Nevin Manimala

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1337:227-235. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_26.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between leadership and the work environment has been studied by many authors at the organization level, but not specifically in intensive care units (ICUs). The aim of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between the work environment and nursing leadership in intensive care units.

METHODOLOGY: This is a correlation study. The study population consisted of nurses and nursing assistants with at least 6 months of experience in ICUs of Northern Greece hospitals. Data were collected using the Greek version of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). Statistical analysis of data was done with IBM SPSS v. 22.0.

RESULTS: A total of 64 nurses aged 43.6 ± 6.4 years were included. In the work environment, the dimensions of nursing staff competence (2.4 ± 0.6) and relationships between nursing staff and physicians (2.4 ± 0.6) were higher, and the dimensions of nursing staff involvement in decision-making in hospital (2.3 ± 0.6), nursing authorities on the quality of healthcare (2.2 ± 0.6), and supervisor abilities and support to nursing staff (2.2 ± 0.6) had the lowest score. The highest scores on the leadership questionnaire were personalized interest (2.6 ± 0.8), and exceptional management (passive) (2.6 ± 0.9).

CONCLUSIONS: The work environment was not related to nursing leadership. Nurses need individual development plans that include the type of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values required for leadership. In this context, continuing training centers play an important role because they are responsible for training and developing leaders who are fit for work in intensive care.

PMID:34972910 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_26

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1337:195-203. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_22.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Medication errors have been recognized as a real problem for all health systems worldwide and are the most common category of nursing errors. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of medication errors and their correlation with the job satisfaction of nurses.

METHOD: A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out and the sample of the study consisted of 189 nurses. To investigate medication errors, an anonymous structured questionnaire of 34 questions was used and Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) questionnaire was used to measure job satisfaction. The IBM SPSS 25.0 program was used for statistical analysis of the data.

RESULTS: 63.0% of nurses have been errors in the administration of medication, more often by the wrong time of administration (34.4%), missed dose (22.8%), and wrong dose (21.7%). The likelihood of an error is similar in all shifts, its devaluation is a non-reference reason, and if reported to a greater frequency in the attending physician. A significant difference in the frequency of errors was found only in the marital status and the job, while under the working conditions no significant variation was recorded. Job satisfaction is statistically significantly low for financial earnings and high for the management supervision. Based on the findings, the correlation between total job satisfaction and medication errors was not significant.

CONCLUSIONS: Nursing medication errors continue to happen. Continuing education, formal recording, and improvement of working conditions could help prevent and minimize errors and at the same time increase the job satisfaction of nurses.

PMID:34972906 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_22

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1337:159-168. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_18.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Job rotation in nursing staff involves moving workers from one department to another to increase their qualities in all areas.

AIM: Investigating the effects of job rotation of nursing staff on employee satisfaction and occupational engagement.

METHODOLOGY: A total of 211 nurses took part in the study. A structured questionnaire with closed-ended questions was used to collect the data. The questions used were based on previous research tools. The data analysis was performed with the SPSS statistical package v.24.0.

RESULTS: Τhe results regarding the correlation of job rotation, job satisfaction, and occupational engagement show that job rotation is positively related to occupational engagement and job satisfaction of nurses. The overall attitude of nursing staff toward job rotation is neutral, and they express moderate to neutral professional satisfaction, moderate degree of vigor and absorption, and moderate-to-high degree of dedication. Regarding the correlation of job rotation, job satisfaction, and occupational engagement with the demographic characteristics of nurses, it was found that the gender and years of work of nurses are not the factors that affect job satisfaction, occupational engagement, and job rotation. On the contrary, it was found that the age of nurses is a factor that only affects their work satisfaction, nursing education is a factor that only affects nurses’ occupational engagement, and job position is a factor that affects nurses’ occupational engagement and job rotation.

CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of job rotation of nursing staff in their professional satisfaction and occupational engagement.

PMID:34972902 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_18

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1337:117-125. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_14.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Asthma is considered the most common chronic disease that affects survival and quality of life. An astringent regulatory factor of asthma is the Mediterranean diet. Nutrition, however, seems to be of great importance in the onset and outcome of the disease as many ingredients and eating habits that may improve or exacerbate the condition of the patient.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to investigate dietary habits in patients with bronchial asthma and their compliance with the Mediterranean diet.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 60 patients with bronchial asthma, 47 women (71% of the total) and 17 men (28.3%). All patients completed a questionnaire with sociodemographic questions, a medical history (years of diagnosis, exacerbations, hospitalizations, medication), and spirometry results (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, PEF, FEF25-75). Asthma control was evaluated with the Asthma Control Test (ACT). Conformity to the Mediterranean diet was assessed using the MEDLIFE index (Mediterranean lifestyle) questionnaire. Statistical analysis of the data was done using the SPSS 23.0 statistical package by applying the Inductive Analysis, which included the Pearson correlation coefficient (r), the t-test for independent samples, and the variance analysis (one-way ANOVA).

