myrna Doumit | American University of Beirut (original) (raw)
Papers by myrna Doumit
LEBANON<br> A contribution by Abdallah-Doumit, oncology nurse and President of the Order of... more LEBANON<br> A contribution by Abdallah-Doumit, oncology nurse and President of the Order of Nurses in Lebanon, details the various challenges faced by oncology nurses in Lebanon during early days of the pandemic. She notes, "In a proactive initiative before the occurrence of any COVID-19 cases in the country, the ONL started to train nurses working in hospitals (mainly emergency units, primary healthcare centres, and schools) about COVID-19, its modes of transmission, and prevention measures"… "Despite … [the] unfavourable conditions, the Lebanese nursing workforce has not given up; on the contrary, they have proved again that they are the first line of defense for the healthcare system and the health of the people of Lebanon." <br> -----------<br> Ecancer Special Issue, December 2021 Oncology nursing and the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 in the Global South Supplement
International journal of nursing studies, 2014
Family caregivers have a significant responsibility in the care of their child in the Pediatric I... more Family caregivers have a significant responsibility in the care of their child in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Parents staying with their child in the PICU have particular needs that should be acknowledged and responded to by clinicians. Several studies have been conducted in the USA and Europe to try to understand the experience of family caregivers of children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. There are no such studies in Lebanon or the Middle East where the culture and support systems differ from other countries. To understand the lived experience of Lebanese parents of children admitted to the PICU in a tertiary hospital in Beirut. Phenomenological study. The study followed purposeful sampling in which 10 parents (mother or father) of children admitted to PICU were interviewed. Data were analyzed following the hermeneutical process as described by Diekelmann and Ironside (1998). A constitutive pattern "Journey into the unknown" which constitut...
European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 2007
Lebanese Medical Journal
The number of cancer patients in Lebanon is increasing, and patients are living longer due to ear... more The number of cancer patients in Lebanon is increasing, and patients are living longer due to early detection and enhanced methods of treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of life, symptom management, functional ability, and the quality of palliative care in adult Lebanese cancer patients at the American University of Beirut-Medical Center. A cross sectional survey design was used. A number of internationally validated instruments were translated into Arabic. A total of 200 cancer patients participated in the study; the majority was female with breast cancer and mean age 54. The cognitive functioning domain of the Quality of Life scale was found to have the highest score and social functioning the lowest. The most prevalent symptom was lack of energy and the least prevalent was shortness of breath. Nausea and pain were the symptoms mostly treated. In conclusion, this sample reported a fair quality of life and social functioning with high prevalence of phys...
Background: Breast cancer affects over one million women annually and is the most common global m... more Background: Breast cancer affects over one million women annually and is the most common global malignancy among women. Extensive improvements have taken place in the management of breast cancer in recent years and a higher percentage of women are cured from this disease. A proper assessment of the quality of life of women with breast cancer is an essential component in disease management. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Symptom Index has been commonly used and well-validated among English speaking populations as well as other populations. To date, no formal translation and evaluation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast System Index exists in Arabic. Therefore, this study intends to translate, adapt and face-validate the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast System Index into Arabic, specifically in the context of the Lebanese culture. Methods: We conducted forward and backward translation in Arabic, combined with face validity by clinic...
Journal of advanced nursing, 2020
AIMS Recovery of the antecedents and assumptions of Goffman's frame analysis to illustrate le... more AIMS Recovery of the antecedents and assumptions of Goffman's frame analysis to illustrate learning contexts in baccalaureate nursing programs. DESIGN A discussion paper on the secondary analysis of focus group data. DATA SOURCES Focus group data collected in a multi-site study conducted in 2017 to understand the challenges of transitioning to practice in Lebanon. The discussion is illustrated with empirical data, but the article is a conceptual paper not a research report. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Transition to practice research requires studies of interaction in university schools of nursing to examine the meanings embedded in classroom instruction. METHODS Clarification and use of Goffman's concepts of primary frame, mainframe (storyline), keying, and re-keying to describe how differences in learning contexts make the transition to practice difficult. CONCLUSION Baccalaureate nursing education consists in re-keying the knowledge students bring with them to university into...
