Eman Arafa Hassan’s research while affiliated with Alexandria University and other places

Background Frailty, a geriatric syndrome characterized by decreased resilience, is a known risk factor for mortality in critical care settings and can significantly impact a patient's perception of their own health and prognosis. Aim To explore the relationship between frailty and fear of death in geriatric patients admitted to critical care units. Study Design A convergent parallel mixed methods design was applied. Methods Data were collected from 247 geriatric patients in critical care units from March 2023 to February 2024. Quantitative data included clinical frailty score and death anxiety questionnaire. Qualitative data were gathered through semi‐structured interviews with a subset of 34 participants. Quantitative analysis involved descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke's approach. Results Quantitative analysis revealed a positive significant correlation between frailty and death anxiety ( r = 0.19, p = 0.003). Additionally, regression analysis identified age ( B = 0.69, 95% CI [0.22, 1.15], p = 0.004), lack of social support ( B = 2.88, 95% CI [0.28, 5.47], p = 0.030), lower income ( B = −5.33, 95% CI [−9.03, −1.63], p = 0.005) and higher frailty scores ( B = 0.83, 95% CI [0.10, 1.56], p = 0.025) as significant predictors of increased death anxiety. Qualitative findings yielded four key themes: the impact of frailty on perception of mortality, the psychological and emotional dimensions of fear of death, the role of the critical care unit environment on fear of death and coping mechanisms and support. Conclusion Frailty in geriatric critically ill patients heightened death anxiety due to physical decline, existential worries and the overwhelming critical care environment. Relevance to Clinical Practice This study can help nurses provide more personalized care to geriatric patients by addressing both their physical frailty and psychological needs related to fear of death. This, in turn, can improve the quality of care and enhance patient satisfaction.

Background Blended learning, a pedagogical approach combining traditional classroom instruction with online components, has gained prominence in nursing education. While offering numerous benefits, student satisfaction with blended learning remains a critical concern. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive evaluation of the determinants influencing nursing students’ satisfaction with this innovative educational modality. By examining a wide range of factors, including sociodemographic characteristics, academic factors, and environmental influences, this research offers valuable insights for educators to optimize blended learning experiences in nursing education. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional research design was conducted. This study investigates the factors influencing nursing students’ satisfaction with blended learning at Alexandria University, Egypt, where blended learning programs have been integrated into the curriculum primarily through the Microsoft Teams platform. A convenient sample of 1266 nursing students from both bachelor and technical educational institutions participated in the study from September 2023 to the end of December 2023. Data were collected using an online survey containing two measurement tools: the Blended Learning Satisfaction Scale and the Environmental Facilitators and Barriers to Student Persistence in Online Courses scale. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and backward multiple linear regression, were conducted to identify factors that are associated with the satisfaction of nursing students’ with blended learning. Results Findings indicate that factors such as age, gender, income, employment status, access to suitable internet sources, academic year, computer literacy, preferred learning method, and perceptions of environmental facilitators significantly influence satisfaction scores (all p < 0.001). The overall regression model, with an adjusted R² of 0.31, signifies that 31% of the variance in satisfaction scores is explained collectively by the previously mentioned variables (F = 21.21, p < 0.001). Conclusion Students’ sociodemographic variables, preference for blended learning, and perception of environmental facilitators such as encouragement to enroll in the course significantly influence nursing students’ satisfaction levels with blended learning. However, limitations in the current study such as self-report bias, convenient sampling, and cross-sectional design limit the generalizability and causal inferences of these findings.

Introduction The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in intensive care units (ICUs) presents both opportunities and challenges for critical care nurses. This study delves into the human factor, exploring how nurses with leadership roles perceive the impact of AI on their professional practice. Objective To investigate how nurses perceive the impact of AI on their professional identity, ethical considerations surrounding its use, and the shared meanings they attribute to trust, collaboration, and communication when working with AI systems. Methods An interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to capture the lived experiences of critical care nurses leading with AI. Ten nurses with leadership roles in various ICU specializations were interviewed through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews explored nurses’ experiences with AI, challenges, and opportunities. Thematic analysis identified recurring themes related to the human factor in leading with AI. Findings Thematic analysis revealed two key themes which are leading with AI: making sense of challenges and opportunities and the human factor in leading with AI. The two main themes have six subthemes which revealed that AI offered benefits like task automation, but concerns existed about overreliance and the need for ongoing training. New challenges emerged, including adapting to new workflows and managing potential bias. Clear communication and collaboration were crucial for successful AI integration. Building trust in AI hinged on transparency, and collaboration allowed nurses to focus on human-centered care while AI supported data analysis. Ethical considerations included maintaining patient autonomy and ensuring accountability in AI-driven decisions. Conclusion While AI presents opportunities for automation and data analysis, successful integration hinges on addressing concerns about overreliance, workflow adaptation, and potential bias. Building trust and fostering collaboration are fundamentals for AI integration. Transparency in AI systems allows nurses to confidently delegate tasks, while collaboration empowers them to focus on human-centered care with AI support. Ultimately, dealing with the ethical concerns of AI in ICU care requires prioritizing patient autonomy and ensuring accountability in AI-driven decisions.

