Search

BACKGROUND: Effective nurse leadership enhances nurse welfare, improves patient care, and increases organisational success. A lack of adequate, supportive leadership significantly contributes to many nurses leaving the profession. Nurse managers need to prioritise engagement and retention as significant focus areas to address the nursing shortage in Saudi Arabia and accomplish the national program's objectives. AIM: To examine the correlation between the leadership styles of clinical nurse managers and staff engagement. METHOD: This study used a descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design. The leadership styles of clinical nurse managers were evaluated using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X). Work engagement was assessed using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Questionnaires were distributed to 450 nurses in four public hospitals in western Saudi Arabia. Non-probability convenience sampling was used to collect the data. RESULTS: A total of 278 nurses from a range of clinical areas participated in the survey, which revealed that the leadership styles of clinical nurse managers positively or negatively impact nurse work engagement. Most clinical nurse managers exhibit transformational leadership, followed by transactional, then passive-avoidant styles. Respondents displayed a high level of work engagement, emphasising the positive impact of transformational and transactional leadership on work engagement outcomes. The findings showed significant differences in leadership styles and work engagement levels between Saudi and non-Saudi nurses across various dimensions. CONCLUSION: Understanding the effect of leadership styles employed by nurse managers on work engagement can positively impact staff retention rates and the quality of patient care. Nurse managers should participate in training programs to enhance their practical leadership skills to enhance the work engagement levels of nurses. IMPLICATION: Nurse work engagement can be improve

Aims. This systematic review aimed to identify, evaluate, and synthesise the results of the studies that examine the relationship between nurse managers’ leadership practices and staff nurses’ work engagement in hospital settings and to provide recommendations for improvement and further research. Background. A lack of supportive leadership is identified as one of the most common reasons nurses leave employment. To meet the global shortage of nurses, nurse managers need to maximise staff retention and work engagement. Evaluation. A systematic review was conducted to identify research published between 2010 and 2021 and registered in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, EMCare, and Eric databases. The methodology guidelines outlined in the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Methodology for Systematic Reviews were followed, and the results were reported using the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (ID CRD42021277463). Key Issue. Eleven (11) studies from 12 articles were included in this review. Three main leadership style themes were identified, and these showed statistically significant direct and indirect relationships with nurses’ work engagement: relationally focused, task-focused, and lack of leadership. Work engagement was mainly assessed in terms of dedication, absorption, and vigour. The effects of leadership styles on work engagement were found to be mediated by trust in the leader, environmental resources such as structural empowerment, six work-life areas (workload, control, values, community, rewards, and fairness), person-job fit, organisational support, leader-member exchange, and personal resources such as self-efficacy and decision authority. Conclusion. This review found a significant correlation between positive nurse manager leadership style and the work engagement of registered nurses. Implications for Nursing Management. The results of this review suggest that nursing work engagement can be improved by impleme

This perspective paper presents a discussion around the issues of sexual violence (SV) in rural and remote areas and the associated discourses of shame. The authors propose that shame of SV adds additional trauma to survivors, further impacting survivors' mental health which may be exacerbated in rural areas. Shame is a complex emotion that can result in increased feelings of guilt, humiliation, and embarrassment. Shame has been identified as an underlying risk factor and a mechanism for post-assault mental health problems. We propose it can be particularly pronounced for women subjected to sexual assault in rural or remote areas. This paper will explore the link between SV and shame, explain how shame attached to SV may be used as an informal social control mechanism for women, particularly in rural and remote areas, and discuss the role of health practitioners, particularly mental health nurses, who play a key role in supporting people impacted by SV. SV is an insidious social phenomenon that can have profound consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Addressing shame and stigma is a crucial component of supporting survivors of SV in rural and remote areas. There is a need for targeted community-led interventions and responsive support services to address the complex and multifaceted issues contributing to SV in rural and remote communities.

The aim of this study was to investigate coping styles, posttraumatic stress, and mental health symptoms among a sample of community members affected by 2019-20 Australian bushfires. Using a convenience sampling approach, an online survey was used to assess a range of coping strategies, posttraumatic stress and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among the affected community members of Black Summer bushfires. The results revealed that study participants reported moderate symptoms of depression and stress, and severe levels of anxiety. Additionally, participants reported use of both approach and avoidance coping strategies following the bushfire event as well as experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress, such as having intrusive thoughts and symptoms of avoidance and hyperarousal. Despite the durability of many individuals, others remain affected by the event and there is evidence there may be longer term mental health consequences of the bushfires for some people. Given these findings, it is imperative that mental health services be readily available for people in the bushfire-affected areas. Mental health nurses have an important role to play in supporting individuals affected by disasters. Awareness of the short- and long-term impacts of disasters on the mental health of people is paramount for mental health nurses.

