Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in the Indian subcontinent, accounting for 38% of deaths annually. One cardiovascular disease in particular, heart failure, is a growing public health problem both in India and worldwide. Purpose: Heart failure is a chronic, progressive disease with increasing rates of incidence and prevalence. This study was conducted to determine the influence of a nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation program on quality of life and biophysiological parameters in patients with chronic heart failure. In this study, it was hypothesized that participants in the cardiac rehabilitation program would report significantly more-positive changes in quality of life and biophysiological parameters than their peers who did not participate in this program. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, the participants were patients with chronic heart failure who had been admitted to a tertiary care hospital in India. The participants assigned to the intervention group received both nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation and routine care. In addition, intervention group participants received a booklet on cardiac rehabilitation, Healthy Way to Healthy Heart, at discharge and fortnightly telephone reminders about good cardiac rehabilitation practices. A standard questionnaire was used to collect targeted information on participants' general and disease-specific quality of life at 1 and 3 months postintervention. Biophysiological parameters such as body mass index, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol values were also measured. Results: Two thirds of the participants in each group (65% in the intervention group and 66% in the control group) were between 51 and 70 years old. The mean score for the mental component summary of generic quality of life steadily decreased in the control group and steadily increased in the intervention group at the first and second posttests. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Nurses working in cardiology units play a pivotal role in educating and managing the health status of patients with heart failure. Providing cardiac rehabilitation to patients with heart failure benefits the quality of life of these patients. Nurses working in cardiology units should encourage patients with heart failure to practice cardiac rehabilitation for a longer period to further improve their quality of life.

Background: Chronic Renal Disease (CRD) complications had a sizeable effect on the patients. This study evaluates illness perception, treatment adherence and clinical outcomes of patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and finds an association with variables. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India during October and November 2017. Data were collected through interviews of each patient separately before hemodialysis. Demographic, clinical variables, identity dimension and control dimension of patients were assessed. Adherence behaviours were measured using ESRD-AQ in four dimensions. Clinical outcome was evaluated based on biochemical parameters. The collected data were analysed by percentage distribution and regression analysis. Results: The study had 120 patients with ESRD with male to female ratio of 2:1 where the majority (35.80%) were in the age group of 51–60. The identity dimension mean (SD) score was 10.80 (1.51). Under the control dimension mean scores were higher in the sub-dimension of emotional representations, consequences and personal control. Among 120 patients, 63 (52.50%) had adherence to dietary restriction. A statistically significant association was observed between timeline with Body Mass Index (BMI) (F₃ = 4.81, p = 0.003) and comorbidity (F₂ = 2.99, p = 0.022). Conclusions: The higher mean score in the sub-dimensions of emotional representations indicates a higher degree of emotional distress due to low adherence to prescribed medications.

Not available Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.19(3) 2020 p.537-542

Soft skills are the habits and traits that determine how a person operates in the workplace like communicating with others. Students are in a position to prove themselves in different aspects, which is not possible by technology. The soft skills identified as important in the workplace include communication, teamwork, motivation, problem-solving, enthusiasm, and trust. A quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional approach was used to assess the knowledge and practice of soft skills among nursing students at selected nursing colleges in Chennai. The target population was B. Sc Nursing Basic students in Chennai. There was a total of 305 students in the study. Data was collected using my 3s 5 point rating scale questionnaire, which Data developed was analyzed using SPSS version 23. The highest mean score (20.47 with SD 4.38) was observed in the soft skill domain of management and the lowest score was in writing and communication skills (20.23 with SD4.38). There was a statistically significant association found in soft skill domains of writing skill and management skill with fathers’ educational status and mothers’ occupational status at p<0.05 level. Soft skills are an internal part of the nursing profession. It reflects on approaches that would enable nursing students to grow in their profession.

This study investigates the effects of a capacity-building programme on the competency of ECG interpretation among critical care nurses. Electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation is a fundamental clinical skill essential for the rapid diagnosis of potentially life-threatening conditions. Misinterpretation of ECGs can result in inappropriate clinical decisions, leading to adverse patient outcomes. This study, conducted at a tertiary care hospital with over 1600 beds and six fully equipped intensive care units, aimed to improve the knowledge and practice of ECG interpretation among nurses frequently recording ECGs. A quantitative quasi-experimental study was conducted with 100 nurses selected using non-probability purposive sampling. Pre-test and post-test assessments were used to evaluate knowledge and practice, and data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that the study group had significantly higher post-test knowledge and practice scores compared to the control group, with a strong positive correlation between knowledge and practice scores. The findings highlight the importance of continuous education and training for healthcare professionals.