Association of personal and professional factors, resilience and quality of life of registered nurses in a university medical city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

This study assessed the resilience of nurses in Saudi Arabia during the corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and examined its influence on their quality of life (QOL). A sample of 356 nurses was surveyed in this quantitative, cross-sectional study using the Resilience Scale for Nurses and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) from October 2020 to March 2021. The nurses reported the highest resilience score on "situational pattern", while the lowest score was on "relational pattern." The nurses had good perceptions on their overall QOL and health and rated their "social relationship" as having the highest quality, while their "environmental" domain as having the least quality. Gender, marital status, provision of direct nursing care to COVID-19 patients, "philosophical pattern", "situational pattern" and "dispositional pattern" had multivariate impacts on the QOL dimensions. The study concluded that being resilient can positively impact the nurses' QOL during stressful situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Effects of Physical Activity on Health-Related Quality of Life Among Working Mothers Living in Amman: A Correlational Study

Background

Jordan has a high prevalence of physical inactivity, a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases. Working mothers are a high-risk group who face significant barriers to physical activity and experience a decline in their quality of life.

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the potential impact of physical activity adherence on health-related quality of life and physical fitness among a sample of working mothers.

Patients and Methods

A Correlational, retrospective analytical design, was employed among a sample of working mothers (n=120), from Amman and was divided into two comparison groups. Data collection included a self-reported questionnaire using a demographic questionnaire, a health perception scale, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form, the International Fitness Scale, and the Quality of Life Brief questionnaire. The statistical analysis was independent t-test analysis, analysis of variance (One-way ANOVA), Pearson r correlation and regression used to estimate the prediction of dependent variables based on independent variables.

Results

The results found a significant positive relationship between physical activity and overall quality of life and its domains (physical, psychological, and environmental); however, there was no statistically significant difference in the social domain. Adherence to physical activity was a significant positive predictor of quality of life. Moreover, the health perception level was a significant positive predictor. A t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the physically active group and a sedentary group of working mothers regarding changes in Health-Related Quality of Life; physically active mothers are more likely to have better physical (p < 0.024), psychological (p < 0.001), and overall quality of life (p < 0.011). Furthermore, Physical fitness significantly predicted physical activity in the study results.

Conclusion

This study confirms the existence of positive correlations between physical activity and working women's quality of life and physical fitness. Mothers with higher levels of physical activity are more likely to have better physical, psychological, and environmental domains of quality of life and better physical fitness.

The relationship of dental students’ characteristics to social support, psychosocial factors, lifestyle, and quality of life

Objective

To examine the relationships between sociodemographic characteristics, student academic information, social support, sense of coherence, anxiety, lifestyle, and quality of life among dental students.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study among 233 dental students in Brazil. We captured data on sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, social support through Social Support Appraisal, psychosocial factors (sense of coherence and anxiety based on SOC-13 and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 – anxiety subscale, respectively), lifestyle as per individual Lifestyle Profile and quality of life based on VERAS-Q. Data was analysed through Structural Equation Modelling.

Results:

Greater social support, higher sense of coherence, lower anxiety, better lifestyle directly predicted better quality of life. Male gender, city of origin did not differ from the city of the campus, higher social support and greater sense of coherence were indirectly linked with better quality of life via better lifestyle. Lower academic semester and higher social support indirectly predicted better quality of life via lower anxiety.

Conclusion:

Social support, sense of coherence, anxiety, and lifestyle were relevant factors directly associated with dental student’s quality of life. Indirect pathways were observed between gender, moved home to attend dental course, academic semester, social support, sense of coherence, and quality of life.

Resilience, Social Support, Loneliness and Quality of Life during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Structural Equation Model

AIM

To determine the parsimonious model of the interrelationships of personal resilience, social support, loneliness and quality of life (QoL) and to identify the mediating effect of loneliness among nursing students amidst the pandemic.

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to control measures which increased loneliness among students due to disrupted social connections and sudden shift to virtual learning. During these changes, resilience and social support can significantly influence how learners deal with pandemic-related stresses thus, minimizing loneliness and enhancing QoL. Although studies posited the influence of resilience and social support with loneliness and QoL, these were conducted prior the COVID-19 pandemic wherein loneliness and feelings of isolation play a crucial part.

