Oncology nurses' compassion fatigue, burn out and compassion satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: For oncology nurses, compassion fatigue, burn out and compassion satisfactions are frequently experienced psychosocial consequences of the oncology work environment. Surveying such phenomena helps to understand how nurses feel and behave when cancer care is provided. Besides, tracking the evolving nature of those three concepts can lend a hand for the early detection of personal and professional suffering of nurses while offering some healing remedies to their struggling bodies and souls. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the level of compassion fatigue, burn out and compassion satisfaction among a group of specialized oncology nurses. Besides, this study aimed to detect some probable interesting inferences between compassion satisfaction and the concept of rest and leisure. Correlations between compassion fatigue, burn out and compassion satisfaction were investigated. Correlations between oncology nurses' scores on the three subscales and a group of demographic, organizational and leisure-related variables were examined. METHODS: This study adopted a descriptive correlation design to survey compassion fatigue, burn out and compassion satisfaction among a convenient sample of 100 oncology nurses who work in a specialized cancer care centre. Participants completed compassion fatigue self-test developed by Figely (Compassion fatigue, New York: Brunner/Mazel. B. HudnallStamm, Traumatic Stress Research Group; 1995-1998. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~bhstamm/index.htm, 1995) and a literature-based demographic survey. Analysis of data included descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation co-efficient. RESULTS: Nurses reported a low level of compassion satisfaction, moderate risk for burn out and an extremely high risk for compassion fatigue. Results revealed significant negative relationships among compassion satisfaction and the number of dependents per nurse. Additionally the correlation between compassion satisfaction and the nurses' number of hours slept was positive. Only two components of the concept rest and leisure yielded statistical significance when correlated to the concept of compassion satisfaction. A significant negative relationship was observed between compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue while a strong positive relationship was observed between compassion fatigue and burn out. CONCLUSIONS: The studied oncology nurses sample had evidently low level of compassion satisfaction when contrasted to the significantly increased risks of burn out and compassion fatigue. Thus, health authorities and management are advised to care, in a holistic approach, for nurses who work in oncology departments. Staff-oriented services that offer comfort, reward, leisure, screening, consultation and support are urgently recommended.

The influence of leadership behavior, organizational commitment, organizational support, subjective career success on organizational readiness for change in healthcare organizations.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of leadership behavior, organizational commitment, organizational support and subjective career success on organizational readiness for change in the healthcare organizations. The authors want to determine if nurses who had higher levels of organizational commitment, organizational support and subjective career success relationships were more open and prepared for change. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational survey design was conducted using self-reported questionnaires to collect data from registered nurses. Findings The subjective career success was the strongest predictors ( ß = 0.36, p < 0.001) followed by leadership behavior ( ß = -0.19, p = 0.03) and participants' age ( ß = -0.13, p = 0.049). Research limitations/implications This study highlights the influence of leadership behavior, organizational commitment, organizational support and subjective career success on the organizational readiness for change in healthcare organizations. Therefore, this study forms baseline data for future local and national studies. Moreover, it will strengthen the research findings if future research includes a qualitative approach that explores other healthcare professionals regarding readiness for organizational change. Practical implications This study provides information to policymakers and healthcare leaders who seek to improve management and leadership skills and respond to organizational change efforts. Social implications It is important to know the extent to which healthcare professionals, especially nurses, understand how the influence of organizational support and organizational commitment on organizational readiness for change, as well as why specific leadership behavior and subjective career success, is important in implementing the change. Originality/value This study examined the nurses' readiness for change in hospitals. Organizational readiness for change could occur in situations where nurses can exert extra efforts at work because of leaders' behaviors and the relationship between nurses and the institution.

