Designing and validating of a questionnaire measuring perceived self-care ability (PSCA) in chronic stroke patients at home.

BACKGROUND: Patients with a stroke often cannot care for themselves after hospital discharge. Assessment of their self-care ability is the first step in planning post-discharge home care. This study aimed to design and validate a measure of perceived self-care ability (PSCA) in stroke patients. METHODS: A sequential-exploratory mixed method was conducted in Tehran, Iran, in 2020-2021. The qualitative phase involved in-depth semi-structured interviews with 12 participants. Transcripts were content analyzed. The results guided the development of 81 items. psychometric properties such as face validity (Impact Score > 1.5), content validity ratio (CVR > 0.63), content validity index (Item Content Validity Index: ICVI > 0.78, Scale Content Validity Index/Average: SCVI/Ave > 0.8) and Kappa value (Kappa > 0.7), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.7), relative reliability (ICC: inter class correlation coefficient), absolute reliability (Standard Error of Measurement: SEM and Minimal Detectable Changes: MDC), convergent validity (Correlation Coefficient between 0.4-0.7), interpretability, responsiveness, feasibility, and ceiling and floor effects were assessed. RESULTS: Content analysis of the qualitative interviews yielded 5 major categories and 9 subcategories that reflected "Perceptual stability", "Cognitive fluctuations", "Sensory, Motor and Physical health"," The subjective nature" and "The dynamic nature" of PSCA. Results of face and content validity reduced the number of items to 32, capturing three dimensions of PSCA in chronic stroke patients; these dimensions included perceptual ability, threatened health status, and sensory, motor, and cognitive ability. The findings supported the reliability and validity of the measure. CONCLUSIONS: The PSCA questionnaire was developed and validated within the Iranian culture. It is useful in assessing the self-care of patients with stroke and in informing practice.

Culture of discrimination in healthcare: A grounded theory.

BACKGROUND: Discrimination in health care is an international challenge and a serious obstacle to justice and equality in health. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to design a grounded theory of discrimination in health care based on the experiences and perceptions of Iranian healthcare providers and patients. RESEARCH DESIGN: This qualitative study was conducted using by the grounded theory method. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 healthcare providers including 11 nurses, two physicians, two nurse's assistants, and three patients in two general hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Participants were selected through purposeful sampling and analyzed simultaneously using the Corbin and Strauss (2015) approach. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (Ethics code: IR.USWR.REC.1398.023). Also, after explaining the objectives of the study, all the participants completed and signed the written consent form. FINDINGS: The "culture of discrimination" was the study's core category, reflecting the nature of discrimination in health care. The theory of "culture of discrimination in health care" is the result of five main categories: "individual social stimuli," "culture of discrimination," "unintentional discrimination," "conflict with discrimination," and "dissatisfaction with discriminatory behavior." These categories cover the underlying factors, strategies, and outcomes of the discrimination process in health care. DISCUSSION: The results of the study showed that nurses and other health care providers experience unintentional discrimination. Unintentional discrimination refers to discriminatory behaviors and practices of health care providers. CONCLUSION: The theory of culture of discrimination in health care can be used as a practical guide to describe and understand the role of health care providers, especially nurses. Further studies with a quantitative approach to applying this theory in medical settings are recommended.

Assessment of psychometric properties of the modified experiences of teaching-learning questionnaire in Iranian nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Universities are in charge of training, educating, and preparing students for their future. Teaching and learning methods have a profound role in fulfilling this responsibility by universities. Examining teaching-learning experiences needs a proper tool to collect the information needed. The aim of this study was to collect validity evidence of the modified experiences of teaching-learning questionnaire (ETLQ) in Iranian nursing students. METHODS: The validation process was started by securing the required permissions from the designer of the tool. Then the tool was translated into Farsi using forward-backward method. After preparing a Farsi version of the tool, the content, response process, and internal structure assessment were checked and supported using qualified methods. To examine internal structure, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted for three sections of the scale with the participation of 278 nursing students. To examine the reliability of the tool, test-retest method was used and internal correlation was examined using Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: The EFA and CFA results confirmed the tool with three domains, seven factors and 33 items. The R2-index of the model was obtained equal to 0.99, which indicates that 99% of the changes in teaching-learning experiences are explained by the tool (33 items). The main indices in CFA were higher than 0.9, which indicates the goodness of fit of the model. Pearson correlation between the items and the subscales was significantly and directly related to the whole scale. Moreover, with Cronbach's alpha equal to 0.944 and test-retest result equal to 0.88, reliability of the Farsi version of modified ETLQ was supported. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the Farsi version of modified ETLQ had acceptable and applied indices to measure teaching-learning experiences in nursing students. The tool can be used as a valid tool in different fields of education in medical sciences.