DESIGN

Correlational, theory testing using covariance-based structural equation modeling METHODS: A total of 550 nursing students from a comprehensive university in Manila, Philippines were recruited from September to October 2021 and answered four standardized, validated scales.

RESULTS

A good and parsimonious model (x2/df = 2.84, RMSEA = 0.058, GFI = 0.999, CFI = 0.999, PNFI = 0.048) highlighted the mediating effect of loneliness between social support, personal resilience and QoL. While personal resilience positively influenced the physical and psychological domains of QoL, social support positively affected the social relationships and environmental domains. Loneliness was a strong, negative predictor of the psychological and social domains of QoL and had a moderate, negative effect on the physical domain. Personal resilience also mediated the influence of social support on loneliness and QoL.

CONCLUSION

Social support and personal resilience positively affected QoL, while loneliness had a negative effect. Through the mediation of loneliness, the effects of social support on QoL decreases. However, the mediation of resilience further decreases loneliness and improves QoL. The presented model assists nurse educators and administrators in developing strategies to enhance social support, resilience and QoL among students while mitigating the negative effects loneliness during the pandemic.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Loneliness and Resilience are mediators of student nurses' quality of life during COVID-19 pandemic. Social support is the common predictor.

Whole-Person Development of Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Multi-University Study

AIM

This study examines how nursing students in Saudi Arabia view their holistic development during university study and the association between their perceptions and academic performance.

BACKGROUND

Holistic nursing education fosters broad development and emphasizes students' cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual potentials.

METHOD

This descriptive and correlational study utilizes the Whole Person Development Inventory to collect data from 998 student nurses enrolled in six governmental universities in Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS

The professional dimension recorded the highest mean, followed by the intellectual, spiritual, physical, and psychological dimensions. The social dimension received the lowest overall mean. Intellectual, psychological, social, and spiritual development has an association with high academic performance.

CONCLUSION

This study encourages policymakers and various stakeholders concerned with nursing education in the country and worldwide to be intentional and systematic in adapting the whole-person development approach in nursing education.

Behind male Saudi nursing students' mental health facade: a husserlian phenomenological approach

BACKGROUND

Every person has a persona (or mask) which is the façade that every person shows to the world. Thus, males use façade to reveal or conceal their true feelings and emotions. Also, the male uses mental health façade to protect themselves from prejudice and judgment. Thus, the study aimed to explore the experiences of male Saudi nursing students of mental health.

METHOD

Husserl's descriptive phenomenology was used as a guiding lens to explore. Eleven participants were involved in the study by using the referral sampling technique. An unstructured interview was performed to gather information from the participants. The seven steps of the descriptive Colaizzi process were followed to investigate and examine the obtained data. The credibility, dependability, confirmability, transferability, and reflexivity criteria were observed to ensure the rigor of the study.

RESULTS

The findings have two major themes. The first theme is the unadulterated smile that describes optimism in the family and mutual guarantee. The second theme is the orchestrated smile, which describes avoiding diverting burdens, social responsibility, protection of self, and reputation.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings document that the mental health façade of male Saudi nursing students is associated with the expectation of family optimism, mutual guarantee, the expectation of society, and self-protection.

Structural equation modeling of the relationship between nursing students’ quality of life and academic resilience

Objective

Across the Middle Eastern countries, there is a lack of studies exploring the connection between the quality of life (QoL) and academic resilience of nursing students. This study determines the association between nursing students’ profile variables and their QoL and academic resilience (AR).

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional design with structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted. This study was conducted at the College of Nursing at the University of Ha'il, KSA. Survey questionnaires using the 12-item Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life Scale (BBQ) and 30-item Academic Resilience Scale (ARS-30) were utilised to collect data from nursing students (n = 384). SEM via latent variable analysis (lavaan) software version 0.6–7 was used for statistical derivation and analysis.

