The impact of psychological distress, socio-demographic and work-related factors on coping strategies used by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: This study aimed to determine factors associated with coping strategies used by nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A convenience sample of 365 nurses were selected from referral hospitals for COVID-19 patients in Tabriz, Iran between February 2022 and July 2022. An online self-administered questionnaire was distributed through social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Instagram. The survey package included a modified Brief COPE scale, socio-demographic and work-related questions, and a measure of psychological distress. Multiple regression analysis examined associated factors with coping strategies in SPSS. The study adhered to the STROBE guidelines for reporting. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 31.2 (7.3) years old. Of the 365 participants, 209 (58.9%) used maladaptive coping strategies, and 214 (57.6%) reported experiencing psychological distress. Psychological distress was the strongest predictor of maladaptive coping strategies (ß = 4.473, p < 0.001). Female nurses (ß = 3.259, p < 0.05), nurses who were under 35 years of age (ß = 3.214, p < 0.05), nurses with fewer than ten years of experience (ß = 2.416, p < 0.001), those who worked in COVID-19 ICUs (ß = 4.321, p < 0.001), floor nurses (ß = 2.344, p < 0.001), and those who worked two or more years in COVID-19 settings (ß = 3.293, p < 0.001) had higher mean scores in maladaptive coping strategies. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contributions.

Promotion of hydrogen evolution from seawater via poly(aniline-co-4-nitroaniline) combined with 3D nickel nanoparticles.

This work reports the synthesis of poly (aniline-co-4-nitroaniline) deposited on a three-dimensional nanostructured nickel (3D-Ni) film, where both layers were fabricated via potentiostatic electrodeposition. The obtained electrocatalyst exhibited excellent electrochemical activity for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) with small overpotentials of - 195 and - 325 mV at - 10 and - 100 mAcm-2, respectively, and a low Tafel slope of 53.3 mV dec-1 in seawater. Additionally, the electrocatalyst exhibited good stability after 72 h operation under a constant potential of - 1.9 V vs. RHE. The efficient HER performance of the as-prepared catalyst was found to originate from the synergy between the conducting polymer and three-dimensional nickel nanoparticles with a large electrochemical active surface area. Moreover, the results obtained from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements revealed that the presence of 3D-Ni layer improved the kinetics of HER by reducing the charge transfer resistance for the electrocatalyst.

Application of response surface methodology for optimization of the test condition of oxygen evolution reaction over La0.8Ba0.2CoO3 perovskite-active carbon composite.

The Experimental Design was applied to optimize the electrocatalytic activity of La0.8Ba0.2CoO3 perovskite oxide/Active Carbon composite material in the alkaline solution for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction. After the preparation of La0.8Ba0.2CoO3, and structural characterizations, the experimental design was utilized to determine the optimal amount of the composite material and testing conditions. The overpotential was defined as the response variable, and the mass ratio of perovskite/active carbon, Potassium hydroxide (KOH) concentration, and Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) amount were considered effective parameters. The significance of model terms is demonstrated by P-values less than 0.0500. The proposed prediction model determined the optimal amounts of 0.665 mg of PVDF, a KOH concentration of 0.609 M, and A perovskite/Active Carbon mass ratio of 2.81 with 308.22 mV overpotential (2.27% greater than the actual overpotential). The stability test of the optimized electrode material over 24 h suggests that it could be a good candidate electrocatalyst for OER with reusability potential.

Symptom recognition and treatment-seeking behaviors in women experiencing acute coronary syndrome for the first time: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Women are more likely to delay medical help-seeking for ACS symptoms. Understanding patients' experience of the symptoms and their response is essential in improving help-seeking behaviors and timely diagnosis and treatment for ACS. This study aimed to explore women's experience of ACS, their response to the symptoms, and treatment-seeking decisions. METHODS: This qualitative descriptive study was conducted in a tertiary referral specialized heart hospital affiliated with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Participants included 39 women who had experienced ACS for the first time. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged from the analysis of interview transcripts: (1) the onset of symptoms, (2) the types of symptoms, (3) response to symptoms and (4) arriving at the hospital. These themes and associated sub-themes explained women's experience of ACS symptoms, their response to the symptoms, and decision to seek medical help. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified and discussed factors contributing to the prehospital delay in women and their decision-making to seek medical care for ACS symptoms. The results are consistent with previous research indicating that ACS symptoms in women are somewhat different from men, and women tend to underestimate their symptoms and attribute them to non-cardiac causes. Women should be supported to develop awareness and understanding of ACS symptoms and appreciate the importance of early treatment-seeking in the disease outcomes.