Factors Influencing the Decision-making of Healthcare Providers Regarding the Transition of Patients from the Intensive Care Unit to the General Ward in Iran: A Qualitative Study.

Background: The process of making decisions to discharge patients from the intensive care unit (ICU) is very complex and risky, and decisions need to be made under time constraints and based on fair allocation of resources. In this situation, decision-making requires team participation, which is often accompanied by tension and conflict between team members and sometimes family members, which in turn affects patient safety and quality of care. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of physicians and nurses regarding the decision-making process in transition of patients from the ICU to the general ward. Materials and methods: This qualitative study was conducted based on purposive sampling among six nurses and six physicians in Governmental teaching hospitals. The data collection process was conducted from July 2018 to January 2019 through a semistructured interview. Interviews were transcribed and data analysis was accomplished according to the steps proposed by Graneheim and Lundman (2004). Results: Data analysis revealed six themes that reflected factors influencing decision-making in transition of patients from the ICU to the general ward: contingent decision-making, risky decision-making, lack of coherence in team decision-making, differences in clinical judgment, legal and ethical responsibility, and lack of clear criteria. Conclusion: The process of decision-making regarding patient transfer from the ICU is a complex and stressful one. It is affected by situations, team participation, clinical judgment skill, legal issues, and multifactorial challenges. To improve decision-making processes, we need to develop abilities and knowledge and design proper interventions to achieve a principled and correct decision-making process. How to cite this article: Ghorbanzadeh K, Ebadi A, Hosseini M, Maddah SSB, Khankeh H, Pishkhani MK, et al. Factors Influencing the Decision-making of Healthcare Providers Regarding the Transition of Patients from the Intensive Care Unit to the General Ward in Iran: A Qualitative Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(5):568-573.

Health care reform in Iran: Implications for nurses' moral distress, patient rights, satisfaction and turnover intention.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to assess the implications of Iran's recent health care reforms on nurses' experience of moral distress, their perceptions of the respect for patient rights and the relationship of these variables to job and income dissatisfaction and turnover intention. BACKGROUND: Health systems around the world are reforming themselves to adapt to meeting the future needs of increasing patient care to an ever-growing population. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional correlational study. The participants were 276 nurses at six large private and public hospitals in Tehran, Iran. FINDINGS: Negative correlations were reported between turnover intention and respecting patient rights (r = -0.560, p < 0.001), satisfaction with job (r = -0.710, p < 0.001) and satisfaction with income (r = -0.226, p < 0.001). The correlation between moral distress intensity (r = 0.626, p < 0.001) and frequency (r = 0.701, p < 0.001) was positive with turnover intention. CONCLUSIONS: Moral distress was significantly correlated to poor respect for patient rights, poor job satisfaction and income satisfaction and was a major predictor of turnover intention. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Health system reform must take into account the concomitant increasing workload and its negative impact in order to ensure that reform does not lead to unintentional detrimental outcomes of increased moral distress, decreased satisfaction and increased turnover rates among nursing personnel.

Exploring fair decision-making rules in nursing: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The decision-making process should be done according to a set of rules and principles so as to be fairly understood. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify the basic principles and rules used by nurses to understand justice in nurse managers' decision-making processes based on a procedural justice model. Research design and participants: This research was a qualitative study based on directed content analysis, which was performed on a group of 15 nurses working in different hospitals in Tehran, Iran. An in-depth semi-structured interview was used as the method of data collection for this study. Ethical consideration: This research has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences. The respondents were informed about the aim of the study, about voluntary participation, anonymity and confidentiality. FINDINGS: The results of this study showed that in order to understand procedural justice, nurses use several rules, including: duties organization, managerial support, consistency, bias-suppression, accuracy, correctability, representativeness, and ethicality. CONCLUSION: Nursing leaders must consider the importance of justice rules as one of many strategies to ensure the nurses' perception of fairness in decision-making processes.

