The challenges of nursing care for patients with lumbar discectomy: A qualitative study.

AIM: Patients with lumbar disc surgery experience many different problems during their hospital stay. Nurses also face different challenges in providing care to them. Nonetheless, no study has yet specifically addressed these challenges to the best of our knowledge. This study aimed at exploring the challenges of nursing care for patients with lumbar discectomy. DESIGN: This qualitative study was conducted in 2022 using content analysis. METHODS: Eight nurses, three patients with lumbar discectomy, and one physician were purposively selected from the neurosurgery wards of the hospitals affiliated to Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for data analysis and the content analysis method recommended by Elo and Kyngas was used for data analysis. The main phases of this method are open coding, grouping, categorization, and abstraction. The MAXQDA 10 software was employed to facilitate data management. Data collection continued to reach data saturation. RESULTS: The challenges of nursing care for patients with lumbar discectomy were categorized into eleven subcategories and three main categories, namely dominant routine-based practice in the healthcare system, futile attempt for team-based care, and shortages as a major barrier to quality care. There are different personal, professional, financial, structural, and organizational challenges in nursing care for patients with lumbar discectomy which can negatively affect postoperative patient recovery.

The Effect of Self-Care Education on Adherence to Treatment in Elderly Patients with Heart Failure: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Noncompliance with treatment in the elderly with Heart Failure (HF) may result in a lack of recovery, a decrease in longevity, rehospitalization, and additional costs. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of self-care education on adherence to treatment among elderly patients with HF. Materials and Methods: This study was a parallel clinical trial on 90 elderly people over 60 years of age who were hospitalized in cardiac wards. Data were collected using a demographic characteristics form and the adherence to treatment questionnaire. Individuals who met the study inclusion criteria were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group training was performed before and after discharge. The adherence to treatment questionnaire was completed again by both groups 2 months after discharge. Data were analyzed using Chi-squared test; ex. (?2 = 3.95, df = 1, p = 0.046), paired and independent t-tests, and analysis of covariance. Results: The mean (standard deviation) total score of adherence to treatment in the intervention group was 39.71 (4.51) and 78.72 (10.47) before and after the self-care education, respectively. Paired t-test showed a significant difference in both groups after the intervention compared to before the intervention, and independent t-test showed a significant difference between the groups after the intervention (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Self-care education before discharge and home-based education were effective in promoting adherence to treatment among patients with HF. Therefore, self-care education before discharge may improve adherence to treatment among elderly patients with HF.

The Effect of the Web-Based Communication between a Nurse and a Family Member on the Perceived Stress of the Family Member of Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19: A Parallel Randomized Clinical Trial.

The aim of this study was to identify the effect of web-based communication between a nurse and a family member of a patient with COVID-19 on his/her perceived stress. In this multicenter parallel randomized controlled trial, 67 family members of COVID-19 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were investigated. In the intervention group, web-based communication was performed for four consecutive days for 10 to 15 minutes. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) were completed in both groups before and after the intervention. Mean and standard deviation of perceived stress scores in the two groups were not significantly different (p = 0.26) before the intervention; however, after the intervention, the mean PSS-14 in the intervention group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.001). Due to the need to follow the physical and social distancing to protect against Coronavirus disease, the use of web-based communication recommended in future studies.

Spiritual self-care in adolescents: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: One of the existential questions during adolescence is about the ambiguity in spiritual realms. Adolescents at this age not only have the spiritual, psychological, and unique needs, but also have spiritual needs that help them to relax and solve problems. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to understand the concept of spiritual self-care in Iranian adolescents in 2019. METHODS: This qualitative study with content analysis approach was conducted on 14 adolescents with the age range of 14-20 years, who had been selected by purposeful sampling method. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews which were carried out between 4 March 2019 and 20 August 2019. RESULTS: The interviews were transcribed immediately after the recording, and then were analyzed using direct content analysis. A total of 252 primary codes related to the adolescents' spiritual self-care were extracted from the analysis, which determined 4 main aspects of spiritual self-care (spiritual belief, spiritual experience, social-religious activities, and spiritual growth). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study showed that, spiritual self-care is a form of self-care by which a person uses his or her spiritual beliefs, teachings, and experiences as a source of control over stress and crises, and will be able to cope with problems.

The effects of probiotic supplement on hemoglobin in chronic renal failure patients under hemodialysis: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammation is one of the causes of anemia in chronic renal failure patients under hemodialysis. Probiotics probably establish a balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The study was conducted to determine the effects of probiotic supplementation on hemoglobin (Hb) in hemodialysis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A parallel clinical trial was conducted in which patients were randomly allocated into two groups. The intervention group (n = 18) was given a 500 mg probiotic supplement (a capsule) every day whereas the control group (n = 18) received placebo (a capsule), both for 3 months. Hb levels and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured for three periods. The data were analyzed in SPSS-16 using statistical tests including the t-test and repeated-measures ANOVA. RESULTS: In the probiotic supplementation group, the mean Hb was 9.22 ± 1.04 mg/dl before the intervention and reached 10.85 ± 1.177 mg/dl afterward, while in the placebo group, the mean Hb level was 9.38 ± 0.97 mg/dl before the intervention and reached 10.03 ± 1.97 mg/dl afterward (P > 0.05). During the study, the placebo caused to increase of Hb temporary, but in longer term, the effect of probiotic was more manifested. Hb levels increased in both groups although the change was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The findings showed no significant differences between the two groups in either the pre- or post-intervention CRP levels (P = 0.239). CONCLUSION: Probiotic supplementation decreased Hb fluctuations in hemodialysis patients but did not result in a significant increase in Hb levels. Similar studies are therefore recommended to be conducted with a prolonged duration of the study or an increased probiotic dose with larger sample size to complete the results of the present study.