Spyridon Rigatos

Purpose: This study aimed to assess pediatric nurses' knowledge and skills in pain management and examine the factors influencing their proficiency in this area. Design and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the knowledge of pediatric nurses in Greece. Data were collected from six public pediatric hospitals using a convenience sampling method, yielding a sample of 154 nurses. The Demographic Information Questionnaire and the Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP) were utilized. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) software. Results: The study found that pediatric nurses had a mean score of 51.98% on the pain management knowledge questionnaire, highlighting significant gaps in understanding, particularly regarding opioid use and pain intensity indicators. Scenario-based decision-making revealed that only a small percentage of participants correctly identified the appropriate dosage for pediatric pain management. Key areas for improvement were identified, especially in the proper use of opioids and pain assessment scales. Discussion: The findings of this study highlight the need for targeted educational interventions and training programs to enhance pediatric nurses' competencies in pain management. Improving nurses' knowledge and clinical decision-making could contribute to more effective pain relief and higher-quality care for pediatric patients.

Introduction: Healthcare education faces a documented "empathy crisis," where students often experience a decline in empathic capacity during clinical training. While compassionate care is fundamental to patient outcomes, it is frequently sidelined in traditional biomedical curricula. Asynchronous digital pedagogy offers a potentially scalable, exploratory solution to bridge this humanistic gap. Aim: This pilot study aimed to evaluate the potential impacts of an asynchronous, distance-based educational intervention in enhancing empathy and compassionate care among undergraduate healthcare students from the Departments of Nursing, Physiotherapy, and Medicine. Methodology: A pilot pre- and post-intervention study was conducted with 50 undergraduate healthcare students. In the absence of a control group, the study utilized a convenience sampling design. The intervention consisted of a five-module asynchronous digital course focusing on applications of compassionate care. Empathy and compassion competence were assessed using the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) and the Compassion Competence Scale (CCS). Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric tests, including the Wilcoxon signed-rank and McNemar tests, along with Spearman's rho correlation and Bonferroni adjustments for subgroup comparisons. Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed across all domains. Median total empathy scores (TEQ) increased from 47.00 to 55.00 (p<0.05), while the proportion of participants reflecting higher-than-normal empathy rose from 58% to 88% (p<0.05). Significant increases were also recorded in all compassionate competence dimensions: Communication, Sensitivity, and Insight. A notable "convergence effect" was observed, as Medical and Physiotherapy students, who initially presented lower baseline scores, exhibited pronounced improvements, suggesting that the intervention may help narrow inter-faculty competency gaps. Conclusions: The findings suggest that structured, distance-based compassionate care training is associated with positive impacts on empathy and compassion-related competencies.

Empathy and compassionate care are essential components of high-quality healthcare, yet their integration into clinical education remains inconsistent. With the growing shift toward remote learning, distance-based educational interventions have emerged as promising tools for cultivating these competencies across healthcare professions. This study systematically reviewed international research examining the design, implementation, and effectiveness of distance-based educational interventions aimed at enhancing empathy and compassionate care among healthcare students and professionals. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Five databases: PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, and Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) were searched for peer-reviewed articles published between January 2015 and June 2025. Eligible studies involved remote educational interventions explicitly targeting empathy and/or compassion with reported outcome measures. Two independent reviewers screened and extracted data on study design, population, intervention type, outcomes, and main findings. A narrative synthesis approach was used. Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Intervention types included online mindfulness and self-compassion training (n = 9), virtual reality simulations (n = 6), role-play and simulation-based learning (n = 4), e-learning modules (n = 4), and narrative/reflection-based interventions (n = 1). Study designs encompassed quasi-experimental (n = 8), randomized controlled trials (n = 8), qualitative (n = 3), mixed-methods (n = 4), cross-sectional (n = 1), and retrospective analysis (n = 1). Empathy (n = 11) and self-compassion (n = 7) were the most commonly assessed outcomes. Twenty-one studies reported statistically significant improvements in at least one targeted domain. Distance-based interventions demonstrate strong potential to foster empathy and compassionate care in healthcare education. When designed to be interactive, experiential, and theory-driven, digital tools can effectively complement traditional curricula. Future research should emphasize methodological rigor, cultural adaptability, and long-term effectiveness to support sustainable integration into health professions education.

