Journal of Client-Centered Nursing Care
Volume:9 Issue: 3, Summer 2023

Dysphagia is a common complication in patients with stroke. Although the research on acupuncture treatment of dysphagia has stepped up, the results are still inconsistent. In this review, we intend to answer the potential of acupuncture in treating dysphagia in stroke patients and which acupuncture points are the most promising for treating dysphagia.

We used PRISMA (the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis) 2020 guidelines in conducting this review. A literature search was performed in four databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, and Willey online library) to find eligible randomized controlled studies that assessed the effect of acupuncture in post-stroke dysphagia. The search time is from 2010 to 2022. Study quality was assessed using the critical appraisal skills program (CASP), and the risk of bias was evaluated by the RoB software, version 2 (risk-of-bias tool). The data were analyzed thematically.

A systematic electronic search identified 1409 publications through forward and backward searching of relevant papers. The full-text screening was conducted on 777 articles. A total of 681 articles failed to meet eligibility criteria at this stage, and only 6 articles were finally eligible for further analysis. The results showed that compared with rehabilitation, acupuncture significantly improved dysphagia in post-stroke patients. Gallbladder (GB) 20 is often used as an acupoint. In addition, the frequency and duration of treatment also contributed to a more significant increase in dysphagia improvement.

Acupuncture could effectively improve dysphagia in post-stroke patients, and acupuncture combined with rehabilitation has a better effect.

Mothers of preterm neonates are more concerned about their babies’ health than other mothers, which causes them to be worried and anxious. Meanwhile, the possibility of catching COVID-19 may increase their worries and anxiety and negatively affect their parenting roles. This study aims to determine the relationship between maternal fear and anxiety about COVID-19 and maternal role attainment in Iranian mothers with preterm neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

This descriptive correlational study was conducted from June to July 2021 in 3 level-III NICUs in Tehran, Iran. The study samples were 211 mothers of preterm neonates who were recruited by convenience sampling. The study data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Coronavirus anxiety scale, the fear of COVID-19 scale, and the maternal role adaptation scale in NICUs. The obtained data were analyzed utilizing the independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and the Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS software, version 23. P<0.05 was considered significant.

The mean scores of anxiety, fear, and maternal role attainment were 11.44±3.19, 26.49±5.92, and 57.61±11.95, respectively. There were weak, positive, and significant  relationships between anxiety and fear (r=0.385, P<0.001), anxiety and maternal role attainment (r=0.213, P=0.002), and some of it's dimensions: Participation in care, distant mothering, interaction, and growth and development (P<0.05). There were also weak, positive, and significant relationships between fear and maternal role attainment (r=0.204, P=0.003) and some of it's dimensions: Participation in care and growth and development (P<0.05). 

Considering the relationship between the fear and anxiety of COVID-19 with maternal role attainment and the special importance of this issue in NICUs, evaluating the mental health of mothers with preterm neonates and implementing effective psychological interventions to support them is recommended.

Despite the notorious effects of inadequate physical activity (PA), adopting appropriate interventions to increase PA is still problematic. This study identifies and prioritizes evidence-based strategies to increase PA in Iranian women.

This is a mixed-method study. A systematic review of clinical interventions was used to stimulate academic and focus group discussions (FGDs), where the participants identified the most salient strategies to promote PA in Iranian women. Then a nominal group technique (NGT) was used to reach a consensus on the prioritization of the strategies. This mixed methods study (systematic review and FGD) was conducted in 2014. The participants (n=13) included Iranian women, the research team, health sciences experts, managers, and policymakers. They rated the strategies’ importance and applicability (from 3 to 13); higher scores indicated higher prioritization. The prioritized plans were then categorized under a socioecological model of intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, and community factors.

Overall, 26 strategies were identified and coded as items. The challenging of inaccurate beliefs about PA, along with the increasing self-confidence and self-prioritization, creation of sports groups, the use of sports coaches, and increase of awareness via text messaging and informative multimedia placed in local mosques and schools got the highest scores both in terms of importance and applicability in this model.

In promoting PA, collaboration with key stakeholders is paramount. The strategies identified and prioritized in this study could be used to design future PA programs for increasing PA in Iranian women.

After being discharged from the hospital, some people recovering from COVID-19 may suffer complications and problems. This study was conducted to determine the sleep quality in the survivors of COVID-19 discharged from the hospital.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Imam Khomeini Sarab Hospital in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, in 2022. The study sample was 222 survivors of COVID-19, discharged from the hospital for at least a month. The subjects were recruited by continuous sampling method. The data were collected by a demographic and disease-related questionnaire and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). The collected data were analyzed by the independent t-test, analysis of variance, and Scheffé post-hoc test in SPSS software, version 20. The significance level was set at P≤0.05. 

Among the subjects, 94(42.3%) were men, and 128(57.7%) were women. The age of the respondents was 50.32±16.75 years. About 84.2% of the study subjects obtained a total sleep quality score of more than 5, which means poor sleep quality. Also the mean sleep quality score of the research subjects was 9.19±3.68, indicating poor sleep quality. Significant relationships existed between sleep quality and most demographic and disease characteristics (P<0.001).

Considering the poor quality of sleep of the survivors of COVID-19 after discharge from the hospital, it is suggested to give sufficient training to these patients before discharge to help them sleep comfortably, and if necessary, plan to refer them to a doctor.

Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 may experience emotional problems and respiratory discomfort during mechanical ventilation. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of music therapy on respiratory comfort, anxiety, and depression among patients with COVID-19 under noninvasive mechanical ventilation.

It was a randomized clinical trial. The study subjects were 64 patients requiring noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) who were selected from the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) of Ali ibn Abi Talib Hospital, Rafsanjan City, Iran. They were randomly allocated to the intervention (n=32) and control (n=32) groups. The intervention group received 30 minutes of daily light music by an MP3 player and a JBL headphone for 4 consecutive days, and the control group only used headphones. The data were collected by the hospital anxiety and depression scale and a visual analog scale before and 4 days after the intervention. The SPSS software, version 16 was employed for data analysis through the chi-square, independent sample, and paired-samples t-tests at a significance level P<0.05. 

The groups did not significantly differ regarding the pre-test mean scores of respiratory comfort, anxiety, and depression before intervention (P>0.05). The mean scores of respiratory comfort, anxiety, and depression significantly changed in the intervention group (P<0.05), but no significant changes were seen in the control group (P>0.05). Between-group differences respecting the post-test mean scores of these variables were also significant (P<0.05). 

Thirty minutes of daily music therapy for 4 days is effective in reducing anxiety and depression and improving respiratory comfort among patients with COVID-19 under noninvasive mechanical ventilation.

Chronic diseases like hypertension have become a global burden in the older population and are associated with high mortality rates and poor quality of life. The tenacity of these diseases could increase the comorbidities and impact older patients who need palliative care (PC) services to manage the symptoms and improve their quality of life. This study aims to determine the characteristics and determinants of PC needs of older Indonesian adult patients with chronic hypertension. 

This cross-sectional study applied a quantitative research design. The study was conducted in a primary healthcare facility in Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, from July to October 2022. The study subjects were 142 elderlies with chronic hypertension who were recruited by the census method. The data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Indonesian version of the supportive and PC indicators tool (SPICT 2019 version). The data were analyzed with the Pearson chi-square test at a significant level P<0.05 in IBM SPSS software, version 25. 

According to the findings, 47.2% of the respondents were in the age group of 55 to 64 years, most were women (55.6%), and living in rural areas (54.9%). Also, most had comorbidities (77.5%), at least one comorbidity (66.9%), and 26.8% needed palliative care. The bivariate analysis showed that comorbidities are associated with PC needs among older adults with chronic hypertension (P<0.05). 

This study showed that comorbidity has a significant relationship with PC needs in older patients with chronic hypertension. This condition demands the treatment team members’ attention to comorbidities in patients with chronic hypertension. To enhance the results’ generalizability and provide stronger evidence, it is advisable to conduct research with a larger sample size.

Nurses, more than all other healthcare industry members, are at the forefront of the crisis in the event of sudden pandemics. This study aimed to determine the factors contributing to the resilience of Iranian nurses during the pandemic.

In this cross-sectional web-based survey, the Google forms platform was used to distribute an online Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC) to 1025 nurses. The study data were collected in November 2020 via Iranian nurses’ social networks in hospitals nationwide. Using SPSS software, version 22 and multivariate linear regression, the data were evaluated. The significance level was set as less than 0.05.

The nurses’ mean total resilience score was 68.95±12.76. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age (β=0.242, P=0.004), gender (β=-0.061, P=0.046), role (β=0.193, P<0.001), and getting COVID-19 (β=-0.061, P=0.046) are predictors of nurses’ resilience status. Other personal and occupational characteristics were not influential.

The resilience of nurses employed in hospitals across the country appears to be higher than that of the general population. Female, young nurses, and those infected with COVID-19 were at a greater risk. The existence of facilities, improvement of working conditions, and provision of sufficient human resources help maintain nurses’ mental health during the pandemic. Longitudinal studies are recommended to evaluate the duration of this level of resilience and its impact on the long-term mental well-being of nurses in the coming months and years.

Nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs) are more in direct contact with COVID-19 patients than other healthcare team members and are more vulnerable to mental disorders. This study aimed to determine the general health status, posttraumatic stress disorder, and coping strategies of nurses employed in the COVID-19 intensive care units.

It was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Using the census method, 102 nurses working in the COVID-19 intensive care units of Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran, were recruited as the sample in 2022. The general health questionnaire (GHQ-28), the impact of events-revised (IES-R), and the ways of coping questionnaire (WCQ) were used as research instruments. The data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient, independent t-test, and analysis of variance in SPSS software, version 16. The significance level was set at P<0.05. 

The overall mean of general health was 32.22±12.21, indicating mild psychological distress in most nurses. Somatic symptoms had the highest mean (9.16±4.06) among the GHQ-28 subscales. The mean posttraumatic stress disorder was 39.07±14.79. The means of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies were 48.03±13.44 and 40.78±11.70, respectively. Most nurses (60.8%) generally suffered posttraumatic stress symptoms and used problem-focused coping strategies to deal with stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic. No significant relationship existed between the main variables and the nurses’ characteristics (P>0.05).

Most nurses experienced mental disorders (general health disorders and posttraumatic stress) during the COVID-19 pandemic. To reduce the psychological impact of COVID-19 on nurses, paying attention to their mental health is essential. Given the adverse effect of COVID-19 on nurses, studying the relationship between these variables and the quality of nurses’ performance is suggested.