Work alienation and its relationship with job crafting and job embeddedness among a group of Iranian nurses during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Background: The difficult work conditions of nurses during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can cause them work alienation. Work alienation is in turn associated with negative consequences such as turnover intention. Therefore, identifying the contributing factors of work alienation is essential. Aim: This study aimed to assess the relationship of work alienation with job crafting and job embeddedness among a group of Iranian nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 332 eligible nurses participated in this descriptive correlational study. The data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the work alienation measure, the job crafting scale and the global measure of job embeddedness. Results: The mean scores of work alienation, job embeddedness and job crafting were 22.67 ± 6.46 (possible range: 7-49), 21.05 ± 3.65 (possible range: 7-35) and 77.54 ± 11.93 (possible range: 21-105), respectively. Work alienation had a significant inverse correlation with job embeddedness and job crafting. Job crafting and job embeddedness significantly predicted 44% of the variance of work alienation. Conclusions: Around half of the variance of work alienation is explained by job crafting and job embeddedness. Nursing managers can use strategies to improve nurses' job embeddedness and job crafting in order to reduce the probability of their work alienation.

Experiences of Wives of Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) veterans imposes severe stress on relatives especially their wives. Despite of these difficulties these stratum of women suffer insufficient support and less attention. This study aimed to explore the experiences of wives of veterans with PTSD. Methods: This study was conducted in 2021 using qualitative content analysis approach. Participants were selected purposely from PTSD veterans' wives. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 18 wives of veteran men with PTSD. All the interviews were transcribed verbatim. Data were collected using in-depth and semi-structured interviews, up to the point of data saturation, and were analyzed by Graneheim and Lundman's content analysis method with the support of MAXQDA software. Findings: Through analysis of transcribed interviews, one theme and 4 categories and 13 sub categories were emerged : The theme called "abandoned in miserable life stream" and categories consist of "living in the cage of grief and regret"; "insufficient support resources"; "marital burnout"; and "self-sacrifice to maintain family cohesion". Conclusion: The results of this study provide a broad range of context-specific challenges faced by wives of veterans with PTSD. In confronting with full of tensions life and lack of support, wives of veteran with PTSD are neglected and need more attention and support. It is essential for healthcare providers to be aware of the complex psychological and social conditions of wives of veterans with PTSD.

Effects of a Caregiver Educational Program on Interactions between Family Caregivers and Patients with Advanced COPD.

The quality of family caregiver-patient interaction plays a crucial role in the context of chronic conditions. This study investigated the effects of a caregiver educational program on interactions between family caregivers and patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this trial, 92 pairs of family caregivers and patients in a subspecialty lung care clinic located in Birjand, Iran were allocated into intervention and control groups (n = 46 per group). The intervention consisted of eight sessions, including three educational sessions on COPD, two educational sessions on coping strategies, as well as three peer support sessions. The Dyadic Relationship Scale was completed at baseline, posttest, and follow-up (2 months after intervention). For caregivers in the intervention group, positive dyadic interaction improved significantly from baseline to follow-up and from posttest to follow-up in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05). Also, for these caregivers, negative dyadic strain enhanced significantly from baseline to posttest and from baseline to follow-up as compared with those in the control group (p < 0.05). Finally, in patients of the intervention group, negative dyadic strain from baseline to follow-up and from posttest to follow-up significantly improved when compared with that of control patients (p < 0.05).

Nursing educators' perception of disruptive behaviors in the professional work environment: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Disruptive behaviors among nursing educators are a globally recognized problem. They have detrimental effects on nursing educators, the nursing profession, students and patients. This study aimed to explore nursing educators' experiences with disruptive behaviors in the professional work environment. METHODS: The current study was conducted in 2019 and used a qualitative content analysis approach. Participants were selected purposely from nursing schools. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews with 20 nursing educators, and then analyzed according to the Graneheim and Lundman method. RESULTS: Through analysis of the transcribed interviews, 4 categories and 10 subcategories were extracted. The categories include disrespectful interactions, inaccurate feedback on work performance, low acceptance in the clinical setting and perceived unfairness. CONCLUSION: Disruptive behaviors among nursing educators can affect professionalism as well as the quality of education provided by them. Therefore, considering factors that lead to disruptive behaviors in the professional work environment is necessary.

Collaborative Mentoring: Perceptions of a sample of Iranian Nursing and Midwifery faculties.

