Meditation for the reduction of perioperative anxiety in patients undergoing oncology surgery: A scoping review.

Objective: Patients undergoing surgery, particularly patients undergoing surgery for oncology diagnoses, experience anxiety. Surgery remains the primary treatment for many common types of cancer. One promising potential intervention to alleviate anxiety in the preoperative and postoperative period is meditation, an integrative medicine intervention. However, there remains a gap in the literature regarding the effectiveness of meditation to alleviate anxiety during the perioperative time period. Methods: The scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework to synthesize the study findings and was reported with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The review included EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL Plus, Scopus, and Cochrane Review databases from 2013 through 2024. All identified articles were exported to the online systematic review software, Covidence. Results: A total of 538 initial citations were identified, 415 titles and abstracts were screened, and 83 full-text articles reviewed. Six studies were finally included. The data extracted from the literature included: study purpose, study design, sample size, preoperative or postoperative timeframe, instrument to evaluate anxiety, and conclusions. Conclusions: For patients undergoing oncology surgery, the perioperative period can be filled with anxiety. Guided, mindfulness, and loving-kindness meditation may be helpful in reducing anxiety, particularly in patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer during the postoperative period. However, the current literature is extremely limited. Future research should expand on the preliminary effectiveness to broader populations and carefully target the highest-risk populations for the ideal time point for interventions.

Nursing Perceptions of Robotic Technology in Healthcare: A Pretest-Posttest Survey Analysis Using an Educational Video.

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSWe used a survey to evaluate the perceptions of nurses and nursing students on robotic technology for nursing care before and after reviewing an educational video that included examples of medical, care, and healthcare service robotic technology. We found that the perception of robotic technology was innately favorable and became more favorable after the video. It is beneficial for engineers to incorporate nurses' frontline knowledge into the design process from the beginning, while functional changes can be implemented since nurses comprise the largest group of healthcare professionals in hospitals and are the end users of technological devices. Educating nurses in state-of-the-art technology specific to what designers are developing can enable them to provide relevant insight. Designers and engineers can use this insight to create user-friendly, effective technology that improves not only patient care but also nurse job satisfaction.

Background: Interdisciplinary engineering and nursing collaborations have successfully addressed healthcare-related problems; however, findings highlight consistently that nurse input is underutilized in earlier stages of the design process.Purpose: Our purpose was to capture the differences in perceptions and highlight the insights of nursing students, faculty, and professionals, before and after learning about robotic technology for nursing care.Methods: A quasi-experimental, pretest­posttest survey was employed using an educational video. The survey related to the perception of three different categories of healthcare robotic technology (medical, care, and healthcare service), as represented by eight different subcategories: surgical; robotic diagnostic systems; companion; assistive; medication delivery and dispensing; cleaning and disinfecting; telepresence and remote monitoring; delivery. Participants rated each subcategory using a Likert-type scale with a 5-point response format with four items: impact, acceptance, environment, and use. Scores were summated to represent the overall construct of perception. Qualitative data were collected in the form of open-ended responses.Results: Data were collected from 118 participants, with a survey completion rate of 75%. Mean scores were significantly greater for each of the eight robotic technology subcategories after the educational video, supporting that the video influenced a positive perception of healthcare robotic technology. Themes from comments were categorized into (1) positive, mixed, and negative aspects of the research study, as well as improvements and concerns relating to (2) quality of care, (3) nurse work performance, and (4) nursing as a profession.Conclusion: An educational video enhanced the favorable perception of robotic technology in healthcare. Training nurses on technology fundamentals helped elucidate their potential concerns and identified appropriate applications. It is essential that engineers provide nurses with fundamental knowledge, consistent language, and context about the technology engineers want to develop so nurses can effectively communicate their needs.

Effects of the Interruption Management Strategy "Stay S.A.F.E." During Medication Administration.

PURPOSE: This study measured the impact of the Stay S.A.F.E. intervention on nursing students' management of and response to interruptions during medication administration. Time to return to the primary task, performance (procedural failures and error rate), and perceived task load were evaluated. DESIGN: This experimental study used a randomized prospective trial. METHODS: Nursing students were randomized into two groups. Group 1 (the experimental group) received two educational PowerPoints: the Stay S.A.F.E. strategy and medication safety practices. Group 2 (the control group) received educational PowerPoint on medication safety practices. Nursing students participated in three simulations where they were interrupted during a simulated medication administration. Eye tracking of students' eye movements determined focus, time to return to the primary task, performance including procedural failures and errors, and fixation time on the interrupter. The perceived task load was measured using the NASA Task Load Index. RESULTS: The intervention group, which was the Stay S.A.F.E. group, demonstrated a significant reduction in time away from task. There was a significant difference in perceived task load across the three simulations, including decreased frustration scores for this group as well. The control group members reported a higher mental demand, increased effort, and frustration. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Rehabilitation units often hire new nursing graduates or individuals with little experience. For new graduates they have typically practiced their skills without interruptions. However, interruptions in performing care, particularly in medication management, occur frequently in real-world situations. Improving the education of nursing students related to interruption management has the potential to improve their transition to practice and patient care. CONCLUSION: Students who received the Stay S.A.F.E. training, a strategy to manage interruptions in care, had decreasing frustration over time and spent more time on the task of medication administration.