Examining the relationship between symptoms watched in lung cancer patients and illness perception.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between the symptom experience of lung cancer patients and their illness perception of the disease. METHODS: The descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted from April to September 2015 at the Chemotherapy Treatment Centre of the Medicine Chest Diseases Clinic at the Ege University, Izmir, Turkey, and comprised lung cancer patients of either gender aged >18 years. Data was collected using a predesigned Patient Questionnaire as well as the standard Lung Cancer Symptom Scale, Illness Perception Questionnaire and Karnofsky Performance Scale. The patients' sociodemographic characteristics and data on their illness, the symptoms they experienced and the numerical and percentage distribution of the items on the illness perception scale, mean and standard deviation values were examined. Pearson Correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between illness perception and Karnofsky Performance Scale scores and other variables. RESULTS: Of the 105 patients, 86(81.9%) were males, 86(81.9%) were married, 49(46.7%) were elementary school graduates, 101(96.2%) were unemployed, and 95(90.5%) were receiving chemotherapy. The overall mean age of the sample was 61.43±8.24 years, the period since diagnosis was 11.38±17.84 months, and the duration of chemotherapy was 4.28±2.37 months. The mean symptom burden score was 22.75±10.85 and the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale score was 22.75±10.85. The mean score of the type of illness domain was 5.53±2.12. The overall mean global quality of life score was 64.30±12.60. CONCLUSIONS: As the symptom burden experienced by the lung cancer patients increased, their perception of the illness became more negative, and the longer the cyclical periods and the period of diagnosis, the patients' control over their illness decreased.

Turkish validity and reliability study of type 2 diabetes stigma assessment scale

Background/aim: Stigma has a high incidence and adversely affects people with diabetes. In this context, patients face difficulties such as fear of losing their jobs, travel restrictions, isolation from social life, problems related to mental health, and feeling of wellness. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the stigma assessment scale in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Materials and methods: The study sample consisted of 153 diabetic individuals. The validity of language, content, and construct were examined to evaluate the validity of the type 2 diabetes stigma assessment scale. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess internal consistency reliability. Results: The content validity index of 19 items which were detected as significant was found to be 0.86. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale is 0.92. The results of the item analysis show that all factor loads are significant (t-value > ±1.96). The coefficient of correlation between type 2 diabetes stigma assessment scale and test­retest technique was 0.82. Conclusion: It was concluded that the stigma assessment scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nurses may use this tool to better understand and help relieve the prevalence and severity stigma of individuals with type 2 diabetes in Turkey.

Complementary, Traditional and Spiritual Practices Used by Cancer Patients in Turkey When Coping with Pain: An Exploratory Case Study.

This study was conducted to determine the complementary and traditional-spiritual practices applied by individuals diagnosed with cancer when experiencing significant pain. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 110 patients who were receiving chemotherapy treatment in a university hospital outpatient treatment unit (Chemotherapy Unit) between 1st March and 30th June 2019. The study sample size was calculated using the 'unknown-population sample selection formula' (n = t2·p·q·/d2). Study data were collected using a patient information form comprising 13 questions about the participants' sociodemographic characteristics, diseases, and complementary practices. The data were analyzed using descriptive percentage tests and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) software. The study found that 45.5% of the cancer patients took a walk, 38.2% listened to music, 27.3% watched movies, 24.5% received massages, 20.0% read newspapers or books, 20.0% did sports, and 10.9% dreamed in painful situations. Spiritual practices used by the patients were determined as praying (46.4%), engaging in salat (the daily ritual prayers of Islam) (30.9%) and reading religious books (23.6%). The herbal practices applied by the patients include the use of garlic, mulberry molasses, pomegranate, green tea; furthermore, herbs such as honey, sage, lime, black cumin, ginger, centaury, thyme, nettle, flaxseeds, and rosehip were also used. Most of the patients learned complementary practices from television programs (62.7%); only 8.2% learned these practices from healthcare professionals. Nurses should investigate patients' use of complementary practices and provide them with the necessary evidence-based information to prevent unconscious use of these practices. Considering that determining patients' spiritual needs and practices is seen as the first step in the holistic care of patients, it is important to satisfy cancer patients by providing necessary healthcare services and help them improve their physical and mental health.

