Abdul-Monim Batiha | Philadelphia University (Jordan) (original) (raw)

Papers by Abdul-Monim Batiha

Advanced Studies in Biology, 2015

International Journal of Emerging Trends in Health Sciences, 2021

Despite significant advances in open heart surgery over the last two decades, postoperative pulmo... more Despite significant advances in open heart surgery over the last two decades, postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are considered the most important causes that contribute to patient morbidity, mortality and prolonged hospital stay. The ultimate goal of this paper was to investigate the risk factors which increasing the incidence rate of pulmonary complications after open heart surgery of Jordanian patients. A retrospective design using an existing coronary artery surgery database of adults (n = 200) who had undergone open heart surgery between August 2014 and July 2015 at a University Hospital in Jordan. A structured PPCs instrument was used to assess ‘PPCs risk factors assessment sheet’. According to the results, the proposed model provides a preliminary indication of risk factors placing open heart surgical patients at risk of PPCs. Determining patients who are at risk of developing PPC’s after cardiac surgeries are the first step towards its prevention. This reduces its ...

Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 2019

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the barriers to good cancer pain man... more Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the barriers to good cancer pain management between physicians, nurses, and pharmacists in Jordan. Design: A descriptive correlational design was used to answer the research questions of this study. Methods: A group of 473 participants completed the study questionnaires (Barriers Questionnaire – II and Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes Survey). Results: Fears related to analgesic use, fears related to opioid side effects, communication, cultural beliefs, and lack of knowledge were the most clearly identified barriers to cancer pain management. Cancer pain management has not previously been an area of interest for the Jordanian health authorities. Conclusion: The information that emerged from this study helps to identify the current barriers and misconceptions among health professionals that prevent effective pain management for cancer patients. To maximize the role of health professionals in this area, health administrators ...

International journal of nursing practice, Jan 16, 2018

Disordered eating attitudes and behaviours are linked to poor physical and psychological outcomes... more Disordered eating attitudes and behaviours are linked to poor physical and psychological outcomes. To examine the individual, psychological, and socio-cultural factors associated with disordered eating attitudes among Jordanian adolescents. A stratified sampling method was used to select school students aged 15 to 18 years from three governates in Jordan in 2013/2014. Participants filled out questionnaires on socio-demographic variables, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26; to discriminate adolescents with disordered eating); the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ; used to measure psychological factors associated with disordered eating); Body Mass Index was calculated and obesity evaluated according to international cut off points (to categorize normal weight, overweight, and obese adolescents, and these categories were used as individual factors associated with disordered eating). A total of 963 (460 boys and 503 girls) participated in the study. Disordered eating (EAT score ≥ 20) was pre...

The Journal of school nursing : the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses, 2017

Headache is considered one of the most common complaints affecting all ages: children, adolescent... more Headache is considered one of the most common complaints affecting all ages: children, adolescents, and adults. A school-based, cross-sectional study was conducted to assess primary headache among high school students aged 16-18 in Grades 11-12, over a period of 3 weeks (May 2017). A questionnaire was designed, in accordance with the International Headache Society's criteria. The Pearson's χtest was computed to show the differences between the variables. Nearly two thirds of the students reported having headache (19.0% tension-type headache, 8.8% migraine, and 39.0% unknown type). Nearly a quarter sought help for headache, and the most frequently used analgesic was acetaminophen (82.2%) followed by aspirin (5.1%). The current study revealed that the prevalence of headache and migraine was initially high and increased with age. Moreover, headache is one of the major public health problems among high school students. An education program conducted by school nurses and other he...

International quarterly of community health education, 2018

People with epilepsy face stigma which arguably causes more suffering than the disease itself. Th... more People with epilepsy face stigma which arguably causes more suffering than the disease itself. The purpose of this study is to compare the knowledge and attitudes of nursing with nonnursing Jordanian university students toward epilepsy. A cross-sectional comparative, quantitative study was conducted. A newly structured questionnaire was developed to collect related data. The results revealed that there were 145(30.5%) nursing students and 331 (69.5%) nonnursing students with mean age of the participants was 22.9 years ( SD = 4.7) and 60% of them were men. Although the majority of the Jordanian university students were aware of epilepsy, their knowledge varied according to their major subject of study. Nursing students possessed a good knowledge of, and more positive attitudes toward, epilepsy compared with other nonnursing students. Therefore, universities are required to improve the knowledge of their students about epilepsy by integrating education about health and first aid cours...

