Search Results (99)

Objectives: This study investigated levels of work engagement and the occurrence of compassion fatigue among nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational study was conducted at a Brazilian university hospital between February and April 2022. The Brazilian versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-BR) were administered. Results: High levels of compassion satisfaction (44.9 points), low levels of burnout (21.0 points), and low levels of secondary traumatic stress (22.8 points) were observed. No professional demonstrated a profile consistent with compassion fatigue. Engagement levels were high for dedication (5.3) and moderate for vigor (4.9), absorption (4.5), and overall engagement (4.9). Burnout showed moderate negative correlations with vigor (r = −0.611, p = 0.005) and dedication (r = −0.599, p = 0.019). Compassion satisfaction showed moderate positive correlations with vigor (r = 0.522, p < 0.001) and dedication (r = 0.572, p < 0.001). The overall engagement score was moderately and positively correlated with compassion satisfaction (r = 0.532, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study identified high levels of work engagement, especially regarding dedication, and low levels of compassion fatigue among nursing professionals. The data suggest that even amid the emotional and physical demands imposed by the pandemic, participants preserved their emotional well-being and maintained a positive relationship with their work. Full article

Increasing the use of healthcare facilities has resulted in the growing production of biomedical waste, which poses health risks to users, health professionals, and the environment. The aim of this research is to study the correlation between governance in Togo’s public health facilities and the quality of biomedical waste management within these facilities. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study conducted from September to December 2024. It involved 264 public health facilities of all types in all health regions of Togo. Health facilities were selected using the simple random selection technique. Healthcare providers were selected using the reasoned choice technique. The statistical tests used were the chi-square test and logistic regression, which enabled proportions to be compared and confounding factors to be eliminated, respectively. Results: Multivariate analysis revealed a statistically significant association between the organization and training component of governance and the quality of biomedical waste management (BMWM) in health facilities (OR = 3.79; 95% CI [1.79–8.03]; p < 0.001). This relationship suggests that health facilities with functional infection prevention and control (ICP) or BMWM committees, trained staff at all levels (nursing, technical, and administrative), and dedicated waste management personnel are more likely to implement compliant waste management practices. Analyses of the data also revealed that, among the criteria for assessing the quality of biomedical waste management (BMWM), the most significant were sorting (OR = 1.482; 95% CI [1.286; 1.708]), quantification (OR = 2.026; 95% CI [1.491; 2.753]), transportation (OR = 1.403; 95% CI [1.187; 1.66]), and disposal infrastructure (OR = 1.604; 95% CI [1.298; 1.982]). The application of this grid shows that 17.8% of the health facilities surveyed had a score equal to or above 80% on all the criteria used to assess the quality of biomedical waste management, and they were therefore managing waste in an “acceptable” manner. The study highlights key findings in biomedical waste management practices, providing actionable insights for improving public health safety. Full article

Background: Work engagement is essential to the well-being of nurses and the quality of health care, particularly in high-demand urban hospital environments in Bangkok. To determine the levels of work engagement—vigor, dedication, and absorption—among nurses in a Thai urban tertiary hospital, and to identify associated demographic and occupational predictors. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 650 nurses at a tertiary university hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, from February to March 2025. Participants were selected through simple random sampling. They completed an online survey including demographic data and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), which assesses three dimensions of engagement: vigor, dedication, and absorption. To identify the predictors of high engagement levels, chi-square tests and multivariate binary logistic regression were used. Results: Most nurses reported low engagement across all dimensions: 73.1% for vigor, 69.1% for dedication, and 70.0% for absorption. In the adjusted models, monthly income was a significant predictor of higher vigor and dedication, whereas no significant predictors emerged for absorption. Other variables, including age, experience, and professional rank, were significant in the bivariate analyses but not in the multivariate models. Conclusions: Nurse engagement remains suboptimal in the urban tertiary hospital setting, with financial compensation emerging as a key determinant. Strategic interventions to improve income equity and career development may help enhance engagement and retention in the nursing workforce. Full article

At the 14th Panhellenic Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and 6th Mediterranean Conference on neurodegenerative diseases, we experienced an exciting journey, following the patient through the stages of their neurodegenerative disease: onset, diagnosis, progression, and eventual outcome. Fighting alongside him are researchers, doctors, psychologists, biologists, chemists, pharmacists, nurses, trainers, physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, electrical engineers, architects, and other scientists, even actors and musicians, who aim to prevent and cure the disease, limit its progression, and improve the quality of life of those affected by it. Among them, their caregivers stand out as the most dedicated companions. In a collection of abstracts that reflects the work of all of the above, we capture the results of our biennial scientific meeting, which, thanks to them, is constantly evolving in a promising way. Full article

