Exploring Clients' Experiences of Transitioning Mental Health Nursing Care from an In-Person to a Virtual Format due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led mental health professionals to change the way they engaged with clients, often replacing in-person consultations with virtual ones via telephone or videoconferencing. While studies have investigated the delivery of virtual physical health care, only a handful have investigated the delivery of virtual mental health. These specifically focussed on the outcomes of virtual care whether experiential, practical, or empirical. The transition from in-person to virtual care delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been unexplored. Accordingly, the purpose of the study was to: (1) Explore the experiences of clients who had to transition from an in-person to a virtual provision of mental health care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and; (2) Explore the nurses' experiences of this technological transition. Using an interpretive phenomenology methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses and clients who have experienced the in-person to virtual transition of service delivery at a tertiary mental health hospital in Ontario, Canada. In this article, we focus on the results stemming from our interviews with clients. The themes generated from the analysis of client experiences are 1) the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clients, (2) mixed feelings of clients towards nursing care delivered via technological means and (3) the role of nurses regarding transitioning of in-person care to technology-mediated care. These findings are relevant as mental health care hospitals are considering how they will deliver services once concerns with the transmission of the COVID-19 virus are resolved.

Spirituality in cancer survivorship with First Nations people in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Advancements in cancer survivorship care have shown that holistic approaches, tailored to people's unique survivorship needs, can decrease cancer burden and enhance well-being and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to explore the meanings of spirituality in cancer survivorship for First Nations people, the largest Indigenous population in Canada, and describe how spiritual practices are incorporated into healing. METHODS: This study is part of a larger arts-based project about cancer survivorship with First Nations people. Thirty-one cancer survivors discussed spirituality as part of their cancer survivorship experiences. Data were generated through sharing sessions (n = 8) and individual interviews (n = 31). Qualitative descriptive analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Three themes emerged about the meaning of spirituality in cancer survivorship. Spirituality was expressed as a complex phenomenon that (1) interconnected self with traditional roots and culture, (2) merged the body and mind, and (3) gave meaning, strength, and faith in the cancer journey. First Nations people incorporated spirituality into cancer survivorship by giving thanks, attending places of spiritual connectedness, singing, praying, speaking to the Creator, and engaging the sun and moon. CONCLUSION: First Nations cancer survivors have viewed cancer as an opportunity for emotional and spiritual growth that enabled healing. Understanding the role of spirituality in cancer survivorship is important to develop and deliver culturally safe health services that reduce the burden of cancer and ultimately improve outcomes for First Nations people in Canada.