The Philippine Journal of Advanced Nursing

RESILIENCE AND WORK ENGAGEMENT OF FILIPINO NURSES WORKING IN COVID-DESIGNATED UNITS IN A NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

2022-11-22T22:43:57+00:00

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic brought indelible negative impact to the wellbeing of healthcare workers. Nurses who are at the frontlines providing direct care to infected patients are confronted with immense physical and emotional stress arising from healthcare demands and unfavorable work environment. Resilience as a multidimensional concept is crucial in coping with adversities and maintaining engagement at the workplace.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine the level and relationship of resilience and work engagement among nurses deployed in COVID-designated units in a national tertiary hospital at the National Capital Region, Manila.
Methods: This is a descriptive correlational study. A total of 172 nurses who provide direct patient care and have been deployed in the COVID units for at least six months in a national COVID referral center participated in the study. A proportional stratified sampling technique was used. Respondents completed the online-based, Likert-type adapted tool on Measuring Resilience and Engagement. Cross-sectional data were collected from June to September 2021. Linear regression was used to ascertain the relationship between resilience and work engagement. Ethical clearance was provided by the University of the Philippines Manila Research Ethics Review Board.
Results: Resilience which was measured by decompression (M= 5.54, SD= 1.20) and activation (M= 5.43, SD= 2.07) and engagement (M= 5.51, SD= 2.15) were reported as average. Decompression means the ability of an individual to disconnect from work issues and enjoy personal time, while activation pertains to one’s capacity to find meaning at work. Regression analysis revealed that resilience was a significant predictor of engagement (p= 0.000). Furthermore, it revealed that a unit increase in the level of decompression increases work engagement by 0.30, and with a unit increase in the level of activation, work engagement increases by 0.42.
Conclusion: This study provides evidence that resilience is a significant predictor of work engagement among nurses assigned in COVID units.
Impact: Investing programs that support nurses’ resilience increases the likelihood of their engagement at the workplace. This is pivotal for hospital administrators to prioritize during the pandemic when nurses are suffering from burn-out, stress and undue fatigue that compel them to disengage and leave the profession.

LETTER OF SUPPORT TO THE PHILIPPINE JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING

2023-04-03T04:34:29+00:00

Abstract is not required for this article.

OUTLOOK FORMATION PROCESS AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS EXPERIENCING CONCURRENT SYMPTOMS: A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY

2023-01-21T01:49:11+00:00

Background: Living with a chronic illness entails adaptation, coping and understanding own life situation. There exist gaps on how individuals with SLE, as they experience fatigue and its concurrent symptoms, make sense/process all of these as they live with the condition?

Objectives: To explore the process between fatigue, the presence of concurrent symptoms and its social-psychological aspects.

Methods: Corbin and Strauss (Straussian) grounded theory (GT) approach was used in this study. Before this study's conduct, reflexivity was observed by the authors. In this study, thirteen (N=13) (13 female aged 19-58) individuals who qualified the inclusion criteria participated in the study. Three (N=3) additional female participants diagnosed with SLE validated the findings and suggestions were carried out. Individual audio-recorded telephone and videoconferencing interviews were conducted between October-December 2021. The data analysis included open, axial, and selective coding combined with a software program for qualitative data analysis. After initial purposeful sampling, theoretical sampling and constant comparative technique were used to further enrich the data.

Results: Pain (10/13) was the most frequent symptom that occurred concurrently with fatigue as reported by participants. Here we report that based on the findings, process of outlook towards their functioning was developed among participants as evident in three major categories: Reliance (justifying the experience), Passiveness (being open and accepting), and Independence (efforts to gain control) and supported in nine sub-categories. Outlook on functioning in this study refers to the individual’s appraisal, interpretation, or general attitude towards their functioning as they make sense of their condition and various forms of social interactions. Theoretical assumptions developed include: (1) individual outlook buffers the influence of social support to the outcomes, (2) the nature and source of social support influences the individual outlook, and (3) outlook on functioning is individualized and context based.

