Importance of preemptive analgesia and pain assessment as perceived by intensive care unit nurses.

Background: The importance and efficacy of Preemptive analgesia in reducing pain for patients undergoing painful procedures still debatable and seldom investigated. The aim of this study was to describe intensive care nurses' perception of the importance of pain assessment and Preemptive analgesia prior painful procedures in critical care settings in Jordan. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. The sample consisted of 300 registered nurses recruited from 22 intensive care units in Jordan. The data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: The results showed that nurses considered pain assessment moderately and extremely important for surgical (n = 263, 87.7%), burn (n = 261, 87%), and trauma patients (n = 256, 85.3%). The majority of nurses rated pain assessment as moderately to extremely important for invasive line placement 80.3%, wound care 78.3%, and drain removal 69%. Nurses assessed the need for Preemptive analgesia more frequently before wound care 70.7%, and before invasive line placement 69.7%. Nurses perceived pain assessment for Preemptive analgesia as less priority for unconscious patients. Conclusion: Effective assessment and management of pain for critically ill patients is mandatory. Thus, it is important to improve nurses' knowledge regarding the Preemptive analgesia and its effects in relieving post-procedural pain in critically ill patient. It is recommended to ensure proper clinical training on how to assess critically ill patients and auditing system.

COVID-19 Fear and Anxiety among Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Cross Sectional Study.

Although the current management of COVID-19 is mainly focused on efficacious vaccine and infection control, the most common psychological reactions (such as fear and anxiety) associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have not been investigated and even neglected in patients with heart failure who are at greater risk for morbidity and mortality. We assessed COVID-19 related fear and anxiety among patients with heart failure and determined their associated factors. A cross sectional survey was conducted among 300 consecutive patients with heart failure during the period of March 2021−June 2021. Almost 50.7% of patients had fear of COVID-19 and 36.3% had coronavirus anxiety. Age > 55 was significantly associated with increased odds of fear (OR = 2.6) and anxiety (OR = 4.3). Patients with angina were more likely to have fear (OR = 3.0) and anxiety (OR = 2.2) and patients with chronic lung disease were more likely to have fear (OR = 3.0) and anxiety (OR = 3.3). Increased age, having angina, and having chronic lung disease were associated with increased odds of fear of COVID-19 and coronavirus anxiety. Psychological support needs to be integrated in patient care with special attention to physiological risk factors that are associated with COVID-19 comorbidities.

Barriers and enablers of intensive care unit nurses' assessment and management of patients' pain.

BACKGROUND: Inadequate pain assessment and management is a problem in hospitalized patients that impairs their well-being. Intensive care unit nurses' pain practices are affected by several barriers and enablers. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore intensive care unit nurses' pain education, perceived barriers, and enablers of pain assessment and management practices among critically ill patients. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used in the study. METHODS: Convenience sampling technique was used, including 300 nurses recruited from 22 intensive care units in Jordan. The Pain Assessment and Management for Critically Ill Adults Survey was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, spearman correlation, and chi-square tests were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Only 127 (42.3%) of the nurses reported moderate to extreme satisfaction about receiving professional development education related to pain among critically ill patients. Nurse workload (65.3%), patient instability (54.4%), patient inability to communicate (53.3%), and sedation interfering with pain assessment (50%) were reported by nurses as the most frequent barriers impacting pain assessment and management. Enablers of pain assessment and management reported most frequently were "pain assessment and management is a unit priority" (63.7%), "enthusiastic and motivated staff" (61.3%), "protocols and guidelines are in use" (57.4%), and "standardized assessment tools are in use" (57%). Some barriers and enablers to pain assessment and management and pain education differed significantly according to nurses' experience and hospital type. CONCLUSION: This study identified a range of enablers and barriers to pain assessment and management practices perceived by intensive care unit nurses. Nurse workload was an important barrier while making pain assessments, and management a unit priority was an important enabler for pain assessment and management. Frequent assessment of barriers and enablers of pain assessment and management is needed in critical care units to improve nurses' practices. Pain education should be included in the hospitals' continuous educational program.

Nursing students' attitudes towards death and caring for dying patients.

AIM: To examine the attitudes of undergraduate Jordanian nursing students towards death and caring for dying patients. DESIGN: A cross-sectional correlational design. METHODS: The Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying and Death Attitude Profile-Revised scales were used in this study with a convenience sample of 555 students from nursing schools in Jordan. RESULTS: Nursing students had positive attitudes towards death (M = 153.7, SD = 21.5) and a positive attitude towards caring for dying patients (M = 98.1, SD = 9.2). Fear of death, escape acceptance and death avoidance were significant negative predictors, while neutral acceptance, higher academic level and female gender were significant positive predictors of caring for dying patients (F = 4.5). CONCLUSION: Nursing students had positive attitudes towards caring for dying patients that was influenced by university type, academic level and gender. Nursing education must further focus on death, dying and end-of-life care across the core courses of nursing curricula, theory and practicum.

Perceived barriers to healthcare utilization among Jordanian families: A family centered approach.

AIM: This study aimed to understand the barriers to health services utilization by Jordanian families. BACKGROUND: Access to quality healthcare services is a significant issue facing healthcare systems. Healthcare systems must identify and apply measures to overcome barriers that face utilizing health services and thus increase clients' satisfaction. METHODS: A cross-sectional qualitative research design was used in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five families to elicit the model of health services barriers. RESULTS: The analysis of the family interviews led to four main themes related to health services barriers: service system, structural/physical barriers, equipment and medication, and staff competency. This study would increase awareness about underserved populations that avoid seeking medical care. CONCLUSION: Public health efforts are required to increase awareness about the importance of contacting the healthcare system as early as possible. However, public health policy may require developing new initiatives that reduce these perceived barriers, such as enhancing communication skills among healthcare workers, increasing supervision and inspection of healthcare quality, and enhancing patient engagement by using phone calls and messages as appointment reminders and careful follow-up.

Perceptions of Health and Illness: A Qualitative Study of Jordanian Mothers.

PURPOSE: To explore: 1) the perceptions of Jordanian mothers of their children's health and illness; and 2) the strategies of Jordanian mothers regarding disease prevention and health promotion. DESIGN AND METHODS: A qualitative descriptive design was used to select a sample of Jordanian mothers (n = 20) of children aged 6 to12 years. Semi-structured interviews generated data to which thematic analysis was applied. RESULTS: Four central themes emerged for Jordanian mothers' perceptions of their children's health and illness: physical, functional, wellbeing, and coping. Mothers used a variety of biomedical and psychosocial strategies for health promotion and disease prevention for their children. CONCLUSION: Jordanian mothers' perceptions of health and illness were multidimensional. Mothers used positive strategies to prevent disease and promote the health of their children. The mothers overlooked some important aspects related to promoting children's health, such as minimizing the harm from tobacco and the importance of regular dental checkups. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Community or school-based health programs that target both children and their parents are needed to address the effect of smoking on children's health, highlight the importance of oral hygiene and regular dental checkups, and emphasize the role of exercise and healthy nutrition on children's health.