Contemporary definitions and understandings of resilience refer to an individual's positive adaptation to the experience of adversity. One of the challenges of this extant body of work is that the central concept of resilience is rarely questioned. Current understandings of these concepts, largely framed in Western understandings, are unquestioningly accepted, reframed for, yet not by, Indigenous peoples, and then are unchallenged when imposed on Indigenous peoples. A scoping review was conducted and reported in line with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The review involved the participation of local Aboriginal Research Cultural Advisory Groups who participated and approved the analysis of the findings and collaborated on the design and writing of the paper. Eight publications drew on Aboriginal constructs of resilience in examining the effectiveness of programs, processes, and practices to promote individual and/or collective resilience and well-being. Most studies emphasized the need for strategies to strengthen individual or community connection to culture to foster resilience. Six studies used culturally validated strength-based tools to measure resilience, while two relied on Western constructs. This review reveals both the distinctive colonial characteristics of adversity experienced by Aboriginal people and the range of coping strategies and protective resources that support the development of resilience within different Aboriginal communities in diverse research sites across Australia. Importantly, many studies confirm adversity is linked to the enduring legacies of colonization, continuous and cumulative transgenerational grief and loss, structural inequities, racism, and discrimination. These external factors of adversity are unique to Aboriginal populations, as are the protective factors that entail strengthening connection to culture (including language reclamation), community, ancestry and land (including management and economic development) which contribute

Background: Measuring public response during COVID-19 is an important way of ensuring the suitability and effectiveness of epidemic response efforts. An analysis of social media provides an approximation of public sentiment during an emergency like the current pandemic. The measures introduced across the globe to help curtail the spread of the coronavirus have led to the development of a situation labeled as a “perfect storm,” triggering a wave of domestic violence. As people use social media to communicate their experiences, analyzing public discourse and sentiment on social platforms offers a way to understand concerns and issues related to domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: This study was based on an analysis of public discourse and sentiment related to domestic violence during the stay-at-home periods of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia in 2020. It aimed to understand the more personal self-reported experiences, emotions, and reactions toward domestic violence that were not always classified or collected by official public bodies during the pandemic. Methods: We searched social media and news posts in Australia using key terms related to domestic violence and COVID-19 during 2020 via digital analytics tools to determine sentiments related to domestic violence during this period. Results: The study showed that the use of sentiment and discourse analysis to assess social media data is useful in measuring the public expression of feelings and sharing of resources in relation to the otherwise personal experience of domestic violence. There were a total of 63,800 posts across social media and news media. Within these posts, our analysis found that domestic violence was mentioned an average of 179 times a day. There were 30,100 tweets, 31,700 news reports, 1500 blog posts, 548 forum posts, and 7 comments (posted on news and blog websites). Negative or neutral sentiment centered on the sharp rise in domestic violence during different lockdown

Disasters including public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic are known to increase instances of family violence against women, children, and other diverse populations. This paper discusses and provides evidence of disaster-related vulnerability of and violence towards specific groups of people. We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic presents the ‘perfect storm’ for family violence, where a set of rare circumstances combine, resulting in a significant aggravation of the resulting event. Given the mental health implications of family violence, mental health professionals need to be aware of this issue during the pandemic and ready to assist with the development of strategies to overcome the situation where possible. To provide protection and prevent violence, there is a need to include at-risk groups in disaster response and community planning. Such a plan could involve gender and disaster working groups at the local community, state, and national levels.

Contemporary definitions and understandings of resilience refer to an individual's positive adaptation to the experience of adversity. One of the challenges of this extant body of work is that the central concept of resilience is rarely questioned. Current understandings of these concepts, largely framed in Western understandings, are unquestioningly accepted, reframed for, yet not by, Indigenous peoples, and then are unchallenged when imposed on Indigenous peoples. A scoping review was conducted and reported in line with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The review involved the participation of local Aboriginal Research Cultural Advisory Groups who participated and approved the analysis of the findings and collaborated on the design and writing of the paper. Eight publications drew on Aboriginal constructs of resilience in examining the effectiveness of programs, processes, and practices to promote individual and/or collective resilience and well-being. Most studies emphasized the need for strategies to strengthen individual or community connection to culture to foster resilience. Six studies used culturally validated strength-based tools to measure resilience, while two relied on Western constructs. This review reveals both the distinctive colonial characteristics of adversity experienced by Aboriginal people and the range of coping strategies and protective resources that support the development of resilience within different Aboriginal communities in diverse research sites across Australia. Importantly, many studies confirm adversity is linked to the enduring legacies of colonization, continuous and cumulative transgenerational grief and loss, structural inequities, racism, and discrimination. These external factors of adversity are unique to Aboriginal populations, as are the protective factors that entail strengthening connection to culture (including language reclamation), community, ancestry and land (including management and economic development) which contribute

