RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Emergency ward nurses face a variety of occupational hazards due to the nature of their occupational and professional duties, which can negatively affect their health. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of an educational intervention based on the protection motivation theory on the protective behaviors of emergency ward nurses against occupational hazards in Tehran, Iran, in 2023. METHODS: The present quasi-experimental study was conducted with two intervention and control groups, using a pretest-posttest design. A total of 124 nurses working in the emergency wards of four hospitals (two hospitals for the intervention group and two hospitals for the control group by random assignment) were selected by multistage sampling method. The educational intervention based on the protection motivation theory was implemented for the intervention group for three weeks. The nurses of both groups completed a demographic questionnaire and the scale of emergency ward nurses' protective behaviors against occupational hazards before, immediately, and one month after the intervention. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential methods. RESULTS: The two groups were similar in terms of demographic characteristics at the baseline (p > 0.05). Protective behaviors of emergency nurses against occupational hazards and their sub-scales (physical, chemical, biological, ergonomics, and psychosocial hazards) were higher in the intervention group than in the control group immediately and one month after the educational intervention. In addition, the measurement over time also showed the positive effect of time and educational intervention on the protective behaviors of emergency nurses against occupational hazards and their sub-scales in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: These findings showed that the educational intervention based on the protection motivation theory can be effective and helpful in improving the protective behaviors of emergency ward nurses against occupational hazards and their sub-scales. Future studies can focus on a more specific design of this kind of intervention based on the type of occupational hazards and needs of nurses in different wards.
RESUMEN
Background: Geographic stomatitis is an uncommon migratory benign lesion of oral mucosa with unknown etiology. It can affect all the areas of the oral mucosa, but the dorsum and lateral borders of the tongue are the most commonly involved areas called geographic tongue. The clinical appearance of this condition is the oval or circular erythematous areas with irregular elevated keratotic borders. These characteristic features of geographic stomatitis are diagnostic for all clinicians when appearing on the dorsum of the tongue, despite other affected areas of oral mucosa that can confuse clinicians. This condition may be associated with some diseases such as psoriasis, Reiter's syndrome, and atopic conditions, so the clinicians should rule out these diseases and diagnose the geographic stomatitis. Case Report: A 17-year-old male attended to our department for a routine dentistry checkup. During the intraoral examination, we found multiple erythematous areas surrounded by a thin white border on different surfaces of his oral cavity. His extraoral examinations were completely normal. Conclusion: Due to the rarity of this lesion on the other sites of oral mucosa rather than dorsum and lateral borders of the tongue such as labial mucosa, buccal mucosa, the floor of the mouth, ventral surface of the tongue, and palate, it is necessary to report, study and evaluate each case of this condition that clinicopathologic findings have confirmed this diagnosis, to treat and advice these patients on the best approach.
