The special situation brought about by the coronavirus pandemic and the confinement imposed by the Government, has given rise to numerous changes in working habits. The workers at the universities have had to start a period of teleworking that could give rise to consequences for the musculoskeletal system. The objective of this article is to analyze the impact of the confinement on the musculoskeletal health of the staff of two Spanish universities. A cross-sectional, observational study was carried out on the workers. Data was taken in April–May 2020 and included: The Standardized Kuorinka Modified Nordic Questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale and another one on sociodemographic data. This study comprised 472 people. The areas of pain noted during the confinement period concluded that it was less in all cases (p < 0.001). The frequency of physical activity carried out increased significantly during the period of confinement (p < 0.04), especially in women. The type of physical activity done was also seen to modify during this period (p < 0.001), with a preference for strength training and stretching exercises. In conclusion, the confinement gave rise to changes in the lifestyle and in the musculoskeletal pain of the workers at the universities. All of this must be taken into account by health institutions and those responsible for the Prevention of Occupational Risks at Spanish universities.

Accessible summary What is known on the subject? Empathy is one of the main attributes for establishing the nurse–patient therapeutic relationship. Davis (1983) identified four components on an empathic response: perspective taking, fantasy, empathetic concern and personal distress. It is essential to deepen our knowledge on the influence of the dimensions of empathy for the construction and development of the therapeutic alliance during the different phases of the therapeutic relationship. What the paper adds to existing knowledge? A significant association exists between the dimensions of empathy and the construction and development of the therapeutic alliance during the different phases of the therapeutic relationship between nurses and patients in mental health units. This study shows that the nurses' perspective on the patient's situation improves the bond, and therefore, this skill is especially useful in the first phase or orientation phase of the therapeutic relationship. However, for the second phase or working phase of the therapeutic relationship, a greater empathic concern among nurses, together with less personal distress, improves collaborative goal setting with patients. What are the implications for practice? It is important for mental health nurses to be aware of the importance of personal self‐awareness and the emotional management of empathy for the construction and development of therapeutic relationships of quality with patients. Knowledge of the relationship between each of the dimensions of empathy in the different stages of the therapeutic relationship is useful for the design of educational programmes, by including training on empathic strategies. Abstract IntroductionEmpathy and its dimensions (perspective taking, empathic concern, personal distress and fantasy) are essential for establishing the nurse–patient therapeutic relationship. It is important to know how this influences the construction and development of the therapeutic alliance during the different phases of the therapeutic relationship. AimTo examine whether the dimensions of empathy influence the nurse–patient therapeutic relationship within mental health units. MethodA cross‐sectional design was used to collect data to measure the therapeutic alliance and the different dimensions of empathy via an online form completed by nurses working at 18 mental health units. Linear regressions were used in the analysis. ResultsA total of 198 participants completed the questionnaires. Nurses established a greater therapeutic alliance with patients when they were able to adopt their patient's perspective and experience concern. DiscussionNurses’ perspective taking is an influential factor impacting the nurse–patient bond in the orientation phase, whereas experiencing greater concern and decreased emotional distress were associated with improved therapeutic alliance in the working phase. Implications for practiceThese findings may help gain awareness among nurses of the importance of empathy in the nurse–patient relationships,...

The therapeutic relationship constitutes the central axis of mental health nursing. The clinical practice environment has been empirically related to the quality of care. However, the relationship between the two constructs is unknown in the setting of mental health units. We aimed to examine whether the practice environment and nurses’ characteristics influence the therapeutic relationship in mental health units. Through a cross‐sectional design, data were collected via an online form completed by nurses in 18 mental health units. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between the clinical practice environment and the therapeutic relationship. Questionnaires were completed by 198 participants. The mean age was 33.8 (SD 9.1) years, 71.7% were women, and only 20.2% had a specialist qualification in mental health. The therapeutic relationship was better when there was a more favourable practice environment (B: 3.111; 95% CI: 1.46–4.75). The most influential environment‐related factor was the nursing foundations for quality of care (B: 2.124; 95% CI: 0.17–4.07). The factors associated with a high‐quality therapeutic relationship were a more favourable practice environment and the presence of more foundations for quality nursing care, coupled with higher academic attainment and longer nursing experience. Institutions should take into account the importance of the nursing practice environment in mental health units. Aspects related to the quality of nursing foundations, such as training, the use of nursing language and taxonomy, and the existence of a common nursing philosophy, are influential for a high‐quality therapeutic relationship.

