A Spanish adaptation of the Quality in Psychiatric Care - Inpatient Staff (QPC-IPS) instrument: Psychometric properties and factor structure.

BACKGROUND: Western countries share an interest in evaluating quality of care in the healthcare field. In spite of this, there is a lack of intercultural comparison of the perceptions of professionals. One reason for this may be the lack of standardized instruments. The objective of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties and dimensions of the Spanish version of the Quality in Psychiatric Care-Inpatients Staff (QPC-IPS) instrument. METHODS: After translation and revision of the instrument by a panel of experts, a questionnaire was obtained in Spanish that was administered to a pilot sample. A total of 163 professionals participated in the study. RESULTS: After conducting pilot testing and a cognitive interview with 30 professionals, it was determined that the QPC-IPS was adequate and could be self-administered. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed six factors that explained 60.9% of the variation. In terms of internal consistency, a Cronbach's alpha of 0.92 was obtained for the full instrument. For test re-test reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient for the overall questionnaire was 0.91. Convergent validity was analyzed using the NTP394 satisfaction instrument, yielding a positive correlation (0.58). CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that the psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency, temporal stability (test-retest), content validity, and construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis) were adequate. These results confirm that the structure of the Spanish version is similar to the original Swedish version of the QPC-IP.

Expectations of nursing degree students: A longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND: The expectations of students regarding their studies have a strong influence on their academic performance and personal training, and they are closely related with their academic and professional future. OBJECTIVES: To analyze initial expectations and how they are fulfilled, in a cohort of nursing students during the four years of their degree program. DESIGN: Creation and validation of a questionnaire and longitudinal study. SETTING: University nursing school in Catalonia (Spain). PARTICIPANTS: 339 students of the nursing degree. METHODS: Two questionnaires were constructed with 10 items each, of a mixed nature: some items were previously validated in prior studies while other new items were made and included, following a review of the literature. The questionnaires were designed to assess the expectations of the students at the beginning of the academic year (CUDEX questionnaire) and the fulfillment of these at the end of the year (CUDEX-C questionnaire). RESULTS: Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) for the CUDEX questionnaire and the CUDEX-C was 0.70. Factorial analysis of the expectations questionnaires suggested a three-factor model, with an acceptable internal consistency for each of the factors. Statistically significant differences were found between the initial expectations and their fulfillment at the end of the academic year for all the factors and in all four years of the degree program. CONCLUSIONS: The three-factor model of the expectations (Academic adaptation, personal development, and academic performance) shows a good fit for the several samples and time points. The nursing students feel that not all of their expectations were fulfilled during their studies, and there were significant differences between their initial expectations and those fulfilled, in terms of all three factors.

Reliability and validity of the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire in a sample of Spanish university students.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: In general, the current studies of positive mental health use questionnaires or parts thereof. However, while these questionnaires evaluate aspects of positive mental health, they fail to measure the construct itself. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: The widespread use and the lack of specific questionnaires for evaluating the positive mental health construct justify the need to measure the robustness of the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire. Also six factors are proposed to measure positive mental health. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The availability of a good questionnaire to measure positive mental health in university students is useful not only to promote mental health but also to strengthen the curricula of future professionals. ABSTRACT: Introduction Nursing has a relevant role in managing mental health. It is important to identify and thereafter to enhance positive aspects of mental health among university nursing students. Aim The aim of the present study was to analyse the psychometric properties of the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (PMHQ) in terms of reliability and validity using confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of university students. Method A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 1091 students at 4 nursing schools in Catalonia, Spain. The reliability of the PMHQ was measured by means of Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and the test-retest stability was measured with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the validity of the factorial structure. Results Cronbach's alpha coefficient was satisfactory (>0.70) for four of the six subscales or dimensions and ranged from 0.54 to 0.79. ICC analysis was satisfactory for the six subscales or dimensions. The hypothesis was confirmed in the analysis of the correlations between subclasses and the overall scale, with the strongest correlations being found between the majority of the subscales and the overall scale. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model proposed for the factors fit the data satisfactorily. Discussion This scale is a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating positive mental health in university students. Implications for Practice A good questionnaire to measure positive mental health in university students is useful not only to promote mental health but also to strengthen the curricula of future professionals.

[Influence of in-home nursing care on the weight of the early discharged preterm newborn]. / Evolución del peso del prematuro con alta precoz y atención domiciliaria de enfermería.

INTRODUCTION: In-Home nursing care of the preterm newborn helps to bring the family situation to normal, promotes breastfeeding and development of the newborn, and enables the reorganization of health care resources. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that in-home nursing care of the preterm newborn leads to an increase in weight and a similar morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODOLOGY: A total of 65 cases and 65 controls (matched by weight, age and sex) were studied, all of them preterm newborns born in hospital and weighing less than 2100 g at discharge. In-home nursing care was carried out by a pediatrician neonatologist, as well as two nurses specialized in neonatology who made several visits to the home. Weight gain was calculated as g/day and g/Kg/day, comparing the first week of the study with the week prior to the beginning of the study. RESULTS: The groups were comparable. Weight gain in the group with home nursing care was 38 g per day, significantly higher than the weight gain in the control group (31 g/day). The independent predictive variables of the increase in g/Kg/day during the study were in-home nursing care, male gender, breastfeeding less, and not having suffered from a peri-intraventricular hemorrhage. Neonatal morbidity was similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In-home care was associated with a greater weight gain of the newborn at home than during their stay in the hospital, and can be considered safe because neonatal morbidity was not increased.

Promoción de la salud mental: cuidarse para cuidar mejor / Mental health promotion: self care to better provide care

En este artículo se pretende enfatizar el concepto de promoción de la salud mental; un espacio reservado para las intervenciones dirigidas a reforzar, mantener, incrementar y, en global, potenciar el bienestar psicológico de las personas " mentalmente sanas". Para su comprensión se introduce el constructo "salud mental positiva", cuyo significado está relacionado tanto con estados de bienestar y felicidad como son situaciones de sufrimiento y conflicto emocional. Se enfatiza la necesidad de discriminar la normalidad/anormalidad de esos estados psicológicos, teniendo en cuenta la complejidad de la estructura mental del ser humano y las dificultades que existen para determinar lo que es salud y lo que es enfermedad mental. Asímismo, se vincula la promoción de la salud mental al concepto de autocuidado, relacionando la capacidad de cuidarse uno mismo con la capacidad para cuidar a los demás. Esta relación resulta especialmente significativa para la enfermería, como profesión centrada en el cuidado. El artículo finaliza con una serie de sugerencias para la promoción de la salud mental positiva (AU)