Nurse

Education is one of the most basic needs of human societies and one of the axes of development, and problem-solving is a vital skill for living in the present age. The present study was conducted to compare the effect of lecture (face-to-face) and multimedia (virtual) training on the problem-solving skills of nurses in 2023.

The present study is a quasi-experimental research design of the pre-test and post-test type with a control group. The research population consisted of all nurses working at the 15 Khordad Hospital affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Participants were conveniently sampled and divided into two groups: one receiving training through lectures (using PowerPoint and a whiteboard along with Q&A) and the other receiving multimedia training (educational content on problem-solving skills and techniques necessary for coping with challenging situations, delivered in a workshop format across 4 sessions of 2 hours over 2 days). In the multimedia training group, after the pre-test, the prepared educational content was also sent as scenario-based material in a compressed file via social media networks. After the training was conducted, both groups were re-evaluated in the post-test, and the data were analyzed using SPSS 25 with independent t-tests.

The findings showed that the mean age and standard deviation of nurses in the intervention group was 33.44 ± 4.19, and in the control group it was 33±5.29. In terms of education, 88% in the intervention group and 84% in the control group had bachelor's degrees. Moreover, 84% of participants in the intervention group and 76% in the control group were married. There was a significant difference between the two groups regarding problem-solving skills scores after the intervention, indicating that the intervention had a positive effect on problem-solving skills scores (p = 0.001).

According to the findings of the research, it can be concluded that education with a multimedia approach has a positive effect on the problem solving skills of nurses. It is recommended to use new and creative teaching methods such as multimedia approach to improve nurses’ problem-solving skills.

Patient safety is one of the fundamental principles of health care. The investigation of patient safety culture is a step towards providing safe conditions for patient care. This study aims to explore the Iranian intensive care unit (ICU) nurses’ experiences of patient safety culture in hospitals.

This is a qualitative study using the conventional content analysis method. Participants were 18 ICU nurses from three hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2021-2022, who were selected using a purposive sampling method. In-depth semi-structured interviews was carried to collect data. Data were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman’s content analysis method.

Three themes were extracted: Individual (sufficient knowledge and skills, observance of professional values, work experience), interpersonal (inter-departmental communication, intra-departmental communication), and organizational (supportive management versus punitive response to errors, equipment safety, irrational workload, and employee empowerment).

The results revealed that the concept of patient safety culture in Iranian hospitals is multidimensional (individual, interpersonal, and organizational). Integrating effective patient safety culture into all parts of the organization should be the priority of hospital management programs. To promote awareness in the field of patient safety culture while holding regular training courses, hospital managers should encourage non-punitive responses to errors and teamwork to clarify the performance and expectations of the health system about improving patient safety.

Providing high-quality services in service organizations, especially in the healthcare sector, is essential for success. Quality services lead to patient satisfaction and reduced costs. Measuring quality, particularly evaluating the activities of nurses, is a key factor in improving the quality of care. The aim of this study is to determine the perception of nurses in educational and therapeutic centers of Iran University of Medical Sciences regarding the quality of nursing care.

This descriptive research was conducted on 265 nurses working in hospitals affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2021. Stratified sampling with proportional allocation was performed. Research tools included demographic questionnaires and a questionnaire to assess nurses' perception of the quality of nursing services, which comprised 25 questions related to various dimensions of quality. Data collection was conducted after obtaining permission from the university's ethics committee.

Among the 265 nurses, 67.7% were female, with an average age of 34.32 years. The results indicated that the average quality of nursing services was 76.35, with the highest score (3.28) in the dimension of responsibility and accuracy, and the lowest score (2.79) in the dimension of health promotion.

The overall quality of nursing services is at a desirable level; however, nurses score higher in the dimensions of accuracy and responsibility. Attention to the dimensions of communication, satisfaction, and health promotion in nursing education is essential.

Observance of patients’ rights by nurses is very important for patient satisfaction and the improvement of their health. This study aimed to determine and compare the level of the observance of patients’ rights by nurses from the perspective of nurses and clients referred to the emergency department (ED) of selected hospitals in Golestan province, Iran, in 2020.

