Variations in the Five Facets of Mindfulness in Italian Oncology Nurses according to Sex, Work Experience in Oncology, and Shift Work.

BACKGROUND: Oncology nurses support cancer patients in meeting their self-care needs, often neglecting their own emotions and self-care needs. This study aims to investigate the variations in the five facets of holistic mindfulness among Italian oncology nurses based on gender, work experience in oncology, and shift work. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2023 amongst all registered nurses who were employed in an oncology setting and working in Italy. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in all five facets of holistic mindfulness (p ≥ 0.05) according to gender, work experience in the oncology field, and shift work. CONCLUSION: Could holistic mindfulness be defined as an intrinsic individual characteristic? Surely, more insights will be necessary to better define the holistic trend in oncology nursing.

The effect of sex, age, work experience, education, shift, and ward on nursing autonomy perceptions.

BACKGROUND: In Italy, cultural and professional nursing improvements are reached thanks to the university-based education which marks the clinical competency and the professional autonomy in nursing decision-making. OBJECTIVE: To highlight how Italian nurses perceived their nursing autonomy level in the main action-points highlighted in the Italian regulation law according to sex, age, work experience, education, shift and ward. METHODS: A cohort explorative study was carried out from September 2022 to January 2023 to highlight how Italian nurses perceived their nursing autonomy levels in the main action-points highlighted in the Italian regulation law for the nursing profession according to demographic characteristics, like: gender, age, work of experience, education, shift, ward employment. RESULTS: A total of 403 nurses were enrolled. Significant differences were recorded in: decision-making authority in patient care and shift (p≤0.001) and ward employment (p = 0.045); ability to initiate nursing interventions and education (p < 0.001) and ward employment (p = 0.011); collaboration and communication with healthcare team members and education (p < 0.001) and ward employment (p = 0.010); independence in clinical judgment and critical thinking and shift (p < 0.001); responsibility for the planning and evaluation of nursing care and education (p = 0.005) and shift (p = 0.002) and ward employment (p = 0.013); autonomy in professional development and continuing education and shift (p < 0.001) and ward employment (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results highlighted the intricate world both of the healthcare surrounding and the abilities to act autonomously within the multiprofessional staff. Future studies will develop qualitative and phenomenological designs in order to better define in which fields nurses will act their professional autonomy.

Comorbidity, Eating Behaviors and Smartphone Addiction in Italian Nurses' Characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggested how nurses experienced worse lifestyles than the general population by recording deterioration rates in healthy conditions. AIM: To assess differences between comorbidity, eating behavior, and smartphone addiction according to sex, Body Mass Index (BMI), age, work experience, shift, alcohol assumption, and physical activity in Italian nurses. METHODS: An online questionnaire was spread through some professional internet pages. Data included demographic characteristics, the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), the Italian Version of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SASSV). RESULTS: A total of 456 nurses were recruited. Significant differences were registered in the smartphone addiction score (p=0.030) and BMI scores and work experience (p=0.001), as underweight participants reported higher scores in the smartphone addiction attitude (2.4714 ± 1.25812) than the other subjects and also participants with the highest number of years in work experience also reported higher smartphone addiction scores (2.8074 ± 1.2022). Significant difference was reported in the CCI scores according to age (p<0.001): subjects aged over 61 years recorded higher scores in the CCI (1.67 ± 1.528) and also according to work experience and CCI scores (p<0.001), as participants employed between 21 and 30 years reported higher scores in the CCI (1.27 ± 1.382) and also to night shift (p=0.037), as participants who worked during the night shift also reported higher scores in the CCI. A significant difference was reported only for restrained eating attitude (p=0.034), as participants who declared to assume alcohol 2-3 times per month recorded higher levels in this eating attitude aspect (32.32 ± 7.181). CONCLUSION: Female nurses, overweight and obese nurses with low physical activity practice, seemed to spend more time with their smartphones. Healthcare organizations should consider findings to prevent unhealthy lifestyles among nurses, which could negatively influence the whole healthcare system.

The Nursing-Home Care Quality Perceived Levels from Patients and Caregivers: An Explanatory Study.

