Rodrigo Guimarães dos Santos Almeida

Properties of the Duke Religious Index in a sample of postgraduate students

Address correspondence to: Edson Zangiacomi Martinez. Departamento de Medicina Social. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto, USP. Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Monte Alegre – 14049-900 – Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brasil. E-mail: edson@fmrp.usp.br Dear Editor, Several studies have shown an association between religiousness and different aspects of physical or mental health1, and this makes important the articles as the one published by Taunay et al.2, which aimed to study the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Duke Religious Index (P-DUREL) in psychiatric and university student samples. The instrument showed adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability in both samples2. We wish to add that using data from a study conducted by our group (not yet published) about the associations between religiousness and attitudes towards blood donation among postgraduate students of courses in the health area, we found a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.88 for the P-DUREL and 0.89 for the intrinsic religiosity (IR) scale in a sample of 160 individuals. We found Spearman correlation coefficients between the domains of organizational (OR) and non-organizational (NOR) religiosity of 0.58, between the domains of IR and OR 0.58, and between NOR and IR of 0.62 (all p-values less than 0.01). These results are similar to those of Taunay et al.2, suggesting that the psychometric properties of P-DUREL are also satisfactory for this specific group. In addition, a single factor with eigenvalue equal to 3.5 was retained in an exploratory factor analysis (principal components), expla ining 70.2% of the variance. The KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) index of sample adequacy was 0.85, suggesting the adequacy of the factor analysis. These results are similar to those obtained by Storch et al.3 considering the English version of the instrument. In our data, we not found significant correlation between the age of the subjects and the OR, NOR and IR scores. We found positive Spearman correlations between the P-DUREL scores and the two subscales of the Spiritual Well-Being (SWB) questionnaire of Paloutzian and Ellison4 [OR and Religious Well-Being (RWB), r = 0.51; OR and Existential Well-Being (EWB), r = 0.23; NOR and RWB, r = 0.65; NOR and EWB, r = 0.26; IR and RWB, r = 0.77, IR and EWB, r = 0.43, all pvalues less than 0.01]. We observed that women tend to have higher scores in all three domains of P-DUREL than males (Wilcoxon test, p-values less than 0.01, result already showed by Lucchetti et al.5). Although in our sample the Evangelical and Protestant respondents have shown higher mean scores for the three domains (17.2 for the IR, 4.9 for the OR and 4.3 for the NOR; compared with means of 15.4 for the IR, 4.0 for the OR and 4.4 for the NOR when considered the Catholic respondents, and 15.7 for the IR, 4.0 for the OR and 4.2 for the NOR when considered the Spiritist respondents), we have no evidence of a ceiling effect for the scales. These findings support the psychometric properties of the scale P-DUREL, indicating their applicability in health studies.

Empathy in Brazilian nursing professionals A descriptive study

Background: Essential for the help relation, empathy is the ability to understand, share, and perceive the subjective experience of other human beings. Objective: The objective in this non-experimental, exploratory, and descriptive research was to verify, observe, and document empathy in nursing professionals. Research design: Non-experimental, exploratory, and descriptive research. Participants and research context: the study was conducted at two large hospitals, one public and the other private, across all shifts. The sample included 159 individuals. A questionnaire was used to identify sociodemographic characteristics and the empathy inventory was applied. Ethical considerations: This study received approval from the Research Ethics Committee at the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, opinion 1348/2011, and authorization from the health institutions involved. Findings: The association tests demonstrated that professionals working in the night shift and in a work scale rotation scheme, older professionals, and professionals with longer professional experience are less empathetic. On the other hand, professionals working in the day shift and in a single shift are more empathetic. Other influential factors are the time on the job, education, and work shift. Conclusion: There is a lack of empathy studies in professional practice contexts, in human resource development programs, and throughout the professional education process.

Association between religiousness and blood donation among Brazilian postgraduate students from health-related areas

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the association between religiousness and blood donation among postgraduate students. Methods The Portuguese-language version of the Duke University Religion Index was administered to a sample of 226 Brazilian students with ages ranging from 22 to 55 years. All study participants had completed undergraduate courses in health-related areas. Results In the present study, 23.5% of the students were regular donors. Organizational religiousness was found to be associated with attitudes related to blood donation. This study also shows evidence that regular blood donors have a higher intrinsic religiousness than subjects who donate only once and do not return. Conclusion This study shows that the attitudes concerning blood donation may have some association with religiosity.

