This study aimed to capture and explore family caregivers' lived experience of caring for hospitalised patients with cancer during the lockdown.
The unprecedented lockdown episodes due to COVID-19 ...have brought significant changes in the hospital visiting policies and caregiving practices. As part of the precautionary measures for hospital visits, the bedside companion was restricted to one caregiver for patients with cancer in Shanghai hospitals.
This study adopted a descriptive phenomenological approach.
Data were collected among 20 family caregivers recruited from the Oncology department of a tertiary hospital in Shanghai in May 2022, using purposive sampling method and followed by unstructured, open-ended interviews. Colaizzi's seven-step data analysis method was used to analyse the data to reveal the emergent themes and subthemes of the phenomenon.
Four themes were generated on family caregivers' lived experience of caring for hospitalised patients with cancer during the lockdown, including (1) Feeling scared for the patient; (2) Living a life feeling trapped under COVID-19 surveillance; (3) Feeling neglected and unseen; (4) Growing resilience and appreciation.
The lockdown exacerbated the burden of family caregivers when they cared for the hospitalised patients with cancer during the lockdown period. However, positive reframing of the lived experience facilitated their coping with the challenging situation.
Findings from this study highlighted the potential proactive roles the healthcare providers could play in improving family caregivers' health and supporting them during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines; the study was reported according to the COREQ checklist.
Family caregivers of patients with cancer were involved in data collection and member-checking of the transcripts and interpretations of their experiences.
The gaps between employers' expectations, theory and practice are the most prominent and universal issues in nursing education. New graduate nurses seem to be academically equipped but cannot ...integrate their knowledge into practice as they enter the clinical settings. Employers expressed limited critical thinking skills are a common problem among new graduate nurses.
To examine the efficacy of team-based learning (TBL) in developing problem-solving ability and critical thinking skills among nursing students and to identify the strategies used and obstacles to TBL in nursing education.
Systematic review (SR) of experimental and quasi-experimental studies.
A thorough database search was done on 19 April 2022 with four electronic databases: Academic Search Premier, CINAHL Complete, ERIC, Medline/PubMed. Eligible studies from the 1990s to 2022 were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of this SR.
The PRISMA 2020 guideline was applied in this SR. The JBI Critical Appraisal Checklists were used to evaluate the quality of the selected studies. Four reviewers participated in the review process to ensure rigour and credibility of the study.
The six studies reviewed included one randomised control trial, one crossover study, and four quasi-experimental studies. Two studies assessed the effectiveness of TBL in developing critical thinking skills and had shown in favour of TBL with statistically significant differences. Five studies evaluated the effectiveness of TBL in enhancing problem-solving ability. Three of five studies showed favour in TBL groups. The teaching strategies and obstacles in TBL use in nursing education were identified.
TBL may be considered a potential active-learner-centred approach to develop critical and problem-solving skills in nursing education. Further research is needed to identify the optimal duration of implementing TBL to develop nursing students' critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.
Hope plays an extremely important role in protecting childhood cancer patients from psychological distress caused by cancer. The availability of a valid and reliable instrument that can accurately ...assess hope is crucial for the development of interventions to enhance hope among childhood cancer patients. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Herth Hope Index (HHI). Chinese childhood cancer patients aged 8-17 years (n = 412) were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed the Chinese translated version of the HHI, the Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale for Children and the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 Cancer Module. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to assess the structural validity of the HHI. Content validity, convergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability at 2 weeks were also examined. The content validity index for items ranged from 0.8 to 1.0, and that for the scale was 0.9, demonstrating appropriate content validity. There was a positive correlation between HHI and Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale for Children scores and a negative correlation between HHI and Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 Cancer Module scores. The results indicated that the Chinese version of the HHI showed reasonable convergent validity and discriminant validity. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a three-factor model, which could explain 82.74% of the total variance. The confirmatory factor analysis results showed that χ
/df was 2.20, comparative fit index was 0.98, goodness of fit index was 0.94, and root-mean-square error of approximation was 0.07. Cronbach's alpha was 0.78, indicating good internal consistency. The findings of the study showed that the Chinese version of the HHI (11-item) is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing hope among Chinese childhood cancer patients. Evidence-based interventions can be provided to enhance hope in this population.
•Infected patient location significantly affects the distribution of the tracer gas.•Higher ventilation rate causes more air mixing and a wider dispersion of pathogens.•A stagnant zone can lead to ...high exposure to airborne pathogens.•Physical partitions or shielding objects can unpredictably influence the airflow.•Airflow evaluations should be done on a case-by-case basis.
