Stress perception and associated factors among patients with Parkinson's disease: a cross-sectional study after the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a serious neurodegenerative disease that brings great stress to the physical and mental health of patients. At the same time, long-term treatment will also bring great economic losses and social burden to the family and society, especially after COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to analyze the current status of stress perception and anxiety in patients with PD and explore the influencing factors after the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This study used the convenient sampling method to select the research objects of patients with PD who were outpatients or inpatients in a general public hospital in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and the survey time was from February 2023 to March 2023. The measurements included the General information questionnaire, The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and The Self Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). SPSS 21.0 software was used for data statistical analysis.

RESULT

394 out of 420 patients with PD completed the questionnaire. The stress perception score of PD was (16.41 ± 6.435) and the anxiety score was (54.77 ± 10.477). The stress perception scores of patients with PD were significantly different in gender, age, educational, occupation, nature of costs, time of sleep, quality of sleep, duration of disease, way of medical treatment and anxiety level (p < 0.05). Among them, age, duration of disease, public expenses, online remote therapy and anxiety level were the main influencing factors of stress perception in patients with PD (p < 0.05). Besides, there were significant differences in gender, educational, nature of costs, time of sleep, quality of sleep and duration of disease in anxiety among patients with PD (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of stress perception and anxiety in patients with PD is high, and the influencing factors are complex.

The Effects of the Spiritual Well-Being Levels of Surgical Nurses on Care Satisfaction in Liver Transplant Recipients After Transplantation: The Case of a Turkish Sample

This study examined the effects of the spiritual well-being levels of surgical nurses on care satisfaction in liver transplant recipients after transplantation. The sample in this cross-sectional study consisted of 69 surgical nurses working in the organ transplant centre of a research and training hospital in Turkey and 79 liver transplant recipients. The data of this study were collected between 1 August 2020 and 30 August 2021. The "Three-Factor Spiritual Well-being Scale" and the "Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale" were used for data collection. A statistically significant relationship was found between the spiritual well-being levels of the surgical nurses and the care satisfaction levels of the transplant recipients. Surgical nurses should be capable of treating patients holistically and be knowledgeable enough to support the mental health of patients. High levels of spiritual well-being in surgical nurses contribute to increased satisfaction with care among organ transplant recipients.

Alarm fatigue and perceived stress among critical care nurses in the intensive care units: Palestinian perspectives

OBJECTIVE

The frequency of alarms generated by monitors and other electro-medical devices is undeniably valuable but can simultaneously escalate the workload for healthcare professionals, potentially subjecting intensive care unit nurses to alarm fatigue. The aim of this study is to investigate alarm fatigue and stress levels among critical care nursing personnel. Additionally, the study aims to assess predictors for both alarm fatigue and perceived stress.

METHODOLOGY

A descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 187 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses from hospitals located in the northern and central regions of the West Bank, Palestine. Data were gathered through online surveys due to logistic concerns using the Alarm Fatigue Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale. The research was conducted between November 2023 and January 2024.

RESULTS

The mean overall alarm fatigue score was 23.36 (SD = 5.57) out of 44. The study showed that 62.6% of the participating ICU nurses experience average to high degree of alarm fatigue, while 69.5% experience average to high levels of perceived stress. A significant positive Pearson correlation was found between stress and alarm fatigue (0.40, P < 0.01). Important predictors of alarm fatigue include perceived stress, nurse-to-patient ratio, gender, and years of experience, while important predictors of perceived stress include alarm fatigue, type of working shift and hospital unit.

CONCLUSION

Alarm fatigue can compromise the timely intervention required to prevent adverse outcomes by causing delayed responses or missed critical alarm, which can have major ramifications for patient safety. Addressing stress is crucial for mitigating alarm fatigue and fostering a supportive work environment to ensure optimal patient care. Consequently, exploring strategies to alleviate the negative impacts of alarm fatigue on critical care nurses' stress merits further investigation in future research studies.

