Background: Nurse retention is critical for healthcare systems worldwide, as high turnover rates adversely affect patient care and organizational stability. Aim: Examines the impact of transformational leadership, career growth opportunities, work well-being, and work-life balance on nurse retention. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 297 nurses employed in inpatient wards at Mansoura University Hospital. The study measured variables using the Nursing Retention Index, Global Transformational Leadership Scale, Career Growth Scale, Work Well-Being Scale, and Work-Life Balance Scale. Results: A linear regression analysis identified significant predictors of nurse retention. Work-life balance was found to be a strong predictor, with an unstandardized coefficient (B) of 0.255 (p < 0.001) and a standardized coefficient (β) of 0.426, indicating a positive relationship with retention, transformational leadership also significantly influenced retention, with a B of 0.082 (p = 0.002) and a β of 0.171. In contrast, Career Growth and Work-Life Balance did not significantly predict retention, showing coefficients of -0.082 (p = 0.154) and -0.042 (p = 0.482). The model explained 23.4% of the variance in nurse retention (R-squared = 0.234) and demonstrated statistical significance (F = 22.294, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study highlights the critical role of transformational leadership and work-life balance in enhancing nurse retention. However, career growth and work well-being did not significantly predict retention in this study. Healthcare institutions should focus on transformational leadership and work-life balance to enhance nurse retention. Future studies should explore factors related to career growth and work well-being to determine their potential impact on retention.

Background: Among people with bipolar disorders, there are high rates of impulsivity and suicide attempts. Efforts to reduce suicide are hindered by the lack of conclusive evidence on interventional programs for those at risk. Thus, this work evaluated the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy on impulsivity and suicidality among bipolar clients. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 30 eligible clients with bipolar disorders were given Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and 30 eligible clients for the control group were chosen randomly at a 1:1 ratio using Research Randomizer version 4.0. Clients completed the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II, the Short Arabic Version of the Impulsivity Behavior Scale, and the Arabic Version of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. Results: It can be observed that there was a statistically significant decrement in the mean scores of psychological inflexibility among the study group between baseline value (T0), posttest measurement (T1), and post-two-month follow-up (T2), from 32.91 SD (6.03) to 23.06 SD (6.22) post and 26.83 SD (3.49) post-two months, with an effect size of 0.846 (P < 0.001), compared to the control group, which revealed an increase in the mean score. The overall impulsivity among the study group between T0, T1, and T2 was 61.27 SD (4.57) to 46.83 SD (4.47) post- and 43.0 SD (5.30) post-two months, with an effect size of 0.906 (P < 0.001). Compared to the control group, which revealed a relative increase in the mean impulsivity score at the post- and post-two-month intervals, the Arabic Versions of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation Scale mean score before the intervention was 16.33 SD (6.08), then the post was 7.23 SD (4.72), and the post-two-month mean was 10.13 SD (5.49) with an effect size of 0.878 (P < 0.001) among the study group. On the other hand, mean scores of “suicide ideation” among clients in the control group increased posttest and nearly returned to the same value after two months. Conclusion: For bipolar clients suffering from suicidal thoughts and impulsive behaviors, acceptance and commitment therapy, an emerging third-wave behavior therapy, is an effective intervention. Trial registration: The study was registered retrospectively with reference number NCT05693389 on 23/1/2023, available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05693389.

Understanding nursing students’ attitudes toward Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is pivotal because it may impact the care and support, they provide victims. This study aimed to explore nursing students’ attitudes toward intimate partner violence and its relationship with self-esteem and self-efficacy. A cross-sectional descriptive research design was used in the current study in the faculty of nursing at Mansoura University, Egypt. A total of 1322 nursing students participated in the study. Data were collected from April to June 2023 by using various tools: sociodemographic interviews and academic data profiles, the Intimate Partner Violence Attitude Scale (IPVAS)—Revised, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) (Arabic version), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Results: The findings show the distribution of the Intimate Partner Violence Attitude Scale (IPVAS), with 78.7% of nursing students disapproving of the abuse domain, 72.6% (approving of the violence domain) and 34.2% approving of the control domain. 65.8% had a moderate level of self-esteem, and 62.8% had a low level of self-efficacy. The study concluded that self-esteem and self-efficacy are significant in shaping attitudes toward intimate partner violence; higher levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy are associated with lower approval for intimate partner violence. Further research is needed to explore the factors that contribute to attitudes and levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy among nursing students. It would also be useful to study how education and training affect these attitudes.

