Compulsive digital use among school-age children and association with escapism and feeling of loneliness: A call for action.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Compulsive Digital Use (CDU), escapism, and loneliness among school-age children. DESIGN AND METHODS: A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive correlational study was conducted at 16 governmental preparatory schools affiliated with the Ministry of Education in Alexandria, Egypt. A simple random sampling of 300 school-age children participated in the study after obtaining the informed consent from the parents/guardians and assent from children. RESULTS: The main study findings showed that 74% of school-age children had a subthreshold level of CDU, and 21.7% demonstrated a pathological/ addictive level. Compulsive digital use showed a significant positive correlation with both total escapism and loneliness scores (r = 0.689, p < 0.001 and r = 0.329, p = 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSION: Children spend more than the recommended daily duration online. They reported having sleeping problems, especially insomnia, and poor academic achievement due to internet overuse. Most children had subthreshold level of CDU and one-quarter of them reached the addictive level. They reported that internet use helped them escape from the world of reality, unpleasant and worrisome things, as well as problems and pressures. Children reported loneliness and felt that people were around but not with them. Female gender and the employment of both parents were significantly associated with developing CDU. Escapism and loneliness among children were positively correlated with CDU. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Awareness-raising campaigns regarding internet usage should be launched for school-age children and their parents to address its emerging psychosocial risks and challenges.

Between challenges and support: Preceptors run clinical nursing training amidst unprecedented crisis.

Aim: This study aimed to address challenges facing nurse preceptors related to multifaceted educational roles, academic and institutional support during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Background: Clinical nurse preceptors have faced great challenges since the influx of the COVID-19 pandemic. At this unprecedented time, they are overwhelmed with additional responsibilities to follow the COVID-19 precautionary measures alongside their usual educational role. So, they require careful preparation and massive institutional support. Design: A descriptive study was conducted in different clinical settings in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Methods: A sample of 125 clinical nurse preceptors who participated in the students' training for at least one full clinical rotation during the COVID-19 pandemic responded to two questionnaires regarding the clinical nurse preceptor role, preparedness, and institutional support provided to them during the COVID-19 crisis. Result: It is revealed that 40.8%, 51.0%, and 53.0% of the preceptors faced major challenges regarding the teacher, facilitator, and feedback provider/evaluator roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, 71.2% of the preceptors were incredibly overwhelmed with additional instructions related to COVID-19 precautions alongside covering course learning objectives for the students. However, most of them did not perceive challenges concerning both academic and institutional support. Conclusion: The clinical nurse preceptors declared they received adequate pedogeological preparation, academic and institutional support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. They also encountered moderate and minor challenges while mentoring nursing students during such a critical era.

Effect of Dry Heat Application on Perineal Pain and Episiotomy Wound Healing among Primipara Women.

Background: Women who undergo perineal episiotomy can be affected by several complications such as bleeding, infection, perineal pain, dyspareunia, reduction of sexual desire, as well as urinary and anal incontinence. Perineal pain related to episiotomy has been reported to interfere with women's daily activities postpartum and can prevent proper breastfeeding, proper rooming-in, and maternal-infant bonding. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of dry heat application on perineal pain and episiotomy wound Healing among primipara women. Method: A quasi-experimental, two-group, pre-post-test research study was conducted at the postnatal inpatient ward and the outpatient clinic of the El-Shatby Maternity University Hospital in Alexandria. A sample of 100 parturient women was divided into the following two groups at random: dry heat and moist (control) heat. Women in the moist heat group were advised to sit in a basin (tub) of warm water for 10 minutes, while those in the dry heat group were instructed to set an infrared light (230 volts) at a distance of 45 cm from the perineum after 12 hours post episiotomy. Both interventions were applied twice a day for ten consecutive days. They evaluated the severity of their perineal pain at baseline and repeated it on the 5th and 10th days after obtaining the interventions while the episiotomy wound healing was assessed on the 5th and 10th days. Results: It was discovered that the dry heat group had a significantly improved episiotomy wound healing as regards perineal redness, edema of the perineal area, ecchymosis, wound discharge, and approximation of wound edges on the 5th (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.007, P < 0.003, and P < 0.001, respectively) and 10th day after intervention (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.005, and P < 0.001, respectively) than the moist heat group. The primipara women had significantly lower perineal pain intensity in the dry heat group on the 5th and 10th days after intervention than in the moist heat group (MH P < 0.001 for the dry heat group and MH P = 0.004 for the moist heat group). Conclusion: The application of dry heat promoted episiotomy wound healing among primipara women and reduced their perineal pain during early postpartum days than moist heat.

