Nursing Practice Today
Volume:11 Issue: 1, Winter 2024

Carspecken’s critical ethnography method has gained prominence in nursing research, necessitating a fresh perspective on its practicality and advantages. This study aims to provide a unique viewpoint on using critical ethnography as a foundational methodology to uncover health disparity culture in intensive care units.

Methods & Materials: 

While emphasizing its review design with original examples, this perspective piece provides a practical explanation of Carspecken’s five-stage critical ethnography approach. Grounded in the ontological and epistemological paradigm, this essay examines critical ethnography as a crucial approach to illuminating the discursive culture surrounding health disparities. Also, this study presents original instances of monological and dialogical data, reconstructive analysis, and findings from a study that was carried out to provide more perspective on implementation. It also mentions how it relates the findings to social factors and sociopolitical theories.

The study reveals nuanced insights into the practicality and advantages of Carspecken’s method, shedding light on social processes contributing to health disparities in intensive care units. This method allowed us to identify how external powers extend to the intensive care unit, revealing a concealed culture that disrupts service provision balance. It exposed individual, organizational, and systemic roots contributing to disparities. Additionally, it highlighted how individual diversities can lead to disparity.

This study highlights the significance of Carspecken’s critical ethnography in nursing studies within the critical theory tradition. It is argued that Carspecken’s approach to critical ethnography is particularly instrumental in elucidating the social structures contributing to health disparities.

The need for accurate measurement of constructs and understanding of diverse phenomena has prompted researchers to investigate the validity and reliability of developed measures in a continuous effort to improve our understanding of their psychometric properties. However, at times, these endeavors are flawed by serious methodological inadequacies. In this article, we discussed one example of a psychometric study that appears to be deeply flawed, providing some recommendations for remediating the issue. 

Healthcare workers are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 and are exposed to numerous risks and health consequences, including sleep disturbance. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of sleep disorders among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic using an umbrella review of meta-analyses.

Methods & Materials: 

Based on the guidance of PRISMA, literature was searched on the Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar (from the beginning of January 2020 to the end of March 2022). The random effects model was used for meta-analysis, and the I2 index was employed to ascertain heterogeneity among studies. Publication bias was investigated using the Begg test. Data were analyzed using STATA software version 14.

Initially, 561 studies were found after the primary literature search in the data resources, of which 27 eligible studies were selected for quality assessment and data extraction. The results showed that the prevalence of sleep disorders among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic was 38.27% (95% CI: 35.20- 41.01, I2= 74.2%, P= 0.008).

Based on the results of this review, the prevalence of sleep disorders among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic was relatively high. Therefore, these individuals should undergo routine screening for sleep quality and other mental health disorders.

Providing nursing care occurs through work methods that ensure the organization and implementation of care: the functional work method, the teamwork method, the individual work method, or the reference nurse work method. This study aims to identify work methods that nurses adopt in a Portuguese hospital.

Methods & Materials: 

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a hospital in northern Portugal. A non-probabilistic convenience sampling technique was used, and 627 nurses were enrolled. Data were collected between March and April 2023 using the “Nurses’ Work Methods Assessment Scale.” The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used to perform descriptive and inferential statistics, using the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal- Wallis, and Spearman’s correlation tests.

The individual method predominated, followed by the functional and teamwork methods. A lower adherence to the nurse reference method was observed. The variable “work context” was the most significant for the four working methods. In the individual method, the frequency of the variable “condition in which the profession is practiced” was higher in specialist nurses and, particularly, rehabilitation nursing specialists. The frequency of using the individual method is also higher when nurses have a master’s degree and training in nursing care organization methodology.

The highest frequencies of the individual method are related to the level of training, suggesting the influence of training in adopting working methods in clinical practice. Although the reference nurse method points to better satisfaction of clients’ needs, nursing practice environments sometimes have inadequate conditions for its operationalization.

As the future nursing workforce, evidence-based practice is one of the key competencies for undergraduate nursing students in delivering safe and quality care. While plenty of studies investigate nurses' evidence-based practice, understanding this topic is limited among nursing students. Thus, this study aimed to identify barriers and associated factors to adopting evidence-based practice among undergraduate nursing students inVietnam.

Methods & Materials: 

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 395 undergraduate nursing studentswhowere conveniently selected at a public university in Central Vietnam fromMarch toMay 2022. A questionnaire was administered to collect information about general characteristics and barriers to implementing evidence-based practice regarding knowledge, practice, authority, setting, and research utilization. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 with descriptive statistics, independent T-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation coefficients.

Among 395 participants, most of themfaced barriers regarding knowledge (91.9%), practice (96.2%), authority (89.1%), clinical setting (92.2%), and research utilization (96.2%). The most mentioned barriers were related to research utilization and clinical settings. Barriers to adopting evidence-based practice were significantly associated with a level of seeking information about research/scientific evidence and a level of participating in research/implementing evidence-based practice (p<.05). Moreover, knowledge barriers were related to age, school year, and sources of data for searching (p<.05).

Undergraduate nursing students have faced many barriers when adopting scientific evidence into clinical practice. Supporting students in addressing these barriers is necessary to enhance their evidence-based practice competency.

