Evaluation of phubbing online social support and trait anxiety in nurses.

AIM: This study investigated the relationship between phubbing, online social support, trait anxiety, and some demographic factors among nurses. BACKGROUND: Phubbing, or socializing through online smartphone applications, has become increasingly prevalent in healthcare environments, potentially threatening real-life interactions. We aimed to explore the use of smartphones among nurses, both professionally and socially, and to determine if increased usage was leading to interaction problems. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a digital survey completed by 384 nurses between May and November 2021. The survey included an individual descriptive form, the generic scale of phubbing, the online social support scale, and the trait anxiety inventory. Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H, t test, Pearson, and the Spearman rank correlation coefficient were used for analysis. A backward selection method regression analysis was performed to determine the variables affecting the phubbing score. The "STROBE checklist" for cross-sectional studies was utilized in order to report the findings of the study. RESULTS: The participants had a moderate level of trait anxiety. The study found that marital status, having WhatsApp groups with teammates, and being warned about phone use from teammates were significantly related to phubbing. A moderate positive correlation was found between the phubbing score and the online social support score. Additionally, a weak positive correlation was found between the general phubbing and trait anxiety scores. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived online social support significantly influenced the phubbing behavior of nurses and trait anxiety played a mediating role in this relationship. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND POLICY: Nurses frequently use smartphones for professional purposes, but this study found that excessive phone use can be detrimental to their social interactions. Moreover, phubbing could also be problematic for patients. Therefore, healthcare professionals need to be aware of the potential consequences of smartphone usage and the importance of limiting excessive use during patient care.

Exploring faculty-to-faculty incivility among nursing faculty: Related factors, reasons and solutions.

AIM: This study aimed to explore faculty-to-faculty incivility in university nursing programmes and to identify the perceptions of faculty regarding the reasons and solutions for incivility. BACKGROUND: Incivility is a fundamental problem in nursing educational settings. METHODS: This cross-sectional and analytic study comprised 330 faculty members from different schools of nursing in Turkey. A personal information form and the 12-item Incivility Scale were used to collect data. The data were analysed by using descriptive analysis, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, Spearman's correlation test, linear regression tests and thematic analysis. RESULTS: Faculty and research assistants who were single and holding master's degrees perceived high incivility (p < .05). There was also a significant, mildly negative relationship between age and incivility scores (r = -0.236). A strict hierarchical structure was revealed to also be a reason for incivility (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the solutions for faculty-to-faculty incivility. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: This study can guide administrators regarding the causes and solutions of incivility within academic environments. By implementing strategies to increase awareness, administrators can become positive role models for faculty, providing a respectful and fair work environment to prevent incivility.

Living with pain in ankylosing spondylitis: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Despite various quantitative studies reporting that pain is among the most serious problem in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), no detailed qualitative studies address how pain affects the life of patients with AS. AIM: To explore AS patients' experiences with pain and its effect on their lives. DESIGN: Descriptive qualitative study. METHODS: Data were collected by individual in-depth interviews. Colaizzi's phenomenological data analysis was performed. RESULTS: During periods of pain, participants indicated that they experienced difficulty with performing their daily routine activities and meeting their personal needs. Pain also prevented them from fulfilling their responsibilities in their families, inhibited their social relations, and posed problems at their workplace. Due to the negative effects of pain in their lives, the participants felt helplessness, fear, stress, sadness, and unhappiness. CONCLUSIONS: Added to being asked about the quantity of pain, patients with AS should be questioned about how pain affects their lives.

Sexuality, quality of life and psychological well-being in older adults: A correlational study.

Objective: This study aimed at analyzing the relationship between general health status, quality of life, and sexual life among older adults. Study design: This descriptive-correlational design study was conducted with the participation of 323 (169 female and 154 male) older people at the age of 65 + . The participants were clients of the outpatient services in a general hospital in Istanbul. Data were collected with the General Health Questionnaire, Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale, and Quality of Life Scale. Results: Psychological well-being had no association with sexuality scores whereas quality of life had a significant association. Older people with better quality of life had less sexual dysfunctionality. Participants who were up the 75 years old, who have lower education, lower economic status, unemployed, having chronic diseases seemed to experience higher ASEX scores, meaning that higher sexual dysfunction, lower GHQ scores and lower quality of life level. Conclusions: Sexuality in older people changes over time and continues to hold its importance. Less sexual dysfunction seemed to relate with higher quality of life in older people. Researchers should consider the importance of the quality of life on sexual satisfaction in older people.

