Using graphic medicine in teaching multicultural nursing: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Comics, as an art form that combines words and images, can be used with great success in teaching nursing students. Teaching content on multicultural issues is not easy, especially since, in addition to knowledge, it is important to pay attention to communication skills, attitudes of respect, openness or empathy, among others. It is difficult to recognize or discuss these attitudes without student involvement. Graphic stories, comic strips provide such opportunities and facilitate learning new content, even those difficult to communicate naturally and spontaneously. The aim of this paper is to present the possibilities of using the graphic method, in particular comics and graphic novels, in teaching nursing, based on the example of multicultural nursing. METHODS: Quasi-experimental intervention study with a quantitative approach, guided by the STROBE tool The survey was conducted March-May 2022 among State University of Applied Sciences in Pila students. First, students' knowledge of cultural issues was assessed, then they were randomly assigned to two groups. One group had classes using a comic book, and the other group had classes using traditional methods. After the class, the students' knowledge was assessed again. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed to obtain the mean, median, standard deviation (SD). Data followed a normal distribution. Data was verified by the t-Students test for independent groups. RESULTS: Respondents' knowledge on cultural issues before taking the course was satisfactory, with a mean score of 19.1. After completing the course, knowledge on cultural issues increased and was rated as very good and the mean score for all respondents was 26.9. Statistical analysis showed that there was statistical significance between the groups and the number of points achieved in the posttest. Respondents in the intervention group scored higher than those in the comparsion group. CONCLUSION: The use of the graphic method, which is one of the forms of active learning, in teaching cultural content to nursing students has positive didactic effects. Students achieve better learning outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes in a way that is more engaging. This makes learning difficult topics, such as a cultural issue, more effective. It would be worth considering using this method for other courses and/or at other universities as well.

Socially assistive robots in health and social care: Acceptance and cultural factors. Results from an exploratory international online survey.

AIM: This study explored the views of an international sample of registered nurses and midwives working in health and social care concerning socially assistive robots (SARs), and the relationship between dimensions of culture and rejection of the idea that SARs had benefits in these settings. METHODS: An online survey was used to obtain rankings of (among other topics) the extent to which SARs have benefits for health and social care. It also asked for free text responses regarding any concerns about SARs. RESULTS: Most respondents were overwhelmingly positive about SARs' benefits. A small minority strongly rejected this idea, and qualitative analysis of the objections raised by them revealed three major themes: things might go wrong, depersonalization, and patient-related concerns. However, many participants who were highly accepting of the benefits of SARs expressed similar objections. Cultural dimensions of long-term orientation and uncertainty avoidance feature prominently in technology acceptance research. Therefore, the relationship between the proportion of respondents from each country who felt that SARs had no benefits and each country's ratings on long-term orientation and uncertainty avoidance were also examined. A significant positive correlation was found for long-term orientation, but not for uncertainty avoidance. CONCLUSION: Most respondents were positive about the benefits of SARs, and similar concerns about their use were expressed both by those who strongly accepted the idea that they had benefits and those who did not. Some evidence was found to suggest that cultural factors were related to rejecting the idea that SARs had benefits.

Enactment of compassionate leadership by nursing and midwifery managers: results from an international online survey.

AIM: To explore the views of an international sample of nursing and midwifery managers concerning attributes that they associate with compassionate management. METHOD: A cross-sectional online survey. Using a snowballing sampling method, 1217 responses were collected from nursing and midwifery managers in 17 countries. A total of complete 933 responses to a question related to which actions and behaviours indicated that a manager was exercising compassionate leadership were analysed for this paper. First, content analysis of the responses was conducted, and second, a relative distribution of the identified themes for the overall sample and for each participating country was calculated. RESULTS: Six main themes were identified describing the attributes of a compassionate leader: (1) Virtuous support, (2) Communication, (3) Personal virtues of the manager, (4) Participatory communication, (5) Growth/flourishing/ nurturing and (6) Team cohesion. The first three themes mentioned above collectively accounted for 63% of the responses, and can therefore be considered to be the most important characteristics of compassionate management behaviour. CONCLUSION: The key indicators of compassionate management in nursing and midwifery which were identified emphasise approachability, active and sensitive listening, sympathetic responses to staff members' difficulties (especially concerning child and other caring responsibilities), active support of and advocacy for the staff team and active problem solving and conflict resolution. While there were differences between the countries' views on compassionate healthcare management, some themes were widely represented among different countries' responses, which suggest key indicators of compassionate management that apply across cultures.

