Teamwork competence and readiness of emergency nurses in the care of trauma patients: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency nurse's teamwork competency and readiness are crucial to improve the quality of care and patient outcome in trauma patients. This study aimed to determine teamwork competence and readiness of emergency nurses in the care of trauma patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 230 emergency nurses and nursing assistants in emergency departments of three university hospitals in Iran in 2020. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire on nurses' readiness and the nontechnical skills scale. RESULTS: The mean score for nurses' readiness was 3.55 ±â€¯0.60 (maximum 5) and for nurses' teamwork competence was 3.49 ±â€¯0.77 (maximum 5). The significant variables related to teamwork competency were gender and type of hospital. Emergency nurses with master's degrees, who had completed training courses of advanced trauma life support and triage, their source of information were from seminars' participations and clinical experiences, and worked at trauma hospital reported a higher level of readiness. Older age and higher work experiences were positively associated with readiness in emergency nurses. CONCLUSION: The significant variables associated with the teamwork competence and readiness identified in this study may be used to improve the teamwork competence and readiness of emergency nurses in emergency settings.

Association between the Religious Coping of Infertile People with their Own Quality of Life and Their Spouses': A Correlation Study in Iranian Infertile Couples.

BACKGROUND: Infertile couples have a lower quality of life (QoL) than that of the general population. Religious coping strategies (RCOPE) could affect QoL in distressing situations. The present study aimed to assess the association between the RCOPE of infertile people with their own QoL and that of their spouses'. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 infertile couples referring to Infertility Center of Qom, Iran in 2015. The data was collected using three questionnaires including Brief RCOPE scale, Short Form Health Survey, and a demographic questionnaire. p value of ≤0.05 was considered as significant level. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed relationship between wives' RCOPE-N with their own QoL (ß = -1.31, p < 0.001). Further, in husbands, RCOPE-P showed significant positive relationship with their own QoL (ß = 0.80, p = 0.002), and their RCOPE-N had significant negative relationship with it (ß = -0.61, p = 0.02). Surprisingly, wives' RCOPE-P showed negative relationship with husbands' QoL (ß = -0.62, p = 0.04); whereas their RCOPE-N had no significant relationship with their husbands' QoL. In addition, neither RCOPE-P nor RCOPE-N of husbands had a significant relationship with their wives' QoL. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we could not find an obvious and significant relationship between RCOPE of each spouse with QoL of the other spouse in infertile couples. Hence, further investigations with more participants of various religions are recommended.

Religious Practices and Self-Care in Iranian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between religious practices and self-care of patients with type 2 diabetes. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted on 154 diabetic patients who were referred to two general teaching hospitals in Qom City (Iran). Data were collected using demographic questionnaire, private and public religious practices, and summary of diabetes self-care activities questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and statistical tests including independent t test, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Significant positive correlations were observed between religious practices and self-care activities in diabetic patients (p < 0.05). Significant positive correlations were also found between some religious practices and self-care activities subscales (p < 0.05). Healthcare providers should be aware of the role that religion plays in the lives of diabetic patients and be able to take religious factors into account when developing care plans. Doing so will enhance a more patient-centered approach and thereby support patients in their role as self-care decision-makers.

The Effect of Music on Anxiety and Cardiovascular Indices in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The instability of cardiovascular indices and anxiety disorders are common among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and could interfere with their recovery. Therefore, improving the cardiovascular indices and anxiety is essential. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effect of music therapy on anxiety and cardiovascular indices in patients undergoing CABG. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 60 patients hospitalized in the cardiovascular surgical intensive care unit of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Qom city, Iran, in 2013 were selected using a consecutive sampling method and randomly allocated into the experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, patients received 30 minutes of light music, whereas in the control group, patients had 30 minutes of rest in bed. The cardiovascular indices and anxiety were measured immediately before, immediately after and half an hour after the study. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test and repeated measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: Compared to the immediately before intervention, the mean anxiety scores immediately after and 30 minutes after the intervention were significantly lower in the experimental group (P < 0.037) while it did not significantly change in the control group. However, there were no significant differences regarding the cardiovascular indices in the three consecutive measurements (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Music therapy is effective in decreasing anxiety among patients undergoing CABG. However, the intervention was not effective on cardiovascular indices. Music can effectively be used as a non-pharmacological method to manage anxiety after CABG.

Effects of pistachio nut supplementation on blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a chronic, potentially debilitating, and often fatal disease. Dietary strategies to reduce postprandial glycemia are important in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Nuts are rich in mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which may reduce hyperglycemia and improve metabolism. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of pistachio nut supplementation on glycemic and inflammatory measures in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, 48 diabetic patients were equally assigned to groups A and B. Patients in group A received a snack of 25 g pistachio nuts twice a day for 12 weeks and group B received a control meal without nuts. After 12 weeks of intervention, the patients had an 8-week washout. Then the groups were displaced, and group B received the same amount of pistachios for 12 weeks. RESULTS: With respect to the total change in variables over both phases, there was a marked decrease in HbA1c (-0.4%) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) concentrations (-16 mg/dl) in the pistachio group compared with the control group (p ≤ 0.001 for both). There was no overall significant change in BMI, blood pressure, HOMA-IR, and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations. Analysis of the two phases separately showed a decrease in FBG by 14 mg/dl and in HbA1c by 0.45% in the treatment group (A) after 12 weeks, while no significant differences were seen in group B (control group). In the second phase, FBG decreased from 151.36 ± 39.22 to 137.28 ± 28.65 mg/dl (-14 mg/dl) and HbA1c decreased from 7.42 ± 0.97 to 7.15 ± 0.68 mg/dl (-0.28%, p = 0.013 and p = 0.033, respectively) in the pistachio group (B). Pistachio consumption reduced systolic blood pressure (p = 0.007), BMI (p = 0.011), and CRP (p = 0.002) in patients from the treatment groups, but not insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary consumption of pistachio nuts as a snack has beneficial effects on glycemic control, blood pressure, obesity, and inflammation markers in diabetic patients.