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Low-Risk Pregnant Women’s Perceptions of the Effects of Auriculotherapy on Pregnancy-Related Discomforts

2026-01-21T10:57:37+00:00

Introduction

During pregnancy, women are subject to various physiological and emotional changes, which should be monitored within the scope of antenatal care. The healthcare team may employ, where appropriate, non-pharmacological strategies such as Auriculotherapy, a technique that stimulates specific points on the auricle for the management of various conditions, based on the principle that the ear constitutes a microsystem in which the entire body is represented.

Objective

To understand the impact of Auriculotherapy on low-risk pregnant women with regard to pregnancy-related discomforts.

Methods

A descriptive, exploratory study with a qualitative approach was conducted with pregnant women from Brazil and Portugal. A data collection instrument was used, comprising closed-ended questions for characterisation and open-ended questions relating to complaints and sensations following the use of the technique. Data collection took place between March and October 2021 with 17 low-risk pregnant women in Natal/Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and 8 pregnant women in Coimbra, Portugal, between the months of February and June 2022. The data were analysed using Bardin’s content analysis. Ethical principles for research were observed and favourable opinions were obtained from two ethics committees.

Results

The majority of participants were married, with higher education, aged between 28 and 32, primigravida, and had a low family income. The most frequent discomforts included lower back pain, oedema, cramps, stress and anxiety. Auriculotherapy demonstrated positive effects, promoting physical relief and emotional well-being, with improvements also recognised by family members. These findings suggest that the intervention is simple, effective, and contributes to the alleviation of both physical and emotional pregnancy-related discomforts.

Conclusion

The pregnant women reported significant improvements in physical and emotional discomforts associated with pregnancy, together with an increased sense of tranquillity. Auriculotherapy had a positive effect on well-being, regardless of sociodemographic differences between Brazil and Portugal, with no relevant cultural influence. The technique proved to be simple and effective and may be recommended as a first-line therapeutic strategy, reinforcing the nurse’s role in reducing gestational discomforts. The reduced number of participants, attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, constitutes a limitation of the study.

Emotional Intelligence Level in Students of a Health Sciences Higher Education Institution in Portugal

2025-10-22T14:04:50+01:00

Introduction
Health education requires high levels of emotional intelligence, involving the development of competencies that enable individuals to recognize, understand, and effectively manage emotions, thereby fostering emotional and intellectual growth in future health professionals.

Objective
To assess the level of Emotional Intelligence among a group of higher education students enrolled in health sciences programs and to explore the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and sociodemographic variables.

Methods
A quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2024. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising sociodemographic information and the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale, validated for use in Portugal. A total of 178 students from a private institution in Northern Portugal participated in the study. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 29.0), applying descriptive and inferential statistical analyses.

Results
Participants demonstrated a high level of Emotional Intelligence, with a mean total score of 72.20%. Age and marital status were significantly associated with emotion perception, while sex was associated with the perception of others’ emotions. Students with higher Emotional Intelligence were generally older, married or in a domestic partnership, Portuguese, female, and enrolled in the Nursing undergraduate program.

Conclusion
The findings indicate that participants demonstrated competencies in managing and understanding both their own emotions and those of others, reflecting a high level of Emotional Intelligence. Nevertheless, there is a need to integrate individualized strategies aimed at promoting the development of Emotional Intelligence, thereby contributing to more comprehensive training of health professionals.

Telenursing as an intensive care strategy for a patient with traumatic acute subdural hematoma: an experience report

2025-10-27T10:11:46+00:00

Introduction

Nursing care in intensive care units involves high-acuity clinical situations that require technical and scientific preparation, rapid clinical decision-making, and interprofessional practice. In the intensive care of patients with traumatic acute subdural hematoma, nurses play a central role in continuous monitoring and in implementing evidence-based interventions.

Objective

To report nursing students’ experience during clinical practicum activities in an intensive care unit that used telenursing as a clinical support strategy for a patient with traumatic acute subdural hematoma.

Methods

This is an experience report conducted in March 2025 at a public, trauma-referral hospital in an inland city in Paraíba State, Northeast Brazil. The experience involved interstate coordination between two hospitals in different regions of Brazil to strengthen the care delivery process. A telenursing service was implemented to facilitate remote clinical discussions based on case presentation, enabling shared assessment of the patient’s health status and joint planning of nursing interventions to improve the quality of care provided.

Results

Students actively participated in the telenursing session by presenting the clinical case and discussing key aspects of care with the nurse during a videoconference. This telenursing-facilitated practicum experience highlighted the tool’s potential both to support clinical decision-making in complex clinical contexts and to serve as a teaching resource in nursing education.

Conclusion

When used as a clinical decision-support tool and as an educational strategy, telenursing demonstrated potential to help integrate theory and practice more dynamically. Such an experience enabled students to recognize this technology’s relevance for care delivery and for expanding the reach of care, especially in high-acuity contexts.

Contributions of hypnobirthing to the woman´s experience: Scoping Review

2025-11-10T09:31:25+00:00

Introduction

A variety of strategies are currently offered to women for pain relief and comfort, supporting a positive childbirth experience.¹ These strategies are also recommended by the World Health Organization, with women’s preferences always respected.² Hypnobirthing is one such strategy; however, it remains underused and not widely promoted, underscoring the importance of understanding its reported contributions to women’s childbirth experience.

Objective

To map the available evidence on the reported contributions of hypnobirthing to women’s childbirth experience.

Methods

Scoping review (SR) conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology.³ Searches were carried out in six databases: MEDLINE Ultimate, CINAHL Ultimate, MedicLatina, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (via the EBSCOhost platform), plus PubMed, to address the review question: “What are the reported contributions of hypnobirthing to women’s childbirth experience?” The Population–Concept–Context (PCC) framework defined Population as “women” and Concept as “hypnobirthing”; no context restrictions were applied. Eligible sources included primary studies with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods designs, as well as secondary sources (systematic reviews), published in Portuguese, English, or Spanish. Extracted data were analyzed using content analysis and grouped into categories.

Results

A total of 604 records were identified. After removing 272 duplicates, 287 records were excluded during title and abstract screening, leaving 45 for full-text assessment. At the end of the process, 25 studies were included. Eight subcategories of reported contributions of hypnobirthing emerged: reduced pain, reduced fear, increased relaxation, shorter labor duration, a more positive childbirth experience, greater ability to regulate emotions, postpartum well-being, and active partner involvement. Reduced labor pain was the most frequently cited contribution associated with hypnobirthing.

Conclusion

This SR identified several reported contributions associated with hypnobirthing. Pain relief warrants particular attention; although it remains controversial and requires further studies providing higher-level evidence, it may serve as a valuable resource for labor pain management, potentially supporting a positive childbirth experience.