Iranian nurses' experience of "being a wrongdoer": A phenomenological study.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety, which is a patient's right, can be threatened by nursing errors. Furthermore, nurses' feeling of "being a wrongdoer" in response to nursing errors can influence the quality of care they deliver. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: To explore the meaning of Iranian nurses' experience of "being a wrongdoer." RESEARCH DESIGN: A phenomenological approach was used to explore nurses' lived experiences. Nurses were recruited purposively to take part in semistructured interviews, and the data collected from these interviews were analyzed using Van Manen's thematic analysis. Participants and research context: Eight nurses working in three private or governmental hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Ethical consideration: The research design was approved in each participating hospital, and all interviews were carried out at a predetermined time in a private place. FINDINGS: Five themes were extracted from the data: "wandering in unpleasant feelings" (with two subthemes: "unpleasant physical feelings" and "unpleasant emotions"), "wandering in the conscience court" (with three subthemes: "being the accused," "being the victim," and "being the judge"), "being arrested in time," "time for change" (with three subthemes: "promoting accountability," "promoting learning," and "strengthening supportive relationships"), and "spiritual exercise." DISCUSSION: Some of our results are supported by the model of self-reconciliation and the recovery trajectory of "second victims" theory. CONCLUSION: The meaning of "being a wrongdoer" has positive and negative aspects. Feelings of wandering provide nurses the opportunity to reflect on and re-embrace the professional and moral responsibility of nursing. Nursing managers can convert their "defeats" into a prelude to learning, increase their accountability, and improve the quality of nursing care.

Experience of Spiritual Care in Cardiac Rehabilitation: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

The aim of the study was to explore the experience of spiritual care among a cardiac rehabilitation team. Spiritual care is an important dimension of providing comprehensive care, and understanding the views of health professionals is pivotal to making recommendations for caring. This study used an interpretive phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 13 cardiac rehabilitation professionals. Seven persons participated in individual interviews and six in focus group discussions. Data were analyzed using Smith and Osborn's interpretative phenomenological analysis method. Study data were categorized into more than 150 initial themes, 12 clustered and four superordinate themes, included: 'Helping patients to obtain a meaningful sense of being', 'Providing religious/spiritual focused care', 'holistic approach to rehabilitation is needed' and 'spirituality as a neglected aspect of rehabilitation'. Participants described that they did not have sufficient training in providing spiritual care. Nurses' awareness of spiritual care meaning among a cardiac rehabilitation team is helping to respond to rehabilitation care in a holistic approach. Helping patients to get a meaningful sense of being is an important part of assisting in recovery and adjustment following an acute cardiac event. Providing clear guidelines and support for providing spiritual care in cardiac rehabilitation is required.

Spinal cord injury due to road traffic accident in the pre-hospital phase: a grounded theory study in an Iranian context.

Introduction: Spinal cord injury is a devastating outcome for individuals and a major public health problem that leads to sensory, motor, and autonomic dysfunction and permanent disabilities. Thus, it is necessary to identify the causes of disability and injury both in the accident phase and in the post-accident phase. This study aimed to develop a theory based on which this complex environment can be discovered. Methods: This research was a grounded theory study with the constant comparative analysis recommended by Corbin and Strauss in 2015. Participants in this study included 24 Participants were selected from Rofideh Rehabilitation Hospital and Shahid Jalaeipour Spinal Cord Injury Center of Tehran city in 2020. A semi-structured interview with an interview guide was used for data collection. Purposeful sampling method was performed within 10 months until data saturation. Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used to assess the scientific accuracy and validity of the study. Findings: The results of interviews showed that "uncertainty" was identified as the most important concern of the injured people, and "trying to save the injured" was identified as the most important concern of the witnesses and families of the injured people. The main categories included "emotional interaction," "overwhelming anxiety," "the scene shock," "misunderstanding of the delay," "inadequate emergency service," and "insufficient understanding of the injury." Conclusion: In a traffic accident, uncertainty about the situation is the main concern of everyone at the crash scene, from pre-hospital emergency personnel, traffic police, and law enforcement officer to the patient's companions and other witnesses. Further research is needed to shed more light on this issue.

Factors associated with self-management in older adults with multiple chronic conditions: a qualitative study.

