Validation of a Questionnaire to Analyze the Expectations of First-Year Nursing Students.

AIM: The aim of this study was to design and validate a questionnaire to analyze students' expectations, along with their level of interest and overall satisfaction with their nursing studies. BACKGROUND: The expectations of students on entering university are closely related to the level of interest that they have in their area of study and their general satisfaction with it. This is certainly a conditioning factor in their learning. In this regard, there are few quantitative instruments that measure the expectations of first-year nursing students. METHOD: A mixed questionnaire was constructed using items validated in previous studies, along with new items formulated following a review of the literature. The questionnaire was validated with a sample of 339 first-year degree program nursing students. RESULTS: The scales of expectations and degree of interest showed strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α > .7). CONCLUSION: The questionnaire to evaluate the expectations and interest of students demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties.

Positive Mental Health and Self-Care in Patients with Chronic Physical Health Problems: Implications for Evidence-based Practice.

BACKGROUND: The capacity for self-care and positive mental health (PMH) has an influence on well-being and on one's approach to chronic illness. PURPOSE: The aim was to determine the level of PMH and self-care agency as well as the relations among sociodemographic variables, PMH, and the level of self-care among patients with chronic physical health problems. We also examined correlations between PMH and self-care agency. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with a sample of 209 patients at a primary care center. The instruments used were the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire and the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency scale. The STROBE statement was used. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the PMH factors in relation to sociodemographic variables and health conditions. Suffering one or more chronic diseases was associated negatively, and significantly, with the capacity for self-care. The four most prevalent chronic health problems in the sample were hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: In people with chronic physical health problems, there is a positive relationship between PMH and self-care capacity. An increase in the possibility of caring for oneself saw an increase in PMH; conversely, an increase in PMH brought with it an increased capacity for self-care as well. Therefore, if actions are taken to increase PMH, the capacity for self-care will also increase.

The experiences of family members of persons with intellectual disabilities who used residential care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The global COVID-19 pandemic has shown the vulnerability of some population groups, including persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). AIM: The present paper will provide more clarity and understanding of the experiences of family members of persons with IDD housed in residential facilities in Catalonia within the period of maximum restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Semi-structured interviews were conducted using an interpretive phenomenological qualitative approach. Study participants consisted of 14 relatives of IDD individuals who were institutionalized in residence facilities or homes. The guiding questions emerged from group discussions with relatives of those with IDD who did not participate in the subsequent interviews. Drawing from this group, the factors that were identified to have had the greatest impact on their lives were later used to guide the interviews. Data collection was carried out in face-to-face individual interviews that were recorded together with the observations of two researchers between February and October 2022. RESULTS: Our analysis identified 4 main themes that developed into additional factors: the decision to stay at home or in the residence, fear, illness, and protocol. Individuals with IDD lost their daily routines, suffered from social isolation, and did not understand the situation. CONCLUSION: The results of this study allow for a better understanding of the experiences of families of persons with IDD in residential centres during the lockdown by identifying their needs and how to better support them in the future. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Knowledge and understanding of these events should allow for better management of similar situations in the future.

This study contributes to a growing body of research that examines the experiences of IDD individuals and their families during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative phenomenological interpretative approach was used following the recommendations of qualitative research practices in health care. Our findings reveal that relatives of persons with IDD who lived in residential care homes felt that the residents were not adequately cared for by the staff, who applied measures for containment and contagion prevention that were disproportionate, resulting in their needs not being considered; these recommended measures had been developed for elderly care homes. Individuals with IDD lost their daily routines, suffered from social isolation, and did not understand the situation. The present findings show that residential care homes for persons with IDD require specific action protocols in crisis situations that are adapted to the needs and characteristics of each centre,thus adopting a model of care based on human rights.

Nursing Intervention to Improve Positive Mental Health and Self-Care Skills in People with Chronic Physical Health Conditions.

The exponential increase in the number of people suffering chronic illness has become a problem for which healthcare services need a response. The inclusion of self-care and positive mental health as part of a strategy to promote health offers an opportunity for a reorganization oriented towards community spaces and group interventions. This study undertook the assessment of an intervention designed to optimize the agency of and capacity for self-care and positive mental health by utilizing activities drawn from the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC), specifically from Field 3 (Behavioral), and organized as a program called PIPsE. A quasi-experimental design was prepared with an intervention group (n = 22) and a control group (n = 22), in a primary care center in the Barcelona metropolitan area. The instruments used were two ad hoc questionnaires to collect sociodemographic and satisfaction information and two scales: the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale (ASA) and the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (PMHQ). The results obtained showed a significant increase in self-care capacity and both overall positive mental health and mental health by factors in the intervention group.

Effectiveness of the Online "Dialogue Circles" Nursing Intervention to Increase Positive Mental Health and Reduce the Burden of Caregivers of Patients with Complex Chronic Conditions. Randomized Clinical Trial.

The personal demands involved in caring for a chronically ill person can lead to emotional and physical exhaustion in caregivers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an online nursing intervention called "dialogue circles" designed to reduce caregiver overload and enhance positive mental health (PMH) in family caregivers. We used a pre-post design. The sample consisted of 86 family caregivers of patients with complex chronic conditions, randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 43) or the control group (n = 43). All participants completed the Zarit scale and the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire 15 days before starting the intervention and 30 days after its completion. Comparison of the post-test changes revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in PMH and overload, with the intervention group showing greater positive changes in all dimensions of PMH after the intervention and lower scores on overload. In conclusion, the results suggest that incorporating dialogue circles as an online nursing intervention in the caregivers of patients with complex chronic conditions can enhance PMH and decrease caregiver overload, especially in settings where face-to-face encounters are not possible.

Características del sueño de los pacientes en una unidad de cuidados intensivos / Sleep characteristic of patients in intensive care unit

El sueño, en cuanto acto de dormir, es un estado de reposo uniforme de un organismo, en contraposición con el estado de vigilia, que es cuando el ser humano está despierto. El sueño se caracteriza por los bajos niveles de actividad fisiológica (presión sanguínea, respiración, frecuencia cardiaca) y por una respuesta menor ante estímulos externos.El descanso nocturno de los pacientes ingresados en Cuidados Intensivos es un aspecto de gran importancia dentro del proceso de salud/enfermedad, ya que tiene una repercusión directa en su adecuada recuperación.Las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos han sido consideradas generadoras de estrés debido a su propia arquitectura y su avanzada tecnología, relacionándose de este modo con la aparición de síntomas cognitivos por parte de los pacientes que conjuntamente con otros factores han desembocado en el llamado "síndrome UCI". El objetivo de la presente revisión es describir los factores que influyen sobre el sueño de los pacientes de cuidados intensivos(AU)

The dream, as a measure of sleep, is a uniform resting state of an organism, as opposed to the waking state, when man is awake. Sleep is characterized by low levels of physiological activity (blood pressure, respiration, heart rate) and a lower response to external stimuli. Night rest of patients admitted to intensive care is an issue of great importance in the process of health/disease, as it has a direct impact of their adequate recovery Intensive Care Units have been considered generating stress due to this architecture and advanced technology, thus interacting with the appearance of cognitive symptoms by patients in conjunction with other factors have resulted in the ¨ICU Syndrome¨. The aim of this review is to describe the factors that the influence the dreams of intensive care patients(AU)