Results

SEM revealed no correlation with QoL and AR when compared using the participants’ profile variables (gender, year level, and enrolled units). There was a correlation between the grade point average (GPA) and QoL. However, no association was found between QoL and AR.

Conclusion

GPA exhibited a positive correlation with QoL; thus, nursing students with higher GPA have a more stable and desirable QoL. Additionally, our findings illustrate the individuality of nursing students despite their shared characteristics.

Mediating role of resilience on the relationship between stress and quality of life among Jordanian registered nurses during COVID-19 pandemic

Rationale

Registered nurses are struggling on the front line to manage patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses, placing them at increased risks for severe perceived stress. Although perceived stress has often been considered a significant risk factor for impaired quality of life among registered nurses, having resilience has been generally shown to be associated with better quality of life.

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the mediating effects of resilience on the relationship between perceived stress and quality of life in Jordanian clinical registered nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

The study used a cross-sectional correlational design with an online survey and adhered to the STROBE guideline for cross-sectional studies. A total of 550 registered nurses working in 6 hospitals were conveniently selected. Data were collected via a demographic questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the WHOQOL scale. Descriptive, Pearson correlation, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to analyze the data.

Results

The results indicated that resilience was negatively correlated with perceived stress and quality of life. Further, resilience was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between perceived stress and quality of life. Therefore, the results partially supported our study hypotheses.

Conclusion

Health policy makers and administrators in Jordan should be aware of the importance of assessing and improving nurses' resilience to decrease devastating effects of stress on quality of life.

Predictors of quality of life of nursing internship students from five Saudi universities

Objectives

This study investigated the quality of life (QoL) of nursing internship students (NISs) and the predictive variables for the QoL of NISs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The correlates of QoL of NISs with their gender, age, prior nursing experience, and grade point average (GPA) from the previous semester are also assessed.

Methods

This study used a quantitative cross-sectional design through an electronic survey form for the collection of required data. The 22-item Quality of Life Evaluation Scale (QOLES) was adopted as the survey instrument. A total of 283 NISs from five public universities in KSA completed the survey.

Results

The students' age, gender, and nursing-related experience prior to their internship were all found to be significantly associated with the overall QOLES score (p values of 0.001, 0.001, and 0.01, respectively). The NISs GPA was found to be marginally significant (p = 0.08). A significant difference was identified in the overall QOLES score based on age (p = 0.02), gender (p = 0.02), and GPA (p = <0.001). Finally, as estimated by the regression analysis, only age (p = 0.002) was found to be a significant predictor of NISs’ QoL.

Conclusion

In this study, the QoL of Saudi NISs was positively correlated with their age and gender. Male NISs had greater QoL than females, while a high QoL was observed among students with high GPAs before the internship year. Only the age of the NISs was found to be a reliable predictor of QoL.

The Relationship between Nursing Students' Quality of Life with their Academic Achievement Motivation in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Background:

Quality of Life (QoL) and academic achievement motivation are important aspects of students' living and studying. There is a lack of studies to address the QoL of nursing students and its relationship with their academic achievement motivation in Iran. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate this relationship.

Materials and Methods:

This was a correlational study conducted with baccalaureate nursing students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, from December 2019 to February 2020. Data collection tools consisted of three parts: a demographic questionnaire, the World Health Organization QoL-Brief Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), and the Hermans Achievement Motivation Questionnaire. Pearson correlation coefficient and standard multiple regression were used to evaluate the correlation between QoL mean domain scores and academic achievement motivation score.

Results:

The QoL mean (SD) domain scores of physical, psychological, social, environmental, and academic achievement motivation score were 14.95 (2.43), 13.42 (2.74), 13.96 (3.39), 13.62 (2.54), and 84.40 (7.73), respectively. Pearson correlations between physical, psychological, social, and environmental QoL mean domain scores with academic achievement motivation score was 0.30, 0.35, 0.12, and 0.22 (p < 0.05), respectively. Using standard multiple regression, psychological mean domain score (ß = 0.31) was the only statistically significant predictor of academic achievement motivation.

