Psychometric Testing of the Slovene Version of the Perceived Inventory of Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing.

The Perceived Inventory of Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing (PITCCN) questionnaire has been designed to measure technological competency as caring in nursing practice. It incorporates the use of technology with the fundamental principles of caring that are central to nursing. As there were no psychometrically sound instruments to quantify the concept of technological competency as caring in the Slovene language, we adapted the English version of the questionnaire to the local environment. The goal was to assess the level of psychometric properties of the PITCCN investigated in Slovene hospitals. METHODS: Content validity was conducted with eight experts and quantified by the content validity index (CVI) and the modified Cohen's kappa index. Face validity was assessed through discussions with participants from the target culture in the pilot study. To assess construct validity and internal consistency, a cross-sectional research methodology was used on a convenience sample of 121 nursing personnel from four hospitals. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to examine construct validity, while Cronbach's alpha and adjusted item-total correlations were used to measure internal consistency. RESULTS: The content and face validity of PITCCN were adequate. The scale validity index (S-CVI) was 0.97. Cronbach's α was 0.92, and subscale reliabilities ranged from 0.810 to 0.925. PCA showed four components, which explained more than 73.49% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: The Slovenian version of PITCCN (PITCCN_SI) has good psychometric properties.

Family members' experiences of everyday caregiving for a family member living with Parkinson's disease: a qualitative thematic analysis study.

BACKGROUND: In the daily life of individuals living with Parkinson's disease, their loved ones are crucial. Adapting family members to the patient's condition, support in providing care, and psychosocial adaptations is essential. AIM: To explore family members' perception of everyday caregiving for a family member living with Parkinson's disease and to describe their role in the care and everyday life. METHODS: In a descriptive, qualitative thematic analysis study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten people between the ages of 20 and 70, the closest family members of people living with Parkinson's disease. The analysis of the collected data was carried out using thematic analysis. RESULTS: We generated the main theme: "Living with a family member with Parkinson's disease", with associated secondary-level sub-themes: "Response", "Change", "Care", and "Support". Family members of individuals living with Parkinson's disease frequently encounter similar life situations. The most notable transformation in their daily lives primarily revolves around adapting to various activities. CONCLUSIONS: Family members are the ones who most often take on the role of caregiver and provide help to their loved ones. Many of them accept the disease as a part of everyday life and learn to live with it. It is of fundamental importance that we offer family members the necessary support, knowledge, and involvement in holistic treatment and care.

Prevalence of mental disorders and high rates of absenteeism from work among healthcare professionals in Slovenia: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of mental disorders and the higher rates of absenteeism from work among healthcare workers employed in Slovenia by analysing the prevalence of sick leave and medication prescriptions for treatment of mental health and behavioural disorders from 2015 to 2020. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of nationwide data on absenteeism and prescription of medications for treatment of mental health and behavioural disorders (anxiolytics, antipsychotics, antidepressants). SETTING: National databases of the National Institute of Public Health in Slovenia. PARTICIPANTS: All employed healthcare workers (35 008 in December 2020): dentists, midwives, nurses, nursing assistants, pharmacists and physicians in Slovenia from 2015 to 2020. RESULTS: The most time spent on sick leave by male healthcare workers aged >50 was for 'neoplasms' (71.50 days on average), followed by 'mental health and behavioural disorders' (62.08 days on average). Female healthcare workers under 40 years old spent the most time on sick leave for 'pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (puerperium)', causing an average of 58.38 days of sick leave. From 2015 to 2020, the highest increase in prescribed medications for treatment of mental health and behavioural disorders was among nursing assistants (an increase of 38.42%), pharmacists (an increase of 29.36%) and nurses (an increase of 26.61%); since the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase of 12.36% was found among dentists, an increase of 11.51% among pharmacists and an increase of 11.36% among nurses. CONCLUSION: The prescription of medications for treatment of mental health and behavioural disorders was on the rise from 2015 to 2020. The importance of employee health to individuals and society necessitates the systematisation of effective prevention programmes as well as programmes to assist those in need, especially health workers, whose work contributes significantly to maintaining public health.

