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Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide and remains the leading cause of death among Italian women. Despite increased breast cancer awareness and improved diagnostic techniques, mortality rates remain high globally. In Italy, despite the availability of screening programs by the National Health System (NHS) for all Italian women aged 50–69 every two years, the participation rate remains relatively low. The low uptake of screening may be attributed to a lack of general cancer knowledge among women, including awareness of risk factors, symptoms, and prevention measures. This study investigates the knowledge and misinformation in a population of Italian women regarding breast cancer risk factors, symptoms, and prevention. Methods: From March 2021 to January 2022, we conducted a survey targeting the female population in Italy, with a total of 2375 participants willingly participating in the study. To investigate factors linked to variations in attitudes toward breast cancer, the participants were categorized into two groups: the general population (Group A, n = 2235) and women who have had or currently have breast cancer (Group B, n = 140). Statistically significant differences were identified between these two groups. Results: The findings revealed considerable confusion regarding both the symptoms and causes associated with cancer, as well as prevention measures. This confusion was particularly prominent among women in the general population and those with lower levels of education. Conclusions: Given these insights, it remains crucial to promote accurate health information concerning risk factors, symptoms, and prevention strategies related to this devastating disease, emphasizing the ongoing importance of disseminating correct health information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Internship represents the context for nursing students to acquire professional skills. The mutual relationship between the intern and the tutor, where both parties have the opportunity to grow and develop, contributes to transforming theoretical knowledge into intellectual, psychomotor, and social skills. However, the gap between education and clinical practice... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oncology nurses support cancer patients in meeting their self-care needs, often neglecting their own emotions and self-care needs. This study aims to investigate the variations in the five facets of holistic mindfulness among Italian oncology nurses based on gender, work experience in oncology, and shift work. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2023 amongst all registered nurses who were employed in an oncology setting and working in Italy. Results: There were no significant differences in all five facets of holistic mindfulness (p ≥ 0.05) according to gender, work experience in the oncology field, and shift work. Conclusion: Could holistic mindfulness be defined as an intrinsic individual characteristic? Surely, more insights will be necessary to better define the holistic trend in oncology nursing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Music evokes positive emotions and reduces stress and anxiety. Operating room (OR) staff face various challenges which can lead to high levels of stress. The aim of the study is to assess whether listening to music during intraoperative phases improves the work environment by reducing anxiety and stress in the entire surgical team. Methods. A prospective observational study was conducted from February to September 2023, involving medical personnel, nursing staff, and nursing students. They were divided into two groups: Group 1 with music during surgical procedures, and Group 2 without music. Participants were administered two validated instruments: the Zung Anxiety Self-Assessment Scale (SAS) to measure anxiety, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule to assess emotions generating stress. Additional items were included for demographics, job satisfaction, and the organization method. Results. Music did not impact anxiety, but increased positive emotions while reducing negative ones. Music had an ancillary effect, highlighting the need for significant organizational interventions aimed at increasing operator satisfaction, including offering voluntary instead of mandatory assignments to nursing staff. Conclusions. Music appears to reduce stress in the intraoperative team when supported by a positive work environment in which assigned operators have chosen to work in the OR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long COVID refers to the persistence or development of signs and symptoms well after the acute phase of COVID-19. Objective of the study: To investigate the long-term outcomes of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in terms of psychological, social, and relational consequences within the Italian population. Materials and methods: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, and multicenter study using an online questionnaire distributed to a sample of the Italian population. By utilizing the Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12) and the Hikikomori scale, we assessed