Le Journal medical libanais. The Lebanese medical journal, 2012
The number of cancer patients in Lebanon is increasing, and patients are living longer due to ear... more The number of cancer patients in Lebanon is increasing, and patients are living longer due to early detection and enhanced methods of treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of life, symptom management, functional ability, and the quality of palliative care in adult Lebanese cancer patients at the American University of Beirut-Medical Center. A cross sectional survey design was used. A number of internationally validated instruments were translated into Arabic. A total of 200 cancer patients participated in the study; the majority was female with breast cancer and mean age 54. The cognitive functioning domain of the Quality of Life scale was found to have the highest score and social functioning the lowest. The most prevalent symptom was lack of energy and the least prevalent was shortness of breath. Nausea and pain were the symptoms mostly treated. In conclusion, this sample reported a fair quality of life and social functioning with high prevalence of phys...
Introduction Breast cancer is a major public health concern that affects both developed and devel... more Introduction Breast cancer is a major public health concern that affects both developed and developing countries. Its annual incidence is rising globally, accounting for 12% of all new cancer cases and 25% of all cancers in women as of 2012. Annually, around 1.7 million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer. As such, breast cancer is responsible for the most frequent malignancy-causing deaths and cancer-related mortality and morbidity in women, an epidemiological profile mirrored in almost every country. However, in developing countries, where health literacy, access to care, and resources are all scarce, these numbers become particularly alarming. They contribute to major health disparities between the developed and developing world, especially in that most women in developing nations who develop breast cancer seek healthcare only when the cancer is at an advanced stage. Breast cancer incidence is projected to rise in developing countries due to continued lack of awarene...
Missed nursing care refers to omission of standard required nursing care of patients in acute car... more Missed nursing care refers to omission of standard required nursing care of patients in acute care hospitals. The objective of this study was to compare the amounts and reasons of missed nursing care, the level of nurse staffing, and job satisfaction between the United States and Lebanon. Several studies in the United States have shown that a significant amount of care is being missed. This study is designed to determine if Lebanon is experiencing a similar phenomenon and what reasons are given for missing nursing care. Findings support that a substantial amount of nursing care is missed in Lebanon, although less than that in the United States (t = 11.53, P < .001), that nurses in Lebanon were less satisfied with being a nurse than are nurses in the United States, and there was no difference in the identification of staffing resources as a reason for missed care in the 2 countries.
Background: Breast cancer affects over one million women annually and is the most common global m... more Background: Breast cancer affects over one million women annually and is the most common global malignancy among women. Extensive improvements have taken place in the management of breast cancer in recent years and a higher percentage of women are cured from this disease. A proper assessment of the quality of life of women with breast cancer is an essential component in disease management. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy- Breast Symptom Index has been commonly used and well-validated among English speaking populations as well as other populations. To date, no formal translation and evaluation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast System Index exists in Arabic. Therefore, this study intends to translate, adapt and face-validate the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast System Index into Arabic, specifically in the context of the Lebanese culture. Methods: We conducted forward and backward translation in Arabic, combined with face validity by clini...
Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing
This study investigates the level of satisfaction of Lebanese nurses in their job and the influen... more This study investigates the level of satisfaction of Lebanese nurses in their job and the influence of their personal characteristics. Given the current difficulties experienced by Lebanese hospitals in recruiting and retaining a sufficient number of nurses, the need to understand the reasons of nurses&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; dissatisfaction became urgent. Moreover, satisfaction at work is essentially a personal experience also affected by cultural factors. Therefore, it was necessary to study the links between personal characteristics and nurses&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; dissatisfaction. The study included 421 registered nurses. A modified version of Measure of Job Satisfaction, developed by Taynor and Wade, was used to assess the effect of the personal characteristics, namely educational level, age, years of work experience, position, and marital and parental status, on 5 dimensions of satisfaction: personal satisfaction, workload, professional support, pay and prospect, and training. The findings suggest that personal characteristics have important influences on nurses&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; job perceptions. University graduate nurses reported more dissatisfaction with the quality of supervision and with respect and treatment they receive from their superiors. Nurses younger than 30 years and the technically trained were more dissatisfied with the available opportunities to attend continuing education courses. Results of staff nurses and unmarried nurses showed trends of more dissatisfaction than the married and nurses of higher positions. Moreover, the whole sample perceived that nursing provided a high level of personal satisfaction, but nurses were most dissatisfied with salary and lack of prospects for promotion. The results indicate the importance of personal characteristics on nurses&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; retention. Furthermore, intrinsic factors related to the nature and experience of nursing are more job satisfying than extrinsic factors.