Health Related Behaviors and Life Satisfaction in Patients Undergoing Infertility Treatment.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of life satisfaction and health behaviors presented by patients with diagnosed infertility. This cross-sectional study included 456 patients (235 women and 221 men) from infertile couples in southeastern Poland from June 2019 to February 2020. Participants completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, the Health Behaviors Inventory (HBI), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The average score of severity of health behaviors for the study group was 82.96 points. Satisfaction with life at a higher level was declared by 57.6% of respondents, at an average level was declared by 31.4%, and at a lower level was declared by 11%. The SWLS score for the entire study group was 24.11 points (6.82 points on the sten scale). Respondents who achieved a higher rate of life satisfaction also had a higher level of severity of health behaviors (p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences between male and female SWLS scores, although the women had significantly higher rates of severity of health behaviors than men. The level of health behavior is positively related to life satisfaction in infertile patients. Medical personnel should conduct health education on a healthy lifestyle that promotes the improvement of reproductive health.

Nurses' Attitudes towards Selected Social Groups: Cross-Sectional Survey among Polish Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Attitude is a relatively permanent inclination towards a positive or negative evaluation of a given social or physical object, which determines a person's disposition towards their surrounding social reality and informs his/her behavior. AIMS: The aim of this study is to assess the attitudes of nursing staff, in terms of the emotional and behavioral components, in relation to selected social groups: a Roma person, a hearing-impaired person, a Muslim, and a person of a homosexual orientation. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted by means of an Internet questionnaire. METHODS: This study included 3900 nurses from Poland who were participants in social networking sites and discussion groups for nurses. The study data were collected by using a self-constructed survey questionnaire. The results were reported using the STROBE Checklist. RESULTS: The following scale was adopted: mean 1.0-3.5-positive attitude, 3.6-6.0-negative attitude. Respondents showed positive attitudes towards patient groups (1.67-2.30), the least positive being towards Muslims (2.30) and Roma (2.21). The respondents predicted that during the performance of professional activities, they would have the biggest problem with a person of homosexual orientation (22.1%) or a Muslim person (19.0%). The results show that the age and length of service most often influence attitudes towards patients from different social groups. CONCLUSIONS: Respondents with a longer period of work experience and respondents with lower education, despite declaring positive attitudes towards the surveyed social groups, expressed negative statements towards Muslims and homosexuals. Cultural education during the undergraduate and postgraduate studies of nursing staff is essential. Impact Statement: This research indicates that the lesser the need for direct involvement in interactions with patients from other groups, the greater the willingness to accept the situation in which care is provided.

Psychometric properties and cultural adaptation of Polish version of Gynecological Cancers Awareness Scale (GCAS).

OBJECTIVES: Cancer of the female genital organs is one of the most common causes of death of women in Poland. The aim of the study was to translate and analyze the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Gynecological Cancers Awareness Scale (GCAS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study and questionnaire technic were used to collect data. The study was conducted from June 10th to July10th 2021 among 443 adult women in Poland. RESULTS: The Cronbach Alpha measure was used to assess the internal consistency of the scale. Cronbach's Alpha values greater than 0.7 indicates that the scale has high reliability. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis confirms that the Polish version of Gynecological Cancers Awareness Scale has a very high reliability to assess the women's cancers awareness and knowledge of cancers.

The Health Behaviours of Students from Selected Countries-A Comparative Study.

Health behaviour defined as any behaviour that may affect an individual's physical and mental health or any behaviour that an individual believes may affect their physical health. It is strongly related to their culture and plays a major role in shaping all health and illness-related behaviour. The purpose of the study was to compare and evaluate the lifestyles of students from multiple countries. The proposed work will determine the deficits in health behaviors undertaken by students. The survey was carried out from December 2016 to March 2017 comprising 532 students from Poland, Hungary, Turkey, and Greece. The sample was selected using the snowball method: a link to the online questionnaire was sent to students from the given countries via the Internet. For some participants, who did not have access to the online questionnaire, printed copies were used instead. As a method was used a diagnostic survey and the survey technique. The opinions of students were measured using the 5-level Likert scale with a neutral option. Students undertook health-promoting activities, but also list behaviours that did not contribute to strengthening their health. Students were shown to have the greatest problems with physical health behaviours and health prevention. There were noticeable differences in the lifestyle of students from different countries.

A cross-sectional study to assess knowledge of women about cervical cancer: an urban and rural comparison.

INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer and its etiopathogenesis, the age of women in whom it is diagnosed, average life expectancy, and prognosis are information widely covered in scientific reports. However, there is no coherent information regarding which regions-urban or rural-it may occur more often. This is important because the literature on the subject reports that people living in rural areas have a worse prognosis when it comes to detection, treatment, and life expectancy than city dwellers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The subjects of the study were women and their knowledge about cervical cancer. The research was carried out using a survey directly distributed among respondents and via the Internet, portals, and discussion groups for women from Poland. Three hundred twenty-nine women took part in the study, including 164 from rural and 165 from urban areas. The collected data enabled the following: (1) an analysis of the studied groups, (2) assessment of the respondents' knowledge about cervical cancer, and (3) comparison of women's knowledge depending on where they live. RESULTS: The average assessment of all respondents' knowledge was 3.59, with women living in rural areas scoring 3.18 and respondents from the city-4.01. Statistical significance (p < 0.001) between the level of knowledge and place of residence was determined. The results indicate that an increase in the level of education in the subjects significantly increases the chance of getting the correct answer. In the case of age analysis, the coefficients indicate a decrease in the chance of obtaining the correct answer in older subjects despite the fact that a statistically significant level was reached in individual questions. CONCLUSIONS: Women living in rural areas have less knowledge of cervical cancer than female respondents from the city. There is a need for more awareness campaigns to provide comprehensive information about cervical cancer to women in rural areas. A holistic approach to the presented issue can solve existing difficulties and barriers to maintaining health regardless of the place of life and residence. IMPLICATION FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: They need intensive care for women's groups most burdened with risk factors.

The Importance of Being a Compassionate Leader: The Views of Nursing and Midwifery Managers From Around the World.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the importance of compassionate leadership in health care, many of the existing publications do not account for the effect of culture. The aim of this study is to explore the views of nursing and midwifery managers from different countries in relation to the definition, advantages, and importance of compassion. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional, descriptive, exploratory online survey was conducted across 17 countries, containing both closed and open-ended questions. Data from N = 1,217 respondents were analyzed using a directed hybrid approach focusing only on qualitative questions related to compassion-giving. RESULTS: Four overarching themes capture the study's results: (1) definition of compassion, (2) advantages and importance of compassion for managers, (3) advantages and importance of compassion for staff and the workplace, and (4) culturally competent and compassionate leadership. DISCUSSION: Innovative research agendas should pursue further local qualitative empirical research to inform models of culturally competent and compassionate leadership helping mangers navigate multiple pressures and be able to transculturally resonate with their staff and patients.

Pregnancy planning and risk behaviours - a survey of women's experiences in selected European countries.

Pregnancy, a special period in a woman's life, should be preceded by proper preparation: a positive attitude to procreation, selection of optimum time for becoming pregnant, starting prevention of neural tube defects, restriction of the use of drugs, smoking, etc. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of pregnancy planning and antenatal classes on the use of stimulants during pregnancy. The study group included 877 women living in 7 European countries, and their experiences of planning pregnancy and substance abuse during pregnancy were investigated. In about a half (50.3%) of respondents the pregnancy was planned. The highest percentage of mothers who planned pregnancy was recorded in Poland and Bulgaria (about 76%). By contrast, in Germany the proportion of mothers who planned pregnancy was the lowest (46.2%). Surprisingly, they became pregnant despite very frequent use of birth control (96.7%). On average, 17.3% of respondents disclosed that they drank alcohol or coffee, smoked cigarettes or used psychoactive drugs during pregnancy. Among women who did not plan to be pregnant, the use of stimulants was recorded more often. However, pregnancy planning only slightly inclined women to stop the consumption of stimulants. Attendance at antenatal classes did not have any significant effect on the use of stimulants.

Exploring Nurses' Meaning and Experiences of Compassion: An International Online Survey Involving 15 Countries.

PURPOSE: In recent years, there has been much focus on compassion in nursing care, and concern has been raised in a number of reports and media stories regarding decreased compassion. The aim of this study was to explore similarities and differences in the understanding and demonstration of compassion in nursing practice across 15 countries. DESIGN: A total of 1,323 nurses from 15 countries responded to questions in relation to compassion, via an international online survey. RESULTS: The data revealed the impact of sociopolitical influences on perceptions of compassion, and the conscious and intentional nature of compassion. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated shared understandings of the importance of compassion as well as some common perceptions of the attributes of compassionate care. The differences reported were not as significant as had been expected. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Further research is needed to explore the country and culture differences in the enactment of compassion.