Introduction
Nurses are the primary healthcare providers who have acquired the skills necessary for treating patients. They play critical roles in hospitals, especially in their coordination with doctors. Patients in intensive care units need special monitoring for better healing. Positive communication between nurses and doctors creates a conducive environment for the sick (Holm et al., 2021). Emerging diseases like COVID-19 have caused threats to university students who need the nurse’s intervention to deal with stress issues. Similarly, nurses in their profession have been affected by the impacts of the virus (Thrysoee et al., 2021).
Difficulties in economic and social aspects of life have become a significant stress cause to most college students. This is due to the insufficient financial support available from the parents and government, making them lose concentration in their education. Apart from employment and academic stress, some students have faced emotional hardships due to judgment from other students. The above results from different economic statuses from diverse backgrounds (Cho & Jang, 2021). Mental health issues and declined individual happiness has resulted from these circumstances. This paper critiques the article “Effects of an Existential Nursing Intervention for College Students in the COVID-19 Pandemic Situation”.
The article’s length is long, making it challenging to capture the reader’s interest. Short and precise titles are encouraged since they capture all the information most straightforwardly. There was a reference to the research problem, which targeted college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it did not capture any information concerning the type of research method used in the study population. Further details concerning the research are incorporated in the article’s main body.
Abstract Critique
The critique article presents research whereby nurses are the main participants. The abstract, however, fails to include all the features of the report. It captures the method used in data analysis, the participants, and the results. Some aspects like ethical considerations, measures taken during the report, and limitations and future implications of the study have not been summarized. Nurses have been selected to be part of the research team, where they coordinate in the process of obtaining data. Nurses have interrogated students on the causes of stress and further developed therapy sessions to guide them on preventive strategies.
Ethically, it is essential to involve nurses in the study as they play significant roles in preserving human codes of life. The diverse cultural beliefs and values determine their way of life. Having a clear understanding of culture facilitates positive socialization. Most importantly, morals enable nurses to consider the needs of patients and maintain a conducive recovery environment. Nurses have been equipped with knowledge on how to treat all patients with equity and further protect their privacy by keeping their information private (Cho & Jang, 2021). They should practice professional services and use accepted leadership and communication skills
This article has implications for nursing practice since it addresses the issues affecting nurses in their profession. Problems facing them in administration and patient care have been examined. However, the research was explicitly for Korean students, not the Canadian setup. The keywords used in this study are stress, depression, students, and logotherapy. They can be related to the study abstract, and their importance is seen in helping the reader better understand the study.
Research Problem, Question, Hypothesis
The main aim of this research was to design an intervention to reduce stress in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic error. The research purpose is clearly stated in the article under critique. It was based on a logo-autobiography strategy, which enabled students to find the importance of their lives during the coronavirus period (Park, & Jung, 2021). The research problem is easy to locate among students by studying their life patterns and determining the changes that have occurred since they left home.
The research problem is significant to the nursing profession in various ways. Nurses learn how to care for patients with emerging diseases by coming up with preventive measures. Isolation of the sick curbs the spread of the disease to other patients reducing reported cases. Further, impacts such as depression and isolation to the patients due to the disease can be handled. This can be done by identifying root causes and developing helpful therapy and medication.
Due to the stressful nature of the working environment, nurses may also undergo stress. This can also be attributed to medical errors during the treatment process. Stress management strategies for healthcare givers enable them to deal with stress positively. Adaptation to the working environment can also be developed, giving them a sense of progress (Canadian Nurses Association, 2022). Patient education can also be implemented easily as they have relevant experiences and knowledge. Sometimes, healthcare givers interact with harsh and difficult-to-handle patients (Leslie et al., 2021). They must know how to deal with them, as they can cause unwanted physical damage.
The paper’s research failed to indicate the research questions involved in the study. The phenomena were instead presented in a declarative statement. It majorly focused on developing strategies that could help lower the stress levels in college students. The research-dependent and independent variables are identified. Dependent variables include the meaning of life, the number of students, and stress levels (Cho & Jang, 2021). Ethical considerations and depressive symptoms were some of the independent variables. The research statement expresses a relationship between the variables since it seeks to identify the research’s central problem: the effects of stress among students in Korean colleges. Further, it suggests what should be done to reduce this issue.
