Mary T. Quinn Griffin

Self-compassion and emotional intelligence in nurses.

Nurses often provide care for patients and families who are suffering and where emotions are heightened. Compassion is an essential component of the care that nurses provide. Emotions play an important role in the relationship and communication between nurses, patients and families. Self-compassion is the ability to be compassionate to oneself, without this ability nurses might not be prepared to be compassionate to patients. Emotionally intelligent persons perceive themselves as confident, better able to understand, control and manage their emotions. The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to examine the relationship between self-compassion and emotional intelligence. Participants were 135 nurses. The setting for this study was a health system with hospitals located in Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties of New York, USA. Three of the hospitals in the study are located in Queens and/or the Queens/Nassau border. Queens is the most culturally diverse community in the USA. The patients served, as well as the nursing staff, are reflective of this cultural and religious diversity. Results indicated a positive correlation between self-compassion and emotional intelligence (r = 0.55). Recommendations for future research include: exploration of self-compassion and emotional intelligence in nurses, and identification of the benefits of enhancing self-compassion and emotional intelligence in nurses.

Emotional intelligence and nursing performance among nursing students

Some scholars have proposed that the educational preparation of nurses can be improved by incorporating emotional intelligence lessons into the nursing curricula. However, the relationship between emotional intelligence and nursing performance in nursing students is unknown. The purpose of the study was to examine this relationship among nursing students. A descriptive correlational design with non-probability sampling methods of 87 nursing students in a university setting was conducted. The variables of focus were emotional intelligence and nursing performance. Emotional intelligence was measured with the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). Nursing performance was measured using the Six Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance (6-D Scale). The sample was predominately Caucasian (91%), female (93%), mean age 24 years. The mean score for emotional intelligence was 0.53, SD ± 0.06 indicating moderate emotional intelligence. The mean score for nursing performance was 3.14, SD ± 0.40 indicating moderate nursing performance. Emotional intelligence was related to nursing performance. Four of the six nursing performance subscale scores were significantly correlated with the total emotional intelligence scores. Implications for nursing education and clinical practice are discussed.

Job Satisfaction and Acculturation Among Filipino Registered Nurses

PURPOSE To determine the (a) levels of acculturation and job satisfaction, (b) relationship between acculturation and job satisfaction, and (c) effects of select sociodemographic variables in predicting job satisfaction among Filipino RNs educated in the Philippines who are working in the US. DESIGN Descriptive correlational. A convenience sample of Filipino RNs (N=96) present during the PNAA Eastern Regional Conference in Baltimore, MD was conducted. METHODS A survey was conducted using A Short Acculturation Scale for Filipino Americans (ASASFA) to measure acculturation, Part B of the Index of Work Satisfaction Scale (IWS) to assess job satisfaction, and a participant demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using A Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. FINDINGS Participants had a moderate level of job satisfaction that was positively correlated to a level of acculturation that was closer to American than to Filipino culture. Furthermore, age, length of U.S. residency, and acculturation significantly predicted perception of job satisfaction among this group of Filipino RNs. CONCLUSIONS Job satisfaction among Filipino nurses is related to acculturation and select sociodemographic variables. Further research to determine how best to improve acculturation may lead to improved retention rates of Filipino nurses in countries to which they have migrated.

Shared Governance and Empowerment in Registered Nurses Working in a Hospital Setting

Empowerment of registered nurses through professional practice models inclusive of shared governance has been proposed as essential to improve quality patient care, contain costs, and retain nursing staff. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between perceptions of governance and empowerment among nurses working in acute care hospital units in which a shared governance model had been in place for 6 to 12 months. The 158 nurses who participated perceived themselves to be moderately empowered and in an early implementation stage of shared governance. There was a statistically significant positive relationship between perceptions of shared governance and empowerment. Recommendations for professional practice and future research are included.

An exploratory study of resilience and job satisfaction among psychiatric nurses working in inpatient units.

The present exploratory study was designed to examine the relationship between resilience and job satisfaction in psychiatric nurses working in inpatient units in a large, urban medical centre. The long range goal was to understand the dimensions of job satisfaction in this inpatient environment in order to implement nurse retention programmes specifically targeted toward teaching nurses skills in developing resilience. The nurses (n = 32) reported a high level of resilience and high job satisfaction. The job satisfaction subscale of professional status had the highest mean rating among these nurses, and the physician-nurse interaction subscale had the lowest mean score. Implications for future practice and research are addressed.