Supportive Care in Cancer
Lebanese Medical Journal, 2013
Journal of Palliative Medicine, 2015
Cancer incidence in Middle Eastern countries, most categorized as low- and middle-income, is pred... more Cancer incidence in Middle Eastern countries, most categorized as low- and middle-income, is predicted to double in the next 10 years, greater than in any other part of the world. While progress has been made in cancer diagnosis/treatment, much remains to be done to improve palliative care for the majority of patients with cancer who present with advanced disease. To determine knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and resources regarding palliative care services in Middle Eastern countries and use findings to inform future educational and training activities. Descriptive survey. Fifteen Middle Eastern countries; convenience sample of 776 nurses (44.3%), physicians (38.3%) and psychosocial, academic, and other health care professionals (17.4%) employed in varied settings. Palliative care needs assessment. Improved pain management services are key facilitators. Top barriers include lack of designated palliative care beds/services, community awareness, staff training, access to hospice services, and personnel/time. The nonexistence of functioning home-based and hospice services leaves families/providers unable to honor patient wishes. Respondents were least satisfied with discussions around advance directives and wish to learn more about palliative care focusing on communication techniques. Populations requiring special consideration comprise: patients with ethnic diversity, language barriers, and low literacy; pediatric and young adults; and the elderly. The majority of Middle Eastern patients with cancer are treated in outlying regions; the community is pivotal and must be incorporated into future plans for developing palliative care services. Promoting palliative care education and certification for physicians and nurses is crucial; home-based and hospice services must be sustained.
LEBANON<br> A contribution by Abdallah-Doumit, oncology nurse and President of the Order of... more LEBANON<br> A contribution by Abdallah-Doumit, oncology nurse and President of the Order of Nurses in Lebanon, details the various challenges faced by oncology nurses in Lebanon during early days of the pandemic. She notes, "In a proactive initiative before the occurrence of any COVID-19 cases in the country, the ONL started to train nurses working in hospitals (mainly emergency units, primary healthcare centres, and schools) about COVID-19, its modes of transmission, and prevention measures"… "Despite … [the] unfavourable conditions, the Lebanese nursing workforce has not given up; on the contrary, they have proved again that they are the first line of defense for the healthcare system and the health of the people of Lebanon." <br> -----------<br> Ecancer Special Issue, December 2021 Oncology nursing and the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 in the Global South Supplement
International journal of nursing studies, 2014
Family caregivers have a significant responsibility in the care of their child in the Pediatric I... more Family caregivers have a significant responsibility in the care of their child in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Parents staying with their child in the PICU have particular needs that should be acknowledged and responded to by clinicians. Several studies have been conducted in the USA and Europe to try to understand the experience of family caregivers of children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. There are no such studies in Lebanon or the Middle East where the culture and support systems differ from other countries. To understand the lived experience of Lebanese parents of children admitted to the PICU in a tertiary hospital in Beirut. Phenomenological study. The study followed purposeful sampling in which 10 parents (mother or father) of children admitted to PICU were interviewed. Data were analyzed following the hermeneutical process as described by Diekelmann and Ironside (1998). A constitutive pattern "Journey into the unknown" which constitut...