Journal of clinical nursing, Jan 30, 2017

This study aims to illustrate the Palestinian community's views, opinions and stances about t... more This study aims to illustrate the Palestinian community's views, opinions and stances about the concept of do not resuscitate (DNR) for terminally ill patients. DNR orders are practiced in many countries worldwide, but there is no consensus on their practice in the Middle East. DNR orders may be applied for terminally ill pediatric patients. Some studies have been conducted describing people's experiences with these DNR orders. However, few studies have considered community perspectives on DNR orders for terminally ill patients in Palestine. A descriptive-qualitative design was adopted. A purposive sample of 24 participants was interviewed, with consideration of demographical characteristics such as age, gender, education, and place of residency. The participants were recruited over a period of six months. Individual semi-structured interviews were utilized. These interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Significantly, the majority of the participant...

Clinical nursing research, 2017

Ovarian cancer accounts for 3% of all female cancers and has a high mortality rate among gynecolo... more Ovarian cancer accounts for 3% of all female cancers and has a high mortality rate among gynecological malignancies. Early diagnosis carries a high survival rate of 93%. So, this study was carried out to assess the knowledge and awareness of Jordanian women about ovarian cancer symptoms and risk factors. A cross-sectional survey design was used; 896 women completed the survey. The mean of total symptoms recognized was low at level of 3.2 ( SD = 2.7) out of 10. The three highest known symptoms among women were as follows: extreme fatigue (43.2%), back pain (42.4%), and persistent pain in pelvic area (40.7%). The most commonly known risk factor was smoking (68.4%), followed by having ovarian cyst(s) (59.7%). Hence, with the absence of an effective screening program, a national awareness campaign is urgently needed to improve the public's understanding of symptoms and risk factors and increasing women's confidence in symptom recognition.

Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 2016

A cross-sectional study (n = 108) was conducted to assess medication adherence levels among peopl... more A cross-sectional study (n = 108) was conducted to assess medication adherence levels among people with mental illness in Jordan using the Arabic version of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. The findings showed a significant negative correlation between patients' level of adherence, frequency of admissions, and relapses per year and a negative correlation between adherence level and frequency of follow up appointments per month. Nonadherence to antipsychotic medication in Jordan is very high and the reasons for this need to be further explored as nonadherence negatively effects the global burden of disease associated with mental illness, particularly in developing countries.

International Journal of Health, 2017

Studying a family as a unit to describe the relationships in will allow the researcher to investi... more Studying a family as a unit to describe the relationships in will allow the researcher to investigate the family as the primary unit and as a whole, which means that the family, the individuals as family members and their relationship is in the foreground. The data derived using this approach comes from the family unit functioning as a whole and does not reflect the individual members’ contributions “solely” or in a combined way. Such an approach allows for more global understanding of the issues surrounding family relationships as health and social data can be collected from different aspects and dimensions within the family as a unit and it will add more significant data. Even though studying a family as a unit eliminates the non-independence issue it does raise concerns about ignoring many potentially important details of intra-family relationships. In conclusion, the premise of studying the family as a unit (family as the unit of analysis) is that the researcher can gain greater...

TURKISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, 2017

Hypertension contributes to the burden of different health conditions, such as heart disease, str... more Hypertension contributes to the burden of different health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure (1). Additionally it leads to increased mortality and disability, mainly in low and middle income countries (3,6,7). Around 9.4 million deaths worldwide result from hypertension every year (3). To counter this situation long-term care is needed, which requires increased health expenditure (8). The health expenditure associated with noncommunicable diseases (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, and cancer), over the period 2011-2025 in low and middle income countries is estimated to be US$ 7.28 trillion. Around half of that cost results from cardiovascular diseases including myocardial infarction and angina pectoris, which are associated with hypertension (8,9). Controlling blood pressure (BP) is the major goal that could be achieved by adherence to antihypertensive drugs and lifestyle modification recommendations (7). Early detection, treatment, and good control of hypertension are associated with significant positive effects on both health and economic aspects (3). Suitable drug therapy reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality among patients who complain of increased BP. However, BP is not properly controlled among hypertensive patients in Jordan, with around 70% of such patients failing to achieve their BP controlling goals (10,11). Behavioral risk factors play an important role in developing hypertension, for example, a salt-and fat-rich diet, alcohol use, physical inactivity, poor stress management, obesity, having diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, and smoking (3). The prevalence of these risk factors in Jordan is high (3,12-14). Unfortunately, Background/aim: Healthy life style recommendations (e.g., physical activity, healthy diet, and decreased cholesterol levels) play an important role in controlling blood pressure (BP). This study aimed to assess lifestyle modification factors among patients diagnosed with hypertension. Materials and methods: A descriptive-survey design was used. Data were collected using four questionnaires; one was the Beliefs about Medication questionnaire (BMQ) and the rest were developed to collect data about demographic and clinical characteristics and lifestyle modification factors. Results: In total 312 questionnaires were completed. The results revealed that our participants did not follow the healthy lifestyle recommendations; for example, the mean blood sugar (BS) level, body mass index (BMI), and cholesterol levels were 155 mg/dL (standard deviation (SD) = 71.9), 29 kg/m2 (SD = 5.4), and 197 mg/dL (SD = 86.6), respectively. A significant correlation was shown between age and BP (P = 0.000). Increase in diastolic BP (DBP) correlated with a significant increase in cholesterol level (P = 0.002) and BMI (P = 0.006). Conclusion: Our study showed that somewhat hypertensive patients in Jordan did not follow a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, urgent action by addressing behavioral risk factors has a positive impact on preventing and controlling hypertension.

Iranian journal of public health, 2016

The Journal of School Nursing, 2016

Nonfatal injuries are considered as one of the major public health hazards affecting schoolchildr... more Nonfatal injuries are considered as one of the major public health hazards affecting schoolchildren, and the majority of these injuries occur at school or in the home. A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 3 months, March-May 2015. The participants were 4,355 Jordanian schoolchildren in Grades 7-12. The Pearson w 2 test was computed, and the odds ratio was used to determine the magnitude of various risk factors for nonfatal injuries among schoolchildren. The overall incidence of nonfatal injury was 33.9%. The group most likely to sustain nonfatal injuries was boys, aged 12-15, in Grade 7, whose parents had a low level of education or a high family income. Injury prevention in schools and at homes is a cornerstone for protection or reducing the incidence of injuries. School nurses have a duty to follow up and examine the accident reports and evaluate whether safety policies are applied and are effective in different school settings. Furthermore, health and education authorities should develop a national program for preventing injuries.

Iranian journal of public health, 2015

Health, 2016

Background: Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to control health care related infecti... more Background: Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to control health care related infection. Nurses and physicians are the main health care workers contacting with patients, representing the vector in the chain of infection. Thus, assessing their knowledge, practice and attitudes regarding hand hygiene is very important to decrease the incidence of health care related infection and to improve quality of care. Aims: The aim is to assess the knowledge, practice and attitude of Palestinian physicians and nurses regarding hand hygiene in hospitals. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional, quantitative design. Nurses and doctors who worked in the major governmental and private hospitals in the West Bank (Palestine) were targeted. Data was collected using Hand Hygiene Questionnaire. Results: 200 nurses and physicians participated in this study. The results showed that the participants had a moderate knowledge regarding the hand hygiene (m = 6, SD = 1.7). They had a better attitude score than practice with a mean of 82.5 ± 8.8. There was a significant difference between male and female only in practice score (p = 0.015). Older participants had better attitudes, and private hospitals had significantly higher scores for compliance, importance of hand hygiene and practice than governmental hospitals (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of the current study showed that there was a further need to focus on the practices of hand hygiene by continuous education for both Palestinian nurses and physicians.

International Journal of Advanced Nursing Studies, 2016

Background: Blood is fundamental to saving lives and is considered to be the force that sustains ... more Background: Blood is fundamental to saving lives and is considered to be the force that sustains our bodies. Objective: To assess the attitudes and practices of health science students regarding blood donation. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was employed to assess the attitudes and practices of health science students regarding blood donation. 453 students (56.7% male) from the four health faculties (Pharmacy, Genetic engineering, Nursing, and Hospital administration) were surveyed between May to July, 2013. Means, percentages, distribution and standard deviation were measured. Furthermore, a t-test was applied to evaluate the change among the means. Results: Male students showed more positive attitude scores regarding blood donation (Mean, 3.91) than female students (Mean, 3.87).Only 66.0% had tested their blood group and a minority (11.3%) had donated blood during their life. Furthermore, a few of them (3.9%) experienced discomfort after donating blood, and the majority of them donated blood voluntarily (60.8%). Conclusions: The outcomes of the current research revealed that the attitudes and practices of the health science students concerning blood donation needed to be enhanced. Therapeutic communication between healthcare professionals and donors should be improved.

