Being a Nurse at the Ground Zero of Care in Turkey During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

This study was conducted to examine the experiences of nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic using a qualitative descriptive research design. The study sample, determined using the criterion sampling method, consisted of nine nurses who work in a COVID-19 clinic of a pandemic hospital. The data were collected through interviews. The data were analyzed using content analysis. COREQ reporting guidelines were used in the study. From the content analysis, five main themes emerged in the study: "nurses' perceptions of the pandemic process", "nurses' feelings about the pandemic process", "difficulties nurses experienced in caring for patients with COVID-19", "professional achievements nurses gained while working in the COVID-19 clinic" and "nursing care practices and changes during the COVID-19 pandemic". The results of the study showed that during the pandemic, nurses experienced both positive and negative feelings/thoughts, faced various difficulties as well as several professional gains while providing care, and witnessed the changing face of self-care and patient care.

The Relationship Between International Students' Health Perceptions and Their Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors.

This study was carried out to examine the relationship between international students' health perceptions and their healthy lifestyle behaviors. This descriptive and relational study was conducted with 216 international students studying at a university in Turkey. Study data were collected using the descriptive information form, the Perception of Health Scale (PHS) and the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II). Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis. It was determined that the health perception and healthy lifestyle behaviors of the international students involved in this study were moderately positive. The study found a weak and positive relationship between PHS and the physical activity, nutrition and stress management subdimensions of HPLP, while a moderate positive relationship was identified between PHS and the spiritual growth and interpersonal relations subdimensions of HPLP. No relationship was observed between PHS and the health responsibility subdimension of HPLP. The fact that students have a positive perception of health reflects positively on their healthy lifestyle behaviors. It is important to disseminate education programs aimed at improving the health perception and healthy lifestyle behaviors of international students within the university.

The Relationship Between Nurses' Ethical Sensitivity Levels and Their Attitudes Toward Principles About Die with Dignity.

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between nurses' ethical sensitivity levels and their attitudes toward principles about die with dignity. The study was descriptive and correlational in design. The data were obtained from 226 nurses. The results of the correlation analysis conducted to determine whether there is a relationship between the nurses' ethical sensitivity level and their attitudes toward principles about die with dignity are among the autonomy, meaning and relation showed a significant, negative and low-level relationship between. As a result of the research, it was found that there was a negatively, significant and low-level relationship between autonomy, meaning and relation and attitudes toward respectable principles of death.

Perceptions of Palliative Care Nurses Related to Death and Palliative Care Practices.

This study has been conducted with the purpose of identifying the perceptions of palliative nurses about death and determining palliative care practices. We conducted qualitative interviews with 23 palliative care nurses in Turkey. Content analysis was used in the evaluation of the data. Three themes have been identified about perception of death. Furthermore, three themes have been identified about palliative care practices. It was concluded that the palliative nurses perceive death as a natural and inevitable process and that as long as their working period increases, they become desensitized. It was identified that the participants generally perform the following procedures in palliative care practices.

Influence of Training on First-Year Nursing Department Students' Attitudes on Death and Caring for Dying Patients: A Single-Group Pretest-Posttest Experimental Study.

The study examined the influence of training on first-year nursing department students' attitudes on death and caring for dying patients. Utilizing the experimental model, the study sample consisted of 81 first-year students attending the nursing department of a university. Death Attitude Profile-Revised and Frommelt Attitude toward Care of the Dying Scale were used for data collection. Data analysis included means, standard deviation, and t test for related samples. Student attitudes toward death were measured as 146.43 (16.741) and 152.75 (15.132) for pre- and posttraining, respectively. Student attitudes toward caring for dying patients were established to be 103.02 (7.655) during pretraining period and 111.02 (10.359) at posttraining period. The difference between pre- and posttests for mean attitudes toward death and caring for the dying patient was statistically significant. Study results determined that training was effective in forming positive student attitudes toward death and caring for dying patients.

Effect of postmortem care education using a creative drama method on nursing students' knowledge, skills, and satisfaction: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Postmortem care is one of the most difficult aspects of the nursing profession and is frequently given in healthcare settings today. It is important to provide appropriate teaching experiences in order to prepare nursing students for their future professional roles in postmortem care. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to examine the effect of a creative drama method on nursing students' postmortem care knowledge and skill levels, learning retention, and satisfaction with the education method. DESIGN: A randomized controlled model with a pretest-posttest control group was used in this study. SETTINGS: One university school of nursing in Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 70 nursing students. METHOD: Information about postmortem care was shared with the control group using the classical education method of lectures and demonstration techniques, while the experimental group was taught with a creative drama method. Research data were collected with the Descriptive Characteristics Form, Postmortem Care Knowledge Test, Postmortem Care Skills Checklist, and Education Methods Satisfaction Survey. RESULTS: It was observed that the postmortem care education provided to both experimental and control group was effective in improving the knowledge and skill levels of nursing students regarding postmortem care (p < 0.05). However, the knowledge and skill levels of the experimental group regarding postmortem care, learning retention, and level of satisfaction with the education method were higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Creative drama was thus found to be a more effective method than the classical education method in providing postmortem care education to nursing students. In addition, it was observed that the students were more satisfied with the education given with creative drama.

