Positive correlations between the health locus of control and self-management behaviors in hemodialysis patients in Xiamen

Objective:To investigate the association between the health locus of control and selfmanagement behaviors in patients receiving hemodialysis.Methods:Patients receiving hemodialysis in Xiamen,Fujian province,from December 2014 to March 2015 answered the Chinese version of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale and the self-management behavior questionnaire.Results:The participants in this study indicated that they believed others exerted more control over their health than themselves or chance.In addition,the majority of participants had a medium to low level of self-management behaviors.Positive correlations were also observed between a participant's health locus of control and their level of selfmanagement behaviors.Internal health locus of control and external(others)health locus of control were significant predictors of self-management behaviors controlling for the effect of payment method.Conclusion:The results of this study provided evidence that there is a strong relationship between the health locus of control and self-management behaviors in hemodialysis patients.This study provides important information for medical professionals as they design strategies to educate hemodialysis patients on their health locus of control and selfmanagement behaviors.

Cross-sectional study of traumatic stress disorder in frontline nurses 6 mo after the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Wuhan

BACKGROUND Frontline nurses in Wuhan directly fighting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 diseases are at a high risk of infection and are extremely susceptible to psychological stress,especially due to the global coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.The psychological after-effects of this public health emergency on frontline nurses will last for years.AIM To assess factors influencing post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)among frontline nurses in Wuhan 6 mo after the COVID-19 pandemic began.METHODS A total of 757 frontline nurses from five hospitals in Wuhan,China,participated in an online survey from July 27 to August 13,2020.This cross-sectional online study used a demographic information questionnaire,the PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale,and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4.The chisquare test and logistic regression were used to analyze the association of demographics,COVID-19-related variables,and PTSD.Logistic regression was also conducted to investigate which variables were associated with PTSD outcomes.RESULTS A total of 13.5%,24.3%,and 21.4%of the frontline nurses showed symptoms of PTSD,depression,and anxiety,respectively.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the following factors were strongly associated with PTSD:Having a relative,friend,or colleague who died of COVID-19;experiencing stigma;or having psychological assistance needs,depressive symptoms or anxiety.Showing resilience and receiving praise after the COVID-19 outbreak were protective factors.CONCLUSION Frontline nurses still experienced PTSD(13.5%)six months after the COVID-19 outbreak began.Peer support,social support,official recognition,reward mechanisms,exercise,better sleep,and timely provision of information(such as vaccine research progress)by the government via social media,and adequate protective supplies could mitigate the level of PTSD among nurses responding to COVID-19.Stigmatization,depression,and anxiety might be associated with a greater risk of PTSD among nurses.

The psychological trajectory from diagnosis to approaching end of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis in China: A qualitative study

Background: In China,the number of patients diagnosed with end-stage renal disease has increased rapidly in recent years.Patients undergoing dialysis treatment often experience psychosocial challenges,such as death anxiety,which may potentially cause patients to withdraw from treatment.Nephrology nurses and other practitioners who provide direct care to patients undergoing hemodialysis must understand how these challenges are perceived by patients and affect their daily lives.Aim: This article investigated the psychological trajectory and life experiences of hemodialysis patients to provide complementary guidance for nurses and healthcare practitioners.Method: This study utilized a qualitative descriptive phenomenological design.Data were collected by conducting semistructured interviews and analyzed by content analysis.Data were collected through indepth interviews from May to December 2014.The questions were designed to reveal the life experiences and perspectives of hemodialysis patients.Participants were selected by convenience sampling approach and recruited from outpatients receiving treatment in a blood-purification center in Jiangsu Province,China.Results: Twenty-three participants were recruited.Three stages were extracted from the interview data:(1) afraid stage,(2) adapted stage,and (3) depression stage.Accordingly,three corresponding stages of physiological status were identified: (1) induced stage,(2) stable stage,and (3) severe complications or approaching-end-of-life stage.Conclusions: Patients undergoing dialysis exhibited differing psychological statuses at different physical stages.Thus,nurses must assess the psychophysiological symptoms of patients and design individual care plans for each stage.Future studies should focus on developing stage-specific nursing-care protocols.