Background: The first years of university can be very challenging for students. Previous research has focused on the study of the prevalence of burnout and of psychological distress in medical students. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of psychological symptoms and burnout reported by first-year students, the relationship between these variables and their academic performance, and the differences between health and non-health sciences students. Methods: An observational study with a cross-sectional design was performed. Students of health sciences (medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, psychology), and non-health sciences (biology, social sciences, business management, and engineering) undergraduate programs completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS). Students’ grades for the first semester were collected. Results: A sample of 506 students participated. Prevalence of psychological distress was 27.1% and burnout was 7.3%. Academic performance was unaffected in relation to either psychological distress or burnout. Non-health sciences students showed a greater risk of depression. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of the high prevalence of psychological distress in the first year of college. Even when burnout prevalence was low, the results suggest the need to introduce prevention programs to improve the psychological wellbeing of these students.

After the financial crisis of 2008, increasing numbers of nurses from Spain are going abroad to work. To examine the health and workforce policy trends in Spain between 2009 and 2014 and to analyze their correlation with the migration of nurses. Single embedded case study. We examined data published by: Health Statistics, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (1996 to 2013); Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (2006 to 2013); Ministry of Employment and Social Security (2009 to 2014); Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality (1997 to 2014); and National Institute of Statistics (1976 to 2014). In addition to reviewing the scholarly literature on the topic in Spanish and English, we also examined Spanish mobility laws and European directives. We used the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development definition of "professionally active nurses" which defines practising nurses and other nurses as those for whom their education is a prerequisite for employment as a nurse. Moreover, we used the term "nursing graduate" as defined by Spanish Ministry of Education to describe those who have obtained a recognized qualification in nursing in a given year, the term "registered nurses" is defined by Spanish law as nurses registered in the Nurses Associations and "unemployed nurses" are those without work and registered as seeking employment. A transformation of the Spanish health system has reduced the number of employed nurses per capita since 2010. Moreover, reductions in public spending, labour market reforms and widespread unemployment have affected nurses in two ways: first by increasing the number of applicants per vacancy between 2009 and 2013, and second, by an increase in casual positions. However, despite the poor job market and decreasing job security, the number of registered nurses and nursing graduates in Spain per year has continued to grow, increasing the pressure on the labour market. Spain is transforming from a stable nursing labour market, to one that is increasingly producing nurses for foreign markets, principally in Europe. With its low birth rate, increased life expectancy and increasing rates of chronic disease, it is critical for Spain to have sufficient nurses now and into the future. It is important that there be continued study of this phenomenon by Spanish policy makers, health service providers and educators in order for Spain to develop health human resources policies that address the health care needs of the Spanish population.

Background: Care is the essence of the nursing role and is closely related to the concept of professional autonomy. Autonomy is implicated in power relations between doctors and nurses and between men and women. These relationships are closely linked to care practices and the inequality of nursing and medicine. Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze nursing discourse regarding the concept of care and its relationship to the concept of autonomy and gender. Methods: This is a historical study based on oral interviews that took place between November 2008 and February 2011. We interviewed 19 nursing professionals who currently worked at the Hospital of the Holy Spirit (near Barcelona) or had worked there between 1961 and 2010. Semistructured interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Results: We highlight four main themes: “a real nurse”; “more technology, less care”; “the fragility of autonomy”; and “the invisibility of nursing work.” These themes show the contradictions in the nursing profession that are based on the concept of care. However, in daily practice, the concept of care varies. Time pressure distances the nursing practice from its theoretical context. Changes in the concept of care are related to transformations in the health system and nursing work. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Changes related to the autonomy of nursing are related to changes in the concept of care. In practice, care has a biomedical orientation. Care has become technologized and bureaucratized, which reduces the time that is spent with the patient. In a context in which medical authority predominates, nursing’s struggle for autonomy is based on the recognition of the value of care. When care becomes invisible, the autonomy of nursing as a profession is threatened. This conclusion allows reflections about shifts in the concept of care and how they affect clinical practice and the autonomy of the nursing profession.

Induced lactation and relactation are the processes that enable breastfeeding in non-gestating mothers. The aim of this study was to describe and interpret the challenges faced by mothers who undergo induced breastfeeding and relactation for adopted infants, infants born via surrogacy, and infants born to same-sex female partners. A qualitative study was performed using in-depth interviews conducted with Spanish women (N = 9) who had decided to undergo induced lactation or relactation. The data were collected between October 2014 and May 2017. The length of the study was due to the difficulty in locating and recruiting the sample. Interviews were transcribed and coded with the ATLAS.ti v.7.5.7 software. We performed a deductive thematic analysis, creating categories based on the interview questions, which we developed on the basis of previous literature about induced lactation and relactation. Participants described the following challenges: the physical hardships of the process; breastfeeding problems; difficulty with accessing information about induced lactation or relactation; and lack of support from health professionals. Breastfeeding periods lasted from 1.5 months to 4 years. Participants reported that breastfeeding increased the closeness between the mother and child and that this feeling of closeness tended to decrease after breastfeeding cessation. We offer data and analysis that can improve our understanding of the lived experiences of women undergoing the process of relactation or induced lactation and may help guide intervention strategies to support women in this situation.

Aims Identify the organizational changes faced by front‐line nurses working with COVID‐19 patients during the first wave and describe how they responded to these changes. Background The COVID‐19 pandemic has altered the provision of care and the management of health care around the world. Evolving information about SARS‐coV‐2 meant that health care facilities had to be reorganized continually, causing stress and anxiety for nurses. Methods Qualitative study based on Rapid Research Evaluation and Appraisal (RREAL). The research took place in Hospital and community health settings of the Spanish national health system with a purposive sampling of 23 front‐line nurses. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted between May and June 2020. The duration was 30 to 45 minutes per interview. We used the Dedoose® data analysis software to perform a thematic analysis. Results Nurses responded to organizational changes using the following strategies: improvisation, adaptation, and learning. Conclusion Our rapid approach allowed us to record how nurses responded to changing organization, information that is easily lost in a disaster such as the COVID‐19. Implications for Nursing Management Knowing about their strategies can help planning for future health disasters, including subsequent waves of the COVID‐19.

Aim Analyse the relationship between Spanish nurses’ intention to migrate and job security. Background Nursing emigration from Spain increased dramatically between 2010 and 2013. By 2015 it had returned to 2010 levels. Methods Single embedded case study. We examined publicly available statistics to test for a relationship between job security and applications by Spanish nurses to have credentials recognised for emigration purposes. Results Between 2010 and 2015, job security worsened, with poor access to the profession for new graduates, increased rate of professional dropout, increased nursing jobseekers and falling numbers of permanent contracts. Conclusions The number of accreditation applications in Spain in 2010 and 2015 was very similar, but job security worsened on a number of fronts. The distribution of work through part‐time contracts aided retention. Implications for nursing management Policymakers and health care administrators can benefit from understanding the relationship between mobility, workforce planning and the availability of full‐time, part‐time and short‐term contract work in order to design nursing retention programmes and ensure the sustainability of the health care system.