Existing infection control studies in hospitals focused on rooms with special ventilation requirements. Study on proper management practices and ventilation strategies in general inpatient wards are critical but currently lacking. To identify the simple operational practices that can limit airborne transmission within a general inpatient ward with the patient cubicle, nursing station and corridor, this study investigates the effects of infected patient locations, air change rates (ACH) and door opening angles on bioaerosol dispersion using a novel tracer gas sensor network. Experimental results show that the supply inlet and infected patient locations significantly affects the distribution and dispersion of the tracer gas within the ward. Using a higher ventilation rate to achieve a lower average airborne pathogen concentration can cause more mixing of air and a wider dispersion of airborne pathogens. Localization of bioaerosols near the source through ventilation controls, a low ACH and proper patient location near the exhaust can minimize the air turbulence and the spread and reduce the infection risks of the susceptibles. Using physical partitions or objects as shields against airborne contaminants can unpredictably influence the airflow patterns, airflow evaluations should hence be done on a case-by-case basis. The methodology established in this study puts forward an economical and fast way for evaluating airborne infection risk, and the experimental results can be useful references for building engineers and hospital facility managers to formulate proper strategies for risk assessment and infection control.
Limited studies exist on women’s mild traumatic brain injury received from episode of intimate partner violence. This study aims to identify the occurrence of intimate partner violence‐related mild ...traumatic brain injury in Chinese women admitted to emergency units; and examine the physical, mental, and cognitive functioning of abused women with mild traumatic brain injury related to violent episodes. Eighty‐six Chinese abused women presenting at emergency units in four major local hospitals in Hong Kong between January 2014 and December 2016 were recruited. They were admitted for the treatment of intimate partner violence‐related physical injuries and were screened for traumatic brain injury by the emergency unit nurses at triage. Participants were assessed for traumatic brain injury based on the definition from US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, post‐concussion physical symptoms, anxiety and depression, health‐related quality of life, and cognitive functioning. Structured multiphase regression was used to examine the impact of intimate partner violence‐related mild traumatic brain injury on physical, mental, and cognitive functioning of participants. We found that 24.4% of participants had intimate partner violence‐related mild traumatic brain injury. There were significantly more severe post‐concussion physical symptoms in abused women with intimate partner violence‐related mild traumatic brain injury than those without mild traumatic brain injury (estimate = 18.7, 95% CI = 10.9 to 26.6, p < 0.001). The Mental Component Summary was also significantly associated with intimate partner violence‐related mild traumatic brain injury (estimate = ‐7.9, 95% CI = ‐13.8 to ‐2.1, p = 0.009). Regarding cognitive functioning, the mean total test scores indicated that both groups were cognitively abnormal and there was no significant impact from mild traumatic brain injury. This study provides evidence on the impact of mild traumatic brain injury and implications in screening for mild traumatic brain injury and early intervention for improving quality of life in abused women.
The link between nocturia and aging male symptoms (AMS) has not been scientifically established. This study aimed to measure the degree of severity of AMS that impacts health-related quality of life ...(HRQoL) in adult males living with nocturia and to determine the predictive values of nocturnal factors on AMS.
This is an extended analysis of new data collected by using the Hong Kong Traditional AMS (HK-AMS) scale and the Cantonese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in a recently published cross-sectional population-based survey.
Of the 781 respondents that completed the set of questionnaires, 68% and 61% of men living with nocturia reported clinically significant (at moderate-to-severe levels) somato-vegetative and sexual AMS; the prevalence and severity were increased with advancing nighttime voiding frequency. Age, the Global PSQI score, certain metabolic diseases, the nocturia-specific QoL (NQoL) score and bedtime voiding frequency were found to be significant predictive factors for composite somato-vegetative and sexual AMS.
The current findings suggested the inclusion of nocturia when measuring male-specific HRQoL related to aging.
Background: Most prevalence surveys on nocturia have focused on older populations. This study aimed to measure the nocturia prevalence across the full spectrum of male adults living in Hong Kong, ...where severity and associated quality-of-life (QoL) were also explored. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted in men aged 18 or above using the ICIQ-NQoL Questionnaire. Results: With 1239 respondents at age ranged 18–99, the overall nocturia prevalences were found to be 63.0% (ranged 41.6–84.6% at different age groups) and 31.2% (ranged 13.0–56.3% at different age groups), for ≥1 and ≥2 bedtime voiding episodes, respectively. The chance of nocturia was dramatically increased at age 60 or above while both prevalence and voiding frequency were increased with advancing age. About 83% of the nocturia men experienced one to two voiding episodes per night, but many of them had self-rated their QoL poor or very poor and indicated moderate-to-high bothersome. Younger men at age 18–39 were found to have high prevalence as 41.6% and almost 30% of them rated poor or very poor QoL. Conclusions: Nocturia was not only affecting the older populations but also caused significant bothersome and negative impacts on QoL in younger males.
