How does strength use relate to burnout among Chinese healthcare professionals? Exploring the mediating roles of beliefs about stress and basic psychological needs satisfaction

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of burnout among healthcare workers remains chronically high. Former studies have indicated that strength use is a promising approach to reduce burnout. However, relatively little is known about the psychological mechanisms underlying the ability of strength use to reduce burnout, especially among healthcare workers.

AIM

This study sought to examine the link between strength use and burnout in Chinese healthcare workers, and to explore the mediating roles of beliefs about stress and basic psychological needs satisfaction in that relationship.

METHODS

This study was conducted in two time periods, from September to October 2020 and from February to September 2022. A total of 812 healthcare workers completed a multi-section questionnaire.

RESULTS

Strength use was negatively associated with burnout and negative stress beliefs, and positively associated with positive stress beliefs, control beliefs, and basic psychological needs satisfaction. Moreover, negative stress beliefs, control beliefs, and basic psychological needs satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between strength use and burnout. Furthermore, effect contrasts revealed that the mediating effect of basic psychological needs satisfaction was stronger than that of negative stress beliefs and control beliefs.

CONCLUSION

Our findings revealed that negative stress beliefs, control beliefs, and basic psychological needs satisfaction act as mediators in the association of strength use with burnout. Furthermore, basic psychological needs satisfaction plays a more important mediating role than negative stress beliefs and control beliefs in the strength use-burnout relationship.

How does gratitude relate to nurses' job satisfaction? The mediating role of resilience and stress

BACKGROUND

Nurse job satisfaction is a critical area of study with far-reaching implications for healthcare organizations, patient care, and the retention of nursing staff.

AIMS

This study aimed to investigate the association of gratitude with job satisfaction among Chinese nurses and examine the potential mediating roles of resilience and stress in this relationship.

METHODS

Two separate studies were conducted to examine our research hypotheses. In Study 1, a total of 460 nurses completed the questionnaire related to gratitude, resilience, stress, and job satisfaction. A validation study was conducted in Study 2, which consisted of 709 nurses who also completed the same measures of gratitude, resilience, and stress to ensure the repeatability of the Study 1 results. Furthermore, a different scale was used to measure nurses' job satisfaction.

RESULTS

The two studies consistently found that both resilience and stress mediated gratitude-job satisfaction independently among Chinese nurses. Furthermore, resilience was found to be a significantly stronger mediator than stress in the association of gratitude with job satisfaction. Finally, we found that gratitude predicted nurses' job satisfaction via the serial mediating effects of resilience and stress.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the complex interplay between gratitude, resilience, stress, and job satisfaction by demonstrating that resilience and stress act as parallel and sequential mediators between nurses' gratitude and job satisfaction. The healthcare sector can improve nurses' job satisfaction by increasing gratitude, building resilience, and reducing feelings of stress.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

Nurse managers have the potential to enhance job satisfaction among nurses by implementing measures that increase gratitude, build resilience, and reduce stress levels.

Global acute-on-chronic liver failure trends during 2012-2022: A bibliometric study

Introduction

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a clinical syndrome with high short-term mortality. ACLF has been increasingly studied in recent years; however, a bibliometric analysis of the entire ACLF field has not been conducted. This study assesses current global trends and hotspots in ACLF research.

Materials and methods

The core Web of Science database was searched for all ACLF-related publications conducted during 2012-2022. The data included information on the author, country, author keywords, publication year, citation frequency, and references. Microsoft Excel was used to collate the data and calculate percentages. VOSviewer software was used for citation and density visualization analysis. Histogram rendering was performed using GraphPad Prism Version 8.0 and R software was used to supplement the analysis.

Result

A total of 1609 ACLF-related articles from 67 different countries were identified. China contributed the most literature, followed by the United States. However, Chinese literature only had the 4th highest number of citations, indicating that cooperation with other countries needs to be strengthened. The Journal of Hepatology had the highest number of ACLF-related citations. Prognosis was one of the most common author keywords, which may highlight current research hotspots. Bacterial infection was a common keyword and was closely related to prognosis.

Conclusion

This bibliometric analysis suggests that future research hotspots will focus on the interplay among bacterial infection, organ failure, and prognosis.

