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Nursing System in the Time of COVID-19

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Nursing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 18612

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Manuel José Lopes

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Guest Editor

Department of Nursing, University of Évora, 7000-811 Évora, Portugal
Interests: aging, health policies; mental health, interventions; nursing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. César Fonseca

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Guest Editor

Department of Nursing, University of Évora, 7000-811 Évora, Portugal
Interests: ageing; rehabilitation; nursing research; nursing care
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Lara Guedes de Pinho

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Guest Editor

Escola Superior de Enfermagem de São João de Deus, Universidade de Évora, 7000-801 Évora, Portugal
Interests: mental disorder; psychoeducation; clinical assessment; clinical nursing; psychopathology; depression; psychotherapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to the latest WHO report, nursing is the largest occupational group in the health sector, accounting for approximately 59% of health professionals (World Health Organization, 2020).

Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy, inpatient and health system management, and education are also key nursing roles (International Council of Nurses, 2002).

Thus, nurses are present in all health–disease processes throughout the life cycle and in all care settings all over the world.

However, the WHO report also shows us that the world does not have a global nursing workforce commensurate with universal health coverage and SDG targets. In addition, nursing remains a highly gendered profession with associated biases in the workplace (World Health Organization, 2020).

It was in this context that nurses all over the world participated in the collective effort to fight the pandemic by being present on all possible fronts.

This pandemic has been a great challenge to both professional and organizational skills, namely those requiring interprofessional and intersectoral collaboration.

In this context, we intend to investigate the contribution of nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering, among others, the dimensions listed below. We will accept manuscripts from different disciplines, provided that the focus is on the system, the profession, or the discipline of nursing.

Intervention at the prevention and control level:

Restraint measures
Vaccination

Intervention in the provision of care to COVID-19 patients (home and inpatient care):

Emergency care
Intensive care
Rehabilitation care
Follow-up of patients at home

Intervention in the definitions of health and management policies and
Intervention in the teaching of professionals
Intervention at the level of research and development

However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the remaining care needs of the population persisted. How did nurses respond to these care needs?

Finally, at this stage, when in some countries the post-COVID phase is being prepared, what lessons can we learn from this experience to help us rethink care models and the role of nurses in health systems?

Prof. Dr. Manuel José Lopes
Dr. César Fonseca
Dr. Lara Guedes de Pinho
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

home health nursing
critical care nursing
primary care nursing
advanced practice nursing
evidence-based nursing
psychiatric nursing
rehabilitation nursing
emergency nursing
public health nursing
nursing care

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 289 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Evolving Approaches to Meet Clinical Hours for Undergraduate Nursing Students during COVID-19

by Kimberly Rumsey, Shinu Joy and John Michael Leger

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(11), 5974; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20115974 - 27 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1652

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic challenged all healthcare professionals to re-think how patient care is provided. Faculty in nursing schools faced similar challenges in offering adequate clinical hours to nursing students, because of the limited availability of clinical placements. Methods: A faculty in one school of nursing introduced virtual simulation resources to supplement in-person clinical hours. The faculty developed a revised clinical curriculum for students that included weekly objectives and deliverables for virtual simulations. The Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified (SET-M) was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of the virtual simulations. Results: 130 students (88.4%) completed the post-implementation survey. After using the virtual simulations, 50% of the students reported feeling confident in providing interventions that foster patient safety. Furthermore, students reported a sound understanding of disease pathophysiology (60%) and medications (53.8%). The qualitative data indicated that students found the virtual simulations beneficial and a safe learning environment. Conclusion: Pre-pandemic virtual simulations were not used by this school of nursing to replace the traditional in-person clinical experiences. However, the pandemic demonstrated that the utilization of innovative virtual simulations are effective methods for student learning to augment traditional clinical experiences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing System in the Time of COVID-19)

10 pages, 358 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sleep Quality between Nurses and the General Population during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal: What Are the Differences?

by Francisco Sampaio, Susana Gaspar, César Fonseca, Manuel José Lopes, Teresa Paiva and Lara Guedes de Pinho

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(8), 5531; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20085531 - 17 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1830

Abstract

Although several studies have described the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly on sleep quality, there are few studies that, in the same time period and using the same assessment tools, compare sleep quality and mental health status between nurses and the general population. Thus, the aim of this study was to (a) examine whether there were differences between nurses and the general population regarding sleep quality and mental health status during the COVID-19 pandemic and (b) identify which factors may explain sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. To do that, we carried out a cross-sectional study in Portugal. Data were collected using an online survey platform during the first COVID-19 wave, from April to August 2020. Nurses presented poorer sleep quality than the general population, as well as higher anxiety levels. Irritability and worries about the future were two of the factors that might explain those differences. Thus, we can conclude that irritability and worries about the future are dimensions of anxiety that were associated with poor sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it would be important to adopt regular anxiety and sleep assessments, particularly for nurses, and to implement strategies to reduce this problem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing System in the Time of COVID-19)

