Nursing Practice Today

Translation and psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of the Mini-International Classification of Function and disability-rating for limitations of activities and participation in psychological disorders

Fatemeh Ghaedi-Heidari — 2026-09-01

Background & Aim: Patients with mental disorders frequently experience limitations in activity and social participation, potentially disrupting recovery and social reintegration. Accurate assessment of these limitations is essential for treatment planning and rehabilitation. This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Mini-International Classification of Functioning and disability-rating for limitations of activities and participation in psychological disorders.
Methods & Materials: This methodological study was conducted in 2025 among patients discharged from the psychiatric wards. Following forward–backward translation, face and content validity were assessed by 11 experts. Construct validity was evaluated using Exploratory Factor Analysis, followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis in 193 patients. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient.
Results: All items demonstrated satisfactory face and content validity, with no item removed. Content Validity Ratio values ranged from 0.63 to 1.00, while the overall Scale-level Content Validity Index was 0.88, indicating acceptable but slightly below-threshold content validity. Exploratory Factor Analysis identified a three-factor structure explaining 51.13% of the total variance. Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed acceptable model fit. Cronbach's alpha was 0.76 overall, and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient for the total scale was 0.796, indicating satisfactory internal consistency and stability.
Conclusion: The Persian Mini-International Classification of Function and Disability Rating for limitations of Activities and Participation in Psychological disorders demonstrates acceptable face, content, and three-factor structural validity. However, the low internal consistency of the third factor and suboptimal Tucker–Lewis Index fit warrant caution in interpreting subscale scores.

Developing a conceptual framework for family caregiver preparedness in stroke care: A scoping review

Nor Nadiya Ab Ghani — 2026-09-01

Background & Aim: Family caregivers of stroke survivors often assume complex responsibilities with limited preparation, while evidence on how best to support them remains fragmented. This review aimed to map evidence on family caregiver preparedness in stroke care and use the findings to develop a conceptual framework.
Methods & Materials: A scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported according to guidance for scoping reviews. MEDLINE via Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and ScienceDirect were searched for peer-reviewed English-language studies published from 2014 to 2025. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies examining preparedness, related frameworks, tools, or interventions were included. Studies involving paid caregivers, paediatric stroke, or psychosocial outcomes without reference to preparedness were excluded. Findings were synthesised descriptively and thematically.
Results: Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Four examined frameworks, assessment tools, or interventions, and 18 reported preparedness levels and associated factors. Preparedness was generally low to moderate. Three contextual domains shaped caregiving demands: stroke survivor clinical characteristics, caregiving roles and responsibilities, and family caregiver characteristics. Psychosocial and emotional factors and social and supportive resources moderated the relationship between demands and preparedness. These domains were integrated into a framework describing preparedness as a changing balance between caregiving demands and available resources across the stroke care continuum.
Conclusion: Family caregiver preparedness is multidimensional and changes over time. The proposed framework may support assessment, follow-up, and intervention design, but requires empirical and stakeholder validation.

Professional networking and shared practices among Filipino nurses in Facebook-based online communities: A netnographic study

Bherlyn Joy Leccio — 2026-07-13

Background & Aim: Facebook-based online communities are widely used by nurses to seek advice, share resources, discuss employment pathways, and maintain professional connections. However, less is known about how existing Facebook groups support professional networking, shared practice, and informal continuing professional development among Filipino nurses. This study aimed to explore professional networking and shared practices among Filipino nurses in Facebook-based online communities.
Methods & Materials: A qualitative netnographic design was used. Filipino nursing-related Facebook groups were searched and screened using data-site criteria adapted from netnographic procedures, including relevance, coverage, activity, interactivity, and accessibility. Nine groups were included. Online observations were supported by Zoom interviews with 10 Filipino registered nurses and reflective field notes. From 11,134 collected posts and comments, 1,045 were selected for detailed analysis using a sequential deductive-inductive qualitative approach guided by community of practice theory and social capital theory.
Results: Facebook groups supported advice-seeking, job sharing, resource exchange, peer encouragement, milestone recognition, professional updates, and informal learning. Shared practices differed by group purpose. Domestic-focused groups centered on local employment, licensure, and workplace issues; foreign-associated groups focused on migration and overseas practice; and learning-oriented groups prioritized review materials, webinars, and professional development resources.
Conclusion: Facebook-based online nursing communities provided accessible spaces for peer-supported learning, professional connection, and informal continuing professional development. Their practical value depends on responsible use, verification of information, ethical conduct, confidentiality, and appropriate moderation.

