Psychometric Assessment of Physiologic and Behavioral Pain Indicators in Polish Versions of the Pain Assessment Scales.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need to prepare a reliable and accurate tool for pain assessment in patients who are unable to self-report. Translating pain assessment scales into foreign languages requires further validation testing. AIM: The aim of the study was to carry out psychometric assessment of behavioral and physiological indicators of pain included in two Polish versions of pain assessment scales, the Behavioral Pain Scale (BPS) and the original Adult Non-Verbal Pain Scale (NVPS). DESIGN: A prospective repeated-measure descriptive study was conducted. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-eight adult non-communicative mechanically ventilated ICU patients were included in the study. The study took place in five hospitals in Poland, one 15-bed general ICU of a university teaching hospital and four 6-bed medical ICUs of district hospitals. METHODS: Pain assessment was conducted at rest, during non-painful and painful procedures independently by two observers. RESULTS: Internal consistency of the Polish version of the scales was below the expected 0.7 value (Cronbach's alpha for the BPS 0.6883 and NVPS 0.6697). Principal component analysis showed that for the Polish version of the BPS, all three domains formed one separate factor (63.9%), while in the case of the NVPS two separate factors were found, one covering four domains of the NVPS (47.1%) and the other exclusively covering the category of Vital sign (20.2%). There was a significant difference between the pain scores with the NVPS (χ2 = 228.95 p < .001) and the BPS (χ2 = 236.46 p < .001) during three observation phases. There were no significant differences between scores obtained by different raters. The analysis of variance demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the values of physiological indicators of pain (SBP, DBP, MAP) between observation phases. CONCLUSIONS: The Polish version of the BPS has better psychometric properties than the Polish version of the NVPS. It is necessary to define precisely the descriptors used in the scales and to implement a staff training program.

Measuring patient satisfaction with the Polish version of the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale.

The measurement of patients' satisfaction is increasingly becoming legal and ethical duty of healthcare providers worldwide. Till now, there were no validated, widely available Polish scales to assess patients' satisfaction with nursing care. The aim of this study was to assess the experiences and satisfaction with nursing care of patients hospitalized in surgical and nonsurgical wards in Poland using Polish version of the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale. This is a multicentre, cross-sectional, descriptive study. Eight hospitals were qualified to participate in a convenience manner. The correlations between variables were analysed using the Mann-Whitney or the Kruskal-Wallis tests. In the case of a significant correlation, the Dunn's test was used to conduct multiple comparisons for the group of variables. A significance of α = 0.05 was assumed for the tests. A total 918 patients participated in the study, and 787 (85.72%) questionnaires were correctly filled out. The average result on the 'experience' scale was 73.22 (Me 73.07) and on the 'satisfaction' scale, 74.98 (Me 76.31). Education levels did not affect the experiences of nursing care levels p = 0.2204 and satisfaction with nursing care p = 0.1075. Patient age had a statistically significant impact on the results of the 'experiences of nursing care' scale p = 0.0005 and the 'satisfaction with nursing' scale p = 0.0194. The experiences of nursing care (p = 0.0002) and patients satisfaction (p = 0.0000) were significantly higher in surgical wards than in nonsurgical wards. The experiences of nursing care were significantly lower in the university hospital than in provincial hospitals (p = 0.0374) and district hospitals (p = 0.0183). A comparison of patient satisfaction with nursing in various hospitals shows that patients were most satisfied in district hospitals (average 78.10, Me 82.89), followed by provincial hospitals (average 72.11, Me 76.31) and the university hospital (average 70.64, Me 71.05).

Validation Study of the Revised Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS): A Cross-Sectional Survey in Poland.

