Nurses knowledge, practice and strain of care for delirium management among critical care nurses in Kuwait hospitals

     Jassim Al Barrak

This study aim to (i) assess ICU nurses’ knowledge of delirium, practice skills of delirium assessment and management, and strain of care when caring for patients having delirium in Kuwaiti ICUs; (ii) identify relations between ICU nurses’ knowledge, practice skills, and strain of care for delirium in Kuwait; and (iii) test for significant differences in nurses’ knowledge, practice skills, and strain of care between nurses’ different demographic characteristics groups. The target population of this study is critical care nurses working in adult ICUs in Kuwaiti hospitals. Study sample selected from the total population which is estimated to be 822 nurses who are working in different critical care units in Kuwait. The study found that (i) the sample ICU nurses of both Group 1 and Group 2 generally have average knowledge of delirium despite generally having several years of experience in ICUs, and (ii) Group 2 nurses have higher levels of knowledge of delirium than Group 1 nurses. The study found that perceptions of the sample nurses of the level of effectiveness of 20 practices in delirium management varied widely amongst members of each group and between the two groups and nurses of Group 1 rank the 20 investigated skills and practices for delirium management as about 60% effective in delirium management. Stated otherwise, almost 60.0% of the 20 listed practices are effective in delirium management. The study found that a nurse’s knowledge of delirium increases, his/her perception of the effectiveness of the 20 practices for management of delirium listed on the NPSDM instrument increases, and vice versa. The study results of testing for significant differences between the demographic characteristics groups of Group 1 ICU nurses in the main variables of the study (median scores on the NKD, NPSDM, and SCDI instruments) revealed that out of 24 potential combinations of variables and groups, only four significant differences between groups have been detected: Healthcare sector-NKD, ICU Category-NPSDM, Experience in Nursing-SCDI, Experience in ICU-SCDI.

Nurses Job Satisfaction in a Tertiary Medical Care Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Dr. Ahmed Bahnassy

    King Fahad Medical City, Saudi Arabia

Job satisfaction is of interest to both people who work in organizations and people who study them. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the health care delivery system relies heavily on expatriate human resources; hence their job satisfaction is crucial for patient satisfaction and quality of care.

The objectives of this study are to: determine the overall job satisfaction and its correlates among nurses working in tertiary care.

Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study among nurses working in a tertiary care center. A stratified random sample with proportional allocation used to choose 980 nurses. A self-administered questionnaire was used. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analysis was used for data analysis using SPSS version 17 software. The level of significance was set to be <0.05 throughout the study.

The results showed that mean satisfaction scores for all participants was 105.2 out of 150 (70%satisfaction), males were less satisfied than females, Saudis were less satisfied than non-Saudis but the differences were not significant. Significantly higher satisfaction was associated with Staff nurse 2, nurses working in Women hospital, nurses with lower than doctorate qualification and nurses with higher salaries. In general, the overall job satisfaction of nurses is acceptable and comparable to similar medical care facilities.

The study recommends Revision of salaries and fringe benefits to make them more attractive in this competitive market and in-depth inquiry about the specific reasons and determinants of the poor satisfaction among nurses with doctorate qualification, nurses working in Rehabilitation hospital to boost their job satisfaction level.

Coping Skills for Nurses

1. Remember it’s not personal:

Being in the healthcare industry isn’t just stressful for the nurse, but also your patent and family members. If they lash out at you know that their frustration isn’t geared to you. Their stress could be a concern for their loved one, financial, or the facility. If you are put in this experience remember to first take a deep breath. You don’t want to overreact or say anything negative. Instead, find your floor manager and explain the situation to them. Cooler heads will prevail.

2. Practice deep breathing exercise:

Deep breathing exercises have proven to be an affecting coping skill. It will reduce stress, improve your mood, and allow you to not to hold onto things that are out of your control. There are plenty of resources out there to help you properly find deep breathing exercises. If nothing more, close your eyes, take inhale for a 5 count, and exhale for a 5 count. Then repeat.

3. Find a quiet place:

Taking breaks is a necessary requirement for people in all industries, especially for nurses. As a new nurse, it is important to locate a place where you can escape for a few moments. Find a quiet room at your facility or perhaps there is a garden where you can sit and collect your thoughts. Finding a quiet place will rejuvenate your mood and allow you to have a successful rest of the day.

4. Find a mentor:

Mentors help guide us and are there when we need them. As a new nurse, find a seasoned nurse that can show you the ropes of the facility will go a long way in coping for new nurses. Being a nurse is a stressful job so having someone you can lean on and get you up to speed is critical.

5. Master your skills:

The quickest way to feel confident as a nurse is to master your skills. Having this level of confidence will make handling any related task seem like second nature and give you satisfaction in your new role.

6. Eat well-balanced meals:

As a nurse, you are always on the go. This makes it easier to neglect to eat properly. The key to eating a well-balanced meal is prepared. Make your meals ahead of time. Don’t skip meals. The healthier you can eat will increase your energy and productivity.

7. Get enough sleep:

Your body needs time to rest. After a busy day of work, getting the proper amount of sleep is a necessity to take on the new day. You will find out that when you neglect sleep that you are not your normal self.

8. Maintain a positive attitude:

This supports the coping skill to not stress over things you cannot control. Try to replace negative thoughts with a positive one. When you have a positive attitude, you will feel like you can handle anything thrown at you.

9. Get organized:

One way to stay on top of your game is being organized. Nurses are handing a lot of responsibilities daily. Thus, taking the time to set your daily priorities can help you formulate a plan to complete everything.

10. Leave the day with a clear mind:

Your days are long and busy. You have accomplished a lot during your day. When the day is done don’t stress over things that weren’t accomplished. You can’t change anything at home. Reflect on your shift, plan out your next day, get a good night sleep, and take on tomorrow. Move on. Otherwise, you will carry that un-needed stress the next day.http://nursingeducation.pulsusconference.com/