Prospective Association of Psychological Distress and Sexual Quality of Life Among Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Survivors.

Sexual health concerns are one of the most common late effects facing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survivors. The current study tested whether self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms before transplant were associated with embedded items assessing two specific areas of sexual health-sexual interest and sexual satisfaction-one year post-HSCT. Of the 158 study participants, 41% were diagnosed with a plasma cell disorder (n = 60) and most received autologous transplantation (n = 128; 81%). At post-HSCT, 21% of participants reported they were not at all satisfied with their sex life, and 22% were not at all interested in sex. Greater pre-HSCT depressive symptomology was significantly predictive of lower sexual interest (ß = -.27, p < .001) and satisfaction (ß = -.39, p < .001) at post-HSCT. Similarly, greater pre-HSCT trait anxiety was significantly predictive of lower sexual interest (ß = -.19, p = .02) whereas higher levels of state and trait anxiety were both predictive of lower satisfaction (ß = -.22, p = .02 and ß = -.29, p = .001, respectively). Participant sex significantly moderated the relationship between state anxiety and sexual satisfaction (b = -.05, t = -2.03, p = .04). Additional research examining the factors that contribute to sexual health post-HCST is needed to inform and implement clinical interventions to address these commonly overlooked survivorship concerns.

Incivility from patients and their families: can organisational justice protect nurses from burnout?

AIM: To determine whether interpersonal and informational justice influence the association between daily experiences of incivility and burnout among nurses. BACKGROUND: Research has suggested that incivility is a concern for managers. Nurses regularly experience incivility, particularly from their patients and patients' families. Incivility, in turn, can increase symptoms of burnout. METHOD: Seventy-five nurses provided data on interpersonal and informational justice within their organisation. During five working days, nurses completed a twice-daily survey assessing incivility and burnout. Hierarchical linear modelling analyses examined the main effects and interaction effects of the three variables on burnout. RESULT: Incivility was positively associated with burnout. In addition, interpersonal justice strengthened the incivility-burnout relationship. Informational justice did not significantly affect the incivility-burnout relationship. CONCLUSION: Incivility is associated with more burnout. The work environment also influences burnout; when organisations provide informational justice, nurses experience less burnout. In organisations where interpersonal justice is high, nurses are more likely to experience burnout. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nursing managers can help employees by ensuring that management's decisions are transparent. In addition, managers should be aware that in organisations with higher interpersonal justice, nurses might be more likely to experience symptoms of burnout as a result of incivility from patients and their families.

Is elderspeak appropriate? A survey of certified nursing assistants.

Elderspeak is a form of patronizing speech that is sometimes used with older adults and can result in unintended negative consequences. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) working in long-term care facilities may be particularly prone to using elderspeak because they frequently interact with vulnerable and frail older adults who require assistance with activities of daily living. The purpose of the current study was to assess contextual variables that may prompt the use of elderspeak by CNAs. One hundred thirty-four CNAs completed a 36-item questionnaire intended to determine their evaluations of the appropriateness of elderspeak in a variety of contexts. Results indicated that specific resident-related variables (e.g., age, cognitive impairment) and situational variables (e.g., the absence of others during a CNA-resident interaction) were associated with higher ratings of appropriateness of elderspeak. These findings may have implications for improving communication training for CNAs.