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To explore the social context of violence for hospital-based and community nurses from different ethnic groups, the types of violence experienced or witnessed both in and outside the workplace, and its impact on mental and physical health.
Cross-sectional, qualitative study using semi-structured interviews.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted online with 12 hospital-based and community nurses recruited from London, England, between May and August 2021. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
The sample comprised seven hospital nurses and five community nurses. Four themes were identified: (i) the social context in which nurses from different ethnic groups are exposed to community violence; (ii) types of workplace violence experienced or witnessed by hospital-based and community nurses from different ethnic groups; (iii) perceptions of the factors contributing to workplace violence; (iv) impacts of violence on mental and physical health outcomes. Using the social ecological framework and sociological theory of stress, these findings informed a conceptual stress process model of violence exposure for nurses.
Nurses from different ethnic groups are exposed to violence both in and outside the workplace which negatively affects their mental and physical health. Effective violence prevention requires a multi-factorial approach that addresses the social and institutional factors contributing to violence, shifting the focus from individual measures to systemic organisational changes.
The NHS workforce is currently more diverse than ever, and healthcare leaders must improve access to mental health and well-being resources for staff affected by workplace violence, particularly for those who hold multiple social identities at the intersection of ethnicity, gender and age. Prioritising this support is essential not only to safeguard against negative health outcomes but also to improve the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals.
No patient or public contribution.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is due to the mutation of haemoglobin (Hb), from HbA to HbS and characterised by recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (VOC), which can progress to acute chest syndrome (ACS), a leading cause of death in adults with SCD. Hypoxia is a key modifiable factor in the polymerisation of HbS and the pathogenesis of VOC. High-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) delivers humidified gas at high oxygen concentrations and flow rates: the former may reverse sickling (metabolic effect) to accelerate VOC resolution and prevent ACS, while the latter may reduce the risk of ACS by mitigating hypercapnia and generating positive airway pressure that limits hypoventilation and atelectasis (pulmonary effect). The study hypothesises that HFNO is a safe and effective strategy for treating VOC and preventing secondary ACS, and will assess this using a multi-arm multi-stage (MAMS) trial design.
This is a prospective, multicentre, randomised, open-label controlled trial following an MAMS design with three phases and four arms: one control (low-flow oxygen) and three HFNO intervention arms with varying fraction of inspired oxygen levels (low, intermediate, high). The pilot stage will assess safety and feasibility, using the rate of cardiac and neurological events as the primary endpoint. In the activity stage, arms demonstrating acceptable safety will be compared for efficacy based on the rate of VOC resolution without complications by day 5, allowing selection of the most promising arm. The final efficacy stage will compare the selected HFNO strategy to control, with prevention of secondary ACS by day 14 as the primary endpoint. The study aims to enrol up to 350 VOC episodes in total.
The study has been granted ethical approval (CPP SUD MEDITERRANEE IV). Following the provision of informed consent, patients will be included in the study. The results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Cancer, as a significant global health challenge, poses numerous difficulties for those affected. Self-advocacy, which refers to an individual’s capacity and desire to articulate their preferences and needs when confronted with disease-related obstacles, is crucial in enhancing their quality of life. Given the absence of a validated instrument for assessing self-advocacy in the Iranian patient population with cancer, this protocol aims to describe the psychometric properties of the Self-Advocacy in Cancer Survivorship (SACS) Scale in Persian among Iranian patients with cancer.
In this methodological study, the SACS Scale will be translated into Persian following the WHO guidelines. Subsequently, the scale’s validity, including face validity, content validity, construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis and convergent validity) and reliability (internal consistency and test–retest reliability), will be evaluated using SPSS V.24 and Amos V.24 software, along with appropriate statistical tests. Study participants will be patients with cancer in Ardabil, selected through convenience sampling.
This study, forming part of a master’s thesis, received ethical approval from the research ethics board of Ardebil University of Medical Sciences (IR.ARUMS.REC.1403.227, 7 October 2024). The findings will be disseminated at local, national and international levels.