AIM: To explore how compassion is received by patients in a hospital setting and how compassion is expressed by health professionals in a hospital setting. BACKGROUND: Compassion is important to health professionals and patients. Perceived deficits in compassion in healthcare have led increasing concerns about the quality of care for patients. To better understand compassionate practice in a hospital setting we used narrative inquiry to explore the expression of compassion by health professionals and the experience of receiving compassion by patients. DESIGN: Narrative Inquiry. Reported in line with Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). METHODS: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 patients and health professionals in Australia. Data were collected between August 2018 and August 2019. Narrative analysis processes were used to develop a thematic framework. RESULTS: Compassionate practice is presented as an overarching theme and comprises of three themes: (1) Amalgamation of various knowledges and skills (2) Delivery of meaningful actions which alleviate suffering and (3) Meeting individual needs and prevention of further preventable suffering. The expression of compassion by health professionals involved the fusion of many skills and knowledges. Patients received compassion through the actions of the health professional which alleviated their suffering. CONCLUSION: Compassionate practice is both important, and complex. Presence, skilled and purposeful action and the alleviation of suffering are essential to the expression and receipt of compassion in the hospital setting. IMPACT: Findings from this study contribute to the growing body of literature on compassionate practice in health settings, specifically in how it is expressed and received in a hospital setting. The complexity of compassion is explained for health professionals. Compassion was shown to be embedded in the caring moments between health professionals and patients.

Aim To investigate and understand how compassion is expressed by nurses and received by patients in a hospital setting. Background Concerns regarding the absence of compassion in a healthcare setting has necessitated further research in the field. To define and measure compassion is difficult and problematic. Compassion is subjective and in the contemporary literature the views of patients are under-represented. Touch is an important component of nursing practice and can also be considered problematic. Design Secondary analysis of narrative interviews. Methods Secondary analysis of 12 participant interviews with nurses (n-4) and patients (n-8). Data were collected between August 2018 and August 2019. Findings Compassion was expressed and received through touch for nurses and patients. Patients receive compassion through the touch of the nurse and this touch conveyed comfort and safety. Touch allowed for the establishment of an authentic connection between nurse and patient. Nurses used touch to express compassion and patients received compassion when they were comforted with touch. Compassion was present in incidental touch and deliberate comforting touch. Nurses were respectful of the meanings of touch. Patients describe nurses knowing when to touch and using touch appropriately. Conclusions Nurses in our study were respectful of the meaning of touch for their patients and described using touch to convey compassion. Patients in our study perceived compassion through the touch by the nurse. Through these narratives, touch is revealed as an essential part of compassionate practice conveying safety, authenticity and connection. Impact Patients in this study describe receiving compassion through the use of touch which made them feel safe. Nurses in this study used touch to create an authentic connection with patients and were aware of the different meanings of touch. Avoiding touch, being wary of touch, or considering touch taboo robs patients of compassion moments.

Aims and objectives

Background

Design

Results

Introduction Chronic conditions impact Indigenous Peoples of Australia at a much higher rate than non-Indigenous Australians. Attendance at the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) supported Indigenous health checks are crucial to improve prevention and management of chronic health conditions. However, in conjunction with lifestyle and environmental factors, attendance rates at primary healthcare services for screening and treatment have fallen in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to explore the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on preventive health behaviours of Indigenous Australians and the associated barriers to, and enablers of, engagement with health services to formulate a targeted intervention strategy. Methods and analysis A concurrent mixed-methods study (comprising quantitative and qualitative data collection methods) will be employed. Descriptive analysis of MBS data about the characteristics of Indigenous Peoples of Australia claiming health assessment services will be performed. Generalised estimating equation regression models will be used to examine the use of health assessment services over time. Qualitative interviews informed by Indigenous research methods will be conducted. Interviews will investigate barriers to, and enablers of, engagement with health services. Thematic approach guided by the principles of indigenist praxis, storytelling and collaborative research will be used to analyse the interview data. The project commenced in July 2020 and will be completed by July 2022. Ethics and dissemination The project received ethics approval from the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of New South Wales and the University of New England Human Research Ethics Committee. Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journal articles, conferences, government and relevant stakeholder reports, and infographics.

