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Background/Objectives: Following recommended treatment plans is essential to the success of the treatment. In hemodialysis, adherence to the treatment regimen remains a challenge in many healthcare settings. Many factors, including the patient's level of social support, influence treatment adherence, but few studies have addressed these relationships. Methods: A correlational cross-sectional design was used to assess the relationship between perceived social support and adherence to treatment regimens among patients undergoing hemodialysis. Self-reported surveys were used to collect data. Results: One hundred and twenty-one hemodialysis patients were recruited from two dialysis centers. Overall, 45.5% of participants demonstrated good adherence, 47.9% had moderate adherence, and 6.6% had poor adherence. Specifically, 76% of participants consistently took their prescribed medications, 75% regularly attended hemodialysis sessions, 67.8% adhered to dietary restrictions, and 62% followed fluid-intake guidelines. Perceived social support was reported as highest from family members (89.3%), followed by significant others (62.8%) and friends (49.6%). There were significant correlations between perceived social support and overall adherence to treatments among hemodialysis patients. Conclusions: This study provides evidence for positive relationships between perceived social support and adherence to treatment regimens among hemodialysis patients. It is recommended that professional caregivers intervene with clients and their families, prepare recreational and educational programs for patients undergoing hemodialysis, and inspire other researchers to suggest different social support models and approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To assess the effect of an instructional WhatsApp group on self-care and HbA1c levels among female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Background: T2DM is a chronic disease that requires effective self-care. WhatsApp is a free application that can be effectively used for patient education. Design: This study used a quasi-experimental design. Methods: A convenience sample of 62 female participants was recruited from the medical outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital. The Diabetes Self-Care Scale was used to assess the self-care profiles of the participants pre- and post-intervention. HbA1c samples were also collected at baseline and three months after receiving instructions from the WhatsApp group. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected during the pre-intervention stage. Results: The mean HbA1c level decreased from 8.61 ± 1.70 to 7.92 ± 1.60 after implementing the WhatsApp group instructions; the values showed a significant difference (t-value = 5.107 and P-value < 0.001). The post-test mean score of total self-care was higher than the pre-test mean score (t-value = 12.359, P-value <0.001), indicating a highly significant difference. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that the instructional WhatsApp group is an effective method for improving self-care and HbA1c levels in patients with T2DM. This study suggests the use of WhatsApp group instructions as a teaching method in the healthcare system for the education and follow-up of patients with T2DM. Relevance to clinical practice: The findings support the need to initiate effective and dynamic interventional follow-ups through WhatsApp groups for patients with T2DM to improve their self-care and HbA1c levels and ultimately reduce the burden on hospitals and governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immobility complications are challenging for healthcare professionals because they negatively affect individuals' overall health. Following recovery from a severe illness or accident, patients' movement is often impaired, so they may be unable to perform activities of daily living, thus impacting their quality of life. Nurses play a proactive role in preventing immobility's physical and mental impacts. However, several studies have suggested that nurses worldwide lack knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward immobility complications. Therefore, stakeholders must prioritize this problem to optimize healthcare provision. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore nurses' KAP toward immobility complications. A scoping review of relevant articles utilized PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL Plus, and EBSCOhost databases. Hawker's tool assessed the risk of bias among the included primary articles. The results were analyzed according to the KAP toward four main immobility complications: pressure injury, deep vein thrombosis, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and urinary tract infection. The database search generated a total of 1398 articles. Of them, only 39 articles met the inclusion criteria for the review. Most articles concluded that nurses' KAP were below the expected level. Education and training were found to optimize nurses' KAP. The KAP toward immobility complications was good among nurses with work experience, high academic grades, and prior training. These findings indicate that nursing staff should receive continuous education and in-service training to improve their KAP toward immobility complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Preoperative education is an essential nursing task that can be affected by the nurses' perception. Patients may be receiving insufficient vital information before surgery. However, the essential information that should be provided to patients undergoing surgery is not fully addressed. Objective: To assess the essential elements of preoperative information as perceived by the surgical nurses. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A convenience sample of 224 registered nurses who were working at surgical units was recruited from two hospitals. A preoperative teaching questionnaire was used. Results: Details about the operation (4.39 ± 0.61) and preoperative preparation (4.36 ± 0.61) were the most important domains of preoperative education as perceived by nurses. The results show significant differences between the perceived and actual preoperative educational practice across all domains except the preoperative preparation. Conclusions: The delivery of preoperative education could be affected by nurses' perceptions. Efforts to facilitate the implementation of effective education as perceived by nurses should be conducted by minimizing potential barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of anxiety and depression on the quality of life (QOL) of haemodialysis patients. Background: The growing number of people undergoing haemodialysis therapy on a global scale is becoming a universal concern. Although haemodialysis treatment is known to affect one's psychological well‐being, the impact of depression and anxiety on one's QOL has not been well addressed. Design: A correlational cross‐sectional design. Methods: A convenience sample of 114 patients who had been undergoing haemodialysis therapy participated in this study. The research methods used complied with the STROBE checklist. Data were collected using the Kidney Disease and Quality of Life Survey‐36 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The association between the KDQOL, anxiety and depression based on the characteristics of participants was investigated using an independent t test and one‐way analysis of variance. Results: The mean anxiety score of the participants was 7.7 ± 5.3, while the mean score for depression was 7.01 ± 4.2. Based on the cut‐off points, 50% of the participants had anxiety, 44.7% depression. There were negative correlations between anxiety and QOL (r = −0.599, p < 0.001) and between depression and QOL (r = −.599, p <.001). The burden of the disease and physical component scores were mostly affected by both anxiety and depression. Conclusions: Anxiety and depression are common symptoms among patients undergoing haemodialysis, and they have a negative impact on all domains of the QOL. Early detection and treatment of anxiety and depression may have a positive impact on disease outcomes. Relevance to clinical practice: The findings of the current study support the need to adopt effective strategies to improve screening for anxiety and depression. The detection of high physical symptom burden should draw attention to potential psychological issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The persistent global increase in chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence highlights the importance of providing patients with sufficient knowledge to allow them to self‐manage their disease. Objectives: To gain insights into non‐dialysis CKD patients' knowledge of their disease, and assess associations between knowledge and sample characteristics. Design: A descriptive cross‐sectional design was undertaken. Participants: A convenience sample of 203 stages 3–5 CKD patients was recruited. Measurements: The Kidney Disease Knowledge Survey (KiKs) was used. Results: This study revealed that the mean age of the patients was 47.34 years. 50.2% were male and most (75.9%) were married. The mean score of knowledge (measured using KiKs) relating to kidney disease was 17.87 ± 3.212. The lowest scores were related to knowledge of effects of proteinuria (13.3%), meanings of "glomerular filtration rate" (29.6%) and "targeted blood pressure" (31.5%). Although more than 60% of participants knew about some kidney functions, they misunderstood others, including those related to glucose control (23.6%) and blood pressure (54.7%). Patients displayed knowledge scores >70% for five other areas, including disease stage and time since diagnosis. Almost all participants did not know that chronic kidney disease (CKD) could be asymptomatic. The results showed that late‐stage CKD (Stages 4 and 5) and longer time since diagnosis of CKD were independently associated with a higher score of knowledge (r = 0.18, p = 0.017; r = 0.41, p < 0.001; r = 0.26, p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: This study provided initial insights on CKD‐related knowledge among patients with Stage 3–5 CKD in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Many gaps in knowledge were identified, especially those relating to blood pressure. More studies are required to fully understand the extent of the knowledge deficit in the wider population; however, these findings will allow nurses to address significant gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]