Attitudes Of Primary Care Nurses Research Articles

Knowledge about Palliative Care and Attitudes toward Care of the Dying among Primary Care Nurses in Spain

To analyze the knowledge in palliative care and the attitudes toward caring for the dying of nurses who carry out their professional activity in primary care in Spain. A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was carried out among Spanish primary care centers. A total of 244 nurses who had completed their primary care work and agreed to participate in this study were included. The level of knowledge in palliative care was analyzed using the PCQN-SV scale, and attitudes toward care of the dying were measured with the FATCOD-S scale, both of which are instruments that are validated in Spain. Regarding the level of knowledge in palliative care, at a global level, the results revealed that 60% of the answers in the PCQN-SV were correct, with different results for each of the three subscales that compose it. When analyzing the attitudes of primary care nurses toward the care of the dying, an average of 132.21 out of 150 was obtained, representing a positive attitude. On the other hand, when analyzing these results in terms of knowledge and attitudes according to the population's characteristics, we see that participants with both experience and training in palliative care present a better level of knowledge and a higher score regarding their attitudes toward care of the dying. However, the differences are only significant regarding the level of knowledge in palliative care. When analyzing the data from the two scales together, it is noteworthy that the participants with the most positive attitudes (highest scores on the FATCOD-S) also have the highest percentages of correct answers on the PCQN-SV.

Determining the effectiveness of a video-based contact intervention in improving attitudes of Penang primary care nurses towards people with mental illness.

BackgroundMental illness-related stigma is common, and is associated with poorer outcomes in people with mental illness. This study evaluated the attitudes of primary care nurses towards people with mental illness and its associated factors; and the effectiveness of a short video-based contact intervention (VBCI) in improving these attitudes using a Malay version of the 15-item Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Healthcare Providers (OMS-HC-15-M).MethodsA 5-minute VBCI was developed comprising elements of psychoeducation and interviews of people with mental illness and the people they interact with, relating to experience of mental illness and recovery. A pre-post cross-sectional study was conducted on 206 randomly selected primary care nurses in Penang, Malaysia. The OMS-HC-15-M questionnaire was administered before and immediately after participants viewed the VBCI. The difference in mean pre-post VBCI scores using paired t-tests, effect size and standardised response mean (SRM) were obtained. Factors correlating to attitudes were obtained using univariate and multivariate regression analyses.ResultsDifferences in pre-post VBCI score were statistically significant (p<0.001) with a 14% score reduction, a moderate effect size and SRM at 0.97 (0.85–0.11) and 1.1 (0.97–1.2) respectively. By factoring in the Minimal Detectable Change statistic of 7.76, the VBCI produced a significant improvement of attitudes in 30% of the participants. Factors associated with less stigmatising attitudes at baseline were previous psychiatry-related training, desiring psychiatric training, and positive contact with people with mental illness.ConclusionsThis is the first study in Malaysia to show that a brief VBCI is effective in improving attitudes of primary care nurses towards people with mental illness in the immediate term. Further studies are needed to determine if these results can be sustained in the longer term and generalizable to other health care professionals. Qualitative studies are warranted to provide insight to the factors correlating to these attitudes. (300 words)

Knowledge and attitudes of primary care nurses about the management of patients with insomnia

ObjectiveTo describe the knowledge, attitudes, and performance of primary care nurses in the management of patients with insomnia. MethodsDescriptive study. An online questionnaire was sent to all primary care nurses of the Majorca Primary Care Department between June and July 2014. Measurements: sociodemographic variables, professional characteristics, tuition, usual clinical practice in the management of patients with insomnia. Results138 nurses answered the questionnaire (47%). Most of them were women (92.8%), 50.42 years old (SD=8.9). The majority considered insomnia an important health problem. Only 11% had received some formative activity on insomnia in the last 5 years. Nearly half declares to ask patients about consequences of insomnia in their jobs and about habits that alter their sleep quality. 79.7% considered the possible adverse effects of insomnia drugs and take into consideration the age of patient (80.4%). The usual treatments were sleep hygiene (76%), phytotherapy (44.9%) and 22.4% cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This therapy is considered effective and applicable by nurses (63.7%) and doctors (58%). Those nurses who attended courses in the last 5 years apply CBT more frequently. ConclusionsNurses conduct a correct anamnesis and evaluation of patients with insomnia. However some therapies of known effectiveness, such as CBT, are still scarcely applied.

