Social participation, positive affect, and negative affect in postoperative patients with hip fractures: A cross-sectional study.

This study investigated the social participation, positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA) of patients with hip fractures after surgery and determined their possible predictive factors. We used a cross-sectional study design to recruit 154 participants with hip fractures post-surgery. Assessment tools included the Barthel Index, the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire, the Assessment of Life Habits, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Patients with better functioning in daily living activities experienced more social participation, higher PA, and lower NA. Patients with more positive automatic thoughts experienced more social participation and higher PA. Patients with more negative automatic thoughts experienced more social participation, lower PA, and higher NA. Early rehabilitation and psychosocial interventions should be provided for postoperative hip fracture patients to improve their activities of daily living and emotional well-being.

The life experiences of women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: A qualitative phenomenological study.

AIM: To explore the life experiences of women with interstitial cystitis. DESIGN: A qualitative phenomenological study. METHODS: Fifteen women with interstitial cystitis were recruited from a regional hospital in Taiwan using purposive sampling. Data were collected via one-on-one semistructured interviews and analysed using the Colaizzi's method. Rigorous testing was conducted to identify the themes and subthemes. RESULTS: Four major themes were identified: torment, restriction, acceptance and empowerment. These themes reflect the life experiences of women with interstitial cystitis. They endured unrelenting physical and psychological distress and loneliness, experienced obstacles and limitations in daily living because of their symptoms, accepted reality and considered their symptoms as a part of everyday life and developed coping skills for the disease. CONCLUSION: Medical care, psychological support and emotional venting are crucial for women with interstitial cystitis. Despite living a life full of frustrations and suffering caused by the unpredictable and unrelenting nature of interstitial cystitis, through external support and intrinsic positive cognitive reconstruction, women with interstitial cystitis gradually accepted that they were ill. They adapted to their situation, developed a suitable lifestyle and pace and ultimately achieved stable coexistence with the disease. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE: Although women with interstitial cystitis are affected by an incurable disease, through adequate assistance and reconstruction of perception, they can develop coping skills and stably coexist with their disease. There is a delicate dynamic balance between their lives and disease. IMPACT: This study may help clinicians to understand patients' life experiences and provide suitable care. This may improve the quality of care provided to women with interstitial cystitis and help them adapt to their disease, thereby improving their life satisfaction. REPORTING METHOD: This study was reported according to the COREQ checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Women with interstitial cystitis contributed to the study data.

First-year experience of transitioning from registered nurse to nurse practitioner.

BACKGROUND: Transitioning to advanced practice, novice nurse practitioners need to take on new roles, learn new practice areas, and develop new skills. This process requires breaking old practices and work habits and facing new challenges. PURPOSE: To explore the nature of nurse practitioners' work experiences during the first year of transition from registered nurse to nurse practitioner. METHODS: This qualitative study was based on Husserl's phenomenological methodology. A purposive sample of 16 first-year nurse practitioners was recruited. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed by thematic content analysis. The approaches of Lincoln & Guba were applied to improve the validity of the study. RESULTS: Results showed that the first-year experience of transitioning from registered nurse to nurse practitioner fell into two overarching themes: challenge and adjustment. The challenge consists of five subthemes: "facing the expectation-reality gap," "managing others' expectations," "striving to acquire professional skills," "handling situational variability," and "bearing emotional burdens" subthemes. The adjustment includes five subthemes: "finding resources," "gaining experiences," "building relationships," "relieving stress," and "overcoming obstacles." IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Novice nurse practitioners face many challenges as they adjust to a new role during their first year on the job. New nurse practitioners develop coping strategies to help themselves adjust to their work. They also gradually gain new resources and experiences to help them stay positive in stressful situations and restore work-life balance. The challenges of transitioning from a registered nurse to a nurse practitioner cannot be overlooked. Novice nurse practitioners need appropriate support measures to adapt to advanced practice roles.

