Nurses' practices of children and family-centered care for chronically ill children: A cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: There is limited evidence of children and family-centered care (CFCC) practice in different cultural contexts, particularly regarding the factors that predict it among nurses providing care to chronically ill children. Also, the CFCC's impact on the quality of care has not been well studied. This study aimed to test a hypothesized model in which nurses' attributes and care environments predict CFCC, thereby increasing the quality of nursing care. DESIGN AND METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study recruited a convenience sample of 405 nurses caring for chronically ill children in Saudi Arabia for an online survey between February 2023 and August 2023. Structural Equation Modeling evaluated the hypothesized model. RESULTS: The hypothesized model fits the data based on the fit indices. Care environment affected CFCC (ß = 0.831, p = .000), while nursing attributes only indirectly affected CFCC practices through the mediating effect of the work environment (ß = 0.553, p = .000). The CFCC practices positively affect the quality of nursing care (ß = 0.636, p = .000). CONCLUSIONS: Nursing attributes impact the work environment, which affects the practice of CFCC and enhances the quality of care for chronically ill children. Investing in nurses' attributes and a positive work environment is crucial for nursing leaders to enhance CFCC practice and the quality of care. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The findings of this study can be used to shape policies and develop interventions to improve nursing CFCC practices and promote better quality of care for chronically ill children.

The Association between Cultural Competency, Structural Empowerment, and Effective Communication among Nurses in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Correlational Study.

This study aimed to examine the association between cultural competency, structural empowerment, and effective communication among nurses in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional correlational design was used. The study questionnaire utilized three scales: the Culture Competence Scale, Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II, and Communication Competency Assessment Scale. All the scales were culturally adapted and translated using an integrated method. The questionnaire was distributed through an online survey using a convenience sampling approach. Data were collected from 396 participants. The findings showed statistically significant association between cultural competency and effective communication (r = 0.747, p < 0.001) and between structural empowerment and cultural competency (r = −0.123, p = 0.014). Moreover, the overall model with effective communication and structural empowerment as predictors, controlling for nurses' nationality significantly explains 56% of the variance in cultural competency. Structural empowerment did not significantly predict cultural competency (b = −0.052, ß = −0.069, p < 0.052, 95% CI = [−0.104, −0.001]), while effective communication was found to be a significant positive independent predictor of cultural competency (b = 0.745, ß = 0.741, p < 0.001, 95% CI = [0.677, 0.811]). The findings underline the need to make effective communication courses mandatory in undergraduate nursing curricula. Healthcare systems should be built such that they support the empowerment of the nursing workforce from different nationalities and establish effective communication policies to enhance cultural competency among nurses. Future research in this area is needed to validate the result of this study.

Sexual Harassment and Mental Health of Female Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence and identify the correlates of sexual harassment among female healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among 432 female healthcare workers in both Arabic and English languages. The questionnaire consisted of five sections which included the sociodemographic characteristics, a sexual harassment survey, the Kessler distress scale, social support, and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Unadjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to identify the significant factors associated with harassment. Results Sexual harassment was reported by 15.5% of the participants, with verbal harassment being the most commonly reported (66%), followed by physical harassment (34%). Around three-fourths of harassment acts took place during the daytime, and 18% of the participants preferred to keep quiet about it. Moderate distress [2.38 (1.17, 4.84)] and severe distress [2.31 (1.09, 4.90)], feeling hopeless [2.86 (1.47, 5.57)] and feeling depressed [3.70 (1.62, 8.48)] were significantly associated with sexual harassment. Low self-esteem items, such as "I don't have good qualities" [4.78 (2.0, 11.43)], "don't have much to be proud of" [2.10 (1.22, 3.63)], "wish that I have more respect for myself" [2.30 (1.36, 3.90)], and "inclined to feel that I am a failure" [2.27 (1.24, 4.16)] were significantly associated with sexual harassment. Conclusions It is important for all employees to know about their rights and report all types of harassment acts. Counseling sexually harassed victims should focus on improving the self-esteem and mental distress of these women. Prevention of harassment against female healthcare workers can improve their mental health as well as their quality of work.