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This paper is focused on the financial situation of companies entering insolvency proceedings. It does not work with all kinds of the insolvent companies, but this paper concentrates on one specific issue. The issue is pre-pack insolvencies. The main aim is to show if the financial situation is an important factor for consent to pre-pack. The pre-pack insolvencies are insolvency cases which start with an insolvency proposal which is accompanied by a reorganization plan already approved by creditors. Prepacks should help make the insolvency process quicker and enable enterprise financial rehabilitation and sustain the going concern principle. On the other hand, the procedure can hardly be successful when the financial situation of the company is extremely poor. Therefore this paper evaluates the financial situation of the companies with pre-packed insolvency in the Czech Republic. The analysis of companies was conducted over one, two or three year periods prior to the companies entering an insolvency proceeding. According to the literature, financial indicators used for evaluation are commonly EBITDA, cash liquidity, debt ratio, ROA and the Altman Z-Score prediction model. Results for the individual enterprises are summed up in this paper using basic descriptive and variable statistics. Conclusions have especially practical implications because they show financial inability of majority pre-packed cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Media comparison studies examining the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality in education have yielded inconclusive findings, leaving the question of its impact on learning compared to conventional media unanswered. To address this issue, our study employs a novel approach that combines media comparison with an investigation on the influence of broader educational context. Methods: In the experiment, 262 students from two distinct types of lower secondary schools—comprehensive school and multi‐year gymnasium (a selective academic school)—participated. The students received a lesson on topography and contour line interpretation, using either an immersive virtual environment or a PowerPoint slideshow. A transfer test was carried out before, immediately after, and 1 month after the lesson to measure knowledge application. Results: The impact of the media (immersive virtual reality vs. PowerPoint slideshow) on learning outcomes was found to be minimal, with no clear advantage of one over the other in any experimental condition. In contrast, a significant influence on learning gains was observed due to school type. Multi‐year gymnasium students consistently outperformed comprehensive school students in the pre‐test and demonstrated greater learning gains, regardless of the learning media. Conclusion: The present study employs an innovative approach by integrating a comparative analysis of different media types with an investigation into the impact of learner characteristics. By including students from distinct types of schools, the study provides insights into the differential effects of immersive virtual reality in varied educational contexts. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Media comparison studies typically assess the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality as a learning medium in comparison to other instructional methods in education.The findings of these studies differ markedly.Numerous factors impact learning outcomes in an immersive virtual environment. What this paper adds: Recommendation that research in the field should explore not only if but also when and how IVR learning is effective.Evidence that learning achievements may not be affected by the medium used.Evidence that the type of school can significantly influence learning gains.Evidence that cognitive dispositions, such as spatial abilities, can be another factor that influence learning outcomes. Implications for practice: A technology‐centred approach alone does not allow for a proper evaluation of the learning gain potential of IVR, learner characteristics and broader educational context should also be taken into account.IVR as a learning medium may not be appropriate for all students and every educational setting.To ensure reliable evaluation of learning gains, it is necessary to align the content and format of the intervention in both learning mediums as closely as possible.Measuring learning gains not only immediately after the intervention but also with a significant time delay can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informed by existing gaps in the research of elder abuse and neglect (EAN) outcomes and very limited knowledge from Central-European cultural contexts, this paper analyzes the link between domestic-based EAN and three measures of well-being, namely subjective loneliness, sense of control over one's life, and a broader outlook on life. To do this, we used recently (2022) collected EAN survey fielded among home-dwelling residents of the Czech Republic aged 65 +. The results show that there is a clear relationship between EAN and these selected outcomes. Controlling for several sets of potential modifying or confounding factors further indicates that this relationship is substantial and direct, rather than weak and indirect. Among controls, only variables related to disadvantage (health, income, dependency, history of abuse) partly account for the link between EAN and its outcomes due to their relation to both heightened risk of EAN and lower well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to describe the specific context of the homeless children's living environment and to show the consequences that this context has on the sibling relationships of homeless children in Czechia. The text is based on a psychosocial perspective. The context of the space, where homeless children live strongly affects their socialisation. Sibling relationships, which are transformed in such an environment, become increasingly important. Using a qualitative research strategy, we carried out 30 sets of interviews with homeless parents and children (a total of 60 interviews). We found that the environment of homelessness alters sibling roles in the family, reinforces sibling closeness as a compensation for material deprivation, makes it more difficult for children to detach, escalates sibling conflicts, and generally reinforces a certain exclusivity in relationship. The results show that social work and other helping professions should focus on supporting sibling relationships in the homelessness environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: Accounting records provide a wide range of data necessary for decisions of the management as well as for users of a company's financial statements. IFRS represents one of the widely accepted accounting principles, often mentioned in relation to the preparation of high-quality financial statements. Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to identify the factors contributing to the occurrence of misstatements when preparing financial statements under IFRS. The subsequent goal is to identify the possible influences of such misstatements on the users of the financial statements. Methods: The research itself focuses on perceived problems in IFRS application in the Czech Republic. The total tested population is 193 Czech companies preparing their financial statements under IFRS. Descriptive statistics, the chi-square test of independence along with proportional tests, are used for the statistical data analysis. Findings & Value added: The results indicate that, while misstatements in accounting do not occur regularly, a statistical dependence can be shown be-tween the frequency of misstatements occurrence and the average size of mis-statements. The frequency of the subsequently identified misstatements is also proven to be statistically dependent on the average size of misstatements. The IFRS themselves are not proven to influence misstatement occurrences in financial statements, which is in contrast with previous studies. Managerial pressures, similarly to other studies, are proven by the research to be affecting the quality of accounting information. This paper broadens the literature on the factors influencing the quality of financial statements prepared under IFRS and simultaneously reaches conclusions disproving the frequently noted bene-fits of IFRS implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Existing studies confirm that some video games can change players' attitudes. However, since we do not know the specific elements responsible for attitude