACTAimTo comprehensively review the experiences and support needs of internationally educated nurses in healthcare settings for older people, identify current supportive interventions for internationally educated nurses in gerontological nursing practice and determine research gaps in the existing literature on their experiences and support needs. The review includes all types of nurses, except those focusing solely on undergraduate nurses who have yet to practise and nursing assistants.MethodsA scoping review by a Canadian review group followed the methodological framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) and later refined by Levac, Colquhoun, and O'Brien (2010). Articles of any publication date were included. A two‐stage screening process was conducted independently to determine eligibility. Data extraction was performed using a piloted charting form. We also conducted a consultative exercise with Canadian nurses. Thematic and descriptive analyses were employed to analyse the extracted data.Data SourcesSeven databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, PsychArticles, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and EThOS) were systematically searched on April 27, 2024. Grey literature was searched using Google search engines, OpenGrey, ProQuest Sociological s and ProQuest ERIC, Healthcare Management Information Consortium, Open Grey repository, Proceedings First, Canada Health and Council for Allied Health Professions Research, and through expert consultation.ResultsThe scoping review identified 11 articles from Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom, highlighting positive experiences and challenges internationally educated nurses face in healthcare settings for older people. Nurses were primarily registered nurses. Challenges included workplace interpersonal issues, language barriers and organisational constraints, while positive experiences included being valued by older adults and colleagues.ConclusionThe findings highlight the need for supportive interventions like mentorship, cultural competency training and organisation‐led initiatives to improve internationally educated nurses' integration and retention in geriatric care, enhancing care quality for older persons.Implications for PracticeEnhancing mentorship programs, cultural competency training, and organization‐led support initiatives can improve the integration, retention, and overall well‐being of internationally educated nurses in geriatric care, ultimately enhancing the quality of care for older adults.Trial Registration: osf.io/cwjem

The Covid-19 pandemic is turning face-to-face learning into online learning. Online learning is a stressor for students. To deal with stress, there are two types an effective coping strategy, namely problem focused coping and emotion focused coping. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between stress levels with coping strategies in students. This research is a correlational analytic study through the cross sectional approach. Measuring stress levels using the questionnaire perceived stress scale and the Coping Strategies Inventory to measure coping strategies. The population in this study was all students of Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Nahdlatul Ulama University Surabaya. Sample of 132 respondents was selected using purposive sampling technique. The statistical test of research data used the Spearman Ranks Test. The results of statistical tests showed p = 0.001 (p-value <0.05), means that there is a correlation between stress levels and coping strategies among students. The results of this study can be used as a basis for online learning and in choosing coping strategies so that they can improve the quality of learning effectively

Objective:This study aims to test the association between family support and coping strategies and anxiety at Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital Medan. Methods:The study was a correlational descriptive study with a cross-sectional approach. The samples were 102 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, who were selected through purposive sampling technique. Data was collected using a family support questionnaire instrument developed based on the concept of the House and Friedman theory, a coping strategy questionnaire modified from the Revised Ways of Coping questionnaire by Folkman and Lazarus, and an anxiety questionnaire modified from the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). Bivariate analysis was conducted using the Product Moment correlation coefficient to test the association between family support, coping strategies, and anxiety. Multivariate analysis was conducted using the logistic regression test to investigate dominant variables associated with coping strategies and anxiety. Results:The results of the bivariate analysis showed a significant positive association (p=0.001) and strong correlation (r=0.612) between family support and Problem Focused Coping (PFC) strategy, while there was a significant negative association (p=0.001) and moderate correlation (r=-0.462) with the Emotion Focused Coping (EFC) strategy. A significant negative association (p=0.001) and strong correlation (r=-0.646) was found between family support and anxiety. The multivariate analysis showed a dominant association (p = 0.001) between family support with PFC strategy (OR = 12.2), EFC (OR = 0.142), and anxiety (OR = 0.039). Conclusion:Based on the results, it can be concluded that there was an association between good family support and effective coping strategies and lower anxiety levels in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. These results can be an input for health services to increase family support for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in combination with effective coping strategies to decrease anxiety levels.