Background and purpose: Recognizing the importance of self-management in older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) is crucial for their quality of life. This qualitative study explored the factors linked to self-management among older adults with MCCs. Materials and methods: The present study was conducted in three stages: an integrated review, qualitative interviews, and Delphi. The search used electronic databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Magiran, SID, and Iranmedex. The results of 33 studies that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed using conventional content analysis. A data matrix was formed; and purposeful sampling was conducted among older adults with MCCs, family caregivers, and specialists. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis of 29 interviews was conducted simultaneously with data collection using oriented qualitative content analysis and the Elo and Kyngäs approach. Three rounds of Delphi were conducted via email correspondence with a group of 30 experts to develop and validate the proposed variables. Results: The factors that influence self-management can be categorized into various categories. Biological factors, cognitive factors, co-morbidities, socio-economic factors, health-related behaviors, mental health, interactions with healthcare teams, Family relationships, medical facility resources, employee empowerment, health policy development, and cultural influences. Conclusion: Self-management in older Iranian adults with MCCs is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. By identifying the relevant factors, it is possible to design operational plans that promote self-management among the older adult population and are tailored to fit the specific needs of Iranian society.

A scoping review of individual health responsibility: A context-base concept.

BACKGROUND: Individual health responsibility plays an important role in maintaining and improving people's health. There are controversial opinions related to this concept. This study aimed to investigate controversial opinions related to individual health responsibility and familiarize researchers and policy makers with the available evidence and gap of knowledge in the recent years. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This paper is a scoping review. The five-step approach of Arksey and O'Malley was used to review the relevant literature from the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2022. The search was done in the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, web of sciences, Cochrane databases, and Google Scholar search engine using the English keywords "health responsibility" AND "individual" OR "personal". RESULTS: All articles and theses related to individual health responsibility, which were in English and had access to their full text, were included in the study. After a 2-stage screening for 1,412 articles and theses, 32 were included in the study. The findings indicated that most of the studies were conducted in developed European continent. The published articles included a wide range of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research, and acute and chronic diseases have been considered in this field. CONCLUSION: Individual health responsibility is a multidimensional concept that is influenced by individual, social, and cultural factors, and emphasizing it can have both positive and negative effects on people's health. To the concept be effective in health promotion, it is important to pay attention to individual and social context, health status, and community and health policy makers views about individual health responsibility.

Life recovery after disasters: a qualitative study in the Iranian context.

INTRODUCTION: Planned and organized long-term rehabilitation services should be provided to victims of a disaster for social integration, economic self-sufficiency, and psychological health. There are few studies on recovery and rehabilitation issues in disaster situations. This study explores the disaster-related rehabilitation process. METHOD: This study was based on qualitative analysis. Participants included 18 individuals (eight male and ten female) with experience providing or receiving disaster health care or services. Participants were selected using purposeful sampling. Data were collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews. All interviews were transcribed and content analysis was performed based on qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The study explored three main concepts of recovery and rehabilitation after a disaster: 1) needs for health recovery; 2) intent to delegate responsibility; and 3) desire for a wide scope of social support. The participants of this study indicated that to provide comprehensive recovery services, important basic needs should be considered, including the need for physical rehabilitation, social rehabilitation, and livelihood health; the need for continuity of mental health care; and the need for family re-unification services. Providing social activation can help reintegrate affected people into the community. CONCLUSION: Effective rehabilitation care for disaster victims requires a clear definition of the rehabilitation process at different levels of the community. Involving a wide set of those most likely to be affected by the process provides a comprehensive, continuous, culturally sensitive, and family-centered plan.

Developing post-stroke psychometric properties for an Adherence to rehabilitation regimen scale: A sequential exploratory mixed-method study.

INTRODUCTION: Adherence to rehabilitation in patients post-stroke plays a significant role in the effectiveness of rehabilitation and patient recovery. This study aimed to design and determine the psychometric properties of a scale for measuring adherence to the rehabilitation regimen in patients post-stroke in the Iranian community. METHODS: The present study used a sequential exploratory mixed method and was conducted in two phases (phase one qualitative and phase two quantitative). Participants in the first phase were patients post-stroke, caregivers, and rehabilitation team members (n=20). The second phase was conducted on patients post-stroke (n=198), and the psychometric steps, including face, content, and construct validity, as well as reliability, were assessed. RESULTS: The Adherence to Rehabilitation Regimen Scale (ARRS)was designed with 26 items and four factors of participation: 1) physical exercises, 2) following prescribed regimens, 3) performing the activities of daily living, and 4) psychological follow-up. The internal consistency was 0.96 by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The Interclass Correlation Coefficient was 0.99 with a confidence interval of 0.96-0.99. CONCLUSION: The scale measuring adherence to the rehabilitation regimen in patients post-stroke has optimal psychometric properties. Therefore, as the first specific scale to measure the degree of rehabilitation regimen adherence in patients post-stroke, this tool may be beneficial for other rehabilitation programs interested in managing and improving program adherence.