Advanced Studies in Biology, 2015

Background VAP is among the most widespread intensive care unit nosocomial infection; it can be p... more Background VAP is among the most widespread intensive care unit nosocomial infection; it can be prevented by oral care. Aim To explore the impact of implementing American Association of Critical Care Nurses Endotracheal Tube and Oral Care procedure (AACN ETT& OC) on the rate of Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) development in Jordanian mechanically ventilated patients. Methods A quasi-experimental design with control group was used. Results VAP was statistically significantly higher among the control group, as compared to the intervention group (12.5% and 4% respectively, P <0.01). In the intervention group, the VAP rates decreased by 50% and the mean length of mechanical ventilator usage decreased from 7.3 to 5 days. The mean time to start VAP was extended from 2.3 days in the intervention group to 4.9 days in the control group. A significant decrease was found in mortality rates; from 20% (15/72) in the control group to 13.9% (10/75) in the intervention group, P <0.01. Conclusion Implementation of this procedure reduces hospitalization, morbidity, mortality 260 Abdul-Monim Batiha et al. and improves quality of care. Implications for nursing and health policy The implementation of an AACN ETT& OC can significantly reduce VAP rates, and encourages health policy makers to adapt evidence-based oral and ETT care.

Life Science Journal

Differing views regarding family-witnessed resuscitation (FWR) have been debated. There is a grow... more Differing views regarding family-witnessed resuscitation (FWR) have been debated. There is a growing body of research that clearly highlights the benefits of allowing FWR. However, the process of active medical resuscitation in the presence of family members remains an ethical, moral, and legal dilemma to healthcare professionals. An emotional debate has arisen among healthcare providers concerning the topic of FWR. The purpose of this study is to deepen understanding of the experience of health professionals regarding the phenomenon of family-witnessed resuscitation in adult critical care settings. 31 semi-structured interviews with critical care professionals were arranged. The critical care professionals included nurses, doctors, anaesthetists, theatre technicians and respiratory therapists. The thematic analysis was utilised to interpret the professionals’ accounts. Two main themes were raised from the health professionals’ views. The first theme “should family members be given ...

Advanced Studies in Biology, 2015

International Journal of Emerging Trends in Health Sciences, 2021

Despite significant advances in open heart surgery over the last two decades, postoperative pulmo... more Despite significant advances in open heart surgery over the last two decades, postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are considered the most important causes that contribute to patient morbidity, mortality and prolonged hospital stay. The ultimate goal of this paper was to investigate the risk factors which increasing the incidence rate of pulmonary complications after open heart surgery of Jordanian patients. A retrospective design using an existing coronary artery surgery database of adults (n = 200) who had undergone open heart surgery between August 2014 and July 2015 at a University Hospital in Jordan. A structured PPCs instrument was used to assess ‘PPCs risk factors assessment sheet’. According to the results, the proposed model provides a preliminary indication of risk factors placing open heart surgical patients at risk of PPCs. Determining patients who are at risk of developing PPC’s after cardiac surgeries are the first step towards its prevention. This reduces its ...

Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 2019

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the barriers to good cancer pain man... more Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the barriers to good cancer pain management between physicians, nurses, and pharmacists in Jordan. Design: A descriptive correlational design was used to answer the research questions of this study. Methods: A group of 473 participants completed the study questionnaires (Barriers Questionnaire – II and Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes Survey). Results: Fears related to analgesic use, fears related to opioid side effects, communication, cultural beliefs, and lack of knowledge were the most clearly identified barriers to cancer pain management. Cancer pain management has not previously been an area of interest for the Jordanian health authorities. Conclusion: The information that emerged from this study helps to identify the current barriers and misconceptions among health professionals that prevent effective pain management for cancer patients. To maximize the role of health professionals in this area, health administrators ...

International journal of nursing practice, Jan 16, 2018

Disordered eating attitudes and behaviours are linked to poor physical and psychological outcomes... more Disordered eating attitudes and behaviours are linked to poor physical and psychological outcomes. To examine the individual, psychological, and socio-cultural factors associated with disordered eating attitudes among Jordanian adolescents. A stratified sampling method was used to select school students aged 15 to 18 years from three governates in Jordan in 2013/2014. Participants filled out questionnaires on socio-demographic variables, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26; to discriminate adolescents with disordered eating); the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ; used to measure psychological factors associated with disordered eating); Body Mass Index was calculated and obesity evaluated according to international cut off points (to categorize normal weight, overweight, and obese adolescents, and these categories were used as individual factors associated with disordered eating). A total of 963 (460 boys and 503 girls) participated in the study. Disordered eating (EAT score ≥ 20) was pre...

