BackgroundIn China, stroke survivors are usually cared for by their family members. However, the caregiving ability of these informal caregivers remain inadequate during the hospitalization of their family members following a sudden onset of a stroke, and this sudden need for care overwhelms caregivers even after the hospital discharge. Therefore, research is required to identify predictors of caregiving ability that could be targeted in future interventions aimed at improving caregiving skills and reducing the burden on caregivers who care for stroke survivors.Materials and methodsFrom August 2019 to February 2020, stroke survivors were hospitalized for the first time, and their family caregivers were registered via convenience sampling. Caregiver demographic information, resilience status, uncertainty in illness, caregiving ability, and patients' severity of stroke were measured using standardized questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model, where caregiver resilience and stroke severity predicted caregiving ability directly, and uncertainty in illness mediated the association between caregiver resilience and caregiving ability.ResultsA total of 306 dyads were included in the study. The tested model fit the data well (χ2 = 118.2, df = 64, RMSEA = 0.053, CFI = 0.946, TLI = 0.923). Statistically significant pathways linked caregivers' resilience status to uncertainty in illness (β = −0.558, S.E. = 0.022, P < 0.01), caregivers' resilience to the status of caregiving ability (β = −0.269, S.E. = 0.013, P < 0.01) and caregivers' uncertainty about the illness to caregiving ability (β = 0.687, S.E. = 0.051, P < 0.01). We also found that caregivers' uncertainty in illness mediated the association between caregivers' resilience and caregiving ability (β = −0.384, S.E. = 0.061, P < 0.01).ConclusionsOur structural equation modeling result identified resilience and uncertainty about the illness as predictors of the caregiving ability of informal family caregivers who suffered from care burdens. Supporting family caregivers to build their resilience and reduce illness uncertainty may improve caregiving for stroke survivors.

Aims. To synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of virtual reality-based training of caregivers for the elderly with chronic diseases. Background. With a growing number of elderly suffering from chronic diseases, caregivers who lack the necessary caregiving skills and competence need practical training. Nowadays, virtual reality in training is a promising approach due to technological advancements. Evaluation. We did a comprehensive search in the following six electronic databases (Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, SCOPUS, MEDLINE, and CINAHL) from their inception to April 2022 for original studies. We searched clinical trial registries of Clinical Trials.gov, International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) Registry, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), for clinical trials. Key Issues. 7610 searched records were yielded, of which nine studies (four randomized controlled trials and five nonrandomized controlled trials) met the eligibility criteria and were included with 1090 caregivers. There was a small but significant overall effect of virtual reality-based interventions on caregivers’ caregiving competence (effect size = 0.362, 95% CI 0.181–0.543, p < 0.001 , I2 = 25.636). The subgroup analysis results showed significant improvement in caregiving competence in caregivers trained by the Dementia LiveTM program (effect size = 0.322, 95% CI 0.046–0.597, p = 0.022 ). Regarding empathy, we did not find a statistically significant overall effect. The subgroup analysis results indicated that caregivers showed improvement in empathy after exposure to the Into D’mentia program (effect size = 0.265, 95% CI 0.015–0.515, p = 0.037 ). Conclusions. Findings of our meta-analysis demonstrated that virtual reality could have merits for improving the caregiving competence of caregivers taking care of the elderly with chronic diseases. Implications for Nursing Management. Virtual reality may be a training alternative for caregivers to improve their caregiving competence. However, empowering the embodiment of virtual reality programs remains a technological challenge that needs to be addressed in the future.

Background: A bibliometric analysis which are widely used to gauge the scholarly impact of any scientific publication was conducted to give a basic overview of research publications on multiple sclerosis nursing.Methods: Publications on multiple sclerosis nursing were retrieved by using a bibliometric method based on the Web of Science database .Results: A total of 825 papers collected from 49 countries were retrieved in this study. The number of publications on multiple sclerosis nursing has increased steadily since 1999, and the top 12 research institutions publishing articles and nine of the ten most prolific authors were from the United States. Articles were most frequently published in the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, and the key words of the top 10 highly cited papers changed from quality of life (QOL) and symptoms to terms including social support, psychological problems, rehabilitation treatment, cognitive impairment, and nursing intervention. While nursing practice and neuroscience nursing were the focus of research, other topics included QOL, functional rehabilitation, symptom management, nursing intervention, and support schemes.Conclusions: Research into multiple sclerosis nursing in China is at an early stage. Greater attention to the research focus and results of top institutions and core journals, and a focus on highly cited papers are needed to advance the field.