Psychological Processes of Postpartum Mothers with Newborns Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

PURPOSE: This research aims to explore the psychological processes of postpartum mothers during the admission of their newborns to the intensive care unit. It is hoped that the findings from this study will serve as a reference for clinical medical staff in providing individual and holistic patient care. METHODS: Using grounded theory methodology, we collected data through semistructured, one-to-one in-depth interviews. When data saturation occurred, 12 participants were involved through the constant comparative analysis process. RESULTS: The psychological processes consisted of a core category and three main categories. The core category was "worrying about the baby and striving to fulfill maternal responsibilities." The three main categories were as follows: "impact on the maternal role," "recognition of the maternal identity," and "exhibition of maternal role." The entire process may be affected by intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as breast milk supply, timing of skin-to-skin contact, seriousness of the newborn's health conditions, the support system, and the style of postpartum confinement care. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that the neonatal intensive care unit should adopt family-centered care, taking an initiative to empathize and care for the mother, assisting skin-to-skin contact for the mother and baby as soon as possible, maintaining established breastfeeding, providing the correct concept of postpartum care, and encouraging participation in support groups. These activities can reduce the impact of the situation on the maternal role and improve maternal identity recognition.

Prevalence of depression and its related factors among older adults in Indonesian nursing homes.

Background: Depression is one of the most severe mental disorders experienced by older adults worldwide. The prevalence of depression among older adults in nursing homes is three-time higher than in the community. Therefore, knowing the incident rates of depression and its related factors would help provide appropriate intervention and prevention programs in the future. Objectives: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and compare the difference in depression status according to the sociodemographic characteristic of the older adults in the Indonesian nursing homes. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used in this study, which involved 116 participants selected using convenience sampling from five different general nursing homes in Bandung City, Indonesia. The Short Form (SF) of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to evaluate depression among older adults in nursing homes. The t-test and one-way ANOVA were used for data analysis. Results: Of the total participants, 56.9% had depression, which 7.8% with mild depression, 37.1% with moderate depression, and 12% with severe depression. In addition, there were significant differences in depression according to age, gender, marital status, educational background, ethnicity, disease history, duration of stay, and the visitor frequency among the older adults in nursing homes (p <.001). Conclusion: A high rate of depression among older adults in Indonesian nursing homes was identified. Therefore, attention to caring for more specific needs, such as the psychosocial needs of older adults in nursing homes, is urgent.

Self-care Experiences of Advanced Prostate Cancer Survivors Who Underwent Androgen Deprivation Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Androgen deprivation therapy is the primary treatment for advanced cases of prostate cancer, but its adverse effects may decrease prostate cancer survivors' quality of life. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand the self-care experiences of prostate cancer survivors before and while receiving androgen deprivation therapy. METHODS: A qualitative study design with inductive content analysis was used. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 prostate cancer survivors in Taiwan treated with androgen deprivation therapy. Data collection and analysis proceeded simultaneously until data saturation was reached. RESULTS: The survivors' self-care experiences were categorized into generic categories: physical impacts, psychosocial impacts, lack of supporting information, changing lifestyle habits, coping with physical symptoms, relieving stress, and acquiring disease-related knowledge. These generic categories were then organized into 2 main categories: impacts and adjustments. CONCLUSIONS: This article describes the experiences of prostate cancer survivors in terms of the impacts of disease and its treatment and adjustments in self-care before and while receiving treatment. It was found that the information acquired by survivors and the adjustment strategies they used were not entirely appropriate or adequate. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Healthcare providers should continually assess the self-care experiences of prostate cancer survivors receiving androgen deprivation therapy, provide them with appropriate information, and clarify their understanding. This will improve survivors' disease care-related knowledge, increase the success of their experience of self-care, alleviate their emotional distress, and strengthen their ability to adjust their self-care to cope with the impacts of the disease and its treatment.

Exercise Experiences of Older Adults with Diabetes and Sarcopenia: A Phenomenological Study.

Sarcopenia is a common and progressive skeletal muscle condition, often described as an intermediate stage in the development of frailty and disability in patients with diabetes. This can be improved through physical activity and exercise. This descriptive phenomenological study explored the exercise experiences of older adults with diabetes and sarcopenia. Individual interviews were conducted following semi-structured interview guidelines, and narratives were analyzed using Giorgi's method. Data saturation was achieved after interviewing 14 purposively sampled older patients with diabetes and sarcopenia. The study identified three main themes: encountering difficulty during exercise, recognizing the advantages of exercise, and constructing a suitable exercise model. While older adults with diabetes and sarcopenia may encounter difficulty during exercise, they also experience positive feedback from exercise. Understanding the limitations of older adults, individualizing exercise models based on their exercise experiences, and providing appropriate interventions and necessary emotional support can effectively prevent diabetes and sarcopenia.