10 pages, 693 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Pilot Study on a Nurse Rehabilitation Program: Could It Be Applied to COVID-19 Patients?

by José Moreira, Pedro Fonseca and Susana Miguel

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14365; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114365 - 2 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1818

Abstract

(1) Background: An aging population, pollution and an increase in life habits that are harmful to respiratory health, and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to an increase in chronic respiratory diseases. Thus, this pilot study aims to describe an intervention program on the training of respiratory patients to maintain airway permeability and preventing complications. (2) Methods: An observational, analytical, and prospective study was proposed. After the initial evaluation of each user during hospitalization, the program started with two sessions, at discharge for the second phase, and fifteen days after discharge for the third phase. Throughout the program’s implementation, the modified Medical Research Council scale and the Barthel Index were applied. (3) Results: The population studied aged between 39 and 76 years, diagnosed with pneumonia or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, showed a significant improvement in the degrees of dyspnea and levels of functionality, as well as an adequate level of learning. (4) Conclusions: This program positively impacted the patients’ independence by reducing dyspnea and increasing functionality of the patients included in this study. The set of exercises and techniques can be replicated at home and may be fundamental in the management of respective recovery, as well as in the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing System in the Time of COVID-19)

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10 pages, 325 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fostering Nursing Staff Competence in Personal Protective Equipment Education during COVID-19: A Mobile-Video Online Learning Approach

by Hsiu-Ju Jen, Kuei-Ru Chou and Ching-Yi Chang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9238; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159238 - 28 Jul 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2587

Abstract

Nursing staff who are competent to use personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly can protect themselves while providing safe, high-quality care to patients. Under pandemic conditions, the ability to wear PPE correctly is essential in clinical practice, but the acquisition of correct PPE-wearing procedures is difficult for most staff in the absence of live practice drills. This study aimed to test the mobile video online learning approach by integrating PPE contexts into a digital learning system. We conducted an experiment to verify whether the mobile video online learning approach could effectively improve nursing staff’s learning achievement, learning anxiety, critical thinking skills, and learning self-efficacy. The study used a quasi-experimental design and was conducted with 47 nursing staff, divided into one group using a mobile video online learning approach and one group with a conventional learning approach. We used pre-and post-test examinations of learning achievements, learning anxiety, critical thinking, and learning self-efficacy. Results showed a significant effect of using the mobile video online learning method in helping nursing staff to decrease learning anxiety and improve knowledge about COVID-19 protection, increase learning achievement, critical thinking skills, and learning self-efficacy. These benefits are of interest to nursing workplace managers wishing to maintain professional standards during epidemics by improving the nursing staff’s PPE knowledge and self-efficacy concerning PPE. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing System in the Time of COVID-19)

14 pages, 1621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Implications of Family Members’ Absence from Hospital Visits during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Nurses’ Perceptions

by Tânia Sofia Pereira Correia, Maria Manuela F. P. S. Martins, Fernando F. Barroso, Lara G. Pinho, César Fonseca, Olga Valentim and Manuel Lopes

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 8991; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19158991 - 24 Jul 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2569

Abstract

Background: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several measures were taken to prevent the transmission of infection in the hospital environment, including the restriction of visits. Little is known about the consequences of these directives, but it is expected that they will have various implications. Thus, this study aimed to understand the consequences of measures to restrict visits to hospitalized individuals. Methods: A qualitative interpretive study was conducted through semistructured interviews with 10 nurses chosen by convenience. Content analysis was performed using Atlas.ti software, version 22 (Berlin, Germany). Results: Twenty-two categories and eight subcategories were identified and grouped according to their scope: implications for the patient, implications for the family, and implications for care practice. Conclusions: The identified categories of implications of restricting hospital visits (implications for patients, relatives, and care practices) are incomparably more negative than positive and have a strong potential to cause safety events in the short to long term, also jeopardizing the quality of care. There is the risk of stagnation and even setback due to this removal of families from the hospital environment, not only in terms of safety and quality of care but also with regard to person- and family-centered care. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing System in the Time of COVID-19)