Caregiver burden and the associated factors in the family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia.

AIM: Our study aimed to investigate the caregiving burden and its associated factors in family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. DESIGN: Correlational study. METHOD: Using the convenience sampling method, 215 caregivers were recruited from outpatient clinics affiliated with a tertiary referral psychiatric hospital in Iran. The caregiving burden was measured by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-22), and associations between caregiving burden and potential factors were examined using multiple regression analysis. We used the STROBE checklist to report the results. RESULTS: Family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia reported a high level of caregiving burden, with 38.2% of the caregivers perceiving severe burden relating to their role. In the regression analysis, age, gender, educational level, income, job loss due to caregiving, relationship with patient, disease duration and frequency of caregiving were statistically significant predictors of caregiving burden. The regression model explained 54.4% of the variance of caregiving burden.

Application of SrFeO3 perovskite as electrode material for supercapacitor and investigation of Co-doping effect on the B-site.

Energy storage by supercapacitors with short charging time and high power density is one of the types of electrochemical storage systems. Perovskite oxides have been significantly investigated as promising materials for energy storage in electrochemical systems. In this study, three perovskites, SrFeO3, SrCoO3, and SrCo0.5Fe0.5O3, were prepared using the sol-gel method and used as supercapacitor electrode materials. In fact, in this research, two consecutive elements (Fe, Co) from the periodic table that differ by one unit in atomic number are placed in the perovskite structure to study their electrochemical properties for use in supercapacitors. From the obtained results, it was found that Co doping with a ratio of 1/1 (Co/Fe) at B site of SrFeO3 reduced the specific capacitance from 101.687 F g-1 to 60.912 F g-1 at a scan rate of 10 mV s-1. Also, the specific capacitance of SrCoO3 decreased from 68.639 F g-1 to 60.912 F g-1 at the same substitution rate at B site.

Nursing interventions for patients with COVID-19: A medical record review and nursing interventions classification study.

PURPOSE: To describe the nursing interventions provided to patients with COVID-19 using the Nursing Interventions Classification. METHOD: This is a retrospective study involving the review of 1,344 patient records of adults admitted to a specialty hospital for COVID-19 in Tabriz, Iran. The nursing intervention was used to classify documented nursing care and interventions provided to COVID-19-positive patients from February 20 to August 20, 2020. Data were analyzed descriptively using SPSS16. FINDINGS: The 10 most frequently documented nursing interventions across in-patient (ward) and intensive care unit (ICU) contexts included Admission Care (7310), Environmental Management (6486), Health Education (5510), Infection Protection (6550), Medication Administration (2300), Positioning (0840), Respiratory Monitoring (3350), Vital Signs Monitoring (6680), Nausea Management (1450), and Diarrhea Management (0460). No records of distraction, relaxation techniques, or massage for anxiety reduction were documented. CONCLUSION: This study used a common language to describe nursing interventions for patients with COVID-19 admitted to a tertiary hospital. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: The most commonly identified nursing interventions for COVID-19 identified in this study provide evidence-based insight into nurses' scope of practice in the COVID-19 in-patient context.

Factors affecting the quality of work-life of nurses: a correlational study.