BACKGROUND Pulmonary resident physicians are part of the frontline workers for COVID-19 in the hospital and might require a suitable coping strategy to manage stress. Here, we described their mental health status and coping strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A cohort study was done to evaluate stress, anxiety, depression, and coping strategies among pulmonary resident physicians in a tertiary referral hospital. Questionnaires were administered in 4 time points between August 2020 and June 2021. The DASS-21 questionnaire measured depression, anxiety, and stress, while Brief COPE instrument qualified the coping strategy. RESULTS The total respondents who filled the questionnaire in 4 time points in August 2020, October 2020, February 2021, and June 2021 were 60, 93, 96, and 94 resident physicians with mean stress levels of 4.3, 6.1, 5.4, and 6.3, respectively. Depression, stress, and anxiety were less frequent during the study period, mostly mild or moderate. However, moderate anxiety slightly increased in June 2021 when the pandemic reached its peak. Most of them (95.8%) had effective coping strategies related to religious beliefs. CONCLUSIONS Effective coping strategies might preserve the pulmonary resident physicians’ mental health during the pandemic. Furthermore, the sociodemographic and cultural background might affect the coping strategy. Practicing religion and praying or meditating might be essential factors in coping with psychological distress and a key to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Sickle cell anemia is prevalent in the society with pain as the key factor affecting the life of the individuals with the disease. A large number of sickle cell patients visit the health care facilities due to episode of pain crisis. Aim: This study assesses pain coping strategies used and its perceived effectives among sickle cell patients attending sickle cell center in Benin City Edo State. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive survey design was used to conveniently assess a total of 140 participants who attends the sickle cell center using self-structured questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The instrument was subjected to face and content validity as well as reliability using split half reliability test. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as T-test, and multivariate logistic regression tests at 5%level of significant. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version (SPSS) 21.0 was use in all analysis. Result: Findings from the study shows that use of pain reliefs, communication of pain to friends, prayers, hypnosis, guided imagery and Diversional therapy such as playing video games was the most commonly used coping strategies having a mean of &gt;2.5. Pain coping strategies such as prayer, relaxation and use of pain relievers were the most effective coping strategies used (mean &gt;2.5). Generally, about 66.4% of the entire population showed that coping strategies were effective to relief pain. Family and peer support were reported as the major factor influencing the use of coping strategies. Significant difference (p&lt;0.05) was found in the coping strategies used by male and female respondents. Respondents who strongly agreed that economic factor played a major role in effective pain coping strategies were 0.328 times more (B-1.114; OR 0.328; CI 0.142-0.759, p = 0.009) likely to believe that coping strategies were effective. Also, respondents who chose routine checkups as a factor affecting pain coping strategies were 3.035 times more (B 1.110, OR;0.3035, CI;1.301-7083, p = 0.010) likely to choose those coping strategies were effective. Conclusion: Considering the fact that pain is a lifelong issue for people with sickle cell disease, different coping strategies and how to effectively implement them should form the nucleus of health education given by nurses and other health care professionals to patients with sickle cell diseases. Patients should be taught on how to carry out these procedures themselves in order to manage pain in its prodromal phase as well as reduce frequent hospital visits and cost.

The ways people cope with stressful and crisis-inducing episodes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have implications for quality of life. The current study aimed to analyse how coping strategies used by individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic varied according to sociodemographic characteristics. It also aimed to analyse how such strategies influence quality of life. Through an online survey, 505 adults living in Portugal reported on their sociodemographic characteristics, coping strategies, and perceptions of quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic period. A sociodemographic questionnaire and the Portuguese versions of the Brief COPE and WHOQOL-BREF were used to assess the variables of interest.The main results suggest that middle-aged and more educated individuals, who were exposed to more risks at work, used more effective coping strategies. Men used more self-blaming coping strategies while women used more emotional support, religion, distraction, self-distraction, and behavioural withdrawal. Active coping was the strongest predictor of physical, psychological, and social domains of quality of life.Further studies are needed to examine the growth trajectory after the mitigation phase and the coping strategies used to promote mental health. Overall, advocating for active coping with current challenges promotes positive perceptions of quality of life amid the pandemic COVID-19.