The Healthcare Environment Survey: A multicountry psychometric evaluation of nurses' job satisfaction.

AIM: To evaluate the properties of a reduced-item Healthcare Environment Survey measuring nurses' job satisfaction across eight countries. BACKGROUND: There is currently no rigorously tested international measure of nurses' job satisfaction that can be used internationally to improve the nurse work environment. METHODS: Nursing staff from 11 hospitals in eight countries participated in this study. The original 57-item, 11-facet Healthcare Environment Survey was evaluated for reliability, validity, and measurement invariance: Cronbach's alpha was used to test for reliability; construct, discriminate, and convergent testing were used to test validity; and invariance testing including configural, metric, and scalar tests were used to study measurement invariance between the countries. RESULTS: 2,046 nursing staff completed the survey. Reliability was established for all six subscales and the combined composite score. Both validity and measurement invariance were supported in every test conducted. An excellent model fit was found for the final 19-item, 6-facet Healthcare Environment Survey that explained 82% of the variance of nurses' job satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest the instrument is an efficient measure of nurses' job satisfaction across multiple countries. Longitudinal testing for invariance will be needed to ensure the model remains a good fit. Testing more countries will also verify model fit. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: The instrument can be used to measure nurse job satisfaction globally. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY: The instrument can be used to assess interventions to improve the social (patient, unit manager, and coworker) and technical (professional rewards, autonomy, and professional growth) aspects of nurse job satisfaction.

Health Conditions and Long Working Hours in Europe: A Retrospective Study.

Studies have shown that working conditions and employee health are related; therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationships between working long hours per week with health outcomes in different European countries. We analyzed data derived from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe. The sample included 12.099 participants aged ≥ 50 from 16 European countries. We analyzed self-reported working hours, health outcomes of blood cholesterol, heart attack, diabetes, and hypertension, as well as a longitudinal analysis of health outcomes among healthcare workers and workers in 13 other industries. Statistical analyses identified that men are working longer hours per week compared with women in all included countries, and different levels of increase in health conditions in different industries. We also observed a slower increase in the prevalence of health conditions for healthcare workers compared with workers in other industries, especially diabetes and hypertension. The largest increase in prevalence of observed health conditions was reported for cholesterol, which increased for 17.14% among healthcare workers and for 21.70% in other industries over the observed nine-year period. Although the data point to a potentially high level of awareness in the field of preventive health among healthcare workers, more preventive health activities should be included in workplaces to strengthen employees' health.

Emotional Intelligence among Nursing Students: Findings from a Longitudinal Study.

Emotional intelligence is an important factor for nursing students' success and work performance. Although the level of emotional intelligence increases with age and tends to be higher in women, results of different studies on emotional intelligence in nursing students vary regarding age, study year, and gender. A longitudinal study was conducted in 2016 and 2019 among undergraduate nursing students to explore whether emotional intelligence changes over time. A total of 111 undergraduate nursing students participated in the study in the first year of their study, and 101 in the third year. Data were collected using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form (TEIQue-SF) and Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT). There was a significant difference in emotional intelligence between students in their first (M = 154.40; 95% CI: 101.85-193.05) and third year (M = 162.01; 95% CI: 118.65-196.00) of study using TEIQue-SF questionnaire. There was a weak correlation (r = 0.170) between emotional intelligence and age measuring using the TEIQue-SF questionnaire, and no significant correlation when measured using SSEIT (r = 0.34). We found that nursing students' emotional intelligence changes over time with years of education and age, suggesting that emotional intelligence skills can be improved. Further research is needed to determine the gendered nature of emotional intelligence in nursing students.

Technological Competency As Caring in Nursing: a Description, Analysis and Evaluation of The Theory.

