The effect of fear on health information searching behavior during the pandemic: The case of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fear can cause people to panic, lead to erroneous decisions, and trigger inappropriate behavior. This study aims to investigate the effects of fear of COVID-19 on the perception of the reliability and the use of health information sources. METHODS: This study is both a cross-sectional and explanatory study. The participants selected by convenience sampling method were 323 students attending a state university in Turkey. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and the Health Information Sources Survey were used as data collection tools. Descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, and linear regression analyses were used. RESULTS: The participants' mean FCV-19S score was 2.30 ± 0.93 on a five-point Likert scale. In the range of 0-10, the information source with the highest reliability perception mean score was the doctor (8.05 ± 2.54), whereas that with the highest usage was the Internet (7.98 ± 2.77). Although the fear of COVID-19 had a negative effect on Internet use (b = -0.38; p < 0.05), the effects on the use of other health information sources were positive (b = 0.37-0.83; p < 0.05). Trust in radio (b = 0.60; p < 0.05) and newspapers/magazines (b = 0.49; p < 0.05) also increased with fear. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that as university students' fear of COVID-19 increased, the use of the Internet for health information decreased; however, the use of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, other health workers, scientific articles, television, radio, and newspapers/journals increased. Nurses were the source of information whose use increased the most, along with increased fear. The findings can guide health policies to be followed. Not only doctor talks but also nurse talks and scientific videos should be increased on the Internet, social media, and other mass media.

Mediating effect of work stress in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and nurses' organizational and professional turnover intentions.

Nursing is one of the most stressful and high-risk professions. It is important to identify the psychological problems experienced by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the relationship between these problems to devise measures that can properly address them. This study examined mediating effect of work stress in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and nurses' organizational and professional turnover intentions. Using a cross-sectional research design, this study was conducted on 486 nurses working in seven hospitals in Turkey. The mean age of the participants was 35.24 ± 6.81 and 59.9 % of them were women. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the General Work Stress Scale, and the Turnover Intention Scale were used to collect data. A mediation model showed that fear of COVID-19 was positively associated with work stress and organizational and professional turnover intentions. The model also revealed that work stress was positively associated with organizational and professional turnover intentions. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that fear of COVID-19 did not only have a direct effect on organizational and professional turnover intentions but also had an indirect effect on it via increased work stress. Findings improve our understanding of the role of work stress in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and organizational and professional turnover intentions. The findings are fruitful for tailoring and implementing intervention programs to reduce the adverse psychological impacts of COVID-19 on nurses.

Health literacy of cardiology patients: determinants and effects on patient outcomes.

Health literacy is important for the management of chronic cardiovascular diseases. Comprehensive studies related to health literacy of cardiac patients are limited. The aims of this study were to determine the determinants of health literacy and its effects on patient outcomes in cardiology patients. The European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q- 47 items) was applied to 530 patients who presented to cardiology polyclinics of a university hospital in Ankara. Correlation coefficients, univariate and multi-linear regression analyses were used in the study. Determinants of health literacy were sex, education level, place of residence and perception of social status (p < .05). Although adjustments were made based on relevant control variables in multivariate analyses, health literacy was found to affect 14 of 26 patient outcomes within the scope of the study (p < .05). Higher education level and perception of social status, residing in the city center and being female were among the determinants of high health literacy. Higher health literacy was associated with more positive patient outcomes. Health literacy affected health behaviors and risks, drug use habits, health status, use of preventive health services and patient satisfaction.

Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the General Work Stress Scale.

AIM: To test the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the General Work Stress Scale. BACKGROUND: Nursing is one of the most stressful professions. The primary measure that should be taken to ensure that nurses can cope with stress is determining their stress levels. METHOD: The General Work Stress Scale was translated into Turkish via back-translation. Its reliability and validity were analysed via item analyses, content and construct validities, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach's alpha and Spearman-Brown reliability coefficients. Average and standard deviations of the scale items and the overall scale were calculated. RESULTS: The study was conducted with 276 nurses. The Cronbach's alpha of the whole scale was 0.91, and the Spearman-Brown reliability coefficient was 0.89. According to the resulting one-dimensional structure, the factor loadings of the scale items were between 0.67 and 0.82, and this structure alone explained 58.72% of the total variance. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed perfect and good-fit indices (χ2 /df = 1.96; RMSA = 0.06; CFI = 0.99; IFI = 0.99; GFI = 0.97; RMR = 0.04; NFI = 0.99). The mean total score was 2.55 ± 0.87, while the items' means ranged from 2.10 ± 1.15 to 3.33 ± 1.13. CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of the General Work Stress Scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing nurses' general work stress. Nurses largely feel that their work makes them so stressed that they wish they had a different job. The items with high means suggest opportunities for improvement. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The nurses or nursing services and units with low or high stress levels can be determined with the General Work Stress Scale. If necessary, measures aimed at eliminating or reducing the negative effects of those nurses or nursing services and units with high stress levels can be taken in a timely manner.