Intermittent Urinary Catheterization: The Impact of Training on a Low-fidelity Simulator on the Self-confidence of Patients and Caregivers

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify how training on a low-fidelity simulator impacts the confidence of caregivers and patients with neurogenic bladder who use clean intermittent urinary catheterization. Design: Quasi-experimental study. Methods: Developed in a rehabilitation center in Brazil including patients who use clean intermittent urinary catheterization and caregivers from September to November 2013. After Ethics approval (Opinion 146/2012) during the nursing consultation, data were collected before and after training on a low-fidelity simulator. Findings: A total of 36 respondents (72.0%) patients and 14 (28.0%) caregivers participated. The self-confidence acquired after training on low-fidelity simulators was significant. Conclusions: In this study sample, low-fidelity simulation was demonstrated to be an effective strategy for the development of self-confidence. Clinical Relevance: Low-fidelity simulation training enables patients and caregivers to increase their self-confidence when performing clean intermittent urinary catheterization and should be used as a training strategy by healthcare professionals.

Evaluation of the return rate of volunteer blood donors

Background To convert first-time blood donors into regular volunteer donors is a challenge to transfusion services. Objectives This study aims to estimate the return rate of first time donors of the Ribeirão Preto Blood Center and of other blood centers in its coverage region. Methods The histories of 115,553 volunteer donors between 1996 and 2005 were analyzed. Statistical analysis was based on a parametric long-term survival model that allows an estimation of the proportion of donors who never return for further donations. Results Only 40% of individuals return within one year after the first donation and 53% return within two years. It is estimated that 30% never return to donate. Higher return rates were observed among Black donors. No significant difference was found in non-return rates regarding gender, blood type, Rh blood group and blood collection unit. Conclusions The low percentage of first-time donors who return for further blood donation reinforces the need for marketing actions and strategies aimed at increasing the return rates.

Caracterização do atendimento de uma unidade de hemoterapia

El objetivo del estudio es describir las caracteristicas de atendimiento de una Unidad de Hemoterapia del interior del estado de Sao Paulo en el ano de 2009. Fueron seguidos los preceptos eticos y realizado sondeo en la base de datos de la Unidad. En el periodo observado la Unidad muestra mayor indice de donadores de repeticion, con bajo indice de reacciones adversas y el 100% de satisfaccion de los donadores. Los sectores de clinica medica y la unidad de terapia intensiva fueron los de mayor consumo de transfusiones en el servicio hospitalario cliente de la Unidad. La Unidad descripta es auto-suficiente en el gerenciamiento de sus recursos. El presente estudio apunta a la necesidad de explorar las dimensiones de los papeles profesionales en hemoterapia, las posibilidades de captacion de nuevos donadores, los motivos que llevan los pacientes a la donacion de sangre, y las caracteristicas, perfil epidemiologico y satisfaccion de los receptores.

VALIDATION FOR THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE OF THE SIMULATION DESIGN SCALE

Considering the lack of tools to assess the results associated with the use of simulation as a teaching strategy, this study aimed to translate and validate ...Teniendo en cuenta la carencia de herramientas que evaluen los resultados asociados con el uso de la simulacion como estrategia de ensenanza, este estudio metodologico de traduccion y validacion de instrumento tuvo como objetivo traducir y validar para la lengua portuguesa la Simulation Design Scale (Student Version). Despues de completados todos los pasos del proceso de traduccion, el proceso de validacion se llevo a cabo en el contexto de evento acerca del cuidado del paciente critico. Participaron del estudio 103 enfermeros licenciados. La validez y fidelidad de la escala, el patron de correlacion entre las variables, el test de adecuacion de las muestras y el test de esfericidad presentaron resultados satisfactorios. Por no haber conexion entre los agrupamientos establecidos en el analisis factorial exploratorio, se opto por seguir la division establecida por la version original. La escala fue denominada Escala do Design da Simulacao [en Portugues]. Se concluye que la escala posee buenas propiedades psicometricas y potencial apropiado, sin embargo, futuras investigaciones son necesarias para su consolidacion.

Validation of the self-confidence scale of nursing care in urinary retention.

