Correlation between Quality of Work-Life and Job Burnout in Midwives.

Background: Job burnout of healthcare professionals results in poor quality of care, making them leave the profession. A direct relationship between quality of work-life and job burnout is not clear among midwives. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the quality of work-life and burnout in midwives. Materials and Methods: This correlational cross-sectional study was conducted by using census sampling and participation of 282 midwives working in all private and public hospitals with labor wards (n = 17) in Isfahan, Iran, in 2018. Quality of Work-life Questionnaire and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used. Partial correlation and regression analysis were used to analyze the data in SPSS.19 software. Results: Regarding the three dimensions of job burnout, an average level of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment as well as a low level of depersonalization were observed in the participants. The total score of quality of work-life had a significant inverse correlation only with the dimension of emotional exhaustion (r = -0.43, p > 0.001). The dimensions of quality of work-life were predictive of 28% and 12% variance of job burnout in the dimensions of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment (R2 = 0.28 and R2 = 0.12, respectively). Conclusions: Job burnout is correlated to the quality of work life among midwives. To improve the quality of midwives' services and prevent their job burnout, especially emotional exhaustion, more attention should be paid to improving the quality of their work-life.

The Correlation between Psychological Empowerment and Job Burnout in Midwives Working in the Labor Ward of Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Job Burnout (JB) is a multifactorial psycho-cognitive syndrome that leads to physical and psychological problems and declines the efficiency and productivity. Psychological Empowerment (PE) indicates that an individual feels motivated and competent to fulfill work expectations actively. This study assessed the correlation between PE and JB in midwives. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional correlational study was conducted on 282 midwives working in labor wards of hospitals in Isfahan (Iran). Convenience sampling was used. Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire (PEQ) with four domains (meaning, competence, autonomy, and impact) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) with three domains (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) were used. Partial correlation and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: None of the demographic variables had a significant association with PE and JB. There were no significant correlations between the total scores of PE and three domains of JB. However, personal accomplishment was positively correlated with the domains of meaning and competence (r = 0.16, p = 0.02; r = 0.27, p < 0.001, respectively). Autonomy was the only significant predictive variable for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, respectively (ß =0.17, t235=2.34, p = 0.020, ß =0.09, t249=1.29, p = 0.020); also, competency was the only significant predictive variable for personal accomplishment (ß = 0.29, t263=4.20, p < 0.001). The domains of PE were significant predictors of variance of JB in personal accomplishment domain (R2 = 0.10, F6=4.85, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Meaning and competence could be promoted through attendance in continuous training programs to increase personal accomplishment. In addition, it is suggested to promote midwives' authority to decline their emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.

Effect of Glittered Nail Polish on Pulse Oximetry Measurements in Healthy Subjects.

BACKGROUND: Pulse oximeter is a simple and noninvasive standard device to monitor the saturation of peripheral oxygen (SpO2) and heart rate. The nail polish of different colors may result in inaccurate oximetry reading and interpretation of oxygen saturation. This study aimed at determining the effect of different colors of glittered nail polish on SpO2 in healthy students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a randomized clinical trial on 30 healthy students with SpO2 ≥95% and without any complications on nail beds and environmental perfusion. SpO2 was measured on 10 fingers of the participants after sitting and resting on a seat for 10 min in a room with normal temperature. Then they were asked to apply 10 colors of glittered nail polish randomly to their fingernails as all colors were used. After drying the two-layer nail polish, SpO2 was measured again. RESULTS: Of 10 glittered nail-polishes, dark green and purple did not change SpO2 reading significantly. All other colors lowered SpO2 significantly based on Wilcoxon test (red: p = 0.003; orange: p = 0.002; yellow: p = 0.015; pink: p = 0.017; dark blue: p = 0.001; violet: p = 0.001; brown: p = 0.001; black: p = 0.001). However, those changes were not clinically significant because SpO2 differences before and after nail polish were in acceptable range (less than a 2% change). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that different colors of glittered nail polishes do not result in a clinically significant change in pulse oximetry measurements in healthy subjects; therefore, it is not necessary to remove the glittered nail polish routinely in clinical, surgical, and emergency settings.

Association between the Religious Coping of Infertile People with their Own Quality of Life and Their Spouses': A Correlation Study in Iranian Infertile Couples.