Nurses' experiences of discrimination in health care: A qualitative study in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Justice in health is one of the main concerns of health organizations, and discrimination in health care is one of the negative outcomes to achieving this goal. Hence, a full understanding of the phenomenon of discrimination in health care and adopting strategies to eliminate it is necessary. The present study was conducted to explore and describe the experiences of nurses of discrimination in health care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present qualitative content analysis study was conducted between 2019 and 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 participants (two physicians, three nursing supervisors, two head nurses, four clinical nurses, two nursing assistants, and three hospitalized patients) in one public and one private hospital in the city of Tehran. The participants were selected by purposive sampling, which continued until saturation of data. Data obtained were analyzed using the Graneheim and Lundman method. RESULTS: Four main categories and 14 subcategories were extracted from data analysis: 1) habitual discrimination (everyday discrimination in health centers, ignoring patient rights, low levels of trust in medical staff); 2) interpersonal relationships (expectations of associates, respect for colleagues and friends, the possibility of the occurrence of similar situations, reciprocating people's favors); 3) shortage of health-care resources (shortage of medical equipment, heavy workload, infrastructure of medical centers, lack of access to physicians); and 4) favoritism (ethnicity, favoritism as a common method, and favoritism as the ultimate solution to treatment problems). CONCLUSION: The present study revealed certain dimensions of discrimination in health care that remain hidden in many quantitative studies. It appears that health system managers will be able to move toward eliminating discrimination in health care. Thus, designing effective models to reduce discrimination in health care based on the underlying concepts of this study is recommended.

Factors influencing support provision to the family caregivers of elderly patients with cancer: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: Family caregivers (FCs) play a significant role in providing care to elderly patients with cancer (PWC). Meanwhile, they face a wide range of challenges and are considered hidden patients who require special attention and support. Nonetheless, they do not receive adequate support. This study aimed at exploring the factors influencing support provision to the FCs of elderly PWC. METHOD: This descriptive qualitative study was conducted in 2020-2022. Thirty-one FCs and family members of elderly PWC and healthcare providers were purposefully recruited from various healthcare centers in Tehran, Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis approach. Trustworthiness was ensured through Lincoln and Guba's criteria. RESULTS: Factors influencing support provision to the FCs of elderly PWC came into three main categories, namely the potential for supporting elderly PWC and FCs, complexity of family and social support, and support-related challenges of the healthcare system. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying the factors influencing support provision to the FCs of elderly PWC can assist healthcare policymakers and authorities in developing more effective strategies to support these groups.

Nursing Care Challenges of Child Violence Victims: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Violence against children is a serious global phenomenon. The severity of the injuries caused due to violence toward a child is sometimes so great that it sends them to the hospital. Nurses have the first contact with Child Violence Victims (CVVs). These nurses experience different challenges. This study was aimed at exploring nurses' experiences of challenges in care provision to CVVs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This conventional content analysis and qualitative study was conducted in 2018-2019. Using a purposive sampling method, 17 nurses with experience in care delivery to CVVs were recruited from among those working in Children's Medical Center, Tehran, Iran, and Bu-Ali Subspecialty Hospital, Ardabil, Iran. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the required data. Data were analyzed through the conventional content analysis method. RESULTS: During data analysis, the 3 main categories of role conflict, lack of continuity of care, and emotional resentment and 9 subcategories were identified. Nurses experience challenges in care provision to CVVs. They do not have enough knowledge about CVVs, are unable to maintain the continuity of care, and experience role conflicts and emotional resentment. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses experience some difficulties and challenges in the process of care delivery to CVVs. They tried to overcome emotional resentment, different conflicts, and concerns about the lack of continuity of care without adequate support and resources. Thus, planning to support nurses in this regard seems essential.

Justice and unintentional discrimination in health care: A qualitative content analysis.

