Differences in perceived communication barriers among nurses and elderly patients in China.

In China, limited information exists about nurses' and elderly patients' perceptions of barriers to the communication process. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to identify the major communication barriers (nurse-related, patient-related, and environment-related) perceived both by nurses and elderly patients and to determine the perceived differences in the level of importance of the communication barriers between nurses and elderly patients. The sample consisted of 84 nurses and 75 elderly patients who completed a demographic questionnaire and a communication barriers questionnaire.

Workplace stressors, coping, demographics and job satisfaction in Chinese intensive care nurses.

Background: Prior research has suggested that certain workplace stressors, coping strategies and demographic characteristics are related to job satisfaction in nurses. Most of the research in this area has been conducted within western culture countries, with little research being carried out in Asian culture countries, especially China. It remains unclear if the findings of the research conducted in western culture countries are applicable to Chinese nurses, especially intensive care nurses.

Coping strategies and predictors of general well-being in women with breast cancer in the People's Republic of China.

The presence of breast cancer has been a great challenge to women's health for decades. However, limited information exists about how Chinese women with breast cancer cope with the stressors of the illness and which factors predict their sense of general well-being. Therefore, the purposes of this study of women with breast cancer from the People's Republic of China were to identify the coping strategies being used and to identify which demographic characteristics and coping strategies were the best predictors of general well-being.

Predictors of family caregivers' burden and quality of life when providing care for a family member with schizophrenia in the People's Republic of China.

Limited research has been undertaken regarding family caregivers' burden and quality of life (QOL) when providing care for a family member with schizophrenia in the People's Republic of China. This study examined the following in Chinese families caring for a member with schizophrenia: (i) the level of family caregivers' burden and QOL; (ii) the relationships among the demographic characteristics of family caregivers, the demographic characteristics of family members with schizophrenia, and family caregivers' burden and QOL; and (iii) the best predictors of family caregivers' burden and QOL. The findings suggest that family caregivers suffer a high level of burden when caring for a family member with schizophrenia.

Workplace and personal factors associated with physical and mental health in hospital nurses in China.

Limited research exists on the workplace and personal factors that might be associated with the physical and mental health of nurses working in China. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to examine, in Chinese hospital nurses, the most frequently occurring workplace stressor, the most often used coping strategy, and the relationships that exist among workplace stressors, coping strategies, psychological hardiness, demographic characteristics, and physical and mental health. Four-hundred-and-eighty hospital nurses from five hospitals in three major Chinese cities were administered five self-report questionnaires.

Caregiver burden and coping patterns of Chinese parents of a child with a mental illness.

The burden of providing care to a family member, who has a mental illness, has been investigated in the past. However, limited research has focused on how parents cope, as they attempt to maintain a functional family life, when they have a child with a mental illness. This study explored, using a descriptive correlational design, the: (i) differences between parents of a child with mental illness, regarding caregiver burden, coping patterns, and demographic characteristics; (ii) effect parental educational level, parental working status, educational level of the child, diagnosis of the child, and family economic status have on parental caregiver burden and coping patterns; (iii) relationships among caregiver burden and coping patterns; and (iv) demographic characteristics of parents and children that predict caregiver burden and parental coping patterns.

Investigation of the relationships among workplace stressors, ways of coping, and the mental health of Chinese head nurses.

Limited information exists about which workplace events are stressful for nurses in charge of a hospital patient-care unit (head nurse) in China and how these nurses cope with these events. Therefore, the purposes of this descriptive study were to examine workplace stressors, ways of coping, and the levels of mental health of Chinese head nurses, as well as to identify the relationships among the workplace stressors, ways of coping, and mental health of Chinese head nurses. To address these purposes, four self-report questionnaires were administered to a convenience sample of 92 head nurses from two teaching hospitals located in one city in central China.

The relationships among workplace stressors, coping methods, demographic characteristics, and health in Australian nurses.

Nursing is known to be stressful. Stress detrimentally can influence job satisfaction, psychological well-being, and physical health. There is a need for increased understanding of the stress that nurses experience and how best to manage it.

Cross-cultural comparison of workplace stressors, ways of coping and demographic characteristics as predictors of physical and mental health among hospital nurses in Japan, Thailand, South Korea and the USA (Hawaii).

In an attempt to cross-culturally compare factors that may contribute to the nursing shortage within countries that have produced a limited number of research findings on role stress in nurses, this research examined work stressors, ways of coping and demographic characteristics as predictors of physical and mental health among hospital nurses from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the USA (Hawaii). Subjects (n = 1554 hospital-based nurses) were administered four self-report questionnaires: Demographic Questionnaire, "Nursing Stress Scale", "Ways of Coping Questionnaire" and "SF-36 Health Survey". Findings suggested that nurses indicated similar workplace stressors, ways of coping, and levels of physical and mental health.

East meets West: a comparison between undergraduate nursing education in Japan and in the United States.

An increasing number of foreign students, especially those of Asian ethnicity, are enrolling in graduate nursing programs in the United States. The transition of these students into graduate nursing programs is not always easy. While a language difference may pose difficulties, a more crucial problem is the difference that often exists between the basic educational nursing preparations of Asian and American graduate students.

Nursing education on women's health care in Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.

Only within the last 3 decades have a select number of countries addressed issues surrounding the all-inclusive health and well-being of women. This factor has had a major influence on nursing education within these countries and the subsequent development of curricula. Because the preparation of nurses is pivotal in shaping a society's health care agenda, this article compares and contrasts demographic characteristics, curricular frameworks, the role of the nurse, quality control of nursing curricula, and the focus of nursing courses related to women's health care among the countries of Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.

Workplace stressors, ways of coping and demographic characteristics as predictors of physical and mental health of Japanese hospital nurses.

Role stress has always been a concern for nurses and health care administrators. Most research, however, on role stress in nurses has taken place in Western cultures. Limited research in the area has taken place in Asian cultures and particularly in the country of Japan.

Nurse faculty perceptions regarding psychiatric-mental health nursing behavioral interventions: a cross-cultural comparison.

Mental disorders are internationally responsible for significant disease burden and disability. However, limited cross-culturally comparisons, related to psychiatric-mental health nurses and the care they deliver, have been conducted. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present information obtained from nurse faculty from Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the USA (State of Hawaii) about: a) titles and educational preparation of the psychiatric-mental health nurses; b) the role and perception of others about the psychiatric-mental health nurses; c) nursing behavioral interventions, including medications; d) length of stay of hospitalized psychiatric patients; e) leading mental health problems; and, f) the profile of the population with a mental illness.

Psychological hardiness, workplace stress and related stress reduction strategies.

Contending with stressful situations in the workplace is a common occurrence for all health care providers. Stress has numerous devastating effects on the workplace environment, as well as upon individuals who become victims of stress. However, enhancing psychological hardiness may facilitate an individual's ability to deal with workplace stress.

Genetic education in baccalaureate and associate degree nursing programs in Japan.

The purpose of the present study was to ascertain the amount and type of genetic content in basic nursing education programs in Japan baccalaureate degree (BSN) and associate degree (ADN), and to describe the qualifications of faculty members teaching the genetics content. A questionnaire was used to examine these. The sample was derived from 66 basic nursing preparatory programs.

Communication effectiveness of nurses working in a variety of settings within one large university teaching hospital in western Japan.

This survey study measured the communication effectiveness of 176 nurses working on a variety of clinical units within one large university hospital in western Japan. The vast majority of the nurses demonstrated fair effectiveness in their communication skills. Although some of the nurses did demonstrate slightly higher communication effectiveness scores, few of the nurses' demographic characteristics appeared to influence how well they communicated.