Nurses' knowledge of medical device-related pressure injuries and risk factors: A descriptive study at a large medical centre from Palestine.

BACKGROUND: Nurses' knowledge of pressure injuries causes and risk factors helps to prevent their occurrences and protect the patient. AIM: To assess the level of knowledge of medical device-related pressure injuries and to identify risk factors that affect the knowledge. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used in this study considering a convenience sample from critical care nurses. The nurses were invited to complete the Medical Device-Related Pressure Injuries Knowledge Questionnaire. RESULTS: About 71 nurses participated in the study. The mean score of MDRPI_KQ was 23.28 ± 4.14 out of 36. Mann-Whitney Test did not show statistically significant relationships between the MDRPI_KQ mean score and related variables (p > 0.05). The regression results indicated that the three predictors explained 46.4% of the variance (R2 = 0.215, F(3, 6.114) = 3.75, p = 0.001). It was found that the Frequency of encountering a patient with MDRPIs significantly predicted MDRPI_KQ score, job position, and assuming the care responsibility for MDRPIs in the department. CONCLUSIONS: Poor knowledge of pressure injuries can negatively affect patient care so training programs and policies should be developed based on the level of knowledge and practices of the staff to be more effective.

The perceived social support, life events, and depressive features among patients with diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the relationship between life events, perceived social support, and depressive features among people with diabetes. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional design using convenience sampling. Questionnaires were distributed to targeted patients in primary health care services in the Nablus district. QUESTIONNAIRES USED WERE: The Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory Scale, The Beck Depression Inventory, and The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. RESULTS: About 120 diabetic patients participated in this study. Findings revealed that higher diabetes mellitus prevalence was among older ages (39.2% are 60 years or older). More than half of the participants were smokers. Regarding life events, 53.3% of the patients have a 50% chance of developing major breakdowns in the next two years. Depression was found to be normal among 32.5% of participants, while 22.5% were moderately depressed. More patients had a disagreement that they could find social support from their friends than their family members. DISCUSSION: People with diabetes are affected significantly by life events, depressive features, and perceived social support, hence, further attention is needed accompanied by frequent assessment for such factors for effective diabetes management.

Sources of Stress and Coping Behaviors among Nursing Students Throughout Their First Clinical Training.

Introduction: Clinical training allows nursing students to acquire and strengthen their psychomotor abilities, which is an important component of nursing education. The clinical components of nursing training programs were much more demanding than the academic ones. Purposes: The purpose of this study was to examine sources of stress-related and coping behaviors during first clinical training among nursing students in the Arab American University. Methods: The study was cross-sectional and conducted with a convenience sample of 266 participants of nursing students. Data collection was performed by "Perceived Stress Scale and the Coping Behavior Inventory." The data were analyzed by using the descriptive, that is, frequency and percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Results: The results revealed that the perceived stress mean was 41.2 (SD = 19.5). The main stressors were taking care of the patients (M = 11.4 ± 0.85) and teachers and nursing staff (M = 8.32 ± 5.3). Coping behaviors mean was (M = 29.0 ± 15.2). The main coping behavior was problem-solving (M = 9.5 ± 5.6). Conclusion: The study confirmed that students perceived moderate levels of stress in their first clinical training, and the most common sources of stress were taking care of the patients and teachers and nursing staff. However, the main coping behavior was problem-solving.

Challenges and Opportunities in Stroke Nursing Research: Global Views From a Panel of Nurse Researchers.

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: A diverse group of neuroscience nurse experts discussed stroke nursing research at the 5th International Neuroscience Nursing Research Symposium. Panel experts from Singapore, India, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Malawi, Germany, Palestine, Kenya, Japan, and the United States collaborated to examine similarities and differences in nurse-led stroke research conducted in their home countries. This article reflects panel insights on challenges and opportunities for nurse-led stroke research. DISCUSSION: The research challenges discussed include nursing independence, the processes of informed consent and randomization process, obtaining adequate independent funding, recruiting research subjects, and working with vulnerable groups. The major opportunities to leverage and improve stroke nursing research include facilitating the nurse investigator role, information digitalization, improving health literacy, and collaboration between nurse researchers. SUMMARY: We are living in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated many challenges. There is a need to allow for creativity around recruitment and conducting stroke research. The use of technology reduces travel needs and mitigates many safety, financial, and transportation-related problems. Although the pandemic has highlighted the challenges faced when conducting stroke-related research, there are remarkable similarities in opportunities to improve outcomes.

Vincristine-induced urinary bladder paralysis.

The authors describe the development of bladder paralysis in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia undergoing maintenance chemotherapy. Immediately before the adverse clinical event, the child had received vincristine intravenously and triple therapy with hydrocortisone, cytosine arabinoside, and methotrexate intrathecally and had begun a 5-day pulse of prednisolone. The authors conclude that the ensuing reversible bladder paralysis was related to the vincristine. The clinical event resolved, and vincristine was deleted from the child's subsequent therapy until full recovery was achieved. The authors advise recognition of this problem and discontinuation of the vincristine if transient bladder paralysis develops until symptoms completely disappear.

Congenital peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor refractory to treatment.

The authors report an unusual case of an infant presenting with a congenital peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PPNET) of the left hand refractory to treatment. A newborn girl was born with a large bluish-red mass of 4.5 cm diameter protruding into the palm and the dorsum of the left hand. Tumor biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of PPNET. The initial metastatic workup for the detection of metastases was negative. Four cycles of chemotherapy according to CCSG 7881/POG 8850 regimen B were given. Despite this aggressive chemotherapy the tumor grew to involve the entire left hand. The left hand was amputated, and then two cycles of topotecan/cyclophosphamide were given. Five months later extensive metastases developed, involving the brain, lungs, liver, and skeleton, and the child died at the age of 2.5 years. PPNET presenting at birth is uncommon; presentation in the hand is unusual, and the fact that it did not respond to treatment is still more uncommon.

Xeroderma pigmentosum in four siblings with three different types of malignancies simultaneously in one.

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by marked sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation that leads to the development of multiple skin malignancies. The authors describe four XP siblings in a consanguineous Pakistani family. The first patient was a boy who died at age 2 years. The second and third siblings were girls who died at age 2 and 7 years, respectively. The fourth sibling, the propositus, was a boy diagnosed with XP at age 7 years. He developed three different types of malignancies simultaneously and died at age 13. The authors conclude that it is important to be aware of multiple malignancies of different types in the same patient with XP.

The triad of seizures, hypertension, and neuroblastoma: the first described case.

The combination of seizures, hypertensive encephalopathy, and neuroblastoma has not been described before. The authors report one case, which is not only of interest in its own right, but also emphasizes the importance of including blood pressure measurement in the clinical examination of children, especially when hypertension could be the cause of the symptoms.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia presenting with lactic acidosis and renal tubular dysfunction.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children can rarely present with severe lactic acidosis in the absence of a high white blood cell count or other complications. Renal tubular dysfunction with hypercalciuria and hypocalcemia in the absence of pre-existing renal disease or concurrent medications has not been described at presentation in childhood ALL. The authors describe a 7-year-old boy with ALL presenting with severe lactic acidosis and renal tubular dysfunction, both of which were refractory to conventional management and resolved rapidly with appropriate chemotherapy.