Disgust and Its Effect on Quality of Life and Adjustment to Stoma in Individuals with Ileostomy and Colostomy

AIM: This study aims to determine the effect of disgust sensitivity on the quality of life of patients with ileostomy and colostomy, and their adaptation to stoma. METHODS: This study has a cross-sectional and correlational design. The sample consists of 167 patients being treated in a state hospital and a private foundation hospital, who meet the research inclusion criteria. The Patient Information Form, Disgust Sensitivity Scale, Ostomy Adjustment Inventory, and Ostomy Quality of Life Scale (OQLS) are used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-test, and correlation analysis are used in data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 86% of the participants diagnosed with cancer, 60% had undergone ileostomy and 40% had undergone a colostomy; 46% of the patients declared that they were capable of handling their own stoma care and 53% stated that they felt self-efficient about care. Participants who were female (88.55 ± 23.17), single (88.40 ± 20.98), or university graduates (93.34 ± 22.92) had higher disgust sensitivity scores. The study found no significant correlation between disgust sensitivity, quality of life, and stoma adjustment scores (p > .05). CONCLUSION: The findings proved believe that recognizing the disgust sensitivity will help meet the physical and psychological needs of stoma patients and understand their quality of life and adjustment to stoma. This will help in guiding both patients and healthcare workers, and lead clinical studies.

Nursing Students' Career Plans After Graduation: Perspective From Generation Y.

AIM: The aim of this study is to define the plans for professional work in the field of nursing, of nursing students in their senior year of post-graduation studies, and the factors affecting them. METHOD: This descriptive study included 2818 senior nursing students from 27 schools of nursing from different geographical regions of Turkey. The Questionnaire for Career Planning and Affecting Factors was used to collect the data. RESULTS: Most of the students (59.2%) see themselves as nurses in the next five years, and 31.7% of them see themselves as academicians in the next ten years. The rate of students who wish to work in a non-nursing profession within the next five years is 2.3%. Geriatric services were the least preferred. CONCLUSION: Most students stated that they wanted to work as a nurse. The elder-care centers should be made attractive options for new graduate nurses to choose to work there.

Effects of relaxation training on sleep quality and fatigue in patients with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation training on sleep quality and fatigue in Turkish women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. BACKGROUND: Sleep problems and fatigue are highly prevalent in patients with breast cancer. Progressive muscle relaxation training is a promising approach in ameliorating the sleep quality and reducing the fatigue associated with cancer and its treatment. DESIGN: A prospective, repeated measures, quasi-experimental design with control group. METHODS: The study sampling consisted of 27 individuals (14 individuals formed the progressive muscle relaxation group, 13 individuals formed the control group) who met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Progressive muscle relaxation training was given to the progressive muscle relaxation group, but not to the control group. The effect of the progressive muscle relaxation training was measured at different stages of the treatment. A data collection form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Piper Fatigue Scale were used to collect the data for this study. RESULTS: The progressive muscle relaxation group experienced a greater increase in improved sleep quality and a greater decrease in fatigue than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that progressive muscle relaxation training would improve sleep quality and fatigue in patients with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Progressive muscle relaxation training given by a nurse can improve sleep quality and fatigue in patients with breast cancer. It is important to start relaxation training just before chemotherapy to decrease the frequency and severity of sleep problems and symptoms such as fatigue during chemotherapy.

A survey of emotional difficulties of nurses who care for oncology patients.

Nurses who care for dying patients are under pressure emotionally because of their beliefs and values about death as well as the emotions and reactions of the patients and their families. This study examines the emotional difficulties of nurses caring for oncology patients in Turkey. The study used a descriptive survey design. The participants were 157 nurses from three medical oncology units in Ankara. Results showed that nurses had difficulty in talking to oncology patients about end-of-life issues and found that caring for dying patients affected their personal lives. This study also showed that the length of nurses' work experience had no effect on their feelings and perceptions toward terminally ill patients. However, the nurses who had more work experience were more likely to report difficulty in talking to patients. Most of the nurses expressed feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness about pain management and treatments.

Improving Empathy in Nursing Students: A Comparative Longitudinal Study of Two Curricula.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine changes of empathy levels of nursing student in two different curricula structures, one called "traditional" and the other called "integrated" curricula. The study was a longitudinal design to follow a cohort of nursing students to examine the magnitude of changes in empathy in their education years. METHODS: The study was conducted in a public school of nursing giving a baccalaureate degree, which had a fundamental change in their curricula. In all, 81 students from the traditional curricula and 66 students from the integrated curricula completed the study, and data from a total of 147 students were analyzed between 2003 and 2008. The Empathic Communication Skills Scale and the Empathic Tendency Scale were given to the students in the beginning of their freshman year and at the end of the fourth year just before graduation. RESULTS: Although both of the curricula were seemed effective at improving empathic skills of students, especially the scores of students who completed the integrated curricula were higher than the scores of the other group attending the traditional curricula (p<.05). However, the empathic tendency scores of students in both curricula decreased at the end of fourth year. CONCLUSION: Although undergraduate nursing curricula either traditional or integrated improved empathic skills, it seemed that integrated curricula were more effective than traditional curricula in increasing empathic skills. The more hours and more experiential methods contributed to improved empathy. The decrease in empathic tendency requires further attention of educators and nurse managers.