INTRODUCTION: Mentoring programs have the potential to develop human interaction based on respect, perseverance, and trust. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of a sample of Iranian nursing and midwifery faculty members in Birjand University of Medical Sciences concerning collaborative mentoring. METHODS: Experiences from 17 members were collected using semi-structured interviews. Following the approach recommended by Graneheim and Lundman (2004), a qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interviews. RESULTS: Two main themes emerged: 'reaching team satisfaction through an engaging mentorship' and 'group journey toward professional actualization'. CONCLUSIONS: As a feasible intervention, collaborative mentoring sessions can be used to improve personal life, professional interaction, and satisfaction of nursing and midwifery faculty members.

The effects of foot reflexology on back pain after coronary angiography: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Back pain is among the most common complaints of patients during the first hours after coronary angiography (CA), i.e. when they are restricted to complete bed rest. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of foot reflexology on back pain after CA. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2018-2019 on patients hospitalized in the post-angiography unit of Razi hospital, Birjand, Iran. Through convenience sampling, 120 patients were recruited and their demographic characteristics and baseline back pain intensity were assessed immediately after angiography using a demographic questionnaire and a visual analogue scale, respectively. Then, patients were randomly allocated to a control (n = 60) and a reflexology (n = 60) group through block randomization. Patients in the reflexology group received 8-min foot reflexology for each foot (16 min for both feet) while their counterparts in the control group solely received routine post-angiography care services. Back pain assessment was repeated for all participants immediately, two, four, and 6 h after the intervention. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software (v. 16.0). FINDINGS: Back pain intensity significantly increased after angiography in both groups (P < 0.05). Yet, pain intensity in the reflexology group at all post-intervention measurement time points was significantly less than the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Foot reflexology is effective in significantly reducing back pain after CA.

Empathy and cultural competence in clinical nurses: A structural equation modelling approach.

BACKGROUND: Forgiveness has the potential to resolve painful feelings arising from nurse-patient conflicts. It would be useful to evaluate direct and indirect important factors which are related to forgiveness in order to design interventions that try to facilitate forgiveness. AIM/OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intermediating role of empathy in the cultural competence-forgiveness association among nurses using structural equation modeling. RESEARCH DESIGN: The research applied a cross-sectional correlational design. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: The study included 380 nurses eight hospitals in southern Iran. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The Ethics and Research Committee of Birjand University of Medical Sciences approved the study protocol. The voluntary nature of participation was explained consent was obtained from participants, and anonymity was guaranteed. FINDINGS: Most of the participants were married and female and fell in the 20- to 30-year-old category. Most of them (89.5%) had a working experience of 1-10 years. The proposed model showed that nurses' empathy intermediated the association between nurses' cultural competence and forgiveness which has fitted the data acceptably (root mean square error approximation = 0.070; comparative fit index = 0.993; goodness-of-fit index = 0.983; and χ2/df = 2.85). CONCLUSION: Empathy skills and cultural competence training were essential for interventions aimed at increasing the tendency to forgive patients. In such interventions, planners should aim at increasing nurses' cultural competence in order to enhance their empathy toward patients, which can, in turn, lead to a greater wish to forgive patients.

The impact of self-administered acupressure on sleep quality and fatigue among patients with migraine: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Poor sleep and fatigue are among the most common complaints of patients with migraine. These problems can lead to different negative consequences such as headaches. This study aimed to examine the impacts of self-administered acupressure on sleep quality and fatigue among patients with migraine. METHODS: This double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2016 on 76 patients who suffered from migraine without aura. Patients were conveniently selected from the neurology clinic of Valiasr (PBUH) teaching hospital and randomly allocated to either an acupressure (n = 38) or a sham acupressure group (n = 38) group. Data collection instruments were a demographic questionnaire, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, and Fatigue Severity Scale. Patients in the acupressure and the sham acupressure groups were trained to apply acupressure on respectively acupoints and sham points thrice weekly at bedtime for four consecutive weeks. The data were analyzed through the Chi-square, the independent-sample t, the paired-sample t, and the ANCOVA tests at the significance level of less than 0.05. RESULTS: After controlling sleep quality mean scores at baseline, no significant difference was found between the sleep quality of the two groups after intervention (P > 0.05). The mean scores of fatigue significantly decreased in both acupressure and sham acupressure groups (P < 0.05). However, the decrease in the acupressure group was significantly greater than in the sham acupressure group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: As a noninvasive non-pharmacological therapy, acupressure can significantly reduce fatigue among patients with migraine.

