To prepare patients' families for active care roles after discharge, a family involvement program was developed. We aimed to gain in-depth insight into patients' well-being and experience during the program regarding the active involvement of family caregivers after oncological gastrointestinal cancer surgery during their hospital stay. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 patients who participated in the program. Patients emphasized that participation in the program gave them a sense of feeling at home. They reported that having a family caregiver on their side during hospitalization strengthened their existing relationship and contributed to their recovery by motivating them. Patients felt safer and more confident. Although patients described predominantly positive results, they also mentioned that unclear guidance from nurses made them feel less safe, especially when they saw their family caregivers struggling. Patients experience being accompanied and cared for by their family caregivers as meaningful and contributory to their recovery. Patients felt safer, more confident, and more relaxed.

The aim of this study was to evaluate how abdominal massage affects the constipation of the elderly in the nursing home. This randomized controlled experimental study was conducted with an intervention group ( n = 30) and a control group ( n = 31) in the nursing home of a government institution. A 15-minute abdominal massage was applied to the intervention group once a day, 5 days a week for 1 month. The control group received only routine treatment. The data were collected with a questionnaire, the Constipation Severity Instrument, the Visual Analogue Scale, the Bristol Stool Scale, and the defecation diary. It was determined that the Constipation Severity Instrument mean score, which was 40.6 ± 10.0 before the massage in the intervention group, decreased to 16.0 ± 11.6 after the application. The Visual Analogue Scale total score of the intervention and control groups, which was 40.2 ± 8.4 and 33.2 ± 5.9 before the massage, decreased to 18.7 ± 9.3 and 29.1 ± 6.58, respectively, at the end of the fourth week; the decrease was higher in the intervention group, and this difference between the groups was significant ( p < .05). It was determined that abdominal massage applied to elderly individuals residing in a nursing home reduced constipation. In this sense, it is recommended for nurses to implement abdominal massage in the management of constipation for elderly individuals.

This meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of positive psychological interventions on anxiety, depression, stress, mindfulness, hope, quality of life, and disease activity, as well as inflammation biomarkers, in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Databases such as Cochrane Library, PubMed, EBSCO, Embase, Web of Science, China Biomedical Literature Database, China Knowledge Network, and WANFANG DATA were searched by two researchers from the time of each database's creation to November 2022. A total of 14 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 1,191 patients were included. The results showed that positive psychological interventions were effective in reducing anxiety (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-1.33, -0.30], p = .002), depression (SMD = -0.86, 95% CI [-1.32, -0.41], p = .0002), and stress (SMD = -0.68, 95% CI [-1.05, -0.31], p = .0003), and significantly increased the level of hope (weighted mean difference [WMD] = 3.26, 95% CI [0.84, 5.68], p = .008), mindfulness (SMD = 0.59, 95% CI [0.30, 0.88], p < .0001), and quality of life (SMD = 0.61, 95% CI [0.09, 1.14], p = .02) of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. This suggests that positive psychological interventions can significantly improve positive psychology and reduce negative emotions in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Crohn disease perianal fistulas are associated with considerable morbidity and impaired quality of life. Nurses who specialize in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) play a vital role in the management of Crohn disease perianal fistulas from diagnosis to long-term care; however, there is little evidence available to inform Crohn associated perianal fistula management strategies for nurses. This narrative review aims to provide IBD nurses with an up-to-date overview of Crohn perianal fistulas. It discusses the vital role IBD nurses play within the multidisciplinary team; the physical, social, and psychological impacts of Crohn perianal fistulas on patients; available treatment options; and how IBD nurses can support patients in their perianal fistula journey to enable optimum outcomes for patients. It also reviews diagnostic techniques and IBD nurses' involvement in Crohn perianal fistula diagnosis. While this article is aimed at IBD nurses, it is relevant to all nurses irrespective of their role (unit, clinic, community, and stoma) who interact with patients with Crohn perianal fistulas because awareness of the signs and symptoms of this condition will enable timely referrals and diagnosis.

Surgery is the only available treatment for the longstanding chronic symptoms associated with large paraesophageal hernias except for reflux disease. The aim of this study was to illuminate how patients who previously suffered from grade III-IV hiatal hernia experience their life and health 2-6 months after surgery. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with 17 patients who received elective laparoscopic hernia repair for a large paraesophageal hernia. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, resulting in three main themes: "Experiences of health," "Being unable to leave the disease behind," and "Still feeling unwell" and seven subthemes: "Escaping suffering"; "Learning to interpret bodily signals"; "Looking to the future with confidence"; "Finding oneself in a vicious circle of worry"; "The fear of relapse as a constant companion"; "Lingering disabling symptoms," and "New and frightening symptoms." Our study demonstrates large individual variations in the way patients experience their life and health after laparoscopic hernia repair. Central to the patients' descriptions is that simply feeling physically healthy is insufficient for achieving overall health. Health care personnel can benefit from learning about patients' experiences of health and suffering after surgery.