Psychological first aid intervention: rescue from psychological distress and improving the pre-licensure nursing students' resilience amidst COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

Background: The public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in mental and psychological ramifications on the healthcare professionals. The pre-licensure nursing students found themselves not only fighting against the baneful virus but also weak ego resilience. At this point, enriching the pre-licensure nursing students with psychological first aid (PFA) could help them to recover from the feeling of psychological distress and improve their resilience capacity to encounter any upcoming outbreaks. Methods: A quasi-experimental two groups, a pre-post-test study was used in which sixty-four pre-licensure nursing students completed a baseline survey which revealed high levels of psychological distress and low resilience capacity due to the COVID-19 crisis. The study group engaged in the Psychological First- aid Intervention (PFA) at the end of the clinical practicum course period, while the comparison group received routine psychological support. Results: A significant reduction in the psychological distress levels among students in the PFA group (FET=7.83, P = 0. 001). Likewise, significant improvements in the students' resilience capacity level immediately after the intervention (FET=3.34, P = 0.019) and during the two-month follow-up (FET=12.94, P = 0. 001). The implementation of PFA enhanced the pre-licensure nursing students' psychological health status and resilience capacity levels after their clinical training amid the ambiance of the COVID-19 crisis. Conclusion: The PFA effectively fostered the pre-licensure nursing students' recovery from the COVID-19 related- psychological distress and improve their resilience capacity. The application of RAPID model is recommended to reduce stress and prevent burnout among novice and future nurses who show signs of psychological exhaustion.

Older Adults' Perceived Risk Regarding COVID-19 and Intention to Vaccinate: Role of Health-Related Literacy.

The current cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to explore the association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related health literacy, perceived risk, and intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. A sample of 414 older adults completed several questionnaires regarding COVID-19 risk perception, intention to vaccinate, and health literacy. Results revealed that more than one half of older adults demonstrated perceived high risk related to COVID-19 infection. Moreover, 31.6% of older adults noted their unwillingness to get vaccinated, and 39.4% demonstrated low health literacy regarding COVID-19. A significant positive correlation was found among older adults' perceived risk regarding COVID-19 infection, intention toward vaccination against COVID-19, and COVID-19-related health literacy. Findings serve to aid the Ministry of Health in planning proactive steps to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake in older adults. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 15(2), 57-67.].

Effect of guided reciprocal peer questioning strategy on pediatric nursing students' self-esteem and metacognitive awareness: Current approach and future directions.

BACKGROUND: Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning Strategy (GRPQS) restructures the classroom context from a passive into an engaging environment, where the students are empowered to actively participating in their learning process. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of GRPQS on the pediatric nursing students' self-esteem and metacognitive awareness. DESIGN: A Quasi-experimental, pre-posttest, two groups research was carried out at University of Bahrain. A sample of 89 out of 112 pediatric nursing-students were divided into two groups. METHOD: Through GRPQS, the students mutually generated and responded to questions, activated their critical thinking, elicited ideas, and shared learning experiences within the team and the teachers act as facilitators. RESULTS: It is revealed that 75% of the students in the study group developed high self-esteem after their engagement in the GRPQS compared to only 48.8% among those in the control one. Students who practiced GRPQS showed an improvement in their knowledge about cognition. As the mean score of students in the study group is increased from 2.16 ± 0.45 to 2.89 + 0.35 for the procedural knowledge, from 2.33 ± 0.56 to 2.86 ± 0.41 for declarative and from 2.18 + 0.53 to 3.09 ± 0.29 for the conditional knowledge (p < 0.001 for each). Concerning the regulation of cognition, the mean score of the planning dimension was improved from2.21 ± 0.46 to 3.10 ± 0.31 among the students in the study group. Moreover, it is clear that applying GRPQS in the lectures helped in improving the students' information management strategies, comprehension monitoring, debugging strategies and evaluation (p < 0.001 for each) compared to the control group p = 0.169, p = 0.009, p = 0.117 and 0.887 respectively). CONCLUSION: The application of GRPQS provided an interactive and engaging learning experience that helped the students to develop the habit of organizing, judging, and summarizing information as well as focusing on the significant portions of the learning materials. Moreover, exchanging questions between the nursing students was effective in enhancing their self-esteem and metacognitive awareness. Hence, incorporating this innovative pedogeological approach in the nursing curricula is recommended.