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11 pages, 341 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Clinical Application of Evidence-Based Practice in Health Science Professionals

by Ana Gómez-Sánchez, Carmen Sarabia-Cobo, Cristian Chávez Barroso, Amaia Gómez-Díaz, Concepción Salcedo Sampedro, Elena Martínez Rioja, Ingrid Tatiana Romero Cáceres and Ana Rosa Alconero-Camarero

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 3821; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19073821 - 23 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2577

Abstract

(1) Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) informs daily clinical interventions with the purpose of seeking changes to traditional practice through scientific evidence that justifies the reasons for our actions. The objectives were to describe the barriers, beliefs, and attitudes in the application of EBP among university health professionals (not doctors) and to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic among them. (2) Methods: This prospective study is both descriptive and observational. The individuals under study were university health professionals (not doctors) from various autonomous regions within Spain, in both public and private spheres. Sociodemographic and labor-related variables linked to the research and its completion were studied. Likewise, the survey instrument Health Sciences Evidence-Based Practice questionnaire (HS-EBP) was administered to evaluate the barriers to, beliefs in, and attitudes towards evidence-based practice. (3) Results: A total of 716 responses were gathered, of which 387 were collected during the period of confinement, and 343 in the COVID-19 post-confinement period. Possible associations that might help respond to the objectives were explored through a correlational study between the sociodemographic variables and each sub-scale of the HS-EBP 30 questionnaire (n = 716). (4) Conclusions: Barriers to, beliefs in, and attitudes towards evidence-based practice are described. There is a leadership gap where line management provides insufficient motivation to follow work routines. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense stress among health professionals. The post-confinement group showed a significant change in the variables “beliefs and attitudes”, and likewise in the “evaluation” block, justified by the need to update knowledge and to apply evidence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing System in the Time of COVID-19)

Review

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14 pages, 850 KiB

Open AccessReview

Responses Presented by Adult Patients with COVID-19, Based on the Formulated Nursing Diagnoses: A Scoping Review

by Vanessa Cortinhal, António Pereira, Sofia Correia and Sérgio Deodato

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6332; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106332 - 23 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2487

Abstract

(1) Background: this review aims to identify the human responses exhibited by adult patients with COVID-19, by listing the corresponding nursing diagnoses. Nursing diagnosis it’s a clinical analysis of human responses to a person, family, or community. Therefore, it is possible to state that nursing diagnoses represent human responses. (2) Methods: a scoping review was conducted following recommendations provided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and the research was carried out between December 2020 and 15 January, 2021, via CINAHL Complete, Complementary Index, MEDLINE, Science Direct, Academic Search Complete, Science Citation Index, Directory of Open Access Journals, Scopus, Social Sciences Citation Index, Business Source Complete, eBook Index (by B-on), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (by Cochrane Library). (3) Results: with respect to studies using the NANDA-I taxonomy, the findings have shown that “impaired gas exchange” was the most highlighted nursing diagnosis. ICNP taxonomy, the relevant nursing diagnosis is “cough present”. (4) Conclusions: concurrently, as suggested by the human responses documented in this review, throughout the pandemic, the requirements for adequate care provision have been constantly updated, to improve the quality of life of those patients, as much as possible. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing System in the Time of COVID-19)

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Other

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9 pages, 318 KiB

Open AccessStudy Protocol

Experiences and Needs of Patients, Caregivers and Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Study Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Multicentre Study

by Colette Balice-Bourgois, Loris Bonetti, Angela Tolotti, Sarah Jayne Liptrott, Michele Villa, Corina Elena Luca, Laura Maria Steiner, Annette Biegger, Silvia Goncalves, Laura Moser, Antonio Palermo, Davide Sari and Dario Valcarenghi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12838; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912838 - 7 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1800

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major public health problem with millions of confirmed cases and deaths described. Nurses are among the health care professionals most involved at the front line, caring for those affected by COVID-19. Patients and families have been subjected to a high emotional burden of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the approach to patients, the organisation of care, and communication with patients and their families, all requiring considerable adaptation on the part of nurses and health care professionals. The overall aim of this research was to find out the needs of patients with COVID-19, the nursing interventions provided and their outcomes, and to explore the experiences of the nurses, patients, and caregivers. A mixed method study will be performed with a convergent design. The study was divided into three phases. Quantitative methods involved nurses and patients affected by COVID-19 with a questionnaire. Qualitative methods involved nurses, patients, and caregivers with interviews and finally a quantitative analysis of the nursing documentation of the interviewed patients. We hope that this study will help us to understand and identify the main nursing and support needs expressed by patients and their families at different stages of their illness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing System in the Time of COVID-19)

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