The first issue of The Journal of Nursing Research in 2017 includes nine original studies on a variety of significant health and educational issues. One of these explores nursing professionalism among Japanese faculty; two intervention studies investigate, respectively, patients with schizophrenia and total hip replacement surgery; four correlation studies respectively explore depression in DM patients; pain, anxiety and fatigue during labor; quality of life in brain-injured adults; and depression, resourcefulness, and self-harm behaviors in adolescents; one education-related study from China investigates critical thinking in undergraduates; and one study develops and psychometrically evaluates a scale.
Because the behavior of nursing faculty members strongly affects the professional development of nurses, Tanaka, et al. surveyed the perspectives on professional behavior of 74 nursing faculty members, finding a positive association between level of nursing professionalism and, respectively, level of educational level and years of teaching experience. Awareness of these factors is important in order to maximize nursing professionalism.
In one of the two intervention studies, Lin et al, used a crossover experimental design to evaluate the effects of multisensory stimulation therapy on chronic schizophrenia patients during hospitalization. Although no significant effect was found on psychotic symptoms and well-being, this intervention may improve the negative emotional reactions of patients. Furthermore, the frequency of the intervention correlated positively with treatment efficacy. Next, Wang, et al. used a pre-experimental, repeated measures design to evaluate the effect of a home-based resistance training program on 30 patients who had undergone total hip replacement (THR) for osteoarthritis. The results show that this program is safe, feasible, and effective in improving the mobility, functional exercise capacity, and health-related quality of life of THR patients.
Although depression has been associated with ideal glycemic control, the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among Taiwanese adults with Type 2 DM is still unknown. Chen, et al. recruited 696 participants in Chiayi County from April 2010 to August 2012 and found a prevalence of depression of 16.8%. A logistic regression model showed depression status to be associated with variables including lack of adequate sleep, less-frequent exercise, and frequent inactivity. Lai, et al. found a significant relationship in adolescents between depressive symptoms and resourcefulness toward self-harm behaviors. Petchprapai from Thailand identified social support as the most powerful predictor of QOL among mild traumatic brain-injured adults. Chen, et al. used a prospective, repeated-measures design to investigate the interrelationships among intrapartum pain, anxiety, and fatigue during labor and found that these variables were strongly interrelated and that intrapartum pain management (EDA) holds the potential to significantly reduce anxiety and fatigue but has little effect on fatigue.
In the one education-related study in this issue, Luo, et al. used a cross-sectional method to investigate 406 Chinese undergraduate nursing students. The results showed a positive correlation between critical thinking and mental self-supporting abilities in nursing undergraduates and found that self-decision, self-cognition, self-confidence, and self-responsibility each significantly influenced the students' disposition toward critical thinking.
The final article in this issue was an instrument translation study. The effect of mind-body interventions, which are frequently used to alleviate physical and psychological symptoms, may be assessed using the multidimensional assessment of the interoceptive awareness (MAIA) scale. Yeh's study developed a Chinese version of the MAIA using a forward/backward translation process and then used experts to examine the content validity and confirmed the construct validity and discriminatory validity using confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the scale were further tested using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient, demonstrating acceptable reliability and validity in psychometric testing.
We sincerely hope that our readers enjoy the articles in this issue and find them useful in both their academic and clinical works.