Stress level and associated factors among nurses working in the critical care unit and emergency rooms at comprehensive specialized hospitals in Southern Ethiopia, 2023: explanatory sequential mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: Stress is a pervasive occurrence within certain professions, including nurses working in emergency and intensive care unit environments. Nurses in these settings often confront various stress-inducing factors, such as unsupportive management and distressing events like patient mortality, and experience notably higher levels of stress. Nevertheless, information is scarce regarding the precise level of stress in Ethiopia, particularly within southern hospitals. OBJECTIVE: To assess stress levels and associated factors among nurses working in the critical care unit and emergency rooms at comprehensive specialized hospitals in southern Ethiopia, 2023. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional explanatory sequential mixed-method study was undertaken, involving a total of 239 nurses. For the quantitative component, all nurses working in intensive care units and emergency rooms were included as participants, while a purposive sampling technique was employed to select participants for the qualitative aspect. Data for the quantitative study were gathered through the utilization of self-administered questionnaires, while interviews were conducted using a structured interview guide for the qualitative portion. Quantitative data entry and analysis were performed using EpiDataV4.6 and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software, respectively. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data was conducted using the OpenCode software. RESULTS: The level of stress among nurses in the emergency and intensive care units was low (19.3%), moderate (55.9%), and high (24.8%). Workload (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.17-10.56) and time constraints (AOR = 2.5, 95% CI (1.03-6.07) were significantly associated with moderate stress level, while duty demands (AOR = 3.03, 95% CI (1.17-7.14), availability of medical equipment and supplies (AOR = 1.42, 95% CI (1.18-4.97), and witnessing death and dying (AOR = 2.34, 95% CI (1.13-5.88) were significantly associated with high-stress level. The qualitative data analysis revealed that the participants underscored the significant impact of organizational factors, individual factors, and profession-related factors on the stress levels experienced by nurses in emergency and critical care settings. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Based on the findings, the participants in this study experienced some level of stress, to varying degrees. Therefore, it is crucial to implement effective strategies such as optimizing staffing and workflow, improving communication and collaboration, providing adequate support and resources, leveraging technology and innovation, emphasizing patient-centered care, and implementing data-driven quality improvement to alleviate the burden.

Patient satisfaction with preoperative nursing care and its associated factors in surgical procedures, 2023: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: To enhance patient satisfaction, nurses engaged in preoperative care must possess a comprehensive understanding of the most up-to-date evidence. However, there is a notable dearth of relevant information regarding the current status of preoperative care satisfaction and its impact, despite a significant rise in the number of patients seeking surgical intervention with complex medical requirements. OBJECTIVE: To assess patient satisfaction with preoperative nursing care and its associated factors in surgical procedures of, 2023. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and the data was collected from the randomly selected 468 patients who had undergone surgery during the study period. The collected data was entered into Epidata version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 25 software. RESULTS: The complete participation and response of 468 participants resulted in a response rate of 100%. Overall patient satisfaction with preoperative nursing care was 79.5%. Sex (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.14 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21-2.91)), payment status for treatment (AOR: 1.45 (95% CI: 0.66-2.97)), preoperative fear and anxiety (AOR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.49-2.13)), patient expectations (AOR: 3.39, 95% CI: 2.17-7.11)), and preoperative education (AOR: 1.148, 95% CI: 0.54-2.86)) exhibited significant associations with patient satisfaction with preoperative nursing care. CONCLUSION: It is important to exercise caution when interpreting the level of preoperative nursing care satisfaction in this study. The significance of preoperative nursing care satisfaction lies in its reflection of healthcare quality, as even minor deficiencies in preoperative care can potentially lead to life-threatening complications, including mortality. Therefore, prioritizing the improvement of healthcare quality is essential to enhance patient satisfaction.

Informed consent practice and associated factors among healthcare professionals in public hospitals of Southern Ethiopia, 2023: a mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: Patients may sign a consent form before the specific treatment is offered for a variety of reasons, including during an outpatient appointment. Healthcare professionals must obtain consent from patients or other legal persons before providing any treatment or performing any procedures. But, little attention has been given to the informed consent process in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: To assess informed consent practice and associated factors among healthcare professionals in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia public hospitals from January, 2023. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional mixed-method study was conducted among 399 healthcare professionals. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to select healthcare professionals for quantitative and qualitative studies respectively. Data for both studies were collected using self-administered questionnaire and key informant interview respectively. EpiDataV4.6 and the Statistical Package for the Social Science was used for entry and analysis of quantitative data. OpenCode software was used for thematic analysis for qualitative data. RESULTS: 339 respondents were included in the study, with a response rate of 94.3%. The good practice of informed consent among the healthcare professionals is 53.1%. There was a significant association between the good practice of informed consent and being male [AOR: 0.003 (95% CI: 0.000-0.017)], working in a comprehensive specialized hospital [AOR: 4.775 (95% CI: 1.45-15.74)] and in-service training [AOR: 0.038 (95% CI: 0.013-0.114)]. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: More than half of healthcare professionals had good practices for informed consent. However, it is critical to plan and intervene various strategies with the goal of improving knowledge and attitude toward informed consent.