1,721,029 research outputs found
Associated and predictive factors of the progression pathway of undergraduate nursing students: A systematic review with meta-analysis and an international longitudinal study
Full text linkDespite the international interest of High Education Institutions in nursing students’ academic success, their educational pathway evolution, and success associated and predictive factors, such factors are still unclear, and no consensus exists about definitions of academic outcomes. Therefore, a standardized methodology in studying the phenomenon is not fully utilizable. To face these issues, a systematic review with meta-analysis and an international longitudinal study were conducted. The aim of the systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide an overview of the variables influencing the academic outcomes of nursing students. Eighteen studies were included, nine of which were meta-analyzed. The differences among the seven retrieved definitions of the academic outcome mainly regarded outcome timepoint measurement and whether authors considered ‘success’ or ‘lack of success’ as academic outcome. In meta-analyses, being female, having attended a Classical, Scientific or Academic high school, and having reported higher final grades at the high school revealed association with graduation within the legal duration of the program. Contrasting and limited evidence were found for the other factors assessed in the literature, as well as for the other outcome definitions. Despite the detected heterogeneity, the topic confirmed to be historical and still of current interest. It is strongly recommended to consider the secondary school grade as students’ selection criterion. The aim of the international longitudinal study was to investigate associated and predictive factors of nursing students’ academic success, i.e. graduation within the legal duration of the program, in the Albanian context. The study was conducted in the Nursing Bachelor Program (NBP) of the University of Elbasan. Since October 2017 and 2018, independent variables of first-year students were collected at the end of each academic year. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed at all the timepoints to identify associations with predictive power for academic success. N = 165 students were enrolled in the study, N = 124 and N = 75 students participated at the end of their second and third year, respectively. Students were very young, mainly female, belonged to low-medium social classes, and mainly had attended high secondary school; few of them have had previous working or other academic experiences and their modifiable factors mostly remained stable. Most of the students did not work or volunteer and have had financial and learning difficulties while attending the NBP. Concerns about their academic results was the main reason for ‘intention to leave’. Most of the students used to study individually and regularly, and a negative difference between students’ satisfaction and perceived importance was revealed for the investigated organizational factors of the university. Students’ empathy raised during the pathway and they reported a good perception of the clinical learning environment attended during the placements, despite they were poorly aware of the occurrence of organizational changings in the floors. Almost all the students met the reference guide during the academic years and reported a good motivation to perform the placement. Different associated/predictive factors were identified in the timepoints of data collection. The dynamic and complex nature of the phenomenon was highlighted. The secondary school grade as selection criterion was confirmed as appropriate and younger students without previous working experiences reported higher frequency of success. ‘Success’ students seem to be intrinsically more motivated than ‘not success’ students. Further research is needed to assess the role of students’ non-intellective and modifiable variables
Patterns of Migraine in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review
Full text linkIntroduction: Migraine prevalence is higher in fertile than in postmenopausal women. However, few literature data are available on the prevalence and characteristics of migraine after the menopause and on the effect of hormones in postmenopausal women with migraine.Methods: We performed a systematic literature review of studies available on Scopus and Web of Science from the beginning off indexing until October 18th, 2020. We included both randomized trials and observational studies.Results: We included 12 papers, six of which assessed the prevalence and characteristics of migraine in postmenopausal women, while the other six assessed the effect of hormones on migraine after the menopause. One of the studies was a randomized trial, while the remaining 11 were observational studies. Ten studies were clinic-based, while the remaining two were population-based. Studies assessing the prevalence and characteristics of migraine after the menopause reported inconsistent findings; in studies performed in headache clinics, likely affected by selection bias towards the most severe cases, a relevant proportion of women reported migraine worsening after the menopause. Studies assessing the effect of hormones on migraine after the menopause showed that postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy was invariably associated with migraine worsening, if containing estrogen.Conclusion: Our systematic review showed that migraine could be a relevant health problem in postmenopausal women, mostly in headache clinics. However, the available studies allow a limited assessment of the prevalence and characteristics of postmenopausal migraine. Further large studies are needed to better determine the burden of migraine after the menopause according to migraine characteristics and the impact of hormonal treatments
Clinical Scales for Psychiatric Comorbidities and Cognitive Processes in Headache and Migraine.