Effects of a structured, nurse-led follow-up program on clinical outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A randomized controlled trial

Elham Saberi Noghabi — 2026-07-13

Background & Aim: Post-discharge follow-up is essential to prevent exacerbation in patients with COPD. This study examined the impact of a 3-month nurse-led follow-up program on early symptom worsening and severe post-discharge outcomes.
Methods & Materials: A single-center, parallel-group randomized clinical trial was conducted among 88 hospitalized COPD patients in Gonabad, Iran, in 2022. The intervention group received a structured nurse-led follow-up program for three months, including planned education, telephone-based symptom monitoring, and zone-based triage with referral when needed. The control group received usual post-discharge care without scheduled follow-up. Primary outcomes were the Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale and the COPD Assessment Test at baseline and three months. Secondary outcomes included unplanned emergency department visits, readmissions, and post-discharge physical complications. Data analysis was performed in SPSS 21.0 using the Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, ANCOVA, and paired t-test.
Results: Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale and COPD Assessment Test scores decreased in the intervention group from 3.31 (SD=2.32) to 2.71 (SD=2.84) and 14.91 (SD=10.91) to 12.65 (SD=11.04), respectively, while they increased in control group from 4.08 (SD=2.56) to 4.43 (SD=2.72) and 16.27 (SD=11.22) to 18.36 (SD=11.70) (adjusted p=0.002 for both outcomes. Clinically meaningful improvement was more frequent in the intervention group for both Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale (p=0.013) and CAT (p=0.007). Physical complications were lower in the intervention group (25.6% vs 48.9%; p=0.024), but emergency department visits and readmissions did not differ significantly.
Conclusion: A structured nurse-led follow-up program improved symptoms and reduced complications among patients with COPD. Its integration into transitional care is recommended to enhance recovery after hospitalization.

Family caregivers' experiences of providing psychospiritual care to patients undergoing hemodialysis in Indonesia: A descriptive phenomenological study

La Rakhmat Wabula — 2026-07-13

Background & Aim: Patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis frequently experience emotional, existential, and spiritual distress that requires support beyond routine clinical care. Family caregivers are often the closest and most continuous companions throughout the treatment trajectory, yet limited evidence has examined how they experience and enact psychospiritual care in everyday hemodialysis contexts, particularly in Indonesia. This study aimed to explore family caregivers’ experiences of providing psychospiritual care to patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis.
Methods & Materials: A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted in two hemodialysis units in Indonesia. Fifteen purposively selected family caregivers of patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data collection continued until informational redundancy was achieved. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Colaizzi’s method.
Results: Three major themes were identified: (1) Enacting emotional presence as a therapeutic foundation in everyday care; (2) Facilitating spiritual meaning-making to foster inner peace and acceptance; and (3) Engaging in shared care navigation through practical support and collaborative decision-making. These findings indicate that family psychospiritual caregiving was experienced as a relational and meaning-centered process in sustaining patients’ endurance during long-term hemodialysis.
Conclusion: Family psychospiritual care in long-term hemodialysis is a sustained relational practice that integrates emotional presence, spiritual meaning-making, and shared care navigation. Hemodialysis services should recognize family caregivers as important partners in supporting patients’ emotional security, spiritual coping, treatment endurance, and gradual acceptance of illness.