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Serious mental illnesses affect how people feel, think, and behave, and frequently contribute to disability in psychosocial and occupational functioning and quality of life (American Psychiatric Association 2015; Harvey & Strassnig, 2012; Mohamed et al., 2008). Psychosocial interventions designed to support people with schizophrenia and their families have shown to improve the person’s rehabilitation, reintegration into the community, and recovery (The National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2009; Pharoah et al., 2012). Peer workers are defined as individuals with lived experience of mental illness (Aguey-Zinsou et al., 2018), with peer support principles based on shared responsibility and mutual respect (Mead et al., 2001). These peer workers have been identified to contribute to the recovery of people with various mental health problems (Hurley et al., 2016). Peer support programmes are an increasingly important strategy in managing complex conditions and establishing partnerships (Bradstreet & Pratt, 2010). Clinical staff report value and numerous benefits that lived experience brings to services, as peers share their experience to support others in their recovery journey (Aguey-Zinsou et al., 2018). Peer support increases hope, empowerment, and quality of life, which are the essential components in mental health recovery (Aguey-Zinsou et al., 2018). Collaboration between mental health nurses and peer support workers has the potential to improve recovery-orientated care. Peer workers who advocate for individuals with similar health problems that they had experienced before, and facilitate related decision-making in illness management are viewed favourably in a clinical context (Cleary et al., 2018).

Aims and objectives: To explore the contribution of family members in promoting and supporting the self-management of chronic conditions amongst adult family members. Background: The prevalence of chronic disease continues to grow globally. The role of the family in chronic condition management and support for self-management has received little attention. Design: A systematic review of qualitative literature using the Joanna Briggs Institute approach for qualitative systematic reviews. Methods: Ovid (MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO) were searched for the period of database inception—2016. The QARI (Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument) critical appraisal instrument was used to assess the quality of each study. Using the Joanna Briggs Institute-QARI data extraction tool, findings related to the family role in the self-management of chronic conditions were extracted and each finding rated according to Joanna Briggs Institute-QARI levels of credibility. Findings were categorised and synthesised to produce a final set of aggregated findings. Results: Families were key in constructing an environment that was conducive to family engagement and support. Adaptation within the family included maintaining cohesion between family members, normalisation and contextualisation of the chronic condition. Conclusions: Whilst evidence on the value of the family in promoting positive health outcomes is clear, research on how families can specifically support the self-management of chronic conditions is emerging. Relevance to clinical practice: Family adaptability has been found to be the most powerful predictor of carer depression. Families may need support to change their home and family organisation to adapt to the challenges they face overtime. Change in roles and subsequent adaptation can be stressful, even for those family members at a distance. Nurses working in hospital and community settings can play an important role in assessing how families are adapting to living with

Background: Critical care is described as complex, detailed healthcare in a unique, technologically rich environment. Critical care nursing requires a strong knowledge base and exceptional clinical and technological skills to cope in this demanding environment. Many registered nurses (RNs) commencing work in these areas may lack resilience, and because of the stress of the critical care environment, coping mechanisms need to be developed. To prevent burnout and to enable critical care nurses to function holistically, emotional intelligence (EI) is essential in the development of such coping mechanisms. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the EI of RNs commencing work in critical care units in a private hospital group in Gauteng, South Africa. Method: The design used for this study was a quantitative descriptive survey. The target population were RNs commencing work in critical care units. Data were collected from RNs using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire – Short Form and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Results: The sample (n = 30) had a mean age of 32 years. Most of the participants (63%) qualified through the completion of a bridging course between 2010 and 2012. The majority (62%) of the sample had less than 2 years’ experience as RNs. Conclusion: The EI of RNs commencing work in a critical care environment was indicative of a higher range of Global EI, with the well-being factor scoring the highest, followed by the emotionality factor, then self-control, with the sociability factor scoring the lowest.