Aligned with the worldwide shift towards promotional and preventative health care, the South African government has introduced a re-engineered primary health care plan, facilitated through a National Health Insurance (NHI) platform. Community health workers (CHWs) are key role-players in most universal health care systems. This article shares insider perspectives from 31 CHWs in one of the South African NHI pilot districts. Based on their perspectives, the authors share recommendations to strengthen the NHI plan. Recommendations comprise of the inclusion of a dedicated CHW team leader and reporting nurse, ongoing CHW education and training with an accompanying portfolio of evidence, and awareness campaigns on the role of CHWs within the South African re-engineered primary health care plan and NHI platform. Full article

(1) Aims: In our study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a telemonitoring program based on a nursing clinic, supported by a physician who remotely monitors patients via a dedicated application (TreC Cardiology), in reducing visits and hospitalizations for HF in patients affected by HF living in Trentino in Italy. (2) Methods and Results: The TreC Heart Failure (TreC HF) study prospectively enrolled consecutive patients diagnosed with HF who attended our outpatient clinic and who were provided with the TreC Cardiology application. We analyzed primarily the number of visits and hospitalizations, comparing the year before and after the enrollment. From March 2021 to June 2023, we enrolled 211 patients, predominantly male (70.1%) and with a mean age of 71.5 ± 12.6 years. At baseline, 43.6% of patients were diagnosed with HFrEF, 28% with HFmrEF, and 28.4% with HFpEF. The mean left-ventricular ejection fraction (LV-EF) was 43.2 ± 11.9%. Outpatient visits in the year before the enrollment were on average 2.0 ± 1.2 vs. 1.6 ± 1.3 (p = 0.002) in the same following period. The percentage of patients who were hospitalized for heart failure went from 25.6% to 4.7% (p < 0.001). Analyzing HF categories separately, we found that, in the HFrEF population, after the enrollment, hospitalization for HF significantly decreased (32.6% vs. 7.6%, p < 0.001), while the number of outpatient visits did not vary (2.1 ± 1.4 vs. 2.1 ± 1.3, p = 0.795). In HFmrEF patients, both hospitalization for HF and outpatient visits significantly decreased (respectively, 30.5% vs. 1.7%, p < 0.001 and 2.0 ± 1.0 vs. 1.5 ± 1.3, p = 0.025). Finally, in the HFpEF population, only the number of outpatient visits significantly decreased after the enrollment (2.0 ± 1.1 vs. 1.0 ± 0.8, p < 0.001). (3) Conclusions: Our results confirm the enormous potential of telemonitoring, since in a real-world population affected by heart failure, it resulted in a significant reduction in hospitalization for HF and the number of outpatient visits. Full article

Background: Nursing and midwifery expertise exceeds the realms of clinical and biomedical knowledge. With the healthcare system transforming towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), midwives are expected to broaden their knowledge and skills to provide quality care through the use of digital health technologies. However, there is a paucity of studies that look at the perceptions of midwives towards these digital health technologies. Objective: Hence, in this case, the authors sought to investigate the perceptions of the midwives towards the adoption of digitalized triage system in their maternity units, prior to designing and implementing the digitalized system. This was undertaken to avoid imposing a huge change upon the midwives which will consequently affect the widespread implementation of the proposed system. Methods: A sequential exploratory research design within a pragmatic paradigm underpinned this study to gain a comprehensive understanding of the midwives’ perceptions on the adoption of a digitalized triage system in the maternity units. The qualitative phase embraced purposive sampling to select participants, and data saturation was reached at 20th midwife. Meanwhile, the quantitative phase embraced a stratified sampling technique and the sample size was 155. The mixed methodological analysis was conducted using a case-comparison analytical strategy. Results: The study revealed that the midwives perceived that the adoption of a digitalized triage system would improve their skills and enhance positive health outcomes for the patients. However, they were concerned with implementation challenges such as the availability of resources and network connectivity. Conclusions: The findings suggested that midwives in this modern era are accepting of digital health interventions as they perceive them to be useful. However, the digital health intervention was also perceived to possibly be affected by external factors such as digital illiteracy, lack of resources and internet connectivity failures. Therefore, there is a need for the development of guidelines and a conceptual framework dedicated to facilitating the widespread implementation of digital triaging in maternity units in South Africa. Full article

