Critical care nurses' emotional intelligence: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: Emotional intelligence is often described as the ability to know own emotions and to be aware of other emotions. The emotional intelligence of critical care nurses is a necessary competence for work performance. The aim of this review is to map the evidence on emotional intelligence of nurses working in this specific context. METHODS: Scoping review based on Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidance. Nurses as a population (P), critical care as a context (C) and emotional intelligence as a concept (C) were considered. Search was conducted using databases and electronic platforms such as CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE complete, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Nursing & Allied Health Collection: Comprehensive (via EBSCOhost), MedLine (via PubMed), SCOPUS and Web of Science. From a total of 40 citations, nine articles have been included in the review. RESULTS: The 9 articles emphasise the relevance of emotional intelligence in the professional experience, in emotional exhaustion and burnout prevention, in enhancing the safety culture of the sick, in contributing to organisational citizenship behaviour, and in resilience. CONCLUSION: Emotional intelligence is a core competency of critical care nurses, with professional, personal and organisational implications.

Is Impaired Comfort a Nursing Diagnosis?

OBJECTIVE: Discussion of the "Impaired Comfort" nursing diagnosis. METHODS: Discussion paper based on the authors' ongoing PhD research about the development of comfort as a complex intervention. FINDINGS: When the patient has impaired comfort, the nursing intervention should be specific to the etiological factor. Some arguments are raised about impaired comfort as a nursing diagnosis and the discussion is led about the possibility of the referred diagnosis being considered a syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: New proposals are presented for the nursing classification based on theoretical knowledge development and current scientific evidence. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: The results can contribute to better decision-making and clinical reasoning, namely in terms of the nursing process, and contribute to safer, rational, efficient, and effective nursing care.

Cancer, Health Literacy, and Happiness: Perspectives from Patients under Chemotherapy.

Cancer is a dreaded disease that affects all dimensions of human life. In this context, issues related to the quality of life-as happiness, perception about health status, or health literacy-are important. This study aims to analyze the following topics the perception: the Portuguese cancer patients have about their health status while undergoing chemotherapy, the satisfaction with the information relating to their health, their level of happiness, and their vision of the future. An observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study was developed. Data were collected between May and July 2012 in the day hospital of a central hospital in northern Portugal. The sample was composed of 92 cancer patients who were asked to answer a questionnaire during chemotherapy. The results indicate that, despite this life-threatening disease, patients consider themselves fairly happy and have an optimistic view of the future. Information about their health condition and religious beliefs was important coping mechanisms to help dealing with the suffering caused by the disease. The study highlights the importance of providing care in a holistic way. Nurses must be alert and available to listen, answer questions, provide supporting structures, or refer to other professionals when needed.