An Overview of Nursing Errors Using the Taxonomy of Error, Root Cause Analysis, and Practice-Responsibility Research Tool.

Nursing errors significantly impact patient safety and care quality, necessitating effective error recognition and analysis techniques. The Taxonomy of Error, Root Cause Analysis, and Practice-Responsibility (TERCAP) tool aims to systematically classify and address nursing errors, though its application and usefulness remain uncertain. This systematic review provides an overview of nursing errors using the TERCAP instrument, evaluating its applicability, strengths, and opportunities for improvement. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus to identify studies employing the TERCAP tool for nursing error analysis. Inclusion criteria encompassed peer-reviewed articles, studies with quantitative or qualitative data, and English-language publications. Data were extracted and analyzed to assess the tool's validity, reliability, impact on patient outcomes, and integration into clinical practice. The review identified a limited number of studies utilizing the TERCAP instrument, indicating its early stage of implementation. Findings suggest that the TERCAP tool provides a structured approach to error categorization and root cause analysis, potentially benefiting patient safety. However, challenges such as inconsistency in tool use, integration issues with electronic health records, and the need for further validation were noted. Additionally, nurses' perceptions of the tool and training needs emerged as crucial factors influencing its effectiveness. The TERCAP tool shows promise in improving nursing error reporting and analysis. Nonetheless, further research is essential to confirm its reliability, optimize its integration into clinical workflows, and understand its long-term impact on patient outcomes and safety culture. Addressing these gaps will be crucial in harnessing the TERCAP tool's full potential to reduce nursing errors and enhance healthcare quality.

The Impact of Cost of Living on the Quality of Life of Cystic Fibrosis Patients: A Study in Greece.

Introduction Cystic fibrosis (CF) leads to the impairment of multiple essential organs and systems in the human body. The objective of this study was to analyze the financial consequences of having cystic fibrosis (CF) on patients, evaluate their general state of health, and specifically investigate the impact of living expenses on their quality of life. Methods The data were collected using three tools and a form for personal information entry. The first questionnaire was employed to quantify fluctuations in patients' cost of living. The Greek variant of the Short Form Questionnaire-36 (SF-36) and the Greek version of the Cystic Fibrosis Quality of Life (CFQoL) were implemented to assess quality of life. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05, and analyses were conducted using SPSS statistical software. Results The study obtained a response rate of 93.2%, with 105 participants consenting to and effectively finishing the questionnaire. The mean age of the patients was 32.1 years, with 46.7% being female and 53.3% being male. Medication was being administered to 46.7% of the patients. The condition incurred an average cost of 767€ in the preceding semester. The maximum cost was 1007€. Patients with a higher monthly family income and those who were taking medication exhibited superior physical performance and functional capacity. Conclusion The research emphasizes that implementing causative treatment and minimizing hospitalizations can potentially enhance life satisfaction. The findings suggest possible approaches to enhance the quality of life in people with cystic fibrosis, in conjunction with the implementation of novel or enhanced treatment modalities.

Psychological Impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease on University Students: A Systematic Review.

Entering and acclimatizing to a university is crucial for achieving academic goals and graduation. Chronic illnesses can reduce a person's capacity to perform tasks, whether physically, cognitively, or emotionally, about inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there is a lack of research about the impact of IBD on the daily lives of students. IBD can be seen as having an adverse effect on the life of college students. The objective of this review was to examine the psychological ramifications, particularly in relation to stress levels, that IBD elicits in the daily lives of students.  The elementary search utilized specific databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The search terms employed were "IBD," "University," "Students," and "Stress." We reviewed 80 papers and selected 25 for their applicability and relevance. The current review includes at least a total of 12 articles.  The following issues arose: 1) adaption to university, 2) managing IBD individually and from the university setting, 3) social impact, and 4) methods of controlling and coping with the IBD.  Students with IBD have a tough time adapting to new situations. Their emotional and social status plays a significant role in this. The proper management and treatment of IBD throughout studies can have a significant impact on student's academic achievement as well as their later lives.

Investigation of Internalized Weight-Related Stigma: Progression to Dietary Addiction and the Role of Stress.

