ABSTRACT
Objectives Given the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and its adverse effects on social psychological health, especially nurses, psychological empowerment of nurses can increase their psychological security and improve their clinical performance during critical situations. This study aims to investigate the relationship between nurses' psychology capital and their clinical performance, with a focus on the intermediary role of psychological security while facing COVID-19 patients.Methods This was a descriptive-analytical study. A total of 100 nurses (from 114 nurses) employed in the COVID-19 section of Amir-Al-Momenin Hospital in Arak City, Iran, were selected via the convenience sampling method. The data collection was done using three questionnaires: Luthan's psychological capital questionnaire, perceived psychological questionnaire, and evidence-based questionnaire. To analyze the data and confirm the fitness of the tools, we used the confirmatory factor analysis with partial least square via the Smart PLS3 softwareResults The findings indicated significant relationships based on the theoretical model among the studied variables. The standard beta for the relationship between psychological capital and clinical performance decreased from 0.684 to 0.507 which given its statistical significance shows the insignificant intermediary role of psychological security.Conclusion Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that nurses who benefit from higher psychological capital are more aware of their psychological capabilities. The positive effects of this awareness lead to better performance in challenging and critical situations.
ABSTRACT
Background: The coronavirus pandemic has caused fear and anxiety worldwide, especially amongst nurses. Examining the psychological effects of this disease on the mental health of nurses involved in the care of patients with this infection is critically important. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the nurses’ psychology capital and their views on mental security, job satisfaction and clinical performance. Methods: One hundred consenting nurses from a university general hospital in Arak, Iran, completed three well-established questionnaires that asked about their psychology knowledge, views on mental security and clinical performance. The data were analyzed statistically, using confirmatory factor analysis and partial least squares method. Also, the path analysis test, t-test and regression beta coefficient were used to test the study’s four hypotheses on psychological capital and security. Results: The findings indicated that there were significant relationships, based on the theoretical model, amongst the nurses’ views on their psychology knowledge (or capital) and that it had a positive and significant effect on nurses' psychological security for working with COVID-19 patients. Also, the knowledge positively impacted their clinical performance and professional efficacy, while improving their sense of optimism, patience and hope for future. Conclusions: There were positive interactions between the nurses’ psychological capital and the clinical performance, mental security, optimism and hope. Nurses with psychology capital had less worries on these subjects than those who lacked it. Such nurses believed they were more resourceful and able to provide better care to patients with coronavirus infection than those who lacked the knowledge. © 2021, Iran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background: Despite the high prevalence of prostate cancer, its brain parenchymal metastasis is not common and intracranial hemorrhage due to such a metastasis is even less common. This report presents a challenging case of solitary brain metastasis secondary to prostate cancer that gave rise to intraventricular hemorrhage and acute hydrocephalus mimicking a giant aneurysm. Case presentation: A 77-year-old man with a history of prostate cancer, hypertension, and morbid obesity presented to the emergency room with a severe headache. He was afebrile with a blood pressure of 144/79 mmHg, alert, without any sign of sensory or motor deficit. Shortly after admission, he became unresponsive and was immediately intubated. His blood tests revealed hypernatremia at 154 mmol/L;otherwise, the lab data including the COVID-19 screening proved normal. The cerebral CT and MR images, with and without contrast, were interpreted as a giant thrombotic aneurysm extending to the suprasellar region by the emergency radiologist. Also, moderate intraventricular hemorrhage, acute hydrocephalus, and sub-ependymal interstitial edema were observed. Upon further evaluation of the images, the lesion was determined to be an exophytic hemorrhagic hypothalamic mass, and the subsequent biopsy was consistent with prostate cancer metastasis. Conclusions: The exophytic hemorrhagic hypothalamic metastasis can mimic a ruptured aneurysm on imaging. Given the improved survival of patients with prostate cancer, radiologists may encounter such unusual cerebral metastases from prostate cancers more frequently in the future.