Effect of abdominal massage in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients connected to mechanical ventilators: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the common complications in patients in the intensive care unit. Abdominal massage may prevent the development of VAP by reducing residual gastric volume in enterally fed patients. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to review the literature on randomized controlled and quasi-experimental studies evaluating the effectiveness of abdominal massage in preventing VAP. METHODS: The PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) criteria were taken as the basis for creating the protocol of the systematic review and writing the article. The systematic review was performed using the Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and Cochrane Library databases from December 2023 to January 2024. Studies were selected by determining inclusion and exclusion criteria according to the PICOS method. The studies were evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool for quality assessment. RESULTS: Three randomized controlled and one quasi-experimental study with a total of 225 participants met the inclusion criteria. The four studies conducted on patients in the intensive care unit showed that abdominal massage reduced VAP. The studies reported no adverse effects of abdominal massage. CONCLUSION: Promising evidence was found for the effect of abdominal massage in preventing VAP. However, scientific studies with larger samples, of higher quality, and using randomized controls and blinding methods are needed to evaluate the unknown dimensions of abdominal massage and determine its beneficial effects on patients. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Several non-pharmacological methods may decrease VAP incidence and mortality. Abdominal massage may decrease VAP incidence and mortality.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sleep Quality in the Turkish Population: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people all over the world have been confined to their homes and exposed to unprecedented levels of stress. This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the factors which are affecting sleep quality in the Turkish population during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The sample of this study consisted of 1023 individuals who completed a questionnaire by means of an online Google Forms connection by email and electronic communication between the dates of 12 July and 30 August 2020. A Personal Information Form, a Health Behavior Changes Form, the Numeric Rating Scale and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to collect data. RESULTS: It was found that 68.1% of the participants in the study had poor sleep quality and 31.9% had good sleep quality. Also, those with a history of contact with a person with COVID-19, or those who knew someone with COVID-19 in those close to them had significantly worse levels of sleep quality than the others (p<0.05). It may be predicted that participants with an education level of high school or lower, a low income, a reduction in physical activity or food intake, fatigue or high stress levels may have lower sleep quality. CONCLUSION: It is important to determine the factors affecting sleep quality during such large pandemics, and to provide the necessary support.

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on self-management in patients with type 2 diabetics.

AIMS: The research was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on levels of self-management in individuals with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive type of study was conducted between 21 December 2020 and 1 April 2021. It was performed with 378 individuals with type 2 diabetes attending the endocrinology clinic and outpatients' department of a government hospital who agreed to participate in the research. In the collection of data, a Patient Identification Form, Visual Analog Scales (an Anxiety VAS and a Stress VAS), and the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ) were used. The Wilcoxon test, Independent Sample t test, One-Way Anova and binary logistic regression were used in the analysis of data. RESULTS: The Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ) total mean score of the individuals with type 2 diabetes participating in the study during the COVID-19 pandemic was 5.25 ± 1.04. Their anxiety total mean score was 0.32 ± 1.56, and their total mean stress score was 7.06 ± 1.62. Being male, over the age of 65, married and having a diagnosis of diabetes for 6-11 years, increased smoking, the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced physical activity (not walking) and support obtained from health professionals, and increased anxiety and stress levels were found to be risk factors affecting diabetic self-management. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on the self-management levels of individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Effect of therapeutic touch on daytime sleepiness, stress and fatigue among students of nursing and midwifery: A randomized sham-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to assess the effect of therapeutic touch on stress, daytime sleepiness, sleep quality and fatigue among students of nursing and midwifery. METHODS: 96 students were randomized into three groups: the therapeutic touch (TT) group, the sham therapeutic touch (STT) group, and the control group. In this randomized sham-controlled study, the TT group was subjected to therapeutic touch twice a week for four weeks with each session lasting 20 min. RESULTS: When the TT group was compared to the STT and control groups following the intervention, the decrease in the levels of stress (p < 0.001), fatigue (p < 0.001) and daytime sleepiness (p < 0.001), and the increase in the sleep quality (p < 0.001) were found to be significant. CONCLUSION: It was found that TT, which is one form of complementary therapy, was relatively effective in decreasing the levels of stress, fatigue and daytime sleepiness, and in increasing the sleep quality of university students of nursing and midwifery.