Geriatric syndromes are known as a major obstacle in the treatment and care of older adults with diabetes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of geriatric syndromes and associated factors in community-dwelling older adults with diabetes in the south of Tehran, Iran, in 2022.

Methods & Materials: 

A population-based correlational study was conducted among 392 older adults with diabetes, covered by selected health centers in the south of Tehran, Iran, using the multistage sampling method. Persian forms of geriatric assessment tools were used, including Mini-Mental State Examination, Activities of Daily Living, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Mini Nutritional Assessment, and Geriatric Depression Scale. The obtained data were analyzed by descriptive and chi-square test in SPSS-26.

The mean age of the participants was 69.5±6 years (63% female, 37% male). About 54.6% of the older adults with diabetes studied had three or more Geriatric syndromes. Polypharmacy was the most prevalent geriatric syndrome (76.5%). The number of geriatric syndromes had a significant association with female gender (p<0.001), lower education (p<0.001), loss of the spouse (p= 0.004), and lowerincome (p=0.019). Also, with the increase in the number of diabetes comorbidities, the occurrence of all geriatric syndromes increased significantly (p<0.001).

The prevalence of geriatric syndromes in older adults with diabetes in the south of Tehran is very high and warning. Due to the increasing population of older adults in Iran, policymakers and healthcare providers should take appropriate actions to confront the issue with a comprehensive understanding of the present condition.

Codependency is a type of pathological relationship. Pediatric nurses' liking of children may make them accept children more easily, but it may also lead to codependency. This study aims to examine the relationship between pediatric nurses’ liking of children's levels and their codependency.

Methods & Materials: 

This study is a descriptive correlational study. Data were collected online via Google Forms by exponential non-discriminative snowball sampling using the Demographic Form, the Barnett Liking of Children Scale, and the Nurse Codependency Questionnaire. The study was completed with 260 nurses. The Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Spearman correlation were used to analyze the data.

In this study, the nurses' BLCS median score was 86 (78-93) and their Nurse Codependency Questionnaire median score was 72 (64-82). A significant but weak correlation was observed both between age and the BLCS score (r=0.132; p<0.05) and between the overall Barnett Liking of Children Scale and Nurse Codependency Questionnaire scores (r= 0.182; p<0.05).

In this study, it was determined that as nurses' level of liking children increased, their level of codependency decreased. The findings suggest a significant, albeit weak, correlation between these two variables. These results underscore the importance of further research to fully understand the implications of these relationships and their potential impact on the nursing profession.

Low compliance with medication in patients with schizophrenia may negatively affect the quality of life and subjective recovery. The objective was to analyze the association between medical adherence and subjective recovery in individuals diagnosedwith schizophrenia.

Methods & Materials: 

This descriptive and correlational research was conducted between July and August 2023. 120 patients registered with a Schizophrenia Relatives Association in Türkiye were included in the study using simple random sampling. Demographic questionnaire, Medication Adherence Report Scale, and Subjective Recovery Assessment Scale were used in the study. Percentage, mean, t-test in independent groups, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to data analysis in SPSS 25.

Medication Adherence and Subjective Recovery mean scores were 22.85±3.57 and 61.82±15.37 respectively. It was revealed that there is a positive and statistically significant relationship between Medication Adherence and Subjective Recovery scores (r=0.269, p<0.01). As well as between age and Medication Adherence Report Scale (r=0.215, p<0.05). The subjective recovery level was significantly lower in smokers compared to non-smokers (p<0.05).

Subjective recovery levels of psychiatric patients can be increased by monitoring their medication adherence levels. Supportive interventions (giving motivational talks for medication use, following up with patients by phone or home visit, etc.) should be implemented for those who do not adhere to their medication regimen.

Nursing staff shortages pose challenges for healthcare systems, worsened by student dropouts. This study explores the factors driving students to choose nursing to leave their programs and the relationship between reasons for choice and intentions to withdraw.

Methods & Materials: 

A cross-sectional study was conducted at three public nursing institutes in Marrakech-Safi, Morocco. Employing a consensus sampling approach questionnaire was employed for data collection, and the data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22). We used descriptive statistics to understand why students choose nursing and why they consider dropping out. Logistic regression was utilized to explore the correlation between reasons for selecting nursing and the intention to drop out.

Students primarily chose nursing to care for and help others (3.72±1.12), influenced by family/friends (3.60±1.19), and a personal interest in nursing (3.46±1.15). 28.45% of participants contemplated the idea of discontinuing their program. This inclination was mainly attributed to unfavorable clinical placements (3.59±1.21), psychological distress (3.38±1.28), and a tough curriculum (3.34±1.29). According to the predictive model, students motivated by job availability (3.587; 95% CI, 2.914-4.416; p˂.001), salary prospects (1.259; 95% CI, 1.054-1.504; p=.011), and opportunities for international work and/or study (1.196; 95% CI, 1.010-1.417; p=.038) were more likely to drop out.

Improving clinical learning conditions, promoting a positive perception of the nursing profession, and admitting candidates driven by the aspiration to offer support and comfort to individuals appear to be pivotal in retaining students.