The relationship between nurses' risk assessment and management, fear perception, and mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.

During this pandemic, it is crucial to implement early interventions to help nurses manage their mental wellbeing by providing them with information regarding coping skills, preventive risk assessment approaches (such as hospital preparedness and rapid risk assessment), and the ability to respond. This study evaluated the effect of fear and risk assessment management on nurses' mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. A total of 507 nurses who worked in tertiary public hospitals were asked to take a descriptive design survey. Three survey scales were used to assess the survey: the Risk Assessment Scale, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. Independent t-tests and a one-way ANOVA were used to examine the association between fear of COVID-19 and nurses' demographic characteristics on their mental wellbeing. A multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the predictors associated with mental wellbeing. Findings revealed that almost half of the participants showed moderate positive mental wellbeing, 49.7%, while only 14% had low levels of fear on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well being Scale. Most of the respondents had low levels of fear on the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, 45%, while only 15% had high levels of fear on the scale. Then, some demographic variables, such as "age," "nationality," "total years of experience in the current hospital," and "region you work at" had statistically significant differences with p < 0.5. Meanwhile, risk assessment is also associated with mental wellbeing scores. All items on the Fear of COVID-19 Scale showed no significant difference with a P > 0.05. In conclusion, most nurses providing direct patient care to a patient with COVID-19 emphasized the importance of wearing PPE and performing hand hygiene before and after any clean or aseptic procedure. Meanwhile, although almost all nurses were vaccinated, they were still afraid of a COVID-19 infection. Additionally, the results reported that the older the nurses are, the better their mental wellbeing scores. Non-Saudi nurses had higher perceived mental wellbeing scores than Saudi nurses, and different working environments corresponded to different mental wellbeing scores. Finally, nurses' risk assessment was associated with mental wellbeing scores.

Interobserver variability in ultrasound assessment of thyroid nodules.

The first diagnostic tool for thyroid disease management is ultrasound. Despite its importance, ultrasound is an extremely subjective procedure that requires a high level of performance skill. Few studies have assessed thyroid ultrasound performance and its effectiveness, particularly the variability between observers in the assessment of ultrasound images. This study evaluated the variability in ultrasound assessments and diagnoses of thyroid nodules between 2 radiologists. In this retrospective study, 75 thyroid nodules in 39 patients were reviewed by 2 experienced radiologists. The nodule composition, margin, shape, calcification, and vasculitis were determined using echogenicity. The study evaluation included these 5 assessments and the final diagnosis. Interobserver variation was determined using Cohen kappa statistics. The interobserver agreements in the interpretation of echogenicity, shape, and margin were fair (κ = 0.21-0.40), whereas there were substantial agreements for vascularity and calcification (κ = 0.62-0.78). The agreements between the observers for individual ultrasound features in this study were the highest for vascularity and the presence/absence of calcification. The interobserver reproducibility for thyroid nodule ultrasound reporting was adequate, but the diagnostic evaluation ability of the observers was inconsistent. The variability in the interpretation of sonographic features could influence the level of suspicion of thyroid malignancy. This study emphasizes the need for consistency in the training of sonographic interpretation of thyroid nodules, particularly for echogenicity, shape, and margin.

Barriers of physical assessment skills among nursing students in Arab Peninsula.

OBJECTIVE: There is a growing demand for health-care nursing services in several health care institutions. Understanding barriers to physical assessment among nursing students create a more detailed assessment in the development of quality patient's care in nursing practice. This study examined the barriers to physical assessment skills among nursing students in a government university in Arab Peninsula. METHODS: A cross-sectional research survey design of 206 nursing students using a standardized questionnaire was used. The questionnaire is composed of 7 subscales in evaluating the barriers to physical assessment skills between the classroom and clinical setting. Independent Samples t-test was used in comparing the gender mean of the nursing students about the barriers to physical assessment. Paired t-test was also used in determining the differences between perceived barriers to physical assessment in the classroom and clinical setting. RESULTS: Subscale "reliance on others and technology," ward culture, "lack of influence on patient care" have significant differences between perceived barriers in physical assessment among classroom settings and clinical setting. CONCLUSION: Although nursing students were oriented and educated about physical assessment in the nursing curriculum, this is not often practiced in clinical settings. The point that is if nursing students are incorrectly performing the patient assessment, then no amount of critical thinking could lead to better clinical decisions. Continuous exposure and enhancing the quality of planning and promotion of the nursing students could develop necessary skills. In addition, increasing self-confidence is vital to assess the patient's health status effectively and minimize the barriers to performing the physical assessment.

Assessment of pain. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of health care providers in Almadinah Almunawwarah, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: To present data on knowledge and attitudes toward pain assessment among health care providers in Almadinah Almunawwarah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This exploratory study required at least 100 participants to attain an effect size of 0.2 or larger. A convenience sample was recruited from the major hospitals in Almadinah Almunawwarah, Saudi Arabia; King Fahad Hospital, Ohud Hospital, Alansar Hospital, Almeqat Hospital, and the Maternity Hospital. Data collection occurred between January and April 2014. Knowledge of pain assessment was examined by administering the Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain. RESULTS: Data from 105 participants was collected. Seventy-three participants scored 44% or below (69.5%), and 32 participants scored 45% and above (30.5%). Additionally, only 6 participants (5.7%) scored above 60%. There were significant differences between male and female scores (p=0.05), physicians` and nurses` scores (p=0.001), and level of education (p=0.009). There were no significant differences in the passing scores across means of nationality, the department where participants worked, years of experience, and age of participants. CONCLUSION: There is a deficit in pain assessment knowledge, and pain management in the study group. Continuous education on pain assessment is required to increase the health care providers` knowledge, and enhance their practices regarding pain assessment and treatment.