Background: Quality of work-life is an important factor in the recruitment and retention of the nursing workforce and their work productivity. Aims: This study aimed to identify factors that affect the quality of work-life of nurses. Methods: In this correlational study, 239 nurses employed in a tertiary teaching hospital in Iran completed the study questionnaires, including the quality of work-life questionnaire. The associations between potential independent variables and quality of work-life were examined using multivariate regression analysis. Results: Participants were mostly women (80.33%) and within the age range of 30-45 years (71.54%). Working in other hospitals, having a second job and health information-seeking behaviours were significant predictors of quality of work-life, explaining 28.68% of the total variance in quality of work-life of nurses. Conclusions: Improving working standards may prevent nurses from working extra hours or in different occupations. This, along with facilitating the health information-seeking behaviours of nurses, may help improve their quality of work-life by maintaining a better work-life balance and acquiring knowledge and skills that can help with effective management of work and life commitments.

Development and psychometric testing of the career success in Nursing Scale.

AIM: To develop and test the psychometric properties of an instrument assessing career success in nurses. BACKGROUND: Despite the importance of achieving success in nursing, to date, this construct has been measured using unidimensional or generic scales not fully reflecting career success as perceived by nurses. METHODS: This scale development study used a large sample of nurses across 10 hospitals in Tabriz, Iran. Items were generated based on existing literature and previous, research team-led, qualitative study, followed by testing content and face validity of the items. Exploratory factor analysis (N = 530 nurses) then assessed the underlying structure of the scale, and reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha and a 2-week test-retest correlation. FINDINGS: From the initial 73 items, fourteen rated by experts as 'not relevant' and seven with poor face validity were deleted. Exploratory factor analysis further identified 13 poor items. The final 39-item solution extracted four robust career success factors: expected career progress, providing quality care, effective self-regulation, and person-organization fit. Cronbach's alpha and test-retest correlation showed excellent reliability. CONCLUSION: This multidimensional nursing-specific scale with very good psychometric properties is suitable for individual/group-based decisions. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: This instrument can assess current perceptions of career success in nurses, so work resources can be allocated to improve policies, services and training programmes to meet career aspirations of nurses and objectives of the organization. Having a robust scale of career success will enable future research in the field of career success as specific to nursing in a clinical setting.

Domestic violence and suicide attempts among married women: A case-control study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of domestic violence-related factors on suicide attempt in married women. BACKGROUND: Suicide is a global public health concern that poses significant burden on individuals, families and communities. There is limited research on factors predicting suicide attempt in women. DESIGN: A retrospective case-control design was adopted. METHODS: Using a convenience sampling method, 610 participants, admitted to a teaching referral hospital in Northwest of Iran, were recruited to the study and assigned to case or control groups based on whether or not they had attempted suicide. The participants in two groups were matched in the terms of important demographic characteristics. Domestic violence-related factors were considered as independent variables and suicide attempt as dependent variable. Descriptive statistics, and simple and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Odds ratios (OR) of domestic violence-related factors were compared between the groups. We used STROBE checklist as an EQUATOR in this study. RESULTS: The mean age of participants in the case and control groups was 28.4 and 29.45 years, respectively. The infidelity was the strongest predictor of suicide attempt in women (OR 44.57, 95%CI 6.08-326. 63, p < 0.001), followed by being threatened to physical assault by husband (OR 37.01, 95%CI 11.54-118.67, p < 0.001), jealousy of husband (OR 23.46, 95%CI 11.63-47.30, p < 0.001), and previous attempts to divorce (OR 16.55, 95%CI 5.91-46.31, p < 0.001). Suicide attempt was significantly lower in women who reported a sense of peace in life or lived with their mother or father-in-law (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: To reduce the risk of suicide in women, violence against women should be condemned and appropriate prevention measures be taken by health professionals. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Recognising risk, assessment and referral of victims of domestic violence should be an integral part of healthcare systems.

A Qualitative Study of Specialized Clinical Nurses' Perceptions of Good Care in Practice.