change, the potential of video games to achieve desired educational or behavioural outcomes often remains unfulfilled. Objectives: To fill the research gap, our study examined whether the perspective‐taking game mechanic in the serious game Czechoslovakia 38–89: Borderlands, which had previously been shown to affect attitudes, would have the same effect on another sample of players with different characteristics. Methods: We have assessed the effect of a historical video game using a perspective‐taking mechanic on players' explicit and implicit attitudes. Explicit attitude changes were measured at a general level, meaning a broad evaluation of a depicted historical event, and at a specific level, meaning a more detailed evaluation of specific aspects of the event. Simultaneously, we measured the effect of players' perceived attitude importance on attitude change. The study used a sample of 137 young adults. Results and Conclusions: This study's results indicate a significant pretest‐posttest explicit attitude change on the general level and on a specific level in comparison to the control group. Perspective‐taking game mechanics is particularly important for explicit attitude change. No change was found in implicit attitudes. The effect of the perceived attitude importance on attitude change was not confirmed. Takeaways: As one of the first to focus on the effects of specific game mechanics on attitudes, this study confirmed that perspective‐taking has stable, short‐term effects on attitude change even across different research samples. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: It is unclear why some video games can change players' attitudes while others do not.Several studies confirm video games' effect on explicit, but not on implicit, attitudes.Research on the effects of game mechanics on attitude changes is in its infancy.Very few studies focus on what role player characteristics play in their attitude changes. What our paper adds to this: Perspective‐taking as game mechanics changes explicit attitudes across populations.Perceived importance of players' attitudes towards topics not necessarily affects attitude changes.We show that only some facets of attitudes are influenced by the video game. Implications of study findings for practitioners: Particular game mechanics seem to be essential for attitude changes in players.Attitude importance and other player characteristics need further research in the video game context.DIF‐C analysis can provide more detailed information on changes in more complex explicit attitude concepts.Video games can affect the way we interpret the world around us. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is some indication that discrimination as well as low levels of life satisfaction render young people at risk of cyberhate victimization. Adopting a socio-ecological perspective, this paper examines whether supportive family, peer and school environments may buffer against the effects of perceived discrimination and low life satisfaction on cyberhate victimization. Data from four countries (N = 3396) of the EU Kids Online IV survey on children aged 11–17 (51% girls) revealed a positive association between perceived discrimination and cyberhate victimization, but this impact was moderated by supportive family and peer environments. A negative association between life satisfaction and cyberhate victimization was mitigated by peer support. However, no associations with the school context were found. The current study provides new insights on how social support on different levels of the social environment may buffer against potential risk factors for cyberhate victimization and can inform decision-makers towards intervention and prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the issues of the building amenities of panel buildings from the perspective of the realistic usability by the residents. To determine the weighted user comfort, the paper used, as general input methods of processing the issue, descriptive statistics, or more precisely put, qualitative research. This method was chosen for its best informative ability to arrive at certain results based on an in-depth comprehension of the details. The subject is very timely and necessary, with respect to the necessity of regeneration of the housing inventory in the Czech Republic. This is not just a theoretical problem, but must also be addressed in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of KONTAKT - Journal of Nursing & Social Sciences related to Health & Illness is the property of University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of KONTAKT - Journal of Nursing & Social Sciences related to Health & Illness is the property of University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As ongoing research efforts contribute to elucidating the consequences of climate change as well as adaptation and mitigation options, aligning the current research knowledge with stakeholder opinions and perceptions remains critical for adopting effective climate change policies. This paper utilizes an interactive survey to (1) address the aforementioned gap in studies involving three groups of stakeholders and opinion makers and (2) perform a comparative primary study of the climate change assumptions, risk perceptions, policy preferences, observations, and knowledge of Czech farmers, governmental policy-makers and researchers. This study shows that the stakeholder groups agree that the climate is clearly changing, attribute this change mostly to man-made causes and expect the negative effects to either prevail or be unevenly geographically distributed. The large majority of all three groups consider unmitigated climate change a major threat even by 2050 and agree that preparing in advance is the best sectoral strategy. Importantly, while investment in adaptation measures is considered the most efficient tool for accelerating the implementation of adaptation measures, the CAP and EU rules (as valid in 2016) are believed to hinder such measures. The results of this study have ramifications for the wider region of Central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analysed the attitudes of the Czech public to the newly introduced service of sexual assistance to disabled persons. It constitutes the outcome of a discreet study of contributions at discussion forums of the idnes.cz newspaper related to the news concerning the introduction of the assistance (N = 183). The data show a low level of information on the topic, but also of the sexuality of disabled persons in general. Sexual assistants are equated with prostitutes; sexuality of handicapped persons is considered impertinent, or on the contrary, identical to sexuality of healthy persons. The defenders of the assistance point out the basic rights of disabled persons and good experience from abroad. Also, the limits of the service are discussed—the unaffordability and inaccessibility, the risk of the client's falling in love with the assistant, the tax aspect of the matter and the exclusive focus of the service on men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The instructional effects of customization features in child learning games have rarely been examined. This value‐added study addresses the existing gap with regards to user‐initiated cosmetic customization of environment elements (i.e., non‐avatar customization). Participants (N = 143; Mage = 9.41) studied a biological topic for about 20 min: either using the experimental version of a learning game with customization features, or from a control version without them. Null results were found as concerns between‐group differences: both for motivation‐related variables and learning outcome measures. These findings indicate that user‐initiated cosmetic customization features can be omitted by game designers, especially in settings where children are assigned specific instructional materials from which to study. Lay Description: What is already known: User‐initiated cosmetic customization (the term user‐initiated is afterwards left out of the text for brevity) refers to making choices about a game's visual or audio attributes without directly affecting the content of gameplay itself.Studies with non‐child learners showed that a sub‐type of cosmetic customization referred to as avatar customization (i.e., customization of learners' game characters) can be potentially beneficial for learning.The instructional efficiency of other sub‐types of cosmetic customization (i.e., customization of other elements, such as environmental ones) in game‐based learning for children is less clear. What this paper adds: Children (Grades 3–4) prefer a game with a cosmetically customizable environment over its non‐customizable counterpart: but only when they can contrast these two versions (not when they cannot contrast them).Children enjoy learning and learn equally from customizable and non‐customizable games. Implications for practice: Game‐based learning with cosmetic customization features of game's environment can be used for learning without risk of harming learning outcomes.However, when children's autonomy in choosing instructional materials is restricted, there is little need to invest in the cosmetic customization of a game's environment elements.Cosmetic customization of a game's environment elements may play a more notable role when children are able to choose learning materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While video games can be helpful in personal development, participating in certain gaming activities may lead to negative effects such as video game addiction. The overuse of computer games, which can lead to reduced quality of life and affect a person's practical skills. Around 3% of adolescents suffer from Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), there is currently no universally accepted psychometric method. The AICA-S scale was applied to results from 3,901 respondents aged between 11 and 19. During the 2017/2018 school year, a battery of questionnaires in "pen and paper" form was administered to students at primary schools and secondary schools. The respondents were selected from all the regions of the Czech Republic through a random stratified selection to ensure that the respondents were an accurate representation of students across the Czech Republic. The results were obtained using statistical methods such as ANOVA, chi-square tests and t-tests. These results affirm the psychometric quality of AICA-S and note the prevalence of IGD among Czech adolescents. Based on our results, 0.8% of our respondents fulfilled the criteria for an IGD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of public services has been perceived as one of the parameters for evaluating the quality of services and a basic component of the effectiveness of the system. Social services have been understood as public services in the countries of the European Union. The state has the primary responsibility for ensuring the availability of social services and should have established powers in the areas of planning, coordination and evaluation. The aim of this paper is to comprehensively evaluate the availability of homes for seniors aggregated into individual districts of the Czech Republic. The method of multi‐criteria decision‐making was chosen for the evaluation, specifically the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution in combination with the Coefficient of Variance method, as a method for the objective determination of the weights of input indicators. The evaluation in 2017 included 77 districts of the Czech Republic and 519 homes for seniors, which are registered providers of social services for persons who, due to age and reduced self‐sufficiency, cannot take care of themselves and are users of residential social services. Based on 14 defined indicators, the local accessibility within individual districts of the Czech Republic was evaluated, focusing on five research questions. The indicators were defined in such a way as to reflect the nature of the problems and to define the need for this service in the territory. Based on the results, a significant relationship was demonstrated between the amount of subsidy per bed, per month, granted to homes for seniors in individual districts of the Czech Republic and service availability, i.e. districts in which homes for seniors with higher subsidies per bed show better availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of KONTAKT - Journal of Nursing & Social Sciences related to Health & Illness is the property of University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An increasing number of studies have focused on the topic of Roma communities and social exclusion in the Czech Republic, however, substance use has been surveyed only marginally. This paper brings new data on the patterns of substance use among Roma population in contact with social workers (546 respondents). Substance use, including daily smoking and regular excessive alcohol drinking, has been 2–6 times higher among Roma compared to the general population. Current illicit substance use was reported by 1/3 of the respondents (46.7% of males, 17.8% of females) with cannabis (27.1%) and methamphetamine (11.9%) being the most reported substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the degree of use of strategic management accounting (SMA) techniques and the main factors affecting this in the Czech Republic. In order to achieve such an understanding, we apply a quantitative approach, rooted in contingency theory, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression analysis. The most intensively-used SMA techniques are strategic planning and budgeting, customer accounting, and target costing. The least-used are integrated performance measurement systems, strategic pricing and activity-based costing. Our respondents indicated that they expect an increase in the use of all SMA techniques over the next 3 years. Regression analysis confirms that the implementation of differentiation strategy (as opposed to cost leadership strategy) has a statistically significant and positive influence on SMA use. The findings of this study contribute to the better theoretical understanding of the contingent factors influencing the use of SMA techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Measuring early-life psychosocial stress is complicated by methodological challenges. This paper compares three survey instruments for the assessment of life in pregnancy/postpartum and investigates the effects of the timing of early-life stress for emotional/behavioral difficulties (EBD) of offspring during mid/late childhood and adolescence. Methods: Observational data were obtained from the European Longitudinal Cohort Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC-CZ), which included 4811 pregnancies in two Czech metropolitan areas. We used data collected between 1991 and 2010 at 20 weeks of pregnancy (T1), after delivery (T2), at 6 months postpartum (T3), and at child's age of 7 years (T4), 11 years (T5), 15 years (T6), and 18 years (T7). Life stress was assessed with (1) the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), (2) a stressful life events (SLE) count based on 42-item inventory, and (3) the SLE measure weighted by perceived stressfulness (PS). Each stress measure was administered at T1, T2, and T3. Child's EBD were assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at T4, T5, T6, and T7. Results: Each stress measure independently predicted long-term EBD. The best data fit was obtained in a model combining EPDS and SLE. Effect sizes for SLEs decreased between the first half of pregnancy and postpartum, while the effect of EPDS increased. Discussion: SLE-based methods capture an aspect of perinatal stress not adequately assessed by EPDS. Combination of psychological distress measures and SLE-based measures is optimal in predicting EBD of the child. Stress measures based on SLE are suitable for early pregnancy, while self-reports of depressive symptoms may perform better in postpartum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few decades, the role of emotions has been gaining importance across all industries when examining consumer's behavioural decisions. The impact that the emotions have on judgments, evaluations and decisions has long been important not only to psychology, but also to economic sciences. This paper aims to investigate the attitudes and behaviour of Czech women in regards to purchasing, using and their overall attitude to skincare products in the luxury segment, with special focus on emotions and social status as an influential factor. A targeted questionnaire was applied as a base to gain relevant quantitative data. Quantitative data were collected from 782 cosmetics consumers in luxury perfumeries all over the Czech Republic. Data were evaluated by means of descriptive statistics, dependencies were expressed by contingency (Chi-Square Test) and customer segmentation was managed by cluster analysis (k-means method, Euclidian distance). The obtained data clearly shows the significant importance of emotions and social value to certain female consumer segments. The research results provided valuable insights and information for the producers, marketers and managers