Introduction: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder and carries the risk of causing serious complications and/or death in the patient. In the school environment, diabetic students need monitoring and support to ensure their health. Teacher perceptions can impact T1D management in schools by influencing their preparedness, support strategies, and response to emergencies. The aim of this study was to assess attitudes and perceptions of teachers regarding the role of a school nurse in the management of students with T1DM in the school environment. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in two primary schools with a final sample of 10 teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using an 11-item open-ended questionnaire. Ethical considerations ensured confidentiality and voluntary participation. Thematic analysis was employed to categorize responses into conceptual units, following an inductive approach. This method, chosen for its strength in capturing the complexity of teachers' experiences and perceptions, provided an in-depth exploration of their perspectives on the role of school nurses in managing students with T1DM. Results: Three main themes emerged from the thematic analysis. The first theme was Knowledge and Understanding of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, the second was Knowledge and Perceptions of Teachers Regarding the Role of the School Nurse in Supporting Students With Diabetes, and the third was Collaboration and Interaction Levels Between Teachers and the School Nurse. Conclusion: The study concludes that school nurses play a key role in supporting students with diabetes, contributing to their equal inclusion in the school environment. The findings suggest that enhanced collaboration between teachers and nurses, combined with targeted teacher training, can promote a holistic and supportive approach to student care, improving their school life and overall well-being.

Diabetes Mellitus (D.M) is one of the most common chronic diseases and implementation of management strategies is important for patients with D.M. in order to achieve stable blood glucose levels. Patients' compliance with the therapeutic recommendations of health professionals plays a decisive role in the successful outcome of the therapeutic intervention. The aim of this review is to explore the effect of patients' adherence to their treatment in the treatment of the disease. PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Embase and Google Scholar databases were searched for reviews and clinical studies over the past decade. A restriction was placed according to the language of publication of the articles and books and those published in English and Greek were used. Regarding the results, the correct compliance of the diabetic patient to the treatment seems to have beneficial effects in terms of the proper treatment of the condition, as it contributes to the reduction of complications, hospitalizations and contributes to the better quality of life of the patients. In conclusion, it becomes evident that the correct compliance of the diabetic patient to the treatment has beneficial effects in three main areas. First it reduces the occurrence of long-term complications, then it improves the financial indicators related to D.M and finally it contributes to improving the productivity - quality of life of the diabetic patient.

Background: In the world of elderly people and people with chronic diseases, caregivers give a solution to caring at home. This study aimed to evaluate the burden of caregivers of patients with chronic diseases in primary health care and identify possible demographic and other determinants of it. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample, which was conducted in two health centers. The sample comprised 291 caregivers who visited the aforementioned health centers in Patra, Greece. A composite questionnaire was utilized: the first part included demographic data and care-related information and the second included the Zarit Burden Interview and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Results: The highest mean score in the DASS was recorded in the depression subscale and the lowest in the stress subscale. Concerning the Zarit Burden Interview, the highest mean score was recorded in the personal strain subscale and the lowest in the management of care subscale. The highest correlation was recorded between role strain and anxiety and the lowest was between management of care and stress. Similarly, the total score in the Zarit Burden Interview correlated significantly (in a positive direction) with depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusions: Most of the caregivers of patients with chronic diseases in primary health care experienced a moderate to severe burden (especially in the dimension of personal strain) and moderate depression. The experienced burden was positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. There were significant differences in the caregivers’ burden according to several demographic and care-related characteristics.

School bullying is a frequent phenomenon that needs special attention, prevention and felicitous intervention. The present study aims to study the attitudes of secondary school teachers towards school bullying and to examine ways of handling the phenomenon. Four questionnaires were used, which were completed through Google forms, by 152 teachers of Secondary Education who serve in general education schools. The results showed that teachers attribute significant seriousness to bullying incidents, demonstrate empathy towards the victim, and are willing to intervene. The type of physical bullying garnered the highest rating levels, while relational bullying garnered the lowest. Regarding the handling of bullying, it is estimated that the preferred response is to punish the perpetrator, while ignoring the phenomenon scores the lowest. Regarding strategies for dealing with stressful situations, it is found that the highest rated strategies are positive approach and seeking social support.