Quantitative research on the impact of COVID-19 on frontline nursing staff at a military hospital in Saudi Arabia.

AIM: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between stress, psychological symptoms and job satisfaction among frontline nursing staff at a military hospital in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS: Data were collected using an online survey. All Registered Nurses (N = 1,225) working at a military hospital between February to April 2021 were contacted, 625 responded (51%). Data were analysed using descriptive and multivariate analysis, Student's t-test for independent samples and one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's multiple comparison tests. RESULTS: Stress was experienced more significantly than depression or anxiety. Approximately 29% of the change in scores for psychological symptoms was explained by age group, being a Saudi national and working in emergency departments (F[3,620]  = 19.063, p < 0.0001). A 37% change in nursing stress scores was explained by nationality and work department. (F[5,618]  = 19.754, p < 0.0001). A 29% change in job satisfaction scores was explained by nationality and work department (F[3,620]  = 19.063, p < 0.0001).

Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Medication Errors among Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study in Major Jeddah Hospitals.

Medication error is a multifactorial problem that mainly involves missing or bypassing the administration, which may have life-threatening impacts on the patient. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of information on medication errors among nurses in Saudi Arabia. This study investigates the knowledge and attitudes toward medication errors and their associated factors among nurses in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four major public hospitals by recruiting a total of 408 nurses using cluster random sampling and proportional stratified sampling techniques. Data were gathered using an online self-administered questionnaire from January to March 2022. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression models were performed to analyze the data. The prevalence of medication error among the nurses was 72.1%, only 41.2% were reported, while wrong doses (46.9%) were the most common type of medication error. Approximately 55% and 50% of the respondents demonstrated good knowledge and a positive attitude toward medication errors, respectively. The prevalence of medication error was associated with age groups of less than 25, and 25-35 years old, King Fahad and King Abdulaziz hospitals, no history of attending an MER training course, poor knowledge, and negative attitude. These findings reflect a high prevalence of medication error among nurses in Saudi Arabia, and the factors identified could be considered in mitigating this important health problem.

The relationship between nurses' risk assessment and management, fear perception, and mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.

During this pandemic, it is crucial to implement early interventions to help nurses manage their mental wellbeing by providing them with information regarding coping skills, preventive risk assessment approaches (such as hospital preparedness and rapid risk assessment), and the ability to respond. This study evaluated the effect of fear and risk assessment management on nurses' mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. A total of 507 nurses who worked in tertiary public hospitals were asked to take a descriptive design survey. Three survey scales were used to assess the survey: the Risk Assessment Scale, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. Independent t-tests and a one-way ANOVA were used to examine the association between fear of COVID-19 and nurses' demographic characteristics on their mental wellbeing. A multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the predictors associated with mental wellbeing. Findings revealed that almost half of the participants showed moderate positive mental wellbeing, 49.7%, while only 14% had low levels of fear on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well being Scale. Most of the respondents had low levels of fear on the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, 45%, while only 15% had high levels of fear on the scale. Then, some demographic variables, such as "age," "nationality," "total years of experience in the current hospital," and "region you work at" had statistically significant differences with p < 0.5. Meanwhile, risk assessment is also associated with mental wellbeing scores. All items on the Fear of COVID-19 Scale showed no significant difference with a P > 0.05. In conclusion, most nurses providing direct patient care to a patient with COVID-19 emphasized the importance of wearing PPE and performing hand hygiene before and after any clean or aseptic procedure. Meanwhile, although almost all nurses were vaccinated, they were still afraid of a COVID-19 infection. Additionally, the results reported that the older the nurses are, the better their mental wellbeing scores. Non-Saudi nurses had higher perceived mental wellbeing scores than Saudi nurses, and different working environments corresponded to different mental wellbeing scores. Finally, nurses' risk assessment was associated with mental wellbeing scores.