Gastric cancer is one of the most prevalent tumors in China and other countries, with high morbidity and mortality. Fear of cancer recurrence is common among cancer survivors. Fear of cancer recurrence experiences and psychological interventions have been investigated in breast and other cancers. However, this phenomenon and associated factors have not been evaluated in early gastric cancer survivors in China. The objective of this study was to investigate the nature of fear of cancer recurrence and influencing factors in Chinese patients with early gastric cancer treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection. This cross-sectional study in two centers included 312 early gastric cancer patients who answered self-report questionnaires and were treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection between June 2022 and May 2023 to assess fear of cancer recurrence. Gender, family history of gastrointestinal tumor, tumor recurrence, Helicobacter pylori infection, disease perception, and self-perceived burden were significant factors influencing fear of cancer recurrence (p < .05). More than half of early gastric cancer patients have fear of cancer recurrence, and how to deal with it has become a key issue in the postoperative care of patients. Medical professionals should address these factors to reduce fear of cancer recurrence in at-risk patients.

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are chronic diseases that are associated with an inflammatory process with unclear etiology and occur in genetically predisposed individuals. In this study, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and rheumatic disease (RD) were examined. The aim of the research is to evaluate the relationship between IMID and state anxiety and work impairment in patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in an outpatient clinic for rheumatology and gastroenterology at an Italian university hospital. A total of 476 patients (261 IBD and 215 RD) were considered. Patients diagnosed with IBD demonstrated significantly higher levels of anxiety, encompassing both trait and state anxiety, compared to those with RD ( p < .001). While trait anxiety exhibited a modest positive correlation with work productivity loss ( r = .163; p = .046), activity impairment showed a positive correlation with both state anxiety ( r = .243; p < .001) and trait anxiety ( r = .206; p = .002). The impact of anxiety on job performance and daily activities should not be underestimated, as it may elevate the risk of unemployment and absenteeism and lead to increased societal costs.

This study investigates the role of self-perceived burden as a mediating factor in the association between perceived partner responsiveness and fertility intentions in women of reproductive age diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. A sample of 366 female inflammatory bowel disease patients from Changsha, China, was recruited using convenience sampling. Participants completed assessments, including the Impact of Perceived Partner Responsiveness Scale, Self-Perceived Burden Scale, Fertility Intentions Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Results indicated a moderate-to-low level of fertility intentions (mean score: 5.33 ± 2.21), with corresponding moderate levels of self-perceived burden (mean score: 30.01 ± 10.02) and perceived partner responsiveness (mean score: 52.80 ± 17.03). Positive correlations were observed between perceived partner responsiveness and fertility intentions and negative correlations between self-perceived burden and fertility intentions. The relationship between perceived partner responsiveness and fertility intentions was found to be partially mediated by self-perceived burden. These findings highlight the significance of perceived partner responsiveness and self-perceived burden in shaping fertility intentions among women with inflammatory bowel disease.

Endoscopic procedure areas have high-volume, fast-paced work environments. This practice requires a diverse range of knowledge and skills that are continuously changing with the evolution of high-acuity procedures and the shift toward routine use of anesthesia services. Endoscopy nursing staff have recently shown higher levels of stress and emotional exhaustion than their colleagues in similar practice settings. Patient management and recovery from anesthesia are identified by this group of nurses as a perceived stressor with high priority for improvement in competencies. Standardized education in collaboration with anesthesia services regarding these topics does not exist. As an improvement initiative, a standardized education guide was developed and implemented in an urban endoscopy unit situated within a Level 1 trauma center to improve nursing staff's patient management, knowledge, and readiness. Nursing knowledge was evaluated before and after the delivery of an educational presentation. Results demonstrated a substantial improvement in nursing knowledge and preparedness for complex procedures and high-acuity patients. Implementation of a similar standardized endoscopy nursing education guide has the potential to positively impact endoscopy nursing staff's knowledge and preparedness related to complex endoscopy patient care delivery, possibly relieving a source of stress for endoscopy staff and improving patient safety.