Background: Current research on healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance in traditional Korean medicine (TKM) institutions is limited. Methods: We utilized the Delphi method to evaluate the validity and feasibility of implementing an HAI surveillance system in TKM hospitals. This involved conducting a systematic literature review and focus group interviews with three infection control experts and five TKM doctors experienced in infection control within TKM hospitals. Based on these findings, we developed a Delphi questionnaire. The survey included a total of fifteen participants: ten TKM doctors and TKM-related policy researchers with infection control expertise, two infection control nurses, and three infectious disease doctors. Results: The survey results indicated strong consensus on the necessity of introducing an HAI surveillance system tailored to TKM hospitals, as well as their integration into the Korean National Healthcare-associated Infections Surveillance (KONIS) system. Since infectious diseases do not differentiate between acute care hospitals and TKM hospitals, it is reasonable for TKM hospitals to participate in infection surveillance systems. However, the feasibility of implementing HAI surveillance in TKM hospitals remains low due to a lack of awareness regarding infection surveillance, insufficient surveillance personnel, inadequate diagnostic and surveillance infrastructure, and limited policy support for infection control. Therefore, this study proposes a phased approach in which hand hygiene surveillance and safe injection practice monitoring, which received relatively higher consensus on feasibility, should be prioritized to establish the necessary surveillance infrastructure. Subsequently, a stepwise implementation of HAI surveillance can be introduced. Conclusions: Although TKM hospitals generally have a lower risk of HAIs compared to acute care facilities, they lack robust infection control systems and support. To address this gap, TKM hospitals should join the KONIS system. Appointing and training dedicated infection control personnel will enable their participation and enhance overall infection management. Full article

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social media networking addiction (SMNA) and work engagement (WE) among nurses at a government hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as well as to assess the overall levels of SMNA and WE within this population. Methods: A quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional design was employed with an online survey instrument, involving 283 nurses from the government hospital. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 26. Results: Nurses exhibited low levels of SMNA and average levels of WE. A negative relationship was identified between SMNA and WE. Conclusions: The findings indicate that SMNA influences various dimensions of WE differently. A significant negative relationship was observed between SMNA and the dimensions of vigor, absorption, and overall WE. However, SMNA did not significantly impact the dedication dimension, which emerged as the highest-scoring aspect among nursing professionals. Therefore, this study recommends raising awareness among nurses regarding the detrimental impact that excessive social media usage can have on their professional responsibilities and mental health, the implementation of clear social media usage guidelines, regular assessment of the trends in social media usage among nurses and the introduction of educational programs to raise awareness and promote responsible usage. Full article

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs), often defined as those aged 15–39 years, face unique challenges in oncology that are often unmet by conventional care models. This systematic review examines evidence on establishing dedicated AYA oncology units, focusing on logistical, infrastructural, and personnel-related recommendations. A PRISMA-guided search of PubMed (2000–2024) identified seven studies that emphasized early stakeholder involvement and collaboration between pediatric and adult oncology teams to ensure comprehensive care. Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) of oncologists, nurses, and psychosocial support staff were highlighted as essential to address AYA patients’ diverse needs. Care models varied, with some advocating consultation-based services and others supporting dedicated units. Priorities included increasing clinical trial enrollment, fertility counseling, and creating environments attuned to AYA patients’ social and psychological needs. Key barriers included limited funding, institutional resistance, and inadequate pediatric/adult team collaboration. Despite progress, the lack of standardized guidelines and long-term data on AYA unit efficacy remains a challenge. Further research is required to develop outcome metrics, refine care models, and enhance survival and quality of life for AYA cancer patients. Full article

Background: School nurses play a crucial role in promoting student health, addressing issues such as substance use, mental health, physical health, violence, and sexual health. However, their job satisfaction has been understudied, particularly in relation to the challenges they face. Objective: This study evaluates the job satisfaction and professional quality of life among school nurses and nurses working in educational settings in Spain. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted (November 2023–February 2024) with 553 nurses from various regions of Spain, using the Font-Roja job satisfaction and CPV-35 professional quality of life questionnaires. Results: Our results showed significant differences in job satisfaction between nurses in healthcare and educational settings, influenced by factors such as workload and institutional support. Most participants (97.5% women, median age ~40 years) had less than 5 years of experience. The lack of a dedicated nurse in half of the schools highlights disparities in service provision. Discussion: This study emphasizes the need for supportive policies and work environments to improve the well-being and job satisfaction of nurses in school settings. Full article

Under the trend of increasing global aging, this study is based on the theory of mental model to conduct a study on the design of living environments for demented elderly, which is dedicated to meeting the special needs of this special group of demented elderly, improving their quality of life and self-care ability, and reducing the dependence on social medical and nursing resources to achieve the goal of social sustainability. The field research method was used to observe and record the behavior of elderly people with dementia in their homes, which included 20 elderly people aged 60–94 years with mild dementia; the ratio of male to female is 1:1. The Kawakita Jiro (KJ) method is used to extract a mental model of elderly people with dementia, obtain their subjective needs for the home environment, and propose related design principles. The research indicates that the mental space of elderly people with dementia regarding the home environment is mainly composed of three parts: information perception, environmental cognition, and environmental shaping. Based on this mental model, design principles of the home environment of elderly people with dementia are designed, aiming to improve their living experience via environmental information perception design, the enhancement of environmental cognition, and the reduction in the difficulty of shaping the environment. Full article

Tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) for people living with HIV (PLHIV) has been recommended by Indonesia’s National TB Program since 2014 but has seen limited implementation. This study describes TB screening and TPT initiation from 2019 to 2022 among eight healthcare facilities supported by the Zero TB Yogyakarta (ZTB) project. ZTB assigned a dedicated nurse to assist with active TB screening among PLHIV and recommended the immediate initiation of TPT as an innovation implemented. Data were obtained from the national HIV program reporting system, routinely reported by ART clinics from 2019 to 2022. We conducted a descriptive analysis, comparing the pre-intervention and intervention periods. During the intervention, there was a significant increase in PLHIV visits to healthcare facilities where TPT eligibility was assessed. At health centers, TB screening coverage for PLHIV decreased toward the end of the baseline period but recovered during the intervention. The number of PLHIV starting TPT also rose during the intervention. While the direct impact of ZTB is difficult to measure, the changes observed indicate progress in integrating TB/HIV services and enhancing TB prevention among PLHIV. Ongoing support, training, and supervision of healthcare facilities are crucial for improving TB screening and TPT provision. Full article

The integration of genetics and genomics into nursing practice is essential for addressing genetic pathologies and providing personalized patient care. This study aims to analyze the nursing education curricula across Spanish universities to understand how genetic and genomic concepts are incorporated. Using the “Qué estudiar y dónde en la Universidad” (QEDU) database, an official source provided by the Spanish Ministry of Universities, a systematic review of 4720 teaching guides from 118 university centers was conducted. Our findings reveal that 12 centers do not include any genetic or genomic content, while 43% of the remaining centers focus solely on basic genetics. In contrast, 57% cover advanced topics, such as genetic counseling and pharmacogenetics. Teaching methodologies predominantly involve lectures and seminars, with limited practical training. On average, three to six ECTS credits out of the total 240 required for the Nursing Degree are dedicated to genetics and genomics. This study highlights the need for curriculum updates and standardization to ensure comprehensive training in these crucial areas. Improved integration of genetic and genomic education will better prepare nursing professionals to meet the evolving demands of modern healthcare. This study was not registered. Full article

Objectives: In South Korea, there has been a continuous decrease in the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) attributable to a national TB elimination program; however, TB still poses a significant socioeconomic burden. This study aimed to analyze factors associated with successful TB treatment and to identify refractory patient groups with unfavorable outcomes. Methods: We analyzed anonymized data on 89,150 patients with TB provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Specifically, we collected independent variables, which were categorized as individual, regional, and medical facility factors. Individual factors included age, sex, nationality, TB type, drug-resistant status, category of TB, housing type, underlying disease status, number of referrals, and smoking status. Regional factors referred to the region where the TB case was reported. Medical facility factors included the first visit to a medical facility, categorized by hospital type and the distinction between private–public mix (PPM) and non-PPM depending on the presence or absence of dedicated TB nurses. These factors were analyzed in relation to treatment success to identify refractory patient groups with unfavorable outcomes. Results: Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed the following significant factors associated with successful TB treatment: sex, nationality, status of drug-resistant TB, category of TB, number of referrals, region of TB registry, underlying diseases, and smoking status. Specifically, compared with their relevant counterparts, male patients had a lower rate of successful treatment (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.66, reference [Ref.]: women); Korean nationals had a higher rate of treatment success (aOR: 7.20, Ref. foreign residents in Korea); resistant TB was associated with a lower rate of treatment success (aOR: 0.35, Ref.: non-resistant TB status); newly treated patients had a higher rate of treatment success (aOR: 1.75, Ref.: retreatment patient); switching hospitals once (aOR: 1.78), never (aOR: 1.41), or twice (aOR: 1.37) was associated with increased treatment success (Ref.: three or more times); having zero (aOR: 1.45), one (aOR: 1.31), or two (aOR: 1.24) underlying diseases was associated with a higher rate of treatment success (Ref. three or more underlying diseases); and past smokers (aOR: 1.40) and non-smokers (aOR: 1.35) had a higher rate of treatment success (Ref.: current smokers). Conclusions: Our study identified several factors contributing to unfavorable treatment outcomes in tuberculosis patients, including male patients, foreign residents in Korea, drug-resistant TB, retreatment patients, frequent hospital switching, multiple underlying diseases, and current smoking status. These research findings could inform the development of efficient management strategies and policies for improving the treatment success rate among patients with TB. Full article