INTRODUCTION: Internalizing weight stigma can lead to the development of dietary addiction, as individuals seek food as a coping mechanism for the emotional distress caused by stigma. The influence of stress exacerbates this dynamic, encouraging the reliance on food as a stress-coping strategy. METHODS: Electronic questionnaires were completed in a special electronic form through an online platform. The Two-Factor Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS-2F), the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Life Orientation Test (LOT), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were used at this study to examine the prevalence of Internal Weight Stigma (IWS) among adults in Greece, evaluate the degrees of stress/anxiety, food addiction, mental resilience, emotions, and positive life perspectives within this group, and explore the correlations between stress/anxiety, mental resilience, optimistic life attitudes, and both IWS and food addiction. RESULTS: 376 participants completed the questionnaire. The average BMI of the participants was 26.3 kg/m2 (SD = 5.9 kg/m2). Almost half of the participants (46.8%) fell within the normal weight range (18.5 ≤ BMI ≤ 24.9), while 28.2% were classified as overweight and 21.0% as obese. Interestingly, a significant majority (63.1%) perceived themselves as heavier than the normal weight range suggests. Most participants demonstrated typical levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, with percentages of 67.3%, 64.9%, and 71.3%, respectively. Resilience exhibited positive associations with optimism and positive emotions while displaying negative connections with depression, anxiety, stress, and negative emotions. Additionally, individuals with greater optimism reported fewer symptoms of despair, anxiety, and stress. CONCLUSION: The research highlights the intricate dimensions of mental well-being, emphasizing the need for a holistic comprehension encompassing demographic, psychological, and societal factors. The results indicate potential strategies for intervention to boost resilience, and optimism, and tackle issues such as food addiction, underscoring the significance of fostering a positive body image and self-esteem.

Investigation on the Attitudes and Perspectives of Medical and Nursing Staff About Euthanasia: Data From Four Regional Greek Hospitals.

INTRODUCTION: The good and benefit of the patient are the main drivers of the decisions that health professionals are asked to make. However, the definition of the good and the actions required for benefit are not always simple and self-evident. The intractable ethical dilemma of euthanasia has been the subject of extensive debates over the years, and numerous studies have been carried out in an attempt to record the attitudes and opinions of both health professionals and the general population. METHOD: This research aims to investigate the opinions and perspectives of the medical and nursing staff of the four regional hospitals regarding euthanasia and to detect the factors that advocate for and against it. Two hundred and eighteen medical and nursing staff members from four regional hospitals in Lasithi participated in the research, whose opinions and influencing factors were investigated using a questionnaire consisting of four sections. The first included demographic and general characteristics questions; the second was the Euthanasia Attitude Scale (EAS); the third was the Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R); and the last was the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES). The SPSS software version 25.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Of the total, 78.0% of the participants were women, with an average sample age of 44.5 years. 65.1% were married, 23.4% were physicians, while 76.6% were nurses. The mean Euthanasia Attitude score (70.89) is moderate, ranging from 30 to 120, with higher scores suggesting more favourable sentiments. Euthanasia was viewed positively by 24.3% of respondents. There was no significant difference in positive attitudes between medical and nursing staff. However, the nursing staff had significantly lower average levels of General Orientation for Euthanasia, for the Role of Healthcare Professionals in Euthanasia, Values & Ethics, or Daily Spiritual Experience, and conversely higher levels of scores on Patients' Rights Issues for Euthanasia or Death Acceptance. CONCLUSIONS: Health professionals were found to have moderate attitudes about euthanasia, with no significant difference between them, as well as moderate degrees of death and everyday spiritual experience. Overall, a more favourable euthanasia attitude was shown to be strongly associated with individuals who were single, divorced, or widowed, with less death acceptance or more neutral acceptance, but not with daily spiritual experience.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Childhood Obesity: A Review.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed many families' eating habits and lifestyles. The main aim of this study was to investigate the association between COVID-19 and childhood obesity across the scientific literature. Literature reviews have shown that the current COVID-19 pandemic may play a major negative role in the global fight against childhood obesity. School closures, changes in routine, loss of structure, and loss of control were negatively associated with childhood obesity during the COVID-19 period. In addition, physical inactivity, irregular sleep, increased smartphone/TV screen time, and sedentary life may have played a significant negative role in social distress among children and adolescents. It has been argued that school closures during the pandemic have the potential to increase the prevalence of childhood obesity. Finally, family violence was predicted to increase during the pandemic, putting already vulnerable children at increased risk. The pandemic caused significant morbidity and mortality, straining healthcare systems, shutting down economies, and closing school districts. Pandemic future planning should involve stakeholders, including governments, schools, and families, who should make every effort to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on childhood obesity.