ICU Nurses' Perceived Barriers to Effective Enteral Nutrition Practices: A Multicenter Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Critically ill patients are hypermetabolic and have increased energy requirements, making nutritional support a vital intervention. In the Intensive Care Units, enteral nutrition is based on opinions rather than evidence-based practices. Therefore, there is a need to identify the barriers to evidence based practice protocols for enteral feeding of patients in Jordanian ICUs. AIMS: To explore Jordanian ICU nurses' perceived barriers for enteral nutrition that hinders them from utilizing the recommended EN guidelines. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design was utilized using self-administered questionnaire. A total of 131 nurses participated from different hospitals representing different healthcare sectors in Jordan. RESULTS: The five barriers subscales' means were almost equal ranging from 4.04 (Delivery of EN to the Patient) to 4.33 (ICU Resources) (out of 7). The most important barrier was "Not enough nursing staff to deliver adequate nutrition" (M=4.80, SD=1.81, 60%), followed by "Fear of adverse events due to aggressively feeding patients" (M= 4.59, SD=1.50, 56%). Although no significant differences in the mean barrier score were revealed, minimal significant differences were revealed that were distributed among different barrier subscales. CONCLUSION: Participants moderately perceived barriers with more focus on insufficient resources in ICU and among healthcare providers. Such barriers are modifiable and manageable, making their identification and management crucial for optimal patient care. This study confirms that enteral nutrition is a multidisciplinary responsibility.

Compassion fatigue and substance use among nurses.

AIM: This study aimed to detect if there were differences in compassion fatigue (CF) among nurses based on substance use and demographic variables of gender, marital status, type of health institution and income. BACKGROUND: Compassion fatigue is considered an outcome of poorly handled stressful situations in which nurses may respond with self-harming behaviours like substance use. Evidence in this area is critically lacking. METHODS: This study used a descriptive design to survey differences in CF of 282 nurses. The participants completed a demographic survey and indicated whether they consume any of the following substances on a frequent basis: cigarettes, sleeping pills, power drinks, anti-depressant drugs, anti-anxiety drugs, coffee, analgesics, amphetamines and alcohol. Compassion Fatigue scores were surveyed using CF self-test 66 items developed by Stamm and Figely (Compassion satisfaction and fatigue test. http://www.isu.edu/~bhstamm/tests.htm, 1996). RESULTS: There were significant differences in CF scores in favour of nurses who used cigarettes, sleeping pills, power drinks, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs. While no significant differences in CF were found between nurses who used coffee, analgesics, amphetamines and alcohol, significant differences in nurses' CF were found in relation to type of institution, gender and marital status. But nurses' income did not bring differences to CF scores. CONCLUSION: Nurses who might be lacking resilience cope negatively with CF using maladaptive negative behaviours such as substance use. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nursing management should be aware of the substance use drive among nurses and build organizational solutions to overcome compassion fatigue and potential substance use problems.

Factors Affecting Jordanian School Adolescents' Experience of Being Bullied.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the Jordanian school adolescents' experience of being bullied, and to examine its association with selected socio-demographic variables. DESIGN AND METHODS: This cross sectional descriptive study used multi-stages cluster sampling technique to recruit a sample of in-school adolescents in Jordan (N=436). The Personal Experiences Checklist was used to measure the experience of bullying. Descriptive statistics and parametric tests were used in the analysis. RESULTS: Relational-verbal bullying was the most common form of bullying while cyber bullying was the least common type. Male adolescents experienced bullying more than females. In addition, adolescents belonging to low-income families experienced bullying more than those from moderate-income families. Finally, being bullied was negatively correlated with academic performance of students. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that risk factors for bullying are multifaceted which necessitate the development of prevention and intervention strategies to combat bullying taking into consideration these factors. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Schools should introduce environmental changes to discourage bullying and establish a policy with specific guidelines of what constitutes bullying behavior and expected disciplinary procedures. Staff training on information about the definition of bullying, current trends, and the effects of bullying is also recommended.

Psychosocial Correlates of Diabetes Self-management Practices.

BACKGROUND: Self-Management is a crucial regimen for patients with diabetes mellitus. Many factors have affected patients' self-management practice including psychosocial factors. Literature revealed contradictory results concerning the psychosocial correlates of patients' self-management practices. Therefore, this study assessed the psychosocial correlates of diabetes self-management practices among Jordanian diabetic patients. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design was utilized to collect data (conducted in the middle region of Jordan in 2015) from 341 Jordanian outpatients with diabetes using self-reported questionnaires (Social Support Scale, CES-D, and Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities) and chart review. RESULTS: Participants reported practice rate of 2.85/ 7 (SD=1.3), with diet practice the most (M=3.66, SD=1.5) and exercise the least (M=1.53, SD=2.1). Participants reported receiving social support (M=3.23, SD=1.3) less than needed (M=3.39, SD=1.3). High levels of depressive symptoms were reported (M=17.1, SD= 11.4). Diet practices had significant positive correlation with family support attitude (r= .266, P= .000) and negative correlation with depressive symptoms (r= - .114, P= .037). Testing blood sugar significantly correlated with both support needed (r= .144, P= .008) and support received (r= .166, P= .002). CONCLUSION: Jordanian DM patients were found to practice less than optimum DM self-management practices, and to consider diet practices than exercise practices. This study confirmed that the subcategories of DM self-care management should be considered rather than considering the general plan.

Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Version of the Diabetes Distress Scale.

The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS-A) among Arab patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) using a descriptive cross-sectional design. Participants' DDS-A total scores significantly correlated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.288, p = 0.000) as well as two subscales, emotional burden (r = 0.276, p = 0.000) and regimen distress (r = 0.265, p = 0.000). Participants' DDS-A scores had significant negative correlations with income, DM self-management, and knowledge (r = -0.184, p = 0.008; r = -0.310, p = 0.000; r = -0.174, p = 0.003, respectively) and a positive correlation with HbA1c level (r = 0.153, p = 0.018). Factor analysis revealed a four-factor solution that retained all items and explained a variance of 65.59%. Cronbach's alpha was 0.822 for the total scale and 0.778 to 0.881 for the subscales, indicating a high internal consistency. The DDS-A was found to be a psychometrically sound measure to evaluate DM-related distress among Arab patients. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 55(9), 43-51.].

Health-Related Quality of Life Among Jordanian Adolescents.

Adolescence is an unpredictable stage of life with varied and rapid changes. In Jordan, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been examined among diabetic and obese children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to assess the HRQoL of Jordanian healthy adolescents. Three hundred fifty-four male and female adolescents whose ages ranged from 12 to 19 participated in the study. A descriptive comparative design was employed to investigate adolescents' HRQoL. The results revealed statistically significant differences in physical well-being, psychosocial well-being, and autonomy in favor of male adolescents. In addition, statistically significant differences were observed in favor of nonsmoker adolescents in psychosocial well-being, self-perception, parent relations and home life, financial resources, social relations and peers and school environment. In conclusion, the creation of a school health nurse role in Jordanian schools is crucial for helping adolescents improve their health.

Predictors of Glycated Hemoglobin among Jordanian Diabetic Patients.

BACKGROUND: We explored the level of Jordanian patients' knowledge, diabetes related distress, self-management activities and these effects on the A1C level. METHODOLOGY: This descriptive cross-sectional correlational design (conducted in 2013) was utilized to recruit 289 diabetic patients from outpatient diabetes clinics, using self-reported questionnaires (Diabetes Knowledge Test, Diabetes Distress Scale, and Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire) in addition to chart review for selected variables. RESULTS: Participants' had mean glycated hemoglobin of 7.88%. Good glycemic control was significantly associated with higher self-management activities (r= -.147), high income (r= -.171), older age (r= -.252), shorter duration of illness (r= .153), and low levels of distress. Despite these relationships only age, duration of illness and income significantly predicted A1C (F (5, 284) = 11.57, P<.001, R (2) = .17). Further, diabetes knowledge, diabetes-related distress, and self-management could not predict A1C level. CONCLUSION: Only diabetes-related distress and self-management correlated with patients' A1C, with no predictive power. Thus, further research is required to shed the light on the large unexplained components of the A1C variance.

Investigating critical care nurses' perception regarding enteral nutrition.

BACKGROUND: Evidences showed that nurses lack the needed knowledge to administer nutritional care. Besides, nutritional information was found to be incomplete in patients' record, and nurses' responsibilities regarding EN were not well understood. In Jordan, literature regarding nurses' perceptions of EN is scarce. AIM: To investigate critical care nurses' perceptions regarding enteral nutrition (EN) of critically-ill adult patients. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional, comparative design was used to collect data from 151 Jordanian critical care nurses utilizing the Nurses' Perception of Enteral Nutrition Questionnaire. RESULTS: Nurses in private hospitals scored the highest in regard to responsibility and support from documentation. Education, internet, and nursing school were the primary sources of EN knowledge. Besides, female nurses differ significantly from male nurses in regard to the perception of responsibility of EN. CONCLUSION: Awareness of responsibility, supportive documentation system, and implementation of the current evidences of EN in the actual daily practices can be used to improve EN practices.