to understand consumer attitudes, behaviour and social trends in the skincare cosmetics perfumery market and will help them to develop products, marketing and business strategies that are tailor-made to actual consumer needs and desires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to identify significant differences in motivational preferences of employees of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) by comparing their membership to the region and gender. The paper presents the partial outcomes of research on the level of motivation and the preferences of employees in the Czech Republic and the Beijing municipality administration of the People's Republic of China. The survey was carried out in 2017 using a questionnaire. The questionnaires were distributed in small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in various areas of business. The sample included the entire territory of the Czech Republic (CR) and the Beijing municipality administration in the People's Republic of China (PRC). A total of 2,673 respondents participated in the survey, of which 899 were respondents in the Beijing municipality administration and 1,774 respondents from the Czech Republic. Descriptive statistics was used to characterize the sampling unit. The other methods used to evaluate data in the article were the Student two-sample t-test, F test, and ANOVA. The differences in motivational preferences of employees revealed by the study can be used as a basis for creating appropriate incentive programs for multinational business teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Insufficient physical activity (PA) is one of the largest public health challenges of our time and requires a multisectoral public-health response. PA recommendations state that all children and adolescents should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) daily and carry out vigorous PA (VPA) three times weekly. While participation in sports club activities is known to enhance the probability of reaching the recommended overall PA level, less is known about the contribution of sports club participation to VPA, and few cross-national comparisons have been carried out. The purpose of this paper is to study whether participation in sports club activities is associated with meeting the overall PA and VPA recommendations among children and adolescents across six European countries, namely Belgium (Flanders), Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ireland and Sweden. Methods: Analyses were carried out on existing self-reported national data sets using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: Results indicate that approximately two-thirds of children and adolescents take part in sports club activities in the given countries. Sports club participants were more likely to meet the overall PA recommendations (OR 2.4–6.4) and VPA recommendation (OR 2.8–5.0) than non-participants. Conclusions: The extent to which overall PA and/or VPA is gained through sports club participation versus other settings needs to be further studied. Nonetheless, it can be argued that sports clubs have an important position in PA promotion for younger populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Significant declines in adolescent alcohol use have recently been observed in Europe. Growing research has focused on explaining the ongoing changes. The aim of the paper was to analyze to what extent the changes in unorganized leisure-time activities, especially a decline in socializing with peers, have affected recent changes in adolescent alcohol use in the Czech Republic. Methods: Samples of 15–16-year-old adolescents, surveyed in 2011 (N1 = 3,699) and 2015 (N2 = 2,738) ESPAD studies, were analyzed. A structural equation model was constructed for boys and girls separately to test the mediating effect of changes in the frequency of going out with friends on decline in adolescent binge drinking and alcohol intoxication. Results: The decline in the frequency of going out with friends explained a major part of the decline in alcohol use. The mediating effect was confirmed in both binge drinking and alcohol intoxication, and more pronounced among the girls (65.4–99.6%) compared to boys (51.1–62.7%). Conclusion: Recent changes in unorganized socializing with peers have had a significant effect on alcohol consumption among adolescents. Future research should focus on more in-depth analysis of the complexity of the relationship between face-to-face peer contacts, intensive electronic media communication, and adolescent alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analysis of a subset data of 533 young people in the Czech Republic (mean age 13.6 years). • Youth identified and described their natural mentors in qualitative descriptive questionnaires. • Results describe the characteristics, risks and perceived benefits of natural mentors in youth' perspectives. • Young people identified peers, family members, and formal and informal education teachers and leaders. • Natural mentors were described as 'a good person' with a caring, attentive, kind, and friendly nature. Natural mentoring is a type of youth-adult relationship distinguished with the supportive and caring qualities. The complex conceptual definition as well as the youth-centred knowledge on this type of relationship in youths' daily experiences are missing in the literature. This empirical article reports the analysis of data subset exploring the experiences of youths in natural mentoring relationships in the Czech context. Overall, 533 young people (aged 11–16, mean age 13.4) in eight secondary schools in the Czech Republic participated in the qualitative open-ended questionnaire, identifying, and describing natural mentors from their social networks. The paper reports results of thematic analysis of selected questionnaire items on young people's experiences and perceptions of their identified natural mentors. Young people identified natural mentors most often (n = 105) among their peers or older friends. Besides, youths mentioned and described grandparents, older siblings, family acquaintances, schoolteachers, youth-group and sport leaders, and one-to-one music teachers as natural mentors. Identified mentors were most often perceived as 'a good person' with a caring, attentive, empathetic, nice, kind, and friendly nature who, as a result, is perceived as helpful and supportive. Results are discussed with recommendations for further exploration of natural mentoring as a type of youth–adult relationship, naturally occurring in institutions, organisations, and various youth-work settings where youth-adult interactions are part of the service/institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The primary purpose was to map the opinions and experiences nurses acquired during the COVID-19 pandemic, identify significant problems that need to be addressed before the next pandemic, and determine the prestige of nurses before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. The design was descriptive and cross-sectional. A representative sample using sociological research methods was conducted using a non-standardized questionnaire. The sample of nurses was constructed using quota sampling; its structure corresponded to the composition of the overall nursing population in terms of age, sex, and region. The sample consisted of 1197 nurses. Results. The most significant changes reported by nurses during this period include increased physical workload (89.6%), changes in social (88.4%), and personal lives (76.7%). According to respondents, the prestige of their profession increased during the pandemic compared to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the two-tailed t-test, the prestige of the nursing profession increased statistically significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. Conclusions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses experienced increased physical stress and changes in their social and personal lives. However, the prestige of nurses increased due to their crucial role in the fight against the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To analyze the psychometric properties of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS) in internal care units at a specific teaching hospital in the Czech Republic. Design: The paper has the character of a cross-sectional validation study. Methods: The study was conducted between November 2015 and January 2016. The convenience sample consisted of 207 registered nurses working in internal care units at a specific faculty hospital in the Czech Republic. Analysis of the psychometric properties of the HSOPS was conducted using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and reliability testing. Results: Acceptable psychometric properties of the HSOPS were verified in our study. We confirmed 12 components of the HSOPS, the same number stated in the original version from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The reliability of the instrument was evaluated using the Cronbach alpha coefficient, and is considered acceptable. Conclusion: These findings can help healthcare institutions to raise awareness of patient safety culture and to gain a comprehensive overview of the individual dimensions of patient safety culture. In the future, the instrument could help to compare the components of patient safety culture, not only at a national but also at an international level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dual diagnosis is used in addiction medicine to refer to the co-occurrence of an addiction-related disorder and another psychiatric disorder in the same individual. Adolescence is a key period for the development of both mental disorders and addictions. Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the relationships between psychiatric and addiction-related disorders in patients of the Outpatient Addiction Treatment Clinic for Children and Adolescents at the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague in 2015–2022. Methods: Data were retrospectively analyzed from the hospital's medical system, which collects basic diagnostic data on patients. Descriptive statistics and cluster analysis were performed to identify relationships between psychiatric and addiction-related disorders. Results: Of the 450 patients, 153 patients (34%) met the criteria for dual diagnosis. The most common addiction-related disorders were mental and behavioural disorders due to the use of cannabinoids (35%) and internet gaming disorder (35%). The most common psychiatric diagnoses were behavioural and emotional disorders with usual onset in childhood and adolescence (64%), with a lower prevalence in girls than in boys. Conclusions: These findings may be important for the diagnosis and treatment of risky behaviours and addictions in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents part of the research from a 2019 project in Czechia's residential educational facilities for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. The high prevalence of drug use among these adolescents has a cumulative set of harms to health. The main research objective was to examine the prevalence of substance use among adolescent girls and boys living in residential educational facilities. The auxiliary research objective was to compare its results with the ESPAD (2015 and 2019) survey of the general Czech adolescent mainstream population. The sample consisted of 204 respondents aged 15-19 years. The primary data collection instrument was the ESPAD questionnaire. The analysis of the collected data was carried out using SPSS software. The findings arrived from statistical procedures such as descriptive data analysis and various statistical methods. Data from ESPAD research (2015, 2019) was selected for analytical comparisons. The findings indicate a high prevalence of drug use among the study group of adolescents in residential education facilities and a high majority of selected substance use in comparison with the results found in the ESPAD (2015, 2019) study in the general school population of Czechia. The findings support a systemic focus on the prevention of health risks, harm reduction, as well as the treatment of substance use disorder among adolescents. Data on the incidence and prevalence of substance use should be regularly collected and evaluated in these facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goals: This study aims to identify sociodemographic predictors of breastfeeding and evaluate the effect of nursing interventions on nutritional strategies in premature infants (0-6 months). Methods: A prospective monocentric longitudinal study focused on the nutritional management of 201 preterm infants. Monitoring was performed for two years at specific time intervals. Results: The mother's nationality influences the child's nutrition in the first weeks but this influence decreases with the child's age. The mother's education has a significant effect on nutritional choices. Higher education correlates with using different nutritional combinations. Strong predictors of breastfeeding include the first latch, skin-to-skin contact, and orofacial stimulation. Conclusion: The study identified vital factors influencing the nutrition of preterm infants. These findings enable better targeting of measures and support better health and development of such children. The results provide a scientific basis for the development of nutritional strategies and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate assessment of cognitive abilities in populations that differ from the majority in cultural and linguistic characteristics is one of the main challenges in cognitive testing. Previously developed methods for assessment of the validity of cognitive scores in individuals with diverse backgrounds, such as the Culture-Language Interpretative Matrix (C-LIM), have not been empirically substantiated. We tested the applicability of the C-LIM in the European context, by comparing selected test scores from the Woodcock-Johnson-IV Test of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-IV) between Roma children aged 7–11 years (n = 399) and their counterparts from the normative population (n = 131). The largest differences were detected in WJ-IV tests requiring abstract reasoning and manipulation with complex signs. Furthermore, the C-LIM did not reliably discriminate between our groups and its use appears to be inappropriate for making diagnostic decisions about children from populations that do not traditionally rely on processes such as categorical thinking, abstract reasoning, and generalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To what extent can a country’s effectiveness in reducing child poverty be attributed to the size of family cash transfers (that is, both benefits and tax advantages) or to their design? In this paper, we disentangle the importance of each of these two factors, focusing on the family support system in Lithuania and comparing it with four other new member states. Both single parent and large families are increasingly susceptible to poverty in Lithuania. This contrasts with other former communist countries, namely Estonia, Hungary, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, which protect these family types much better. This paper examines whether their family transfer systems would achieve similar results in Lithuania. We employ the EUROMOD microsimulation tax-benefit model to swap family policies across countries and test whether size or design has greater effects on child poverty reduction in Lithuania. Hungarian, Slovenian and Czech policies would considerably improve the poverty situation among large families. Single parent families would only gain if Lithuanian spending on family transfers increased radically. Estonian policies would lead to mixed results: small gains for large families and losses for single parent families. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) are prevalent movement disorders that mainly affect elderly people, presenting diagnostic challenges due to shared clinical features. While both disorders exhibit distinct speech patterns—hypokinetic dysarthria in PD and hyperkinetic dysarthria in ET—the efficacy of speech assessment for differentiation remains unexplored. Developing technology for automatic discrimination could enable early diagnosis and continuous monitoring. However, the lack of data for investigating speech behavior in these patients has inhibited the development of a framework for diagnostic support. In addition, phonetic variability across languages poses practical challenges in establishing a universal speech assessment system. Therefore, it is necessary to develop models robust to the phonetic variability present in different languages worldwide. We propose a method based on Gaussian mixture models to assess domain adaptation from models trained in German and Spanish to classify PD and ET patients in Czech. We modeled three different speech dimensions: articulation, phonation, and prosody and evaluated the models' performance in both bi-class and tri-class classification scenarios (with the addition of healthy controls). Our results show that a fusion of the three speech dimensions achieved optimal results in binary