Clinical leadership behaviors among critical care nurses in private and governmental hospital: A cross-sectional survey.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate clinical leadership behaviors among critical care nurses and compare the differences between nurses in private and public hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional survey including 365 critical care nurses with a bachelor's degree in nursing science were recruited in two Egyptian hospitals (a government teaching hospital and one private hospital from January to March 2019. A socio-demographic characteristics form and the Clinical Leadership Behaviors Questionnaire (CLB-Q) were used to collect data. For comparison and analysis, the mean score was calculated and converted to a percentage value. Results: Results showed that the overall mean score of nurses' clinical leadership behaviors was 77.11 ± 11.87, the level was higher, and the highest score of the communication dimension was 91.84 ± 7.38. The mean score of nurses at a private hospital (90.48 ± 5.53) was higher than that at a government teaching hospital (68.29 ± 4.21) (P < 0.001). On nursing experience, nurses with 5-10 years had higher mean score in self-awareness, advocacy and empowerment, decision making, quality and safety, teamwork, and clinical excellence dimension of clinical leadership behavior than those who worked less than 5 years or more than 10 years (P < 0.01). Single nurses had higher mean score in advocacy and empowerment, decision making, quality and safety, and clinical excellence dimension of clinical leadership behavior than those who married (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Nurse managers should foster clinical leadership by enabling critical care nurses to practice clinical excellence and encouraging their attendance in training programs on quality and safety. Nurses in government hospitals need improvement in clinical leadership behaviors regarding all dimensions.

The Relationship between Empowerment and Organizational Commitment from Nurse's Perspective in the Ministry of Health Hospitals.

(1) Background: The nurse structure is the largest proportion of the healthcare team in hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs). Empowerment is considered a vital component in strategic planning implementation and plays an important role in enhancing job commitment, motivation and employee satisfaction. (2) Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the empowerment and organizational commitment from a nurse's perspective in the MOH in Makkah city in Saudi Arabia. (3) Methods: A descriptive, correlational design was utilized. The study was conducted at three hospitals affiliated with the Ministry of Health in Makkah. A random stratified sampling of 318 nurses voluntarily participated. Data were collected using two tools; Conditions for Workplace Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II) to measure nurses' empowerment, and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ). (4) Results: This study revealed that the nurses in Makkah city have a moderate degree of empowerment. Moreover, the level of organizational commitment among nurses was moderate. In addition, this study showed that there is a significant positive relationship between nurses' empowerment and their organizational commitment. (5) Conclusion: By conducting this study, it seems that nurse's empowerment is considered an important healthcare organizational strategy and nurses feel empowered by several factors, such as having access to power through informal and formal means and having access to organizational opportunity, access to support, access to information and access to resources. Access to sources of empowerment influences a nurse's organizational commitment.

The Journey of Saudi Male Nurses Studying within the Nursing Profession: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing is considered to be a primarily female profession, particularly in Saudi Arabia, despite the fact that male nurses have contributed to the advancement of the nursing profession in various specialties, such as military nursing, mental health, and critical care. PURPOSE: We explore the factors influencing Saudi male nursing interns to study within the nursing profession in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted. A convenience sample of 12 Saudi male nursing interns from different nursing colleges were recruited, alongside four hospital internship coordinators. The data were collected by conducting two semi-structured focus group interviews and four individual interviews. All the interviews were analyzed using a comparative analytical approach. RESULTS: Role models and the role of the internship year were identified as factors influencing Saudi male nurses' decision to study nursing. However, hospital placements, cultural preferences, and the preferences of patients and their families for female nurses were the key challenges encountered. Importantly, this study demonstrated that social media plays a critical role in raising awareness regarding the importance of Saudi male nurses. Conclusion: Awareness needs to be raised of the nursing profession as a gender-diverse field through volunteering programs for the community. It is recommended that Saudi male nurses act as role models for students in the Academic Orientation Forum and on social media.

Do Personal Differences and Organizational Factors Influence Nurses' Decision Making? A Qualitative Study.

Decision-making processes (DMPs) can be altered by several factors that might impact patient outcomes. However, nurses' views and experiences regarding the multitude of personal and organizational factors that may facilitate or inhibit their decision-making abilities have rarely been studied. PURPOSE: To explore the personal and organizational factors that influence nurse DMPs in clinical settings at Ministry of Health hospitals (MOH). METHOD: A qualitative research design was conducted. A purposive sample of 52 nurses was recruited from general and critical wards in two major Ministry of Health hospitals in Hail, Saudi Arabia. A total of eight focus groups (semi-structured interviews) were conducted to elicit participant responses. RESULTS: In this study, the personal differences covered nurses' experience, physical and psychological status, autonomy, communication skills, values, and cultural awareness. Organizational factors included the availability of resources, organizational support, workload, the availability of educational programs, the availability of monitoring programs, and the consistency and unity of policies, rules, and regulation applications. CONCLUSIONS: The major contribution of this study is the comprehensive illustration of influential factors at both the personal level and the organizational level that impact DMPs to achieve desired outcomes for patients and health organizations. This study utilizes a framework that could explain the nature of nurse DMPs.

