Impact of a psycho-education intervention on insight of hospitalized schizophrenic patients

Severely impaired insight is one of the main characteristics of psychotic disorders that present a major obstacle for treatment. Traditionally, insight has often been viewed as a simple or unitary construct. Recently, it is considered as a complex phenomenon with multiple components. A general lack of insight is widespread and very common in many patients with schizophrenia. Psycho-education is a form of mental health intervention which focuses on educating patients about their disorders, emotional responses, and treatments, as well as supporting positive coping mechanisms. The main purpose of this study was to determine the impact of psycho-education intervention on insight development among hospitalized schizophrenic patients. A structured frame of psycho-education intervention was developed by the researchers. The intervention aimed at increasing patients' awareness about their mental disorder, their symptoms as well as its attribution, the social consequences of mental disorder and the achieved effects of medication. Before the implementation of psycho-education intervention, the total Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder [SUMD] mean scores for current awareness and attribution were 13.78 +/- 2.95 for the intervention group and 15.04 +/- 2.73 for the control group [mild to moderate degree lack of insight]. These results changed after the implementation of the psycho-education intervention to 7.96 +/- 2.81 and 15.67 +/- 2.39 respectively, with a statistical significant improvement [t=14.731, P=0.00] on the part of the intervention group. This was also true when comparing the two groups' SUMD subscale mean scores

Assessment of nurses' work climate at Alexandria main University Hospital

Work climate is indicative of how well the organization is realizing its full potential. An accurate assessment of work climate can identify the unnecessary obstacles to nurses interfering with their best performance. The present study aims to assess nurses' work climate at Alexandria Main University Hospital. The study sample included all nurses [N=400] who were working in inpatient medical and surgical units at the Alexandria Main University Hospital who were available at the time of data collection. A structured questionnaire was developed to assess nurses' perceptions regarding the dimensions of work climate. Data was collected by individual interview using the structured questionnaire. Results indicated that the highest percentages of nurses in medical and surgical units perceived that their work climate is characterized by good way of performance management, feeling of responsibility, warmth and supportive relationships, quality of communication, morale, organizational clarity and feeling of identity and belongness to the hospital. Nurses perceived that they are lacking work climate conducive to conflict resolution, participation in decision making, opportunity for training and development, fair rewards and recognition, calculated risks, sufficient resources, effective leadership and teamwork. There were no significant difference between nurses perceptions in medical and surgical units regarding all dimensions of work climate. The highest percentage of nurses in all units were satisfied only with the feeling of responsibility, way of performance management, and quality of communication. Conflict and identity were perceived as the most important areas that need improvement in the hospital Based on the results recommendations were given to enhance work climate through designing compensation and recognition systems, and negotiate their requirements and accomplishment based on established standards and outcomes measures. Also, encouragement of and planning for participative decision making, teamwork, in-service training program and open communication are recommended to be present in the work units

impact of social support on the psychological reaction of breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy

The study was conducted to investigate the social support of cancer breast patients undergoing mastectomy, and its impact on their psychological reaction. The sample comprised 40 patients. Scales to measure the social support depression and psychological reactions were used. Patients were interviewed first pre-operatively, then post- operatively. Results revealed a reasonable size of social network. Family members, relatives and spouses were the predominant supportive categories. Higher social support had a significant positive effect in alleviating patients' depression, and buffering a number of their negative psychological reactions. A need for professional support to help patients as well as their families is felt. This professional support can enhance and strengthen the efforts of the basic network during a crisis

relationship between practice area and nurses' state and death anxiety level

The study was conducted on 148 nurses working in 4 different practice areas. The purpose was to investigate the impact of the area of practice on the nurses' in general had high state and death anxiety levels. Those working in burn and medical units had significantly high level of state anxiety, while ICU nurses were significantly high on the death anxiety scale

Did we succeed in alleviating student nurses' reactions to psychiatric nursing: an assessment of intervention technique

Negative reactions and signs of elevated anxiety level were frequently observed in student nurses affiliated to their psychiatric course. The study proposed and implemented a technique to alleviate students anxiety as they start their course. The technique proved to be successful in decreasing the students elevated state anxiety and turning most of their negative impressions into positive ones by the end of their affiliation

evaluation of an orientation program for mothers of handicapped children

The study aimed at evaluating the effect of an orientation program on mothers' knowledge and performance of a rehabilitation course related to their handicapped children. The sample comprised 60 mothers of those attending the Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit at Alex. University Children Hospital, for the first time with their handicapped children. Mothers were equally and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. An orientation program was introduced to the experimental group. Both groups were then left to undergo the usual routine of the unit. Mothers' knowledge and performance were tested before and after the orientation. The results revealed that mothers' knowledge about rehabilitation and their performance of it have improved significantly after the implementation of the orientation program

impact of continuing education on the acquisition of the nursing process skills in psychiatric nursing practice

The study was conducted at Riyadh Mental Health Hospital. It aimed at designing and evaluating the impact of a continuing education unit on the nurses ability to acquire the nursing process akills. The study revealed that nurses were basically deficient in certain aspects of their knowledge. The condition was even worse in nurses with longer experience. The continuing education unit implemented in this study provided sufficient evidence that nurses knowledge and skills have significantly improved. Nurses were able to comprehend processes related to assessment, implementation and evaluation, but encountered difficulty in comprehending the planning process. Such a process, however, represents another area of need for staff development. Implication of the findings were discussed and several recommendations were proposed

Psychiatric nurses' view about their knowledge

Nurses knowledge as regards psychiatric nursing was found to be below average regardless of their level of education which had an effect on the total scores of nurses The majority of nurses are aware of their lack of knowledge and feel the need to improve it. Lack of practical training during basic program, lack of preservice and inservice training, deficiency in psychiatric nursing content and lack of psychiatric nursing books are the main causes of inadequate knowledge. Nurses expressed their needs to Increase their knowledge in areas which will increase their efficiency in dealing with psychiatric patients