Nursing students' attitudes towards mental illness: A multi-national comparison.

Accessible Summary What is known on the subject Health professionals, including nurses, are shown to have stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness. For nursing students who are in their formative years of professional development, mental illness stigma can severely impact the care they provide. Little research has investigated multi-national comparisons of nursing students' attitudes towards mental illness. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study shows that between countries, there were substantial differences amongst nursing students in stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness. Cultural perspectives may explain some of these differences. What are the implications for practice Regardless of location, stigmatizing attitudes are present at varying levels. Each nation can take steps to reduce these by acknowledging the presence of stigmatizing attitudes amongst nurses, educating nurses regarding the negative impacts of stigma on patient outcomes, and decrease stigmatizing attitudes by facilitating opportunities for nurses (particularly student nurses) to have direct contact with people with lived experiences of mental illness. ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Stigmatizing attitudes perpetuated by nursing professionals are a pervasive problem for people experiencing mental health issues. This global issue has detrimental consequences; inhibiting one's life chances and help-seeking behaviours. To date, few studies have compared nursing students' attitudes towards mental illness from a multi-national perspective. AIM: To compare undergraduate nursing students' attitudes towards mental illness across six countries: Australia, India, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and USA. METHOD: In a cross-sectional design, data were collected from undergraduate nursing students (N = 426) using the Social Distance Scale. A one-way analysis of variance was used to compare differences between countries. RESULTS: Nursing students' attitudes to mental illness differed between countries. Social Distance Scores were highest amongst nursing students from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Students from Taiwan and India possessed moderate stigma scores. Social Distance Scores from the USA and Australia were lowest. DISCUSSION: Clear differences in stigmatizing attitudes emerged between countries; these are discussed in relation to possible cultural influences. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: It is suggested that educating nurses, combined with direct contact with people with lived experiences of mental illness, can reduce stigmatizing attitudes regardless of country, location or educational institution.

Nurses' compliance with central line associated blood stream infection prevention guidelines.

OBJECTIVE:  To assess nurses' compliance with central line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) prevention guidelines related to maintenance of the central line and the predictors of compliance. Method: This was an observational study that used a descriptive cross-sectional design. A sample of 171 intensive care unit (ICU) nurses were observed and their compliance was recorded on a structured observational sheet. The study was conducted in the ICUs of 15 hospitals located in 5 cities in Jordan. Data were collected over a 5-month period from March to July 2017. Central lines were all inserted by physicians inside the ICUs. RESULTS:  One hundred and twenty participants (70%) showed sufficient compliance. The mean compliance scores were 14.2±4.7 (min=8, max=20); however, the rate of CLABSI was variable across the participating ICUs. Logistic regression with 4 independent variables (years of experience, previous education with CLABSI, nurse-patient ratio and the ICU's bed capacity) was conducted to investigate predictors of sufficient compliance. The model was significant (χ2(4)=133.773, p=0.00). The nurse-patient ratio was the only significant predictor. Nurses with a 1:1 nurse:patient ratio demonstrated superior compliance over their counterparts with a 1:2 ratio. CONCLUSION: Further improvement in compliance and patients' outcomes could be achieved by lowering the nurse-patient ratio.

Students nurses' knowledge and prevalence of Needle Stick Injury in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Student nurses are at high risk of blood-borne pathogens transmitted via Needle Stick Injury (NSI). Understanding various aspects of NSI is essential if they are to avoid the risks associated with it. OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to measure student nurses' level of knowledge about NSI and to examine its prevalence and post-exposure measures in Jordan. DESIGN: A cross-sectional and descriptive design was used. SAMPLE AND SETTING: A sample of 279 student nurses studying at one private and four government universities distributed throughout Jordan. METHOD: The study used an online survey composed of 22 questions developed from NSI literature. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: background, to measure students' demographics; knowledge, to measure nurses' understanding of NSI; and prevalence, to measure exposure to NSI and the follow-up measures. Student nurses were recruited through Facebook. The survey was available online for one full semester in 2016/2017. RESULTS: The total number of completed surveys was 279 (response rate=61%). Most of the students were female (n=198; 71%), in their fourth year (n=114; 40.9%). Their mean age was 21years (SD=2.5). The mean score for the knowledge part was 7 out of 10 (SD=1.7). Almost a third of the students had at least one incident of exposure to NSI (n=73; 26.2%). Most of the students who had suffered NSI did not inform their clinical instructors (67.1%) or write an incident report (86.3%). The results showed that there was no significant difference in the knowledge total scores between males and females or between students across different universities. However, a significant difference was found between students in different years of study (F (276, 2)=6.77, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Student nurses in Jordan have a moderate understanding of issues regarding NSI. This knowledge improved with seniority. However, exposure to NSI and its under-reporting is a prevalent problem. This study recommends focusing on NSI in the nursing curriculum, and providing more protection and post-exposure intervention for students during their clinical practice.

