PurposeAnxiety and depression are prevalent among patients with heart failure. However, their effect on the quality of life (QoL) is not well investigated in developing countries. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to test the effect of anxiety and depression on QoL among Jordanian patients with heart failure.Patients and methodsTwo hundred patients with a confirmed diagnosis of heart failure from 1 governmental and 1 private hospital in Amman, Jordan, were recruited between March and August, 2017. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used. Anxiety and depression were measured using the Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. QoL was measured using the Arabic version of the Short Form-36.ResultsPatients reported poor QoL in both physical component summary (M ± SD; 35.8±9.6) and mental component summary (M ± SD; 41.5±11.3). Prevalence rates for anxiety and depression were 62% and 65%, respectively. In stepwise regression analysis, anxiety and depression were independent predictors for poor QoL in both summaries, p<0.001.ConclusionPatients with heart failure have poor QoL and high anxiety and high depression prevalence rates. Inclusion of routine assessment and management of anxiety and depression in heart failure protocols is highly recommended.

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 last three decades have focused on moving the nursing education from the hospitals toward the universities. The theoretical part has started to gain more popularity in nursing education. The literature shows that there is a clear gap between what is taught in the classroom and what the student nurses experience in the clinical area. This study aimed to identify the reasons for this gap and present suggestions to overcome it. An exploratory qualitative approach was adopted. Individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews with thirty students were done. The findings shed light on one main theme "the reasons for theory-practice gap". Many of the students explained that the lack of qualifications of the clinical instructors formed a key stone in increasing the gap between theory and practice. Lack of communication between Theory and Practice teachers was viewed as another reason for this gap. The students showed the complexity of the clinical learning environment in comparison with the theory controlled environment. Poor communication between clinical instructors and lack of support in the clinical training was viewed crucial and was expected to increase the feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction among nursing students. In conclusion, qualitative design used in this study provided deep and rich data about the theory-practice gaps in nursing education in Jordan. The results of this study could be useful for the undergraduate students, the nursing schools, the nursing teachers and the stakeholders in Jordan.

BackgroundOut-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a major cause of mortality worldwide. When basic life support techniques are implemented quickly, the chance of survival is doubled. Therefore, this study evaluated public awareness, knowledge and attitudes towards basic life support in Jordan.MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of 300 Jordanian adults aged over 18 years, recruited from three metropolitan areas in the northern, middle and southern regions.ResultsA total of 87 participants (29%) stated that they have received training about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Among them, 20 participants (23%) received their training through the media. The highest response rate for cardiac arrest signs was chest pain (n = 129, 43%). Participants who received training had greater knowledge of the three signs of consciousness evaluation. The numbers of participants who received training and performed chest compression, mouth-to-mouth ventilation, and both compression and ventilation were higher than those who did not receive training. Overall, 256 participants (88.3%) reported that they would perform CPR on someone from their family without hesitation. The most important concern about performing CPR was making a mistake.ConclusionsImproving knowledge about cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an important topic, which can be achieved by training the general population. Media can play an important role in this issue.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12873-018-0190-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Patient satisfaction with nursing care remains an important factor in explaining patients' perceptions of service quality. International healthcare settings should systematically monitor the relationship between nursing care and experience to support quality care provision.

PurposeAnxiety is a common psychological response after acute myocardial infarction and might be associated with higher levels of in-hospital complications. Perceived control might moderate this relationship, but the effect of this method has not been checked in developing countries. Therefore, the objectives of this study were as follows: 1) to check if anxiety was an independent predictor of in-hospital complications after acute myocardial infarction; and 2) to check if perceived control moderates the relationship between anxiety and in-hospital complications after acute myocardial infarction.Patients and methodsThis was a prospective observational study among 500 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction recruited from three private hospitals in Amman, Jordan. Anxiety was measured by the Anxiety subscale of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and perceived control was measured by the Arabic version of the Control Attitude Scale-Revised.ResultsOne hundred and forty patients (28%) developed at least one complication during hospitalization. Two hundred and fifty-five patients had low anxiety scores (≤7), and 245 patients had high anxiety scores (≥8). Patients with high levels of perceived control had lower levels of anxiety (mean [SD]; 5.3 [3.6] vs 14.1 [6.3], P<0.001) than those with low perceived control. In logistic regression, anxiety was an independent predictor of in-hospital complications after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical variables (odds ratio: 1.24, 95% CI, 1.08–1.41, P<0.01). Moreover, the interaction of anxiety and perceived control was a significant predictor of complications.ConclusionAnxiety was associated with increased risk of in-hospital complications after acute myocardial infarction independent of sociodemographic and clinical variables. Perceived control had a moderating effect for this association since the combination of low perceived control and high anxiety scores was associated with the greatest risk for complications. Supporting patients’ levels of perceived control can decrease complications, morbidities, and mortality after acute myocardial infarction.

Anxiety is a global problem after acute myocardial infarction. Exploration of reasons why women of different cultures are at a higher risk for anxiety after acute myocardial infarction is necessary. It is of high clinical importance to determine strategies for managing anxiety in patients with or suspected to have acute myocardial infarction, especially women.

Purpose: Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is a common and remarkably effective treatment for coronary heart disease, improving health status and enhancing quality of life. However, some outcomes after surgery remain unexplained, including psychological factors such as depression. The prevalence rates of pre- and post-operative depression among CABG patients are high, which is associated with negative short- and long-term outcomes. This study explores the impacts of pre-operative depressive symptoms on post-operative hospital length of stay (LOS) among patients undergoing CABG in Jordan. Patients and methods: This was a non-experimental, prospective observational study among 227 CABG patients recruited from 5 hospitals in Amman, Jordan. Depression was measured within an average of two weeks prior and one month after the operation using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Length of stay was abstracted from medical records after discharge. Results: The average post-operative LOS was 11.40±10.41 days. The average pre-operative depression level was moderate; 12.76±6.80 and 42.47% complained of varying levels of depressive symptoms. The average post-operative depression level was moderate; 11.11±6.78 and 40.53% complained of varying levels of depressive symptoms. In stepwise regression models, depression scores and female gender were independent predictors that increased post-operative LOS. On the other hand, high income (≥1501$/month) and use of statins had protective effects and decreased post-operative LOS. The model explained 22.4% of the total variance regarding LOS. Conclusion: Pre-operative depressive symptoms increased post CABG LOS. Application of policies and depression assessment protocols prior to CABG by health care providers can identify high-risk groups (eg, females), so appropriate interventions can be designed and implemented to decrease morbidity and mortality.