Longitudinal linkages between strength use and depressive symptoms in Chinese nurses: A two wave, cross-lagged study

Nurses are at increased risk for developing depressive symptoms. While previous research has suggested that strength use may be inversely related to these symptoms, the longitudinal impact of strength use on nurses' depressive symptoms remains under-explored. This study sought to examine the longitudinal relationship between strength use and depressive symptoms among Chinese nurses. Using a two-wave cross-lagged design from 2020 to 2023, 321 nurses participated in an online questionnaire survey. Using structural equation modeling, our results supported the hypothesized reciprocal model, indicating that strength use can significantly predict a reduction in depressive symptoms and vice versa. Given these findings, there's an urgent need for nurse leaders to emphasize the importance of using nurses' strengths as a strategy to alleviate depressive symptoms.

Control beliefs about stress and post-traumatic growth in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating roles of basic psychological needs satisfaction and optimism

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between control beliefs about stress and post-traumatic growth among Chinese nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine the mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction and optimism in this relationship. A total of 692 Chinese nurses participated in this online study, who completed the Beliefs about Stress Scale, Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, Positive Psychological Capital Questionnaire, Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale and demographic variables between September and October 2020. Results indicate that 48.8% (N = 388) of nurses reported significant post-traumatic growth related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, control beliefs about stress were positively related to post-traumatic growth (r = 0.38, p < 0.001), basic psychological needs satisfaction (r = 0.44, p < 0.001) and optimism (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). In addition, basic psychological needs satisfaction and optimism were both independent and serial mediators of the relationship between control beliefs about stress and post-traumatic growth. Nurses and hospital administrators should focus on increasing nurses' control beliefs about stress and thereby enhancing their post-traumatic growth after experiencing events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. To support this process, programs should be designed to meet nurses' basic psychological needs and increase their optimism.

How does strength use relate to posttraumatic growth in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic? The mediating role of self-efficacy and optimism

OBJECTIVES

Research on the use of strengths has suggested that it can promote individuals' psychological health and well-being. This study aimed to examine the relationship between strength use and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in the context of COVID-19 pandemic among health care workers, as well as the mediating role of psychological capital in this relationship.

METHOD

A total of 740 health care workers completed the Strengths Use Scale, the Positive Psychological Capital Scale, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Descriptive, correlational, and multiple mediation analyses were performed to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Participants of 55.9% reported experiencing significant PTG during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found a significant and positive correlation between strength use, psychological capital, and PTG. In addition, the study found that self-efficacy and optimism, but not hope and resilience, mediated the linkage between strength use and PTG linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results also indicated that self-efficacy and optimism had equal importance in the strength use-PTG link.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concludes that strength use is positively related to PTG in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic through the mediating roles of self-efficacy and optimism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Personal strength use and job satisfaction in Chinese nurses: The mediating roles of basic psychological needs satisfaction and resilience

AIM

This study aimed to investigate the association of personal strength use with job satisfaction among Chinese nurses and to examine the mediating roles of basic psychological needs satisfaction and resilience in this association.

BACKGROUND

The topic of nurses' job satisfaction has been extensively studied worldwide because of its significant effects on nurse turnover, recruitment, and quality of care.

METHODS

A sample of 417 nurses completed a multi-section questionnaire that included established scales to measure personal strength use, basic psychological needs satisfaction, resilience, and job satisfaction.

RESULTS

The results revealed that personal strength use was positively linked to nurses' job satisfaction. Additionally, basic psychological needs satisfaction and resilience mediated the association of personal strength use with job satisfaction both independently and serially.

CONCLUSION

Personal strength use increases nurses' job satisfaction by satisfying their basic psychological needs and improving their resilience.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

Creating a culture that supports the use of personal strengths among nurses is a promising strategy that hospital managers could consider to enhance nurses' job satisfaction. Furthermore, implementing programs and interventions to improve nurses' basic psychological needs satisfaction and resilience could further boost their job satisfaction.

Strength use and workers' job burnout in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The mediating role of psychological capital

AIM

This research aimed to explore the link of strength use with job burnout and investigate the role of psychological capital in the strength use-job burnout relationship among Chinese workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DESIGN

A descriptive, cross-sectional design.

METHOD

This study was conducted from September to October 2020. A total of 351 employees working at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from five cities in China completed a series of valid and reliable instruments, namely, Strengths Use Questionnaire, Positive Psychological Capital Questionnaire and Job Burnout Questionnaire. The PROCESS macro was used to test our hypotheses.

