Nurse–patient interactions based on caring behaviors ensure better working conditions and better-quality healthcare. The aim of this quantitative study is to examine how nurses self-assess the frequency of applying caring behaviors in nurse–patient interactions and to identify the differences in the application frequency of caring behaviors in relation to work experience and education level. The respondents were Bachelor of Science (BSc) nurses and nurses with basic training (VET) employed in different clinical departments of the Clinical Hospital Center in Croatia. The survey used the “Caring Nurse–Patient Interactions Scale (Nurse Version)”. The respondents assessed the caring behaviors from the subscale “needs” as the most frequently applied (median (Me): 4.7; interquartile range (IQR): 4.4–4.9), while the least frequently applied were the procedures from the subscale “sensitivity” (Me: 3.8; IQR: 3.2–4.3). The VET nurses reported applying caring behaviors to the subscales “hope” (p < 0.001), “problem-solving” (p = 0.003), and “environment” (p = 0.021) more frequently than BSc nurses did. Compared with less experienced respondents, the respondents with more than 30 years of work experience applied the caring behaviors on the subscales “sensitivity” (p = 0.009), “expression of emotions” (p = 0.001), “problem-solving” (p = 0.008), and especially “humanism” and “spirituality” (p < 0.001) more frequently. The results indicate that respondents are more focused on applying skills or carrying out a task than on caring behaviors which is about demonstrating compassion, loving kindness, and relationships.

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Nurse–patient interaction is a professional and therapeutic relationship created to enable nurses to assess, plan, and deliver health care aimed at meeting patients’ basic human needs. The main aim of this study was to identify distinctive characteristics and differences in perceptions between patients and nurses related to the importance of caring interactions and to examine the contribution of independent variables in explaining their perceptions. A total of 446 respondents were included in the research (291 patients and 155 registered nurses). Data were collected using the translated and standardized 70-item version of the Caring Nurse–Patient Interactions Scale (CNPI-70) version for patients and version for nurses. According to the overall CNPI-70 scale, there was a significant difference in patients’ and nurses’ perception (p < 0.001). Patients assessed caring nurse–patient interactions significantly higher (4.39) than nurses (4.16). Additionally, nurses assessed all subscales significantly lower than patients who assessed them high (p < 0.05), except for the subscales for “environment” (p = 0.123) and “spirituality” (p = 0.132). Independent variables did not contribute to an explanation of respondents’ perceptions. Providing quality physical assistance in meeting human needs through effective communication and teaching is crucial for promoting a holistic patient approach, improving psychosocial support and nurse–patient interaction, and attaining greater satisfaction with health care provided without additional financial investments.

A mastectomy affects the psychological, social, and sexual well-being of patients. Research has confirmed that breast reconstruction is important for improving the quality of life in patients with breast cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life of patients who underwent a mastectomy followed by immediate or delayed breast reconstruction. This prospective study was conducted from January 2018 to March 2020 at the Clinical Hospital Center Osijek, using the health questionnaire SF-36. The study included 79 patients. The results of the study showed that patients who underwent a mastectomy had the lowest scores in the domain of restriction due to physical difficulties, 18.8 (6.3–31.3), in physical functioning and limitation due to emotional difficulties, 16.7 (8.3–33.3), in mental health. In immediate breast reconstruction, patients rated better physical health (p < 0.001), while patients who underwent delayed breast reconstruction rated their mental health worse (p < 0.001) as measured by the SF-36 questionnaire. Conclusion: The results of this study show that patients without breast reconstruction rated their quality of life worse than patients who underwent immediate and delayed breast reconstruction after mastectomy. There is no difference in the quality of life between patients who underwent immediate and delayed breast reconstruction after mastectomy.

The elderly is at bigger risk for getting COVID-19 virus, and a particularly vulnerable group are people placed in homes for the elderly and frail. The aims of the study were: (1) to examine differences in the respondent’s experiences of social isolation, loneliness and perception of social support, (2) to examine correlations between the dimensions of social isolation and the experience of social support with the experience of loneliness, and (3) to examine whether dimensions of social isolation and perceived social support are risky psychosocial significant predictors of loneliness. The cross-sectional study was conducted on 98 participants from three nursing homes in Croatia, EU. It used Social Provision Scale, the short- form Loneliness Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. The results indicate that people who are single are lonelier, and if they do not have descendants are less likely to contact their family and at the same time they report a weaker social support experience. Loneliness is a statistically positive thing with a social provision dimension, information availability, and a significant negative correlation with the experience of social support. The dimensions of social provision, access to information and perceptions of social support contribute to the experience of loneliness. The constant exposure to negative information about the pandemic, the insecurity and anxiety of the people who communicate with them, make the users of homes for the elderly and infirm even more vulnerable to the development of loneliness.