BACKGROUND: Discrimination in health care is a common phenomenon whose complete understanding has always been a major concern of health-care systems to control and reduce it. This study aimed to explore the experiences of unintentional discrimination and related factors in health-care providers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted with a content analysis approach in 2019. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 health-care providers including two physicians, three nursing supervisors, two head nurses, four staff nurses, and two nurse aides in two general hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Participants were selected through purposeful sampling. The obtained data were analyzed by Graneheim and Lundman method. RESULTS: Three main categories and eight subcategories were obtained from the data analysis: (1) forced discrimination (superiors' pressures and executive orders, occupational concerns, and fear of the superiors); (2) guided discrimination (professional challenges, managers' policymaking, and lack of medical ethics knowledge); and (3) lack of resources (workforce shortage and lack of medical equipment). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that health-care providers such as doctors and nurses are unintentionally forced to provide discriminatory care on some occasions. Knowing and managing these unwanted factors can partly counteract unintentional discrimination. Thus, preventing the factors that lead to superiors' pressures and occupational forces and improving the medical ethics knowledge should be considered by health-care managers.

Confusion at the beginning of sexual intercourse, the challenge of patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery in Iran: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Many patients suffer from sexual dysfunction after coronary artery bypass graft surgery, but they refuse to propose and follow up on the problem due to the cultural structures prevailing in Iranian society. Untreated sexual dysfunction will disturb the quality of life of these patients. This study was performed to explain the experiences of male patients from sexual problems after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study was performed with the approach of conventional content analysis in Tehran in 2020. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 men after coronary artery bypass graft surgery at the hospital's cardiac surgery clinic, as well as the surgeon's clinic. Participants were selected by the targeted sampling method. After obtaining informed consent, the collected data were written word by word, and the content analysis approach was used to name the data, create analytical codes, and determine subcategories and categories. The data were analyzed by MAXQDA 10 software. RESULTS: The findings of this study show that the dimensions of confusion in patients' sexual intercourse after coronary artery bypass graft surgery in four subcategories of challenges of the first intercourse after surgery, ambiguity in how to obtain information, the ambiguity of sexual issues after surgery, and spouse are concerned about having sexual intercourse. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that male patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery have many ambiguities in the process of sexual intercourse, which passes the beginning of sexual intercourse with fear and avoidance of intercourse. Postoperative patients do not propose these problems with the medical staff when they suffer from sexual dysfunction or ambiguity due to the taboo of talking about sexual intercourse. Eventually, the patient and his or her partner become confused about sexual intercourse after surgery. Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers in the field of health create the culture and planning for solving the ambiguities created in the path of sexual intercourse of these patients.

Exploring Facilitators of Regaining Autonomy in People with Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: One of the most important aims of rehabilitation in Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) is regaining autonomy, which can affect individuals' Quality of Life (QOL). This study was conducted to understand the experiences of individuals with SCI in terms of regaining autonomy during transition from hospital to community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was conducted using a qualitative research design. In this study, 15 semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals with SCI in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Association of Arak, Iran, from June 2018 to May 2019. The interviews were analyzed using the conventional content analysis method. RESULTS: Data analysis emerged four core categories of "self-management" (adaptation to a new life, self-care, responsibility, and seeking information), "social support" (family and friends' support, health care providers' support, and peer support), "access to facilities and resources" (home modification, use of various rehabilitation techniques, and use of mobility equipment), and "spiritual and religious beliefs" (believing in divine destiny and performance of religious rites). CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that several factors influenced the regaining of autonomy in individuals with SCI. It is important to consider the impact of these factors during transition from hospital to community. Health service providers can use the findings of this research to help these individuals regain their autonomy.

Challenges of the patient transition process from the intensive care unit: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The transition of patients from the intensive care unit (ICU) to the general ward is challenging. This study aimed to explain the challenges that patients face during the transition process. METHODS: In this qualitative research of conventional content analysis, data collection was conducted between February 2018 and July 2019 in educational hospitals. After obtaining informed consent, purposive sampling was performed with 22 nurses, intensive care physicians, anesthesiologists, and patients and their families using in-depth semi-structured interviews until data saturation. RESULTS: The content analysis yielded three main themes in the challenges patients face during the transition process from the ICU: mixed feelings regarding transition (happiness/hope, worry/uncertainty, abandonment); care break (different atmosphere, the difference between the program and the quality of care, assigning care to the patient and family, and care culture and beliefs); and search for support and information (ineffective communication, self-care capacity of patient and family, ineffective and disrupted training, and weak follow-up programs), which inflicts care shock in the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that patients and their families were in a state of care shock during the ICU transition process and were sometimes disconcerted. It is necessary to design and implement care models according to the needs and challenges patients face during the transition period from ICU (patient-centered), based on the evidence available, and after considering the field of medicine and the accessibility of care in the country. The transition process can be improved and enhanced by obtaining knowledge about ICU care and related challenges as well as organizing a learning environment.