Experiences of Losing Bowel Control After Lower Anterior Resection With Sphincter Saving Surgery for Rectal Cancer: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Rectal cancer patients who have undergone lower anterior resection with sphincter-saving surgery often experience loss of bowel control. We currently do not have suitable treatment regimens for such patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of losing bowel control in patients who have undergone lower anterior resection with sphincter-saving surgery for rectal cancer in Taiwan. METHODS: A descriptive phenomenological study design was adopted. Purposive sampling and one-on-one semistructured interviews were conducted for data collection. Narratives were analyzed using Colaizzi's method. RESULTS: Data saturation was achieved after interviewing 12 patients (8 men, 4 women) whose average age was 61 years. Three themes and 11 subthemes emerged: physical problems (pain from broken perianal skin, insomnia, decreased physical strength, and body weight loss), adverse psychological reactions (worries, helplessness, and social isolation), and the use of coping strategies (avoidance of inappropriate foods to reduce bowel irritation and peristalsis, reduction of food intake, and use of antidiarrheal drugs and perianal skincare products). CONCLUSION: The study supports the importance of having a good understanding of patient experiences by healthcare professionals to provide more effective healthcare. Furthermore, awareness of the cultural issue of social isolation was deemed important for providing individualized healthcare. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Education, counseling, and psychological support can enhance patients' abilities to use coping strategies to overcome the physical and mental challenges of bowel symptoms. For example, appropriate diet-related education programs must be developed to reduce the trial-and-error learning process commonly adopted by patients to identify inappropriate foods.

Factors related to changes in resilience and distress in women with endometrial cancer.

The purpose of the study is to explore changes in resilience and physical and psychological distress and their related factors over time in women with endometrial cancer. This study adopted a repeated measures design using purposive sampling and was conducted in a hospital in Taiwan. Data were collected before surgery, 2 weeks after surgery, and 3 months after surgery. The measured variables consisted of demographic and disease characteristics, social support, resilience, and physical and psychological distress. A total of 48 women participated in the study, of whom 42 (mean age = 54.2 years old) completed all of the questionnaires. The results showed that resilience and physical distress in women with endometrial cancer was not statistically significantly changed over time. Rather, their psychological distress was significantly alleviated 2 weeks and 3 months after surgery as compared to before surgery. Women with less social support showed a lower level of resilience. In addition, those with a lower level of resilience experienced greater psychological distress. Compared with those who received only surgical treatment, women who had undergone surgery combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy had more physical distress. Clinical medical staff should conduct continuing assessments of the resilience, physical distress, and psychological distress of women with endometrial cancer. Interventions related to resilience-enhancing and self-care should be implemented to avoid worsening or to improve women's resilience and distress.

Effectiveness of a couple-based psychosocial intervention on patients with prostate cancer and their partners: A quasi-experimental study.

AIMS: To understand the effectiveness of a couple-based psychosocial information package (PIP) and multimedia psychosocial intervention (MPI) on patients with prostate cancer and their partners. DESIGN: A random assignment and quasi-experimental design were used. METHODS: From August 2015-March 2018, 103 newly diagnosed patients with prostate cancer and their partners were divided into a control group (CG) (N = 50), PIP group (N = 25) and MPI group (N = 28). The CG received usual care, the PIP group received information manuals and telephone counselling for 6-week and the MPI group received multimedia films and manuals and professional support for 6 weeks. The three groups were posttested 6, 10, 18 and 24 weeks after the pre-test. The outcome measurements included disease appraisals, emotion status, relationship satisfaction, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and satisfaction with MPI. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Partners in the MPI and PIP groups experienced significant improvements in positive and negative affect or mental HRQOL as compared with the CG. The effectiveness of MPI and PIP on negative affect, mental HRQOL, however, were not statistically significant in patients with prostate cancer. Nevertheless, patients were satisfied with the MPI. CONCLUSION: Nurses can provide different types of interventions for partners, depending on personal preferences and available resources. IMPACT: There is a lack of studies that focus on the effectiveness of couple-based psychosocial intervention on both the patients with prostate cancer and their partners in Asia. Partners in the multimedia psychosocial intervention group and psychosocial information package group experienced improvements in positive affect, negative affect or health-related quality of life as compared with the control group. Patients in both intervention groups experienced similar negative affect and health-related quality of life as compared with the control group. The couple-based psychosocial interventions can be provided by nurses based on partners' preferences and available resources.

