Experiences of Academic Women in Jordan on Their Return to Work After Childbirth.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the experiences of women living in Jordan returning to work at their academic positions after giving birth to their first newborns. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive phenomenological design. SETTING: Various schools within a governmental university in Jordan. This study describes the challenges women in academia experience in the context of Jordan's Arabic patriarchal communities. PARTICIPANTS: A purposive sample of 15 women returning to their academic positions. METHODS: Unstructured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews of women returning to their academic positions within 3 months after giving birth to their first newborns. The recorded interviews were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis process. RESULTS: Three major themes emerged: Living in Chaos, The Urgent Need for Transitional Time, and Calling for Help andSupport. Participants described their return to work as a period marked by a sense of chaos and instability, in which they felt a loss of control over their lives. They expressed a pressing need for a transitional period before resuming full-time academic roles, highlighting the importance of a gradual return. Finally, participants shared their struggles with the extra demands added to their daily routine. As working mothers, participants experienced extreme distress while attempting to fulfill their daily responsibilities. They emphasized the lack of adequate support in this challenging period. CONCLUSION: Women returning to their academic work after giving birth to their first newborns need to be prepared physically and emotionally for the changes and responsibilities of their new life. A longer period of maternity leave or a transitional period may help women working in academia to manage the demands of multiple maternal roles alongside their professional commitments. These findings highlight the absence of formal policies needed to support women in academia in their return to work after maternity leave.

The relationship between emotional intelligence, resilience, and psychological distress among nurses in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Nurses have significant levels of depression, anxiety, and stress as a result of their exposure to various stressors at work. Emotional intelligence and resilience are relatively new notions essential for nurses to naturalize high levels of psychological problems. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and resilience and their impact on depression, anxiety, and stress among nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used and recruited 152 nurses from three private hospitals in Jordan. Variables were measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, and Brief Emotional Intelligence Scale. RESULTS: The participants' average age was 27.6 years, and they were mostly female (66.4 %). Resilience earned an average of 3.1, while emotional intelligence averaged 31.7. Depression, anxiety, and stress were all significantly higher among nurses. Also, negative relationships were found between emotional intelligence, resilience, and psychological problems (p < .001). Emotional intelligence is positively associated with resilience (r = 0.83, p < .001). In addition, emotional intelligence and resilience were both significant predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress. CONCLUSION: Emotional intelligence is critical to nurses' well-being. Higher emotional intelligence is associated with higher resilience and lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among nurses. Interventions and education programs emphasizing emotional intelligence and resilience are essential to improving their mental health. Healthcare organizations and governments should promote these attributes to enhance nurses' psychological wellness in challenging healthcare settings.

Factors influencing Jordanian parents' COVID-19 vaccination decision for children: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Vaccine hesitancy is a major public health problem that emerged post-COVID-19 pandemic, especially for children. Different factors influence parents' perspectives about vaccinating their children and can vary across different populations and contexts. PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the vaccine hesitancy among parents in Jordan to vaccinate their children between the ages of 5 and 18. DESIGN AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. A convenient sample was used to recruit Jordanian parents. Data was collected via an online questionnaire including demographic data, the Vaccine Hesitancy Questionnaire, the Questionnaire of Vaccine Hesitancy Reasons, and the Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scale. RESULTS: Over 177 parents, the mean age was 37.74 years (SD = 8.39); the majority of them were females (74%). 51.4% of the participants refused to give the COVID-19 vaccine to their children. Concerns about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and lack of information about disease and vaccine were the common reasons for the parents' hesitancy. In addition, 54.2% of participants agreement was with the conspiracy theory that pharmaceutical companies cover up the dangers of vaccines. Parents' younger age and fewer children were associated with hesitancy to vaccinate their children with COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Many parents are hesitant to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Concerns about the vaccine's efficacy and safety as well as potential long-term negative effects were the main reasons for vaccine hesitancy. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Nurses play a critical role in determining parental hesitancy. Providing detailed, accurate, evidence-based vaccine information is essential to reduce this hesitancy.

Public Attitudes and Beliefs About Organ Donation: Development and Validation of a New Instrument.

Background and Purpose: The number of patients in need of lifesaving organ transplants continues to exceed the number of available. One of the most critical factors influencing peoples' practices and rates of organ donation is their attitude and beliefs. This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument that evaluates peoples' attitudes and beliefs about organ donation. Methods: A cross-sectional methodological study was used to guide the development of a questionnaire after reviewing the literature. Results: The initial items (n = 45) were evaluated by 15 nonexperts pilot to verify face validity; then, content validity was established by three experts, and exploratory factorial analysis established construct validity. Afterward, internal consistency was checked using Cronbach's α analysis. Eventually, 31 items were included in the questionnaire, comprising four subscales. Conclusion: According to the results, we found that the "Public Attitudes and Beliefs about Organ Donation" questionnaire has adequate validity and reliability to assess peoples' attitudes and beliefs about organ donation.