European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 2007
Lebanese Medical Journal
The number of cancer patients in Lebanon is increasing, and patients are living longer due to ear... more The number of cancer patients in Lebanon is increasing, and patients are living longer due to early detection and enhanced methods of treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of life, symptom management, functional ability, and the quality of palliative care in adult Lebanese cancer patients at the American University of Beirut-Medical Center. A cross sectional survey design was used. A number of internationally validated instruments were translated into Arabic. A total of 200 cancer patients participated in the study; the majority was female with breast cancer and mean age 54. The cognitive functioning domain of the Quality of Life scale was found to have the highest score and social functioning the lowest. The most prevalent symptom was lack of energy and the least prevalent was shortness of breath. Nausea and pain were the symptoms mostly treated. In conclusion, this sample reported a fair quality of life and social functioning with high prevalence of phys...
Background: Breast cancer affects over one million women annually and is the most common global m... more Background: Breast cancer affects over one million women annually and is the most common global malignancy among women. Extensive improvements have taken place in the management of breast cancer in recent years and a higher percentage of women are cured from this disease. A proper assessment of the quality of life of women with breast cancer is an essential component in disease management. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Symptom Index has been commonly used and well-validated among English speaking populations as well as other populations. To date, no formal translation and evaluation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast System Index exists in Arabic. Therefore, this study intends to translate, adapt and face-validate the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast System Index into Arabic, specifically in the context of the Lebanese culture. Methods: We conducted forward and backward translation in Arabic, combined with face validity by clinic...
Journal of advanced nursing, 2020
AIMS Recovery of the antecedents and assumptions of Goffman's frame analysis to illustrate le... more AIMS Recovery of the antecedents and assumptions of Goffman's frame analysis to illustrate learning contexts in baccalaureate nursing programs. DESIGN A discussion paper on the secondary analysis of focus group data. DATA SOURCES Focus group data collected in a multi-site study conducted in 2017 to understand the challenges of transitioning to practice in Lebanon. The discussion is illustrated with empirical data, but the article is a conceptual paper not a research report. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Transition to practice research requires studies of interaction in university schools of nursing to examine the meanings embedded in classroom instruction. METHODS Clarification and use of Goffman's concepts of primary frame, mainframe (storyline), keying, and re-keying to describe how differences in learning contexts make the transition to practice difficult. CONCLUSION Baccalaureate nursing education consists in re-keying the knowledge students bring with them to university into...
Le Journal medical libanais. The Lebanese medical journal, 2012
The number of cancer patients in Lebanon is increasing, and patients are living longer due to ear... more The number of cancer patients in Lebanon is increasing, and patients are living longer due to early detection and enhanced methods of treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of life, symptom management, functional ability, and the quality of palliative care in adult Lebanese cancer patients at the American University of Beirut-Medical Center. A cross sectional survey design was used. A number of internationally validated instruments were translated into Arabic. A total of 200 cancer patients participated in the study; the majority was female with breast cancer and mean age 54. The cognitive functioning domain of the Quality of Life scale was found to have the highest score and social functioning the lowest. The most prevalent symptom was lack of energy and the least prevalent was shortness of breath. Nausea and pain were the symptoms mostly treated. In conclusion, this sample reported a fair quality of life and social functioning with high prevalence of phys...
Introduction Breast cancer is a major public health concern that affects both developed and devel... more Introduction Breast cancer is a major public health concern that affects both developed and developing countries. Its annual incidence is rising globally, accounting for 12% of all new cancer cases and 25% of all cancers in women as of 2012. Annually, around 1.7 million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer. As such, breast cancer is responsible for the most frequent malignancy-causing deaths and cancer-related mortality and morbidity in women, an epidemiological profile mirrored in almost every country. However, in developing countries, where health literacy, access to care, and resources are all scarce, these numbers become particularly alarming. They contribute to major health disparities between the developed and developing world, especially in that most women in developing nations who develop breast cancer seek healthcare only when the cancer is at an advanced stage. Breast cancer incidence is projected to rise in developing countries due to continued lack of awarene...
Missed nursing care refers to omission of standard required nursing care of patients in acute car... more Missed nursing care refers to omission of standard required nursing care of patients in acute care hospitals. The objective of this study was to compare the amounts and reasons of missed nursing care, the level of nurse staffing, and job satisfaction between the United States and Lebanon. Several studies in the United States have shown that a significant amount of care is being missed. This study is designed to determine if Lebanon is experiencing a similar phenomenon and what reasons are given for missing nursing care. Findings support that a substantial amount of nursing care is missed in Lebanon, although less than that in the United States (t = 11.53, P < .001), that nurses in Lebanon were less satisfied with being a nurse than are nurses in the United States, and there was no difference in the identification of staffing resources as a reason for missed care in the 2 countries.