The self-stigmatization of patients with schizophrenia: A phenomenological study.

This study aimed to explore the self-stigma of schizophrenia patients. Qualitative phenomenological approach, purposive sampling and unstructured one-on-one interviews were used. Narratives were analyzed using Colaizzi's method. Data saturation was reached after 15 had been interviewed. Three themes and six sub-themes were revealed: the origin of the self-stigma (experience of self-stigma from the outside and the inside), the suffering experience of self-stigma (alienation from others and negative inner feelings), and coping with the self-stigma (acceptance and change of mind). The study supports the importance to increase awareness of self-stigma and suggests effective measures to help patients deal with this challenge.

Kidney Donation Withdrawal and Related Factors Among the Potential Donors of Living Kidney Transplant.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to discuss the reasons for kidney donation withdrawal and related factors among the potential donors of living kidney transplant. METHODS: This study was conducted in outpatient departments with purposive sampling. Potential donors received relevant examinations and completed questionnaires when they would donate their kidneys for living related kidney transplant. Researchers tracked the final decision of potential donors. The structured questionnaire included basic data, psychosocial adjustment to illness scale, and decisional conflict scale. RESULTS: A total of 53 potential donors participated in this study, 46 of whom completed the kidney donation surgery (86.6%). The factors related to the final decision of kidney donation or kidney donation withdrawal included self-ranking health condition, value clarity, feeling supported in decision making, and overall decisional conflict. CONCLUSION: Organ transplant teams should conduct a complete physical and psychological assessment of potential donors, provide information and support, and assist potential donors to clarify their true values and willingness to undergo kidney donation. Thus, each potential donor can decide to donate in true accordance with their willingness.

The Lived Experiences of Adolescents With Cancer: A Phenomenological Study.

This descriptive phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of adolescents with cancer. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. In-depth, nonstructured interviews were conducted to collect data, and narratives were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. Data saturation was achieved after interviewing 16 participants. The study was divided into three main themes and 16 subthemes: suffering (caused by symptoms, therapy, cancer recurrence, the feeling of being trapped in hospital, the burden of food therapy, delayed education, the absence of peer relationships, and limited activities), emotional reactions (fear, worry, sadness, anger, and loneliness), and rebalancing (strong family relationships, optimistic thinking, and healthy lifestyles). While adolescents with cancer experience changes in lifestyle, and physical, psychological, and social burden, they also have positive life experiences. Building appropriate learning systems, improving communication skill, and providing appropriate food therapy may alleviate the psychological burden experienced by young patients.

Experiences of interpersonal interaction among patients with chronic schizophrenia: A phenomenological study.

PURPOSE: To explore the subjective interpersonal interaction experiences of patients with chronic schizophrenia. DESIGN AND METHODS: Descriptive phenomenological, purposive sampling, in-depth one-to-one, and unstructured interviews were used. Colaizzi's method was used to analyze narratives. FINDINGS: Three themes and six subthemes were emerged: Feelings associated with interpersonal interactions (pleasant and unpleasant feelings experienced during interpersonal interactions); interpersonal interaction is a dynamic process (Positive and negative dynamic processes); selection of interaction targets (limitations in the selection of interaction targets and selection criteria for interaction targets). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Professionals should understand the interpersonal interactions experiences of patients with schizophrenia to help them have a better interpersonal relationship.

The influence of adherence to antipsychotics medication on the quality of life among patients with schizophrenia in Indonesia.

PURPOSE: Investigating factors that can predict medication adherence and quality of life, as well as the influence of adherence to medication on the quality of life among patients with schizophrenia. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study applies descriptive cross-sectional design. Participants were determined from outpatient clinic in a psychiatric hospital in Indonesia. Several questionnaires were used, including self-report, Glasgow Antipsychotics Side-effect Scale, drug attitude inventory and SQOL-18. FINDINGS: Side-effect factor (p < .05) could influence medication adherence. Residential area (p < .05) could significantly influence quality of life. There was also a correlation between medication adherence and quality of life (p < .05). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Findings suggest to put more emphasis on assessing medication side effects.

A mental health home visit service partnership intervention on improving patients' satisfaction.