Predictors and disturbances of sleep quality between men and women: results from a cross-sectional study in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances, a public health concern that may lead to critical physiological conditions, are associated with personal characteristics such as gender. Limited evidence is available from the Middle East population on the gender disparities in sleep quality. Therefore, the current study examined gender-specific differences in sleep quality and disturbances among Jordanian citizens. METHOD: A cross-sectional design was used to recruit a convenient sample of 1,092 adults from different Jordanian cities. Data was collected using a self-reported questionnaire comprising the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which was distributed online via social media networks. The participants were categorized according to their global PSQI scores into poor (PSQI ≥ 5) and good sleepers (PSQI < 5). The analysis focused on finding differences between women and men in terms of sleep quality and the effects of demographic, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors on reported sleep problems. RESULTS: Women were revealed to have a higher prevalence of all types of sleep disturbances than men. Women who were over 55 (compared to younger than 20 years), did not smoke, had multiple jobs or part-time employment (compared to unemployed women), and had a monthly income of more than 500 JD (compared to those with an income of < 500 JD) were less likely to experience poor sleep than other women. In contrast, men who neither smoked nor drank coffee, ate no sweets or only one to two pieces daily (compared to participants who ate more than two pieces daily), and worked fixed night shifts (compared to alternating shifts workers) were less likely to experience poor sleep than other men. CONCLUSION: This study builds a more nuanced understanding of how different demographic, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors - such as a participant's age, time of working duty, income, daily sweet consumption, daily caffeine consumption, and smoking - affect the sleep quality of men and women. Thus, promoting a healthier lifestyle for both genders by modifying risk factors - such as smoking cessation, as well as reducing their intake of caffeine and sweets - is the first step toward improving their sleep quality. Further studies are needed to examine how the social role of Arabic women affects their sleep.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Awareness among Women with a History of Preeclampsia in Jordan.

Introduction: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disease that affects 3-5% of pregnant women all over the world and 1.3% of pregnancies among Jordanian women. Objectives: This study aims to assess the cardiovascular disease risk factors awareness among women with a recent history of preeclampsia in Jordan and assess the role of healthcare providers in providing counseling about cardiovascular disease risk factors. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to recruit 180 women with a recent history of preeclampsia during the last 12 months. Data were obtained from patients' medical records and the Attitude and Beliefs about Cardiovascular Disease Risk Questionnaires. Results: The results revealed that 43.9% of women with a recent history of preeclampsia have hypertension, 6.7% have diabetes mellitus, 16.1% have dyslipidemia, 28.9% have a family history of cardiovascular disease, 66.1% are overweight or obese, and 7.2% are smokers. The mean total score of knowledge subscale was 5.5 (SD = 1.21) out of 8. Only 20% of the participants had good cardiovascular disease knowledge. The mean total score of risk perception was 15.47 (SD = 7.8). The mean score of perceived benefits and intention to change behaviors was 2.30 (SD = 0.62). The mean score of healthy eating intentions was 2.54 (SD = 0.81). Income, having diabetes mellitus, and receiving counseling about preeclampsia as cardiovascular disease risk factor were associated with some dimensions of cardiovascular disease risk factors awareness. Conclusion: The prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors was relatively high among the study participants. The majority of participants had inadequate cardiovascular disease knowledge. In addition, the role of healthcare providers in providing counseling about cardiovascular disease and related risk factors, including PE was limited. Providing more counseling related to cardiovascular disease by nurses and doctors is essential to enhance women's cardiovascular disease knowledge and intention to change lifestyle.

The effect of burdensome symptoms and functional status on quality of life among older patients with cancer: A correlational study.