Objective: to validate an instrument to measure self-confidence of nursing care in urinary retention. Methods: methodological research study, carried out after ethical approval. A Likert-like scale of 32 items related to nursing care in urinary retention was applied to students of the graduate nursing course. For instrument validation, analysis of the sample adequacy and main components, Varimax orthogonal rotation and internal consistency analyses were developed. Results: in a sample of 305 students, there was high correlation of all items with the total scale and Cronbachs alpha of 0.949. The scale items were divided into five factors with internal consistency: Factor 1 (0.890), Factor 2 (0.874), Factor 3 (0.868), Factor 4 (0.814) and Factor 5 (0.773), respectively. Conclusion: the scale meets the validity requirements, demonstrating potential for use in evaluation and research.Objetivo: validar instrumento para mensurar a autoconfianca na assistencia de enfermagem na retencao urinaria.Metodos: estudo de investigacao metodologica, realizado apos autorizacao etica. Foi aplicada a estudantes do Curso de Graduacao em Enfermagem uma escala tipo Likert, de 32 itens, referentes a assistencia de enfermagem na retencao urinaria. Para a validacao do instrumento, foi realizada analise da adequacao amostral e dos componentes principais, rotacao ortogonal Varimax e consistencia interna.Resultados: numa amostra de 305 estudantes, houve elevada correlacao de todos os itens com o total da escala, alpha de Cronbach 0,949. Os itens da escala foram divididos em: cinco fatores, com consistencia interna de: Fator 1 (0,890), Fator 2 (0,874), Fator 3 (0,868), Fator 4 (0,814) e Fator 5 (0,773), respectivamente.Conclusao: a escala cumpre os requisitos de validade, demonstrando potencial para uso em avaliacao e investigacao.

Validation to Portuguese of the Scale of Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning

Objective: translate and validate to Portuguese the Scale of Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning. Material and Methods: methodological translation and validation study of a research tool. After following all steps of the translation process, for the validation process, the event III Workshop Brazil - Portugal: Care Delivery to Critical Patients was created, promoted by one Brazilian and another Portuguese teaching institution. Results: 103 nurses participated. As to the validity and reliability of the scale, the correlation pattern between the variables, the sampling adequacy test (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) and the sphericity test (Bartlett) showed good results. In the exploratory factorial analysis (Varimax), item 9 behaved better in factor 1 (Satisfaction) than in factor 2 (Self-confidence in learning). The internal consistency (Cronbachs alpha) showed coefficients of 0.86 in factor 1 with six items and 0.77 for factor 2 with 07 items. Conclusion: in Portuguese this tool was called: Escala de Satisfação de Estudantes e Autoconfiança na Aprendizagem. The results found good psychometric properties and a good potential use. The sampling size and specificity are limitations of this study, but future studies will contribute to consolidate the validity of the scale and strengthen its potential use.

Translation into Portuguese and validation of the Blood Donation Reactions Inventory

Background the Blood Donation Reactions Inventory (BDRI) scale was proposed as part of a study about the predictors of psychological reactions in volunteer blood donors, as uncomfortable reactions are associated with a lower probability to return for further donations. Objective to translate the Inventory into Brazilian Portuguese and evaluate its psychometric properties (validity and reliability). The inventory has 11 items, but the literature suggests that shorter inventories, of four or six items, should be used. Methods this study was carried out at the blood center of Franca, Brazil. Three people with knowledge of English and familiarity with medical terms translated the Blood. Donation Reactions Inventory into Brazilian Portuguese. Aiming to evaluate the objectivity and relevance of the items of the translated instrument, its content was independently evaluated by a panel of eight assessors. After this, data on 1,001 blood donors was collected. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. An exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to analyze the measure for construct validity. Results the sample consisted of 65.8% men, and 27.3% first time donors. Internal consistency determined by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was satisfactory for the 11, 6 and 4-item scales. Considering the factor analysis, the 11-item scale seems to measure more than one construct as three factors were identified with eigenvalues greater than 1. These factors correspond to ‘vasovagal adverse reactions’, ‘fear’ ‘anxiety/excitation’. Conclusion the Portuguese version of the Blood Donation Reactions Inventory is a valid and reliable instrument for collecting information regarding systemic reactions experienced by blood donors. The 6-item scale seems to be useful when the objective is to measure only vasovagal adverse reactions.