Introduction: When introducing and using technology in nursing, there is a danger that too much focus is placed on technology over caring for patients. The 'Technological competency as caring in nursing' theory can facilitate technology in caring, but the theory needs to be described, analysed and evaluated before it is used. The purpose of the literature review was to determine the possibility of applying the theory in education, research and practice, and whether the theory could be used to guide research into the use of electronic nursing record systems. Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Google Books, and supplemented with manual searching using the keywords 'Locsin', 'technology', 'caring' and 'nursing theory'. The criteria for inclusion were fully accessible articles and books in English on the relevant topics. The review process is shown in a PRISMA diagram. A hierarchy of evidence was used to evaluate the relative strength of the results. Pajnkihar's model was used to describe, analyse and evaluate the theory. Results: A total of 26 hits were included in the final analysis. The theory in question meets the criteria of clarity, simplicity and complexity, adequacy, importance and significance; it can be tested; and it is useful in patient care that employs technology. Discussion and conclusion: The theory is useful in nursing education, research and practice. The theory will be used to guide research on the perception of technological competency and care of internal medicine patients by nurses when using the electronic nursing record system in three Slovenian hospitals.

The Profile of Caring: An Internationally Tested Model to Assess and Support Nurses During Pandemic.

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses, and subsequent increases in turnover, have been extensively documented. This article examines a profile of nurses which included (1) the degree to which direct-care nurses are caring for themselves, (2) the degree to which their manager acts in a caring way, (3) the degree to which nurses have clarity about their professional role and about how the system works, and (4) the degree to which nurses are satisfied with essential social and technical dimensions of their jobs, to help understand how some of the critical internal states and working relationships of nurses fit together as a model. To test the model, authors used structural equation modeling with a 35-item measurement tool in three countries (Russia, Serbia, and Turkey; n = 984), replicating a recent 8-country study. Results revealed a good model fit, similar to the original study, despite statistically significant differences in mean scores between the countries studied. Good model fit with a second group of countries, despite differences in mean scores, suggests that results from both studies can be used for a global conversation about how caring, clarity, and job satisfaction in nursing relate to one another. These results provide evidence that health facilities should study variables such as caring for self, caring by the unit or department manager, clarity of role and system, and job satisfaction to learn about, recover, and monitor nurses' health and experience of work as they emerge from the pandemic.

An international cross-cultural study of nursing students' perceptions of caring.

BACKGROUND: Single studies suggest that nursing students perceive caring as more an instrumental than expressive behaviour and indicate some differences between caring perceptions in junior and senior nursing students. However, there are limited studies investigating caring perceptions in nursing students across multiple cultures. OBJECTIVE: To determine perceptions of caring in Slovene, Croatian, Chinese and Russian nursing students and explore whether there are statistically significant differences in perceptions of caring between countries and between first and third-year nursing students. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: The study included 604 nursing students enrolled in first and third year in seven different nursing faculties in four countries: Slovenia; China; Croatia; and the Russian Federation. METHODS: The 25-item Caring Dimension Inventory (CDI-25) was used to measure caring perceptions. We also included demographic questions regarding age, gender, country, year of study and type of study. Demographic data were analysed using descriptive analysis while a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) adjusted for unequal sample sizes was performed together with a post hoc analysis of the results. RESULTS: The results of two-way ANOVA showed that both main effects (country and year of study) were statistically significant, as well as their interaction at the 0.05 significance level. The main effect for country was F(3, 596) = 3.591, p < 0.0136 indicating a significant difference in CDI-25 between Slovenia (M = 108.9, SD = 9.2), Russian Federation (M = 107.1, SD = 8.2), China (M = 102.8, SD = 9.7) and Croatia (M = 110.0, SD = 8.6). CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of caring in nursing students differ across countries, probably due to different educational systems, curricula, cultural differences and societal values. Implementing caring theories in nursing curricula could help students to cultivate caring during their education.

Perceptions of Caring Between Slovene and Russian Members of Nursing Teams.

PURPOSE: To measure the perceptions of caring between Slovene and Russian members of nursing teams and compare the results with earlier findings in other European Union countries. METHOD: A cross-sectional study that included nurses and nursing assistants in Slovenia ( n = 294) and Russia ( n = 531). Data were collected using the 25-item Caring Dimensions Inventory. RESULTS: The most endorsed item for Slovene and Russian members of nursing teams was an item related to medication administration. All items that were endorsed by Russian participants were also endorsed by Slovenian participants; however, they ascribed a different level of importance to individual aspects of caring. DISCUSSION: Compared with other European Union countries, such as the United Kingdom and Spain, Slovenian and Russian members of nursing teams endorsed more technical aspects of nursing duties as caring, suggesting cultural differences and previous influences of the biomedical model on nursing education and practice.