The Role of Peer Support Group in Subjective Well-Being of Wives of War Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of peer support group on subjective well-being (SWB) of wives of war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Selected participants were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups (n = 40 for each group). The intervention group was divided into four subgroups, with each participating in 8 weekly based 1.5 hr peer support group sessions. SWB and its dimensions in the intervention group increased significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.001). Peer support group can be a useful tool to enhance SWB in spouses of war veterans with PTSD.

The Persian Version of Fertility Adjustment Scale: Psychometric Properties.

BACKGROUND: Infertility is a common clinical problem. Psychological adjustment to infertility refers to changing the viewpoint and attitude of an infertile person toward infertility problems, treatments and possible outcomes. The present study aims to prepare a valid and reliable scale for assessing the psychological adjustment to infertility, by determining the cultural adaptation, validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Fertility Adjustment Scale. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study performed to localize and validate the Fertility Adjustment Scale, in which 40 infertile women and 40 healthy subjects (fertile or having children) were detected by a gynecologist and the subjects who completed the Fertility Adjustment Scale (FAS) questionnaire were recruited. This study had four steps: in the first step, the literature was reviewed, in the second step, the scale was translated, in the third step, the content and construct validity indicators were calculated, and in the fourth step, reliability of the scale was validated. RESULTS: The mean (± SE and range) of fertility adjustment total scores in the infertile group and the control group were 43.2 (1.2 and 27-57) and 42.3 (1.5 and 18-57), respectively (P=0.623). The content validity was good according to Content Validity Index score (0.7-0.8). A two-component structure was extracted from factor analysis which approximately justifies 52.0% of the cumulative variations. A Cronbach's alpha value of 0.68 showed moderate reliability. CONCLUSION: The results of this study revealed that the infertility adjustment scale is a useful tool for the analysis of psychological reactions towards infertility problems and evaluation of the consequences of treating this social-clinical problem.

The role of workplace social capital, compassion satisfaction and secondary traumatic stress in affective organisational commitment of a sample of Iranian nurses.

BACKGROUND: Affective organisational commitment (AOC) refers to employees' emotional attachment to the organisation and identification with it. It is vital that nurses explore contributors to their AOC because they stand as the largest group of employees in healthcare organisations. AIM: This cross-sectional, analytical study explored the role of workplace social capital (WSC), compassion satisfaction (CS), and secondary traumatic stress (STS) in AOC in a sample of Iranian nurses. METHOD: The study sample consisted of 250 nurses working in eight hospitals affiliated with Birjand University of Medical Sciences, eastern Iran. Participants' WSC was measured using the Social Capital at Work Scale developed by Kouvonen et al. (2006). CS and STS were measured using CS and STS dimensions of the Professional Quality of Life measure (Version 5) developed by Stamm (2010). RESULTS: Significant positive associations were found between WSC and AOC (p < 0.001), between the cognitive dimension of WSC and AOC (p < 0.001), between the structural dimension of WSC and AOC (p < 0.001), and between CS and AOC (p < 0.001). The correlation between STS and AOC (p < 0.001) was negatively significant. CONCLUSION: Effort to promote WSC and CS on the one hand and prevention and early recognition of STS on the other hand can enhance nurses' AOC.

The effect of peer support groups on family adaptation from the perspective of wives of war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of peer group support on family adaptation of wives of war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). DESIGN AND SAMPLE: In this randomized controlled trial, 80 wives of war veterans with PTSD were incorporated, and selected participants were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups (n = 40 per group). The intervention group was divided into four subgroups, with each participating in eight weekly based 1.5-hr peer support group sessions and the control group received no intervention. MEASURES: Demographics form and Family Adaptation Scale (FAS) developed by Antonovsky and Sourani (1988) were applied. RESULTS: The total mean scores of family adaptation increased significantly more in the intervention group than in the control group (p = .033). Furthermore, the time × group interaction effects were significant for internal family fit (p = .013) and a combination of both family fit and family community fit (p = .020) dimensions. Nonetheless family fit dimensions mean scores had no significant increase in the intervention group than the control group over time (p = .948). CONCLUSIONS: Peer support group can be a useful tool for health care professionals to enhance family adaptation in spouses of war veterans with PTSD.

An integrative review of literature on determinants of nurses' organizational commitment.