The effect of nurses' empowerment perceptions on job safety behaviours: a research study in Turkey.

Objective. This study aimed to investigate the effect of nurses' empowerment perceptions on job safety behaviours. Methods. A survey of 377 nurses working in five hospitals in Turkey was conducted using the conditions of work effectiveness questionnaire, psychological empowerment instrument, universal precautions compliance scale and occupational health and safety obligations compliance scale. Relations between variables were tested using Pearson's correlation and path analysis. Results. There was a moderate and statistically significant relationship between psychological and structural empowerment and complying with universal safety measures and meeting occupational health and safety obligations. Also, an increase of 1 unit on the level of psychological empowerment was found to correspond to an increase of 0.37 units on the level of universal precautions compliance and to an increase of 0.46 units on the level of occupational health and safety obligations compliance. As such, an increase of 1 unit in structural empowerment corresponds to an increase of 0.53 units on the level of universal precautions compliance and to an increase of 0.36 units (total effect) on the level of occupational health and safety obligations compliance. Conclusions. The findings reveal that empowerment is a valuable tool for nurses' positive job safety behaviours.

Staff perceptions of patient safety culture in general surgery departments in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: The first step towards establishing and improving patient safety culture in hospitals is measuring patient safety culture perceptions of staff. Few studies have examined the perception of patient safety culture in general surgery departments. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate patient safety culture and patient safety grade in general surgery departments and to examine the relation between the patient safety culture and the patient safety grade. METHODS: This study examined patient safety culture and patient safety grades of 124 staff in seven surgery departments of a hospital in Turkey. The staff completed the hospital survey on patient safety culture and answered questions about their professional characteristics. One-way ANOVA, Independent-samples t test, corrected chi-square test, multiple correspondence analysis and Eta co-efficient were used in statistical analyses. RESULTS: The patient safety dimension of "teamwork within units" had the highest mean and percentage of positive responses. The "frequency of events reported" and "non-punitive response to errors" had the lowest means and percentages of positive responses. Participants with resident or nurse positions, < age 31 years, with < 6 years of professional experience, and 60 or more work hours/week, had significantly more negative perceptions of patient safety culture than other participants. Patient safety grades and the dimensions of "management support for patient safety" and "overall perceptions of patient safety" had significantly high Eta coefficients. CONCLUSION: Frequency of events reported and non-punitive responses to errors should be improved, and participants' characteristics should be considered at improvement efforts in general surgery departments. The dimesions with low means suggest opportunities for improvement.

Patients' readiness for discharge: Predictors and effects on unplanned readmissions, emergency department visits and death.

AIM: To determine the variables that affect patients' perceptions about their readiness for discharge and to elucidate the effects of these perceptions on patient outcomes such as unplanned readmission to the hospital, emergency department visits and death within 30 days after discharge. BACKGROUND: In recent years, it has become even more important to assess patients' readiness for discharge as patients tend to be discharged more quickly. METHODS: For the determination of patients' self-assessment, the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale/Short Form was utilized. This 1-year prospective cohort study included 1,601 patients. Data were analysed using a chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, univariate logistic regression analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The results of multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age, sex, marital status, educational status, presence of someone to help at home after discharge and length of stay were predictors of patients' readiness for hospital discharge. Furthermore, being unready for discharge increased the risk of 30 day unplanned readmission and 30 day death. CONCLUSIONS: Considering these predictors, patients' perceptions of readiness for discharge must be assessed before deciding to discharge them. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers can consider the predictors of patients' readiness for discharge, thus the risk of unplanned readmission and death may be reduced.

Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the readiness for hospital discharge scale/short form.

AIM: The aim of this study is to test the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the readiness for hospital discharge scale/short form. BACKGROUND: Assessment of readiness for discharge from the patient's perspective is becoming increasingly important for patient safety, satisfaction and various patient outcomes such as readmission, health service utilization and mortality. The readiness for hospital discharge scale/short form allows health care providers to determine patients' discharge readiness. METHODS: Participants were 1,579 inpatients from internal medicine departments. The readiness for hospital discharge scale/short form was translated into Turkish via back-translation. We analyzed its reliability and validity via item analyses, an expert panel (content validity) and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (construct validity). RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha of the whole scale was .74 and those for the subscales ranged from .79 to .93. The Spearman-Brown reliability coefficient was .92. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed good fit indices (χ2 /df = 2.6; RMSEA = .03; CFI = 1; GFI and AGFI = .99). The mean total score was 7.27 ± 1.85, while the subscale means ranged from 6.62 ± 3.41 to 7.69 ± 2.24. CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of the readiness for hospital discharge scale/short form is a valid and reliable tool for assessing discharge readiness. The subscales with low means suggest opportunities for improvement. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: If readiness for hospital discharge scale/short form is valid and reliable, patients who are unready for discharge can be determined with this scale. Thus, nurse managers can determine what kind of measures should be taken for patients who are not ready for discharge, can control nursing practices related to these patients and can provide cooperation between the nurses and other health professionals.