Turkish validity and reliability of parenting stress scale for clinical nurses

The aim of this study is to conduct the validity and reliability study of Parenting Stress Scale for Clinical Nurses. Sample of the study consisted of 202 nurses who were working as clinical nurse in the hospital, who had children between the ages of 3 and 6 and who volunteered to participate in the study. The scale consists of 17 items and 4 factors as "psychological burden", "physical and mental fatigue", "shift", and "work environment". Fix index values were found as x²/SD 1.56, GFI 0.91, AGFI 0.87, CFI 0.96, RMR 0.039, RMSEA 0.053 and SRMR 0.064. Total Cronbach α coefficient of the scale was found as 0.872. Parenting Stress Scale for Clinical Nurses Turkish version can be used as a valid and reliable instrument.

Efficacy of Aromatherapy at Relieving the Work-Related Stress of Nursing Staff from Various Hospital Departments during COVID-19

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of aromatherapy in relieving the stress of nursing staff working in different departments during COVID-19. A total of 26 nursing staff from Taiwan were recruited for this study. Bergamot essential oil was diffused for over a four-week period in four different hospital departments. We assessed heart rate variability indicators, Nurse Stress Checklist, and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory before and after the intervention. The results of the analysis showed that during a high workload period, aromatherapy had no significant effect on regulating physical stress. Subjective measurements showed a significant impact on work concern and personal fatigue. Moreover, there were large differences among the four departments; the aromatherapy treatment had a weak effect on those with a heavy workload, whereas those with a lighter workload showed a stronger effect. Finally, this study provides practical results about aromatherapy stress reduction applied during the pandemic on first-line medical staff.

The Turkish version of the Nurses' Occupational Stressor Scale: A validity and reliability study

PURPOSE

The study was conducted to test the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the "Nurses' Occupational Stressor Scale," which was developed to determine the occupational stressors that nurses experience during work.

DESIGN AND METHODS

"Nurses' Introductory Form" and "Nurses' Occupational Stressor Scale" were used to collect the research data.

FINDINGS

The factor loading values of the scale items varied between 0.351 and 0.670. X² /SD was 2.27, Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) = 0.92, Adjusted GFI = 0.92, Comparative Fit Index = 0.91, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.061, and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual = 0.055. As a result, the scale was shaped with 21 items and a single dimension.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

"Nurses' Occupational Stressor Scale" is a valid and reliable scale. Using this scale, stressors in nurses' work environment can be measured, and while intervention is applied, the effectiveness of such intervention can be evaluated.

Job Satisfaction and Associated Factors among Physicians

Job satisfaction of the employees represents the significant factor for the effective functioning of the medical facilities. The aim of this study is to examine job satisfaction of physicians and to explore its associated factors. Quantitative study method is applied in this study. Two hundred and nine physicians from the large medical facilities in Tbilisi (Georgia) are participated in the survey. The most important components of satisfaction were: relation with managers (78.5%), relations with colleagues (77%), communication with patients (73.5%), possibility of continuous medical education (74.2%), and service quality (66%). Younger physicians were more likely to be dissatisfied than older physicians. Women were less satisfied with workload rather than men, which can be related with burden of solving the family issues for them, besides the career. Majority of the inquired respondents are not satisfied with ongoing incomes and remuneration methods. Family physicians seemed to be especially dissatisfied with remuneration. Most of the interviewed physicians (76%) assessed work/life balance in range of 1-3 points. Particular dissatisfaction was stated by the doctor-specialists, referring that they do not work with normal work schedule and their work/life balance is infringed. Satisfaction level depends on multiple factors (communication with patients, intellectual stimulation, possibility of CME, relationship with colleagues and managers). The main recommendation is a need to address job satisfaction among physicians in order to improve the quality of health care. Attention to working conditions, career and professional development, and salary/incentives is critical for sustaining the continuity of quality health care in Georgia.