Effectiveness of nursing counseling on coping and depression in women undergoing in vitro fertilization.

The purpose of present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of counseling provided by nurses on depression and coping strategies of infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (N=67). Of the 84 women who were interviewed, 30 were accepted as a comparison group, and 37 were included in the study group. The study group women were given counseling in addition to routine nursing care services, including group education and individual interviews about treatment and coping strategies. The nurses also provided support by accompanying the women during the invasive procedures. The Beck Depression Inventory and Jalowiec's Coping Strategies Form were used for measurements. All the women were using emotional coping and had moderate depression prior to the study. There was no statistically significant difference between the comparison and study groups before or after the counseling with respect to depression and coping strategies. Parameters to evaluate the efficacy of counseling are discussed.

Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among military health professionals in Turkey.

This descriptive study investigated traumatic experiences and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among military professionals in Turkey. The sample included 225 military health professionals who were in charge in districts in which traumatic events occurred frequently in the past decade. The Impact of Event Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Symptom Checklist were used to obtain data in the study. More than one-half of the health professionals had experienced at least one traumatic event. Those who had a history of traumatic experience and loss of relatives or friends reported more symptoms than did those who had not experienced traumatic events. As expected, health professionals who had traumatic experiences were more likely to have higher Impact of Event Scale scores than were those who had not experienced physical or psychological trauma. The findings indicate that health professionals are as affected by traumatic events as are those in other settings or occupations. Future research should focus on the long-term effects of post-traumatic stress among health professionals.

The Effectiveness of an Interpersonal Cognitive Problem-Solving Strategy on Behavior and Emotional Problems in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity.

INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the "I Can Problem Solve" (ICPS) program on behavioral and emotional problems in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: The subjects were 33 children with ADHD aged between 6 to 11 years. The study used a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design with one group. The researchers taught 33 children with ADHD how to apply ICPS over a period of 14 weeks. The Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 6-18 (Teacher Report Form) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) Based Disruptive Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale (parents' and teacher's forms) were used to evaluate the efficacy of the program. The scales were applied to parents and teachers of the children before and after the ICPS program. RESULT: The findings indicated that the measured pre-training scores for behavioral and emotional problems (attention difficulties, problems, anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, oppositional defiant problems, rule breaking behaviors, and aggressive behaviors) were significantly decreased in all children post-training. In addition, children's total competence scores increased (working, behaving, learning and happy) after the ICPS program. CONCLUSION: According to the results, it is likely that, ICPS would be a useful program to decrease certain behavioral and emotional problems associated with ADHD and to increase the competence level in children with ADHD. An additional benefit of the program might be to empower children to deal with problems associated with ADHD such as attention difficulties, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and oppositional defiant problems.

Effectiveness of psychoeducation intervention on post-traumatic stress disorder and coping styles of earthquake survivors.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a psychoeducation intervention based on Peplau's approach, including problem-solving compared with intervention with medication on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and coping of earthquake survivors. BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic reactions and recovery are the result of complex interactions among biological, personal, cultural and environmental factors. Both psychosocial and psychopharmacological methods have been advised to treat PTSD. The general goal of treatment is to decrease the anxiety and to support these patients in regaining normal daily functions. DESIGN: The study used a pretest to posttest quasi-experimental design with three comparison groups. METHODS: The sample of the study included 51 survivors of the Marmara Earthquake who met diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Comparison groups were made up as psychoeducation only, medication only and psychoeducation with medication (PEM). Six semi-structured psychoeducation sessions were conducted individually. Patients in the 'medication only' group did not participate in these sessions. The Clinician Administered PTSD Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale and Coping Strategies Scale were used for the measurements. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the 'PEM' group and the 'medication only' group with the first group showing greater relief of symptoms. Generally, there were no differences between the 'medication only' and 'psychoeducation only' groups. Avoidance as a coping strategy had significant positive correlations with PTSD and depression outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PTSD seem to take more advantage from the combined treatment model. Nurses can help the patients with PTSD by teaching them to cope with the symptoms. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The number and variety of catastrophic events in the world are increasing. Psychiatric nurses should therefore take responsibility regarding the effects of trauma and investigate the ways of working with people who experienced trauma in more detail and develop interventions based on scientific evidence.