RESULTS: There was a significant negative correlation of last year hospitalizations with the MEDLIFE questionnaire scale (r = -0.522, p = 0.009) and a significant negative correlation of last year’s exacerbations with the ACT scale. We observed a significant negative correlation of hospitalizations in the last year with the ACT scale (r = -0.505, p = 0.012) and a significant statistical relationship of long acting β2 agonist + steroid with the MEDLIFE scale (p = 0.046).

CONCLUSION: The level of compliance with the principles of the Mediterranean diet leads to a reduction in hospitalization. The optimal asthma control is associated with a reduction of exacerbations and asthma control is associated with reduced hospitalizations. Those receiving beta2 + steroid show higher levels of compliance with the principles of the Mediterranean diet.

PMID:34972898 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_14

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1337:83-87. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_10.

ABSTRACT

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic disease causing daytime sleepiness and poor sleep and life quality. So far, its repercussions on psychological health have been poorly addressed in the available literature. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a cognitive-based stress management technique, called the Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention (PSAI), in patients with OSA. In this randomized controlled (parallel usual care group) trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio, patients in the intervention group (N = 30, 59.7 ± 9.4 years old, 15 females) received PSAI for 8 weeks along with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment, while patients in the control group (N = 30, 58.9 ± 9.3, 22 females) received CPAP alone. The primary endpoint included OSA symptoms. Secondary endpoints were sleepiness, sleep quality, depression-anxiety-stress, and affect. All 30 patients in the intervention group showed 100% compliance with PSAI. There was a statistically significant reduction in OSA symptoms in the intervention group compared to the control group (p = 0.021). With regard to secondary endpoints, there were statistically significant improvements in sleep quality (p = 0.001) and positive (p = 0.001) and negative affects (p < 0.001) in the PSAI group versus controls. No side effects were reported by the patients. PSAI may be useful as a complementary tool for the management of patients suffering from OSA. Larger randomized controlled trials are required to validate the results of this study.

PMID:34972894 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_10

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1337:65-75. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_8.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of spirituality on illness perceptions of Greek patients on hemodialysis. The cross-sectional study design was employed for this purpose. The sample comprised of 367 patients on hemodialysis. Data were collected via a three-part questionnaire consisting of a sheet containing demographic and clinical information, the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire, and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12). Data were processed with SPSS V.21, descriptive as well as inferential statistics were applied. The significant level was set at 0.05; 62.1% of the patients in the sample were men and 37.9% women. Their ages ranged from 18 to 92 years old, with an average of 61.80 years old. The findings of the research showed that the spirituality score both total and the subscales leads to a decrease illness perceptions score, meaning that patients perceive the disease as less threatening. The overall score of the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire was above the median, which means that patients perceive their condition as quite threatening. Overall, individual spirituality has a positive impact on the way patients perceive their condition.

PMID:34972892 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_8

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1337:59-64. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_7.

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study is to evaluate hand grip strength (HGS) in patients on hemodialysis and to investigate associated factors (anthropometric characteristics, body composition, and quality of life). An observational study of 60 patients in one hemodialysis center (Filoxenia Dialysis center, Aigio, Greece) was conducted. Measures of HGS were performed with a hydraulic dynamometer (Saehan Corporation, South Korea) on the non-fistula hand before the hemodialysis session. Demographic and clinical data (dialysis start date, comorbidities, and etiology of chronic kidney disease) were collected from the patients’ medical charts. Body composition was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis and calf circumference with inelastic tape. Quality of life was assessed via EuroQol (EQ-5D) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used for data analyses. The association between variables was calculated using Pearson’s r correlation coefficients. The experimental design of this study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Technological Educational Institute of Western Greece. A total of 54 patients (71.2 ± 10.9 years old, 24% diabetic, BMI of 26.34 ± 5.2) participated in this study (response rate 90%). The average duration of hemodialysis was 4.29 ± 6.36 years. The maximum HGS in the dominant was 19.19 ± 12.1 kg (female 12.04 ± 7.26 kg, male 21.82 ± 12.52 kg, p < 0.001). HGS was significantly correlated with age (r = 0.5; p < 0.001) and moderately correlated with gender (r = 0.36; p = 0.008), BMI (r = 0.3; p = 0.03), calf circumference (r = 0.4; p = 0.03), and quality of life (r = 0.37; p = 0.006). The use of hand-held dynamometry could be a fundamental element of the physical examination of patients receiving hemodialysis, particularly if they are older adults.