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 185 nurses and 370 clients referred to the EDs of five hospitals in Golestan province participated. A demographic checklist and a questionnaire for measuring the attitudes towards the observance based on the Patients’ Rights Charter were used for data collection. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 16.

The majority of nurses were 25-35 years old, male, married, and local residents with 4-6 years of work experience. The clients were mostly 25-35 years old, female, married, and local residents with moderate economic status. The rate of observance based on the nurses’ perceptions was higher than that based on patients’ perceptions (75.6% with a mean of 3.72±0.29 vs. 74.88% with a mean of 3.80±0.17), but it was not statistically significant (P= 0.31). In the domain of “priority of patients’ comfort”, the rate of observance based on the perceptions of nurses was significantly higher (P=0.04). According to both patients and nurses, “treating patients politely” had the highest score, while “the patient’s right to choose and decide freely” had the lowest score. 

The level of observance of patient rights in the EDs of hospitals in Golestan province is moderate and there is no difference in the level of observance perceived by patients and nurses. Hospital officials should provide a suitable environment for patients to be aware of their rights and implement laws related to the observance of patient rights by ED personnel.

Improving the mental condition of nurses exerts a direct effect on patient care, duration, and treatment process. Thus, this study aimed at determining the level of occupational burnout and moral conflicts among nurses, as well as the relationship between these two variables.

In this descriptive correlational study, the research population consisted of the nurses working in the intensive care unit of the selected hospitals affiliated to Tehran Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences and the whole population was studied. Demographic Information Questionnaire, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Falcó-Pegueroles Moral Conflict Questionnaire were used to collect data.

The mean frequency of occupational burnout of nurses working in ICU wards was 41.81 (SD=15.37) and the mean intensity of occupational burnout was 44.77 (SD=15.56). The mean frequency of moral conflict of the samples was 27.36 (SD=11.74) and the mean intensity of moral conflict was 27.46 (SD=10.24). Regarding frequency, there was a positive and significant relationship between moral conflict and occupational burnout and its dimensions except for “Individual adequacy”. Besides, the results suggested that regarding intensity, there was only a positive and significant relationship between moral conflict and depersonalization dimension.

The results of study revealed that frequency of occupational burnout and moral conflict are correlated, and frequency of moral conflicts in nurses working in intensive care unit has a significant effect on creating and increasing occupational burnout. Therefore, one of the most important ways to reduce occupational burnout and moral conflict is to reduce frequency of moral conflicts in intensive care unit and on nurses working in this ward.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to numerous challenges in recent years, many of which have persisted even after recovery from the illness.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of group-based positive psychotherapy in enhancing resilience and reducing COVID-19-related anxiety and job burnout among nurses working in COVID-19 care units.

This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measures, including an experimental group and a control group. The statistical population comprised nurses working in the COVID-19 intensive care units of Qaem and Shariati Hospitals in Mashhad between the years 2021–2022. A total of 26 eligible participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (positive psychotherapy, n = 13) or the control group (n = 13). Data collection instruments included the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (2003), the Corona Anxiety Scale developed by Alipour, Gadami, Alipour, and Abdulzadeh (2018), and Maslach’s Job Burnout Inventory (1981). The intervention group received eight weekly sessions of group-based positive psychotherapy, each lasting 90 minutes. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

The results indicated that positive group therapy had a significant impact on increasing resilience (F = 167.614), reducing COVID-19-related anxiety (F = 5.762), and decreasing job burnout (F = 39.975) among nurses working in COVID-19 care units.

 Positive group psychotherapy was found to be effective in enhancing resilience, reducing COVID-19-related anxiety, and alleviating job burnout among nurses working in COVID-19 care units. Therefore, this therapeutic approach is recommended for improving these outcomes in healthcare professionals.

Moral courage is a key characteristic of nurses, especially in emergency departments (EDs). Effective training can help to strengthen this trait.

This study aimed to compare the impact of two educational methods–peer teaching and storytelling–on the moral courage of emergency  department nurses in selected military hospitals in Kermanshah.

