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Aims and Objectives: To investigate nurses' intention in accepting COVID‐19 vaccination and the factors affecting their decision. Background: COVID‐19 vaccination has started in most European countries with healthcare personnel being the first group receiving the vaccine shots. Their attitude towards vaccination is of paramount significant as their role in the frontline could help in the awareness of general population. Methods: A study was conducted in Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Kosovo with the use of an online questionnaire. The Fear of COVID‐19 Scale was used. The STROBE checklist was followed for this cross‐sectional study. Results: Study population consisted of 1135 nurses. Mean age of the participants was 38.3 years, while most of them were female gender (84.7%) and married (53.1%). Acceptance of a safe and effective COVID‐19 vaccine was higher among Greek (79.2%) and Spanish (71.6%) nurses, followed by Cypriot (54%), Albanian (46.3%) and Kosovo (46.2%) nurses. Key factors for willingness to get vaccinated were male gender, living in a country with a high mortality rate in comparison with low mortality, being not infected with COVID‐19, having high level of knowledge about COVID‐19 vaccines and having been vaccinated for influenza in the last 2 years. Moreover, trusting the government and doctors regarding the information about the COVID‐19 and having high level of fear about this virus were key factors for willingness to get vaccinated. Conclusion: Vaccination of healthcare personnel is a crucial issue not only for their own safety but also for their patients'. Healthcare acceptance to get vaccinated can work as a role model for general population. Relevance to clinical practice: Gender, country, mortality rate, trust in government and health professionals and the level of fear were key factors that should be managed in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: The healthcare sector is constantly evolving and growing more complex. To ensure the delivery of high-quality care, healthcare organizations must establish and uphold a positive clinical governance (CG) climate, which encompasses to the culture and systems supporting the delivery of quality care. PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the relationship between the clinical governance climate and the quality of work life and care provided in healthcare organizations. METHODOLOGY: A quantitative research design was employed to investigate this relationship, using structured questionnaires to collect data from health professionals in Greek hospitals. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (IBM SPSS 21.0). RESULTS: The survey results revealed a positive correlation between CG climate and the quality of professional life and care provided. Healthcare professionals in organizations with a positive CG climate reported higher job satisfaction and a better work-life balance. Moreover, patients receiving care in organizations with a positive CG climate reported higher levels of satisfaction with their care. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that healthcare organizations should prioritize the establishment and maintaining a positive clinical governance climate to enhance the quality of care provided to patients and improve the wellbeing of healthcare professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survivors of critical illnesses often exhibit high psychiatric morbidity. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the comorbidity between PTSD and major depression, among patients who have been treated in a general (medical-surgical) intensive care unit (ICU group) compared with patients who have been treated in a non-ICU department, medical or surgical (non-ICU group). The study was conducted in 5 general hospitals in the greater Athens, Greece area. The final sample of the study was composed of 198 patients. The point prevalence of PTSD for ICU patients was 35.3%, whereas for non-ICU patients it was 13.5%. In this study, 11.6% of the sample was found to meet the criteria for both PTSD and major depression. The clinical entity of PTSD is common after intensive care treatment, and coordination between health care professionals is necessary for early recognition and treatment of any psychiatric complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent progress in medicine and technology has produced a significant increase in the survival rate of critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) comorbidity among patients after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU) and to compare it with patients who were discharged from the internal or surgical department. The study was conducted in five general hospitals in the greater Athens area. The sample of the research was composed of 198 patients. The point prevalence of major depression for ICU patients was 32.3%, while for non-ICU patients, it was 19.8%. In this study, 11.6% of the sample was found to meet the criteria for both major depression and PTSD. Early recognition and treatment of major depression and PTSD in critically ill patients could contribute to improved quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Organ transplantation was one of the greatest achievements of medical science during the 20th century. Knowledge, education, and culture all play prominent roles in transplantation because of the complexity of the process from donation to transplantation. Purpose: The aim of this research was to determine and analyze the knowledge and attitudes about organ donation and transplantation among the general population in Limassol, Cyprus. Methods: A quantitative research approach was followed, and a questionnaire consisting of closed-ended questions was completed by adults from the general population in Limassol. Results: One thousand two hundred adults out of the 1,346 adults who were contacted responded to the survey (response rate: 89%) and were included as participants. Of the participants, 93.4% (p <.05) considered organ donation to be lifesaving, 57% expressed interest (and 39.8% expressed disinterest) in becoming organ donors, 80.6% (p <.05) expressed awareness of there being a waiting list for people in need of organ transplantation, 50.4% agreed that brain death must be confirmed before organ removal for transplantation, and 47% recalled having been informed about organ donation through the media, with 31.5% stating that they had never been informed about organ donation. Conclusions: The participants demonstrated limited awareness regarding the organ donation system in Cyprus. Furthermore, a significant percentage stated that they lacked a source for obtaining related information. The Cypriot society should be informed and encouraged to participate in organ donation to increase the rate of organ transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]