BACKGROUND: Infertile couples have a lower quality of life (QoL) than that of the general population. Religious coping strategies (RCOPE) could affect QoL in distressing situations. The present study aimed to assess the association between the RCOPE of infertile people with their own QoL and that of their spouses'. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 infertile couples referring to Infertility Center of Qom, Iran in 2015. The data was collected using three questionnaires including Brief RCOPE scale, Short Form Health Survey, and a demographic questionnaire. p value of ≤0.05 was considered as significant level. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed relationship between wives' RCOPE-N with their own QoL (ß = -1.31, p < 0.001). Further, in husbands, RCOPE-P showed significant positive relationship with their own QoL (ß = 0.80, p = 0.002), and their RCOPE-N had significant negative relationship with it (ß = -0.61, p = 0.02). Surprisingly, wives' RCOPE-P showed negative relationship with husbands' QoL (ß = -0.62, p = 0.04); whereas their RCOPE-N had no significant relationship with their husbands' QoL. In addition, neither RCOPE-P nor RCOPE-N of husbands had a significant relationship with their wives' QoL. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we could not find an obvious and significant relationship between RCOPE of each spouse with QoL of the other spouse in infertile couples. Hence, further investigations with more participants of various religions are recommended.

Experiences of Fathers with Inpatient Premature Neonates: Phenomenological Interpretative Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Birth and hospitalization of premature neonates create enormous challenges for the family with serious impacts on parents' mental and emotional health. The present study was designed to explore the experiences of fathers with premature neonates hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this interpretative phenomenological study, data were collected using in-depth interviews guided with a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed by interpretative phenomenological analysis. Totally seven interviews were conducted with six participants. RESULTS: The mean age of the fathers was 32 (23-42) years, and all of the fathers lived with their wives. Experiences of the fathers were categorized into 13 subordinate and three superordinate themes: "abandonment and helplessness" (lack of financial support, lack of informational support, and indignation and distrust toward the hospital staffs); "anxiety and confusion" (family disruption, shock due to the premature birth of the neonate, uncertainty, the loss of wishes, feeling of guilt and blame, and occupational disruption); and "development and self-actualization" (emotional development, spiritual development, independence and self-efficacy, and responsibility). CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that the fathers with premature neonates hospitalized in NICU encounter both positive (development and self-actualization) and negative experiences (lack of financial and informational supports, distrusting toward the hospital staffs, family disruption, and occupational disruption). Planning to manage adverse experiences can help fathers to cope with this situation.

Predictive Validity and Inter-Rater Reliability of the Persian Version of Full Outline of Unresponsiveness Among Unconscious Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury in an Intensive Care Unit.

INTRODUCTION: The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) has some limitations when evaluating the unconscious patient. This study aims to validate the Persian version of the FOUR (Full Outline of Unresponsiveness) score as a proposed substitute. METHODS: Two nurses, two nursing students, and two physicians scored the prepared Persian version of the FOUR and GCS in 84 patients with acute brain injury. The inter-rater agreement for the FOUR and the GCS scores was evaluated by the weighted kappa (κ w). The outcome prediction power of the scales was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC) in the ROC curve. RESULTS: The inter-rater agreement of the FOUR was excellent (κ w = 0.923, 95 % CI, 0.874-0.971) and comparable with the one of the GCS (κ w = 0.938, 95 % CI, 0.889-0.987). The area under the curve (AUC) for predicting in-hospital mortality (modified Rankin Scale: 6) was 0.835 for the FOUR (95 % CI, 0.739-0.907) and 0.772 for the GCS (95 % CI, 0.668-0.856) (P = 0.01). AUC for predicting poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale: 3-6) for the total FOUR score was 0.983 (95 % CI, 0.928-0.999), which is comparable with 0.987 for the total GCS score (95 % CI, 0.934-1.000). CONCLUSIONS: The researchers conclude that the Persian version of the FOUR score is a reliable and valid scale to assess unconscious patients with traumatic brain injury and can be substituted for the GCS.

Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Spiritual Well-Being/Religious Activities in Muslim Women with Breast Cancer.

For determining relationship between quality of sleep and spiritual well-being/religious activities in Muslim women with breast cancer (WBC), we conducted a cross-sectional study on 80 WBC who presented at all chemotherapy clinics in Qom, Iran, in 2012. We used Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), spiritual well-being scale (SWBS), and religious activities (RA) questionnaire. Global PSQI score and its seven components score were not significantly correlated with total score of SWBS and its two subscales. Global PSQI score was not significantly correlated with total score of RA questionnaire (P = 0.278), but its "sleep latency" (r = 0.235, P = 0.044) and "use of sleep medications" (r = 0.237, P = 0.040) components were significantly correlated with total score of RA. Global PSQI was significantly correlated with "I don't get much personal strength and support from my God," "I believe there is some real purpose for my life" questions in SWBS, and "Attendance in mosque or religious places" subscale of RA.