Introduction: The use of a validated scale, Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS) to measure nurses' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care. Aim: The purpose of this study was to analyse selected psychometric properties of the Polish version of the SSCRS, among them the applicability of the dimensions of spiritual care in nursing, ie, spirituality, spiritual care, religiosity and personalized care, to Polish conditions. Methods: Poland-wide multicentre study with a cross-sectional validation design. The study was conducted between March and June 2019. Seven Polish Nursing Faculties accepted the invitation to participate in the study. A representative sample of 853 nurses enrolled in MSc (postgraduate) programs in nursing participated. After translation and cultural adaption of the SSCRS, the instrument underwent a full psychometric evaluation of its construct validity using (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha and correlation analysis), reliability (test-retest analysis), known-group validity (Student's t-test) analysis. Results: The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the Polish version of the SSCRS was a three-factor model with "Activity-centred spiritual care" (9 items), "Emotional support-centred spiritual care" (5 items) and "Religiosity" (3 items) domains. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the whole scale was 0.902, and the alpha values for the individual domains were 0.898, 0.873 and 0.563, respectively. The three domains mentioned above seemed to provide a comprehensive understanding of spiritual care perceived subjectively by Polish MSc in nursing students. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a substantial degree of similarity in the selected psychometric characteristics of the Polish version of SSCRS and the original scale.

Evidence-Based Nursing Practices for the Prevention of Newborn Procedural Pain in Neonatal Intensive Therapy-An Exploratory Study.

BACKGROUND: Due to the progress in neonatology, in particular, in the past three decades, the mortality rate among patients of intensive care units has decreased. However, this is connected not only with newborns needing to stay longer in the unit, but also with the exposure of newborns to many painful procedures and stresses. Lack of or insufficient pain prevention has a negative impact on the sensory or locomotor development of newborns. Despite the presence of guidelines based on scientific evidence, the use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain-management methods in newborns is still insufficient. AIM: The aim of the study was to: identify the knowledge nurses/midwives have of recommended non-pharmacological and/or pharmacological methods, in particular, in relation to medical intervention procedures; assess the interventions for pain relief applied by midwives/nurses most often in their clinical practice; examine the role of age, general work experience, education level and years of work of medical professionals on a neonatal ward, as well as the referral level of a unit, versus the application of pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods. METHODS: A descriptive and quantitative study conducted in 2019 among Polish nurses/midwives working at neonatal intensive care units. RESULTS: The analysis of the material reflected the deficit of knowledge and the insufficient daily use of recommended pain-relief measures among the respondents. CONCLUSIONS: The interpretation of data indicates that despite the clear and easily available recommendations of scientific societies concerning the mode of conduct in particular medical procedures, medical personnel do not apply those recommendations in their everyday practice. It is necessary to plan and implement education strategies for nurses/midwives on standard pain-management interventions during painful medical procedures.

The impact of FFP3 respirators on the blood saturation.

This study aims to investigate whether wearing a filtering facepiece class 3 respirators with personal protective equipment (FPP3/PPE) during work in the intensive care unit (ICU) affects the blood saturation (SpO2), the heart rate (HR), and the well-being of health care workers (HCWs). This preliminary study included a group of 21 volunteers (including 16 females (76%), with a median age of 23 years). Each worker served as his own control and performed the test two times: they wore the FFP3/PPE and did not wear it for a three-hour shift in the ICU. The working with an FFP3/PPE compared to not working with an FFP3/PPE caused a significant, but within normal ranges, influence on the level of SpO2 with a mean decrease of - 1.43%. The highest reduction in the SpO2 was - 2.29% and occurred after 150 min of work. All of the score scales of the well-being markers increased consecutively but moderately during the shift while wearing the FFP3/PPE. We assume that a 3-h shift rhythm is a safe and reliable solution, i.e., three hours of working in the FFP3/PPE in the ICU, followed by rest or working without an FFP3/PPE.

How Psychological Variables Maybe Correlated with Willingness to Get COVID-19 Vaccine: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study of Polish Novice Nurses.

