Perception of Good Death and Level of Perceived Stress in Relatives of Palliative Care Patients.

This study aimed to examine the perception of a good death and the level of perceived stress in relatives of palliative care patients. Relatives of 110 patients hospitalized in a palliative care center constituted the research sample. A personal information form, the "Good Death Scale," and the "Perceived Stress Scale" were used for data collection. The patients' relatives defined good death as being with family members and living this process without suffering. The mean total Good Death Scale score of the relatives of palliative care patients was 54.86 ± 7.78, and their mean total Perceived Stress Scale score was 31.11 ± 10.10. These findings showed that patients' relatives had high perceptions of good death and that their stress levels were above average. To expand the scope of nursing care, it is important to know how patients' relatives are affected by this process. It is recommended that more studies be conducted on this subject.

The Meaning of Death for Nursing Students and Their Attitudes Toward Dignified Death Principles.

This study aims to determine the meaning of death for nursing students and their attitudes toward dignified death principles. The descriptive study was conducted with nursing students studying at a state university in Turkey. The data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Personal Meanings of Death Scale (PMDS), and the Assessment Scale of Attitudes toward the Principles of Dying with Dignity (ASAPDD). A positive and low-level significant relationship was determined between the students' age and the scores for the PMDS subdimensions and the ASAPDD. It was found that the students had positive perceptions of death and adopted the principles of a dignified death. It was determined that an increase in the students' perceptions of death positively affected their adoption of the principles of a dignified death.

Compassion Fatigue in Oncology Nurses in Turkey: A Qualitative Study.

Nurses working in oncology clinics, where terminal patients are frequently cared for, face the risk of compassion fatigue, and, therefore, it is important to understand their experiences of this condition. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify compassion fatigue among nurses working in oncology clinics. The findings led to the identification of 5 themes: empathy, sadness, despair, depersonalization, and not suffering from death.

Does the compassion level of nursing students affect their ethical sensitivity?

AIM: This study aims to determine the nursing students' levels of compassion and ethical sensitivity and reveal the effect of the level of compassion on their ethical sensitivity. METHOD: A descriptive study was carried out with 328 nursing students studying at a state university. Data were collected through the "Personal Information Form", "The Compassion Scale", and "The Modified Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire for Student Nurses (MMSQSN)". RESULTS: The average compassion scale score was 4.14 ± 0.57 and the students' MMSQSN score average was 4.72 ± 0.85. A low level of positive correlation was determined between the compassion level of the students and their ethical sensitivity. Students' compassion level was found to be high and their ethical sensitivity was found to be neutral. CONCLUSION: The increase in the level of compassion positively affects ethical sensitivity. In order to increase the level of compassion of students to increase their ethical sensitivity, practices that improve compassion and ethical sensitivity are required during their education.

Stress level and sleep quality of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 infection is transmitted easily and quickly, and nurses constitute the riskiest group of healthcare workers. Therefore, they may experience high levels of stress and sleep problems. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the stress levels and sleep quality of nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted with 316 nurses working in a pandemic hospital in a city center. A descriptive form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used to collect data. RESULTS: A positive, moderately significant correlation was found between the average PSQI score of nurses and the average perceived stress score (p≤0.001). Multiple regressions determined that shift work, stress level, a coworker having COVID-19, being out of home due to the risk of transmission, and having a person older than 65 in the home were effective predictors of sleep quality (R2 = 33.5, p≤0.001). Age, years worked, fear of infecting the family with COVID-19, receiving COVID-19 education, regular nutrition, and sleep quality were effective predictors of stress level (R2 = 32.2, p≤0.001). CONCLUSION: It was determined that nurses have low sleep quality and high stress levels during the pandemic process.

The Smartphone Addiction Levels and the Association With Communication Skills in Nursing and Medical School Students.

BACKGROUND: The use of smartphones among young people is quite common. However, smartphones are associated with negative effects when used excessively. It has been reported that smartphone use may adversely affect learning in the classroom, cause safety issues, and negatively affect interpersonal communications. PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to determine the level of smartphone addiction among nursing and medical school students and to examine the effect of smartphone addiction level on communication skills. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with medical school and nursing students at a public university (502 participants). Data were collected using a personal information form, the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), and the Communication Skills Assessment Scale. RESULTS: All of the participants in the study owned smartphones. Most (70.9%) were female, and 58.2% were in the nursing program. The participants used smartphones for a mean time of 5.07 ± 3.32 hours a day, primarily for messaging. The mean total SAS-SV score for the participants was 31.89 ± 9.90, and a significant difference in SAS-SV mean scores was found with regard to the variables of department, gender, daily smartphone use duration, academic success, status regarding smartphone use in the classroom, participation in sports, easy communication with patients and relatives, preferred mode of communication, health problems tied to phone use, and injury status (p < .05). In addition, a positive weak-to-moderate relationship was found between SAS-SV mean scores and the variables of daily smartphone use duration and years of smartphone use, whereas a negative weak relationship was found between SAS-SV mean scores and Communication Skills Assessment Scale scores. Daily smartphone use duration was found to be the most important predictor of smartphone addiction. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Higher SAS-SV scores have a negative impact on interpersonal communication and social life and reduce learning efficacy in students. Therefore, students and lecturers should be better informed regarding the benefits and risks of smartphone use in education, with precautions provided against excessive and needless use.

Effects of Listening to Music on the Comfort of Chemotherapy Patients.

The symptoms of an illness that requires chemotherapy and the corresponding effects of such treatment exacerbate the pain and discomfort that patients typically experience. Listening to music may help patients cope with chemotherapy symptoms, thereby contributing to their physical ease and well-being. Seventy patients who were receiving treatment at the outpatient chemotherapy unit were invited to participate in this work. During chemotherapy sessions and the week after the sessions, the patients listened to music with headphones. The occurrence of chemotherapy symptoms such as pain, tiredness, nausea, depression, anxiety, drowsiness, lack of appetite, not feeling well, and shortness of breath in the intervention group was statistically significant after listening to music ( p < .05). Improvements in total general comfort, as well as physical, psychospiritual, and sociocultural comfort, were also statistically significant ( p < .05). These findings indicate that listening to music effectively reduces the severity of chemotherapy symptoms and enhances the comfort of patients receiving the treatment.