Background: The nursing essential mission was to satisfy patients' and caregivers' essential health-relating demand, thanks to communicational, interventional, assistance and helping skills through an appropriate approach which best satisfied both patients and their caregivers. To assess any differences in nursing-home care quality perceived levels both by patients and caregivers. Methods: A cohort observational study was conducted from November 2022 to January 2023 using an online anonymous questionnaire for both patients and caregivers who received nursing-home care service. Results: A total of 677 patients (43.4%) and caregivers (56.6%) were enrolled. Most interviewees benefited from the nursing-home care service less than 12 months (p = 0.014). Quality perceptions did not significantly vary from patients and caregivers (p > 0.05) for all the items proposed, with the exception of the nursing listening skills which was better assessed by caregivers than patients (p = 0.034). Conclusion: Patients and caregivers perceived an average quality of nursing-home care, giving particular importance to some nursing skills, such as listening skills. The general quality of nursing care was however satisfying. Findings suggested more incisive action from health-care nurses to improve quality of nursing-home care and both patient and caregiver satisfaction.

How shift work influences anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia conditions in Italian nurses: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK: Evidence suggested that the nursing profession could be considered as a very complex profession also for nurses themselves. To investigate how shift work influence nurses' health also considering anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia conditions. METHODS: An on-line cohort observational study was conducted during May 2022 to 408 nurses. RESULTS: 408 nurses were on-line recruited. Most of the nurses recruited worked also during the night shift (73.3%) and were very young (p<0.001), as aged less than 30 years (29.2%) and also aged between 31-40 years (29), too. Significant difference was reported in smoking habit, as nurses who worked also during the night reported higher smoking habit then the others (p=0.020). None further significant differences according to sex, age, work experience, nursing education, nursing activity, BMI and shift work was found. Finally, none differences were assessed between anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia conditions according to shift work typologies. CONCLUSIONS: The present study discussed research results already highlighted in the current literature; however, it collected further information and assessed additional differences, so that a more complete picture of the nursing profession could be defined.

Anxiety, Depression, Body Mass Index, Physical Activity in Nomophobic Italian Nurses: A Chronic Latent Inflammation?

AIM: To investigate which risk factors are strictly connected to nomophobia in Italian nurses, according to socio-demographic characteristics, Body Mass Index scores, physical activity habits, anxiety, and depression. METHODS: An "ad hoc" online questionnaire has been created and then administered to Italian nurses. Data include sex, age, years of work experience, shift work per day, nursing educational level, Body Mass Index, physical activity, anxiety, depression, and nomophobia conditions. Univariate logistic regression has been performed to explore what potential factors may contribute to the nomophobia condition. RESULTS: A total of 430 nurses agree to participate. No respondents record severe nomophobia levels, as 308 (71.6%) register mild and 58 (13.5%) register moderate levels and 64 (14.9%) report no abnormal condition. Females seem to be more exposed than males to nomophobia (p < 0.001); nurses aged from 31 to 40 years and also with less than 10 years of work experience are more affected comparnig to the other sub groups (p < 0.001). Nurses who practice low physical activity report significant high levels in nomophobia (p < 0.001) and nurses reporting high anxiety levels also suffer from nomophobia (p < 0.001). The trend is inverse by considering depression condition since most of the nurses suffering from mild or moderate nomophobia levels report the absence of depression condition (p < 0.001). No statistical differences have been reported between nomophobia levels and shift work (p = 0.269), nursing educational level (p = 0.242), and BMI levels (p = 0.183). Anxiety and physical activity report strong relationships with nomophobia condition (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Nomophobia may affect all individuals, especially young individuals. Although further studies on nurses will be implemented, including the workplace and training environments of nurses by allowing a clearer picture of the levels of "nomophobia" in general, as nomophobic behavior may have negative repercussions both in social and professional spheres.

Which socio-demographic patterns influence nursing managers' empowerment perceptions among nurses? An investigatory study.

AIM OF THE WORK: Nurses were the most numerous healthcare workers employed in the current Italian healthcare systems. By considering them the driving force of the healthcare systems, the present study aimed to investigate which socio-demographic characteristics in nurses could influence empowerment promoted by their managers, by understanding what socio-demographic characteristics influenced the nursing manager empowerment and could help nursing managers to perform their empowerment approaches by highlighting strengths or weaknesses. METHODS: An on-line, observational, multicenter, cross- sectional study was conducted by recruiting a total of 126 nurses. RESULTS: Negative and significant correlations and associations were recorded between all the Empowering Leadership Questionnaire sub dimensions and age (p<.05). Data reported linear and significant associations between all the five sub dimensions of the ELQ and age (p<.05), as younger nurses more perceived their nursing managers' empowerment presence than their older colleagues, too. CONCLUSIONS: Empowerment is a very complex topic in the nursing practice in which managers should be aware of the role of empowerment in promoting work engagement and effectiveness and differential effects on new graduates and more experienced nurses.