classification, with accuracies up to 81.4 and 86.2% for monologue and /pa-ta-ka/ tasks, respectively. In tri-class scenarios, incorporating healthy speech signals resulted in accuracies of 63.3 and 71.6% for monologue and /pa-ta-ka/ tasks, respectively. Our findings suggest that automated speech analysis, combined with machine learning is robust, accurate, and can be adapted to different languages to distinguish between PD and ET patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This impact evaluation report describes the effects of the "Parenting Program for Disadvantaged Families" in the Czech Republic. We provide a detailed look at the quantitative data on treatment and control families in a program delivered by social workers to reduce the risk of children's misconduct. Method: The study specifies the results of two waves of quantitative research based on Parenting Young Children (PARYC), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and items measuring parents' attitudes toward punishment of their children. Results: The results of parental self-reported competencies and parent-reported children's behavior indicate that there was a statistically significant impact of the intervention. Discussion: There was a large effect on Supporting Positive Behavior (PARYC), and Prosocial Behavior and Peer Relationship dimensions of the SDQ. Parental practices and attitudes toward punishment are further explored, although the conclusions remain ambiguous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this implementation project was to improve breastfeeding support, and more specifically, to increase compliance with the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) and the requirements of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (the Code). Introduction: The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding of the BFHI have been shown to improve breastfeeding outcomes at target hospitals. The Code is a minimum standard for the regulation of marketing practices related to breastfeeding support. Methods: We used the JBI evidence implementation model to identify a group of stakeholders in a hospital in the Czech Republic and carried out a best practice implementation project from January 2021 to May 2022. After conducting a baseline audit, the clinical team and external breastfeeding experts discussed challenges and devised an implementation plan using the JBI Getting Research into Practice framework. Follow-up audits were undertaken from January to December 2021 and in May 2022. Results: Compliance improved across all audited criteria, namely, to fully comply with the Code (0% to 100%); to have a written infant feeding policy (0% to 100%); to ensure staff have skills to support breastfeeding (0% to 100%); to discuss breastfeeding with pregnant women (0% to 100%); to facilitate skin-to-skin contact (67.86% to 83.58%); to support and provide help with breastfeeding (67.86% to 82.09%); to not provide fluids other than breast milk (50% to 58.21%); to practice rooming-in (57.14% to 61.19%); to respond to infant cues (50% to 64.18%); to provide information about community support services (32.14% to 62.69%); and to coordinate discharge and ongoing care (0% to 100%). Conclusions: Breastfeeding support requires a sustained long-term effort before it can become fully established. The involvement of national-level policy makers is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The aim of this multicenter study was to analyze the reporting of the adverse events and health care-associated infections (HAIs) in relation to work environment. Material and methods. This cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted in 14 acute care hospitals throughout the Czech Republic. A total of 105 acute care hospital wards were included in the study. The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index was used to assess the practice environment. The questionnaire to assess the practice environment were completed by 805 nurses. The data on adverse events and HAIs were weekly reported. Results. The overall mean number of adverse events including healthcare-associated infections was 27.7 (±36.10) per 100 patients, the most frequent being pressure ulcers and falls. The most frequent healthcare-associated infections were urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract and surgical site infections. Analysis of all adverse events and HAIs failed to confirm a statistically significant relationship between the nursing practice environment and occurrence of adverse events or healthcare-associated infections. Conclusions. Adverse events and healthcare-associated infections are important indicators of quality of care in hospitalized patients. No type of the nursing practice environment aff ected the reporting of adverse events and HAIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was to examine the relationship between health literacy (HL) and health behaviors in the South Bohemia Region in the Czech Republic (CR) and compare them to HL and health behaviors in the Visegrád group countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia). The paper reports the results from the research in the CR. A quantitative descriptive study. The sample was stratified by sex and age and included a representative sample of 303 adults. The data were collected using the combination of a country-specific questionnaire with the HLS-EU-16 standardized questionnaire. Exercise was significantly associated with perceived health and HL; those with a lower level of HL did not exercise during the previous month. Based only on full answers (N = 251), inadequate HL was identified in 17.5% of the respondents (44), marginal HL in 31.5% (77), and adequate HL in 51% (128) of the respondents. Nearly 49% of the participants evaluated their health as 'good', 25.7% rated their health as 'very good' and 'satisfactory' by 25.7%. But 41.6% experienced one or more chronic diseases, 37.6% had some limitations to their health, and 20.5% smoked. For alcohol consumption, 26% drank weekly and 23% drank two to three times a month. Exercise varied from never (29.7%) to daily (7.9%). Based on our results, we conclude that health behavior risk factors are still present in the South Bohemia region of the CR regardless of levels of HL reported on the HLS-EU-16. • Inadequate health literacy (HL) was identified in 17.5% of the respondents, marginal HL in 31.5%. • Exercise was significantly associated with perceived health and HL. • For alcohol consumption, 26% drank weekly and 23% drank two to three times a month. • Health behavior risk factors are still present in South Bohemia region of the CR. • We still have not accomplished universal levels of adequate health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The perception of the quality of care provided by the medical institution to patients is directly affected by the job satisfaction of nurses. The feeling of job satisfaction is caused besides other things by the subjective expectations of employees about what their work should provide them with in return. The aim of the study is to evaluate and compare job satisfaction of hospital nurses in the Czech Republic in 2011 and 2021 by identifying differences between their personal preferences and perceived saturation. Methods: The respondents are hospital nurses in the Czech Republic in 2011 and 2021. A developed questionnaire was used to determine the job satisfaction factors. The order of factors of personal preferences, perceived saturation and differences between them was compiled. For evaluation was used the Euclidean distance model that enables to capture the order and determine the significance given by the distance in which the factors are located. Results: At the top of personal preferences of hospital nurses, the factors salary and patient care are in the first two places with a similar distance. The salary factor is the most preferred by hospital nurses in both evaluated periods, and at the same time there is the greatest discrepancy between personal preferences and perceived saturation. By contrast, image of profession and working conditions were sufficiently saturated by the employer in both periods, but nurses do not significantly prefer these factors. Conclusions: The salary and patient care (i.e. the mission of the nurse's work itself) are at the top of personal preferences of hospital nurses, with an exclusive position among other factors. We consider it important that the hospital management emphasizes them in the management of hospital nurses. At the same time, the patient care is perceived by the hospital nurses as one of the most saturated factors - in contrast to salary, which is located at the complete opposite pole as the least saturated factor and therefore emerges from the mutual comparison as the factor with the greatest degree of divergence. The stated conclusions are valid for both compared periods. New method of data evaluation was successfully tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented research is a study of the attitudes of adolescents toward individuals with disabilities and a description of the level of knowledge about this issue among a selected group of adolescents. The study is focused on the school social environment, specifically on pupils without disabilities and their attitudes toward pupils with disabilities, which is one of the factors influencing their school success. The target group was 1806 pupils between the ages of 11 and 16 from the entire Czech Republic, approached by random selection. The research tool for the quantitative approach was a questionnaire developed by the authors of this article. The questionnaire section with open questions served for the qualitative part of the research. The results show that 70% of the respondents have basic knowledge about people with disabilities. Furthermore, it was shown that these adolescents have an overall positive attitude toward people with disabilities. This attitude is statistically significantly better among the girls than the boys, and the girls are also more open to discussing individuals with disabilities. At the same time, even if attitudes are positive, they still depend on the type of disability. The greatest uncertainty or discomfort is manifested when interacting with individuals with intellectual disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Physical and cardiorespiratory fitness deficits acquired during childhood often persist throughout adult life. It is crucial to understand the reasons for their development during childhood cancer and to prevent them in the early treatment stages. Children treated for malignancy exhibit a reduced level of physical activity (PA); however, it varies depending on their place of residence. In conducted studies, the values of examined parameters were significantly lower in the group of Polish children treated for cancer compared to Czech children. It was also observed that a lower level of PA affected patients' mental states. Children undergoing cancer treatment who declared sedentary behavior rated their health worse, while children engaging in more frequent PA (lasting at least 60 min daily) felt better mentally, reported higher physical performance, and experienced fewer symptoms of depression. Adequate PA levels have an impact on improving physical fitness, mental well-being, and preventing diseases in civilization. This study aimed to assess the level of physical activity (PA) and quality of life of cancer-treated children, depending on their place of residence (Poland vs. the Czech Republic, where incidence and mortality rates of childhood malignancies are similar). A total of 68 school-age children (7–18 years) undergoing oncological treatment were included in this study. This study used the quality of life questionnaire (KIDSCREEN-10) and the HBSC questionnaire. This study showed statistically significant differences in the level of PA between Polish and Czech children. In Poland, 93.75% of children exhibited no weekly physical effort at the level of moderate to vigorous PA. In the Czech Republic, 69.44% of children engaged in PA lasting at least 60 min per day, or at least 1 day weekly. Physically active children engaging in more frequent effort, at least 60 min daily, reported higher physical performance (rho = 0.41), higher energy levels (rho = 0.41), and less mood disturbance (rho = −0.31). Children with good relationships with parents were more likely to engage in submaximal PA and spend less time on stationary games. Our study showed that an appropriate level of PA improves well-being and quality of life. It is crucial to promote attractive PA programs tailored for cancer-treated children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work of chainsaw operators in the forest environment is a hazardous activity associated with great physical effort, inappropriate posture and significant strain on individual body parts. The aim of this study was to gather and evaluate data on the fatigue of individual body parts of professional chainsaw operators felling trees in the forest. The research focused on twelve body parts (eight in the upper half and four in the lower half of the body), each divided into the right and left parts. Based on the questionnaire method, 170 professional chainsaw operators working in the Czech Republic participated in this research. The questions in the questionnaire were divided into two sections, and the answers were used to draw diagrams that were consecutively analysed and quantitatively characterised based on descriptive statistics. The research results indicated that the most stressed part of the operator's body at the end of a shift was the lumbar region. The second most stressed body parts were the wrist and hands. In contrast, the neck was the least stressed part of the operator's body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Place of death represents an important indicator for end-of-life care policy making and is related to the quality of life of patients and their families. The aim of the paper is to analyse the place of death in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 2011. Research questions were focused on factors influencing the place of death and specifically the likelihood of dying at home. Methods: Whole population data from death certificates for all deaths in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 2011 were used for bivariate and multivariate analyses. Separate analysis using binary logistic regression was conducted for subpopulation of patients who died from chronic conditions. Results: The majority of population in both countries died in hospitals (58.4% the Czech Republic, 54.8% Slovakia), less than one-third died at home. In case of chronic conditions, death at home was significantly associated with underlying cause of death (cancer and heart failure), being male, age (older than 85, Slovakia only) and higher education (the Czech Republic only). Cancer and heart failure patients had higher chances to die at home than other chronic conditions. Conclusions: Czech and Slovak patients with chronic conditions are more likely to die in hospitals than in some other European Union member countries. This finding should be addressed by policy makers in promoting home hospice care services and education in palliative care for staff in nursing homes and other end-of-life settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to identify the motives of the decisions to join the agritourism business in the Czech Republic and the degree of fulfilment of these input motives. The research also identified the differences in motives for the entry of farmers into agritourism in the Czech Republic as compared to the results of a study on agritourism in the USA. In order to achieve the aims, descriptive statistic methods and non-parameterized testing through Wilcoxon test were used. It was found out that unlike the USA, in the Czech Republic the most dominant motives for joining agritourism are economic motives. The results also included a comparison of the approaches reflecting the impact of existing experience with agritourism with the change of approaches to the input motives. The article originated as a part of the Internal Grant Agency (IGA) of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Registration Number 20121074. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

