[The therapeutic stay, a rewarding experience both professionally and personally]. / Le séjour thérapeutique, une expérience enrichissante sur le plan professionnel et personnel.

The organization of a therapeutic stay by four mental health caregivers was a rich learning experience. This experience, a first for them, enabled them to expand their knowledge and adapt their professional posture over the long term. It also helped them to get to know themselves better on a personal level, to be more attuned to their emotions and aware of their limits. Here's a testimonial.

Nurses' experiences on the use of Positive Behaviour Support in the management of challenging behaviour in adults with a dual diagnosis of a mental health disorder and an intellectual disability.

INTRODUCTION: Individuals who have a dual diagnosis of both a psychiatric disorder and an intellectual disability (ID) are more likely to exhibit challenging behaviour than the general population. Clinicians globally have been encouraged to use positive approaches such as Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) when managing challenging behaviour. AIM: To explore nurses' views, opinions and perceptions on the use of positive behaviour support, as an adjunctive therapy, in the management of challenging behaviour in adults with a dual diagnosis of a mental health disorder and an intellectual disability within a mental health setting. METHOD: A descriptive qualitative study was undertaken to identify registered nurses' experiences of using PBS in managing challenging behaviour. Data were collected from ten participants via semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Two themes were constructed; 1) Being involved from the beginning and 2) Impact on adults with a dual diagnosis. DISCUSSION: Nurses' involvement from the onset was fundamental in maximising the potential of PBS. Benefits of PBS were identified. Having a meaningful relationship with clients and a good knowledge of their behaviours was integral to the success of PBS. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Participants emphasised the importance of continuous education around PBS. Nurses should be included in the formulation of PBS plans. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: RELEVANCE STATEMENT.

[Words and views on old age, or how ageism undermines the care relationship]. / Mots et regards sur la vieillesse, ou comment l'âgisme mine la relation de soins.

Anxiety about ageing, as well as old age, is rooted in public discourse and has a negative impact on the quality of the relationship with the elderly, particularly in the context of care relationships with more vulnerable seniors. This text proposes a theoretical and empirical reflection on ageism, manifested as much in its hostile as in its compassionate forms.

Communication as Healing Art in Caring for Persons with Alzheimer's and Dementia.

ABSTRACT: Communication is an essential aspect of care for all patients but is especially important for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Nurses who care for persons living with dementia (PwD), as well as family members and caregivers, need understanding of verbal and nonverbal communication techniques and approaches that are effective throughout the stages of dementia. Spiritual assessment and care also are critical. This article provides evidence-based and biblical examples for communication as a healing art in caring for PwD.

Patient-Centered Nursing for the Christ-Centered Nurse.

ABSTRACT: Patient-centered care (PCC), a term coined decades ago, is a key but challenging focus of nursing practice. The history, development, and current dialogue about PCC along with biblical perspectives on caregiving, wisdom, and discernment help nurses who follow Christ to offer compassionate PCC. Strategies are proposed for meaningfully engaging patients and families as active participants in healthcare. The Christian nurse can best provide consistent, effective PCC by remaining Christ-centered.

Covenantal Care: Nursing with God's Love and Justice.

ABSTRACT: With resources stretched thin and the growing risk of compassion fatigue, faith beliefs can offer enriching perspectives for nurses. Covenantal care is a nursing approach rooted in theological insights about humanity's inherent purpose to engage in relationship with God and actively participate in acts of love and justice. Based upon interpretations of Judeo-Christian teachings of imago Dei and God's covenant with humankind, this approach provides guidance for the nurse to care for self, patients, and the wider community. This exploration of theology-in-practice provides an orientating ethos for nurses that reflects the loving, restorative, and dignified care that is at the heart of the Christian faith.

The role of mental health in the relationship between nursing care satisfaction with nurse-patient relational care in Chinese emergency department nursing.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between a nurse and a patient is a key part of nursing that can impact how happy the patient is with the care they receive. It appears that the nurse's mental health can also affect this connection. However, there is little research on this topic. So, the aim of the present study was to determine the correlation of nurse's mental health with nurse-patient relational care and nursing care satisfaction. METHODS: A total of 532 nurses and 532 patients from 13 Level-III hospitals of Hubei province (China) completed a China Mental Health Survey, general information questionnaire, the Nursing Care Satisfaction Scale, and Relational Care Scale. RESULTS: Age, nurse working years, and night shift last month were correlated with mental health score (r = -0.142, r = -0.150, r = 0.164, p < 0.05). Nurse's mental health was correlated with relational care score and nursing care satisfaction score (r = -0.177, r = -0.325, p < 0.05). Also, relational care score, patients age and gender were correlated with nursing care satisfaction score (r = 0.584 and r = 0.143, x2 = 11.636, p < 0.05). Descriptive information of nurses had a direct impact on nurses' mental health (direct effect = 0.612, 0.419-0.713). Nurses' mental health had a direct effect on relational care score (direct effect = 0.493, 0.298-0.428) and an indirect effect on nursing care satisfaction score (indirect effect = 0.051, 0.032-0.074). Relational care score and patient's descriptive information had also a direct effect on nursing care satisfaction score (direct effect = 0.232, 0.057-0.172 and 0.057, 0.347-0.493). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the better the mental health of nurses, the more patients feel satisfied with nursing services.