Emotional intelligence among nursing students: Findings from a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Emotional intelligence in nursing is of global interest. International studies identify that emotional intelligence influences nurses' work and relationships with patients. It is associated with compassion and care. Nursing students scored higher on measures of emotional intelligence compared to students of other study programmes. The level of emotional intelligence increases with age and tends to be higher in women. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to measure the differences in emotional intelligence between nursing students with previous caring experience and those without; to examine the effects of gender on emotional intelligence scores; and to test whether nursing students score higher than engineering colleagues on emotional intelligence measures. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: The study included 113 nursing and 104 engineering students at the beginning of their first year of study at a university in Slovenia. DATA: Emotional intelligence was measured using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) and Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT). METHODS: Shapiro-Wilk's test of normality was used to test the sample distribution, while the differences in mean values were tested using Student t-test of independent samples. RESULTS: Emotional intelligence was higher in nursing students (n = 113) than engineering students (n = 104) in both measures [TEIQue t = 3.972; p < 0.001; SSEIT t = 8.288; p < 0.001]. Although nursing female students achieved higher emotional intelligence scores than male students on both measures, the difference was not statistically significant [TEIQue t = -0.839; p = 0.403; SSEIT t = -1.159; p = 0.249]. EI scores in nursing students with previous caring experience were not higher compared to students without such experience for any measure [TEIQue t = -1.633; p = 0.105; SSEIT t = -0.595; p = 0.553]. CONCLUSIONS: Emotional intelligence was higher in nursing than engineering students, and slightly higher in women than men. It was not associated with previous caring experience.

Fit for Practice: Analysis and Evaluation of Watson's Theory of Human Caring.

The aim of the authors of this paper is to analyze Watson's theory of human caring for its usefulness and worth in education, practice, and research. The reason for undertaking this analysis is to evaluate if Watson's theory would be useful for nursing in those countries where such theories were not an established part of the nursing curriculum. Furthermore, in some European countries, their political past or cultural influences led to an unquestioned adoption of the biomedical model. As their political culture changes, many social structures have had to be revisited, and for nursing, this has meant the introduction of theoretical reasoning, teaching, and practice.

Psychometric testing of the Slovenian Person-centred Climate Questionnaire - staff version.

AIM: To test the psychometric properties of the Slovenian version of the Person-centred Climate Questionnaire - staff version. BACKGROUND: Person-centredness can be a quality care indicator, but there are no valid and reliable instruments in the Slovene language aimed at exploring the person-centred care climate from a nursing staff perspective. METHODS: Content validity based on expert agreement was evaluated by calculating content validity indices. A cross-sectional survey design using a convenience sample of 790 nurses and nursing assistants from medical and surgical wards in 11 hospitals was used to test the construct validity and internal consistency reliability. RESULTS: The average content validity index for the scale was 0.97, all items had content validity indices higher than 0.78, showing satisfactory content validity. Three components, climate of safety, community and everydayness explained 71.22% of the variance in the data and thus confirmed scale dimensionality. Cronbach's α was acceptable for whole scale (0.90) and for subscales (0.89, 0.89 and 0.86). CONCLUSION: The Slovene version of the Person-centred Climate Questionnaire - staff version is valid and reliable and can be further used in surgical and medical wards in hospital settings. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The instrument enables further exploration of the relationships between perceived person-centredness and organisational outcomes.