Sources of Stress among Saudi Arabian Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Nursing students experience higher levels of stress than those in other health-related disciplines; however, there are limited data exploring stress among these students in a Saudi context. AIM: This study examines sources of stress among nursing students at an academic institution in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, using a descriptive quantitative cross-sectional research design. METHODS: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 500 undergraduate nursing students, with a response rate of 71.8%, using an adapted Stress in Nursing Students (SINS) questionnaire. RESULTS: Nursing student sources of stress fell into three categories: academic concerns, clinical practice, and social factors. DISCUSSION: The results demonstrate commonality between other countries' sources of stress for nursing students but highlight cultural factors unique to Saudi Arabia. This study shows opportunities for cross-cultural learning and areas needing cultural tailoring to reduce stress among nursing students.

Physical activity among children with down syndrome: maternal perception.

Purpose: Studies have shown that children with Down syndrome (DS) are at high risk for physical inactivity and obesity. This study aimed to explore mother's perceptions of the physical activity levels, needs, benefits, facilitators, and barriers in their children with DS.Methods: For this descriptive qualitative study, 17 participants were recruited through centres for children with DS in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with mothers who were able speak Arabic or English and have a child with a confirmed diagnosis of Trisomy 21 (DS) between ages three and 17 years. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the study data.Results: Data analysis revealed the following themes regarding children with DS: 1) their physical functioning level; 2) daily physical activity at home; 3) physical activity at school; 4) physical activity benefits; 5) physical activity facilitators; and 6) physical activities barriers.Conclusion: Findings from this study can help health professionals gain insight on the physical activity facilitators and barriers for children with DS in order to design tailored intervention programmes to improve the support and the engagement of children with DS into regular physical activities.

An Exploration of Family Caregiver Experiences of Burden and Coping While Caring for People with Mental Disorders in Saudi Arabia-A Qualitative Study.

Family caregivers of people with mental disorders face a number of burdens and stressors, such as associative stigma and burnout. These burdens are often a result of their caring role coupled with insufficient support or ineffective coping strategies, which can affect their quality of life and biopsychosocial integrity that, in turn, may affect the care they provide. This study aimed to explore the experiences of family caregivers of people with mental disorders, through examining the burdens that they face and the coping strategies that they use. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the Saudi public, recruited through popular social media platforms and analyzed using thematic analysis. Five main themes were constructed from the data: Type of care, Challenges, Coping and support, Perceptions of public awareness, and Messages to others. The findings emphasize the different types of burdens that caregivers experience, and their needs that require a range of responses such as educational training on effective coping strategies, and psychological support in the form of counseling or group therapy. This study highlights the voice of caregivers and their message to the public, in order to correct the misconceptions surrounding mental disorders and those associated with them.

Parental Support, Beliefs about Mental Illness, and Mental Help-Seeking among Young Adults in Saudi Arabia.

Mental illness is not uncommon among young adults, but negative attitudes towards mental disorders and lack of parental support might be associated with hesitancy in seeking professional help. This study aimed to examine the relationships of parental support, beliefs about mental illness, and mental help-seeking among young adults in Saudi Arabia. This quantitative cross-sectional study included a convenience sample of 236 young adults (ages 18-25) with the majority of the total (86.4%) being female. Data were collected via three self-administered questionnaires: The Perceived Parental Support Scale, Beliefs toward Mental Illness scale, and Mental Help Seeking Attitude Scale. Results indicated that the participants had a moderately negative attitude toward mental illness, a moderately positive attitude toward parental support, and a highly positive attitude toward mental help-seeking. No significant relationships were found among the study variables. The study highlights that despite young adults' positive attitude toward mental help-seeking and parental support, they have negative views toward people with mental illnesses. Educational programs in schools and media are needed to improve attitudes and enhance readiness to interact with people with mental illness.