RESULTS

We found that people with higher strength use had lower job burnout compared with those with lower levels of strength use. Furthermore, resilience and hope acted as mediators of the relationship between strength use and job burnout. Moreover, resilience and hope played equally important roles in the strength use-job burnout relationship.

CONCLUSION

Resilience and hope mediate the association of strength use with job burnout in workers of Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

IMPACT

Health authorities can alleviate employees' job burnout by encouraging strength use and building their psychological capital, especially resilience and hope.

Gratitude and depressive symptoms in Chinese nurses: A longitudinal cross-lagged study

Nurses have a relatively higher rate of depressive symptoms compared to other people. Previous studies have reported that gratitude is correlated with depressive symptoms among healthcare workers. The purpose of this study was to explore the causal relationship between gratitude and depressive symptoms among Chinese nurses. We collected data over 4 months, with 393 nurses at Time 1 and 241 at Time 2. All participants completed online questionnaires. We employed the structural equation models to test the hypotheses. The results revealed that gratitude at Time 1 could predict depressive symptoms at Time 2, and depressive symptoms at Time 1 could predict gratitude at Time 2. These results remained significant after controlling for gender, age, education, marital status, professional title, general positive affect, and negative affect. The findings provide initial evidence about the causal relationship between gratitude and depressive symptoms among Chinese nurses. Hospital administrators can intervene in depressive symptoms of nurses by developing gratitude interventions. Furthermore, nurses with lower levels of depressive symptoms feel more grateful.

Strength use and nurses' depressive symptoms: The mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction

AIMS

This study aimed to reveal the role of satisfying basic psychological needs in the relationship between strength use and depressive symptoms in nurses.

BACKGROUND

There is a high prevalence of depressive symptoms among nurses. Previous studies on different groups have reported that strength use is beneficial for alleviating individuals' depressive symptoms.

METHOD

A total of 475 participating Chinese nurses completed questionnaires. Hypotheses were tested using the PROCESS macro.

RESULTS

Strength use was positively correlated with basic psychological needs satisfaction overall and negatively correlated with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, autonomy and relatedness satisfaction acted as mediating mechanisms through which strength use influenced depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Autonomy and relatedness satisfaction can mediate the influence of strength use on depressive symptoms in nurses.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Focus should be placed on improving nurses' strength use level to reduce their depressive symptoms. Hospital managers should create an organisational environment conducive to meeting nurses' basic psychological needs and thereby reduce their depressive symptoms.

A chitinase with antifungal activity from naked oat (Avena chinensis) seeds

A chitinase was purified from naked oat (Avena chinensis) seeds using simple chromatographic techniques. Its molecular weight and isoelectric point were determined as 35 kDa and 8.9, respectively. The purified chitinase exhibited specific activity of 3.6 U/mg and 15.6% yield using colloidal chitin as substrate. Partial amino acid sequence analysis and homology search indicated that it probably belonged to Class I plant chitinase, glycosyl hydrolase family 19. With chitin as substrate, the optimum pH and temperature of the chitinase were pH 7.0 and 40°C, respectively. The chitinase was remarkably stable from 30°C up to 50°C, but was inactivated at high temperatures above 85°C. Antifungal activity in vitro tests demonstrated this purified chitinase had potent, dose-dependent inhibitory activity against the fungi Panus conchatus and Trichoderma reesei. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Chitinase has broad applications in many fields including the food industry and is recognized as one of the antifungal substances with potential use in plant disease resistance or biological control in agriculture. This study developed cost-effective purification methods for producing chitinase from naked oat (Avena chinensis) seeds, which may favor large-scale production of the enzyme. The remarkable stability of the chitinase at moderate temperatures (30°C-50°C), makes it a potentially useful enzyme in bioprocessing to produce chitooligosaccharides for various applications in the food, health, and agriculture sectors.

[Study of humidifying oxygen with 0.1 copper sulfate solution]

The 0.1/dL copper sulfate solution may be used to replace distilled water for humidifying oxygen. It can reduce the carrier rate and prolong the using time. There is little copper-ion in the oxygen while the 0.5/dL copper sulfate solution were used continuously for 9 days. The oxygen humidified by copper sulfate solution has no peculiar smell. The solution is cheap, easy to make, and has broad bacteriostatic spectrum.