Browsing by Author "Ventura, Filipa"
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- Assessment of Job Satisfaction in Nurses: Contributions to Health ManagementPublication . Costeira, Cristina; Santos-Costa, Paulo; Oliveira-Salgueiro, Anabela; Santos, Cátia; Pais, Nelson; Ventura, FilipaBackground: Evidence reflects that job satisfaction is an indicator of the quality of health care. Health managers and decision-makers cannot neglect its importance and should promote organizational interventions for its assessment and improvement. Objective: This study aims to (i) compare the job satisfaction experienced by nurses with the one desired (ii) identify the lowest areas of current satisfaction and (iii) reflect in areas of lowest and higher job satisfaction. Method: A descriptive study carried out in September 2021 with thirty oncology nurses, who were asked to fill out an electronic questionnaire with the professional life wheel coaching tool. This coaching diagnostic tool assesses the current satisfaction level and the desired satisfaction level from 1 to 10. The inquired areas were: salary, career progression, relationships with managers, relationships with the team, relationships with patients/family, professional environment, feeling of institutional belonging, working conditions, appreciation/recognition, and professional fulfillment. Ethical assumptions were preserved. Results: The results suggest that oncology nurses have important levels of job dissatisfaction. The lowest values of experienced job satisfaction were related to career development, while the highest were related to team relationships. Regarding the desired job satisfaction, the salary was the area presenting the least need for correction. The relationship with patients and families was identified as the area with the greatest desire for improvement. There was a weak correlation between job satisfaction and age, and job satisfaction and professional experience. Discussion and Conclusion: The relationship with the team was one of the areas identified by nurses as significant for their levels of satisfaction, revealing the importance of promoting the development of healthful and effective relationships. Promoting relationships with patients and families is also important as this area was identified as a desire for greater professional development. Health care institutions and nurse managers aiming at the promotion of job satisfaction should plan interventions focusing on the areas of lower job satisfaction and towards younger nurses, who have less experience in clinical environments. Such an approach will likely allow the nurses to feel valued and will reduce the gap between experienced and desired job satisfaction.
- Cancer Patients with Chronic Pain and Their Caregivers during COVID-19: A Descriptive StudyPublication . Costeira, Cristina; Paiva-Santos, Filipe; Pais, Nelson; Sousa, Ana Filipa; Paiva, Ivo; Carvalho, Dulce Helena; Rocha, Ana; Ventura, FilipaBackground: The sanitary measures imposed by COVID-19 intensified challenges in the pain management of cancer patients. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in a chronic pain unit of an oncological hospital aiming to explore the experiences of cancer patients with chronic pain and their caregivers during the pandemic period, as well as identify strategies to improve care in chronic pain management. An electronic questionnaire was developed containing sociodemographic variables, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, and open-ended questions exploring the experiences and circumstances of pain management. Results: A total of 30 patients and 13 caregivers filled in the questionnaire. Patients revealed a higher level of depression, anxiety, and stress than caregivers, without statistically significant differences. Both groups mentioned having experienced difficulties in self-care, particularly in relation to sleep, nutrition, and recreation. In total, 83.7% patients needed pain relief medication related to uncontrolled pain. Both mentioned that they would have benefited from a digital application to ease the communication with the healthcare professionals of the chronic pain unit, as well as non-pharmacological interventions, such as therapeutic massage. Conclusions: Recognizing that chronic pain leads to significant limitations, it is essential to implement and anticipate objective and effective responses in pain management.
- A Clinical Decision Support System for Remote Monitoring of Cardiovascular Disease Patients: A Clinical Study ProtocolPublication . Ventura, Filipa; Sousa, Pedro; Dixe, Maria dos Anjos; Ferreira, Paulo; Martinho, Ricardo; Dias, Sara Simões; Morais, João; Gonçalves, Lino M.Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17. 9 million lives each year. Cardiac rehabilitation is shown to reduce mortality and hospital readmissions, while improving physical fitness and quality of life. Despite the recommendations and proven benefits, acceptance and adherence remain low. Mobile health (mHealth) solutions may contribute to more personalized and tailored patient recommendations according to their specific needs. This study protocol aims to assess the effectiveness of a user-friendly, comprehensive Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) for remote patient monitoring of CVD patients, primarily on the reduction of recurrent cardiovascular events. Methods and Analysis: The study will follow a multicenter randomized controlled design involving two cardiology units in the Center Region of Portugal. Prospective CVD patients will be approached by the healthcare staff at each unit and checked for eligibility according to the predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. The CDSS will suggest a monitoring plan for the patient, will advise the mHealth tools (apps and wearables) adapted to patient needs, and will collect data. The clinical study will start in January 2023. Discussion: The success of the mHeart.4U intervention will be a step toward the use of technological interfaces as an integrating part of CR programs. Ethics and Dissemination: The study will undergo ethical revision by the Ethics Board of the two hospital units where the study will unfold. The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on 18th January 2022 with the number NCT05196802. The study findings will be published in international peer-reviewed scientific journals and encounters and in a user-friendly manner to the society.