Reframing covenant for nursing: From individual commitments to covenant with society.

Today's constrained healthcare environment can make it very difficult for nurses to provide compassionate, competent, and ethical care, and yet their continued commitment to care is viewed as requisite. Nurses' commitment to care of patients, enmeshed with professional identity, may be understood as heroic. A few nursing scholars have advanced the concept of a nurse-patient covenant to explain or inspire nurses' commitment to care. Covenant describes an enduring relationship characterised by mutual promises and generous responsiveness. However, recent critique has revealed a general misunderstanding and misuse of the term covenant in much of the nursing literature whereby individual nurses are improperly and impossibly idealised as holding sole responsibility in the commitment to care. Such an interpretation obscures society's responsibilities in caring for both patients and nurses and contributes to the idealisation of nurses' commitment to extend themselves to fill in healthcare system gaps. Yet, the concept of a covenant relationship, when reframed as occurring between society and the profession of nursing, may lead us toward solutions to the very problems the originally misused concept sustained. Evidence within healthcare systems globally suggests that nurses' commitments are fragile or fragmented under duress due to increasing pressure, demands, and even risks. A reframing of covenant has the common good for society and nursing at its core and, we argue, may lead to a more sustainable nursing identity. We present the results of an exploratory project, undertaken to examine the utility and suitability of covenant as a relational framework for nursing. We explore a reframing of a covenant of care as a relationship between nursing and society, which may provide a fruitful path toward a sustainable, shared commitment for healthcare. This covenant of care re-centres shared work-a joint responsibility between society and nursing-as necessary for the common good.

Aesthetics in Nursing Practice as Experienced by Children During Hospitalization in Philippines: A Phenomenological Study.

This study aimed to describe the meaning of aesthetics in nursing practice as experienced by children during hospitalization. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used. Fifteen children who met the inclusion criteria participated in the study conducted from June to August 2021. Data were collected by drawing and interviewing. Kongsuwan's approach was used to analyze the data. Six thematic categories that revealed aesthetics in nursing practice were identified, namely, Enjoyment; Kindness; Creating impressive care; Appreciation of safeness; Intention to know children; and Connecting to others. The study findings present useful knowledge to inform nurses regarding special approaches to implementing aesthetic nursing care for children.

Developing care behaviors and ethical attitude in nursing education.

AIM: This study aims to determine the effect of education based on the Theory of Human Caring on nursing students' caring behaviors and ethical attitudes. BACKGROUND: It is crucial to plan nursing education holistically, addressing cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains for the comprehensive development of caring behaviors and ethical attitudes. DESIGN: This study employed a convergent mixed-methods approach with randomized pretest-posttest comparisons and qualitative analysis. METHODS: This study was conducted with third-year nursing students at a state university in Ankara, Turkey, in 2021. It comprised a total of 95 participants, with 47 students in the case group and 48 students in the video group. Theoretical education based on the Theory of Human Caring was simultaneously provided to both groups. Following this, one group received practical training using a video-supported teaching method, while the other group received it through a case analysis method. The research used the 'Descriptive Characteristics Form', 'Caring Nurse Patient Interaction Scale (CNPIS)', 'Scale for Attitudes of Ethical Principles (SAEP)' and 'Student Opinion Form on Care Behaviors Education' to collect data. Quantitative data were analyzed using t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Wilcoxon paired two-sample tests and Linear Regression Analysis, with a significance level of p<0.05. Qualitative data were evaluated through document analysis. Permissions were obtained before the research. RESULTS: After the education provided, significant differences were found between the pre-test and post-test scores of both groups (p<0.05). It was determined that there was a statistically significant, positive and generally moderate relationship between the caring behaviors and ethical attitudes of the students. Additionally, participating students reported that they were satisfied with the education provided, stating that the teaching methods increased their motivation and positively influenced their perspectives on caring and its ethical dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: The research findings show significant improvements in nursing students' care behaviors and ethical attitudes following education based on the Human Care Theory, with both case analysis and video-supported teaching methods yielding notable results. Integration of care theories into the nursing undergraduate curriculum, alongside the use of holistic teaching methods, is recommended, along with further randomized controlled trials to assess teaching effectiveness.

Cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Italian version of the active-empathic listening scale among undergraduate nursing students: A three phase validation study.