Correlations between performance and shift work in the nursing activities: a pilot approach.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK: Performance assessment is a key administrative function and an essential component of organizational quality programs, by quantifying it in relation to set goals, standards, expectations and guides to improvement initiatives. The present study aimed to correlate the nursing performance levels perceived by the nurses themselves with the levels of organizational well-being.  Methods. An on-line questionnaire was administered to Italian nurses in order to assess nursing performance, thanks to the Six-Dimension on Nursing performance questionnaire and also the wll-being of nursing organization was explored thanks to the Questionnaire on nursing organization- brief form questionnaire (QISO brief form). RESULTS: Significant correlations were assessed between the nursing performance sub dimensions on frequency sub scale and each sub-dimensions of the well-being questionnaire (p<.001). Also in Teaching/Collaboration sub-dimension of the quality nursing performance sub scale, positive correlations were recorded with the QISO brief form. CONCLUSIONS: Findings were in agreement with the little current literature on this topic, as: the nursing sector might implement reforms and instill an organizational culture in which staff feel they own their profession and will be intimately involved in the vision and mission of their organizations. To help achieve this and improve health services, nurses' organizational engagement enhancement policies should be implemented as an organizational issue requiring the development of strategies for recruiting, attracting and retaining engaged nurses.

The Linkage "Body Mass Index-Insomnia Levels-Eating Disorder Flexibility" in Italian Nurses During the Covid-19 Outbreak: A Psychoendocrinological Employment Disease.

AIM: To evaluate differences between insomnia condition and the flexibility attitude to eat in Italian nurses directly involved in the care of patients affected by Covid-19 according to sex, Body Mass Index, shift working condition and incidence of new Covid-19 cases in the region of participants. Moreover, any correlations between the insomnia condition and the flexibile attitude to eat have been investigated. METHODS: An online questionnaire was administered in October 2020, which included: the socio-demographic section, the insomnia condition assessment and the behavioral flexibility evaluation to develop in connection with developing an eating disorder. RESULTS: 341 Italian nurses answered the questionnaire. Regarding the insomnia condition levels, nurses belonging to regions with a higher incidence rate of the Covid-19 pandemic recorded higher levels of insomnia than others (p=.004). Females and nurses belonging to regions with lower Covid-19 incidence rate recorded a significant higher total eating flexibility attitude (p=.003; p<.001), also, in the Food and Exercise flexibility (p=.007; p<.001). As regards the flexibility attitude for weight and shape, significant differences were recorded among nurses according to their BMI values (p<.001) and to their incidence rate of the belonging region (p<.001). The insomnia condition levels significantly correlated with the flexibility attitude to eat both in its total score (p=.010), in the general score (p=.010) and in the weight and shape score (p<.001). All correlations between the insomnia conditions and the flexibility to eat were significantly inverse with the exception for of the food and exercise dimension. All the flexibility attitudes to eat sub dimensions significantly correlated among them (p<.001). CONCLUSION: There was a direct correlation among socio-demographic factors, BMI values, insomnia and behavioral flexibility scores in Italian nurses so, it could be assumed that the nursing profession is at risk of developing a metabolic syndrome condition and, therefore, it could be considered as a psychoendocrinological employment disease during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Observational study on the potential psychological factors that affected Italian nurses involved in the COVID-19 health emergency.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK: The present study aimed to identify the potential psychological malaise factors affecting the Italian nurses on the front lines of Covid-19 patient care since evidence suggested that they are at high risk of developing psychological disorders. METHODS: An online questionnaire was administered to 291 Italian nurses, containing information on: sex, years of work experience, region of Italy where nurses worked and the intensive care unit assignment. Then, the anxiety disorders, the impact of the event, the depression and the insomnia conditions and their principal psychological factors influencing nurses during the health emergency. were assessed Results. Nurses worked in Northern Italy registered higher anxiety scores than others (p=0.023); the assignment to the intensive care unit (p=0.042) not influenced these scores. The total impact of event (IES-R) values ​​evidenced that women recorded higher "Avoidance" (p=0.032) and "Hyperarousal" (p=0.003) values ​​than men. The nurses who worked in Northern Italy recorded higher scores of "Hyperarousal" (p=0.010) and IES-R total (p=0.044). More women than men showed insomnia conditions (p=0.038) and nurses with a number of years of work experience not exceeding 10 years recorded greater levels of depression than the others (p=0.031). The psychological factors affected nurses included: the "Pleasure/Interest" dimension which correlated with the "Uncontrollable Thinking" (p=0.007), the "Unsatisfactory sleep/wake rhythm" (p=0.004), and the "Unmanageable pain and weakness" (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Urgent need to intervene with psychological support programs for health professionals, such as nurses who are facing the health emergency from Covid-19 on the front line.