The Journal of school nursing : the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses, 2017

Headache is considered one of the most common complaints affecting all ages: children, adolescent... more Headache is considered one of the most common complaints affecting all ages: children, adolescents, and adults. A school-based, cross-sectional study was conducted to assess primary headache among high school students aged 16-18 in Grades 11-12, over a period of 3 weeks (May 2017). A questionnaire was designed, in accordance with the International Headache Society's criteria. The Pearson's χtest was computed to show the differences between the variables. Nearly two thirds of the students reported having headache (19.0% tension-type headache, 8.8% migraine, and 39.0% unknown type). Nearly a quarter sought help for headache, and the most frequently used analgesic was acetaminophen (82.2%) followed by aspirin (5.1%). The current study revealed that the prevalence of headache and migraine was initially high and increased with age. Moreover, headache is one of the major public health problems among high school students. An education program conducted by school nurses and other he...

International quarterly of community health education, 2018

People with epilepsy face stigma which arguably causes more suffering than the disease itself. Th... more People with epilepsy face stigma which arguably causes more suffering than the disease itself. The purpose of this study is to compare the knowledge and attitudes of nursing with nonnursing Jordanian university students toward epilepsy. A cross-sectional comparative, quantitative study was conducted. A newly structured questionnaire was developed to collect related data. The results revealed that there were 145(30.5%) nursing students and 331 (69.5%) nonnursing students with mean age of the participants was 22.9 years ( SD = 4.7) and 60% of them were men. Although the majority of the Jordanian university students were aware of epilepsy, their knowledge varied according to their major subject of study. Nursing students possessed a good knowledge of, and more positive attitudes toward, epilepsy compared with other nonnursing students. Therefore, universities are required to improve the knowledge of their students about epilepsy by integrating education about health and first aid cours...

Journal of clinical nursing, Jan 30, 2017

This study aims to illustrate the Palestinian community's views, opinions and stances about t... more This study aims to illustrate the Palestinian community's views, opinions and stances about the concept of do not resuscitate (DNR) for terminally ill patients. DNR orders are practiced in many countries worldwide, but there is no consensus on their practice in the Middle East. DNR orders may be applied for terminally ill pediatric patients. Some studies have been conducted describing people's experiences with these DNR orders. However, few studies have considered community perspectives on DNR orders for terminally ill patients in Palestine. A descriptive-qualitative design was adopted. A purposive sample of 24 participants was interviewed, with consideration of demographical characteristics such as age, gender, education, and place of residency. The participants were recruited over a period of six months. Individual semi-structured interviews were utilized. These interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Significantly, the majority of the participant...

Clinical nursing research, 2017

Ovarian cancer accounts for 3% of all female cancers and has a high mortality rate among gynecolo... more Ovarian cancer accounts for 3% of all female cancers and has a high mortality rate among gynecological malignancies. Early diagnosis carries a high survival rate of 93%. So, this study was carried out to assess the knowledge and awareness of Jordanian women about ovarian cancer symptoms and risk factors. A cross-sectional survey design was used; 896 women completed the survey. The mean of total symptoms recognized was low at level of 3.2 ( SD = 2.7) out of 10. The three highest known symptoms among women were as follows: extreme fatigue (43.2%), back pain (42.4%), and persistent pain in pelvic area (40.7%). The most commonly known risk factor was smoking (68.4%), followed by having ovarian cyst(s) (59.7%). Hence, with the absence of an effective screening program, a national awareness campaign is urgently needed to improve the public's understanding of symptoms and risk factors and increasing women's confidence in symptom recognition.

Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 2016

A cross-sectional study (n = 108) was conducted to assess medication adherence levels among peopl... more A cross-sectional study (n = 108) was conducted to assess medication adherence levels among people with mental illness in Jordan using the Arabic version of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. The findings showed a significant negative correlation between patients' level of adherence, frequency of admissions, and relapses per year and a negative correlation between adherence level and frequency of follow up appointments per month. Nonadherence to antipsychotic medication in Jordan is very high and the reasons for this need to be further explored as nonadherence negatively effects the global burden of disease associated with mental illness, particularly in developing countries.

