Search

Nurses' turnover intention has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. Emotional labor is reportedly high among nurses in Korea, and a positive psychological capital can help reduce turnover intention. This cross-sectional study investigated the factors influencing turnover intention in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey data were collected from 155 nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 at a university hospital in South Korea in March 2022. Self-reported and paper-based questionnaires on emotional labor, positive psychological capital, and turnover intention were employed. The mean values for emotional labor, positive psychological capital, and turnover intention were 54.52/80, 58.03/90, and 38.92/50, respectively, and 77.8% of nurses reported planning to quit working. Turnover intention correlated with emotional labor (r = 0.17; p = 0.041) and had no significant relationship with positive psychological capital. Sex (β = 0.24; p = 0.003) and emotional labor (β = 0.18; p = 0.019) affected turnover intention, with 9% explanatory power. Female nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 had a higher turnover intention than male nurses. Finally, the higher the emotional labor of nurses caring for patients with COVID-19, the higher the turnover intention. To reduce the turnover intention of nurses, hospitals need to help them enhance their emotional labor and positive psychological capital by establishing measures such as emotional coaching programs or psychological capital interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Lazarus and Folkman's theory, stress and coping affect an individual's anxiety, which is an adaptive outcome. This study examined the mediation effects of stress-coping strategies on the relationship between stress and anxiety in caregivers of patients with acute stroke. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to analyze a total of 131 caregivers caring for patients with acute stroke at a university hospital. The Caregivers Stress Scale, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, and Korean Beck Anxiety Inventory were used to quantify the participants' responses. Our results revealed that emotion-focused coping (β =.56, p <.001) partially mediated the relationship between stress and anxiety (Z = 3.30, p <.001), suggesting its ability to exacerbate anxiety in the short term by acting as a mediator between stress and anxiety. Developing appropriate coping strategies for caregivers of patients with acute stroke is therefore critical for reducing their anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes self-management is an important part of patient care for those with diabetes. The purpose of this study was to explore patients' experiences with diabetes self-management education and how these experiences differed by health-literacy levels. A descriptive qualitative design was conducted. In 2016, 20 patients with diabetes who took a formal diabetes self-management course at a university hospital in South Korea were interviewed. A conventional content analysis was conducted. Patients with low health-literacy misunderstood diabetes management, showed passive attitudes towards seeking information, and had difficulty obtaining detailed information. Patients with high health-literacy wanted systematic, in-depth, individualized counselling on lifestyle modifications and medications. Patients' experiences with diabetes self-management education revealed differences in their health-literacy dimensions. In addition to practising health-literacy precautions, the content and delivery of diabetes self-management education need to be accommodated according to patients' health-literacy levels to obtain better outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To examine the effects of indoor ambient temperature on thermal comfort, night work tolerance (fatigue, sleepiness and night adaptation) and urinary melatonin in night shift nurses. Background: Night shift induces physical stress and mental stress. Night shift work and ambient temperature are associated with work performance. The working environment must be improved for successful night shift working. However, the effects of indoor ambient temperature on night shift nurses are unclear. Methods: In this crossover study, 20 participants were divided into two groups of 10 and were assigned to work in one of two thermo‐controlled environments (23°C vs. 26°C) during two consecutive night shifts. Thermal and humidity sensation vote, night work tolerance, body temperature and urinary melatonin were assessed. Results: There were significant differences between the two groups in thermal sensation and body temperature. There were no significant differences in humidity sensation vote or night work tolerance. Urinary melatonin levels decreased significantly during the second 23°C night shift. Conclusion: A temperature of 23°C may exert a positive effect on night shift adaptation. Implications for Nursing Management: Nurses and nursing managers should assess thermal comfort during night shifts, and improved thermal comfort level should be provided to nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac support groups may positively affect adjustment after cardiac events and quality of life (QoL). However, although participation in support groups is presumed to be beneficial, there were few studies regarding the potential benefit. The purpose of this review was to examine studies focused on the effects of cardiac support groups on health-related outcomes. Four studies met the inclusion criteria for review. Eight categories of support group outcomes were identified, including psychological outcomes, health behaviors, clinical health, health-related QoL, self-reported health conditions, social support, life situation, and knowledge. Most cardiac support group outcomes, though positive, were not statistically significantly different from those of control groups in studies reviewed. Psychosocial need of patients following cardiac events is indicated, including stress management and social support, and encouraging the establishment of realistic individual goals. More research is needed to establish cost-effective formats for support groups and to determine specific outcomes that can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationships among occupational stress, recovery experience and turnover intention among nurses caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Background: The high turnover intention among nurses affect patient safety quality of patient care. Design: The cross‐sectional study design was used. This study was guided by STROBE. Methods: Convenience sampling identified 202 registered nurses working in the COVID‐19 wards of three tertiary general hospitals in two cities in South Korea. The collected data were analysed using SPSS version 26.0, and the PROCESS macro in SPSS was employed to estimate path coefficients and assess the adequacy of the model. The moderating effects of recovery experience on the pathway in which occupational stress of the participants affects turnover intention were verified using model 1 of the SPSS PROCESS macro proposed by Hayes. Results: The recovery experience did not significantly mediate the relationship between occupational stress and turnover intention. However, it had significant moderating effect on the relationship between occupational stress and turnover intention (β =.005, 95% CI [.001,.010]). The effect of occupational stress on turnover intention was dependent on recovery experience. Conclusion: The results revealed that occupational stress among nurses caring for patients with COVID‐19 affect the turnover intention and the level of recovery experience moderates this relationship. Thus, not only during the COVID‐19 pandemic but also during challenging times of various infectious disease outbreaks, hospitals can enhance the health and well‐being of nurses and promote the retention of nursing staff. Implications for the profession: During the COVID‐19 pandemic, nurses have been exposed to understaffing and overwhelming workloads. However, policies for nurses' welfare and benefits are still insufficient, even as the pandemic comes to an end. The results of this study indicate that sufficient rest and appropriate nursing personnel are of utmost importance to nurses. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]