perceived quality of life and social isolation, respectively. The questionnaire also included an open-answer question: "What will you remember about the pandemic period?". We used generative artificial intelligence to analyze and summarize the corresponding answers. Results: A total of 1097 people participated in this study. A total of 79.3% (n = 870) of participants declared that they had been hospitalized and 62.8% (n = 689) received home care. Physical symptoms included headaches (43%, n = 472) and asthma (30.4%, n = 334). Additionally, 29.2% (n = 320) developed an addiction during the pandemic and, among these, 224 claimed internet addiction while 73 declared an emotional addiction. Furthermore, 51.8% (n = 568) experienced limitations in carrying out daily life activities. According to the Hikikomori scale, participants with positive SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibited higher levels of isolation compared to the others (p < 0.001). Participants without COVID-19 showed higher levels of emotional support (p < 0.001). Our semiautomatic analysis of the open-ended responses, obtained by a procedure based on a free large language model, allowed us to deduce and summarize the main feelings expressed by the interviewees regarding the pandemic. Conclusions: The data collected emphasize the urgent need to investigate the consequences of long COVID in order to implement interventions to support psychological well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The diagnosis of a chronic disease represents a turning point in patients' lives, which inevitably marks them. The aim of this study was to analyze perceived stress levels among Crohn' disease (CD) patients depending on sampling characteristics and several difficulties occurred in their daily life in order to better address stress management interventions to increase their quality of life as patients who should cohabitate with CD for all their lives. Materials and methods. An on-line, multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study was carried out through social Internet pages. Specifically, through the Facebook and Instagram groups belonging to the CD patients. Results. A total of 785 CD interviewers were achieved in this study, 597 were female and 188 were male. Significant higher stress perceived levels were assessed among females (p < 0.001) and CD interviewers who knew their disease until 10 years (p < 0.001). Higher levels in stress perceptions were reported in all the difficulties proposed, in which CD interviewers reported a quite level of difficulties occurred on them (p < 0.001). Conclusions. This study demonstrated that patients with Crohn's disease live in a condition of high stress and that this condition implies changes in the quality of life with considerable difficulty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health profile of foreigners in Italy is affected by multiple factors and events, including environmental, microbiological, cultural, and behavioral. To explore nurses' basic cross-cultural knowledge, and their perceptions of problems that arise in encounters with clients from outside the country, and to suggest solution strategies, we enrolled 327 nurses in an observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study. The findings suggested a need to improve sociocultural skills related to working in a multiethnic society, as early as the first level courses and possibly continue with appropriate master's degrees and research projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background and Aim: The leadership of the Nursing Coordinator is essential to ensure quality care and to empower the nursing staff. To identify the leadership style used by the coordinator as nurses and the support staff perceive the leadership behaviors of the coordinator., Methods: Data were collected through an online questionnaire including the Empowering Leadership Questionnaire., Results: Positive associations were recorded between participants' satisfaction levels and high standards of job performance (p<0.001), being a good example for the whole group (p=0.004) and to encourage sharing ideas and suggestions (p=0.003), hearing ideas and suggestions (p=0.013), giving the opportunity to express their opinions (p=0.046); in the "Coaching" dimension, according to attitudes to help the group to become aware (p<0.001), among all group members (p=0.044); by focusing on their goals (p<0.001); in the "Informing" dimension according to levels and attitudes to explain decisions (p<0.017) and rules and expectations (p=0.046); in the "Showing Concern/Interacting with the Team" dimension according to attitude in personal problems (p<0.028); to discuss concerns (p=0.033); to show interest (p<0.040) and to chat with members (p=0.003). Negative association was registered between the ability to make decisions based solely on the coordinator's ideas (p=0.010), ability to pay attention to the group's efforts (p<0.015)., Conclusions: The role of the Nursing Coordinator within the work setting is very fundamental. The latter must be able to guarantee, through good leadership, a serene work environment so that professionals can provide optimal care to patients and safeguard their profession.