The population of the research under study has also been identified and indicates that college students in the COVID-19 period are the targets. Some 52 Korean students from four universities and two municipalities were selected for the study (Cho & Jang, 2021). They were all registered in the four-year course educational schedule. The experimental and control group comprised 26 students, and a probability of dropouts was allowed. Criteria for selecting the target group were voluntary, whereby willing students came on board. Students with communication difficulties, writing, and reading, on leave, were excluded from the research.
During the research, three hypotheses were suggested to help obtain research data. They did not originate from the research question but considered other parameters used in the study. The first indicated that the experimental control group that took part in LAC would show a lower score of stress when compared to the group after intervention. The second implicated that the group participating in the experiment would imply a lower mark for depression than the control group after the intervention (Cho & Jang, 2021). The third hypothesis stated that the LAC participants would possess a higher score for life than the management group after the intervention. The hypotheses are presented as research since they base a platform for conducting experiments, collecting data, analyzing it, and presenting it in table forms.
The direction of the relationship between the variables under research is clearly stated. Depression and stress scores are examined and further compared before and after each experiment. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) developed by Cohen is used to measure the variables. It is a powerful tool used to analyze stress levels and damage (Bollinger, 2021). A Likert scale determines the intensity of target groups’ stress in daily life, and the results range from 0-40. Ten items from the epidemic center measured the Depressive Symptoms, where participants were asked questions and required to respond yes or no (Cho & Jang, 2021). This enabled the description of their actions and feelings. The Korean version was used to participants’ meaning of life.
Literature Review
The review is relevant to the phenomena being discussed in the article with well-organized and developed ideas. A design known as quasi-experimental was applied for mass innervations (Bohn et al., 2021). Reference documents that have been used contain information relevant to the study. Further, guidelines on research and ethical considerations have been defined clearly. Implications of the study to the target population determine the effectiveness of the study.
The research conducted applied information written from other sources for data relevancy. Studies done in previous times indicated the effects of COVID-19 on college students. Most significantly, it was implied that cases of murder resulting from stress were being reported frequently. The use of harmful drugs leading to addiction is another problem that was expected. Losing one’s meaning in life could further be attributed to mental disorders (Cho & Jang, 2021). Recent research has been included in the comparison of data using primary sources. However, the review failed to identify essential gaps in the literature.
The term meaning of life, as used in various research, is a vital variable implicating that failure of human beings to identify their potential would lead to emotions of depression and emptiness. Previous studies have further shown that this variable was correlated positively with mental health status, hope, and life satisfaction (Korkmaz & Güloğlu, 2021). It was correlating negatively with depression and thoughts of self-murder. Psychological well-being can also be attributed to positive perceptions about life. Critically appraising and comparison of crucial research have been considered in coming up with conclusions for this study.
Several studies developed protocols by conducting experiments to verify existing scientific facts. Wong’s meaning-centered therapy was included in the research to cater to people living with cancer and their families (Cho & Jang, 2021). Further, traditional talking therapy, where peaceful conversations between the patient and therapist, could help diagnose. A conducive environment makes the client free and open to stressful events and circumstances during the interaction. Guidance and counseling sessions can be implemented as a treatment plan remedy (Cho & Jang, 2021). The LA has been selected as one of the most effective methods of reducing stress, especially in wives married to alcoholic men.
Ethical Considerations
Any research conducted is required to consider human ethics and principles. Core principles such as respect for persons are highly valued. This comprises a moral obligation to protect individual differences. Freedom of choice and judgment is done freely and fairly by the individual (McGinn, 2018). The target group in research should be given an informed choice and a platform for choosing what is best for them. Through this, honesty in the data collected is highly valued, leading to relevancy.
Concern for personal welfare involves follow-up of the experiences of an individual throughout their life. Factors like spiritual, physical, and mental health significantly impact their experiences (Cho & Jang, 2021). Privacy on data concerning the patient’s sickness determines their mode of conduct. Hospitals should create online portals for easy storage and retrieval of diagnosis information. Strong passwords to such sites should be used to prevent illegal access by unauthorized individuals (Petrovic et al., 2022). This encourages time-saving as the patients can interact with doctors online and receive medication.
REBs and researchers must protect the participants’ welfare, and in case of any foreseen risk, early precautions must be taken (Golchin Mehr et al., 20222). Members should be equipped with knowledge on how to access potential benefits and risks. Using groups in research may lead to stigmatization due to the opaque nature of information exposure. Confidential questionnaires can be implemented to increase privacy.
