Evaluation of burnout syndrome in oncology employees.

Burnout is an important occupational problem for health care workers. We aimed to assess the burnout levels among oncology employees and to evaluate the sociodemographic and occupational factors contributing to burnout levels. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, which is designed to measure the three stages of burnout-emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA), was used. The study sample consisted of 90 participants with a median age of 34 (range 23-56). The mean levels of burnout in EE, DP and PA stages were 23.80 +/- 10.98, 5.21 +/- 4.99, and 36.23 +/- 8.05, respectively, for the entire sample. Among the 90 participants, 42, 20, and 35.6% of the employees had high levels of burnout in the EE, DP, and PA substage, respectively. Sociodemographic and occupational factors associated with higher levels of burnout included age of less than 35, being unmarried, being childless, >40 work hours per week, working on night shifts, and <10 years experience in the medicine/oncology field. Within all oncology clinics, medical oncology employees had the highest levels of burnout. Furthermore, employees who are not pleased with working in oncology field, who would like to change their specialty if they have an opportunity, and whose family and social lives have been negatively affected by their work experienced higher levels of burnout. Burnout syndrome may influence physical and mental health of the employee and affects the quality of health care as well. Therefore, several individual or organizational efforts should be considered for dealing with burnout.

Effects of pain education program on pain intensity, pain treatment satisfaction, and barriers in Turkish cancer patients.

The purpose of this randomized controlled study was to investigate the effect of a pain education program (PEP) on pain intensity, patients' satisfaction with pain treatment, and patient-related barriers to pain management among Turkish patients with cancer. The study was conducted in a sample of 40 patients who were hospitalized for cancer and experiencing pain. The patients were equally randomized to either a PEP or a control group. The data were collected by means of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Numeric Rating Scale, and the Barrier Questionnaire-Revised. After the completion of the questionnaires at the first interview, patients in the PEP group received pain education using a pain educational booklet and an explanatory slide program that discussed the booklet's content with the patients. Patients in the control group received routine clinical care. The questionnaires were reapplied to the patients in both groups after 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Participation in a PEP was associated with decreased pain intensity scores for "present" and "least pain" during weeks 2, 4, and 8 (p < .05). Similarly, there were significant differences between the groups with respect to weeks 2, 4, and 8 satisfaction with pain treatment (p < .05). At the end of second week, the total BQ-r score decreased significantly in the PEP group from 2.12 to 1.29 compared with 2.30 to 2.28 in the control group (p < .001). The findings suggest that the PEP decreases pain intensity, improves satisfaction with treatment, and decreases barriers about cancer pain management in cancer patients. Incorparation of PEP into the standard of care for cancer patients with pain may improve the quality of pain management.

Knowledge and attitudes of Turkish oncology nurses about cancer pain management.

Effective pain management requires accurate knowledge, attitudes, and assessment skills. The purpose of the present study was to examine information about the knowledge and attitudes of Turkish oncology nurses regarding cancer pain management. The sample consisted of 68 oncology nurses employed in oncology and hematology units in two university hospitals located in Izmir, Turkey. The Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain was used to measure the nurses' pain management knowledge and attitudes. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, t test, Kruskal-Wallis analysis, and Pearson correlation test. Of the nurses that participated in the study, 57.4% were between the ages of 21 and 30 years, 58.8% were unmarried, and 55.9% had an associate degree. The average correct response rate was 35.41%, with rates ranging from 5.13% to 56.41% for each survey question. Among the 39 pain knowledge questions assessed, the mean number of correctly answered questions was 13.81 +/- 5.02, with a range of 2 to 22 items correctly answered. When the knowledge scores were further analyzed by nurses' background characteristics, the nurses' pain knowledge was only positively correlated to length of working experience in oncology units (r = 0.263; p < .05). The findings support the concern of inadequate knowledge and attitudes in relation to cancer pain management. We believe that basic and continuing education programs may improve knowledge level of nursing about pain management.

[Complementary therapies in palliative cancer care]. / Palyatif kanser bakiminda tamamlayici tedaviler.

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown in popularity both among the general population and among the cancer patients. Cancer patients often use CAM, which is a treatment that is not commonly used in the conventional setting. However, the prevalence of CAM use appears to vary substantially, with reported frequency of use of at least one CAM therapy ranging from 20% to 83.3%. Complementary medicine has become an important aspect of palliative cancer care. Acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, massage, reflexology, relaxation techniques, and spiritual healing are frequently used forms of treatment. The purpose of this article is to provide information about some complementary therapies that are commonly used by cancer patients in the palliative care.

Comparison of pituitary-ovarian function in patients who have undergone successful renal transplantation and healthy women.

Twenty-eight renal transplantation patients, aged 19-35 years, and 30 healthy women of reproductive age were enrolled into the study. Analyses revealed significant differences between study and control groups' midluteal serum P levels and between study and control groups' serum PRL levels. Although most renal transplantation patients have plasma estrogen and gonadotropin levels similar to those in healthy women, several problems, such as luteal phase defect, might affect transplant recipients.