Structural empowerment and anticipated turnover among critical care nurses

AIM This study examines the relationship between perceptions of structural empowerment and anticipated turnover among critical care nurses. BACKGROUND The literature revealed that work environments that provide access to information, resources, support and opportunity create an environment of more satisfied employees, ultimately reducing turnover. METHOD A sample of 257 nurses completed a background data questionnaire, the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II) and the Anticipated Turnover Scale (ATS). RESULTS Nurses in five critical care units perceive themselves to be moderately empowered. Structural empowerment was inversely related to anticipated turnover; those who were more empowered had a lower anticipated turnover score. CONCLUSION Nurses who perceive themselves as empowered have higher levels of organizational commitment. Organizations that support and recognize these characteristics may experience improved retention rates. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT This study is the first to demonstrate a relationship between structural empowerment and anticipated turnover among critical care nurses. Research has demonstrated that workplace behaviours and attitudes are determined by social structures within the workplace. Nurses are responsible for a large portion of health care provided in this country. A serious nursing shortage is expected in the future and will exert pressure on both the supply and the demand of nurses.

Professional values, self-esteem, and ethical confidence of baccalaureate nursing students

Professional identity and competent ethical behaviors of nursing students are commonly developed through curricular inclusion of professional nursing values education. Despite the enactment of this approach, nursing students continue to express difficulty in managing ethical conflicts encountered in their practice. This descriptive correlational study explores the relationships between professional nursing values, self-esteem, and ethical decision making among senior baccalaureate nursing students. A convenience sample of 47 senior nursing students from the United States were surveyed for their level of internalized professional nursing values (Revised Professional Nursing Values Scale), level of self-esteem (Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale), and perceived level of confidence in ethical decision making. A significant positive relationship (p < 0.05) was found between nursing students’ professional nursing values and levels of self-esteem. The results of this study can be useful to nursing educators whose efforts are focused on promoting professional identity development and competent ethical behaviors of future nurses.

Self-transcendence, spiritual well-being, and spiritual practices of women with breast cancer.

As women recover from the experience of breast cancer and its treatment, it is important for them to find meaning in their lives and to understand their experiences from a holistic perspective. Purpose: This study was designed to provide additional information about how women and their experiences recovering from breast cancer. The specific purpose was to describe the relationship between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being, and to identify the spiritual practices used by older women recovering from breast cancer. The theoretical framework for this study was Reed’s theory of self-transcendence. Sample: A total of 87 community-residing women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer within the past 5 years participated in the study. Results: There was a significant positive relationship between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being. The women used a mean of 9.72 spiritual practices with the most frequent being exercise, visiting a house of worship, and praying alone. Conclusions: The study results provide further support for the theory of self-transcendence. Future research recommendations are to expand the research to include a larger, more diverse group of women of all ages and backgrounds who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Internet versus Face-to-Face Therapy: Emotional Self-Disclosure Issues for Young Adults

The purpose of this study was to compare differences in emotional self-disclosure between young adult Internet users who prefer face-to-face therapy to those who prefer Internet therapy. A convenience sample of 328 was recruited from Facebook to complete an online survey. A total of 263 preferred face-to-face therapy (F2FT) while 65 preferred Internet therapy (IT). Significant differences were found with the F2FT group willing to disclose emotions of depression, jealously, anxiety, and fear to a therapist more frequently than the IT group. The majority reported a preference for F2FT over IT. Recommendations for future professional practice and research are included.

Spiritual Well-Being, Spiritual Practices, and Depressive Symptoms among Elderly Patients Hospitalized with Acute Heart Failure

Spirituality, including both spiritual well-being and spiritual practices, is important to assess in older persons hospitalized with acute heart failure. Depressive symptoms in this population are commonly exhibited but infrequently assessed. The purpose of this exploratory study was to describe spiritual well-being and spiritual practices in hospitalized older heart failure patients and relate spiritual well-being to depression. The sample included 24 hospitalized older adults diagnosed with Class III or IV heart failure. The spiritual practices used most by the older persons were identified. There was a significant negative correlation between spiritual well-being and depression: those who had more depressive symptoms had a lower level of spiritual well-being. Implications for future research and clinical practice are addressed.