Mindfulness Meditation Versus Physical Exercise in the Management of Depression Among Nursing Students.

BACKGROUND: Depression among nursing students is an ongoing problem. Several psychotherapies have been suggested as alternatives to antidepressants in the management of depression. The aim of this randomized controlled study was to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation versus physical exercise in the management of depression among nursing students. METHOD: A sample of 181 soon-to-graduate nursing students participated in the study and were assigned at random to one of two therapies: physical exercise (n = 90) or mindfulness meditation (n = 91). The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was completed by the participants in both groups prior to the therapies and after completion. RESULTS: The findings indicated that both therapies were effective in the management of depression. However, mindfulness meditation is more effective than physical exercise. CONCLUSION: Mindfulness meditation is recommended over physical exercise in the management of depression among undergraduate nursing students. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(10):599-604.].

Does pulmonary rehabilitation alleviate depression in older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVES: To identify if pulmonary rehabilitation can achieve a clinically significant alleviation in the level of depression among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients older than 70 years.  Methods: We conducted a retrospective secondary analysis of the patients' electronic records from a major pulmonary rehabilitation center in Cleveland, OH, United States between 2010 and 2014. Profiles of 105 participants who had completed more than 6 pulmonary rehabilitation sessions and were older than 70 years at the time of enrollment in the program were included. The Beck Depression Inventory scores at the baseline and the end of the pulmonary rehabilitation sessions were compared.    Results: There was a statistically and clinically significant reduction in mean scores of depression from the baseline to the end of pulmonary rehabilitation: mean±SD: 104±5.6; p=0.00. The mean±SD depression score at the end was 9±4.3 compared with the baseline 17±7.8. Seventy-seven (73%) participants showed clinically significant improvement in depression; however, 20 participants (27%) had no clinically significant improvement, and 8 (8%) had worse depression at the end of pulmonary rehabilitation. Participants with higher depression scores at the baseline were 1.3 times more likely to achieve clinically significant alleviation in depression at the end of rehabilitation (odds ratio = 1.3, p=0.00).  Conclusion: Pulmonary rehabilitation induced clinically significant alleviation in depression among participants with COPD aged over 70 years.

The impact of a mental health clinical placement on the clinical confidence of nursing students in Jordan.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the impact of clinical placement in a mental health setting on the clinical confidence of nursing students in Jordan. DESIGN AND SETTING: A non-experimental descriptive survey design was used. Data was collected using the Mental Health Nursing Clinical Confidence Scale (MHNCCS) in Jordan. RESULTS: Data indicates that, as a result of clinical placement, nursing students had improved perceived confidence regarding the concept of mental health and mental illness, felt better able to conduct a mental health status examination, create nursing care plans, administer medication and provide health education to patients in mental health settings. CONCLUSIONS: Improving the clinical confidence among Jordanian nursing students in relation to mental health nursing skills may provide a safer environment for students and patients as well as lead to enhanced well-being and function of patients. In addition, the results of this study may have practical implications for positive changes to the mental health nursing curriculum clinical placement goals.

Job satisfaction and turnover intention among Jordanian nurses in psychiatric units.

Psychiatric nursing has been identified as a stressful occupation, and this stress could affect individuals' health, well-being, and job satisfaction. The stress of nurses might also affect the organization in terms of absenteeism and quality of care. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention among Jordanian nurses in the psychiatric units of the Jordanian National Mental Health Center. A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was used. Nurses were asked to complete a demographic data sheet and questionnaires regarding job satisfaction and turnover intention. Of the 179 questionnaires distributed, 154 were completed, with an 86% response rate. The results revealed a statistically-significant negative relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention. The findings of the study are consistent with previous research regarding the negative relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention. The findings provide new information about Jordanian nurses who work in government hospital psychiatric services.