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The effect of tungsten trioxide (WO3) on the shielding properties of the lead(II) oxide-boron trioxide-phosphorus pentoxide-WO3 system was investigated. The mass attenuation coefficients (μ/ρ) were evaluated using the XCOM program (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD) in the energy range of 0.015-10 MeV. The μ/ρ values were then used to calculate the mean free path (MFP) and half value layer (HVL). In addition, the macroscopic effective removal cross section for fast neutrons (ΣR) was calculated for the present glass system. It was found that the μ/ρ values increase with increasing WO3 concentration, while HVL and MFP values decrease with increasing WO3 content. The present glass system showed good radiation shielding properties by providing shorter MFP than some glass systems, such as 70TeO2-30V2O5 and 80TeO2-20MoO3 glasses. In addition, it was found that the ΣR values for the present glasses lie within the range of 0.1100-0.1132 cm-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiations are widely used in hospitals and health services in radiotherapy and molecular imaging using x-ray and gamma radiation which considered as the most penetrating radiations and very difficult to shield. In this study, the radiation shielding properties of different zinc oxide (ZnO) concentrations of the (95-x)TeO2-5TiO2-xZnO (x=5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 40 mol%) glass system was investigated to be introduced as a new transparency effective shielding material. In order to study shielding properties, mass attenuation coefficients in the energy range of 0.015–15 MeV photon energies for the current glass system were calculated using ParShield software. Moreover, half value layer, mean free path and effective atomic number were evaluated using the obtained attenuation coefficient. The results indicated that if ZnO was added to the current glass system the mass attenuation coefficient will be decreased as well as effective atomic number values. The highest mass attenuation coefficient at all energies was found to be in TT5Z5 glass sample as well as the effective atomic number value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job satisfaction improves the outcome of health care services. Nurses' job satisfaction should receive more attention in Saudi Arabia, and worldwide. This study was undertaken to measure factors that affect job satisfaction among critical care nurses at King Khalid Hospital in Saudi Arabia. This study used a quantitative, cross-sectional method. A convenient sample of 190 critical care nurses was recruited from the main government hospital in Saudi Arabia. Job satisfaction scales were used in this study. Overall, the staff nurses were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their work. The majority of participating nurses were moderately satisfied with their relationships with coworkers (mean = 4.24, standard deviation [SD] = 1.66) and nature of their jobs (mean = 4.13, SD = 0.74). Their lowest satisfaction scores were related to communication (mean = 3.42, SD = 0.82), followed by pay (mean = 3.7, SD = 0.65), and supervision (mean = 3.75, SD = 0.55). Job satisfaction of staff nurses is marginal. This calls for leadership intervention. Decision-makers must consider this when adopting new policies to enhance nurses' job satisfaction.

Background: Previous studies demonstrated that leadership styles are the basis of daily interactions between leaders and employees and facilitate and enhance work processes., Aim: This study aimed to explore how the leadership styles of nurse leaders affect job satisfaction among working nurses., Methods: Quantitative, descriptive and comparative methods were used. Three main Ministry of Health hospitals in different areas of Jordan and three private hospitals in Amman were selected., Results: Among the leadership styles measured by the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire 5X, transformational leadership had been used by head nurse managers in both settings more than transactional leadership and passive-avoidant leadership. The level of job satisfaction among nursing staff was higher in public hospitals than in private hospitals in this study. A positive relationship was found between the overall score for transformational leadership and job satisfaction (r = 0.374**). The overall transactional leadership score correlated positively with job satisfaction (r = 0.391**). Conversely, the overall correlation between passive-avoidant leadership and job satisfaction was negative (r = -0.240)., Conclusion: The increased development of transformational leadership behaviours increases nurses' job satisfaction and thus contributes to an increased retention of nurses., Implications for Nursing Management: The ability of hospitals to address the leadership styles of head nurses and their impacts on job satisfaction will be strengthened., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)