The attitudes of primary care nurses in the families’ aging cycle

In Portugal, due to the importance of the family in care, the professional profile of the family nurse was created to ensure quality care, since they are considered to be at the core of the teams. Several authors argue that nurses who assign importance to the families in health care are more likely to interact with these families, increasing the level of care. In addition, the center of attention in nursing interventions should not only be the families’ responses, but also the nurses’ attitudes. With the aim of assessing nurses’ attitudes about the family care, a quantitative study was carried out in which the scale “A Importância das Famílias nos Cuidados de Enfermagem-Atitudes dos Enfermeiros (IFCE-AE)” was applied to 871 Primary Health Care nurses in the center region of Portugal. It was concluded that nurses who perform a specific intervention with parents, grandparents and grandchildren (p&lt;0.001); request the presence of grandchildren when consulting the grandparents (p&lt;0.001); and integrate grandchildren in the care for their grandparents (p&lt;0.001) have better attitudes.

The attitudes of primary care nurses in the families’ aging cycle

In Portugal, due to the importance of the family in care, the professional profile of the family nurse was created to ensure quality care, since they are considered to be at the core of the teams. Several authors argue that nurses who assign importance to the families in health care are more likely to interact with these families, increasing the level of care. In addition, the center of attention in nursing interventions should not only be the families’ responses, but also the nurses’ attitudes. With the aim of assessing nurses’ attitudes about the family care, a quantitative study was carried out in which the scale “A Importância das Famílias nos Cuidados de Enfermagem-Atitudes dos Enfermeiros (IFCE-AE)” was applied to 871 Primary Health Care nurses in the center region of Portugal. It was concluded that nurses who perform a specific intervention with parents, grandparents and grandchildren (p&lt;0.001); request the presence of grandchildren when consulting the grandparents (p&lt;0.001); and integrate grandchildren in the care for their grandparents (p&lt;0.001) have better attitudes.

Activity promotion for community-dwelling older people: a survey of the contribution of primary care nurses

To discover the current level of nurse-led involvement in activity promotion for older people in primary care and to explore the knowledge and attitudes of primary care nurses about health benefits of activity promotion for older people. The importance of improving and maintaining activity levels in later life is well established. However, intervention studies show that the uptake of and adherence to physical activity programmes by older people are highly variable. The optimal approach to activity promotion for older people is not well understood. Although many activity promotion schemes and evaluations assume that specialist exercise trainers are needed, it remains unclear who is best placed to facilitate activity promotion for older people, and if this is something in which existing primary care practitioners (specifically nurses) could and should take a leading role. This study surveyed all nurses and health visitors working in five primary care organizations in an inner city area. A semi-structured postal questionnaire asked about their knowledge and attitudes to the benefits of exercise in later life, their current levels of involvement in promoting physical activity with older people, and their personal activity levels. The overall response rate was 54% (n=521). The responses of 391 district nurses and practice nurses are presented here. Nurses had the commitment and (depending on the focus of their work) different opportunities to promote physical activity with older patients. There were organizational and individual constraints on their ability to be involved in this aspect of health promotion work themselves, or to refer older people to local activity promotion schemes. Nurses did not have a structured approach when promoting physical activity with older people and had only a partial awareness of the limitations of their knowledge or skills when promoting activity with older people. For promotion of physical activity by older people to be meaningfully incorporated into primary care nursing work there is a need to develop a more strategic approach that can optimize the opportunities and interest of primary care nurses and develop the knowledge and skills of the workforce in this area of nursing work.