The Effect of Foot Reflexology Applied Before Coronary Angiography and Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty on Anxiety, Stress, and Cortisol Levels of Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Coronary angiography and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty procedures cause anxiety and stress in individuals. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of foot reflexology applied before coronary angiography and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty on the anxiety, stress, and cortisol levels of individuals. METHODS: A simple randomized trial design was used. The patients who met the inclusion criteria were divided into 4 groups including experimental and control groups of coronary angiography patients (30 patients in each group) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (26 patients in each group) by randomization method. Data were collected with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Distress Thermometer 90 minutes before coronary angiography and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and the laboratory samples were taken. After these procedures, foot reflexology was applied to both feet of the patients in the experimental group for 30 minutes, and the control group received only standard care. The inventories were reapplied 30 minutes after the reflexology application and after coronary angiography and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. RESULTS: Whereas there was no statistically significant difference (P > .05) between the coronary angiography and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty experimental and control groups in Anxiety Inventory and stress median scores before reflexology, a significant difference was found (P < .001) 30 minutes after reflexology application and after coronary angiography and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. After the reflexology, anxiety and stress scores were significantly lower in the experimental group compared with the control group (P < .001). Whereas there was a significant difference (P < .001) in the within-group cortisol values of both reflexology groups, no significant difference was found in the control groups (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The application of reflexology before coronary angiography and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty reduces the levels of anxiety, stress, and cortisol without any side effects.

The effects of training with simulation on knowledge, skill and anxiety levels of the nursing students in terms of cardiac auscultation: A randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The use of simulation methods in nursing education is important in terms of decreasing anxiety of students in a safe and realistic environment due to the improvement of knowledge and skills of students in terms of cardiac auscultation and their attitudes to prepare for clinical applications. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of high-fidelity simulator and traditional teaching method on nursing students' knowledge and skill development in terms of cardiac auscultation and their anxiety levels. DESIGN: Randomized controlled study. SETTING: The study was conducted in the simulation laboratory of the Nursing Department in the Health College and in the inpatient clinics of the Medicine Faculty Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 72 first-year nursing students (simulation group = 36, control group = 36). METHODS: The students were randomly distributed to the simulation and control groups. The students in the simulation group received a cardiac auscultation training by using a high-fidelity simulator while the students in the control group received training with the traditional teaching method. After the training sessions, all students practiced their skills in the laboratory and on real patients in clinical setting under the supervision of the researcher. The data were collected by using the Demographic Information Form, Knowledge Assessment Form for Cardiac Auscultation, Skill Evaluation Form for Cardiac Auscultation and State Anxiety Inventory (SAI). RESULTS: High-fidelity simulators and traditional teaching method were found to be effective in increasing the students' knowledge and skill levels in terms of cardiac auscultation. However, it was found that the high-fidelity simulator method was more effective than the traditional teaching method to increase the students' knowledge (p = 0.001) and skill (p < 0.001) levels; this increase was significant. In addition, it was found that the students in the high-fidelity simulator group showed a significant decrease in anxiety scores compared to the students who were trained with traditional education method (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the use of high-fidelity simulator in nursing education was more effective than traditional method in terms of improving the students' knowledge, skill levels for cardiac auscultation and reducing their anxiety.

Knowledge and attitudes of nursing students about pain management.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to examine the knowledge and attitudes of Turkish nursing students about pain management. METHODS: The participants in this cross-sectional study were 190 nursing students who were studying at a nursing faculty in western Turkey. The research data were collected between March and June of the academic year 2015-2016, using a Student Description Form and the Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (NKASRP). RESULTS: The mean age of the students in the study sample was 23.06+-1.44 years. In all, 83.7% were female, 96.8% were unmarried, 94.7% were working as a nurse, and all had social security. The mean score of the NKASRP was 15.85+-3.25%. A comparison of the knowledge scores with student characteristics revealed that only the status of current employment as a nurse demonstrated a significant difference. No significant difference was detected between the NKASRP score and variables such as age and the score of the worst pain ever experienced (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: It was determined that the students had a generally poor level of pain knowledge. It will improve the quality of life of patients if pain management is given a greater place in undergraduate education.