The weather as a determinant of farmer's mental health: A dependent, interacting, cumulative and escalating model (DICE) of the effects of extreme weather events.

This perspective paper presents a conceptual, theoretical framework of the weather as a determinant of mental health for farmers. This model proposes that the effects of extreme weather events have interacting and cumulative effects for farmers, who are dependent on the land.

COVID-19 and beyond: A systematic review of adaptations to psychosocial support in oncology.

AIMS: To understand the strategies used to continue providing psychosocial support to cancer patients during the pandemic, including outcomes and implications beyond the pandemic. DESIGN: A systematic review of original research. DATA SOURCES: ProQuest Health & Medicine, CINAHL Complete (via EBSCOhost), Scopus, and PubMed were searched for original work published between January 2020 and December 2022. METHODS: Abstract and title screening identified eligible articles for full-text review. Following a full-text review, data were extracted from eligible articles, and a risk of bias assessment was conducted. A synthesis without meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: Thirty-four articles met the selection criteria. These articles provide evidence that systematic adaptations during the pandemic improved the assessment and screening of psychological needs and/or increased the number of clients accessing services. Additionally, while the pandemic was associated with decreased psychosocial well-being for cancer patients, five intervention studies reported improvements in psychosocial well-being. Barriers, strategies, and recommendations were described. CONCLUSION: Adapting psychosocial support during a pandemic can be successful, achieved relatively quickly, and can increase the uptake of support for people experiencing cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR PATIENT CARE: It is imperative that these adaptations continue beyond the pandemic to maximize adaptive psychosocial outcomes for a group vulnerable to ongoing mental health concerns. IMPACT: While the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased psychosocial need for cancer patients, evidence in the review suggested that adaptations made to service delivery facilitated increased access for patients who may not previously have been able to access support. Additionally, improvements in psychosocial well-being were achieved. These findings are relevant for clinicians and decision-makers who fund and design psychosocial support services for cancer patients. REPORTING METHOD: The review was guided by PRISMA Guidelines and the SWiM Reporting Guideline. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Distress and psychosocial support seeking: A comparison of rural and metropolitan oncology patient experiences.

INTRODUCTION: Prevalence of distress in cancer patients is established at approximately 50%, yet uptake of psychosocial support is minimal. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand why clinically distressed oncology patients choose not to access psychosocial support, including whether this differs by geographic location. It also aimed to determine the proportion of rural and metropolitan patients experiencing clinical levels of distress, and of these, the proportion who do not wish to access support. DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional design. Two hundred and ninety-eight Australian cancer patients completed an online survey, including the Distress Thermometer and open-ended questions about reasons for declining support. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse the data. FINDINGS: More than half (56%) of participants reported experiencing clinically significant levels of distress. Of these, almost half (47%) declined psychosocial support. Content analysis of reasons for declining psychosocial support resulted in six main concepts: I don't need support; I'm using personal resources to cope; negative perceptions and attitudes; life doesn't stop for cancer; I'm focussed on fighting cancer; and systemic barriers. Rural cancer patients most often indicated using personal resources to cope, while metropolitan participants most commonly indicated not needing support. A range of subconcepts were also identified. Perceiving distress as manageable or transient was almost exclusively reported by metropolitan participants, while stigma was almost exclusively reported by rural participants. DISCUSSION: The findings provided greater depth of insight into reasons cancer patients decline psychosocial support and identified several qualitative differences in the reasons provided by metropolitan and rural patients. Recommendations are provided for clinicians, in particular for clinicians who work with rural cancer patients and their supporters. CONCLUSION: These findings can inform equitable resourcing of psychosocial support in rural areas and the adaptation of psychosocial interventions to be more flexible and responsive to individual needs. This may help increase patient uptake of support, particularly in rural areas.

Pre-registration nursing students' perceptions and experience of intentional rounding: A cross-sectional study.

This paper examines pre-registration nursing students' perceptions of the practice of intentional rounding and perceived benefits for nurses and patients. Intentional rounding was developed to ensure nursing staff regularly check on patients to ensure that all care needs are met. It has been linked to a reduction in falls and call bell use, and an increase in patient safety. No previous studies have examined pre-registration nursing students' role in the practice of intentional rounding during clinical placements nor the perceptions of rounding practices, important from a future workforce perspective. A cross-sectional multisite study was undertaken, and pre-registration nursing students completed the Nurses' Perceptions of Patient Rounding Scale between August 2017- June 2018, distributed using online education platforms and email. Strobe reporting guidelines were used to report findings. Participants perceived positive benefits in intentional rounding for nurses and patients. Mixed opinions surrounded the sufficiency of education received around the intervention. Previous nursing experience was linked to opposing opinions of intentional rounding, depending on education levels. Participants had a positive perception of intentional rounding practices overall. Education surrounding intentional rounding needs to be consistent, and introduced before students are expected to actively participate in the practice of rounding on clinical placement.

Sleep disordered breathing and polysomnography in Australia: trends in provision from 2005 to 2012 and the impact of home-based diagnosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To describe the growth of publicly funded polysomnography (PSG) in Australia since 2004 and to compare this with earlier growth. METHODS: Longitudinal census-level data stratified by jurisdiction were retrieved from the Medicare Australia online database. RESULTS: There has been a near doubling in provision of PSG since the introduction of publicly funded in-home PSG under the Australian national Medicare program available to all Australian citizens in 2008. Overall annual PSG rates have risen from 339 in 2005 to 608 in 2012 per 100,000. This growth has exceeded that of comparable diagnostic procedures and all Medicare services overall. Queensland remains the leading jurisdiction per 100,000 Medicare enrollees for accessing Medicare-funded PSG. CONCLUSION: The continued growth in publicly funded PSG provision in Australia is unlikely to abate. The disparity in Australia between the estimated prevalence of sleep disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnea, and the number of people having PSGs would suggest there remain a large number of undiagnosed cases. Support for the development of appropriate diagnostic and screening algorithms will be key in ensuring sustainable, effective, efficient, and accessible PSG services.

An overview of structuration theory and its usefulness for nursing research.

Anthony Giddens' theory of structuration is a theory of social action, which claims that society should be understood in terms of action and structure; a duality rather than two separate entities. This paper introduces some of the central characteristics of structuration theory, presenting a conceptual framework that helps to explore how people produce the systems and structures that shape their practice. By understanding how people produce and reproduce structures, then there is the potential for changing them. Criticisms that have been raised about the theory are introduced, followed by examples of how the theory might be useful to nursing research. Structuration theory can be employed to explore how nurses produce, reproduce, and transform nursing practice through social interaction across time and space.