Background: Breast cancer affects over one million women annually and is the most common global m... more Background: Breast cancer affects over one million women annually and is the most common global malignancy among women. Extensive improvements have taken place in the management of breast cancer in recent years and a higher percentage of women are cured from this disease. A proper assessment of the quality of life of women with breast cancer is an essential component in disease management. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy- Breast Symptom Index has been commonly used and well-validated among English speaking populations as well as other populations. To date, no formal translation and evaluation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast System Index exists in Arabic. Therefore, this study intends to translate, adapt and face-validate the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast System Index into Arabic, specifically in the context of the Lebanese culture. Methods: We conducted forward and backward translation in Arabic, combined with face validity by clini...
Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing
This study investigates the level of satisfaction of Lebanese nurses in their job and the influen... more This study investigates the level of satisfaction of Lebanese nurses in their job and the influence of their personal characteristics. Given the current difficulties experienced by Lebanese hospitals in recruiting and retaining a sufficient number of nurses, the need to understand the reasons of nurses&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; dissatisfaction became urgent. Moreover, satisfaction at work is essentially a personal experience also affected by cultural factors. Therefore, it was necessary to study the links between personal characteristics and nurses&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; dissatisfaction. The study included 421 registered nurses. A modified version of Measure of Job Satisfaction, developed by Taynor and Wade, was used to assess the effect of the personal characteristics, namely educational level, age, years of work experience, position, and marital and parental status, on 5 dimensions of satisfaction: personal satisfaction, workload, professional support, pay and prospect, and training. The findings suggest that personal characteristics have important influences on nurses&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; job perceptions. University graduate nurses reported more dissatisfaction with the quality of supervision and with respect and treatment they receive from their superiors. Nurses younger than 30 years and the technically trained were more dissatisfied with the available opportunities to attend continuing education courses. Results of staff nurses and unmarried nurses showed trends of more dissatisfaction than the married and nurses of higher positions. Moreover, the whole sample perceived that nursing provided a high level of personal satisfaction, but nurses were most dissatisfied with salary and lack of prospects for promotion. The results indicate the importance of personal characteristics on nurses&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; retention. Furthermore, intrinsic factors related to the nature and experience of nursing are more job satisfying than extrinsic factors.
Supportive Care in Cancer
Lebanese Medical Journal, 2013
Journal of Palliative Medicine, 2015
Cancer incidence in Middle Eastern countries, most categorized as low- and middle-income, is pred... more Cancer incidence in Middle Eastern countries, most categorized as low- and middle-income, is predicted to double in the next 10 years, greater than in any other part of the world. While progress has been made in cancer diagnosis/treatment, much remains to be done to improve palliative care for the majority of patients with cancer who present with advanced disease. To determine knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and resources regarding palliative care services in Middle Eastern countries and use findings to inform future educational and training activities. Descriptive survey. Fifteen Middle Eastern countries; convenience sample of 776 nurses (44.3%), physicians (38.3%) and psychosocial, academic, and other health care professionals (17.4%) employed in varied settings. Palliative care needs assessment. Improved pain management services are key facilitators. Top barriers include lack of designated palliative care beds/services, community awareness, staff training, access to hospice services, and personnel/time. The nonexistence of functioning home-based and hospice services leaves families/providers unable to honor patient wishes. Respondents were least satisfied with discussions around advance directives and wish to learn more about palliative care focusing on communication techniques. Populations requiring special consideration comprise: patients with ethnic diversity, language barriers, and low literacy; pediatric and young adults; and the elderly. The majority of Middle Eastern patients with cancer are treated in outlying regions; the community is pivotal and must be incorporated into future plans for developing palliative care services. Promoting palliative care education and certification for physicians and nurses is crucial; home-based and hospice services must be sustained.