by Dipankar Sardar, Istiaq Morol, Johra Bari, Amalan Sarkar, Adnan Habib
Probiotics, particularly strains from the genera Bacillus, Lactobacillus, and Staphylococcus, play a vital role in gut health, immune modulation, and pathogen inhibition. However, environmental stressors during storage often compromise their long-term viability and probiotic functionality. By examining how lyophilization affects the viability and probiotic functionality of certain strains of Bacillus, Lactobacillus, and Staphylococcus, this study sought to understand how storage conditions and protective agents affect bacterial survival and important probiotic characteristics. The bacterial strains were isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of native chickens, cultivated in MRS broth, subjected to freeze-drying with different cryoprotectant formulations, and stored at varying temperatures (4°C, −20°C, and −80°C) for up to 12 months. Survival rates, stress resistance under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions, and probiotic functionality were evaluated over time. The results demonstrated that ultra-low temperature storage (−80°C) combined with a formulation of 5% glucose, 5% sucrose, 7% skim milk powder, and 2% glycine provided optimal protection. This combination effectively reduced oxidative and gastrointestinal stress and preserved key probiotic traits, including adhesion potential, antimicrobial activity, and metabolic stability. Conversely, strains stored without cryoprotectants or at higher temperatures exhibited significant viability loss and functional decline. The study highlights the critical role of optimized cryoprotection in maintaining probiotic efficacy during long-term storage. Our findings reinforce the necessity of selecting appropriate excipients and storage conditions to sustain probiotic efficacy, providing valuable insights for the development of stable, high-quality probiotic formulations. Future research should explore strain-specific responses to lyophilization and alternative preservation strategies to improve probiotic stability and performance.Maternal and child malnutrition is a significant public health concern in Pakistan, with 40% of children under five being stunted. In response, the Government of Pakistan initiated the Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP), a nutritional supplementation programme for pregnant women, mothers of children aged 0 to 23 months and children aged 6 to 24 months. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the BNP in reducing childhood stunting and improving maternal and child health outcomes.
A quasi-experimental longitudinal study comprising baseline, midline and endline surveys will be conducted across 18 districts (9 intervention and 9 control) in Pakistan. The surveys will use a two-stage cluster sampling method to enrol 13 200 children aged 0–59 months and their mothers from the Benazir Income Support Programme households. The primary outcome of interest is the prevalence of under-five stunting. We will use a difference-in-differences approach to estimate the impact by comparing the documented changes over time between the intervention and control groups.
This study will provide critical insights into the effectiveness of the BNP in addressing childhood undernutrition in Pakistan. The findings will inform policy and programmatic decisions aimed at reducing undernutrition in resource-constrained settings. Ethical approval has been obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of Aga Khan University and the Pakistan National Bioethics Committee.
This cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the most effective strategies for managing malodorous and infected wounds in patients who have been diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer. The research was conducted in Liupanshui, China. The study specifically examined demographic profiles, wound characteristics and effectiveness of wound management approaches. The study incorporated the heterogeneous sample of 289 participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Data collection was conducted via structured questionnaires and medical record evaluations. Descriptive statistics and statistical analyses, such as regression analysis, were utilized to evaluate demographic attributes, wound profiles and effects of different approaches to wound management. The findings unveiled the heterogeneous demographic composition of patients, encompassing differences in socioeconomic standing, educational attainment and age. A wide range of wound characteristics were observed, as 65.7% of lesions during the acute phase with diameter between 2 and 5 centimetres, while 41.5% of lesions had this range. The most prevalent types of infections were those caused by fungi (48.4%), followed by bacterial infections lacking resistance (38.1%). A moderate degree of odour intensity was prevalent, affecting 45.0% of the cases. With maximal odour reduction of 80%, a mean healing time of 25 days and patient satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy demonstrated itself to be the most efficacious treatment method. Additional approaches, such as photodynamic therapy and topical antibiotic therapy, demonstrated significant effectiveness, as evidenced by odour reductions of 70% and 75%, respectively, and patient satisfaction ratings of 4.3 and 4.2. Thus, the study determined challenges associated with management of malodorous and infected lesions among patients with advanced cervical cancer. The results underscored the significance of individualized care approaches, drew attention to efficacious wound management techniques and identified critical determinants that impacted patient recuperation. The findings of this study hold potential for advancing palliative care for individuals diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer.
This study aimed to determine the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare professionals working in primary care settings in the first year of the pandemic.
The healthcare industry has faced an unprecedented burden in the COVID-19 pandemic. Primary care professionals experienced the high level of psychological problems.
A total of 793 healthcare professionals from different regions of Turkey participated in this cross-sectional study. The STROBE (Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology) checklist was used in the study. Data were collected online.
It has been found that more than half of healthcare professionals experienced severe depression, three-quarters experienced anxiety, and almost half experienced stress. It was also found that about half of the participants experienced a high degree of acute and chronic fatigue, and one-fifth experienced low inter-shift recovery.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of primary care professionals, especially nurses and midwives, are alarming. The problems that arise from the flawed healthcare delivery models and gender inequality, which worsen the usual psychological effects of the pandemic on primary care professionals, should be addressed urgently.
Psychological support and rehabilitative services should be expanded to eliminate the short- and long-term psychological effects of the pandemic on healthcare professionals.
FreshRSS 