Background

Aim

Discussion

Conclusions

Implications for practice

COVID-19 spread rapidly causing widescale loss of life and economic devastation. Efforts to contain it have resulted in measures such as closing of borders and restrictions around travel, social activities and attending places of worship. We conducted this rapid review to systematically examine, synthesize, and critically appraise the available evidence on the relationship between pandemic-related behaviours and psychological outcomes. The methods were compliant with the PRISMA guidelines. The review was preregistered with PROSPERO (Registration #: CRD42020181576). A literature search was conducted from January 2010 to April 2020 using ProQuest, Web of Science, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Scopus, SAGE Journals, and CINAHL. Of 3844 articles identified, we included 11 quantitative articles in the final synthesis, representing data from 32, 049 individual respondents from eight countries. We identified three pandemics (COVID-19, MERS-CoV, Influenza A(H1N1) pdm09) as well as several psychological outcomes including anxiety, mental distress, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anger. We also identified several behaviours during pandemics and categorized them into protective, preparedness, and perverse behaviours. The review showed that even though there is limited evidence regarding pandemic-related behaviours and psychological outcomes, the current findings showed that the psychological outcomes significantly impacted on the adoption of the pandemic-related behaviours. Given the negative effects of psychological outcomes on behaviours, we recommend that mental health professionals should promote mental health support to people exhibiting psychological distress resulting from similar events in the future. Also, we recommend that future research should test the hypothesized effects of pandemics and psychological outcomes on behaviour change.

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aims and objectives: To provide a review of empirical research investigating how compassion is expressed by nurses and received by patients in hospital settings. Background: Compassion is viewed as an important and fundamental part of a health professional practice. Universally, reports from both media and government agencies have addressed perceived deficits of compassion in healthcare with nurses accused of a lack of compassion. Research into compassion to date has largely focused on the problematic nature of compassion such as burnout, fatigue and other negative personal and work-related outcomes. Design: A systematic literature review of empirical research guided by a meta-ethnographic approach supported the systematic comparison and translation of the included studies. Six online databases were searched from January 2006–December 2016. Methods: This review was carried out according to the PRISMA-P reporting guidelines. How compassion in healthcare was defined was extracted alongside findings on how compassion was expressed by nurses and received by patients. Synthesis of the research was completed resulting in new interpretations. Results: Eleven papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Multiple differing definitions of compassion in healthcare were applied. Nurses embody and enact compassion through behaviours such as spending time with patients and communicating effectively with patients. Patients experience compassion through a sense of togetherness with nurses. Conclusion: Existing research demonstrated dissonance between the expression of compassion by nurses and how compassion is experienced by patients. The themes identified in this review should be considered by health professionals providing patient care. Relevance to clinical practice: Health providers should acknowledge and account for the time that nurses need with patients to demonstrate compassion in practice. Nursing education relating to the

© 2019 RCN Publishing Company Limited. Background Consensus methods such as Delphi studies or the group nominal method have long been used in healthcare research to develop services, processes or policies and inform further research. However, concept analysis and meta-synthesis tools are used more frequently to seek a collective understanding of subjective terms. Aim To examine the use of consensus methods to develop linguistic clarity in healthcare research. Discussion The authors argue that consensus methods are appropriate for determining linguistic clarity when researching subjective terms. The paper includes a sample research design that incorporates this approach. Consensus methods, supported by interpretive synthesis of the concept and research, can enrich our understanding of subjective terms used in healthcare research. Conclusion Understanding the importance of linguistic clarity is an important step for healthcare researchers. Consensus methods, if managed effectively and conducted in line with the appropriate research guidelines, can bring a richer understanding to concepts. Implications for practice This paper presents a research example that incorporates the use of a consensus method and which healthcare researchers can use to reduce the potential ambiguity of subjective terms in their research.

The present situation in Afghanistan is not being resolved by the current U.S. strategic approach. Given the recent uptick in insurgent violence, the shift in emphasis with regards to Afghanistan, and the change in presidential administrations, the United States has arrived at a critical crossroads regarding its strategic approach to Afghanistan. The gravity of the situation warrants an in-depth look at the context of Afghanistan to properly frame the problem for decision makers and strategic planners. This monograph fills a portion of the gap in contextual knowledge on Afghanistan needed to inform that examination. In order to focus the study, the monograph considers two evaluation criteria--ethnolinguistic groups and social structures--and two periods--the beginning of the Durrani Dynasty and the Great Game. It analyzes the historical emergence of central governance in Afghanistan and clarifies the propensity of the Afghan populace to respond to external authority and foreign intervention. This work references a myriad of sources from history, anthropology, and political science from 1816 to the present day to reach its conclusions. The analysis highlights findings in two general areas. The first is Afghan identity. Afghanistan?s diverse population is poorly characterized in the superficial and reductionist analysis that is predominately applied. The second area is Afghan power structure. The monograph recommends a continued in-depth analysis of the various facets of Afghan culture as well as two additional areas of study: the nature of U.S. interests in Afghanistan and a critical examination of the current manifestation of Afghan governance with respect to the expectations of the populace. It also recommends three actions to be taken by the U.S. government. The first is to change the scope of the planning horizon from the immediate future to the long term.