The lockdown, due to the coronavirus, has led to a change in lifestyle and physical activity in Spanish university students. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and changes in physical activity and self-perceived stress in the student bodies of two Spanish Universities during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 1198 students (70.6% women). The main instruments used for measuring were the Standardized Kuorinka Modified Nordic Questionnaire and the Perceived stress scale (the questionnaire regarding the practice of physical activity). A reduction in the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (p < 0.001) was identified in the sample of men and women, an increase (12.5%) in the frequency of carrying out physical activity from moderate to frequent, and the preference for strength training (15.1%), especially among women, was identified. All of this may be taken into account by health institutions when implementing measures to encourage physical activity in both suitable amounts and types, which improves the quality of life of the students.

Although being more linked towards the patients' contextual factors and needs than towards the practice of the profession, a therapeutic relationship is worth considering by physical therapists. Furthermore this study highlights the need for physical therapists and administrators to rethink the situation and propose strategies for improvement.

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Background: Research into service learning (SL) in education has increased since the 1990s.In higher education physiotherapy programmes, this technique is used to achieve real practical learning and to grasp how to recognize and manage emotions, to be concerned for others and to take decisions in clinical contexts.Objectives: To create a community experience through SL methodology for physiotherapy university students and to analyse their perceptions of the learning experience and changes in empathy Design: A mixed research method, a quasi-experimental quantitative approach with pre-and post-measurements of a single group and a qualitative approach through reflective diaries subjected to a contents analysis Participants: 29 students of the Faculty of Health Sciences (Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy) designed and put into practice a workshop for promoting physical activity in 277 children from the first and the sixth year of compulsory primary education. Methods:The project was divided into three phases: planning, performing and reflecting on the service. At the start, participants completed a questionnaire to determine their scale of empathy on the Interpersonal Reactive Index (IRI).One week after performing the service they handed over reflective diaries and completed a second IRI scale survey. An analysis was carried out of the contents of the reflective diaries 3 Results: Twenty-nine students agreed to participate. These learners consolidated their skills in the subject, indicating their satisfaction with the significant learning they achieved. The IRI scale showed a significant improvement in the Personal Distress dimension (p=0.002). Conclusions: Active learning in the context of processes of a participatory and reflective type implies greater understanding of the phenomenon studied. It allows an enhance awareness of the importance of inclusivity and involvement of users in the context of clinical practice. It also provides socio-emotional learning, improving interpersonal abilities and the capacity to face up to stressful situations.

This study aimed to explore the perspective of people who had experienced treatment as patients at acute mental health units, regarding an intervention model to improve therapeutic relationships in the units, which had been previously designed by the nurses. The study participants were people linked to collectives for social activism in mental health. Six focus groups were held. The results were classified into three themes: (a) the meaning of a space to enable the establishment of a therapeutic relationship, (b) the procedures to implement the space, and (c) the difficulties to overcome to establish the space. For the participants, the Reserved Therapeutic Space intervention was perceived as a space where they could share expectations and needs with the nurses, considering it as both valid and useful to improve the therapeutic relationship in acute units. For the participants, the intervention should be structured in three stages: orientation, follow‐up, and discharge. The content of the intervention should be proposed by the patients based on their needs and concerns. The barriers identified for carrying out the intervention were the lack of relational competence, the violation of rights, and the lack of accessibility of nurses. The facilitating elements were the availability of nurses, active listening, and empathy. The resulting intervention model includes realities of both groups, providing insights for nurses to initiate a space with patients and improve their therapeutic relationship. This intervention model could be used by managers to test its effectiveness.