Western Journal of Nursing Research

BACKGROUND: A culture centered on relationships and communication is necessary to improve the quality of life of older adults living in nursing homes. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of a storytelling program by examining the cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial changes in older adults in facilities and explore staff experience of changes in care. METHODS: This mixed method study delivered a 6-week storytelling program based on relationship-centered care for residents of nursing homes (aged >65 years)...

BACKGROUND: The relationship between perceived spousal support and activities of daily living in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unclear. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between spousal support perceived by those with COPD and their activities of daily living. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional and descriptive study. Data collection was conducted between September 2022 and April 2023...

BACKGROUND: Mind-body interventions focused on intentional breathing and movement have been found to mitigate the negative effects of caregiving such as such as stress, psychosocial distress, and emotional distress associated for persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the feasibility and acceptability and preliminary impacts of our 12-week mind body intervention "Gentle Yoga and Yogic Breathing" for caregivers of persons living with dementia on health outcomes including mutuality, depression and anxiety, loneliness and social support, quality of life, and physical function...

BACKGROUND: Stress negatively affects well-being, relating to poor physical, emotional, and occupational outcomes for health care personnel. Health care professionals faced extreme stressors in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, making occupational stress relief a top priority for hospital administrators. Many health systems employ specially trained spiritual support staff as one strategy to alleviate work-related stressors. It is unclear whether health care personnels' perceptions of the availability of spiritual care staff influence self-reported stress...

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy provides a privileged and opportune moment to implement interventions promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors and significantly improving perinatal outcomes. The Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale (HLBES) can be used to assess health promoting behaviors, such as diet, physical activity, and mental health. PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the HLBES in Portuguese pregnant women. METHODS: A methodological study was conducted on a convenience sample of 192 pregnant women receiving prenatal care...

BACKGROUND: Leadership development, career advancement, and collaboration among scholars are essential to nurturing nursing research excellence and sustainability. The Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) has incorporated several strategies to advance nursing science and to increase the pool of future nurse leaders. In this article, we describe the process, activities, and outcomes of the Leadership Academy (LA), an innovative initiative from MNRS developed to identify, engage, and nurture future generations of leaders...

INTRODUCTION: Vascular dementia and heart failure (HF) are common co-existing conditions among adult populations. Each condition requires extensive home caregiving from family caregivers, especially those in rural Appalachia. This study aimed to assess caregivers' burden and their physical and mental health status, as well as explore their experiences and needs. METHODS: This study used an exploratory mixed-methods design combining quantitative and qualitative research (N = 20 caregivers)...

BACKGROUND: Caregivers of children who require medical technology of tracheostomies and feeding tubes provide intensive and specialized care at home. They have extensive training in the hospital prior to their child's discharge; however, there is limited education about their child's care once they are at home. The Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment: Symptom and Technology Management Resources intervention focused on commonly experienced symptoms and technology used at home by caregivers...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: The improvement of swallowing function after stroke is a significant challenge faced by patients and health care professionals. However, the current evidence synthesis of the effects of respiratory muscle training (RMT) on swallowing function is limited. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of RMT on swallowing recovery in patients undergoing stroke. METHODS: The CKNI, WanFang Data, PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies evaluating RMT interventions' effect on swallowing outcomes...

BACKGROUND: Heart surgery is an effective intervention for managing heart disease, the leading cause of death globally. After surgery, physical activity is key to improving patients' quality of life and decreasing mortality, but patients are frequently physically inactive after heart surgery. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional pilot study aimed to examine how psychosocial and sleep factors influenced physical activity in patients after heart surgery. The mediating role of sleep factors between psychosocial factors and physical activity was also examined...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Disclosure of family caregiving to work supervisors is needed for nurses to access work support for family caregiving. Little is known about characteristics of nurses who decide to/not to disclose family caregiving to supervisors. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine characteristics of nurses based on whether they disclosed caregiving responsibilities to their nursing supervisors and describe reasons for non-disclosure. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey...

BACKGROUND: Successful adaptation to post-transplantation life in patients who have undergone kidney transplants is crucial. The psychosocial needs of people with kidney transplants are closely related to the health of the transplanted kidney. If transplant recipients cannot adapt to the effects of the transplant, their physical and mental health will be seriously impaired. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the early post-transplant adaptation experience of young and middle-aged persons with kidney transplants in China based on the Roy adaptation model...

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic may have inhibited the development of critical thinking and emotional intelligence of nursing students due to the transition from traditional to online learning environments. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the development of critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and the perceived learning environment of nursing students during the pandemic from their first to second year. METHODS: This was a longitudinal study of 82 nursing students from 2 universities in Greece...

BACKGROUND: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers throughout the world has been reported, but most studies have been cross-sectional and excluded the Midwestern U.S. healthcare workforce. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to longitudinally assess the psychological wellbeing and wellness strategies used by a Midwestern academic health system's workforce at multiple points throughout waves of the COVID-19 pandemic to inform ongoing implementation of appropriate wellness activities...

BACKGROUND: Managing medications for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is challenging for caregivers. Information about caregivers' strategies to manage these challenges is needed to inform intervention development. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand caregivers' medication management experiences by analyzing online community discussions. METHODS: Posts were extracted from the ALZConnected® Forum using keywords "medication" and "drug" via web scraping...

BACKGROUND: Working for extended hours in a physically and mentally demanding profession has subjected nurses to occupational fatigue. Limited evidence exists about nurse fatigue and alertness changes throughout shift work and their relationship with medication errors and near misses. PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to: (1) assess the relationship between nurses' fatigue and alertness, (2) evaluate nurses' fatigue and alertness changes throughout their shift, and (3) examine the relationship between nurses' fatigue, alertness, and medication errors and near misses...

BACKGROUND: Paid caregivers are needed to support older adults, but caregiver burden contributes to high turnover rates. Assistive technologies help perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and can reduce caregiver burden, but little is known about how they impact paid caregivers. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review provides an overview of evidence on using assistive technology to reduce burdens on paid caregivers working with older adults. DESIGN: The review was conducted from May to August 2022...

BACKGROUND: Only 21% of U.S. women meet the recommended physical activity guidelines, placing them at increased risk for long-term conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Physical activity is influenced by individual and interpersonal factors (e.g., romantic partners). Individual factors, such as positive affect, are associated with lower mortality risk and improved health behaviors. OBJECTIVES: This secondary data analysis, guided by Fredrickson's Broaden and Build Theory, aims to examine the relationship between positive affect of married women (n = 115 couples) and their physical activity behavior on the same- and next- day, while also considering their spouses' positive affect...