INTRODUCTION: Nurses became the largest medical group exposed to direct contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In this study, we aimed to assess the readiness and motivation for vaccination, as well as the use of sources of information and attitudes toward vaccination depending on the psychological profile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted. The study included 145 novice nurses from 8 medical universities who completed 3-year undergraduate studies. Women constituted 97.2% of the respondents (N = 141). The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Brief Resilient Coping Scale, and an original questionnaire were used. Variables were analyzed with descriptive statistics methods. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Among the participants, 73.1% had already been vaccinated against COVID-19 (N = 106). The participants were divided into two groups: G1 (N = 98), characterized by a lower level of anxiety with higher self-efficacy and resilient coping, and G2 (N = 47), with a higher level of anxiety with poorer self-efficacy and resilient coping. The analysis of the potential correlation of psychological pattern with the decision to vaccinate was not statistically significant (p = 0.166). CONCLUSION: Psychological variables may be correlating with motivation, attitudes toward vaccination, and the choice of reliable sources of information about vaccination. Our study demonstrates the key role of two psychological variables, self-efficacy and resilient coping, in this context.

[The assessment of patient's satisfaction with nursing care on the surgical and non-surgical units with the use of The Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale (NSNS)]. / Ocena satysfakcji pacjenta z opieki pielegniarskiej w oddziale zabiegowym i niezabiegowym za pomoca The Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale (NSNS).

The article presents research of which the aim was to assess patients' satisfaction with nursing care during the hospitalization in the cardiological deparment (non-surgical department) and the urological department (surgical department) of the 111th Military Hospital (111 Szpital Wojskowy) in Poznar. The questionnaire based on The Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale (NSNS) was carried out among 200 patients during a period of six months. The results of the questionnaire showed (among other things) that the patients expressed positive opinions about nursing care and had positive experiences connected with their hospital stay.

Assessment of Knowledge on the Prevention of Central-Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections among Intensive Care Nurses in Poland-A Prospective Multicentre Study.

The presence of a central venous catheter (CVC) leads to a high risk of blood infections, which are considered major causes of morbidity, mortality and high medical costs. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of nursing staff working in intensive care units (ICUs) regarding the prevention of central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). A nationwide survey was conducted among ICU nurses from August 2016 to April 2017. A modified Polish version of the questionnaire developed by Labeau et al. was used to assess the nurses' knowledge. Of the 750 questionnaires distributed, 468 were returned. Women accounted for 95.73% of all respondents, and over 80% were university educated. Most of the nurses surveyed (85.9%) had previously received training in CVC guidelines, and thus over 82% rated their knowledge as good or very good. The guidelines introduced in hospitals were the main declared sources of information. In addition, more than half (68%) of respondents also knew the international guidelines. The knowledge of nursing staff in the study area is not sufficient. Studies show that the guidelines for the prevention of CLABSIs in ICUs should be standardized, and continuous training of personnel in this field should be provided.

"Vaccinate, Do Not Hesitate!". Vaccination Readiness against COVID-19 among Polish Nursing Undergraduate Students: A National Cross-Sectional Survey.

COVID-19 vaccination raises numerous concerns among the public, and also among medical personnel including nurses. As nurses play a crucial role in the process of vaccination, it is important to recognize the attitudes of students of nursing, nurses in spe, toward COVID-19 vaccination, as well as to define the factors influencing students' pro-vaccine choices. The study was conducted between March and April 2021 at all medical universities in Poland educating nurses in spe. The study included 793 first-degree students from 12 universities. The results revealed that the vast majority of students of nursing (77.2%) were vaccinated against COVID-19, as 61.2% received an mRNA vaccine and 16% a viral vector vaccine. Every other person in the non-vaccinated group declared their intention to get a vaccination. A trend was observed whereby people co-living with persons from the risk group, who are at risk of a severe form of COVID-19, showed greater willingness to get a vaccine. The study results identified the role of universities in increasing the vaccination rate among students, both in terms of education about vaccinations and in shaping pro-vaccine attitudes among students, as well as organizing vaccinations on university campuses to facilitate the process.

[Nursing demand in intensive therapy units]. / Zapotrzebowanie na opieke pielegniarska w oddzialach intensywnej terapii.