Anxiety and Depression symptoms in Italian nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

SUMMARY: Background and Aim. Starting from March 9, 2020, the Italian government has proclaimed a state of health emergency due to the epidemic, which later became a SARSCoV- 2 infection pandemic. The present study aimed to perform differences and any potential risk factors in anxious and depressive symptoms in Italian nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic according to selected sociodemographic variables. Methods. In November 2020 an "ad hoc" questionnaire was administered online to all Italian nurses. In the first part, a whole series of socio-demographic variables relating to the reference sample were collected, as: gender, the department to which participants belonged, if the respondent suffered from pulmonary or cardiovascular diseases, if the nurse lived alone or with other cohabitants and whether during the pandemic the participant contracted the SARS-CoV-2 infection or not. In the second part of the questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was administered to quickly and easily assess the anxiety and depression levels among the Italian nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Results. 732 nurses agreed to participate to this survey. Among participants, 479 (65.3%) recorded an anxious symptomatology and 267 (6.4%) a depressive one. According to anxious symptoms, a significant difference was recorded between females and males (p min 0.001), as females recorded higher mild (24.04%), moderate (23.09%) and severe (13.39%) anxious symptom levels than males (Mild:1.50%; Moderate: 2.46%; Severe: 0.96%). By considering depressive symptoms according to socio demographic variables, only nurses without cardiovascular diseases recorded higher frequencies in mild (21.58%), moderate (8.47%) and severe (2.46%) depressive symptoms than nurses who suffered from a cardiovascular disease (Mild:2.05%; Moderate: 1.64%; Severe: 0.27%). Potential risk factors identified for anxious symptoms were: gender, both for mild (p min 0.001), moderate (p=.008) and severe (p=.003) anxious symptoms, and pulmonary diseases for severe anxious disorders (p=.014). Potential risk factors identified for the onset of depressive symptoms were: gender (p=.026), pulmonary diseases (p=.021), domestic partnership (p=.035), for mild symptoms; the presence of cardiac diseases (p=.006) for moderate symptoms. Conclusions. It urged to begin to further implement all forms of psychological support for nurses and further implementation of university nursing training programs that aim at both the technical and psychological management of the future professional to cope with maxi emergencies.

Anxiety, Insomnia and Body Mass Index Scores in Italian Nurses Engaged in the Care of COVID-19 Patients.

BACKGROUND: A new Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) (COVID-19) infection was reported in Wuhan, China, becoming a global health emergency. Literature shows how nursing work is particularly stressful and how this condition is closely connected to the development of anxiety disorders, sleep quality and can also influence eating behavior with consequent variations in BMI values. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to investigate and correlate the levels of anxiety, insomnia and Body Mass Index among nurses directly involved in the care of patients in the intensive care units with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection. METHOD: An observatory study was conducted assessing and correlating the anxiety and insomnia levels and BMI values of each nurse before (until December 2019) and during (until May 2020) the pandemic. RESULTS: In total, 291 Italian nurses joined the study. There are no statistically significant differences between female nurses and male nurses for both groups of participants with or without anxiety (p=0.655). Female nurses with mild, moderate and severe insomnia levels were statistically more than male nurses (p=0.025). For the same BMI differences, the levels of anxiety and insomnia were statistically significant between them (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Nurses engaged in the treatment of the most serious patients with Covid-19 are subjected to very high levels of stress due to the nature of the nursing job, shifting, poor rest, anxiety due to health emergency period and weight gain.