Background and Aim of the Work: Work-family and family-work conflict can be defined as the degree to which participation in one role, in this case as a worker, interferes with the ability to cope with the responsibilities of another role, namely that of a member of a household. The aim of the study is to investigate the presence of indicators of work- family and/or family-work conflict in a cohort of Italian nurses and possible correlations with social and work variables., Research Design and Methods: An observational, quantitative, multicenter survey was conducted for the study through the computerized administration of a validated questionnaire (Work-Family and Family-Work Conflict, CLF), with the implementation of sociographic variables. The cooperation of 15 Orders of Nursing Professions throughout the country was sought for sample collection. Data collection was bimonthly., Results: Among the participating nurses, there is a statistically significant predominance of conflict in the family-work direction. In particular, the phenomenon seems to be related to age and the presence of children and/or elderly at home to care for. Some work variables seem to positively affect the prevention of potential work-life conflict, such as rostering and work articulation., Conclusions: These findings place emphasis on the need for healthcare organizations to address the work-family balance of their employees.

Background and Aim of the Work: The diagnosis of Crohn Disease (CD) represents a turning point in the life of patients, which inevitably marks them. The present study represents a direct "feed-back" from patients suffering from Crohn disease, in order to reveal how the diagnosis of CD changed lifestyles and psychological conditions in their patients., Methods: An observational, cross sectional, online, snowball sampling study was conducted through participants suffered from CD and belonged to social networks and Facebook groups. For each participant, sampling characteristics, a series of lifestyle habits Before to After the diagnosis of CD and anxiety, depression, and stress conditions were investigated., Results: A total of 785 participants agreed to participate. As Participants underwent significant challenges in their lifestyles after the CD diagnosis (p<0.001), specifically their reduced their smoking habits, alcohol and drugs intakes and also their diets both in high sugar and fatty compositions. Anxiety and stress levels were not statistical different among participants according to years of the knowledge of their CDs. Meanwhile, as regards depression condition, significantly higher levels were recorded among participants who knew their CD until 5 and 25 years, respectively (p=0.031)., Conclusions: From the study emerges several aspects of quality of life compromised, a fact supported by the analysis of psychophysical sequelae, which allowed to lay the groundwork for further studies, studying the comorbidity of this disease with other factors. Future randomized controlled trials should deepen the correlation between eating disorders and CD, a link little explored in the literature.

Background: Schools play a key role in detecting early signs of autism and creating a targeted pathway of study and inclusion. This becomes complicated when faced with unknown situations, such as managing a student with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)., Materials and Methods: A nationwide study involving teachers (n=235) was conducted from March to August 2021. The survey instrument consisted of a questionnaire administered online through social networks containing socio-demographic data, attitudes, knowledge and inclusion plans from school teachers towards students with ASD., Results: Statistical significant differences were registered for the item no.13: among the main deficits caused by ADS are reduced social cognition, language abnormalities, and impaired sensory functioning. (p=.025); the item no.8 (p=.011): if an intervention works for one child with ASD, it is certain to work on another child with ASD; the item no.3(p=.002): genetic factors play an important role in the causes of ASD. By also considering teacher's attitudes towards ASD according to the presence of a healthcare worker in the school environment, significant differences were registered for the item no.1 (p=.032): the interpretation that the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's syndrome are the same as for high-functioning autism; the item no.6 (p=.025): children with ADS are very similar to each other, and the item no.7(p=.015): early intervention does not lead to additional benefits for children with ASD., Conclusions: The presence of professionals with advanced skills could be a benefit and represent a strong point in the application of measures of prevention and containment of community pathologies.

Aim of the work.  To survey the degree of satisfaction of the Italian population in reference to the health care provided throughout the national territory in the period of emergency COVID-19., Methods: Observational, cross sectional, multicenter study conducted during the first phase of the pandemic (May-June 2020) involving the national population (n=889) subjects, through an online survey., Results: 889 people participated in the study. Among the perceptions regarding the level of satisfaction with the care received during the first pandemic wave, significant differences were found in the level of satisfaction with the health care received in general (p=.049), the degree of satisfaction toward the health care to people admitted to the hospital (p=. 046), to the treatment received for the COVID-19 test (p=.002), to the difficulty of contacting the general practitioner (.032), to the treatment received by their own health care company (p=.006), to the treatment received by the toll-free number (p<.001) and the 1500 number (p<.001) and the treatment received for one's own relative (p<.001). The greatest difficulty for all detected was finding surgical masks to protect themselves from infection., Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic seems not to have created new problems, rather it has shown - in a violent way - many of the challenges that have been looming for some time in the health services (and not only the Italian one) and, for these reasons, it is necessary to start from what has been learned in the last few months and draw new guidelines for the future.

Background and Aim of the Work: In a society that tries so hard to forget and make people forget that death exists, death has never been so close to man in his daily life as during this pandemic. Health care professionals have therefore all too often had to  deal with the death of the people they care for and with related issues such as, for example, the dignity of death, the humanization of death and care for the dying. The aim of the study is to highlight the perceptions of physicians, nurses and health and social workers in the difficult moment of the end of life, also analyzing which coping strategies were implemented by them., Methods: All Italian healthcare workers were enrolled in this survey. The questionnaire was administered in an online version. Physicians, nurses and support staff (social and health workers) were contacted through social networks., Results: A total of 512 healthcare workers were enrolled in this survey. No statistical significant differences were recorded among the COPE-NVI- 25 sub dimensions according to sex, profession and to different wards. Additionally, by considering the COPE-NVI-25 sub dimensions according to years of work experience, a statistical significant difference was reported in the Transcendent Orientation sub dimension (p=.047), as healthcare workers with 11-20 years of work experience recorded higher levels than the other two groups. By considering differences in the COPE-NVI-25 sub dimensions according to religion, significant differences were recorded in the transcendent orientation (p=.032), in the positive attitude (p=.030), in the social support (p=.035)., Conclusions: From the evidence in the literature, the quality of end-of-life care performance has a positive correlation with awareness of a good death and attitudes towards end-of-life care.

