Perceived problem solving skill of Iranian nursing students

Background: Today's nursing graduates value ability to creatively solve problems and make decisions, as these skills assist them with recognizing and evaluating situations that require prompt attention. This study aimed to determine and compare nursing student's perceived levels of own problem solving skills in various years of their 4-year program

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. All undergaraduate nursing students [350] included in this study. A total of 322 undergraduate nursing students participated in this study. The study setting was Nursing School of Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The problem solving inventory [PSI], a widely used measure to assess one's perceived ability, was used for data collection. Low scores indicated the strong judgment ability and high scores a weak judgment ability. Students involved in the study signed the informed consent forms

Results: Findings showed that the mean score of total problem solving skill was 89.52 +/- 21.58. The mean score of this skill in fourth year students [84.18 +/- 27.47] was less than other students i.e. the fourth year [senior] students judged their own problem solving abilities stronger than other students

Conclusion: Educating should help students reach the high levels of problem solving skills by allowing them to acquire and practice these abilities in the field. Nursing students with advanced problem solving skills are essential for this changing society

Relapse model among Iranian drug users: a qualitative study

Relapse is a common problem in drug user's rehabilitation program and reported in all over the country. An in-depth study on patients' experiences can be used for exploring the relapse process among drug users. Therefore, this study suggests a model for relapse process among Iranian drug users. In this qualitative study with grounded theory approach, 22 participants with rich information about the phenomenon under the study were selected using purposive, snowball and theoretical sampling methods. After obtaining the informed consent, data were collected based on face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews. All interviews were analyzed in three stages of axial, selective and open coding methods. Nine main categories emerged, including avoiding of drugs, concerns about being accepted, family atmosphere, social conditions, mental challenge, self-management, self-deception, use and remorse and a main category, feeling of loss as the core variable. Mental challenge has two subcategories, evoking pleasure and craving. Relapse model is a dynamic and systematic process including from cycles of drug avoidance to remorse with a core variable as feeling of loss. Relapse process is a dynamic and systematic process that needs an effective control. Determining a relapse model as a clear process could be helpful in clinical sessions. Results of this research have depicted relapse process among Iranian drugs user by conceptual model

Relapse experience in Iranian opiate users: a qualitative study

To understand the relapse process, it is required to notice the clients learned behaviors and environmental contexts. We aimed to explore and describe relapse experiences of Iranian drug users. This is a grounded theory study and twenty two participants were selected using purposive sampling, snowball and theoretical sampling. After obtaining written informed consent, data gathering was done by means of in-depth semi-structured interviews. According to Strauss and Corbin three phases of open coding, axial coding and selection coding were done for qualitative analysis and continuous comparison. During the research period Guba and Lincoln criteria were used to be reassured of the accuracy and rigor of the study findings. The main categories of this study were craving and conflict, family stress and psychological indicators of relapse that emerged in three phases including recovery, tension and pre-relapse. High anxiety, withdrawal, rationalization and lying were the most common symptoms. Family reactions and social conditions play a key role in relapse. Relapse process is an active and multidimensional event in which the clients experience a psychosocial status continuum from recovery to relapse. Most psychological problems are seen in the tension phase

[Effect of coping skills training on quality of life among parents of children with leukemia]

Cancer is the most common childhood chronic medical illnesses that can affect quality of life of the children and their families. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of coping skills training on quality of life among parents of children with leukemia. This non-randomized clinical trial was conducted from March to June 2013. Ninety eight parents of children with leukemia who were referred to two selected hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences were enrolled to study using convenience sampling method. The participants were allocated to two experimental [n=48] and control [n=50] groups. Data were collected through two questionnaires including demographic characteristics of the parents and children, and the Persian version of the Caregivers Quality Of Life index Cancer. Coping skills training including social communication skills was performed through small group discussion [5-8 members] in four 2-hours sessions for the experimental group. The questionnaires were completed four weeks after the intervention by the parents. Data were analyzed using the independent /-test, paired /-test, Fisher's exact test and Chi-squared test in the SPSS-16. The results showed significant increase in the overall quality of life after the intervention [P<0.001]. The quality of life of parents in the experimental group was improved significantly in comparison with the control group [P=0.045]. Mental/emotional burden [P=0.001] and lifestyle disruption [P<0.001] decreased significantly after the intervention. The coping skills training affected the quality of life among parents of children with leukemia. Effective educational interventions may help to increase the quality of life of parents who have children with Leukemia

[Relationship between problem solving and assertiveness skills among nursing students]