No full textPrimary headache patients, especially migraineurs, often present psychiatric comorbidities or cognitive impairment. Most frequent psychiatric comorbidities include major depression, anxiety, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or suicidal behaviour, while most dysfunctional cognitive domains usually are processing speed, memory, executive functions, and verbal skills. Both the presence of psychiatric comorbidities and cognitive impairment in migraine patients seems to be bidirectional. Theories regarding the association with psychiatric comorbidities consider mutual causality, latent brain state models, shared environment, and shared genetic origins. Dysfunctional cognitive styles can lead to chronification of headache or decreased response to pharmacological treatment by influencing patients’ behavior in interictal phases. The awareness of the presence of psychiatric comorbidities or cognitive impairment in migraine patients is fundamental for their management.
We described widely used validated instruments to evaluate presence or severity of psychiatric comorbidities and to assess cognitive status and cognitive aspects in pain processing in migraine. Instruments are Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, My Mood Monitor checklist, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Patients Health Questionnaire (PHQ), PHQ-4, PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version, Primary Care-PTSD Screen, Subjective Cognitive Impairments Scale, Headache-Specific Locus of Control Scale, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and Headache Management Self-Efficacy Scale
Unveiling the keys to success: Insights from a phenomenological study on recent nursing graduates
Full text linkBackground
The phenomenon of academic success of undergraduate nursing students is a global issue in higher education institutions due to the direct effects on the availability of future nurses and care, thus impacting public health. Available quantitative research has highlighted factors influencing academic success, although most of these factors are not effectively manageable with intervention strategies.
Aim
The purpose of the study was to describe the lived experiences and their meanings of Bachelor nursing graduates who successfully completed the program.
Design
Phenomenological descriptive study.
Setting
University of L'Aquila, Italy.
Participants
A purposive sample of twenty-two successful nursing graduates.
Methods
Participants were interviewed at the end of the 2022 academic year. A thematic analysis was conducted to describe their lived experiences as students.
Results
Five themes represent the key to success for undergraduate nursing students. Specifically: (1) have a single-minded determination, (2) adopt versatile and evolutionary learning strategies, (3) have strong supportive relationship, (4) apply strategies for emotional regulation, and (5) perceive themselves as the heartbeat of education.
Conclusions
This phenomenological study unveils the keys to the academic success of undergraduate nursing students, providing insights to appropriate supporting strategies
Different effects of air microembolism through patent foramen ovale in patients with migraine: A quantitative electroencephalogram case series
No full textBACKGROUND: Literature suggests an association between patent foramen ovale (PFO) and migraine, mostly migraine with aura (MA). Previous data suggest that air microembolism through PFO can lead to bioelectrical abnormalities detectable at electroencephalogram (EEG) in patients with MA, thus suggesting a pathophysiological mechanism for the MA-PFO association. However, those data lack replication. METHODS: Patients with MA or migraine without aura (MO) and large PFO underwent a 19-channel EEG recording before and after injection of air microbubbles. We compared EEG power before and after microbubble injection for each electrode location, for each frequency band (theta: 5–7 Hz; alpha: 8–12 Hz; beta: 13–30 Hz; lower gamma: 31–45 Hz), and for total global power (the average of EEG power at each location and frequency band). RESULTS: We included 10 patients, four with MA and six with MO; six patients had medium-to-high migraine frequency (four or more monthly migraine days), while four had low frequency (one monthly migraine day). EEG power changes after air microembolism varied across patients. Considering the overall group, total global EEG power did not change; however, EEG power in the higher frequency ranges (beta and lower gamma) increased in patients with MA. CONCLUSIONS: We did not replicate the effects of air microembolism previously reported in patients with migraine. Aura status, migraine frequency, and medications might influence patients' response to microembolism. More refined EEG measurements are needed to clarify the dynamic role of PFO on migraine occurrence
The effects of a multidisciplinary education course on the burden, health literacy and needs of family caregivers