Hepatitis C virus in primary care: survey of nurses’ attitudes to caring

This paper is a report of a study measuring attitudes of primary care nurses towards caring for people with hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a major public health problem. Attitudes to caring for people with hepatitis C vary and can have an impact on nursing care practices. International literature has identified discriminating practices amongst healthcare professionals including nurses. There is limited research examining primary care nurses' attitudes to caring for people with hepatitis C. A cross-sectional postal census survey of 981 nurses working in one health board region in the Republic of Ireland was conducted during the period March 2006 to June 2006. A response rate of 57.1% (n=560) was achieved. Exploratory factor analysis of an attitude scale identified three latent variables: 'infection control behaviour', 'caring' and 'fear'. Attitudes were generally positive towards caring for persons with hepatitis C; however, 51.7% of respondents would use additional infection control precautions if caring for someone with known hepatitis C. Younger nurses and those educated to degree level and above held significantly more positive attitudes to caring. Nurses agreed that they have a central role in managing and treating people with hepatitis C; however, many agreed that they lack the knowledge and skills to care for persons with hepatitis C. Negative attitudes can result in discriminatory experiences for persons with hepatitis C or at risk. Nurses require ongoing education on hepatitis C to improve knowledge, to limit concerns and ensure adherence to infection control guidelines.

Management of obesity in primary care: nurses’ practices, beliefs and attitudes

This paper is a report of a study to investigate patterns of clinical practice, beliefs and attitudes of primary care nurses with respect to obesity management. Nurses in primary care potentially play a key role in managing obesity, which has become a priority issue. There have been few studies of either the extent of clinical practice of nurses, or their attitudes and beliefs in this setting. A correlational survey design was employed. Structured questionnaires were posted to 564 nurses and health visitors in primary care organizations in England. The response rate was 72.3%. The survey was conducted in April and May 2006. Very few respondents reported training in obesity management, and most did not believe that organizational support was in place. Only practice nurses reported substantial clinical activity in obesity management, accounting for almost 5% of their contracted hours. This activity, comprised of assessment, lifestyle change support and referral, occurred in one-to-one consultations. Other nurses and health visitors reported much less activity, although they believed obesity to be an important health issue and its management an appropriate part of their role. Whilst outright negative stereotypes were rare, there were nevertheless a range of potentially negative beliefs and attitudes relating to obesity and obese patients. These views were related to the respondent's own body mass index but not to gender, age, experience and occupation. Training and organizational support for obesity management are required by primary care nurses. Training should also address beliefs and attitudes about obesity and obese persons.

Primary care nurses' attitude to sickness absence: a study.

Nurses are under more pressure than ever before in a fast-changing NHS. Staff shortages and spiralling workload have led to escalating levels of stress in community care, while managers look to minimize the cost of sickness absence. However, the causes of sickness absence are complex and poorly understood. The authors report on a small-scale qualitative research study on the attitudes of primary care nurses to sickness absence. In-depth interviews were conducted with a small sample of volunteer nurses working in a west London primary care organization. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed into six main themes. It was found that psychological issues and values are very important but good management and the role of the team are also key factors in the decision to take sick leave. Workplace characteristics, personal issues, and local factors also play a very significant role.

Knowledge and attitudes of primary care nurses and midwives towards health promotion in rural South Africa.

This study was designed to study knowledge, attitudes and views about health promotion among nurse clinicians in rural South Africa. The sample included 90 nurse clinicians (73 primary health care nurses and 17 midwives) in the age range of 24 to 59 years (M age 38.4 yr., SD = 9.3) in the Northern Province. Results indicate that nurses (66.6%) had an inadequate knowledge score on health promotion in this sample. Higher knowledge scores on health promotion were not associated with age and years of experience. However, male nurses had significantly higher knowledge scores on health promotion than female nurses. The majority strongly supported the centrality of their role in health promotion acknowledging the time constraints involved. Better knowledge on health promotion was associated with more positive views on health promotion. More nurses had a satisfactory positive attitude towards health promotion (63.3%) than knowledge about health promotion (33.3%). Finally, the study found that compliance with health promotion was seen as a problem but health counselling was nevertheless seen as cost effective.