Strategies to enhance resilience to cope with workplace adversities post-COVID-19 among ICU nurses

Background: It is critical for intensive care unit (ICU) nurses to develop resilient coping strategies to cope with workplace adversities. The coping strategies will mitigate the development of maladaptive psychological disorders prone to working in a stressful environment. Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyse previous literature conducted on strategies that enhance resilience in ICU nurses to cope with workplace adversities beyond the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study was conducted by examining all available global literature in the context of the aim of the study. Method: An integrative literature review was chosen for the study. Purposive sampling method was used to select the relevant databases to answer the review question, namely Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, Medline and Nursing/Academic Edition. The search terms used were 'strategies', 'resilience', 'intensive care unit nurses', 'coping', 'workplace adversities', 'beyond COVID-19' and post 'COVID-19'. Results: Three themes emerged from the study, namely promoting personal attributes, effective relational support and active psychological support. Conclusion: Enhancing resilience among ICU nurses requires both intentional individualised care from the ICU nurses and a systematic approach by nursing management that will meet the psychological needs of ICU nurses when working in a stressful ICU environment.Contribution: The findings of the review have highlighted specific strategies of improving resilience in ICU nurses, which can ultimately create a safe working environment in the ICU.

Exploring the Perceptions of Psychiatric Patients Regarding Marijuana Use

There is limited understanding on marijuana use by psychiatric patients; specifically with regard as to why they continue to smoke marijuana despite the negative consequences; such as readmittance to psychiatric hospitals following marijuana-induced psychosis. It is; therefore; important to understand why psychiatric patients continue to use marijuana; despite experiencing its negative effects. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions of psychiatric patients with regard to marijuana use in Potchefstroom; North West Province; as well as to formulate recommendations for nursing education; nursing research and nursing practice; with the aim of reducing the readmission of psychiatric patients following marijuana-induced psychosis. A qualitative; exploratory; descriptive and contextual research design was followed in order to give 'voice' to the perceptions of psychiatric patients about marijuana use. Purposive sampling was utilised to identify participants who complied with selection criteria. The sample size was determined by data saturation; which was reached after 10 individual interviews with psychiatric patients. Unstructured individual interviews were utilised to gather data after written approval from the Ethics committee of the North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus); North West Provincial Department of Health; the clinical manager of the psychiatric hospital where data were collected; as well as from the psychiatric patients. The co-coder and the researcher analysed the data independently. The findings of this study include perceptions of psychiatric patients on the use of marijuana; the negative effects of marijuana use; marijuana use and mental illness; and quitting marijuana. Recommendations were formulated for nursing education; nursing research as well as for nursing practice