Do Perceptions of Spiritual Care Affect Attitudes Towards Care for Dying Patients in a Group of Turkish Nursing Students?

The present study was designed to determine the relation between attitudes to death and perceptions of spiritual care in nursing students. It is a descriptive study and included 290 fourth-year nursing students (intern students). Data were collected with a descriptive characteristics form, Frommelt Attitude Towards Care of the Dying Instrument and Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale. SPSS version 21 was used for data analysis. There was a significant positive relation between the mean scores for Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale and Frommelt Attitude Towards Care of the Dying Instrument. It can be recommended that courses about death and spiritual care should be offered and integrated into nursing curricula.

The Effect of Aromatherapy on Fatigue and Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Study.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the application of lavender oil on fatigue and anxiety levels in patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment. This randomized controlled study was conducted with 60 patients (30 patients in intervention group, 30 patients in control group) in a province located in southeastern Turkey. After the patients in both groups were informed about the study, a questionnaire, the Fatigue Severity Scale, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory were applied to the patients. In the intervention group, a statistically significant difference was found between pretest and posttest scores of the Fatigue Severity Scale (t = 7.177, P = .001) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (t = 10.371, P = .001). Mean scores of fatigue and anxiety decreased significantly following aromatherapy and also fatigue and anxiety levels declined. Lavender aromatherapy can be applied as an effective nursing intervention to reduce fatigue and anxiety of patients with chronic renal failure and undergoing hemodialysis treatment.

Attitudes of Nurses in Turkey Toward Care of Dying Individual and the Associated Religious and Cultural Factors.

The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of nurses working in two university hospitals located in the west and east of Turkey toward care of dying individual as well as religious and cultural factors that influence their attitudes. The descriptive and comparative study was conducted with a total of 189 nurses who were working in adult inpatient clinics of two university hospitals in western (101 nurses) and eastern (88 nurses) Turkey between July and November 2016. The data were obtained by using the questionnaire and Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale. As a result of this study, it was determined that in terms of the status of receiving training the end-of-life care the majority of nurses received this training; however, this rate was higher (51.0%) in nurses working in the eastern hospital (p = 0.025). The nurses working in the east (51.6%) were determined to have more problems during caregiving due to their religious and cultural beliefs, the most frequent problem they experienced was "being uncomfortable due to privacy when giving care to patients from opposite gender" (57.1%). The emotions felt mostly by nurses during the care of dying patient were grief (nurses in the east = 48.5%, nurses in the west = 51.5%) and despair (nurses in the east = 40.4%, nurses in the west = 59.6%). Nurses working both in the east (98.27 ± 7.71) and in the west (97.19 ± 8.99) were determined to have positive attitude toward death, and there was no statistically significant difference between both groups in terms of the mean scores of the Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale (p = 0.373). In accordance with these results, it is recommended to focus on death issues in end-of-life care during the nursing education and to support nurses with in-service trainings regularly after the graduation.

Effects of aromatherapy on sleep quality and anxiety of patients.