Background: Nurses in geriatric care are exposed to various burdens in the workplace that result in high stress levels. The perceived stress may result in a lack of professional caring and burnout. Objectives: The study aim was to identify work-related and personal factors that determine stress levels to design tailored interventions. Research design: cross-sectional study. Subjects: N = 195 geriatric nursing staff members. Measures: The survey included validated questionnaires (Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress (TICS), Health Survey Short form 12 (SF-12), Nordic Questionnaire) to identify work-related burdens, resulting stress levels and work-related behavior (AVEM). According to the limits of the Screening Subscale for chronic stress (SSCS) of the TICS, nurses were classified as stressed or non-stressed. With four-step regression analysis, main predictors for the stress level were identified. Results: The analysis revealed body postures, handling heavy loads, time pressure, deadlines and pressure to perform as the main burdens of the participants. Chronically stressed nurses showed different work patterns in comparison to nurses with lower stress levels. The regression analysis showed significance for the models including the work-related patterns and resilience aspects (step three (F (3.42) = 4.168; p = 0.010) and four (F (7.35) = 4.194; p = 0.002). Pattern B was a main factor for determining stress. The stress level determined the perceived burdens. Conclusions: Experiencing and managing stressors depends on the individual’s perception, while coping patterns—especially pattern B—can be decisive. The tailored interventions to reduce stress in geriatric nurses should focus on personal patterns.

Ethical conflicts among nurses can undermine nurses’ psychological comfort and compromise the quality of patient care. In the last decade, several empirical studies on the phenomena related to ethical conflicts, such as ethical dilemmas, issues, problems, difficulties, or challenges, have been reported; however, they have not always deeply explored the meaning of ethical conflicts experienced by nurses in geriatric care. This study aims to understand the lived experiences of ethical conflict of nurses in geriatric hospitals in South Korea. A phenomenological study was conducted. In-depth, face-to-face interviews were performed with nine registered nurses who cared for elderly patients in geriatric hospitals in South Korea between August 2015 and January 2016. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) confusing values for good nursing, (2) distress resulting from not taking required action despite knowing about a problem, and (3) avoiding ethical conflicts as a last resort. It was found that for geriatric nurses to cope with ethical conflicts successfully, clear ethical guidance, continuing ethics education to improve ethical knowledge and moral behaviors, and a supportive system or program to resolve ethical conflicts involving nurses should be established.

BackgroundTransfer techniques and lifting weights often cause back pain and disorders for nurses in geriatric care. The Kinaesthetics care conception claims to be an alternative, yielding benefits for nurses as well as for clients.Starting a multi-step research program on the effects of Kinaesthetics, we assess the feasibility of a two-stage nursing staff training and a pre-post research design. Using quantitative and qualitative success criteria, we address mobilisation from the bed to a chair and backwards, walking with aid and positioning in bed on the staff level as well as on the resident level. In addition, effect estimates should help to decide on and to prepare a controlled trial.Methods/DesignStandard basic and advanced Kinaesthetics courses (each comprising four subsequent days and an additional counselling day during the following four months) are offered to n = 36 out of 60 nurses in a residential geriatric care home, who are in charge of 76 residents. N = 22 residents needing movement support are participating to this study.On the staff level, measurements include focus group discussions, questionnaires, physical strain self-assessment (Borg scale), video recordings and external observation of patient assistance skills using a specialised instrument (SOPMAS). Questionnaires used on the resident level include safety, comfort, pain, and level of own participation during mobilisation. A functional mobility profile is assessed using a specialised test procedure (MOTPA).Measurements will take place at baseline (T0), after basic training (T1), and after the advanced course (T2). Follow-up focus groups will be offered at T1 and 10 months later (T3).DiscussionTen criteria for feasibility success are established before the trial, assigned to resources (missing data), processes (drop-out of nurses and residents) and science (minimum effects) criteria. This will help to make rational decision on entering the next stage of the research program.Trial RegistrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN24344776.

“All my life is one big nursing home”: Russian immigrant women in israel speak about double caregiver stress