Conclusions:

Relationships exist between academic achievement motivation and QoL domains of nursing students, particularly in the psychological domain. This information provides policymakers to plan multi-faceted arrangements to improve nursing students' academic achievement motivation and QoL particularly in most neglected areas as the psychological aspect.

Stress management strategies and quality of life in undergraduate nursing and midwifery students in Poland: A pilot study

AIM

To establish the level of the quality of life (QOL) and its determinants in nursing and midwifery students, evaluate stress management strategies and find the correlation between the frequency of specific strategies and the QOL.

DESIGN

Diagnostic survey.

METHODS

The study was conducted in June 2019. Two hundred thirty-four undergraduate students were examined with the use of Mini-Cope Inventory of Stress Management Measurement (Mini-Cope) and World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Brief Form.

RESULTS

The average QOL of the respondents was found as good (4.06 ± 0.73). The students graded their QOL in the social relationship domain the highest (15.98 ± 2.97) and the lowest in the physical health domain (14.38 ± 2.75). The QOL was influenced by material status and the source of income. In stressful situations, the respondents most commonly used Active Coping (2.09 ± 0.57) and Seeking Emotional Support (2.09 ± 0.77) strategies. The latter correlated most positively with the QOL in social relationship (r = .514, p < .001) and environmental (r = .387, p < .001) domains.

Quality of life of nursing internship students in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented negative impact on the usual way of life. The fight against this fatal virus demands the united force of healthcare workers, including nurse interns (NIs). Therefore, being unprepared for a crisis of this magnitude which never happened in a century, nurses and NIs experience stress, trauma, and mental health issues that affect their quality of life (QoL).

OBJECTIVES

This study inquired the demographic of the NIs, the responses of the participants to the domains of Quality of Life Evaluation Scale (QOLES), and the relationship between the participants' responses to the scale to each of their demographic profiles.

METHODS

This study used a quantitative cross-sectional design through an electronic survey form in the collection of data. Utilizing total enumeration as sampling technique, 152 NIs in Saudi Arabia completed the survey.

RESULTS

Across the 22-item questionnaire, the NIs still feel safe being in the hospital, clinic, or other healthcare facilities with a mean of 3.32; while item 8, which is having abundant energy, had the lowest mean of 1.91. The overall mean is 2.61, interpreted as 'important,' signifying that the participants 'agree to some extent.'

CONCLUSION

The QoL of the NIs focused more on their psychological wellbeing and social relationships while the environmental and physical domains had lesser emphasis. In terms of enhancing specificity, comprehensiveness, and generalizability of future studies in QoL, a larger sample and more rigorous design is recommended.

Analysis of the Relationship between Stress Intensity and Coping Strategy and the Quality of Life of Nursing Students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia

Background: This study aimed to determine the relationship between stress intensity and coping strategies and the quality of life and health among nursing students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia. Methods: The study was performed on a group of 1002 nursing students from three European countries. A diagnostic survey was used as a research method and the data collection was based on the Perceived Stress Scale PSS-10, Mini-COPE Coping Inventory-and the WHOQoL-Bref questionnaire. Results: The average age of all the respondents was 21.6 years (±3.4). Most of the surveyed students rated their stress intensity over the last month as moderate or high. Comparison of the results of the stress levels in relation to the country of residence did not reveal statistically significant differences. In the group of Polish students, the most positive relationship between active coping strategies and the quality of life in the psychological (r = 0.43; p < 0.001) and physical health domain (r = 0.42; p < 0.001) were most strongly marked. Among Slovak students, significant correlations of low intensity were found between active coping strategies and the quality of life in the physical health (r = 0.15; p < 0.01), psychological (r = 0.21; p < 0.001), social relationships (r = 0.12; p < 0.05) and environment (r = 0.19; p < 0.001) domain. In overcoming stressful situations, Spanish students used the Sense of Humour strategy, which is considered less effective, although very useful in some cases. In this group, the strongest positive correlation was found for the psychological domain (r = 0.40; p < 0.001). Conclusions: There is a need to implement prevention and stress coping programmes at every stage of studies to ensure effective protection against the negative effects of stress and to improve the quality of life of nursing students.