Isabel Lucas

Prof. Isabel Lucas

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

8Years (2019-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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20 February 2026 in Healthcare
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Olga ValentimOlga Valentim
Olga Valentim
Raquel Simões de AlmeidaRaquel Simões de Almeida
Raquel Simões de Almeida
RMRita Marques
Rita Marques
ILIsabel Lucas
Isabel Lucas
LSLeila Sales
Leila Sales
JJJosé Pinto José
José Pinto José
Background/Objectives: Mental health challenges are increasingly prevalent among higher education students, with significant implications for academic success and personal development. Emerging research suggests that critical thinking dispositions may support psychological well-being by enhancing resilience and adaptive coping. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between critical thinking dispositions and psychological well-being and to identify key sociodemographic predictors in this context. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed from December 2024 to May 2025, recruiting 429 students from Portuguese higher education institutions via convenience sampling. Participants completed validated self-report measures: the Critical Thinking Dispositions Scale (CTDS) and the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS), assessing seven critical thinking dispositions and six well-being dimensions, respectively. Sociodemographic data were also collected. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical multiple regression were used for data analysis. Results: Students demonstrated moderate to high levels of critical thinking and psychological well-being, with higher scores associated with increased age and academic progression. Significant positive correlations were identified between critical thinking dispositions and all well-being dimensions; personal growth, purpose in life, and autonomy exhibited the strongest associations. Regression analysis revealed that confidence in reasoning, cognitive maturity, and open-mindedness were significant predictors of psychological well-being, explaining 28.7% of the variance. Conversely, inquisitiveness showed a negative association with psychological well-being in the multivariate model, an unexpected finding that warrants cautious interpretation and further investigation. Conclusions: Critical thinking dispositions reflect affective tendencies and habitual ways of engaging with thinking. These dispositions appear to protect psychological well-being in higher education students. Integrating the development of emotional awareness and reflective thinking into curricula may therefore foster resilience and academic success. Further longitudinal research is needed to explore causal mechanisms and intervention efficacy in broader academic contexts.

31 December 2022 in Revista Portuguesa de Saúde Ocupacional
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
ILIsabel Lucas
Isabel Lucas
KMKátia Merêncio
Kátia Merêncio
FRFátima Ramalho
Fátima Ramalho
Introduction The new challenges and demands of work-related tasks reveal the interest in investing in the promotion of health, well-being and productivity of employees. The occupational nurse has a set of skills to assess professional risks, in particular psychosocial risks, to raise awareness, increase safety and to operate changes that promote healthy environments. The implementation of a mental health and well-being at work program has an impact on the prevention of health problems and in the acquisition of healthy lifestyle habits, with a positive impact on the worker and in the organization. Objectives To analyze the scientific evidence on the well-being and mental health of workers in Occupational Health. Methodology This is an integrative literature review. A search was carried out in the databases Pubmed®, CINAHL®Complete, MedicLatina, MEDLINE Complete, Nursing & Allied Health: Comprehensive Edition and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The sample is made by 25 articles, which met the defined inclusion criteria (2016-2022, in English, Spanish and Portuguese, in the area of health and well-being at work). Results The most reported problems in the work context were depression, anxiety, work overload and professional devaluation. Interventions based on cognitive behavioral therapy have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms in workers. The involvement of managers in a mental health and wellness program, preferably based on digital format, contributes to healthy work environments. Conclusions Implementing simple and accessible mental health and wellness programs, including encouraging practices such as mindfulness and yoga, can create significant changes, with gains in health and for the organization, for the positive impact on the person and their productivity. Currently, it is essential to promote the articulation between the occupational nurse and the managers of the organizations, because by looking out for the worker’s interest and the improvement of the indicators in terms of mental health, they favor the bond, the performance, the human capital and the productivity. KEYWORDS: Occupational Nursing; Welfare; Mental Health; Mental Health Program; Occupational Health.