BACKGROUND: The cost of nursing in a modern hospital can take up to 50% of the total budget. Therefore, it is very important to use objective tools for assessment of the nursing workload and adjust staff requirements accordingly. The purpose of the study was to evaluate nursing workload using the Nursing Activities Score (NAS) in intensive care units. METHODS: This prospective analysis of nursing care of 314 adult patients was performed simultaneously in five intensive care units in Poland. NAS was used for the evaluation of nursing workload and the APACHE II score was used for assessment of the severity of cases. The APACHE score was calculated during the first 24 hours of ICU stay, while the NAS was recorded over an entire stay. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 58.4 +/- 16.6 years. The length of stay was 8.7 +/- 11.4 days. The distribution between surgical (56%) and non-surgical cases (44%) was almost equal. Mortality was 21%. The median APACHE II score was 20 (1-42) and the NAS score 84.4%. There was no correlation between patients' clinical condition and nursing workload (p > 0.05), and the workload in surgical and non-surgical patients. The NAS score correlated well with the length of stay (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study showed that ICU nurses spend 84.4% of their working time by the patient's bed. The optimal ICU nurse: patient ratio was estimated to be 1:1.2.

Family presence during resuscitation - The experiences and views of Polish nurses.

Understanding healthcare professionals perceptions of family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) may help in choosing an effective strategy of implementing this concept in everyday clinical practice. OBJECTIVES: To determine the experiences and views of Polish nurses about family witnessed resuscitation. DESIGN: A cross sectional survey study. SETTING: Delegates (n = 720) attending the Polish Association of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Nurses conference participated in the study. A total of 240 questionnaires were correctly completed and returned. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Validation of the Polish version of the tool was undertaken. Exploratory factor analysis extracted three main factors: staff opinions on the benefits of FPDR (α-Cronbach 0.86), opinions on the negative effects (α-Cronbach 0.74) and general views on this practice (α-Cronbach 0.54). These three extracted factors were defined as dependent variables. RESULTS: Out of the sample, 113 (47%) nurses worked in adult intensive care units (ICUs) and 127 (53%) in other acute clinical settings. ICU nurses reported having experiences of FPDR (n = 66, 54%); out of this group 12 (10%) had positive encounters and 46 (38%) reported negative ones. ICU nurses had undetermined opinions on the benefits and potential negative effects of FPDR. Having positive experiences with FPDR influenced ICU nurses' views on the negative effects of FPDR (Z = -2.16, p< 0.03). CONCLUSION: A positive experience of FPDR influences a nurse's views and attitudes in this evolving area of practice.

Prevention of central venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections: A questionnaire evaluating the knowledge of the selected 11 evidence-based guidelines by Polish nurses.

This study evaluated the questionnaire testing nurses' knowledge about the maintenance of a central venous catheter (CVC) and assessed it with regard to age, work experience, type of ward, frequency of trainings, and postgraduate education. There were 1,180 questionnaires (N = 784; 66.4% of the total sample) distributed in several regions of Poland for a period of 7 months. The difficulty level for each question ranged from 0.22-0.88.

Cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Polish version of the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale.

INTRODUCTION: The paper presents the methods of cultural adaptation of the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale (NSNS) to the conditions in Polish hospitals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The process of cultural adaptation of the research tool took into consideration an analysis of different equivalence levels, the translation procedure and the estimation of psychometric parameters. The Polish version of the NSNS questionnaire was correctly completed by 787 patients making up 59.36% of the total number of patients who received the scale. RESULTS: The Polish version of the NSNS questionnaire was correctly completed by 787 patients making up 59.36% of the total number of patients who received the scale. Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.921 for the "experience" scale and 0.981 for the "satisfaction" scale. The values of Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were from 0.224 to 0.797 for "experience" and 0.815-0.894 for "satisfaction". All questionnaire items of the Polish NSNS version exerted a statistically significant influence on the total results of the scale (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The Polish NSNS version, similarly as the original version, can identify differences referring to "experience" and "satisfaction" with nursing care between the particular departments and between hospitals. The Polish NSNS version was conducted among patients during multicentre studies and it meets the criteria of functional, psychometric and façade equivalences.