Nurses’ professional self-concept is strongly associated with professional worth appraisal, which encompasses their feelings and perceptions regarding their task efficacy and value of input to clinical outcomes. Professional self-concept and professional worth appraisal are incorporated in one’s overall professional role perception. Data show that the way nurses think and feel about themselves personally and professionally, is associated with their well-being, the quality of provided patient care, their job satisfaction and retention. Although researchers indicate that professional self-concept is a different entity from personal self-concept, however, a clear differentiation and possible interaction between these constructs has not been yet adequately described in nursing literature. Personal self-concept mirrors the way people interpret them-selves, incorporating their self-awareness and personal effectiveness. Following purposeful sampling and informed consent, a phenomenological approach based on Munhall’s methodology was employed to explore the living experience of professional role perception in 16 critical and emergency nurses, with special focus on their perceptions and feelings about personal and professional-role worth appraisal. Data and theoretical saturation criteria were implemented, along with all nine Munhall’s criteria for the rigor and trustworthiness of phenomenological studies. The participants’ narratives suggested a possible interaction between professional attitude and personality traits, illuminating as the core theme an interplay among self-perception, personal and professional worth appraisal process. Additionally, the present study emphasized the way self-evaluation criteria system may be associated with the personal and professional self-concept in nurses. In particular, it was highlighted that the way nurses think and feel about themselves is associated with the way they experience their professional role and vice versa, and that professional role-based self-concept and professional worth perception can be linked with their well-being. Furthermore, positive feelings about the self and personal competencies seemed to enhance the perception of effectiveness in clinical settings and adequacy of professional skills, resulting in empowered professional identity and vice versa. Overall, the present findings are discussed in relation to nurses’ experience of work-related stressors and relevant interventions. Further exploration of the effectiveness of interventions for facilitating adaptive personal and professional self-appraisal are suggested.

Purpose Investigation of the association between type of suicidal behavior and type and frequency of illegal use of substances (IUS) among school students (aged between 12 and 18 years), with a focus on gender differences. Design and Methods A systematic review in PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and Scopus was performed. Identified articles were published between 2007 and 2018. Results Twenty empirical studies confirmed the association between IUS and suicidality, strongly differentiated between males and females, highlighting the importance of gender‐specific mediating factors. Conclusions Mental health nurses need to document gender factors, frequency, and motivation of IUS when screening adolescents experiencing suicidal behavior and IUS.

No abstract

Accessible SummaryWhat is known on the subject? Losing a family member due to suicide has been described as a traumatic experience, as suicide‐bereaved relatives grapple to accept the particular character of death and the core elements of guilt, self‐criticism and stigma it inflicts. There are long‐term consequences for those who bereave due to the suicide of their beloved on, a high risk for mental and physical health problems included. Feelings of guilt and self‐stigma influence help‐seeking behaviour among suicide‐bereaved individuals. What the paper adds to existing knowledge? Coping mechanisms adopted by suicide‐bereaved individuals mediate the impact of suicide on their family, and especially on the quality of relationships among them. Supporting others in need can help alleviate guilt and self‐blame for the suicide while it enables the bereaved to fulfil their need to keep a non‐traumatizing, or even positive bond with the deceased. What the implications for practice are? Nursing interventions to facilitate suicide‐bereaved family members' participation in self‐help support groups and promote their engagement in supporting others in need are important. Mental health nurses need to facilitate the replacement of dysfunctional coping strategies, such as substance use or self‐blame with more adaptive ones focused on the personal needs of the bereaved, in order to help them embrace a non‐traumatizing memory of the deceased while being in peace with the social environment. Screening for mental health problems and management of shame, self‐stigma and guilt during the grieving period needs to be a priority in nursing interventions. AbstractIntroductionLosing a family member to suicide is a traumatic experience which includes guilt and self‐stigma. Yet, there is lack of data synthesis on the survivors' experience.AimA meta‐synthesis of qualitative data on the interpretation of loss in suicide‐bereaved family members, their coping strategies and the effects on family.MethodA meta‐ethnographic synthesis following a systematic literature search and evaluation of the methodological quality of the selected studies was applied.ResultsThe narratives of 326 individuals (parents/siblings/children/spouses) reported in sixteen studies were analysed. Trying to achieve a balance between keeping alive a non‐traumatizing memory of the deceased, destigmatizing and liberating themselves from self‐blame, self‐criticism and guilt while being able to transform this experience into support towards others in need, was identified as the essence of the experience of the bereaved.DiscussionAlthough suicide within a family is a traumatic experience, spiritual and existential implications among the bereaved have been reported; their coping mechanisms mediate the impact of suicide on family sustainability.Implications for practiceNursing interventions to facilitate adoption of coping strategies centred on keeping a non‐traumatizing memory of the deceased among the bereaved and promote their participation in self‐help groups and activities to support others in need are important.

Background Early life exposures affect a child's obesity risk. The EARLY START uses participatory action research to develop an intervention for reducing early life obesogenic exposures. The initial phase uses a mixed methods approach to investigate pregnant mothers’ knowledge, beliefs, and experience of adopting healthy dietary and physical activity (PA) habits. Methods Cypriot pregnant women in 2021 completed a web-based questionnaire on: a) Adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD) (MEDAS tool); b) knowledge, beliefs on diet and PA. A subgroup participated in a structured focus group discussion of their experience/needs in adopting healthy habits. Data were analyzed using Descriptive and Thematic Content methods. Results Ninety-seven women participated, 73% <35 y.o., 49% primigravida, 92% with tertiary education. Adherence to MD was moderate (median 6/14, IQR 2.5), 90% were eating <3 portions of fruit/vegetables daily, 50% believed their diet was healthy and did not change habits in pregnancy. Most had access to information (94%), internet was the commonest source (74%), and the doctor the most trusted (47%). Mild and moderate-intensity PA were considered appropriate by many (60%) for the first and second half of pregnancy, respectively. Most (90%) were aware of the risks of excessive weight gain in pregnancy. Qualitative analysis showed that women value diet as “the main driver to holistically achieving a healthy pregnancy”. The main barrier was the “struggle between the will and ability”. PA was considered a “therapy” but the challenge was “to achieve the right balance”. Internet was described as “accessible but unreliable information source”. Women believed that needs can be met by “early, holistic recommendation-based interventions run by professionals”. Conclusions A huge gap exists between knowledge, beliefs, and practice of healthy behaviours in pregnancy. New interventions should meet gaps and needs using contextualized, timely, holistic, and reliable approaches. Key messages