PURPOSE: The current study aimed to assess the effect of burdensome symptoms and functional status on QoL among Jordanian older patients with cancer presenting to outpatient clinics. METHODS: A correlational design was implemented to collect data from 165 older patients with cancer visiting outpatient oncology clinics. RESULTS: Generally, the participants have a relatively low quality of life (M = 52.22 ± 24.57). The highest needs according to their functional status were difficulty walking a long distance (M = 3.06 ± 1.004; physical functional status), feeling limited in pursuing hobbies or leisure time activities (M = 2.32 ± 1.05; role functional status), feeling nervous (M = 2.36 ± 1.01; emotional functional status), having difficulty concentrating (M = 2.15 ± 1.04; cognitive functional status), and that physical condition or medical treatment interfered with their social activities (M = 2.36 ± 1.10; social functional status). Further, the most common distressing symptom was insomnia (n = 90, 54%), followed by fatigue (n = 79, 47.9%). Lastly, quality of life improved with better functional status (the strongest correlation was with the role functional status: r = 0.503, p < .001) and declined with higher symptom severity (the strongest correlation was with fatigue: r = -0.566, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: To conclude, the current study sheds light on older patients with cancer burdensome symptoms and functional status and their effect on quality of life. The findings suggest that patients suffer from several functional limitations and distressing symptoms that affect their quality of life, necessitating screening and corrective actions from healthcare providers.

Public awareness and knowledge of palliative care in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Public perceptions of palliative care (PC) are crucial to enhance access to PC services and foster a sense of control over health decisions for people at the end of life. PURPOSE: To assess public knowledge of PC in Jordan. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional design with a stratified self-administered sample of 430 Jordanian citizens from all sectors in Jordan was used. Participants filled out the Palliative Care Knowledge Scale questionnaire. Data were analysed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Statistics; descriptive, t-test, analysis of variance and regression test. RESULTS: The mean score on the 13-item Palliative Care Knowledge Scale was 3.51±4.71 (out of 13). This indicates a low level of knowledge about PC among participants; 78.6% (n=338) of the participants had not heard about PC. Participants who worked in health fields, had post-graduate degrees and a high income showed higher awareness of PC than others in the study. Most participants learnt about PC from family members. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of knowledge of palliative care in Jordanian public society. There is a crucial need to raise public awareness, and implement educational interventions to improve public awareness about palliative care.

Do nurses participate in end-of-life decision making?

BACKGROUND: To explore how Jordanian nurses participate in the end-of-life (EoL) decision-making process. METHODS: Interviews with 10 patients and family caregivers, and focus group discussions with seven healthcare professionals (HCPs), were conducted. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed following inductive thematic analysis. FINDINGS: The participants agreed that nurses are not fully engaged and did not have a direct role in the EoL decision-making process. However, the participants highlighted that 'nurses bridge the gaps in the decision-making process', where nurses act as mediators to facilitate the decision-making process. Lastly, nurses were viewed as 'nurturers and supporters during the journey of the patient's illness'; they were always available to answer their questions, offer help and advise when necessary during palliative referral and throughout the illness. CONCLUSIONS: Although nurses did not directly participate in EoL decisions, they have several vital contributions that need to be rearranged into structured decisional coaching.

Jordanian nursing students' engagement and satisfaction with e-learning during COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Nursing education was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as most institutions shifted to e-learning. The aim of the current study was to examine students' engagement and satisfaction levels with e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A descriptive correlation design was used to guide this study. A voluntary response sampling method was used to recruit undergraduate nursing programs in Jordan. Data were collected using an electronic link to a self-reported questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 1,562 undergraduate nursing students responded to the questionnaire. The study showed that most students have high engagement in the emotional, skills, and performance subscales and low engagement in the participation subscale. Further, they were moderately satisfied with e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Students identified several issues regarding their e-learning, which must be considered to improve their engagement and satisfaction. Further, the study revealed several shortcomings in preparing students to attend e-learning classes.

Decision Making Near End of Life: A Qualitative Exploration of the Lived Experiences of Jordanian Healthcare Providers.

BACKGROUND: Discussions related to a patient's prognosis and interventions near end of life are challenging and stressful for healthcare providers. Many reported experiencing emotional distress and discomfort during the decision-making process. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the lived experience of nurses and physicians who participate in decision making near the end of a patient's life. METHODS: A descriptive, phenomenological approach was used with a purposive sample of 7 nurses and 6 physicians from 2 palliative and end-of-life care institutions in Jordan. Data derived from focus group discussions conducted online via the ZOOM video communication application, and analysis followed Colaizzi's qualitative methodology. RESULTS: Three major themes emerged from the healthcare providers' experiences. Initially, the participants described how they "strive toward optimal decision-making near end of life," "the overwhelming experience of decision making near end of life," and finally, their struggle in sharing details about the end of life when patients ask and whether to tell or not to tell them as "the time for hard talk." CONCLUSIONS: The healthcare providers' experiences revealed several issues of decision making near a patient's end of life, such as a lack of appropriate training and administrative support, emotional distress, fear of legal liability, and the burden of a hard talk with patients. These findings necessitate institutional support of setting appropriate policies and guidelines, staff counseling, and healthcare provider support. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Institutions providing palliative and end-of-life care can use this study's findings to support their staff by setting appropriate practice guidelines and providing staff training and counseling.