AIM: To translate, culturally adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the Active Empathic Listening Scale (AELS-It) for first year students on a Bachelor degree in nursing. BACKGROUND: Active and empathic listening is characterised by the active and emotional involvement of the listener and is particularly important for nurses to understand and address patients' needs. When nurses demonstrate to patients that they are active and empathic listeners, it leads to deeper engagement and trust, strengthens the nurse-patient relationship and enhances the quality of care. Consequently, it is essential to incorporate active and empathic listening into nursing education, as it equips future nurses to communicate and respond to patients' needs effectively. AELS is a tool that measures active and empathic listening styles. To the best of our knowledge, no study has validated and psychometrically tested AELS among nursing students and no studies have examined the application of the AELS scale within the Italian context. DESIGN: A three-phase validation study. METHODS: The tool was first translated and adapted into Italian. A panel of 12 experts in nursing education evaluated the face and content validity. The psychometric properties of the Italian AELS (AELS-It) were assessed in a sample of nursing students. The dimensionality and construct validity of the tool were tested through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Reliability was estimated using both traditional and composite methods. RESULTS: A total of 207 students were included. The overall content validity index was 0.9. The exploratory factor analysis confirmed a three factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a second-order factor structure with adequate fit indices. The reliability of the second-order factor analysis for the scale was adequate, with Cronbach's α (0.877) and Composite-ω (0.875). CONCLUSIONS: The Italian version of AELS-It proved to be a reliable tool to test active empathic listening in Italian nursing students and it could be a useful instrument in nursing education.

Pediatric psychiatric inpatients' perspectives of aggression management: Discernment in the doorway.

PROBLEM: Aggressive behavior is common on psychiatric inpatient units. Seclusion and restraint interventions to manage patients' aggressive behavior may have the consequence of being traumatizing for patients. Pediatric psychiatric patients' perspective on the use of seclusion and restraint interventions is not present in the literature. METHODS: This hermeneutic nursing research study asked the question, "How might we understand children's experiences of seclusion and restraints on an inpatient psychiatric unit?" Four past pediatric psychiatric inpatients shared their hospitalization experiences that occurred within the previous year when they were 10 years old. The texts of the research interviews were compared to Attachment Theory for a deeper understanding of the meaning of the message. FINDINGS: Participants commonly described experiences with seclusion and restraints as feeling trapped and alone in a dark room. They recommended the nurses step into the room with them to help them heal. Interpretively, the rooms on inpatient units could be considered as actual and metaphorical spaces of possible harm or healing. CONCLUSION: The participant's voices expand understanding of nurse's use of discernment at the doorway of a patient room to ensure the most therapeutic care is provided to the patient in these spaces through a secure nurse-patient relationship.

Nurses' Experiences of Assisting by Touch in Older Adult Care: "Striving to Be Present" or "Not Being There".

The aim of the study was to describe nurses' experiences of touch and especially touch when assisting older adult patients in hospital context. The interviewed nurses described 2 ways of assisting by touch: striving to be present and not being there. This study shows that touching and assisting by touch can constitute the core of the act of holistic caring in nursing, in which the most important content is a real encounter with the patient.

Association between nurse-child communication and family caregivers' global ratings to hospital: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Effective nurse-child communication is a fundamental aspect of delivering pediatric nursing care. Family caregivers' global ratings to hospital are considered a proxy-reported measure for assessing a child's inpatient stay experience. We investigate the associations between nurse-child communication and family caregivers' global ratings to hospital. DESIGN AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of a national child patient experience survey data was conducted. Patient experience with nurse-child communication and the family caregivers' global ratings of hospital were measured using the Child Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. Hierarchical linear models were constructed to examine the association between nurse-child communication measures and family caregivers' global ratings to hospital. RESULTS: Data from 1010 patients at six National Regional Centers for Pediatric in China were collected. The overall rating of hospitals and the willingness to recommend the hospital showed increasing trends as the nurse-child communication score increased. How often nurses encourage children to ask questions was significantly associated with family caregivers' overall ratings of hospital and the family caregivers' willingness to recommend the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Effective communication by nurses with the child is associated with significantly higher global ratings to the hospital by family caregivers during inpatient care. Encouraging children to ask questions is a promising contributor to caregivers' global ratings to hospital. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Pediatric nurses should emphasis encouraging children to ask questions for effective communication in nursing practice. Future research is also needed to develop more targeted strategies to assist pediatric nurse to communicate with child better.

My Magical Day in the Trauma ICU.

Healing is a difficult concept to describe, quantify, or replicate. It is a complex mixture of personal contributions from the professional providing care, including competence, compassion, and empathy, that conjoins with the needs, sensitivities, and receptivity of the one who is receiving the care. Although it may be difficult to predict all the elements that come together to initiate sustained healing, as well as the long-term impact, it is important to observe the moments that make a difference. For those who study the nature of healing, a patient's reflections can surface the kinds of elements that are present when healing is sustained. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(7):326-327.].