BACKGROUND: This integrative review was aimed to examine in literature and integrate the determinants of nurses' organizational commitment in hospital settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, an integrative review of the literature was used. The search strategy began with six electronic databases (e.g. CINAHL and Medline). Considering the inclusion criteria, published studies that examined the factors influencing nurses' organizational commitment in the timeframe of 2000 through 2013 were chosen. Data extraction and analysis were completed on all included studies. The final sample for this integrative review comprised 33 studies. RESULTS: Based on common meanings and central issues, 63 different factors contributing to nurses' organizational commitment were integrated and grouped into four main categories: Personal characteristics and traits of nurses, leadership and management style and behavior, perception of organizational context, and characteristics of job and work environment. CONCLUSIONS: In general, categories emerged in this study could be useful for formulating initiatives to stimulate nurses' OC. However, little is known about the relative significance of each identified factor among nurses working in different countries. Qualitative research is recommended for narrowing this gap. Future research should be directed to examine the psychometric properties of the organizational scales for nurses in different cultures.

Nurses' perspectives on workplace mistreatment: A qualitative study.

An accurate understanding of workplace mistreatment and its impacts on nurses is crucial to hospital managers. A qualitative approach using conventional content analysis was adopted in this study to describe the perspectives of a sample of Iranian nurses concerning workplace mistreatment. After analyzing the transcribed interviews, three main themes emerged: (i) Demand for a more humanistic and appreciative environment; this theme consisted of three categories: "incompetent management practice", "invisibility of nurses", and "unethical behaviors"; (ii) Unprofessional interpersonal encounters which included three categories: "poorly defined job characteristics", "nurses' poor performance", and "inefficient supportive means and structures"; and (iii) Inaction despite injury, consisting of two categories: "passive and ineffective ways of coping with mistreatment", and "personal and professional negative impacts". Findings from this study can guide further investigation within diverse populations of Iranian nurses, as well as worldwide, in order for firm conclusions to be drawn. Future research could compare the perspectives of other stakeholders - patients and relatives, physicians, and managers concerning workplace mistreatment.

Quality of work life: experiences of Iranian nurses.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experiences of Iranian nurses concerning their quality of work life. A purposive sample of nurses (n = 14) was recruited from two university hospitals. The data were collected through unstructured interviews and were analyzed by using qualitative content analysis. The results indicated that the participants discerned their quality of work life by assessing how favorable were their working conditions, the level of fulfilment of their personal needs, and the impact of their working conditions on their private life and their social life. Three main themes were identified: quality of work life, as experienced from a personal perspective; quality of work life, as experienced from a sociocultural perspective; and quality of work life, as experienced from an organizational-professional perspective. The results of the present study will help Iranian nurse administrators to adopt effective strategies in order to improve nurses' quality of work life. Future research can broaden the scope of the current results and offer a more comprehensive understanding of nurses' quality of work life.

The nature nursing quality of work life: an integrative review of literature.

Studies that have examined the nursing quality of work life (QWL) have not been systematically reviewed in the recent years. Thus, the current study was aimed to identify the predictors of the nurses' QWL and determine the definitions of QWL for nurses. The authors used an integrative review of the literature and identified six themes as the major predictors of the nurses' QWL: leadership and management style/decision-making latitude, shift working, salary and fringe benefits, relationship with colleagues, demographic characteristics, and workload/job strain. Although different researchers had varied perspectives on the QWL in nursing, most viewed QWL as a subjective phenomenon that is influenced by personal feeling and perceptions. A closer review of definitions of QWL indicated that some authors considered QWL as an "outcome," whereas others saw it as a "process." Further research needs to be conducted to determine the relative importance of QWL predictors, and implementation programs to improve the QWL.

Organizational commitment, work environment conditions, and life satisfaction among Iranian nurses.

Employee commitment to the organization is a crucial issue in today's health-care market. In Iran, few studies have sought to evaluate the factors that contribute to forms of commitment. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between nurses' organizational commitment, work environment conditions, and life satisfaction. A cross-sectional design was utilized. Questionnaires were distributed to all the staff nurses who had permanent employment (with at least 2 years of experience in nursing) in the five hospitals affiliated to Birjand Medical Sciences University. Two hundred and fifty participants returned completed questionnaires. Most were female and married. The correlation of the total scores of nurses' affective organizational commitment and work environment conditions indicated a significant and positive relationship. Also, a statistically significant relationship was found between affective organizational commitment and life satisfaction. The implementation of a comprehensive program to improve the work conditions and life satisfaction of nurses could enhance their organizational commitment.