Abstract Background: Climate changes have led to health and environmental risks, so it has become essential to measure climate change literacy among the entire population, especially nursing students. The significant role of nursing students in raising public awareness and future healthcare roles emphasizes assessing the predictors of climate change literacy among nursing students. Aims: This study seeks to identify the predictors of climate change literacy among nursing students in A Multi-Site Survey. Design: A multi-site descriptive cross-sectional study adheres to the guidelines outlined in A Consensus-Based Checklist for Reporting Survey Studies collected for five months, from the 1st of July 2023 to November 2023. The study participants comprise 10,084 nursing students from all 27 governments in Egypt. The researcher used the Predictors of Nursing Students' Climate Change Literacy scale in this study. Data was collected, with 25 min average time to complete. Backward multiple linear regression was used to identify these predictors. Results: In the current study, nursing students demonstrated a moderate understanding of climate science (mean score 14.38), communication and advocacy skills (mean score 14.41), and knowledge of adaptation and mitigation strategies (mean score 13.33). Climate health impacts (mean score 17.72) emerged as the domain with the highest level of knowledge. No significant differences in climate literacy were observed across diverse student backgrounds (all p-values were > 0.05). Perceived faculty knowledge of climate change positively correlated with all four domains of climate literacy and emerged as a significant predictor in multiple linear regression analyses (all p-values were < 0.001). Implication: While our findings highlight significant predictors of climate literacy, it is essential to recognize that these results identify associations rather than causal relationships. Based on these associations, it is recommended that nursing professionals be equipped with comprehensive knowledge of climate adaptation strategies to better advocate for and implement effective public health measures. Keywords: Climate change; Egyptian; Global boiling; Literacy; Multi-site survey; Nursing students; Predictors.

Background Critical care nurses should help in reducing noise to improve the well‐being of patients and health care providers. Aim To measure actual noise levels in intensive care units, identify nurses' perceived irritation levels of noise sources and examine the impact of noise on nurses' work performance and well‐being. Study design This cross‐sectional study was conducted from January to April 2023 at a teaching hospital's six intensive care units. It involved three phases: mapping locations for noise measurement, actual noise measurements in decibels and a cross‐sectional survey to identify nurses' perceptions and the adverse effects of noise. Actual noise was measured between patients' beds, nursing stations and beside 16 noise sources for 7 days 24 h a day. For nurse perceptions, the mean of perceived irritation levels by a Likert scale for each noise source was calculated to present perceived noise levels. Ranking of noise sources according to the actual measured and perceived irritation by nurses was done based on mean values. Curve estimation regression test was used to predict the relationship between actual and perceived noise and stepwise multiple linear regression identified factors associated with noise adverse effects. Results The mean noise level in the intensive care units was 65.55 dB. Nurses perceived mechanical ventilator alarms as the most irritating noise. However, the mean noise measurements showed that conversations among colleagues were the primary source of noise. There was no significant predictive relationship between the actual and perceived noise. Nurses reported feeling distressed, irritable, fatigued and less productive due to noise. Conclusions There was a discrepancy between actual and perceived noise levels by nurses. Perceived noise levels had more impact on nurses than actual noise. Relevance to clinical practice By incorporating both objective measurements and subjective perceptions into efforts aimed at reducing noise, health care providers can create quieter intensive care units.

Background: Holistic nursing care including spiritual care should be provided to critically ill patients. Critical care nurses should assess the patients' spiritual needs and provide holistic nursing care accordingly. Nurses' spiritual perception and competency may be facilitators or barriers to the spiritual practice of critical care nurses. So, the current study was conducted to assess this relationship. Objective: To assess critical care nurses' spiritual care practice and its relationship with their spiritual perception and competency. Design of the study: A descriptive correlational research design. Settings: Seven intensive care units at the Alexandria Main University Hospital. Subjects: A convenient sample of 150 critical care nurses who provide direct care to patients were enrolled in the study. Tools: Three tools were used in this study. Tool one was the spiritual care practice questionnaire. Tool two was the spirituality and spiritual care rating scale, and tool three was the spiritual care competency scale. Method: Online questionnaire was sent to critical care nurses to report their spiritual care practice, perception, and competency. Results: Critical care nurses' spiritual care practice was positively and significantly correlated with nurses' perception of spiritual care (r=0.55, P= 0.04), and awareness of spiritual care competency (r=0.87, P= 0.02). Conclusion: Critical care nurses provide spiritual care when they have a positive attitude toward spiritual care and are aware of spiritual care competency components. Recommendations: Raise critical care nurses' awareness of spiritual care competency to provide a more positive attitude toward spiritual care and provide satisfactory spiritual care to critically ill patients.