No full textChronic diseases are mostly managed by family caregivers that often face the “caregiver burden”. This study aimed to understand whether a multidisciplinary theoretical-practical training course could influence the burden, health literacy and needs of caregivers. Seventy-six familial caregivers were asked to complete the Caregiver Burden Inventory-CBI, Caregiver Needs Assessment-CNA, and Health Literacy Questionnaire-HLQ, before and after the course. A significant decrease in CBI and an increase of CNA were observed. However, a significantly higher rate of CBI decrease and a lower increase of CNA were detected in the neurological compared to the oncological group (p = 0.001). Moreover, the ability of the participants to look for and find health information significantly improved. The course contrasted caregivers’ burden, increased their search for health information, and revealed their requiring of training and emotional and social support. Caregiver education plays a pivotal role in the management of chronic patients, enhancing the quality of life of both patients and caregivers
Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Monoclonal Antibodies Acting on the CGRP as a Combined Treatment for Migraine (TACTIC): Protocol for a Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial
Full text linkBACKGROUND: Migraine is a recurrent headache disorder that has a still unclear pathophysiology, involving several circuits of both the central and peripheral nervous system. Monoclonal antibodies acting on the calcitonin gene-related (CGRP) pathway (CGRP-MAbs) are the first drugs specifically designed for migraine; those drugs act peripherally on the trigeminal ganglion without entering the blood-brain barrier. Conversely, neuromodulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) act centrally by increasing or decreasing the neuronal firing rate of brain cortical areas. The aim of the study will be to evaluate whether tDCS, in addition to CGRP-MAbs, is an effective add-on treatment in reducing headache frequency, intensity and acute medication use in patients with migraine. To demonstrate the biological effects of tDCS, the electroencephalographic (EEG) power changes after tDCS will be assessed. METHODS: We will include patients with migraine on treatment with CGRP-MAbs and reporting ≥8 monthly migraine days. During a prospective 28-day baseline period, patients will fill in a headache diary and questionnaires to evaluate migraine-related disability, anxiety and depressive symptoms, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life. Subjects will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to active or sham tDCS. The stimulation protocol will consist in five daily sessions, the cathodes will be applied bilaterally above the occipital areas, with the reference anode electrodes positioned above the primary motor areas. Before the first, and immediately after the last stimulation session, patients will perform a 10-min resting EEG recording. During a 28-day follow-up period following tDCS, patients will have to fill in a headache diary and questionnaires identical to those of the baseline period. DISCUSSION: This trial will evaluate the efficacy of an add-on treatment acting on the brain in patients with migraine, who are already treated with peripherally acting drugs, showing how tDCS acts in restoring the dysfunctional brain networks typical of the migraine patient. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05161871
NANDA-I, NIC, and NOC taxonomies, patients' satisfaction, and nurses' perception of the work environment: an Italian cross-sectional pilot study
Full text linkStructured nursing care planning, patients' satisfaction with care, nurses' job satisfaction, and the characteristics of the work environment may influence each other and impact on the quality of hospital care. This study aimed at investigating the differences in nurses' perception of the work environment and patients' satisfaction with care, between two groups of hospital wards that used NANDA-I, NIC, and NOC taxonomies or not in the daily practice
Efficacy and safety of greater occipital nerve block for the treatment of cervicogenic headache: a systematic review
No full textINTRODUCTION: Cervicogenic headache (CGH) is a secondary headache disorder caused by cervical spine or neck soft tissues lesions. Despite few available evidence-based pharmacological treatments are available, greater occipital nerve blocks (GONBs) are considered as therapeutic option.AREA COVERED: In June 2020, the authors conducted a systematic review on Pubmed and Scopus, to summarize effectiveness and safety of GONBs in treating CGH. The authors included 5 observational studies and 3 nonrandomized trials reporting clinical outcomes of 140 CGH patients after GONBs. Authors performed unilateral GONBs during interictal phase (five studies) or during pain, injecting local anesthetic (four studies) or both local anesthetic and steroid (three studies) at variable timepoints. In 5 studies mean pain reduction ranged from -8.2 (at 2 weeks after the first block) to -0.1 (at 1 month after the third block); one study documented 66.6% reduction of pain intensity and another study documented a significant median reduction of pain intensity at 3 months (decreased from 5.5 to 2.3) and not at 9 months. Three studies reported minor adverse events.EXPERT OPINION: Few available studies suggest that GONBs are effective and safe in treating CGH. GONB is a high tolerable, low cost and repeatable procedure. Larger and randomized studies are needed
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