Scenario-based clinical simulation: Bridging the gap between intern-students' anxiety and provision of holistic nursing care for preterm neonates.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the effect of Scenario-Based Clinical Simulation (SBCS) on nursing students' anxiety and skills related to providing holistic nursing care for preterm neonates. BACKGROUND: Nursing students who are caring for preterm neonates experience high level of anxiety that might negatively influence their clinical performance. Clinical nurse educators face the challenge of preparing skilful and competent students within the constraints of limited orientation time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The application of SBCS provides students with opportunities to practice critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills, pose questions and remediate their clinical deficiencies in non-threatening learning enviroment. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental, two groups, pre-post test study was carried out in the NICU of Specialized Hospital at Smouha, Alexandria. METHOD: Sixty students completed a baseline skills assessment, as students' clinical skills were scored on a 148-item checklist and participants rated their anxiety. All participants received a didactic lecture and demonstrated nursing procedures. Research team facilitated an interactive SBCS session for the intervention group focused on the holistic care of preterm neonates and the common health problems affecting them. Two weeks later, two independent raters re-assessed the students' skills on the admitted preterms, and participants completed the anxiety questionnaire again. RESULTS: It is revealed that all participants in the intervention group (100%) had good skills after two weeks of SBCS compared to 20% of the control group (P < 0.001). Moreover, 43.3% of the nursing students in control group experienced severe anxiety compared to only 6.7% of those in the intervention group who attended the SBCS (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The application of SBCS in NICU provided an interactive learning experience, improved and sustained students' clinical skills. They reflected on their performance and remediated their skills in a conducive environment. So, they encountered less anxiety while providing holistic care for preterm neonates.

Cyberbullying among Adolescents in Egypt: A Call for Correlates with Sense of Emotional Security and Psychological Capital Profile.

PURPOSE: Modern technology created a borderless world that generated a new covert psychological form of bullying conveyed through electronic mediums. Cyberbullying phenomenon could infiltrate adolescents' personal life and undermine their psychological health status. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Egyptian adolescents' exposure to cyberbullying and their sense of emotional security and psychological capital profile. DESIGN AND METHOD: A descriptive correlational study was carried out at eight youth centers in Alexandria, Egypt. A random selection of 400 adolescents completed the Cyberbullying Exposure and Psychological Capital Questionnaires. They also rated their emotions on the Security-Insecurity Inventory. RESULTS: The total mean score of emotional security among adolescents cybervictims was 68.34 ± 27.83 compared to 109.16 ± 24.63 for those who did not expose to cyberbullying (t = -12.16, P < 0.001). Likewise, the total mean score of the psychological capital profile was low among cybervictims (61.76 ± 2.65) compared to those who had not been cyberbullied (99.94 ± 5.52), p = 0.003. CONCLUSION: Adolescents' sense of emotional security and psychological capital profile were negatively correlated with their exposure to cyberbullying. National campaigns should be launched to raise adolescents' awareness of cyberbullying threats. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: Our findings bear important nursing implications regarding the prevention and management of cyberbullying phenomenon. Cyberbullying could be combated by adopting school-based interventions and parents' guidelines. Schools should offer anti-cyberbullying programs, while the nurse should instruct parents to keep an open channel of communication with their children, indirectly supervise their online behaviors, remain vigilant for the indicators of cybervictimization, and intervene when necessary. The nurses also play a crucial role in equipping the adolescents with the proper way to handle such problems.

Mental strain and changes in psychological health hub among intern-nursing students at pediatric and medical-surgical units amid ambience of COVID-19 pandemic: A comprehensive survey.

COVID-19 pandemic brings with it a new reality and changes in the context of traditional nursing clinical training. Intern-nursing students face challenges in providing care for suspected and confirmed patients with COVID-19. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to explore the mental strain and changes in the psychological health hub among the intern-nursing students during COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 150 intern-nursing students from 13 pediatric and medical-surgical units at Alexandria University Hospitals completed the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome COVID-19 Staff Questionnaire and rated their psychological distress on the General Health Questionnaire. Study results revealed that the most stressful factors were related to possibility of getting COVID-19 infection (2.89 ± 0.39) and transmitting it to their families (2.72 ± 0.62). Moreover, the availability of cure or vaccine for the disease was the most important motivational factor to participate in future outbreaks (2.64 ± 0.77). Regarding intern-nursing students' psychological health hub, 77.3% of them felt under strain, worthless and depressed (64.7%, 62.7%) since the influx of COVID-19 pandemic. Binary logistic regression indicated that students' age (23-24), clinical experience (8 months) and clinical placement in adults' units served as risk factor for developing psychological distress while, male gender and training in pediatric units were protective factors. Designating an emergency psychiatric unit for ongoing monitoring and providing psychological first aids to the vulnerable health care providers is recommended.