Women's attitudes, prevalence, related factors, and perceived barriers of birth companionship in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization recommends companionship as a critical element of respectful maternity care. However, there is paucity of literature regarding women's attitudes, related factors, and barriers of implementation in Saudi Arabia. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess women's attitudes toward birth companionship during labor and delivery, related factors, and barriers of implementing labor companionship in Saudi Arabia. DESIGN/METHODS: This study was carried out in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, using a cross-sectional design. The data collection took place over a period of approximately 6 months, specifically from 16 August 2021 to 20 February 2022. A total of 418 women who had given birth at three governmental hospitals and three private hospitals in Al Ahsa participated in the survey. The study included women between the ages of 18 and 49 years who had delivered during the study period. RESULTS: The study revealed that while around 82.8% of mothers expressed a desire for companionship during labor, only 43.2% actually had a labor companion present during delivery. The primary obstacle to labor companionship reported by 21.5% of respondents was hospital policies. Other barriers identified included husbands' fear of being present during labor (4.7%) and limited availability of time for companionship (3.8%). CONCLUSION: The study concludes that birth companionship is highly desired by women in the study area. However, various physical, emotional, and institutional barriers, such as hospital policies and regulations, impede its implementation. Addressing these barriers and promoting supportive policies are essential to facilitate the provision of birth companionship and improve the childbirth experience for women in Al Ahsa.

Enhancing pulmonary function and arterial blood gas readings through immediate chest physiotherapy among extubated patients in ICU.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of immediate chest physiotherapy (ICPT) on pulmonary function and arterial blood gases among extubated patients. METHOD: This prospective study enrolled patients aged 20-60 years who had been intubated for 48 h. They were randomly assigned to either a control or study group. The study group received ICPT by trained critical care nurses and physiotherapists, which included early mobilization, breathing exercises and airway clearance. The control group received standard nursing chest care (positioning, oral and endotracheal suctioning) without ICPT. Researchers evaluated participants using pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gas tests and mechanical ventilation parameters. RESULTS: The study enrolled 70 patients. There were no significant differences in the sociodemographic characteristics and medical data before intubation between the two groups except for preparatory education. After extubation, the vital capacity was significantly higher in the study group compared with the control group. There were also significant differences between the two groups in other lung function tests and arterial blood gas tests. After extubation, the total lung capacity, functional residual capacity and residual volume were significantly higher in the study group compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: The use of ICPT improved both pulmonary function and arterial blood gases.

Impact of Nurse Leaders Behaviors on Nursing Staff Performance: A Systematic Review of Literature.

Nursing leadership is critical in facilitating and improving nurse performance, which is essential for providing quality care and ensuring patient safety. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between nursing leadership and nurse performance by understanding the leadership behaviors and factors that motivate nurses to perform well. To study the factors that nurses believe motivate them to perform better, a systematic review was undertaken, correlating these factors to leadership behaviors/styles. The PRISMA guidelines were followed to identify relevant articles. After applying the selection criteria, 11 articles were included in the final analysis. Overall, 51 elements that influence nurses' motivation to perform better were found and categorized into 6 categories, including autonomy, competencies, relatedness, individual nursing characteristics, relationships and support, and leadership styles/practices. It has been discovered that both direct and indirect nursing leadership behaviors affect nurses' performance. A better understanding of the factors that motivate nurses to perform well and facilitating them in the work environment through leadership behaviors/styles can improve nurses' performance. There is a need to increase research on nurse leadership and nurses' performance in the current innovative and technologically integrated work environment to identify new factors of influence.

Self-Assessed Capabilities, Attitudes, and Stress among Pediatric Nurses in Relation to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

Background: In emergency medicine, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of the most stressful scenarios for nurses who conduct both basic and advanced resuscitation methods. Aim: This study aimed to assess nurses' self-assessed capabilities, attitudes, and stress related to CPR. Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study was carried out on 748 pediatric nurses at six governmental hospitals. A self-assessed ability questionnaire and a structured stress and attitude questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: For self-assessed abilities, 45.5% of the nurses had moderate scores. Concerning stress, 48.3% had moderate scores and 63.1% negative attitudes. Also, attitude and self-assessed abilities had a high-frequency negative effect on stress scores (P<0.05). Conclusion: Attitude scores increased and stress scores decreased significantly with postgraduate educational level, attendance at training courses on pediatric basic life support and automated external defibrillator use, being exposed to >10 cardiac arrest cases in the previous year, and having an advanced life-support license (P<0.05). Positive attitudes and improving self-assessed abilities decreased the nurses' stress levels related to CPR.

Effect of Clustering Nursing Care on Spreading COVID-19 Infection Among Nurses: A Retrospective Study.

Background: The nurse's first and most important responsibility is to protect themselves from contracting or spreading COVID-19. Purpose: Investigate the effect of applying clustering nursing care on spreading COVID-19 infection and fatigue level among nurses who provide nursing care for COVID-19 patients. Methods: Retrospective case-control study, where cases had a COVID-19 infection in the previous six months and controls were free. Internet-based survey sent to nurses at eight hospitals. Findings: A total of 100 cases and 250 controls. About 36.8% of nurses who did not apply clustering care suffered from COVID-19 infection. Meanwhile, 83.3% and 93.3% of those who clustered three and four procedures, were free of COVID-19 infection. Discussion: Applying clustering for nurses' care decreases spreading of infection among nurses and decreases fatigue level related to work. Female nurses, increased fatigue, and a lack of training are all factors that may contribute to the spread of CVID-19 infection among nurses.