Death and Dying Through the Lens of Jordanian Muslim Patients and Caregivers.

The current phenomenological-qualitative study explored the meaning of death and dying from a Jordanian-Muslim perspective. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with eight patients and five family caregivers, then analyzed following the Braun and Clarke steps. The analysis revealed two main themes; confronting death and preparing for a good death. The experience of terminal illness compelled the patients and their family caregivers to think of imminent death and want to prepare for it. On the other hand, Muslim terminally-ill patients accepted death and surrendered to God's decree; however, they feared the unknown of the dying experience. Furthermore, the patients were concerned about being a burden to their families during the last days of their lives. Additionally, Muslim patients and caregivers identified five components of a 'good death' from the Arab-Muslims' perspectives, including having a good closure, dying with dignity, coming to peace, not dying alone, and having a religious engagement.

Attitude and Associated Factors Toward end of Life Care among Nurses Working in Kuwait Hospitals: A Cross-sectional Study.

Objective: The current study assessed the attitude toward end of life (EOL) care among nurses working in Kuwait hospitals. Material and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used to recruit 900 nurses from nine public, private and military hospitals in Kuwait. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire of the Frommelt Attitude Toward the Care of Dying questionnaire. Results: The results showed that nurses in Kuwait had a favourable and supportive attitude towards EOL care, mainly toward the families' need for emotional support, care for the dying patients, involving the family in care, and accepting death. Further, attitude scores differed significantly based on nurses' age, year of experience, education level, nationality, type of hospital, and place of work. Conclusion: Nurses working in Kuwait have a favourable attitude toward care for dying patients but an unfavourable perception toward making conversation with patients about death. Hence, providing appropriate awareness to nurses about death and dying in Kuwait might be a promising intervention to improve their attitude and sensitise the concept of death among them.

Preventive and Avoidant Behaviors Followed by Jordanians During COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), individuals' compliance with protective behaviors was the most effective strategy to break the infection chain and prevent disease spread, even with vaccine availability and use. Understanding protective behaviors within the Jordanian context will shape health promotion campaigns and guide decision-makers to facilitate required resources and support Jordanian citizens. The objective of this study was to identify personal protective (preventive and avoidant) measures used by the Jordanian population during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect themselves from infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with an exploratory, descriptive design was used to collect data using an online self-reported questionnaire from Jordanian people. The survey included the Protection from Infection Scale and the Infection Avoidance Scale. RESULTS: A total sample of 1053 Jordanian citizens was included in the study. The participants exhibited a moderate level of self-care behaviors and high levels of protective and infection avoidance behaviors. Their most common behaviors were getting enough sleep, wearing masks, washing hands, and avoiding travel to infected areas. Contrariwise, the least adopted behaviors were exercising, wearing gloves, and leaving their jobs or schools. CONCLUSIONS: During pandemics, policy-makers must understand public concerns and protective behaviors, then provide them with tailored education through health promotion campaigns to enhance healthy behaviors.

Fatigue among post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients in Jordan: prevalence and associated factors.

BACKGROUND: During hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), patients underwent various serious prolonged treatments, including conditioning and immunosuppressive drugs, resulting in several symptoms and alterations in the patient's functioning. One of the most commonly reported symptoms is fatigue. AIM: To assess fatigue levels and associated factors during the first 100 days post-HSCT among Jordanian patients. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design assessed fatigue and associated factors during the first 100 days post-HSCT among Jordanian patients. A convenient sample was used to recruit post-HSCT patients. Data were collected using the demographic survey and the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) scale. RESULTS: The findings of this study demonstrated that 40.5% of the participants had severe total fatigue scores, while the mean BFI intensity average score was 5.01 and the mean interference of fatigue with patients' daily life was 5.06. In terms of fatigue interference with daily activities, the highest interference was with the patient's mood and normal work, while the lowest interference was with the walking ability. The analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between the fatigue intensity and its interference with the daily activities (r = .98, p ˂.001). Besides, a significantly strong negative correlation was found between the number of days post-HSCT and fatigue scores (r = - .92, p ˂.001). CONCLUSION: Post-transplant, patients experienced increased fatigue intensity, reduced physical activity, interference with the patient's mood, and diminished functional capacity. Patients who have HSCT require a significant nursing care immediately post-transplant.