Background and Aim of the Work: Cardiovascular diseases represent the main cause of death in Italy. Early recognition of pathological electrocardiographic (ECG) trace is an important skill for nurses. The theoretical knowledge and the practical skills on the recognition of pathological ECG trace of trained nursing students were compared with those of emergency nurses., Methods: The study involved 35 nursing students and 41 nurses from the emergency room, emergency medicine and ambulance service. Students were previously trained through a theoretical and practical ECG course. The data were collected using  two questionnaires aimed at evaluating in the two groups the ability to recognize electrocardiographic signs. The tools were uploaded to an online platform and remotely administered., Results: Both the students and the nurses showed a satisfactory theoretical knowledge of the ECG trace, with a statistically significant difference in favor of the nurses. Regarding practical skills, both groups showed difficulty in recognizing pathological electrocardiographic signs, particularly blockages and acute coronary syndromes., Conclusions: Nursing students' knowledge of ECG did not differ much from that of nurses. Training through simulation probably played a key role in improving the skill of ECG evaluation among students. More theoretical and practical courses on ECG should be recommended in Nursing Programme.

Background: The Coronavirus has put a strain on the response capacity of health systems and there are various psychological effects on health workers., Aim of the Study: To investigate the psychological impact of the coronavirus emergency on physicians and nurses., Materials and Methods: A study was conducted on a sample of nurses and physicians (n=770), who were asked to fill in a questionnaire investigating physical and psychological problems. It also included the IES (Impact Event Scale), STAI (State Trait Anxiety Inventory) scale and BDI (Beck Depression Inventory)., Results: 87.7% of the sample was represented by nurses (n=675), 12.3% (n=95) by physicians. 52.3% (n=403) of the participants believed that they had not received good training on the correct use of Personal Protective Equipment. 18.2% (n=140) declared that they had experienced a moment in which they had had to choose among the patients whom to treat for an essential therapy. Among the psychological symptoms, stress (76.2%; n=587), anxiety (59.4%; n=457) and depression (11.8%) prevailed and only 3.9% of the healthcare personnel sought help from a psychologist. The total score of the IES-R scale was 3.47. A significant association emerged between exposure and the risk of contagion (p-value = 0.003), stress was more present among nurses than among physicians (77.5% vs. 67.4%; p = 0.003). Among physical symptoms, headache (52.2%; n=402) and pressure injuries (24.8% n= 191) prevailed., Conclusions: The results of the study show that mental health monitoring of health workers, who are at risk of developing major psychological disorders, is a priority.

Background Much evidence shows that hypnotic communication can have a pain-relieving effect and reduce complications such as anxiety, insomnia and depression. Whenever this technique was applied, the use of pharmaceuticals was reduced, there were less side effects, shorter hospitalization timesframes and lower treatment costs. Aim of the study Evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of nurses about hypnotic communication and the causes for which this technique is not frequently used. A secondary objective pointed to measuring the effectiveness of an educational event on hypnosis. Method The evaluation was done by administering an anonymous and voluntary survey, in a pre-test and post-test modality to nurses subscribed to a formative event on hypnotic communication organized by the Nursing Order, Province of Ravenna. Results 78 nurses participated in the study. The analysis of the pre-test results show a gap of knowledge regarding hypnotic communication. The main causes were found regarding the lack of use for hypnotic communication: stereotypes and prejudices related to this technique and insufficient university education. Conclusions The implementation of this technique, effective and efficient under various aspects, requires a preliminary creation of culture regarding this theme, capable of surpassing the stereotypes and resistances brought by a lack of theoretical elements.

Background and Aim of the Work: Safety in hospitals is a structural variable on which depends not only on health, but also on physical safety of patients and employees, whom are increasingly exposed to risks as a result of which they may suffer from occupational diseases and/or develop important psycho-physical consequences. The study aimed to evaluate the association between work environment and perceived burnout levels in two hospitals of Southern Italy., Method: From March to August 2019 an observational study was carried out through a survey consisting of four sections: sociodemographic data; the Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) questionnaire; the perception of the environment and possible causes of stress; the burnout levels perceived through the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). A convenience sample of 169 healthcare workers participated in the study. All nurses (including nursing coordinators), clinicians, support staff of the "Vito Fazzi" Hospital of Lecce (Le) and "San Giuseppe da Copertino" Hospital of Copertino (Le) with at least one year of work experience and who signed the informed consent were recruited., Results: The healthcare workers involved in the survey declared limits in handling and usability of the equipment, both for the patient n=77 (45.6%) and for the healthcare worker n=75 (44.4%), a lack of visual privacy n=89 (52.6%) and acoustic n=128 (75.7%).  The analysis also shows higher scores on the 'depersonalization' scale among the health care workers of San Giuseppe da Copertino" Hospital (LE) (M= 9.36; DS= 9.439) and higher levels on the 'emotional exhaustion' scale in the surgical areas (M= 22.0; DS= 11.86) and in the female gender (M= 23.10; DS=. 12.01).  Conclusions. The study reveals a poor condition of environmental comfort and safety, which generate high levels of stress and burnout in healthcare workers. Such a study can encourage further multicenter studies.

