Current Issue : July-September Volume : 2026 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 5 Articles
Background/Objectives: Challenging behaviour post-stroke can complicate care and disrupt rehabilitation, yet its presentation and management are underreported. This study explored how such behaviours were documented in clinical records and managed in stroke settings, and how care delivery and discharge outcomes were documented in this context. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted across two NHS stroke units, covering all admissions between March and April 2022. Patient records were reviewed to capture demographic, clinical, and behavioural information, together with details relating to management and discharge. Challenging behaviour was identified retrospectively from clinical documentation during routine care. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data. Results: Forty-eight stroke admissions were examined, with challenging behaviour documented in thirteen patients (27%). Eleven had ischaemic stroke, with moderate severity common (n = 6), while inattention/neglect (n = 5) and infection (n = 4) were also documented. Behaviours were commonly recorded as confusion or agitation, and predominantly by nursing staff. Challenges to care delivery were documented in six of these patients, and additional professional input was provided for seven. Discharge delays were documented in patients with challenging behaviour, and the median length of stay was notably longer for this group (19 days compared with 7). Documentation of cognitive or delirium screening was uncommon. Conclusions: Challenging behaviour was documented in over a quarter of acute stroke admissions and was documented alongside greater care complexity and longer hospital stays. These preliminary descriptive findings from a small sample indicate a need for further exploration to better characterise challenging behaviour following stroke and its implications for care....
(1) Background: The complexity of today’s healthcare system requires the formation of highly cohesive work teams that guarantee safe and high-quality care. Clinical simulation has become established as a pedagogical strategy capable of promoting the collaborative skills of teams of students and healthcare professionals. The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of learning through clinical simulation on group cohesion in nursing student teams. (2) Methods: A pre–post quasi-experimental study without a control group was conducted with final-year nursing students using the short Spanish version of the Group Environment Questionnaire, validated for nursing students. This questionnaire was administered twice, before and after participation in clinical simulation sessions. (3) Results: Clinical simulation significantly increased group cohesion in most items and in all dimensions with moderate to large effect sizes (r > 0.5). The Group Integration-Task (GI-T) dimension showed the greatest improvement after clinical simulation. Although causal relationships cannot be established, the results suggest an association between exposure to clinical simulation and increased group cohesion. (4) Conclusions: Clinical simulation was associated with significant improvements in both task-oriented and social dimensions of group cohesion among nursing students. These findings suggest that clinical simulation may enhance collaboration, communication, and commitment to shared goals within student teams. Future studies including control groups are needed to confirm these associations and further explore the impact of clinical simulation on team performance in both student and healthcare professional contexts....
The purpose of this study was to determine the healthcare utilization patterns in a national sample of older adults across several factors (ethnicity, gender, race, education) with normal and dementia/impaired cognition. We used datasets from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2018) to evaluate healthcare utilization, including metrics such as hospital and nursing home stays, hospice care, and the number of visits to the doctor. Logistic models were used to predict healthcare utilization separately in those with normal cognition and dementia. Our final sample comprised 15,607 adults (mean age: 65.2 normal cognition, mean age 71.5 dementia). Hispanics with normal cognition were less likely to stay in a hospital than non- Hispanic respondents (OR: 0.52–0.71, p < 0.01). Being female was associated with a higher risk for shorter nursing home days (OR: 1.41, p < 0.01) and doctor visits (OR: 1.63–2, p < 0.01) in cognitively normal older adults. Being female was associated with a lower risk for hospital stay in those with dementia (OR: 0.50–0.78, p < 0.01). Respondents identifying as Black or other races with dementia were less likely to experience nursing home days (OR: 0.42, p < 0.04). Black respondents with normal cognition were less likely to experience doctor visits (OR: 0.32–0.37, p < 0.01). Those with more than a high school education in both groups were more likely to experience doctors’ visits. The study points to the continued disparities in healthcare utilization linked to participants’ characteristics and cognition....
Background/objectives: Emotional intelligence (EI) plays an important role in nursing education by supporting competencies such as communication, leadership, resilience, and clinical performance. In contemporary nursing education, students face increasing academic, clinical, and emotional demands, highlighting the need to identify modifiable factors that may be associated with EI and can inform student support strategies. Despite extensive EI research, evidence remains limited and inconsistent regarding how specific health-promoting lifestyle domains and sleep quality relate to EI among prelicensure nursing students. This study aimed to examine factors associated with EI and its relationship with health behaviors among prelicensure nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative design was used. A convenience sample of 287 prelicensure nursing students from a local nursing school completed self-report questionnaires: the Schutte Self-report Emotional Intelligence Scale (SSEIS), the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results: In structured multiphase regression, HPLP-II interpersonal relations (B = 4.42, 95% CI = 1.44 to 7.50, p = 0.004) and spiritual growth (B = 6.59, 95% CI = 3.81 to 9.37, p < 0.001) were positively associated with EI. Poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) was negatively associated with EI (B = −1.95, 95% CI = −3.88 to −0.01, p = 0.049). Conclusions: Interpersonal relations, spiritual growth, and sleep quality were associated with EI among prelicensure nursing students. These factors may be relevant to consider when designing student support and EI-related educational initiatives; however, longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to clarify directionality and causality....
Background: Missed nursing care, defined as essential patient care that is omitted or delayed, is a growing source of concern due to its effects on healthcare quality and patient safety. Our aims in this study were twofold: first, we examined the extent and types of missed nursing care, and second, we analyzed the relationship between the care missed by hospital nurses and the staffing and resource adequacy in an academic medical center. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during the period between November 2022 and July 2023. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire that comprised items on socio-demographic and work-related characteristics, items on staffing and resource availability, and items from the ‘MISSCARE’ Survey. Results: The most frequently missed nursing care involved pressure-relieving interventions (Mean = 2.39) and ambulation/mobilization (Mean = 2.27), while medication administration (Mean = 1.60) and glucose monitoring (Mean = 1.56) were missed the least. Labor resource inadequacy (β = 0.315, p < 0.001) and communication and teamwork deficits (β = 0.285, p < 0.001) were positively associated with missed nursing care, whereas staffing and resource adequacy showed an inverse association (β = −0.164, p = 0.006). The model explained 49.8% of the variance in missed nursing care (R2 = 0.498). Conclusions: These findings highlight that missed nursing care is a system-level issue primarily associated with staffing and resource constraints rather than individual characteristics. Improving staffing adequacy, resource availability, and interprofessional collaboration may reduce care omissions and enhance patient safety in Saudi Arabian academic medical centers....
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