Involvement of Jordanian Patients and Their Families in Decision Making Near End of Life, Challenges and Recommendations.

This study aims to explore the challenges in involving patients and their families in decision making near end of life and to provide recommendations to overcome these challenges. A qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach was used with a purposive sample of 8 patients, 7 family caregivers, 7 nurses, and 6 physicians from 2 institutions that provide palliative and end-of-life care services in Jordan. Data were collected using interviews with patients and family caregivers and focus group discussions with nurses and physicians. Colaizzi's method was used to analyze the data. The thematic analysis revealed 5 themes representing the participants' experiences of challenges with decision making near end of life. The identified challenges are (1) struggle with lack of information; (2) improper communication; (3) patient's or family's decision: the cultural taboo; (4) health care providers prefer staying in their comfort zone; and (5) the paradox of surviving and letting go. In addition, the participants endorsed several recommendations to raise public awareness of palliative and end-of-life care, amplify the patients' voice, and raise the bar of communication sensitivity. Decision making near the end of life is a challenge. However, the current study highlighted several areas for improvement that can improve the process and optimize patients' and their families' involvement.

Nursing diagnoses among oncology patients in medical units: a retrospective study of patients' records.

OBJECTIVE: Nursing care plans for oncology patients are complex and overlapping enough to warrant the need for systematised documentation that ensures high quality, flawless and comprehensive care. Addressing the patients' needs through nursing diagnoses is the initial step that shapes the subsequent care. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify the frequent NANDA-I diagnoses reported in nursing care plans for medical oncology patients. DATA SOURCES: A retrospective design was used to collect data from 260 electronic nursing care records of oncology patients admitted to medical floors at an accredited oncology centre in Jordan. CONCLUSION: The complexity of nursing care for oncology patients can be inferred from the high number of reported nursing diagnoses. This study summarises the most common nursing diagnoses and their combinations that can be used as a guide to formulate nursing care plans for oncology patients in medical units. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Oncology nurses may refer to this study to guide and support their care and documentations to maintain a high standard of nursing practice. Besides, the reported diagnoses can be integrated to generate pre-printed, standardised nursing care plans, where diagnoses are listed for nurses to select the applicable ones for their patients. Similarly, the combinations of nursing diagnoses may guide nurses to search for a concurrent diagnosis, thus improving patients' outcomes. This study revealed the complexity of patients' care in medical oncology units, which alarms the nursing managers to reconsider the nurse-patient ratio in these settings to meet patients' care demands and maintain their safety.

Shared Decision-Making Measures: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This review used the recent COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) rating system, which gives the reader the ability to find appropriate instruments in a simple way. Shared decision-making (SDM) is part of health professionals', nurses', and patients' interaction about fundamental and special nursing care issues. The objective of this study was to critically appraise instruments that measure SDM in health care-related decisions according to the COSMIN criteria. METHODS: This review was reported in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guideline. A thorough search identified SMD measures via PubMed, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EBSCO Host, Ovid journals, SAGE journals, and Google Scholar search engine through November 2018 and updated on March 24, 2019. A rating system with "very good," "adequate," "doubtful," or "inadequate" for COSMIN was used. RESULTS: The 17 instruments reported in this review are varied in the measured perspectives; observer-based viewpoint, patient questionnaires, provider questionnaires, and physician questionnaires, or even mixed perspectives. Only one instrument (OPTION 12 Scale) received an excellent rating across all 5 COSMIN validity rating sections in content, structural, and criterion validity. CONCLUSION: Most of the instruments scored poorly on the COSMIN checklist. Despite the vast number of instruments measuring SDM, researchers must undertake critical appraisal before selecting an acceptable instrument that meets the specific research goal, as well as the quality requirements.

Nurses' Compliance With Bar-code Medication Administration Technology: Results of Direct Observation of Jordanian Nurses' Practice.

Medication administration using bar-code medication administration technology enhances the verification of medication administration rights. Nurses' compliance with bar-code medication administration procedure is essential to maximize the benefits. This study evaluated the current rate of nurses' compliance with bar-code medication administration use through direct observation. A descriptive design was used and 134 RNs were recruited from two public hospitals located in the middle region of Jordan. Compliance with bar-code medication administration was evaluated using an evidence-based checklist of 17 items. Participants' compliance with the bar-code medication administration was 55%, which had a significant positive correlation with their level of comfort using bar-code medication administration, usefulness, and ease of use, perceived job productivity, and overall rating of bar-code medication administration. Stakeholders can benefit from assessing end-user acceptance and perceptions regarding the bar-code medication administration technology to promote acceptance and compliance.