- Person-Centered Practice in the Portuguese Healthcare Services: A Scoping Review ProtocolPublication . Ventura, Filipa; Costeira, Cristina; Silva, Rosa; Cardoso, Daniela; Oliveira, CláudiaRecognizing the importance of the international advancements on person-centered prac tice (PCP) with positive implementation outcomes at the varied levels of healthcare systems, this scoping review will examine the PCP in Portuguese healthcare services. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidance for scoping reviews will be followed. The Population (P) Concept (C) Context (C) mnemonic will scaffold research questions, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the searching strategy. Literature reporting on person-centeredness domains at the macro-, meso-, and micro levels applied to Portuguese healthcare services in Portuguese and English will be considered for inclusion. Accordingly, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SCOPUS, LILACS, SCIELO, Open Access Scientific Repository of Portugal (RCAAP), and Open gray will be searched. The literature will be screened for eligibility by two independent reviewers, first by title and abstract and subsequently by full text. A data extraction matrix designed to answer the research questions will be used for the included literature. The charted data will be thematically analyzed and presented graphically, with a narrative description of the literature characteristics. The results are expected to inform healthcare stakeholders at varying levels about the PCP domains where further improvements might be required in order to raise the quality of care to the international gold standards.
- Spiritual Care[Givers] Competence in Palliative Care: A Scoping ReviewPublication . Costeira, Cristina; Querido, Ana; Ventura, Filipa; Loureiro, Hugo; Coelho, Joana; Benito, Enric; Nabal, Maria; Dones, Monica; Specos, Marcela; Laranjeira, CarlosTo deliver spiritual care, professionals must be skilled in physical, mental, social, and spiritual care. Spiritual care competence includes knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, and skills that enable successful or efficient care. This review aims to identify the scope of competence and the specific skills, knowledge, and attitudes used in providing spiritual care to people needing palliative care, and the main challenges and facilitators. A scoping review was developed using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Six databases (Web of Science; MEDLINE/Pubmed; Scopus; CINAHL; MedicLatina and SciELO) were searched in September 2023, with an update in January 2024. The resulting 30 articles were analyzed using a content analysis approach. Information was categorized into three domains: cognitive, affective, and functional (based on three personal resources: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and transpersonal). Palliative care professionals face a lack of training and insufficient preparation to deliver spiritual care. Spiritual care competence depends on professional spiritual development and experience, spiritual intelligence (cognitive), spiritual humility (affective), and having a critical and reflexive mind (functional). In the future, palliative care should seek to improve competent spiritual care. This review could help clarify the real configuration of competent spiritual care and lead to improvements in a professional’s empowerment when delivering effective spiritual care to patients and families.
- Telehealth Adoption in an Outpatient Oncology Ward: A Best Practice Implementation ProjectPublication . Ventura, Filipa; Domingues, Helena; Almeida, Gisela; Cardoso, Daniela; Rodrigues, Rogério; Moreira, Isabel; Pires, Mariana; Gomes, Inês; Silva, Rosa; Oliveira, Cláudia; Cardoso, Ana Filipa; Ribeiro, Liliana; Costeira, CristinaTelehealth is increasingly taking place to support the transition of care and self-management of people living with cancer in outpatient oncology settings. Despite its recognised value, the scientific evidence points to disparities with regard to implementation of telehealth that might compromise the equity of access. Following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) implementation approach, this project aims to promote the implementation of best practice recommendations for telehealth adoption in an outpatient oncology setting. Assisted by the Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System (PACES), the implementation process comprises three phases of (i) a baseline audit, (ii) feedback to the healthcare team and establishment of implementation strategies with the Getting Research into Practice (GRiP) tool, and (iii) a follow-up audit. The project is expected to allow the identification of barriers and facilitators for the implementation of telehealth in outpatient oncology and develop a strategy plan for its adoption, with the involvement of end-users and stakeholders. The successful adoption of telehealth according to the best available evidence will likely enhance equity of access to healthcare and quality of care at a distance.
- Workplace stress in Portuguese oncology nurses delivering palliative care: A pilot studyPublication . Costeira, Cristina; Ventura, Filipa; Pais, Nelson; Santos-Costa, Paulo; Dixe, Maria dos Anjos; Querido, Ana; Laranjeira, CarlosOncology nurses often face complex end-of-life issues, underlining their need for specific training in palliative care. In this context, nurses experience several emotional and psychological dilemmas, which are often difficult to manage and result in high levels of workplace stress. This study aimed to determine the levels and work-related factors of workplace stress among oncology nurses. A descriptive baseline study was performed as part of a large four-phase study based on quantitative data collected from Portuguese oncology nurses. Of the 32 participating nurses, most were women, and the mean age was 42.69 10.04 years. Overall, nurses revealed moderate levels of stress. Younger nurses with less professional experience had difficulties dealing with issues related to death and dying. This pilot study supported the development of a program of six Stress Management Training Workshops (SMTW) to reduce stress and increase adaptative strategies. Assessing workplace stress among oncology nurses should be the focus of intervention by managers and institutional leaders.