Psychological distress and suicidal tendency of depressed patients

This study aimed at identifying the relationship between psychological distress and suicidal tendency of depressed patients. A descriptive correlational design was utilized in this study. A sample of convenience of 100 depressed patients was recruited from the Out-patient Clinic of Tahnasha Psychiatric Hospital in El Minia Governorate. A socio-demographic data sheet, Suicidal Tendency Scale, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale [DASS] were used to achieve the purpose of the study. A semi-structured interview method was used to collect data from patients. Results of this study revealed that, almost two third of the subjects were females, married, illiterate, unemployed, residing rural areas, and most of them were in the age group ranged from 20-39 years old. More than one third of the subjects were attempting suicide from one to three times or more. A statistically significant correlation was detected between suicidal tendency and psychological distress. In conclusion, depressed patients are having multiple stressors, social, environmental, and interpersonal factors that with their personality character can aggravate the symptom of depression and interfere with their productivity, initiation, and prevent the interaction with others. It was recommended that, a training program should be designed for nurses who are dealing with depressed patients and specially those who are at risk for suicide to provide them with knowledge about how to assess those patients, evaluate their needs, and prevent the risk of suicide

Impact of an experiential learning program on developing communication skills of chronic hospitalized schizophrenic patients

The sample consisted of 40 chronic hospitalized schizophrenic patients selected from El-Nil Sanatorium for Mental Health. Data were collected by interviewing patients individually. The instrument which utilized during the interview was an Observation Rating Scale. This was developed by the investigators and consisted of 2 subscales. The first subscale was for verbal communication behaviors [23 items]. The second subscale was constructed for non-verbal communication behaviors [17 items] in a 5-point likert format. It was used twice, before and after participation in the program. The results indicated a significant improvement in communication abilities of the experimental group more than the control group. It is recommended that psychiatric nurses should structure their interaction with schizophrenic patients in a way that provides frequent opportunities for them to talk and communicate with continuous monitoring of patients' communication progress at frequent regular intervals

Patients' strategies to manage stressors related to their chronic illness

The studied sample consisted of 100 patients; all the available arthritic, diabetic and hypertensive patients. A structured interview was used for data collection utilizing the modified illness, stressors scale and a modified coping scale. The conclusion of the study indicated that all the studied groups have perceived different stressors related to their illness and used different coping strategies. A major implication suggested by this study is the need for continuous nursing efforts to provide services as well as alternatives that enable chronic ill patients to stay active as long as possible and to improve the quality of the participation in support groups assist patients and their families and counseling is recommended to help them to cope with their stressors

Strategies for reducing uncertainty and stress of chronic hospitalized psychiatric patients

The proposed study was aiming at assessing uncertainty and stress level of chronic hospitalized psychiatric patients before and after implementation of a specific designed nursing strategies and its effectiveness. A convenient sample of 43 subjects were recruited from El Nil Sanitorium of Mental Health. They were divided into two groups during the implementation of the Designed Nursing Strategies [DNS] interventation, Data were collected by a structured interview. The instruments utilized during the interview were the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale [MUIS] and the Hospital Stress Rating Scale [HSRS]. The DNS intervention was provided in the form of a structured and unstructured support and education/teaching group. Results revealed that after the DNS intervention, patient's diagnosis had a significant relation with both total uncertainty where F= 4.4 at P< 0.02 and with ambiguity subscale were F= 6.93 at P< 0.003. Correlation matrix between studied variables showed that there was a significant correlation between total scale of uncertainty before and after implementation of DNS, where r= 0.35 at p< 0.05. In conclusion, nursing strategies for reducing patient's stress and uncertainty should be continued and recommended across different categories of diagnosis. Replication of the study with the use of probability sample is recommended

Assessing stress and coping in maternal newborn health nursing students

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the stressful aspects of maternal newborn health nursing students and to identify the coping strategies used by the students to overcome this stress. Student Stress and Coping inventory [SSCI] was administered to 120 students attending Maternal-Newborn health nursing Course at three different academic semesters. The results revealed that nursing clinical experience exerted the highest mean score of stress [X=3.3 for the first, X=3.1 for the second, and X=2.9 for the third group], followed by nursing classroom, social/personal environment and college environment. Threatening aspects of the clinical experience were level of own competency, evaluation, clinical instructor, being in an emergency situation, meeting own expectations and receptiveness of the instructor [S] for assistance. Significant correlation were found between the [level of stress] and the level of own competency [r=.28, P<.001]; possibility of failure [r=.24, P<0.001]; being in an emergency situation [r=.22, P<.0001]. Coping strategies were frequently used by all students in the clinical areas, followed by classroom, social/ personal and college environment strategies such as dealing directly with the situation, discussed concern[S], feelings with friends and thought of other ways of dealing with the situation by drawing on past experience were frequently used

Perceived uncertainty by parents of hospitalized child

This study aimed at measuring uncertainty as a major perceptual variable influencing parents experiences during their child's illness. The parents perception of uncertainty was measured by using a 31-item likert format scale composed of four factors [subscales] measuring the four dimensions of uncertainty: Ambiguity and lack of information and unpredictability. The data were collected over a four-month period pediatric nursing students or medical and surgical units. The person completed the scale was either a mother or a father [N= 82]. It was found that some factors of uncertainty had significant relationships with child's age, and education, and number of prior hospitalization. Uncertainty also had an inverse relationship with child's age. Further study is needed to examine the insignificant and unclear relationship using one diagnostic category of the sample