Background: An action-oriented approach such as acceptance and commitment therapy may help reduce the fusion of conflicting ideas, empower new intern nurses to act according to their values, and maximize their psychological flexibility. Objective: To evaluate the impact of a virtual group-based acceptance and commitment therapy intervention on intern nurses’ social adjustment and work-family conflict. Design: A parallel, single-blind randomized control trial on intern nurses (n = 70) was randomly allocated to either a six-session online acceptance or commitment therapy intervention (n = 35) or a waiting list control group (n = 35), with each session lasting 90 min. Measures: The work-related acceptance and action questionnaire, the social adjustment scale-self report, and the work-family conflict scale before, after, and one month after the intervention. Results: The psychological flexibility mean score of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (43.11 vs. 34.15, p < .001) immediately after the intervention, and this effect was sustained one month after the intervention (41.88 vs. 33.21, p < .001) with a more significant effect size (F = 128.457, p < .001, η2 = 0.791). The social adjustment mean score of the study group had significantly improved in all four subscales, with statistically significant differences (p < .001). One month after the intervention, the study group had significantly higher scores than the control group in total score, with statistically significant differences (p < .001) and large effect sizes (η2 = 0.932). Work-family conflict mean score of the study group was decreased immediately after the intervention, with statistically significant differences (p < .001). One month after the intervention, the study group had significantly lower scores than the control group in all three subscales of the WFCS, with statistically significant differences (p < .001) and large effect sizes (η2 = 0.943). Conclusion: Our findings proved that the virtual group-based ACT intervention effectively improved psychological flexibility and social adjustment, reducing work-family conflict among intern nurses. These findings suggest that the virtual group-based ACT intervention can be a practical approach to improving intern nurses’ mental health and well-being, which could affect their job performance and overall quality of life. Trial registration: The study was registered retrospectively as a randomized clinical trial on 10/2/2023, reference number; NCT05721339.

Evidence suggests a possible link between Autism spectrum disorder and gut permeability, specifically as indicated by serum zonulin levels. However, limited studies examine this connection to symptom severity, especially in Egypt. Assessing serum zonulin level in children with autism and its relation to the severity of symptoms. In Mansoura University Hospital’s pediatric psychiatry outpatient clinics, case-control research was carried out with children with Autism diagnoses and age- and gender-matched typically developing controls. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale was used to gauge the severity of the symptoms, and the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum zonulin levels. Serum zonulin levels were considerably higher in children with Autism than in the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a positive correlation between higher zonulin levels and the degree of autism symptoms as determined by CARS scores (r = X, p < 0.05). Children with severe Autism had the highest zonulin levels, according to subgroup analysis, which suggests a possible connection between gut permeability and the intensity of symptoms. This study emphasizes how serum zonulin may serve as a biomarker for intestinal permeability in kids with Autism and how it may be related to the intensity of symptoms. These results highlight the need for more investigation into the gut-brain axis as a potential therapeutic target for Autism. Addressing gut permeability may provide new ways to lessen the intensity of symptoms and enhance results for children with Autism.

Background: Interpersonal skills are vital in nursing and influence patient care and teamwork. Attachment patterns strongly affect these skills, with secure attachments fostering empathy and effective communication. Aim: This study examined the relationships between attachment patterns (secure, anxious, avoidant) and interpersonal competencies among nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional self-report questionnaire, which included data from 426 undergraduate nursing students, was collected at Mansoura University in Egypt. Sociodemographic information, the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), and the Social and Emotional Competencies Questionnaire (SEC-Q) were used for data collection. Results: Secure attachment was positively associated with self-awareness (r = 0.201, p ≤ 0.01), social awareness (r = 0.202, p ≤ 0.01), and the total SEC-Q score (r = 0.210, p ≤ 0.01). In contrast, dependent attachment exhibited a weak negative correlation with social awareness (r = -0.134, p ≤ 0.05), whereas anxious attachment was negatively correlated with decision-making (r = -0.144, p ≤ 0.05). Regression analysis revealed that attachment patterns significantly predicted social-emotional competency (F = 169.782, p < 0.001, R² = 0.168), accounting for 16.2% of the variance in the SEC-Q scores. Secure attachment positively predicted competency (B = 0.071, Beta = 0.191, t = 2.750, p = 0.006), whereas dependent attachment negatively predicted it (B = -0.100, Beta = -0.193, t = -2.775, p = 0.006). Anxious attachment had no significant effect (B = -0.209, Beta = -0.030, t = -0.419, p = 0.676). The Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression analysis, and mean and standard deviation were employed for statistical analysis. Conclusion: Nurturing secure attachment in nursing education can enhance students’ interpersonal competencies, ultimately improving patient care and team dynamics. Addressing attachment-related challenges helps foster emotional intelligence, benefiting both students and future patients. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.