This study was undertaken in order to develop a model of facilitation of emotional intel- ligence to promote wholeness in neophyte critical care nurses in South Africa. A theory- generative, explorative, descriptive, contextual research design was used. The model was developed utilising the four steps of theory generation as proposed by Dickoff, James, and Wiedenbach (1968), Chinn and Kramer (2011) and Walker and Avant (2011). Step one dealt with the empirical phase in which the concepts were distilled. The facilitation of inherent affective and mental resourcefulness and resilience was the main concept of the model. Step two comprised the definition and classification of central and related concepts. Step three provides a description of the model. The model operates in three phases namely the dependent phase, partially dependent phase and the independent phase. Step four entailed the description of guidelines for operationalizing the model. During the three phases of the model a new nurse who starts to work in critical care moves from a latent ability to develop an inherent affective and mental resourcefulness and resilience to a state of developing an inherent affective and mental resourcefulness and resilience. This model provides a structured framework for the facilitation of emotional intelligence (EI) to pro- mote wholeness in nurses who commence to work in critical care units.

Critical-care nurses often look after three or more critically-ill patients during a shift. The workload and emotional stress can lead to disharmony between the nurse’s body, mind and spirit. Nurses with a high emotional intelligence have less emotional exhaustion and psychosomatic symptoms; they enjoy better emotional health; gain more satisfaction from their actions (both at work and at home); and have improved relationships with colleagues at work. The question arises: what is the emotional intelligence of critical-care nurses? A quantitative survey was conducted. The target population was registered nurses working in critical-care units who attended the Critical Care Congress 2009 (N = 380). Data were collected with the use of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Short Form and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. The sample (n = 220) was mainly a mature, female and professionally-experienced group of registered nurses. They held a variety of job descriptions within various critical-care units. Statistics indicated that the standard deviations were small and no aberrant aspects such as demographics skewed the findings. The conclusion was made that registered nurses who are older and that have more experience in critical care appear to have a higher range of emotional intelligence.

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in ISSUES IN MENTAL HEALTH NURSING on 07/10/2020, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2020.1822479

Nagel, Y., Towell, A., Nel, E., & Foxall, F. (2016). The emotional intelligence of registered nurses commencing critical care nursing. Curationis, 39(1), 1-7. Available here

Lisa, W., Amanda, T., Ma'en, A. Q., & Amanda, C. H. (2017). The role of the family in supporting the self‐management of chronic conditions: A qualitative systematic review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27 (1-2), 22-30. Available here

Coventry, L. L., Pickles, S., Sin, M., Towell, A., Giles, M., Murray, K., & Twigg, D. (2017). Impact of the orthopaedic nurse practitioner role on acute hospital length of stay and cost‐savings for patients with hip fracture: A retrospective cohort study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 73(11), 2652-2663. Available here

This is an author's manuscript of: Steinwandel, U., Gibson, N., Towell, A., Rippey, J. J., & Rosman, J. (2017). Can a renal nurse assess fluid status using ultrasound on the inferior vena cava? A cross‐sectional interrater study. Hemodialysis International. 22(2), 261-269. Article Available here.

This is an author's accepted manuscript of: Steinwandel, U., Gibson, N. P., Rippey, J. C., Towell, A., & Rosman, J. (2017). Use of ultrasound by registered nurses—a systematic literature review. Journal of renal care. 43(3), 132-142. Available here

Towell, A., Nel, W. E., & Muller, A. (2015), Model of facilitation of emotional intelligence to promote wholeness of neophyte critical care nurses in South Africa. Health SA Gesondheid, 20, 1-10. Available here

Nolan, S., Hendricks, J., Ferguson, S., & Towell, A. (2017). Social networking site (SNS) use by adolescent mothers: Can social support and social capital be enhanced by online social networks?–A structured review of the literature. Midwifery, 48, pp. 24-31. Available here.

Nolan, S (2016). "Adolescent mothers'use of social networking sites creating positive mental health outcomes". Australian nursing & midwifery journal (2202-7114), 23 (11), p. 50. Available here

Redknap, R.C., Twigg, D.E., Towell, A.J. (2016). What interventions can improve the mental health nursing practice environment? International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 25(1), 42 - 50. Available here