Exploring mindfulness interventions for stress resilience in newly graduated nurses: A qualitative study.

Objectives: In an aging society coping with workforce challenges, successful hospital management hinges on the recruitment and retention of nurses. It is of utmost priority to address job stress and fortify mental resilience. While quantitative research supports investigating the stress-alleviating effects of mindfulness for nursing staff, obtaining a direct perspective from nurses is essential to comprehend how they navigate burnout and apply mindfulness for stress management. This qualitative study aimed to explore newly graduated nurses' experiences who participated in a mindfulness course and evaluate the practical application of acquired strategies in their work and daily lives, providing insights for retention strategies in health-care institutions. Materials and Methods: Thirty-one recently graduated nurses participated in an 8-session weekly in the mindfulness program. Qualitative data were obtained through focus group discussions during each session and subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Five key themes were generated to show how nurses experience mindfulness training: (1) shedding light on workplace stress and adaptation; (2) stress upon entering the workforce; (3) reactions to the vicious cycle of anxiety responses to stress through mindfulness practices; (4) discovery of daily life pleasures and obstacles encountered during the mindfulness course; (5) obstacles encountered during the mindfulness course. Through participation in the program, the subjects' levels of mindfulness of stress responses were enhanced. Conclusion: This study underscores the advantages of mindfulness courses for newly graduated nurses and emphasizes the crucial role of workplace support. Practical recommendations for nursing administrators and educators include fostering familiarity with the health-care environment, promoting teamwork, and addressing anxiety related to handovers. Mindfulness breathing training has proven effective in alleviating pressure during shift transitions. Nursing managers can enhance staff well-being by creating moments of happiness, encouraging positive experience sharing, and organizing outdoor activities. Suggestions for future research involve refining the implementation of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course for accessibility and effectiveness, extending courses to other health-care professionals to promote team harmony, and positively impacting nursing staff's well-being and performance.

The Chinese version of Posttraumatic Growth and Depreciation Inventory-Expanded version (PTGDI-X) for cancer survivors.

Many patients with cancer report positive changes often referred to as posttraumatic growth (PTG). Some of these self-reported PTG may represent maladaptive illusions created by individuals to cope with the illness. A recently established Posttraumatic Growth and Depreciation Inventory - Expanded version (PTGDI-X) includes both PTG and posttraumatic depreciation (PTD) items. This inventory may provide a more balanced picture of the phenomenological world of cancer survivors. We examined the Chinese version of the PTGDI-X's applicability to cancer patients, and how PTG and PTD were related to posttraumatic stress symptoms. Two hundred sixty-five cancer survivors in Taiwan completed the Chinese version of the PTGDI-X, along with the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 to measure posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the factor structure of the PTGDI-X established in a multi-national study fit our data from cancer patients modestly well. The PTD score had a significant and positive correlation with PTSD symptoms, whereas the PTG and PTSD showed a significant curvilinear relationship in the form of an inverted U-shape. This study's results indicate that PTG and PTD are separated constructs with differential relationships with cancer outcomes. The Chinese version of the PTGDI-X is a viable instrument for psycho-oncological research. The PTD scores can provide useful information to guide cognitive interventions to reduce distorted cognitions. In contrast, the PTG scores can provide further information on the phenomenological world of cancer survivors. In this study, clinical implications and future studies were considered.

Psychometric analysis of the Chinese version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory with cancer patients in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer patients in Hong Kong and Taiwan share traditional Chinese as a written form of language, but each region has its own sociocultural background. This study examined if the four-factor model (self, spiritual, life orientation, and interpersonal) of the Chinese version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-C), developed for Hong Kong cancer survivors, could be applied to cancer survivors in Taiwan. METHODS: Multisample confirmatory factor analyses (MS-CFA) were used to examine the factorial invariance of the PTGI-C among cancer survivors in Taiwan (n = 217) and Hong Kong (n = 223). RESULTS: The goodness-of-fit of the four-factor model was satisfactory, χ²(180) = 372.36 (χ²/df = 2.07), goodness-of-fit index (GFI) = 0.90, adjusted GFI (AGFI) = 0.87, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.92, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.91, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.05, Akaike information criterion (AIC) = 492.36. This result suggests that the factor structure of the PTGI-C developed in Hong Kong could be applied to cancer survivors in Taiwan. The internal reliabilities of the 15-item whole scale, as well as all the subscales, were good and similar to those reported previously. Interregion comparison revealed that the Taiwan sample had higher mean 'spiritual' and 'interpersonal' posttraumatic growth subscale scores than the Hong Kong sample. CONCLUSIONS: The four-factor model of the PTGI-C is invariant among cancer survivors using traditional Chinese as a written form of the language. The differences in the degree of some posttraumatic growth dimensions may be because of differences in cultural factors and in psychosocial support for cancer patients between the two regions.