Ethical decision-making and professional behaviour among nurses: a correlational study.

This study examined the relationship between nurses' ethical decision-making levels and their professional behaviours. Data were collected from 225 nurses who were recruited from university hospitals in Ankara using proportionate sampling. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations. Most of the nurses were familiar with ethical dilemmas in nursing practice. The Nursing Principled Thinking level was above average, while the Practical Consideration level was average. Nurses' professionalism level was low. There was a positive but weak correlation between professional behaviours of the nurses and their ethical decision-making levels. Increasing nurses' professionalism level can provide a positive contribution to the ethical decision-making level.

Effect of therapeutic touch on sleep quality and anxiety in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: The purpose is to determine the effect of therapeutic touch (TT) on the sleep quality and anxiety of individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD) disease. METHODS: 103 patients were randomized in to the two groups: the experimental group, and the control group. In this randomized control study, the patients with COPD in the experimental group were given TT for 10 min between 18:00 and 20:00, one session every day for three consecutive days. RESULTS: When the experimental group was compared to control group following the intervention, the decrease in the levels of anxiety (p < 0.001) and increase in the sleep quality (p < 0.001) were found to be significant. CONCLUSION: As a result of the study, it was determined that TT reduced anxiety level and improved sleep quality in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04842903.

The effect of creative drama education on first-year undergraduate nursing student attitudes toward caring for dying patients.

BACKGROUND: Being faced with death and caring for dying patients is one of the most difficult aspects of the nursing profession. As they are the nurses of the future, it is important to prepare nursing students for this difficult role so that they are able to provide a qualified caring service. Ensuring nursing students are given a qualified education plays a key role in nursing education. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to determine the effect of a creative drama education program on first year nursing students' attitudes toward caring for dying patients. DESIGN: This study was designed according to a quasi-experimental model with a pretest-posttest control group. SETTING: A medium-sized urban university school of nursing in Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: Forty (n = 40) first grade Bachelor of Nursing Science (BSN) students. METHOD: A personal data form, Frommelt Attitude Scale for Caring for Dying (FATCOD), and Individual Patient Feedback Form for Creative Drama Education were used to collect the study data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: The intervention group's mean posttest FATCOD score (112.45 ± 8.43) was higher than that of the control group (105.35 ± 8.67), and this difference was found to be statistically significant (U = 111.500; p = 0.017). There was a non-significant difference between the intervention (97.90 ± 8.25) and control group (101.55 ± 7.41) in the pretests (U = 148.500; p = 0.163). CONCLUSION: Compared with the expression technique, creative drama education was found to be a more effective method for developing students' attitudes toward caring for dying individuals.

Relationship between smartphone addiction of nursing department students and their communication skills.

BACKGROUND: The use of technological devices today is widespread. One of these devices is the smartphone. It can be argued that when smartphones are thought of as a means of communication, they can influence communication skills. AIM: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of nursing students' smartphone addiction on their communication skills. METHODS: A relational screening model was used for the study. The study's data were obtained from 214 students studying in the nursing department. RESULTS: Smartphone addiction levels of students are below average (86.43 ± 29.66). Students think that their communication skills are at a good level (98.81 ± 10.88). Correlation analysis results show that students have a negative, significant and very weak relationship between the smartphone addiction of students and communication skills (r = -.149). Smartphone addiction explains 2.2% of the variance in communication skills. CONCLUSIONS: Communication skills of nursing students is affected negatively by smartphone addiction.

Differences in health promoting lifestyle behavior of health management students based upon early diagnosis coverage in a cancer course.

BACKGROUND: This is a descriptive study to determine whether coursework that is focused on early diagnosis in cancer makes a difference in self-reported health promoting lifestyle behavior of students who study health management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The population of the study consisted of a sample of 104 students enrolled in the Department of Health Management at the Faculty of Health in Kirikkale University in Turkey. Forty- eight students enrolled in a course called "Early Diagnosis of Cancer" and fifty-six did not take this course. Demographic information was collected and the "Health Promotion Life-Style Profile (HPLP) " was used to collect health promotion data. Frequency and descriptive statistics including one-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis tests were used to evaluate data. RESULTS: The HPLP mean score of the students was found to be 127.5±17.45. The highest mean score was observed for self-fulfillment and health responsibility, while the lowest was for diet and exercise sub-scales. It was found that certain variables were effective in developing health promoting lifestyle behaviors such as choosing this job voluntarily, working status of father and participation in social activity (p<0.05). In conclusion, it was found that the students had moderate levels of health promoting lifestyle behavior and they should be supported in terms of diet and exercise.