PurposeTherapeutic procedures may not only treat disease but also affect patient quality of life. Therefore, quality of life should be measured in order to assess the impact of disease and therapeutic procedures. To identify clients’ problems, it is necessary to assess several dimensions of quality of life, including physical, spiritual, economic, and social aspects. In this regard, we conducted a qualitative study to explore quality of life and its dimensions in ostomy patients referred to the Iranian Ostomy Association.MethodsFourteen patients were interviewed about their quality of life dimensions by purposeful sampling. Data were gathered by semistructured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis method.ResultsNine main themes emerged using this approach, including physical problems related to colostomy, impact of colostomy on psychological functioning, social and family relationships, travel, nutrition, physical activity, and sexual function, as well as religious and economic issues.ConclusionThe findings of the study identified a number of challenges in quality of life for patients with ostomy. The results can be used by health care providers to create a supportive environment that promotes better quality of life for their ostomy patients.

Background:The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques has been growing. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine places therapeutic touch (TT) into the category of bio field energy. This literature review is aimed at critically evaluating the data from clinical trials examining the clinical efficacy of therapeutic touch as a supportive care modality in adult patients with cancer.Methods:Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Scholar Google, and Science Direct) were searched from the year 1990 to 2015 to locate potentially relevant peer-reviewed articles using the key words therapeutic touch, touch therapy, neoplasm, cancer, and CAM. Additionally, relevant journals and references of all the located articles were manually searched for other potentially relevant studies.Results:The number of 334 articles was found on the basis of the key words, of which 17 articles related to the clinical trial were examined in accordance with the objectives of the study. A total of 6 articles were in the final dataset in which several examples of the positive effects of healing touch on pain, nausea, anxiety and fatigue, and life quality and also on biochemical parameters were observed.Conclusion:Based on the results of this study, an affirmation can be made regarding the use of TT, as a non-invasive intervention for improving the health status in patients with cancer. Moreover, therapeutic touch was proved to be a useful strategy for adult patients with cancer.

BackgroundReduction in organizational commitment of nurses results in deficiency of care services. Some demographic factors affect organizational commitment.ObjectiveThe present study is intended to determine the organizational commitment of nurses and its relationship with demographic characteristics.MethodsThis study was a descriptive correlation (cross-sectional) study in January and February of 2016 on 126 nurses who held Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) or Master of Science (M.Sc.) and at least one year of work experience in the Social Security Hospital of Khorramabad, selected using the census method. Data collection tools included a demographic characteristics form and Allen and Meyer questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 20. Independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to determine the relationship between organizational commitment and demographic characteristics.ResultsThe majority of nurses had moderate organizational commitment, the highest score belonging to the continuance commitment (22.33%), and the lowest score belonging to the normative commitment (19.16%). Also, there was a significant correlation between the continuance commitment and work experience (p=0.001), the staff posts (p=0.01) and shifts (p=0.04).ConclusionConsidering the moderate level of subjects’ organizational commitment in the present study, managers should take necessary measures to increase the attachment and organizational commitment of nurses and provide the ground for improving nursing services.

AimThe aim of this study was to explain the perception of patients with chronic hepatitis B regarding problems in the Iranian society.DesignDescriptive qualitative research.MethodsIn this qualitative study, 27 patients with chronic hepatitis B in Iran were selected through purposive sampling. The data were collected over 22 months, in 2015–2016, by means of semi‐structured interviews and field notes. The interview transcripts were coded using MAXQDA10 software®. To extract categories and themes, the thematic analysis approach was used.ResultsThe participants’ age ranged from 25–52 years. Analysis of the data revealed seven themes: insufficient self‐care, misperceptions, stigmatization, psychological consequences, failure, spiritual struggle and post‐traumatic growth.

PurposeQuality of health care is the degree of the most optimal degree of health outcomes by delivery of effective, efficient and cost‐benefit professional health services to people and communities. As nurses are the largest groups among health care professionals and are legally liable and morally responsible for their care, thus their perspective on quality of nursing care is important. The purpose of this qualitative study is “to define and describe quality from the perspective of nursing experts and clinical nurses”.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper data were collected in two phases (ten individual interviews and five focus group discussions). A total of 44 clinical nurses and ten nursing experts participated through a purposeful sampling frame. Data analysis was conducted by latent content analysis to achieve a definition of nursing care quality.FindingsThe findings in this paper show that, according to similarities and differences between nursing experts' and clinical nurses' perspectives on quality, the final definition is “delivery of safety care based on nursing standards which eventuates in patient satisfaction”. Findings reveal that in nurses' perspectives on quality definition two important aspects have been mostly considered: “standard of care” and “patient satisfaction”. Moreover, both participant groups have emphasized the benefits of collaborative work in health care (teamwork). Further in this study, organizational and socio‐cultural roles in delivering quality nursing care have been mentioned such as staffing, budget, leadership, and social perspectives about nursing as a highly educated profession.Originality/valueThe paper offers an overview of nurses' perspectives of quality of nursing care in Iran.