The concept of Watson's carative factors in nursing and their (dis)harmony with patient satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Constant reviews of the caring behavior of nurses and patient satisfaction help to improve the quality of nursing. The aim of our research was to explore relationships between the level of nursing education, the perception of nurses and nursing assistants of Watson's carative factors, and patient satisfaction. METHODS: A questionnaire survey using a convenience sample of 1,098 members of nursing teams and a purposive sample of 1,123 patients in four health care institutions in Slovenia was conducted in August 2012. A demographic questionnaire and the Caring Nurse-Patient Interactions Scale (nurse version) were delivered to the nurses. A Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey was delivered to discharged patients. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: Carative factor sensibility was related to the level of nursing education. Patients were satisfied with the care received from nurses, nursing assistants and hospitals, although we found differences between the perceptions of nurses and nursing assistants of carative factors and patient satisfaction. By comparing only the perceptions of nurses and nursing assistants of carative factors in health care institutions, differences were found for seven out of ten carative factors. DISCUSSION: We did not find major significant differences between carative factors and level of nurse education, except in one carative factor. Differences in perceptions of carative factors between health care institutions are probably the result of different institutional factors. The results can be of great benefit to nurse administrators and educators, indicating the factors that must be taken into account for enhancing patient satisfaction. Emphasis on caring theories should be placed in nursing education and their application in nursing practice.

Content validity, face validity and internal consistency of the Slovene version of Caring Factor Survey for care providers, caring for co-workers and caring of managers.

BACKGROUND: Caring relationships are important for developing a caring culture. It is important that care provider's relationships with patients, co-workers and managers are caring relationships. However, in the Slovene language, there is a lack of psychometrically sound instruments to measure these caring relationships. AIM: To explore the psychometric properties of the Slovenian version of the Caring Factor Survey (CFS) for care providers, the care given by co-workers and managers as judged by the providers, by evaluating its content validity, face validity and internal consistency. METHODS: In the process of our instrument, we used translation and back translation and validation based on experts' agreement. Content validity was quantified by the content validity index (CVI) and a modified Cohen's kappa index. Face validity was evaluated by ten nurses who reviewed the instruments. In the process of psychometric testing based on survey data, we used a cross-sectional research design with a convenience sample of 91 caregivers working in internal or surgical wards in two health care institutions. Cronbach's alpha and corrected item-total correlations were used to test internal consistency. RESULTS: All items in all three versions of the CFS had a CVI score higher than 0.78 and excellent modified Cohen's kappa index, showing excellent content validity. The average content validity indices were 0.990, 0.975 and 0.963. The face validity was good with no major remarks given. Cronbach's alpha was 0.941, 0.962 and 0.970. The item-total correlations reached a criterion of 0.2 < r < 0.3 for all items. CONCLUSION: All three versions of the CFS showed an acceptable content validity, face validity and internal consistency; however, due to some methodological shortcomings, results should be interpreted with caution. Further psychometric testing is needed.

Barriers to reporting medication errors and near misses among nurses: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To explore barriers to nurses' reporting of medication errors and near misses in hospital settings. DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCES: Medline, CINAHL, PubMed and Cochrane Library in addition to Google and Google Scholar and reference lists of relevant studies published in English between January 1981 and April 2015 were searched for relevant qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods empirical studies or unpublished PhD theses. Papers with a primary focus on barriers to reporting medication errors and near misses in nursing were included. REVIEW METHODS: The titles and abstracts of the search results were assessed for eligibility and relevance by one of the authors. After retrieval of the full texts, two of the authors independently made decisions concerning the final inclusion and these were validated by the third reviewer. Three authors independently assessed methodological quality of studies. Relevant data were extracted and findings were synthesised using thematic synthesis. RESULTS: From 4038 identified records, 38 studies were included in the synthesis. Findings suggest that organizational barriers such as culture, the reporting system and management behaviour in addition to personal and professional barriers such as fear, accountability and characteristics of nurses are barriers to reporting medication errors. CONCLUSIONS: To overcome reported barriers it is necessary to develop a non-blaming, non-punitive and non-fearful learning culture at unit and organizational level. Anonymous, effective, uncomplicated and efficient reporting systems and supportive management behaviour that provides open feedback to nurses is needed. Nurses are accountable for patients' safety, so they need to be educated and skilled in error management. Lack of research into barriers to reporting of near misses' and low awareness of reporting suggests the need for further research and development of educational and management approaches to overcome these barriers.