International Journal of Health, 2017

Studying a family as a unit to describe the relationships in will allow the researcher to investi... more Studying a family as a unit to describe the relationships in will allow the researcher to investigate the family as the primary unit and as a whole, which means that the family, the individuals as family members and their relationship is in the foreground. The data derived using this approach comes from the family unit functioning as a whole and does not reflect the individual members’ contributions “solely” or in a combined way. Such an approach allows for more global understanding of the issues surrounding family relationships as health and social data can be collected from different aspects and dimensions within the family as a unit and it will add more significant data. Even though studying a family as a unit eliminates the non-independence issue it does raise concerns about ignoring many potentially important details of intra-family relationships. In conclusion, the premise of studying the family as a unit (family as the unit of analysis) is that the researcher can gain greater...

TURKISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, 2017

Hypertension contributes to the burden of different health conditions, such as heart disease, str... more Hypertension contributes to the burden of different health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure (1). Additionally it leads to increased mortality and disability, mainly in low and middle income countries (3,6,7). Around 9.4 million deaths worldwide result from hypertension every year (3). To counter this situation long-term care is needed, which requires increased health expenditure (8). The health expenditure associated with noncommunicable diseases (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, and cancer), over the period 2011-2025 in low and middle income countries is estimated to be US$ 7.28 trillion. Around half of that cost results from cardiovascular diseases including myocardial infarction and angina pectoris, which are associated with hypertension (8,9). Controlling blood pressure (BP) is the major goal that could be achieved by adherence to antihypertensive drugs and lifestyle modification recommendations (7). Early detection, treatment, and good control of hypertension are associated with significant positive effects on both health and economic aspects (3). Suitable drug therapy reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality among patients who complain of increased BP. However, BP is not properly controlled among hypertensive patients in Jordan, with around 70% of such patients failing to achieve their BP controlling goals (10,11). Behavioral risk factors play an important role in developing hypertension, for example, a salt-and fat-rich diet, alcohol use, physical inactivity, poor stress management, obesity, having diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, and smoking (3). The prevalence of these risk factors in Jordan is high (3,12-14). Unfortunately, Background/aim: Healthy life style recommendations (e.g., physical activity, healthy diet, and decreased cholesterol levels) play an important role in controlling blood pressure (BP). This study aimed to assess lifestyle modification factors among patients diagnosed with hypertension. Materials and methods: A descriptive-survey design was used. Data were collected using four questionnaires; one was the Beliefs about Medication questionnaire (BMQ) and the rest were developed to collect data about demographic and clinical characteristics and lifestyle modification factors. Results: In total 312 questionnaires were completed. The results revealed that our participants did not follow the healthy lifestyle recommendations; for example, the mean blood sugar (BS) level, body mass index (BMI), and cholesterol levels were 155 mg/dL (standard deviation (SD) = 71.9), 29 kg/m2 (SD = 5.4), and 197 mg/dL (SD = 86.6), respectively. A significant correlation was shown between age and BP (P = 0.000). Increase in diastolic BP (DBP) correlated with a significant increase in cholesterol level (P = 0.002) and BMI (P = 0.006). Conclusion: Our study showed that somewhat hypertensive patients in Jordan did not follow a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, urgent action by addressing behavioral risk factors has a positive impact on preventing and controlling hypertension.

Iranian journal of public health, 2016

The Journal of School Nursing, 2016

Nonfatal injuries are considered as one of the major public health hazards affecting schoolchildr... more Nonfatal injuries are considered as one of the major public health hazards affecting schoolchildren, and the majority of these injuries occur at school or in the home. A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 3 months, March-May 2015. The participants were 4,355 Jordanian schoolchildren in Grades 7-12. The Pearson w 2 test was computed, and the odds ratio was used to determine the magnitude of various risk factors for nonfatal injuries among schoolchildren. The overall incidence of nonfatal injury was 33.9%. The group most likely to sustain nonfatal injuries was boys, aged 12-15, in Grade 7, whose parents had a low level of education or a high family income. Injury prevention in schools and at homes is a cornerstone for protection or reducing the incidence of injuries. School nurses have a duty to follow up and examine the accident reports and evaluate whether safety policies are applied and are effective in different school settings. Furthermore, health and education authorities should develop a national program for preventing injuries.