PURPOSE/AIMS: The aim of this study was to explore specialized clinical nurses' (SCNs') perceptions of "good care" through descriptions of actual care experiences. DESIGN: We used a qualitative design with a conventional content analysis approach. METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews with 24 SCNs. These nurses have passed specialized clinical courses, are master's or bachelor's degree prepared, have additional course work beyond the bachelor degree, and practice with an expanded scope of responsibility. The participants were purposively sampled from general and specialty hospitals, and 6 field notes were collected. RESULTS: We identified 3 overarching themes to classify the findings: patient-centered care, knowledge-based care, and skillful practice. Participants regarded these 3 components as interdependent and related, which we conceptualize as 3 sides of an equilateral triangle termed the Good Care Triangle. CONCLUSIONS: The Good Care Triangle provides a heuristic approach to consider professional standards from the perspectives of SCNs and provides needed insight into SCNs' perspectives on the fundamental yet underexplored concept of good care. Clinical leaders can consider how the 3 themes identified are reflected and enacted in the care practices of SCNs. Future research could examine the utility of the Good Care Triangle in guiding nursing education and evaluating SCNs' perspectives of the care that they are providing.

How to Prevent Workplace Incivility?: Nurses' Perspective.

BACKGROUND: Many articles have studied workplace incivility and its influence on outcomes, but very few have been conducted to assess how to prevent this issue. In this study, we aimed to determine how to prevent workplace incivility from the nurses' perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a qualitative study which was based on a conventional content analysis approach. Thirty four nurses (25 to 52 years old) from seven training hospitals in Tabriz, Iran were selected through purposive sampling. Thirty six semi-structured interviews and eight field notes were analyzed. RESULTS: The data analysis revealed 417 codes, ten categories, three subthemes and one theme, that is, A Need for a Comprehensive Attempt. Attempt of organization, nurses, and public as subthemes are needed to prevent workplace incivility. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study indicated that a comprehensive and systematic attempt was needed to prevent incivility. Nurses should try to improve their skills; officials should try to show the real image and position of nurses and hospitals to the community.

The Effect of Group Psychoeducation Program on Medication Adherence in Patients with Bipolar Mood Disorders: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Medication nonadherence is highly prevalent in patients with bipolar disorders and often results in worsening disease prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of group psychoeducation on medication adherence in female patients with bipolar mood disorder type I. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 76 patients with bipolar mood disorder admitted in female psychiatric wards of Razi teaching hospital, Tabriz, Iran. The participants were selected by convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Patients in experimental group received 10 continuous 90 minutes sessions of psychoeducation, two times a week. Medication adherence was measured using the medicine check list and medication adherence rating scale (MARS) before and after intervention. Data analysis was performed with SPSS ver.13. Results: There was no significant difference between two groups regarding medication adherence before the intervention. After the study intervention, the mean scores of medication adherence check list and medication adherence rating scale in the experimental group were significantly higher than the control group. Conclusion: Since group psychoeducation was effective in improving patients' medication adherence, it could be recommended for psychiatric nurses to apply this intervention in the clinical setting.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Knowledge and Attitudes among Female University Students and Hospital Staff in Iran

Background: Cervical cancer is a major preventable cancers. The, current study aimed to assess relevant knowledge and attitude of female students and hospital staff in Iran. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Medical and Nursing faculties and hospitals of East-Azerbaijan Province of Iran. Participants were medical and paramedical female students and female staff in hospitals selected by stratified random sampling techniques. Tools for data collection were questionnaires for which validity and reliability had been verified (α=0.8). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data with SPSS.16. Result: Response rates were 71 % (426 from 600) and 63.5% (254 from 400) for students and staff, respectively. Some 29.1% admitted that they had no information about cervical cancer, only 70 (10.3%) thinking their knowledge as high, 360 (52.9%) as intermediate, and 237 (34.9%) as low. While 93% of participants considered cervical cancer as a severe health problem, the only statistically significant relationships with knowledge were for education (p<.001) and occupation (p<.001) variables. Conclusion: Given the importance of the roles of medical students and personnel as information sources and leaders in health and preventive behavior, increasing and improving their scientific understanding seems vital. Comprehensive and appropriate education of all people and especially students and personnel of medical sciences and improving attitudes towards cervical cancer and its monitoring are to be recommended.

