Does Kangaroo Care Have an Effect on Transition Time from Gavage Feeding to Full Oral Feeding in Premature Babies?

OBJECTIVES: Kangaroo care is a safe and effective alternative method to conventional neonatal care for newborn babies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of kangaroo care on the transition time to full oral feeding in preterm infants fed by gavage. METHODS: This is a randomized controlled trial. This study was conducted in a level III neonatal intensive care unit of a university hospital in eastern Turkey 50 premature babies with a birth weight of≥1000 g and a gestational age of 27-36 weeks, and their mothers were included in the study. The cases were randomly divided into two groups: kangaroo care, which would be applied up to five days a week, and standard care. Records of cases were kept regularly from their hospitalization until they reached full oral feeding. RESULTS: Premature babies in the kangaroo care group reached full oral feeding at 29.20±8.06 days after birth, while babies in the standard care group reached full oral feeding at 44.60±21.90 days. The transition period from gavage feeding to reaching full oral feeding was 13.60±6.83 days in the kangaroo care group, and 22.10±7.38 days in the standard care group. The difference was statistically significant (p=0.007). CONCLUSION: Kangaroo care is an effective method to reduce the transition time from gavage feeding to full oral feeding for premature babies.

The effects of goldfish on anxiety, fear, psychological and emotional well-being of hospitalized children: A randomized controlled study.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the effect of goldfish intervention on anxiety, fear, psychological and emotional well-being of hospitalized children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between November 2020 and August 2021, an open-label, single-center randomized controlled experimental study was conducted in Türkiye's Eastern Anatolia region. The study included 112 children aged 8 to 10 years old (56 in the study group and 56 in the control group). The study and control groups were randomly assigned to strata using a table of random numbers. The children in the study group observed after goldfish intervention for three days. As data collection tools, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, Child Fear Scale, and the Stirling Children's Well-being Scale were used. RESULTS: The mean state anxiety scores of the children in the study group who looked after goldfish intervention decreased significantly compared to the control group. When the two groups were compared, the difference between the post-test measurements were significant (p < 0.05). The mean score of the fear scale in the post-test measurements of the study group children was significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.05). Finally, the emotional, and psychological well-being post-test scale mean scores of the study group children were higher than the control group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Goldfish intervention was found to be effective in decreasing the state anxiety and fear levels and increasing the psychological and emotional well-being levels of the children in the study group.

The effects of stress on adolescents' school engagement.

PROBLEM: Adolescents experience stress due to physical, cognitive, emotional and sexual development. This descriptive study was conducted to find out whether stress experienced by adolescents affected their school engagement. METHODS: The sample was 440 students studying in a high schools in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey between October 2020 and January 2021. The data were collected using the Sociodemographic Information Form, the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ-S) and the School Engagement Scale. FINDINGS: Statistically significant differences were found between adolescents' sociodemographic characteristics and mean scores on the ASQ-S subdimension and total scores (p ˂ 0.05). A strong negative association was found between adolescents' ASQ mean subdimension and total scores and their School Engagement Scale mean subdimension and total scores (p ˂ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was found that adolescents' sociodemographic characteristic affected their stress levels and school engagement and that high stress levels experienced by adolescents negatively affected their school engagement.

The Effect of Calligraphy as an Art Therapy Intervention Containing Religious Motifs, on the Anxiety and Depression in Adolescent Psychiatric Patients.

This research was conducted to determine the effect of calligraphy on the anxiety and depression levels of adolescent psychiatric patients. It was conducted with adolescent psychiatric patients ages 14-17 in Turkey's Eastern Anatolia Region. They were allocated a calligraphy (n = 40) or a wait-list (n = 39) group. Those in the calligraphy group participated in 60-min calligraphy sessions for three weeks. The state anxiety levels of adolescents who applied calligraphy decreased gradually when compared with adolescents in the control group. The difference between the third-week mean post-test state anxiety scores of the adolescents in the calligraphy and control groups was significant (t = 2.34, p = .02). The trait anxiety scale and depression scale mean post-test scores of the adolescents in the calligraphy group were lower than in the control group. The difference between two groups was significant. Calligraphy can be potentially used as a beneficial method for reducing anxiety and depression.