Conclusion: As reported in numerous studies that social support buffers outcomes however in this grounded theory study, the concept of outlook which refers to an individual’s critical interpretation of the various forms of social interactions exists. In other words, social support does not always buffer antecedents to outcomes but also serves as an antecedent to outlook.

Impact: Further studies to prove the theoretical assumptions should be conducted and to explore the role of outlook to outcomes. Outlook should be included when assessing symptom experience.

TRANSITION TO U.S. PRACTICE AMONG INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED NURSES: A CONCEPT ANALYSIS

2023-11-05T11:43:44+00:00

Background: The World Health Organization estimated there is a shortage of 5.9 million nurses around the world. The United States (U.S.) alone predicted a shortage of almost one million nurses by 2030, which is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is not surprising that healthcare institutions recruit nurses from other countries to fill in for their nursing shortage. Recruiting internationally educated nurses (IENs) is not a new strategy since the U.S. has continuously used this strategy to fill since the Second World War. The concept of transition to practice among IENs is important because of the differences in nursing education and practices between the U.S. and other countries. These differences in nursing education and practice across the world make it more imperative to understand the concept of transition to practice among IENs.

Objectives: To conduct a concept analysis on the concept of transition to U.S. practice among IENs.

Methods: Walker and Avant’s approach to concept analysis was used. Electronic databases such as NCBI, PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar were searched. A total of 320 articles were initially generated from the search of these databases; of which a total of 30 articles were used in determining the uses, the defining attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of the concept.

Results: The defining attributes identified of transition to U.S. practice among IEN were 1) preparation, 2) onboarding, and 3) acculturation. Model, related, and contrary cases were developed. Antecedents and consequences were identified. Empirical referents of the concept were also discussed and presented the need for a tool specific for IENs. Based on the review of the literature and defining attributes that emerged, the new definition of transition to U.S. practice among IENs was developed.

Conclusion: A proposed first definition of the concept of transition to U.S. practice among IENs was developed based on the defining attributes. This concept analysis may be used to develop an instrument to examine the transition to U.S. practice among IENs as well as a guide for developing transition programs.

Impact: Internationally educated nurses play an essential role in the impending nursing shortage in the U.S. All IENs must transition to their new environment and workplace. This concept analysis helps understand the concept of transition to U.S. practice among IENs. Ensuring that IENs successfully transition to U.S. practice is essential to assure safe and quality nursing care. It also adds to the body of limited knowledge on the concept of transition to U.S. practice among IENs.

A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF NURSING HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH IN A NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

2022-12-20T10:53:04+00:00

Background: Nursing health services research conducted in the local setting is not commonly reported in the literature and has not been systematically reviewed in recent years in terms of scope and status.

Objective: To determine the scope and status of nursing health services research conducted in a national university hospital in terms of research productivity and nature of scientific investigation.

Method: This is a narrative review of studies.

Results: Forty-nine research reports from 2005-2017 were appraised, extracted and analyzed using the review methodology of Whittemore and Knafl. The Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) of Baethge, Goldbeck-Wood and Mertens was utilized in the evaluation of research reports. In a span of 13-year period from 2005-2017, an average of three to four research studies were completed every year,mostly descriptive/correlational/predictive in design (63.27%) and the studies focused mostly on healthcare providers like nurses (71%) as population focus. Research topics explored include issues on patient care and nursing interventions (20.41%), positive practice environment (18.37%) and nurse’s role competencies (18.37%). The majority of the studies were presented in different conferences, however, limited publication in peer-reviewed journal. The study findings informed policy decisions, staff development programs, innovative patient care modalities and reviewing the nursing service research agenda.

Conclusion: This review systematically described the status and scope of nursing health services research conducted in a national university hospital. Findings of this review provides a fertile ground to advance the development of nursing health services research agenda, calibrate capacity-building research programs for registered nurses working in the hospital in collaboration with the academe, and ensuring visibility of nursing research conducted by the nurses at the bedside.

Impact: Improving the competencies of nurses working in the hospital setting on diverse research methodologies and preparing manuscripts for funding and publication as well as collaborative activities with the academe are critical factors to further strengthen nursing research outputs in the clinical setting. To advance nursing health services research, agenda should be articulated and prioritized at the institutional and national levels.