According to the World Health Organization, eating disorders are a constantly growing public health problem in industrialized countries with an important stigmatizing impact. The study investigates stigmatizing beliefs and attitudes towards Anorexia nervosa (AN) and Bulimia nervosa (BN)., Materials and Methods: From October 2018 to November 2019, an online survey was conducted for students of the Degree Courses in Nursing of 2 Italian university centres, using the Italian version of the SAB-BN-ITA, adapted for AN., Results: The sample consists of 517 nursing students, aged between 20 and 23. Male subjects presented higher scores, relative to stigma, both for BN (F =17.5, p <0.001) and for AN (F = 1 9.64, p <0.001). For the sample the main trigger factor of BN is the influence of the media (56.67), the lack of social support (53.19) and parental care (51.84). The association between the stigmatizing views was explored through Spearman's correlation and a linear regression model between the two overall scores (coeff. 0.73; p <0.001: r-squared 0.52). The 'self-regulation' is the stigmatizing opinions for AN (Coeff. 0.0768; p <0.001; r-squared 0.039) and BN (Coeff 0.0684; p <0.001; r-squared 0.030), and the 'social support' is stigmatizing opinions for AN (coeff. -0.0713; p = 0.004; r-squared 0.016)., Conclusions: The study shows that the male gender has a higher level of stigma than the female one. Moreover, a large number of students consider media influence to be the main causative factor in the onset of ADs, in addition to the lack of social support.

Introduction: In industrialized countries, sudden cardiac death is a serious public health problem that accounts for about 15% to 20% of all deaths, with an incidence of 0.5 to 3 deaths per 100,000 athletes. In recent years, although both first aid prevention programs and the availability of External Automatic Defibrillator (AED) in public places have increased, few data are available with respect to real knowledge about the use of such devices. The aim of this study is to detect the level of knowledge and skills in the use of automatic external defibrillators among sports and management staff in sports facilities., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, multicentre study conducted in 16 sports facilities in the Province of Lecce, Italy, and targeted to all the athletic and managerial staff of these sports facilities. Information was obtained through a validated questionnaire consisting of 27 items., Results: 339 participants of which 59.3% male (n=201) (average=33.6; SD=13.1). 51.6% (n=175) were informed about the presence of the defibrillator, only 38.1% (n=129) declared to know where it was placed and 43.7% (n=96) considered it to be quite or very accessible. The majority of them (78.8%; n=267) were never involved in a training course and declared limited knowledge about the use of this device., Conclusions: Respondents stated that they have poor knowledge and skills in the use of the defibrillator, its operation and maintenance, which could reduce the positive outcomes of early treatment. Further studies should be conducted, although it may be appropriate to implement specific training courses for personnel working in sports centres.

Background and Aim of the Study: Working in the emergency medical service often exposes nurses to highly stressful situations and can impact their quality of life. Among the strategies aimed at mitigating the effects of this phenomenon, peer-supporting represents an emerging model used in the emergency medical service setting. The aim of the study is to explore the experiences, the opinions and feelings of emergency medical service nursing staff in relation to the use of the peer supporting model., Methods: A semi-structured interview was carried out. Participants were recruited on a voluntary basis from an emergency medical service in the north of Italy. Interviews were audio-recorded and the data extracted were anonymised., Results: 14 nurses participated in the study. The totality of the participants recognized that their daily clinical practice, especially when involving paediatric patients, can have a profound emotional impact on their life in general. Furthermore, interviewees admitted that their personal copying mechanisms did not seem to be entirely effective when processing their painful experiences.  The majority of the participants were in favour of introducing a peer-supporter in the ambulance service., Conclusions: This study emphasises the need to implement emotional support tools for non-hospital emergency nurses in daily clinical practice, in order to facilitate emotional decompression secondary to particularly stressful interventions as soon as possible. The peer-supporting strategy could represent, in this direction, a valid and shared model.