AIMS: To investigate a partnership intervention of the community-based and hospital-based home visit to improve patients' satisfaction. METHODS: A time series quasi-experimental quantitative design was used. The experimental group had "partnership intervention", while the control group maintained routine home visits. Patient satisfaction was measured pre-intervention, six months and 12 months after the partnership intervention. RESULTS: Six and 12 months after partnership intervention, in the experimental group, items related to stabilizing disease conditions, improving daily living abilities, enhancing communication ability and providing relevant resources were significantly higher than pre-intervention. However, 12 months after the intervention, the influence of the intervention became weaken. CONCLUSIONS: The partnership intervention can significantly improve patients' satisfaction with home visit service.

To explore the efficacy of community rehabilitation for facilitating daily function among patients with mental illness.

PURPOSE: To explore the efficacy of community rehabilitation for facilitating daily function among patients with mental illness. DESIGN AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was used. Two hundred and sixty-four participants completed a daily living function scale questionnaire and provided disease-related information. FINDINGS: Community rehabilitation was shown to be efficient in helping to stabilize mental illness and enhance daily function. Daily function had a significant and positive correlation with disease stability. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Community rehabilitation for patients with mental illness can effectively stabilize and prevent disability among those with mental illness.

An Aqueous Inorganic Polymer Binder for High Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with Flame-Retardant Properties.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are regarded as promising next-generation high energy density storage devices for both portable electronics and electric vehicles due to their high energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, there remain some issues yet to be fully addressed with the main challenges stemming from the ionically insulating nature of sulfur and the dissolution of polysulfides in electrolyte with subsequent parasitic reactions leading to low sulfur utilization and poor cycle life. The high flammability of sulfur is another serious safety concern which has hindered its further application. Herein, an aqueous inorganic polymer, ammonium polyphosphate (APP), has been developed as a novel multifunctional binder to address the above issues. The strong binding affinity of the main chain of APP with lithium polysulfides blocks diffusion of polysulfide anions and inhibits their shuttling effect. The coupling of APP with Li ion facilitates ion transfer and promotes the kinetics of the cathode reaction. Moreover, APP can serve as a flame retardant, thus significantly reducing the flammability of the sulfur cathode. In addition, the aqueous characteristic of the binder avoids the use of toxic organic solvents, thus significantly improving safety. As a result, a high rate capacity of 520 mAh g-1 at 4 C and excellent cycling stability of ∼0.038% capacity decay per cycle at 0.5 C for 400 cycles are achieved based on this binder. This work offers a feasible and effective strategy for employing APP as an efficient multifunctional binder toward building next-generation high energy density Li-S batteries.

In Situ Investigation on the Nanoscale Capture and Evolution of Aerosols on Nanofibers.

Aerosol-induced haze problem has become a serious environmental concern. Filtration is widely applied to remove aerosols from gas streams. Despite classical filtration theories, the nanoscale capture and evolution of aerosols is not yet clearly understood. Here we report an in situ investigation on the nanoscale capture and evolution of aerosols on polyimide nanofibers. We discovered different capture and evolution behaviors among three types of aerosols: wetting liquid droplets, nonwetting liquid droplets, and solid particles. The wetting droplets had small contact angles and could move, coalesce, and form axisymmetric conformations on polyimide nanofibers. In contrast, the nonwetting droplets had a large contact angle on polyimide nanofibers and formed nonaxisymmetric conformations. Different from the liquid droplets, the solid particles could not move along the nanofibers and formed dendritic structures. This study provides an important insight for obtaining a deep understanding of the nanoscale capture and evolution of aerosols and benefits future design and development of advanced filters.

The chronic sorrow experiences of caregivers of clients with schizophrenia in Taiwan: A phenomenological study.

PURPOSE: The aim of the article is to explore the chronic sorrow experiences of the caregivers of clients with schizophrenia in Taiwan. DESIGN AND METHODS: Descriptive, phenomenological, and purposive sampling and one-to-one, in-depth, and unstructured interviews were used. Data saturation was achieved after interviewing 12 participants. Narratives were analyzed using Colaizzi's (1978) method. FINDINGS: Three themes and eight subthemes emerged, including encountering sorrow (disordered life, disintegrated self-esteem, little prospect for hope, and collapsed sense of security), talking with sorrow (cognitive change and transformation of action), and living with sorrow (living with defects and living with responsibilities). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Advanced practice psychiatric nurses should take the emotional stability of caregivers into consideration. Caregivers should be encouraged and taught effective culture-oriented strategies for living with sorrow.