BACKGROUND: In intensive care units (ICUs), patients cannot sleep well. Aromatherapy is used for depression, anxiety, relaxation and disorders related with sleep and stress. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the effect of lavender essential oil on the sleep quality and anxiety level of patients in coronary ICU. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 60 patients in coronary ICU participated in this study. DESIGN: A randomized controlled study was conducted with 60 patients in a province located in the southeast of Turkey. METHODS: After informing the patients in both groups about the study, they were administered a questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scale. The patients in the intervention group were given 2% lavender essential oil via inhalation for 15 days after which they were administered the same scales again to evaluate the sleep quality and anxiety. As for the control group, they were administered the same scales again after 15 days without the inhalation of lavender essential oil. RESULTS: Comparison of the PSQI and BAI scores of the patients in the control and intervention groups before and after the intervention showed statistically significant differences in the change in favour of the intervention group (p < 0·05). CONCLUSION: Lavender essential oil increased quality of sleep and reduced level of anxiety in patients with coronary artery disease. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: As a non-invasive, cheap, easily applicable, cost-effective, independent nursing intervention and appropriate for cardiac patients, lavender essential oil could be applied in ICUs.

Relationship between fatigue and social support in hemodialysis patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between fatigue and social support in hemodialysis patients in Turkey. This study was conducted on 73 patients receiving hemodialysis treatment in a hemodialysis unit in the province of Malatya between July and November 2011. A questionnaire consisting of 16 questions for sociodemographic and disease data was used together with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). In statistical evaluation, the Mann-Whitney U-test, independent t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Pearson's correlation analysis were used. Correlation analysis between severity of fatigue in hemodialysis patients and social support revealed a significant relationship in the negative direction between fatigue severity and support from family (r = -0.404, P < 0.05), support from friends (r = -0.635, P < 0.05), support from a special person (r = -0.638, P < 0.05) and overall support (r = -0.643, P < 0.05). Patients with severe fatigue had low mean scores for support from family, friends, a special person and overall, whereas a high level of social support decreased the level of fatigue. When giving care to patients on hemodialysis, nurses should consider the effect of social support on fatigue and approach their patients from this perspective.

Nursing diagnoses and NIC interventions in adult males undergoing radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine NANDA-I nursing diagnoses and NIC nursing interventions in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. METHOD: A cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted in a research and teaching hospital in western Turkey between June 2016 and June 2017. The sample included adult patients diagnosed with prostate cancer in the immediate postoperative period of radical prostatectomy. Data collection was performed using Gordon's Functional Health Patterns, NANDA-International and Nursing Interventions Classification Taxonomy Systems. RESULTS: Participants were 54 adult patients. The main nursing diagnoses were in the classes of "physical injury", "self-care", "hydration" and "physical comfort". Some nursing diagnoses were identified in all patients, namely: "risk for deficient fluid volume", "risk for imbalanced fluid volume", "impaired urinary elimination". The most selected NIC interventions were in the classes of "risk management", "elimination management", "coping assistance", "tissue perfusion management" and "self-care facilitation". CONCLUSION: future studies with larger populations are needed to explore the nursing diagnoses and effects of nursing interventions on patients who underwent radical prostatectomy.

Prospective study: reducing pressure ulcers in intensive care units at a Turkish medical center.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an educational intervention on the incidence of stage II pressure ulcers (PUs) in adult patients in intensive care units (ICUs) in a Turkish medical center. DESIGN: This was a prospective study of patients admitted to ICUs. Data were collected over a 3-month period. Subjects were assessed using the Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk to determine the risk for developing a PU; assessment was completed within the first 24 hours of admission and each 48 hours thereafter for a maximum of 12 weeks. Educational intervention was employed: Intervention included education of ICU nurses about PU prevention and risk assessment; and following the educational intervention and implementation of the PU prevention protocol in all ICUs, data were collected for study period II. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: The sample comprised 186 patients admitted to critical care units of a Turkish medical center. Ninety-three subjects participated in a preintervention comparison group, and 93 subjects participated in an intervention group. INSTRUMENTS: Data were collected using a demographic and clinical data form, a nursing intervention checklist, and the Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk. RESULTS: Stage II PUs were observed in a total of 50 patients for the overall sample. The most common site was the sacrococcygeal area, which accounted for 46% of ulcers. A statistically significant difference was observed when the rate of stage II PUs in the comparison group, 37% (34 of 93 patients), was compared to the rate in the intervention group, 17% (16 of 93 patients) (chi2 = 8.86, df = 1, P < .01). CONCLUSION: Education regarding preventive care can be effective in reducing the incidence of PUs in the ICU setting. Therefore, education about risk assessment and PU prevention should be a priority for nurses in critical care settings.