Patients' Satisfaction With Pharmaceutical Care Services Provided During COVID Pandemic: Experience From Greece.

Introduction Private pharmacies can contribute to the health care system through primary care. Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine patients' expectations of pharmaceutical care services during covid pandemic in order to measure the level of patient satisfaction provided by the Greek healthcare system. Also, it is important to identify the associated factors that might affect patient satisfaction. Material and Method The sample of the study consisted of 168 customers of pharmacies in Athens. A patient satisfaction survey was conducted at health facilities operating in Athens. Data regarding socio-demographic characteristics and parameters that measure patients' expectations and satisfaction were collected through a closed-ended questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability. The patient's point of view was evaluated based on their expectation and perception of the pharmaceutical care services they had received. Data were entered into SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY ), and descriptive statistics, cross-tabs, and binary logistic regressions were utilized. P < 0.05 was used to declare association. Results About 89.3% of the participants were insured in the Greek health system. The main reason for visiting the pharmacy was the purchase of medicines and products (95.2%), vaccinations (19.6%), and consulting services for first aid (17.3%). The pharmacist was rated for his courtesy, willingness, friendliness, and reliability. Only 48.2% of participants knew that the pharmacy provided primary care services during the pandemic. The most common services provided were blood pressure measurement and intramuscular injections. Around 64.2% of them were fully satisfied. Pharmacists in primary care teams are uniquely positioned to facilitate practice expansion and make medicine a trusted resource for physicians, as well as improve health outcomes for patients. Conclusions The pharmacy has a leading role in health care due to easy access, and fast and immediate service. Patient-clients in Greek society trust their pharmacist as a health professional. Further research is suggested to ensure that through the delivery of health services by pharmacies, the cost of primary care could be lower.

Nursing Workload in Patients With Myocardial Ischemia After Non-cardiac Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Nursing workload (NWL) in the intensive care unit (ICU) is an essential parameter of patient safety. However, little attention has been dedicated to measuring NWL in ICU about patients surgically treated with myocardial ischemia (MI).  Methods: The objectives of this study are to describe and examine the NWL by applying the Nursing Activities Score in patients who underwent non-cardiac surgery and developed MI in the ICU. The statistical significance was set at 0.05. The statistical program SPSS 22.0 was used for the analysis. RESULTS:  The mean age was 69.1 years, whereas 32.4% of the patients had MI. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia were the main comorbidities. On the first day in ICU, the NWL was similar in all patients (p = 0.947). In the following days, the NWL was significantly higher in patients with MI (p < 0.001). The NWL was considerably higher in patients with MI who died. CONCLUSIONS:  The present results are essential for planning and using nursing resources according to the care needs of postoperative patients with MI.

The Predictive Role of Cardiac Troponin in Non-cardiac Surgery: A Study in the Greek Population.

Introduction The incidence of postoperative myocardial ischemia (POMI) remains uncertain and underdiagnosed despite significant morbidity and mortality rates. Methods This study included patients who underwent non-cardiac surgery. Troponin T (TnT) was measured on the first three postoperative days. The revised cardiac risk index, HAS-BLED (hypertension, abnormal renal/liver function, stroke, bleeding history or predisposition, labile international normalized ratio (INR), elderly, drugs/alcohol concomitantly) bleeding score, and CHA2DS2-VASc (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 years, diabetes mellitus, stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), vascular disease, age 65 to 74 years, sex category) score were combined. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to estimate the discriminative ability of preoperative troponin for myocardial ischemia (MI). Results Of 105 patients with a mean age of 69.1 years, 32.4% had MI. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia were the main risk factors. A ROC analysis indicated that a preoperative value of 17.2 pg/ml or higher of troponin was significantly associated with MI. Moreover, a higher CHA2DS2-VASc score was associated with POMI. Conclusions POMI is associated with high mortality and a long stay in the intensive care unit. Routine use of different scores before surgery can be very useful.