papastavrou e., efstathiou g., tsangari h., suhonen r., leino-kilpi h., patiraki e., karlou c., balogh z., palese a., tomietto m., jarosova d. & merkouris a. (2011) A cross-cultural study of the concept of caring through behaviours: patients' and nurses' perspectives in six different EU countries. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(5), 1026-1037. Abstract Aim. This paper is a report of an international study of patients' and nurses' perceptions of nurse caring behaviours. Background. Current economic constraints on healthcare systems, demand to increase the quality of care and the incorporation of the consumers' perspective into care, have created a need to develop a clear understanding of nursing behaviours which convey caring. Patients in different areas of the world report different expectations of nurses' caring actions when compared to nurses' views. Method. A descriptive comparative survey design was used to analyse a sample of surgical patients ( n = 1659) and their nurses ( n = 1195) in 88 wards of 34 hospitals in Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Hungary and Italy. Data were collected in autumn 2009 using the Caring Behaviours Inventory-24. Nurses' and patients' responses were compared using both inferential and descriptive statistics. Results. Independent samples t-tests showed important differences between nurses' and patients' views. Although both groups perceived knowledge and skill as being the most important sub-scale, the nurses' responses were higher compared to patients ( P < 0·05) with important differences in the 'assurance of human presence' ( P < 0·001) and the 'respectful deference to others' ( P < 0·001) sub-scales. Cross-country comparisons showed important differences between the nurses' ( F = 24·199, P < 0·001) and patients' views on caring ( F = 26·945, P < 0·001). Conclusions. Important differences were observed between patient-nurse perceptions in the participating countries. The results form a foundation for future research into the development of a common international perspective about caring behaviours between patients and their nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Languages vary in the type of contexts that affect prosodic prominence. This paper reports on a production study investigating how different types of foci influence prosody in Polish and Czech noun phrases. The results show that in both languages, focus and givenness are marked prosodically, with pitch and intensity as the main acoustic correlates. Like Germanic languages, Polish and Czech patterns show prosodic focus marking in a broad range of contexts and differ in this regard from other fixed-word-stress languages such as French. This suggests that (a) Polish and Czech are similar to Germanic languages and are unlike Romance languages in marking a variety of types of focus prosodically; (b) there is no close correlation between fixed word stress and lack of prosodic focus marking because Polish, which has fixed stress on the penult, shows prosodic focus marking for all types of focus; and (c) there is no straightforward relationship between flexible word order and whether focus and givenness are prosodically marked, contrary to earlier claims, because both Czech and Polish, with their relatively flexible word order, are more similar to English than Romance languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to investigate differences in assessing implicit rationing of nursing care by Czech nurses with respect to the type of unit and type of hospital. Background: Implicit rationing of nursing care may differ across different types of hospitals and hospital units. Design: This study used a multicentre cross‐sectional study design. Methods: The STROBE checklist for observational cross‐sectional studies was followed for reporting of the research study. The sample included 8209 nurses providing direct care to medical and surgical patients in 14 acute care Czech hospitals. The main outcome was implicit rationing of nursing care as measured with a Czech version of the Perceived Implicit Rationing of Nursing Care (PIRNCA) instrument. Data were collected from September 2019 to October 2020. Results: The most frequently rationed nursing care activity was timely response to patient or family request/need, followed by emotional or psychological support and adequate supervision of delegated tasks. More implicitly rationed nursing care was reported in medical units. Statistical differences were found in rating 25 items and the PIRNCA total score. Nurses from middle‐sized hospitals reported implicitly rationed care more frequently than those from large hospitals. Conclusion: More rationed care was reported by nurses from medical units and nurses from middle‐sized hospitals. Organisational variables (the type of unit and type of hospital) influence the implicit rationing of nursing care in our study. Relevance to Clinical Practice: The findings call for nursing managers to pay attention to organisational variables which may affect the implicit rationing of nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To examine the overall level of self‐assessed competence of final‐year nursing 'bachelors' degree students in the Czech Republic. In addition, the study aimed at the factors associated with the students' level of competence. Design: A cross‐sectional observational study. Methods: Data were collected with the Czech version of the Nurse Competence Scale from 274 final‐year nursing students of the bachelor's nursing program. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses. Results: Majority of the students (80.3%) assessed their level of competence as good or very good. The highest level of competence was assessed in the category of 'managing situations' (VAS mean 67.8) and 'work role' (VAS mean 67.2). Previous work experience in healthcare and successful supervisory experience had a positive association with self‐assessed competence. Students who completed clinical placement during the COVID‐19 pandemic assessed their level of competence as lower than students before the pandemic. No Patient or Public Contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim was to understand the lived experiences of family caregivers caring for a dying patient at home. Design: A qualitative phenomenological approach was used. Methods: Data were collected between September and December 2018. Data collection was took the form of in-depth interviews with family caregivers (n = 4), followed by the use of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: Five main themes were identified in terms of which family caregivers described their experience: the Role of caregiver; I’ll do everything for him / her; Support; “Time out” after death; and Benefits of care. The family caregivers had to establish their new caregiver roles, often they were the mainstay of the whole family. In the various areas of care they did everything for the dying person. They experienced pain, mental and physical burdens, and doubts, and spirituality was vital to them. It was important to experience support from different sources. After this experience, the caregivers needed time to release emotions after the death. Overall, the caregivers came to regard this experience as beneficial: revealing other priorities, increasing time spent with family, clarifying relationships, and changing attitudes and values. Conclusion: The study offers a unique insight into family caregivers’ experiences in the Czech Republic. In confirmation of previous results, experiences are generally similar for all caregivers and point to a need for significant improvement in the quality of support and assistance from health professionals and support from family members, particularly in the areas of practical demonstration of care, the expression of condolences, provision of pain medication, handling of formalities related to the death of a loved one (e.g., when arranging the death certificate and widow’s pension), and the sharing of emotions as they occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The study aimed to describe how undergraduate nursing students evaluated the clinical learning environment of their studies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Methods: The research sample of 49 full-time students who completed their first year clinical practice in the academic year of 2018 / 2019 was followed over three years of study. The Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher evaluation scale (CLES+T) was used for data collection. Quantitative data were evaluated using descriptive and inductive statistics. Results: Overall, students evaluated the clinical environment throughout their studies as average. Interaction with a tutor received the lowest rating, while relationship with mentor and external factors of the clinical environment (nursing management and nursing care in the workplace) received the highest rating. Second-year students rated the practice environment most highly. Students were satisfied with individual supervision in the first two years. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, group supervision prevailed in the third year, resulting in reduced student satisfaction. Conclusion: Students’ perception of the clinical learning environment changed during their studies. These changes were driven by the quality of certain academic and clinical factors. The Covid-19 pandemic represented a significant impingement on the course and organization of clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]