The study was done through the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, which the Institutional Review Board authorized of Mokpo National University. Further, the members of research ethics boards (REBs) have approved the research methodologies which have been applied in this study (Government of Canada, 2019). Informed consent was obtained from the participants under study. Information was fully obtained from them, and different methodologies were adopted.
Being a college setup, students were admitted from various backgrounds. Some came from wealthy families, and others came from poor backgrounds (Cho & Jang, 2021). This gave room for all of them to participate without considering their social status. Amidst the emergency of the pandemic, students were aware of the challenges they had faced during online lessons.
The participants were protected from physical and emotional harm. A significant investigation of their health impacts on stress was done through a group of therapists involved. LAC sessions were done by two logotherapy experts authorized by the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy (Cho & Jang, 2021).
The target population received six 90-min LAC sessions a week for six weeks. Two and four participants were each selected in a seminar room provided for the research purpose. Proper stress devices were used to protect individuals from physical harm. This is due to the delicate nature of the instruments, which, when used carelessly, can cause more severe damage. Communication between the participants was positive to avoid arguments that could hinder the research progress (Canadian Nurses Association, 2017). Therefore, any individual who would be found going against the protocols could be eliminated from the group.
The nature and purpose of the study were made clear to the participants. The college management informed the college students about the COVID-19 pandemic upon its arrival. They were, therefore, required to take necessary precautions to protect themselves from contracting the virus. Further directives to close down the institution and adopt an online learning mode were made public. Since experiments would be used as research methods, the participants were informed about nature. However, their views regarding the research methodologies to be used were not considered.
Despite the research measures taken to make it a success, potential risks to the participants were not stated. This could be seen as a significant limitation since the target population was not guaranteed any insurance scheme in case of any dangerous occurrence. Research participants should be based in an environment that does not interfere with their safety (Moralejo et al., 2017). Further, informing them about risks could lower their chances of volunteering for the research. However, when human ethics are considered, this is a critical aspect that should be addressed in any research.
The research study was designed to maximize the benefits and maximize risks for the participants. From the considerations, it was concluded that students in college who were in the early adulthood stage experienced job preparation and career pressure (Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Social Sciences anthatd Humanities Research Council, Tri-Council Policy Statement, 2019).
A study targeting this population considered the problems they faced and solutions which would be essential to them. It comprised of a group of psychological intervention therapists who would offer to counsel and make them discover their importance in life (Cho & Jang, 2021). Data collection was done in a procedure between July and December 2020. This was after approval was done by the university administration. This clearly indicated that the consideration of student safety was valued by their institution.
Flyers at the university were posted to create awareness of the beginning of the research. Participants were, therefore, given freedom of choice, and only those who were willing to participate in this research were selected. An exemption was given to those on leave and special needs who had challenges in reading and writing (Cho & Jang, 2021). The same procedures were applied in four other universities to compare analyzed information easily. Any student who could wish to drop out after enrollment was given a chance to do so without any criticism. No penalties could be imposed on such participants since it was a free and fair selection strategy. Vulnerable participants were prohibited from participating in the research study since intractable problems could arise (Rahmani et al., 2022). There were no specific steps discussed to safeguard the privacy of the data obtained from participants. However, the experiments conducted were controlled; hence, data was kept anonymous.
From my perspective, an overview of the quality of the research ethics procedure is that human ethics and considerations were observed. Despite a few limitations being presented, there were more benefits since a professional mode was adopted. The stress origin was first identified and, therefore, a suitable target population. Students in a college who had faced the COVID-19 pandemic difficulties were the target population. Methods like t-test scores were applied in the data analysis procedures giving more accurate results (Ilesanmi et al., 2021). Freedom of choice also gave a conducive environment for research without limiting any individual from participating. The concept of isolating the vulnerable from the study was also essential to eliminate gaps in the study.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the effects of LAC on the meaning of life, depression, and stress have been verified through the experimental methodology. Primary data required by college students to manage stress was provided in this research. They remained constant for up to four weeks after the intervention was made. They could, therefore, identify their meaning in life and improve their mental health status. Data analysis indicated that LAC is the most appropriate remedy during the COVID-19 pandemic problems (Cho & Jang, 2021).
It can stretch toward suicide prevention and dropouts. In their daily caregiving, nurses must observe ethics associated with the patient. Efficient communication skills should be used to obtain patient information. The cultural aspect where differences in beliefs are respected must be adopted. In addition, leadership is a quality that must not be left out. Doctors should be role models in hospitals by working without supervision by the management. Through this, improved patient service will be the desired outcome and a significant achievement.
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