A randomized control trial with a pre-test–post-test design was conducted in 2023-04. Forty fine nurses working in the emergency department of three military hospitals in Kermanshah, Iran, were recruited by purposive sampling and randomly assigned to peer education (n=15), narrative training (n=15), and control (n=15) groups. Six educational sessions on moral principles were held for the peer education and narrative training groups. Data were collected through personal characteristics and moral courage questionnaires and analyzed at a significance level of less than 0.05.

In the peer education group, the mean scores of moral courage before (58.60±7.47), immediately after (58.60±7.47), one month after  (42.13±16.39), and two months after the intervention (54.20±12.66) showed a significant difference (P=0.011). The mean scores of moral courage in the narrative training group before (66.40±2.23), immediately after (66.40±2.23), one month after (49.13±12.86), and two months after the intervention (65.67±5.11) had a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). The mean scores of moral courage in the control group, before (47.27±3.35), immediately after (47.27±3.35), one month after (49.33±16.95), and two months after the intervention (58.07±8.60) had not statistically significant difference (P=0.051). In addition, the average scores of moral courage between the three groups immediately after the intervention were significantly higher in the narrative training group than in the peer and control groups. (P<0.001).

Considering the positive impact of peer education and narration, these methods can be used in nursing education programs to teach ethical principles.

 The quality of nursing care is affected by various factors, and functional barriers are among the most important factors that can increase nurses' workload. This study aimed to investigate the predictive power of functional barriers on the quality of nursing care in nurses in the intensive care unit of teaching hospitals affiliated with Urmia University of Medical Sciences.

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2024 on 220 nurses working in the intensive care units of teaching hospitals in Urmia. The samples were selected using a stratified and convenience sampling method. The data collection tools included demographic questionnaires, the GRACEZ functional barriers scale, and the QUALPAC nursing care quality scale. Data analysis was performed with SPSS version 19 software using descriptive and analytical statistics.

The results showed a significant inverse relationship between functional barriers (except for environmental and organizational dimensions) and the quality of nursing care (p < 0.05). The univariate linear regression model indicated that a one-unit decrease in the functional barriers score was associated with an average increase of 2.60 units in the nursing care quality score.

The findings demonstrated that functional barriers have a negative and predictive impact on the quality of nursing care. Therefore, developing and implementing effective interventions to reduce these barriers can play a crucial role in improving the quality of nursing care.

Nurses encounter challenging conditions such as sleep deprivation, job stress, and multiple responsibilities. Given the crucial role of nurses in patient care and health promotion, attention has been drawn to topics such as their quality of work life. This study aimed to assess the quality of work life for nurses working in hospitals affiliated with the University of Rehabilitation Sciences and Social Health, Tehran City, Iran.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 313 employed nurses in hospitals affiliated with the University of Rehabilitation Sciences and Social Health. They were selected by simple random sampling in 2022. The data collection tools included a demographic information questionnaire and the Richard Walton (1973) work-life quality questionnaire. The inclusion criterion for the study was nurses with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and analytical statistics, including t test, analysis of variance, and regression analysis, utilizing SPSS software, version 23.

More than 50% of the nurses participating in the study (53.4%) were male. About 45% of the participants were between 31 and 40. Also, 72.5% of the participants were married, and 77.6% had a bachelor’s degree. The nursing work-life quality was reported as moderate to low by 84% of nurses. The highest average score at Rofeideh Hospital belonged to the work and total life space domain (2.94), while at Razi Hospital, it belonged to the “opportunity for continued growth” and “security” domains (2.61). The lowest average score in both hospitals was related to the “adequate and fair compensation” domain (1.71 and 2.72, respectively). There was a significant relationship between the quality of work life, marital status, and the hospital of employment (P<0.001). Marital status and the hospital of employment were the most influential factors in predicting nurses’ quality of work life.

The nursing work-life quality in the hospitals affiliated with the University of Rehabilitation Sciences and Social Health was moderate to low. The results indicate a correlation between low work-life quality levels and nurses’ productivity and performance. Since the results of low quality of work life are associated with nurses’ productivity and performance, health managers should help develop appropriate strategies and plans, such as motivating nurses’ life quality as the largest workforce in health care organizations, thus facilitating the achievement of organizational goals.