PMID:34972891 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_7

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021;1337:17-25. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_3.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to examine Greek nurses’ perceptions about hospital ethical climate and to investigate the possible difference of those perceptions regarding their demographic and work-related characteristics. The cross-sectional study design was employed in this study in which 286 nurses and nurse assistants participated. Data were collected by a sheet containing demographic and work-related characteristics and the Greek version of the Oslons’ Hospital Ethical Climate Scale. IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences 25 was used in data analysis. Frequencies, means, percentages, and standard deviations summarized the data. For the statistical differences, parametric tests were performed. Independent Samples t and Pearson correlation analysis were used to determine the relationship between the ethical climate of the hospital and the nurses’ characteristics. The p-values 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The mean age of the nurses was 44 years (SD: 8.5 years; range 24-66 years). The majority of them were women (77.3%). A percent of 57.7% of the sample was married. Most positive perceptions were concerning managers (4.01) following by peers (3.82), patients (3.69), hospitals (3.29) while the least positive perceptions of the ethical climate were concerning the physicians (3.16). The factors associated with hospital ethical perception were: working experience and responsible position. The highest score of ethical climate reported to managers subscale, while the minimum score was related to physicians. In general, Greek nurses reported positive perceptions regarding hospital ethical climate. The positive ethical climate is associated with a better working environment, fewer nurses’ experience of moral distress, fewer chances for nursing turnover, high quality of nursing care, and fewer errors in nursing practice.

PMID:34972887 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_3

Phys Ther. 2021 Dec 23:pzab298. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzab298. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of integrated and consecutive cognitive dual-task balance training in older adults on balance, fear of falling, and gait performance.

METHODS: Fifty-eight subjects (age > 65 years) were randomly assigned to an integrated dual-task training group (IDTT) (n = 29) and consecutive dual-task training group (CDTT) (n = 29). Balance exercises and cognitive tasks were performed simultaneously by the IDTT group and consecutively by the CDTT group for 8 weeks. Balance was assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) as a primary outcome measure and the Timed “Up & Go” Test (TUG) (standard-cognitive), fear of falling was assessed using the Tinetti Falls Efficacy Scale (FES), and gait speed was assessed using the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT) (under single-task and dual-task conditions). All tests were performed before and after the training.

RESULTS: There was no difference in group-time interaction in the BBS, TUG-ST, 10MWT-ST, and 10MWT-DT tests. Group-time interaction was different in the TUG-Cog and FES scores. Also, the effect of time was significantly different in all scales except for the 10MWT-ST in both groups.

CONCLUSION: At the end of the 8 week training period, the impact of integrated and consecutive dual-task balance training on balance and gait performance in older adults was not statistically significantly different. This study suggests that consecutive dual-task balance training can be used as an alternative method to increase balance performance and gait speed in older adults who cannot perform integrated dual-task activities.

IMPACT: There were no significant differences between the effects of the 2 dual-task training methods on balance and gait speed. Suggesting that the consecutive dual-task balance training method can be used to improve the balance and gait of older adults. Consecutive dual-task training can be performed safely and considered as an alternative method for use in many rehabilitation training programs with older adults who cannot perform simultaneous activities.

PMID:34972869 | DOI:10.1093/ptj/pzab298

Phys Ther. 2021 Dec 24:pzab295. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzab295. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the psychometric properties of the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) and S-BESTest and to evaluate which is more suitable for use in clinical settings for patients with stroke.

METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cross-sectional study investigated 115 patients with stroke (mean age, 70.8 y [SD = 11.2 y]) who were able to stand without physical assistance. All patients were examined with the BESTest and with the Mini-BESTest and S-BESTest scored based on the BESTest results. The data were analyzed using a Rasch analysis (partial credit model).

RESULTS: The Mini-BESTest results revealed a correctly functioning rating scale, good fit of the data to the model (apart from 1 overfit item), good reliability for both persons and items (6 statistically detectable levels of balance ability), local dependence between 1 item pair, and essential unidimensionality. The S-BESTest results demonstrated disordered rating scale thresholds (1 response option required collapsing), good fit of the data to the model (apart from 1 underfit item), good reliability for both persons and items (5 statistically detectable levels of balance ability), local dependence between 2 item pairs, and essential unidimensionality.

CONCLUSION: The analyses confirmed that the reliability of S-BESTest was good and unidimensional and that the test provides several improved points, such as item redundancy and local independence of items. Nevertheless, the Mini-BESTest results supported previous findings as a whole and were better than those from the S-BESTest.

IMPACT: Rasch analysis demonstrated that the Mini-BESTest was a better balance assessment scale than the S-BESTest for patients with stroke based on its psychometric properties. The Mini-BESTest may serve as a useful scale for assessing balance in patients with stroke, and a keyform plot and strata may help clinical decision making in terms of interpreting scores and goal setting.

PMID:34972868 | DOI:10.1093/ptj/pzab295