Iranian journal of public health, 2015

Health, 2016

Background: Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to control health care related infecti... more Background: Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to control health care related infection. Nurses and physicians are the main health care workers contacting with patients, representing the vector in the chain of infection. Thus, assessing their knowledge, practice and attitudes regarding hand hygiene is very important to decrease the incidence of health care related infection and to improve quality of care. Aims: The aim is to assess the knowledge, practice and attitude of Palestinian physicians and nurses regarding hand hygiene in hospitals. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional, quantitative design. Nurses and doctors who worked in the major governmental and private hospitals in the West Bank (Palestine) were targeted. Data was collected using Hand Hygiene Questionnaire. Results: 200 nurses and physicians participated in this study. The results showed that the participants had a moderate knowledge regarding the hand hygiene (m = 6, SD = 1.7). They had a better attitude score than practice with a mean of 82.5 ± 8.8. There was a significant difference between male and female only in practice score (p = 0.015). Older participants had better attitudes, and private hospitals had significantly higher scores for compliance, importance of hand hygiene and practice than governmental hospitals (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of the current study showed that there was a further need to focus on the practices of hand hygiene by continuous education for both Palestinian nurses and physicians.

International Journal of Advanced Nursing Studies, 2016

Background: Blood is fundamental to saving lives and is considered to be the force that sustains ... more Background: Blood is fundamental to saving lives and is considered to be the force that sustains our bodies. Objective: To assess the attitudes and practices of health science students regarding blood donation. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was employed to assess the attitudes and practices of health science students regarding blood donation. 453 students (56.7% male) from the four health faculties (Pharmacy, Genetic engineering, Nursing, and Hospital administration) were surveyed between May to July, 2013. Means, percentages, distribution and standard deviation were measured. Furthermore, a t-test was applied to evaluate the change among the means. Results: Male students showed more positive attitude scores regarding blood donation (Mean, 3.91) than female students (Mean, 3.87).Only 66.0% had tested their blood group and a minority (11.3%) had donated blood during their life. Furthermore, a few of them (3.9%) experienced discomfort after donating blood, and the majority of them donated blood voluntarily (60.8%). Conclusions: The outcomes of the current research revealed that the attitudes and practices of the health science students concerning blood donation needed to be enhanced. Therapeutic communication between healthcare professionals and donors should be improved.

Advanced Studies in Biology, 2015

Background VAP is among the most widespread intensive care unit nosocomial infection; it can be p... more Background VAP is among the most widespread intensive care unit nosocomial infection; it can be prevented by oral care. Aim To explore the impact of implementing American Association of Critical Care Nurses Endotracheal Tube and Oral Care procedure (AACN ETT& OC) on the rate of Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) development in Jordanian mechanically ventilated patients. Methods A quasi-experimental design with control group was used. Results VAP was statistically significantly higher among the control group, as compared to the intervention group (12.5% and 4% respectively, P <0.01). In the intervention group, the VAP rates decreased by 50% and the mean length of mechanical ventilator usage decreased from 7.3 to 5 days. The mean time to start VAP was extended from 2.3 days in the intervention group to 4.9 days in the control group. A significant decrease was found in mortality rates; from 20% (15/72) in the control group to 13.9% (10/75) in the intervention group, P <0.01. Conclusion Implementation of this procedure reduces hospitalization, morbidity, mortality 260 Abdul-Monim Batiha et al. and improves quality of care. Implications for nursing and health policy The implementation of an AACN ETT& OC can significantly reduce VAP rates, and encourages health policy makers to adapt evidence-based oral and ETT care.

Life Science Journal

Differing views regarding family-witnessed resuscitation (FWR) have been debated. There is a grow... more Differing views regarding family-witnessed resuscitation (FWR) have been debated. There is a growing body of research that clearly highlights the benefits of allowing FWR. However, the process of active medical resuscitation in the presence of family members remains an ethical, moral, and legal dilemma to healthcare professionals. An emotional debate has arisen among healthcare providers concerning the topic of FWR. The purpose of this study is to deepen understanding of the experience of health professionals regarding the phenomenon of family-witnessed resuscitation in adult critical care settings. 31 semi-structured interviews with critical care professionals were arranged. The critical care professionals included nurses, doctors, anaesthetists, theatre technicians and respiratory therapists. The thematic analysis was utilised to interpret the professionals’ accounts. Two main themes were raised from the health professionals’ views. The first theme “should family members be given ...