The effect of a self-management program on hand-washing/mask-wearing behaviours and self-efficacy level in peritoneal dialysis patients: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Self-management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is crucial for health outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to demonstrate the effect of a self-management programme based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory offered to patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD) on behavioural changes regarding hand-washing/mask-wearing and self-efficacy level. DESIGN: In this study, the pretest-posttest design was used without a control group. METHODS: The sample of the study consisted of 30 patients who were receiving peritoneal dialysis. At the first interview conducted with patients, patients were given a Questionnaire Form on Socio-Demographic and Disease Characteristics and the Self-efficacy Scale. Following the 6-month self-management programme; the self-efficacy scale was applied again and the effectiveness of the self-management programme was evaluated by re-asking the questions on hand-washing and mask-wearing behaviours, and the two questions on the presence of peritonitis and leucocyte abnormality. The self-management programme in question in this study was comprised of multidisciplinary team collaboration, telephone contact, clinic interviews, use of reminders, training intervention based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory and enhancement of self-efficacy. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between the pre-intervention and post-intervention self-efficacy scale mean scores of patients (t: -4,396, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, it was found that the self-management programme based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory caused a positive change in the hand-washing/ mask-wearing behaviours of patients and that it improved the self-efficacy level.

Relationship between social support and fatigue in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the east of Turkey.

AIM: This study was planned to assess the levels of fatigue and social support in patients with diabetes and to determine the relationship between fatigue and social support in these patients. METHODS: A descriptive design was used in this research. The study was conducted between March and June 2013 with 300 sampled patients from 1657 studied participants with type 2 diabetes who presented to the diabetes polyclinics of Malatya State Hospital and Inonu University, Turgut Ozal Medical Center. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Fatigue Severity Scale were used in the study. RESULTS: When the correlation analysis carried out between fatigue severity and social support in patients with diabetes was examined, a significant relationship was found in the negative direction between fatigue severity and family support (r = -0.145, P < 0.05) as well as overall support (r = -0.132, P < 0.05). A statistically significant difference was found between the Fatigue Severity Scale score and sex, education status, occupation, cohabitation, presence of complications, and hemoglobin A1c (P < 0.05). Family support was significant only with respect to marital status, occupation, and being employed (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was seen at the end of this research that social support reduced the level of fatigue in a number of patients with type 2 diabetes. Nurses of diabetes patients should carry out fatigue assessments routinely and reflect these in nursing care plans by also associating them with the social support sources of the patient.

Effect of baby oil on pruritus, sleep quality, and quality of life in hemodialysis patients: pretest-post-test model with control groups.

AIM: To assess the effect of baby oil on pruritus, sleep quality, and quality of life in hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS: This pretest-post-test model with control groups study was conducted in HD units in two different provinces in eastern Turkey. The study group consisted of a total of 70 patients receiving HD treatment who met the inclusion criteria, 35 being in the intervention group and 35 in the control group. After the patients in both groups were informed about the study, they were administered a questionnaire, the Severity Scale, Visual Analog Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the SF-36 Quality of Life Scale. Following the administration of baby oil to the patients in the intervention group three times a week for a period of 1 month, the same scales were repeated to explore their pruritic status, sleep quality, and quality of life. The same scales were repeated also for the patients in the control group 1 month later but without administering any baby oil. RESULTS: When the Itch Severity Scale, Visual Analog Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and SF-36 Quality of Life Physical and Mental Component scores of the patients in the control and intervention groups before and after the intervention were compared, the differences in the change were found to be statistically significant in favor of the intervention group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was found in this study that administration of baby oil had positive effects on itching, quality of life, and sleep quality in HD patients who had itching complaints.