1 January 2023 in Revista de Enfermagem Referência
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
RMRita Marques
Rita Marques
MNManuela Néné
Manuela Néné
ISIsabel Silva
Isabel Silva
CMCarla Mendes
Carla Mendes
LSLeila Sales
Leila Sales
ILIsabel Lucas
Isabel Lucas
Enquadramento: As práticas clínicas simuladas, designadas por experiências clínicas simuladas ou simulação, são um processo formativo dinâmico e desafiador que decorre em ambiente controlado com recurso a cenários que recriam a realidade clínica. Objetivo: Estudar a satisfação dos estudantes de enfermagem com as práticas clínicas simuladas. Metodologia: Estudo descritivo-correlacional de abordagem quantitativa, com uma amostra de 223 estudantes de enfermagem. Aplicada a Escala de Satisfação com as Experiências Clínicas Simuladas (ESECS), constituída pelas dimensões: prática, cognitiva e realismo. Resultados: A satisfação média global com as práticas clínicas simuladas, foi de 7,501 na escala de 1–10. As características sociodemográficas, ano curricular e conteúdos, não foram preditivos da satisfação. Os estudantes apresentam-se em média mais satisfeitos na dimensão cognitiva e menos satisfeitos na dimensão realismo. Conclusão: Os estudantes apresentam-se satisfeitos com as práticas clínicas simuladas percecionando a sua importância para a aprendizagem, na aquisição de competências e maior capacidade de resposta no ensino clínico em contexto real. Tal reforça a pertinência do investimento, teórico, científico e prático, nesta estratégia de ensino.

26 June 2019 in Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing
Verified
Book Chapter
Closed access
PDF file
LSLeila Sales
Leila Sales
BRBárbara Rodrigues
Bárbara Rodrigues
CSCatarina Santos
Catarina Santos
MFMaria Ferreira
Maria Ferreira
ILIsabel Lucas
Isabel Lucas

30 April 2026 in Nursing Reports
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
LSLeila Sales
Leila Sales
MFMaria Ferreira
Maria Ferreira
RPRaquel Pereira
Raquel Pereira
ILIsabel Lucas
Isabel Lucas
RMRita Marques
Rita Marques
IBInês Monteiro Bento
Inês Monteiro Bento
Simulation is increasingly recognised as a strategic approach in nursing education for developing clinical competencies within safe learning environments. However, there is limited understanding of how virtual patient simulation supports the early development of clinical reasoning from the perspective of nursing students. Aim: To explore the perceptions of first-year undergraduate nursing students regarding the development of clinical reasoning and collaborative decision-making through virtual patient simulation. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory design was adopted. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 73 first-year undergraduate nursing students. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis following Bardin’s approach. Results: Students perceived virtual patient simulation as a meaningful and high-impact learning strategy. Realism, interactivity, and group collaboration emerged as key strengths. Engagement with dynamic clinical scenarios supported the integration of theoretical knowledge into practice, enhanced prioritisation skills, and promoted structured clinical reasoning. Collaborative learning facilitated shared reflection and collective problem-solving, while immediate feedback enabled learning through error within a psychologically safe environment. Participants also reported increased confidence and autonomy in decision-making. At the same time, students identified limitations related to software constraints and the alignment between automated assessment and their reasoning processes. Conclusions: Group-based virtual simulation appears to support the early structuring of clinical reasoning, extending beyond technical skill acquisition to foster reflective and collaborative practice. Its educational value, however, depends on intentional curricular integration and strong pedagogical alignment including structured facilitation, alignment between assessment and learning objectives, and opportunities for guided reflection. These findings contribute to a process-oriented understanding of how novice learners make sense of clinical reasoning in simulated contexts.

31 March 2026 in Salutis Scientia
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
AMAna Carolina Martins
Ana Carolina Martins
CJCarolina José
Carolina José
CFCatarina França
Catarina França
CLCláudia Lameira
Cláudia Lameira
MAMicaela Abreu
Micaela Abreu
LSLeila Sales
Leila Sales
O mobbing é um fenómeno preocupante que compromete o bem-estar dos profissionais de saúde e a qualidade dos cuidados prestados. Foi realizada uma reflexão e análise das consequências do assédio moral nas organizações de saúde, sendo inegável que a exposição prolongada a estes comportamentos resulta na diminuição da confiança, burnout, doença física e mental, absentismo, elevada rotatividade no local de trabalho e intenção de abandono da profissão. Foi efetuada uma revisão da literatura tendo como objetivo analisar as consequências do mobbing nos profissionais de saúde e o seu impacto na qualidade dos cuidados e, por conseguinte, na segurança do doente. A pesquisa evidencia a necessidade de políticas institucionais eficazes, lideranças eficientes e estratégias de prevenção para mitigar o impacto negativo do mobbing, promovendo um ambiente de trabalho saudável, de forma a garantir a segurança e qualidade dos cuidados ao doente.