The nature of clinical practice has altered in recent years. It has been affected by different kinds of problem-solving models' so, the problem-solving skill is necessary in practice for nurse practitioners. Besides assertiveness is a critical element which persuades nurses and nursing students to establish good relationships and use their knowledge and professional skills effectively. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between problem solving and assertiveness skills among undergraduate nursing students. This was a descriptive correlational study. The study was carried out in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Iran University of Medical Sciences. The study population included all students enrolled in the four-year nursing program in 2009-2010. Data were collected using the Heppner and Petersen's problem solving inventory and Rathus assertiveness schedule. Data were analyzed using the ANOVA, independent sample t-test and Pearson Correlation Coefficient tests in the SPSS. Three hundred and twenty two students participated in this study. The students' problem-solving skill [mean=89.5] and assertiveness [mean=12.1] were moderate. The study showed that last year students reported higher assertiveness skill than the freshmen [F=2.85 P<0.037]. The level of assertiveness was correlated with the level of problem-solving skill. Educational programs should provide opportunities for nursing students to enhance life skills such as problem solving and assertiveness skills. Nursing schools should improve students' skills in clinical approaches to be better care professional

Relationship between perceived stress with resilience among undergraduate nursing students

The effect of perceived stress on students' health depends on their coping abilities. Resilience is a coping strategy for dealing with the stress. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the perceived stress with resilience in undergraduate nursing students. In this cross-sectional study, 309 undergraduate nursing students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences were selected during the first semester of 2012-2013 using the stratified sampling method. Data were collected using the Perceived stress scale and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale [CD-RISC]. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in the SPSS-14. Findings revealed that most of the students [99.3%] had a moderate or high perceived stress. There was a statistically significant relationship between the perceived stress with the resilience [P<0.001,r=-0.38]. The school of nursing should provide facilities and opportunities for students in their 4-year educational program to learn stress management strategies including increasing resilience ability

[Effectiveness of informational support on anxiety among family carers of patients undergone open heart surgery]

Hospitalization of patients in the intensive care unit of open heart surgery [ICUOH] is often stressful for patients' family carers. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the informational support on anxiety among families of patients undergone open heart surgery. In this double-group randomized clinical trial, 64 family carers of patients undergone open heart surgery were selected using convenience sampling method and were randomly allocated into two intervention or control groups. The informational support consisted of holding the ICU orientation tours and educational sessions, and providing educational pamphlets and booklets. The members of the control group received routin information. The anxiety of the family carers was measured using the trait Spielberger anxiety questionnaire before surgery and in the day of discharge from the ICU. Independent and paired t-tests were used to analyze the data. According to the findings, there were no significant difference between the two groups regarding demographic charachteristics. At the baseline, the mean of anxiety scores were 47.9 +/- 11.5 and 49.2 +/- 11.5 in the control and intervetion groups, respectively. The anxiety scores diminished in both groups after the surgery, however, the difference was not statistically significant between the two groups [P=0.18]. For effective control of anxiety among family members of patients, both informational support and other supportive techniques such as psychological support and meeting other family needs should be considered

[Stress coping styles among nursing students]

Nursing students usually experience various types of stress. Lack of stress coping strategies result in more stress, incompatibility, manifestation of disorders, and mental health problems. This study carried out to assess the methods of coping with stress among nursing students. In this cross-sectional study, 358 male and female bachelor of nursing students studying at Tehran University of Medical Sciences during the first semester of 2011-2012 were selected. Data were collected using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situation and a demographic questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in the SPSS-14. There were 66.2% female and 33.8% male students in the study. The age of the students ranged 17-29 years. Most of the students aged 20-22 years [45%], were single [90.8%], were habitants of Tehran [53.1%], had an average economic status [72.1%], and were employed [20.9%]. Of all, 19.3% had experienced stressful events in the last three months. A small number of the students [4.7%] suffered from chronic diseases. The nursing students mostly used problem-oriented coping style [56%]. The emotion-oriented method was used among 45.99% of the students and the avoidance-oriented style was used among 39.34% of the students. There were no statistically significant relationship between the coping styles and the demographic characteristics. The problem-oriented, emotion-oriented, and avoidance-oriented styles were the most frequent styles used by the students, respectively. The mental health, particularly among nursing students who deal with patients and have important role in the health system, is important and requires special attention. The stress coping styles should be inserted in the educational curriculum of the nursing schools

model of patient participation with chronic disease in nursing care

Chronic diseases are one of the greatest challenges that health systems facing with them today. Recently, patient participation is considered as a key element in chronic care models. However, there are few studies about participation of patients with chronic disease in caring activities. The aim of this study was to identify the factors, which are relevant to patient participation and the nature of participation in caring activities. A qualitative approach with a basic theory method was used in this study. 22 persons including 9 patients, 8 nurses, and 5 family members were recruited using purposeful and theoretical sampling in three hospitals affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected with semi-structured interview and participant observation. Constant comparison was used for data analysis. Findings of this study indicated that participation of patients with chronic disease in nursing care is a dynamic and interactive concept that occurs between nurse, patient and family member in a care-servicing system. The core theme of this study was [convergence of caring agents] that included four categories: adhering, involving, sharing and true participation. This study suggests a pyramid model for explaining patient participation. Participation occurs in different levels, which depends on the factors related to caring agents