Cohabitation, referring to a co-residential romantic relationship between two intimate partners without a marriage license, has become widely accepted in contemporary societies. It has been found ...that cohabitating women have a higher risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) than married women. However, as yet, no studies have investigated the level and pattern of IPV-associated physical injuries and its mental health impact on cohabitating women. Therefore, we aim to compare IPV-associated physical injuries between cohabitating and married women by conducting a review of 5-year medical records from the emergency departments of two major public hospitals in Hong Kong.
This is a retrospective cohort study. Using two computerized systems, we identified the medical charts of 1011 women who had experienced IPV and presented at emergency departments between 2010 and 2014, of which, 132 were cohabitating and 833 were married.
Cohabitating women were significantly younger (p-value < .0001) and had obtained a higher educational level (p-value = .008) than married women. After adjusting for those two variables, the logistic regression models showed that cohabitating women were approximately 2.1 times more likely than married women to present with head, neck, or facial injuries (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.30-3.40, p = .002), and the risk of having multiple injuries in different locations (head, neck, face, torso, limbs) was almost twice that for cohabitating women compared with married women (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.25-2.65, p = .001). Furthermore, cohabitating women were almost two times as likely as married women to experience more than one method of physical violence (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.18-2.51, p = .005). There were no significant differences regarding mental health, police reporting, and discharge plans.
Owing to recent social changes to the family structure, including the growing acceptance of cohabitation, it is essential that a screening program for IPV is established for cohabitating women, as well as the inclusion of IPV content in medical and nursing curriculums and in-service training.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is largely recognized to have a cyclical pattern and violence escalation in terms of frequency and intensity over time. However, there is a lack of systematic ...investigation of the profiles of victims and quantification of the patterns of injury of the victims associated with the first time versus repeated violence episodes. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by medical chart review of 878 victims in a 5-year period from 2010 to 2014 in Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of two public general hospitals in Hong Kong. The differences in injury patterns between the first IPV episode (FE) and recurrent IPV episodes (REs) experienced by male and female victims in heterosexual relationship were evaluated. The results indicated the violence escalation occurred in recurrent IPV in both genders. In female victims, there was significant increase in the number of injury locations (mean M = 2.0 vs. 2.2, p < .05), number of causes of injury (M = 1.7 vs. 2.2, p < .001) and police escort (15.2% vs. 22.1%, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In male victims, however, only the increase in the number of causes of injury was significant (M = 1.6 vs. 2.1, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In summary, our results highlight the escalation in the severity of harm of IPV victims in heterosexual relationship, and the gender differences in severity aggression and injury and help-seeking behavior change in recurrent IPV. Preventive measures are indicated to intervene the IPV occurrence and recurrence with rising morbidity and a potential of mortality.
Background: Acupuncture is an alternative treatment for improving sleep, and it may attenuate oxidative stress, which is a possible pathophysiological factor in insomnia. The aim of this study was to ...examine the efficacy and safety of a semi-individualized acupuncture in improving sleep and explore its effect on oxidative stress parameters in adults with insomnia disorder. Methods: In this randomized sham-controlled trial, 140 participants were randomly assigned to either a 4-week semi-individualized traditional acupuncture (TA) or noninvasive sham acupuncture (SA). The primary outcome measure was the sleep-diary-derived sleep efficiency. Other outcomes included sleep diary and actigraphy, Insomnia Severity Index, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and quality of life. Blood samples were taken to measure oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, paraoxonase, and arylesterase). Results: Although no significant difference was found in the primary outcome measure, both sleep-diary-derived and actigraphy-derived total sleep time (TST) were significantly increased in the TA group at 1-week posttreatment (mean difference in sleep diary = 22.0 min, p = 0.01, actigraphy = 18.8 min, p = 0.02). At 5-week posttreatment follow-up, a significantly higher proportion of participants in the TA group showed sleep-diaryderived sleep efficiency (SE) greater than or equal to 85% than in the SA group (55.6% versus 36.4%, p = 0.03). Conclusion: TA and SA did not significantly differ in improving subjective sleep efficiency in individuals with insomnia disorder. However, the TA group showed a short-term effect on improving TST as measured by both sleep diary and actigraphy at 1-week posttreatment, but there were no differences in the oxidative stress parameters. Clinical Trial Registration: Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Title: Acupuncture in the Modulation of Peripheral Oxidative Stress Insomnia; Identifier NCT03447587; URL: Keywords: sleep, electroacupuncture, oxidative stress, placebo, Chinese medicine, acupoints
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