The Effects of the Activity of Making Jewelry From Beads on the Anxiety Levels of Children With Cancer: A Randomised Controlled Study.

Background: Children hospitalized for cancer treatment are known to experience high levels of anxiety. This study aimed to examine the effects of making jewelry from beads on the state and trait anxiety levels of children with cancer. Methods: This parallel group, randomized controlled trial was conducted on 62 children aged 7-18 who were being treated for cancer. The children were selected using the random sampling method. The jewelry-making sessions with the children in the intervention group were held twice a week for four weeks. Data were analysed using the chi-square test, the Student's t-test, the independent samples t-test and linear regression. Results: The state anxiety levels of the children in the intervention group decreased both in the first week and the fourth week after making jewelry. The difference in the average post-test scores between the two groups was found to be significant (p < .05). The fourth week average trait anxiety score of the children in the intervention group decreased (M = 33.2) in comparison to the average score of the control group (M = 36.5). The difference between the two groups was found to be significant (p < .001). Discussion: This study found that the activity of making jewelry from beads was effective in reducing the state and trait anxiety levels of children with cancer.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing care and nurses' work in a neonatal intensive care unit.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic process on nursing care and nurses' work in neonatal intensive care units. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study was conducted using a qualitative method. The data were collected by voice recording with a one-on-one in-depth interview technique, and a semi-structured question form was used in the interviews. The data obtained from voice recordings were evaluated using the qualitative content analysis method. RESULTS: The main themes and subthemes of the study were as follows: (1) decrease in physical contact with newborns due to fear of transmitting Covid-19 (decrease in physical contact between neonatal nurses and newborns, decrease in physical contact between mothers and newborns, decrease in physical contact between fathers and newborns), (2) communication problems between healthcare professionals and parents (3) changes in the working conditions for neonatal nurses (increase in the frequency and duration of work intense working speed, exhaustion and decreased motivation due to use of protective equipment). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic process led to a decrease in nurses' and parents' touching newborns, nurses' experiencing problems with parents due to measures taken, heavier working conditions and a decrease in motivation for nurses. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This study will inform future research to be directed to nursing care and the work of nursing who work on the front line in the COVID-19 pandemic process.

Experiences of nurses who have children when caring for COVID-19 patients.

AIM: This study was conducted to examine the experiences and feelings of nurses who have children when caring for patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the whole world, including Turkey where this study was conducted. Nurses are among healthcare professionals who are intensively working at the forefront during this pandemic. Countries are implementing many policies to fight this pandemic. Turkey also has implemented protective measures related to travel, sports, and cultural activities and has prohibited social meetings. METHOD: The study was conducted with 26 nurses working in COVID-19 clinics of two hospitals in eastern Turkey between May and July 2020 using a qualitative descriptive design. FINDINGS: Nurses who had children longed for their children and worried about them. They were afraid of getting infected with the disease and transmitting it. Based on content analysis, the themes of the study were determined as follows: (1) longing (longing for children and longing for the pre-pandemic period), (2) fear (fear of transmitting the disease and fear of death), (3) despair, (4) concern (concern resulting from working in a different clinic, concern resulting from lack of knowledge, and concern resulting from lack of protective equipment), and (5) professional responsibility (professional awareness and love for the profession). CONCLUSION: Nurses were away from their families for a long time because of the fear of getting infected with COVID-19 and transmitting it. They longed for their children and experienced desperation, fear, and anxiety. They loved their profession and were not considering quitting their profession. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Nurses working in COVID-19 units wear protective equipment and work for a long time under difficult conditions. In addition, nurses who have children are separated from their children because of the fear of transmitting COVID-19. Therefore, nurses caring for COVID-19 patients should alternately be replaced by nurses working in other services. They should be given the opportunity to rest and spend time with their loved ones if they are not carriers of COVID-19.

