Background: Evidence-based practice has become a worldwide concern for healthcare staff and administrators as well as researchers. Evidence-based practice has been considered as critical element to improve quality of health services and achieving excellence in patient care. The implementation of Evidence-based practice in clinical environments has been challenging. One of the most important barriers to implement Evidence-based practice is knowledge deficit.

The study provided evidence that nurses respond emotionally to patients' death and experience grief. Nurses are burdened by recurrent patients' deaths and try to cope and overcome their grief. This study emphasizes the importance of developing strategies to help nurses positively cope with their grief from a holistic perspective. This will reflect positively on the nurses' performance.

BackgroundCoronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cardiovascular disease (CVD). Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is the most common treatment used for CAD. Patients undergoing this surgery are always anxious, which might increase complications in the postoperative period, especially prolongation of postoperative length of stay (LOS). It has been shown that perceived control (PC) moderated the relationship between anxiety and complications in a cardiac population, but its effect has not been studied in post-CABG.AimThe aim of this study was to check if there is a moderating effect for the PC on the relationship between anxiety and LOS post-CABG.Patients and methodsA non-experimental, prospective, observational study was conducted with a consecutive sample of 250 patients who underwent elective CABG from four hospitals in Amman, Jordan. PC was measured by the Arabic version of the Control Attitude Scale-Revised (CAS-R), and anxiety was measured by the Arabic version of the anxiety subscale of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. LOS and other needed information were obtained from patients’ medical records.ResultsPreoperative anxiety was significantly higher than postoperative anxiety (mean [SD]: 12.80 [6.70] vs 11.01 [6.74], P<0.001). Female patients were more anxious and had longer LOS compared to male patients. In stepwise regression, anxiety and PC scores were independent predictors for LOS. Every unit increase in preoperative anxiety increased LOS by 0.381 days, and every unit increase in PC decreased the postoperative LOS by 0.210 days. Moderating effect was checked by simple slope analysis for high (+1 SD) and low (−1 SD) levels of PC. Patients with high anxiety and low PC had the longest LOS, and patients with low anxiety and high PC had the shortest LOS, indicating the moderating effect of PC on the relationship between anxiety and LOS.ConclusionHigh levels of anxiety were associated with longer LOS after CABG. PC moderates this relationship. Enhancing PC in this population can improve outcomes and decrease LOS and morbidity.

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Background:Cardiovascular disease is the first leading cause of death worldwide. Coronary heart disease is the most common manifestation of cardiovascular disease. Acute myocardial infarction is the primary manifestation of coronary heart disease. Depression is a common and predicted complication after acute myocardial infarction. Limited studies evaluated gender differences in depressive symptoms after acute myocardial infarction especially in developing countries.Objective:The study aimed to determine whether there was a difference in depression levels and rate of complications based on gender early after acute myocardial infarction.Method:This was a prospective comparative study on 230 patients (150 men and 80 women) with a confirmed diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. All participants signed an informed consent, filled sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire and the Depression Subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Clinical data were abstracted from the participants’ medical record after discharge.Results:Eighty-six participants (37.4%), 54 men and 32 women, developed 1 or more complications during hospitalization. Female patients were more depressed (14.4±3.5 vs. 8.3 ± 2.6) and developed more complications (1.9 ± 0.9 vs. 0.8 ± 0.5) than male patients did. Depressive symptoms increased the occurrence of complication by 40% and 33% for female and male patients respectively after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical variables.Conclusion:Depressive symptoms independently predicted complications after acute myocardial infarction in both men and women. The inclusion of depression assessment tools in acute myocardial infarction treatment protocols is highly recommended.

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Background and PurposeNurses face many healthcare challenges, such as high turnover, workload, and unfair assignments, that lead to nurses' dissatisfaction. Linking nursing shift assignment to patients' acuity scores may increase the workload balance, achieving equitable nursing assignment and nurses' satisfaction. This article aimed to (a) describe the effectiveness of the Perroca patient acuity tool (PAT) by measuring nurses' satisfaction with workload and standard of care pre and post the acuity tool application, and (b) measure nurses' satisfaction about the implemented patients' acuity tool.MethodsQuasi-experimental (one group pre- and postdesign) was used. Donabedian's structure-process-outcome (SPO) model was followed as a conceptual model to guide the implementation process of this study. A convenience sample of 64 nurses participated in the study. Two scales were used to measure nurses' satisfaction with workload and with standard of care. Perroca's scale was used to measure nurses' satisfaction about patient acuity level.ResultsSignificant differences were found on nurse's total satisfaction level, satisfaction with workload, and satisfaction with standard of care between the two times, pre- and post–Perroca PAT application. The majority of nurses had positive impressions of the tool.ConclusionThis study concludes that linking PAT to nursing shift assignment has several positive outcomes. It increases nurses' satisfaction and serves as managers' voice for important staffing decisions like recruitment, assignment distribution, employing new staff, and improving quality of care.