Other Side of Breast Cancer: Factors Associated with Caregiver Burden.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine factors associated with caregiver burden among primary caregivers of women with breast cancer in Iran. METHODS: This was a descriptive correlation study conducted in 2012 on 150 main caregivers of patients with breast cancer who came to the oncology clinic of Shahid Ghazi hospital in Tabriz, Iran. A questionnaire which included caregiving-related factors and the Zarit Burden Interview was used for data collection after its validity and reliability were determined. Data was analyzed using SPSS 13.0 software with descriptive and analytic statistics. The association between significant variables and the dependent variable with an observation of the effects of other variables was assessed using the multiple linear regression model. RESULTS: The mean age of caregivers was 39.60 ± 13.80 years old, and 77 (51.3%) of them were men. The mean score of the Zarit Burden Interview was 30.55 ± 19.18. In the regression model, the mean score of activities of daily living, level of education, gender, and financial status were identified as the determining factors of the burden of caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: Primary caregivers need to be financially supported by the relevant organizations. Care skills training and providing palliative care seem helpful in reducing the pain and the burden of family caregivers for patients with breast cancer.

Working posture and its predictors in hospital operating room nurses.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to evaluate working posture of operating room nurses and its relationship with demographic and job details of this group. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 147 operating room nurses in Tabriz, Iran using a questionnaire and the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) checklist. The data were analyzed with SPSS.16 using t test, Pearson correlation coefficient and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests for univariate analysis and the linear regression test for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The mean (SD) of REBA score was 7.7 (1.9), which means a high risk level and highlights an urgent need to change the working postures of the studied nurses. There was significant relationship between working posture and age (P = 0.003), gender (P = 0.003), regular daily exercise (P = 0.048), work experience (P = 0.003), number of shifts per month (P = 0.006) and type of operating rooms (P < 0.001) in univariate analyses. Gender and type of operating room were the predictors of working posture of nurses in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the need for ergonomic interventions and educational programs to improve working posture of this study population, which can consequently lead to promotion of health and well-being of this group.

Risk factors for breast cancer in Iranian women: a hospital-based case-control study in tabriz, iran.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and the leading cause of cancer death among women. In Asian countries such as Iran, the incidence of breast cancer is increasing. The present study aimed to assess the risk factors for breast cancer of women in Tabriz, Iran. METHODS: A hospital-based case-control study was undertaken to identify breast cancer risk factors. The study consisted of 140 cases confirmed via histopathological analysis and 280 group-matched controls without any malignancy. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods via the SPSS software version 18. RESULTS: In a multivariate analysis, educational level (odds ratio [OR], 4.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.11-10.83), menopausal status (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.41-4.59), a high-fat diet (OR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.51-5.04), abortion (OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.20-3.79), passive smoking (OR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.51-5.04), oral contraceptive use (OR, 3.18; 95% CI, 1.80-5.59), stress (OR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.74-5.36), and migration (OR, 3.09; 95% CI, 1.39-6.90) were factors associated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer. Breastfeeding (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.16-0.97) and a diet containing sufficient fruit and vegetables (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.12-0.39) had protective roles against breast cancer. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that the risk factors for breast cancer among women in the Tabriz area of Iran are related to the lifestyle. Therefore, the provision of education to change unhealthy lifestyle choices and periodic check-ups for early breast cancer detection are recommended.

Electrochemical studies of adsorption and inhibitive performance of basic yellow 28 dye on mild steel corrosion in Acid solutions.

Organic corrosion inhibitors are widely used to control the corrosion of different metals in various corrosive solutions. The inhibition performance of Basic yellow 28 (BY28) dye for mild steel corrosion was investigated in 0.1 M HCl solution and in a solution of 0.1 M HCl and 1% NaCl. Two electrochemical methods including Tafel polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were used. The corrosion parameters as well as inhibition efficiencies were obtained for different concentrations of inhibitor. The inhibition efficiencies showed that the BY28 dye acts as a good corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in both solutions. The studies on adsorption isotherm of the dye on mild steel proved that the adsorption of BY28 obeys the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The average value of -ΔGads in both solutions was more than 20 and a little less than 40 kJ mol-1. Therefore, both chemisorption and physisorption phenomena were involved in the adsorption of the studied dye on mild steel surface.