Emotions and Experience of Fathers applying Kangaroo Care in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey: A Qualitative Study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the emotions and experiences of fathers in Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey who applied kangaroo care in the neonatal intensive care unit. This study applied the qualitative descriptive design. The study included 12 fathers at the NICU of a university hospital. The fathers practiced kangaroo care with their babies two times a day for 15 days. Content analysis was then conducted to determine the main themes and sub-themes of the interviews. Three main themes and six sub-themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Emotions of being a father (feeling that the baby belongs to own and feeling the warmth and scent of the baby); (2) Confidence in fathering roles (self-confidence and caring for the baby); and (3) Happiness in the new parent role (seeing the baby calm down, hugging the baby and touching the baby's skin).

The Effects of Kangaroo Care Applied by Turkish Mothers who Have Premature Babies and Cannot Breastfeed on Their Stress Levels and Amount of Milk Production.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the effects of kangaroo care applied by Turkish mothers who have premature babies and cannot breastfeed on their stress levels and amount of milk production. DESIGN AND METHODS: This open-label, multicentre, randomised controlled trial included preterm infants not breastfed by their mothers and the mothers of the infants. The mothers were randomised at a 1:1 ratio into the kangaroo care group and the standard care group. The mothers in the kangaroo care group applied kangaroo care to their babies once a day for three weeks. The mothers in the standard care group saw their infants for 15-20 min once a day for five days a week for three weeks, which was standard care in the newborn intensive care unit. The mothers milked their breasts with breast milking machines or pumps every day for three weeks. RESULTS: The mothers in the kangaroo care group had higher breast milk production averages than the standard care group in all measurements. The mothers who applied kangaroo care had lower Parental Stressor Scale, subdimensions and total scale average scores than the mothers in the standard care group. CONCLUSIONS: Kangaroo care is effective at stimulating breast milk production and decreasing maternal stress levels. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Kangaroo care decreases mothers' stress levels and increases breast milk production by mothers who cannot breastfeed their premature infants.

Emotions and coping methods of Turkish parents of children with cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This hermeneutic phenomenological study was conducted with the aim to determine the emotions and coping methods of Turkish parents whose children were diagnosed with cancer. METHODS: Data were collected through in-person, in-depth interviews with 12 parents (8 mothers, 4 fathers). The semi-structured interview form was developed based on Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's model of the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) with the addition of questions on coping methods. Data interpretation proceeded through three phases: superficial reading, structural analysis and comprehensive understanding. RESULTS: All the parents made statements indicating their devastation while expressing their feelings at the moment they learned of the diagnosis. After overcoming the first shock, most thought it was a false diagnosis, and some thought it was a test from God. The parents were angry mostly with the doctors, themselves, their spouses and God. All the parents participating in the study stated that they had regrets about the past. Most engaged in more emotion-oriented and fewer problem-focused coping efforts. However, some parents used negative coping methods. CONCLUSION: These parents need help from healthcare professionals to come to terms with their grief.

The transfer of theoretical knowledge to clinical practice by nursing students and the difficulties they experience: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing education contains both theoretical and practical training processes. Clinical training is the basis of nursing education. The quality of clinical training is closely related to the quality of the clinical learning environment. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the transfer of theoretical knowledge into clinical practice by nursing students and the difficulties they experience during this process. METHODS: A qualitative research design was used in the study. The study was conducted in 2015 with 30 nursing students in a university located in the east of Turkey, constituting three focus groups. The questions directed to the students during the focus group interviews were as follows: What do you think about your clinical training? How do you evaluate yourself in the process of putting your theoretical knowledge into clinical practice? What kind of difficulties are you experiencing in clinical practices? RESULTS: The data were interpreted using the method of content analysis. Most of the students reported that theoretical information they received was excessive, their ability to put most of this information into practice was weak, and they lacked courage to touch patients for fear of implementing procedures incorrectly. As a result of the analysis of the data, five main themes were determined: clinical training, guidance and communication, hospital environment and expectations. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that nursing students found their clinical knowledge and skills insufficient and usually failed to transfer their theoretical knowledge into clinical practices. The study observed that nursing students experienced various issues in clinical practices. In order to fix these issues and achieve an effective clinical training environment, collaboration should be achieved among nursing instructors, nurses, nursing school and hospital managements. Additionally, the number of nursing educators should be increased and training programs should be provided regarding effective clinical training methods.