Psychometric properties of the critical care family needs inventory-emergency department.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory-Emergency Department (CCFNI-ED) in Turkey. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional survey design. The questionnaire was administered to 400 family members of patients with a critical illness in an emergency department. The 40-item English version of the CCFNI-ED was translated into Turkish following the standard back-translation methodology. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses (CFA and EFA, respectively) were carried out using principal component analysis with varimax rotation to test the scale's construct validity. We used Cronbach's alpha to examine the CCFNI-ED's internal consistency reliability. RESULTS: The CFA failed to confirm the original Australian factor structure for our sample. The original scale was then modified based on the EFA and the best possible fitting model was obtained for the Turkish family member sample. The Cronbach's alpha of the modified scale was 0.91 and those for the subscales ranged from 0.68 to 0.87. CONCLUSIONS: The psychometric evaluation showed satisfactory validity and reliability estimates, supporting the use of the Turkish version of the CCFNI-ED with a sample of family members of critically ill patients in an emergency department.

Assessment of the Turkish Version of the King's Stool Chart for Evaluating Stool Output and Diarrhea Among Patients Receiving Enteral Nutrition.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the King's Stool Chart (KSC-Tr) in patients receiving enteral nutrition. In total, 212 stool samples taken from 25 patients receiving enteral nutrition during 393 sick days in two intensive care units were assessed using the KSC-Tr. Overall, 110 of 212 stools (51.9%) were characterized as liquid and 111 of 212 stools (52.4%) were characterized as less than 100 g. The daily stool score of patients receiving antibiotics, a risk factor for diarrhea, was higher (mean = 13.6; SD = 10.1) than that of patients not receiving antibiotics (mean = 9.3; SD = 5.0) (p = .001). Diarrhea occurred on more days when patients received antibiotics (62/329; 18.8%) than on days when they did not (3/64; 4.7%) (p = .005). Interobserver agreement of two independent nurses' assessments on 44 stool samples was examined and was good for both stool consistency (κ = 0.76) and stool weight (κ = 0.75). In the intensive care unit, the KSC-Tr can be used as a valid and reliable tool for monitoring diarrhea and stool output in patients receiving enteral nutrition.

Effect of screen-based computer simulation on knowledge and skill in nursing students' learning of preoperative and postoperative care management: a randomized controlled study.

Screen-based computer simulations are considered a method of skill teaching in health education. This study examined the effect of screen-based computer simulation on knowledge, skill, and the clinical decision-making process in teaching preoperative and postoperative care management to second-year students in an undergraduate school of nursing. It is a randomized controlled study. The study sample was composed of 82 students. They received education in screen-based computer simulation (n = 41) and skill laboratories (n = 41). Three instruments were used: a preoperative and postoperative care management cognitive level assessment test, skill control lists of preoperative and postoperative care management, and the Clinical Decision Making in Nursing Scale. There was not a significant difference between the students' posteducation knowledge levels (P = .421), practical deep breathing and coughing exercise education skills (P = .867), or clinical decision-making scale total and subscale scores (P = .065). However, a significant difference was found between the admission of the patient in the surgical clinic after surgery skill scores of the students (P = .04). Education provided in the screen-based computer simulation laboratory was equivalent to that provided in the skill laboratory.

Quality of life in recipients before and after liver transplantation in Turkey.

CONTEXT: Liver transplantation has become the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage liver disease. Most studies show a positive effect on quality of life after liver transplantation, but most studies are based on data from Western countries and little is known about quality of life in liver transplant recipients in Turkey or other developing countries. OBJECTIVE: To investigate liver transplant recipients' quality of life and factors affecting it, before and 3 months after transplantation in western Turkey. DESIGN: Descriptive and comparative, with data collected prospectively. SETTING: Two medical centers in Western Turkey. PATIENTS: Sixty-five adult recipients of a liver transplant between May 15 and December 31,2007. INSTRUMENTS: Quality of life was measured by using the Nottingham Health Profile Turkish version, and sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from patients' records. RESULTS: Scores on all subscales of the Nottingham Health Profile differed significantly from before to after liver transplantation. The differences between the mean scores for quality of life before and after transplantation varied significantly with the patients' sex and disease severity.

Validation of the Turkish version of the Brief Pain Inventory in surgery patients.

The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) is a comprehensive instrument for pain assessment and has been validated in several languages. A validated Turkish version has not been available until now. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the BPI for assessing pain in patients undergoing abdominal surgery in Turkey. The sample consisted of 178 patients who underwent abdominal surgery in general surgery and in obstetrics and gynecology clinics of a university hospital in Zmir, Turkey. A demographic questionnaire and the BPI were used to collect data. The content validity was tested by requesting opinions of experts. The structure validity of the scale was evaluated with factor analyses and reliability of the scale with Cronbach alpha and with item-to-total correlations. Two factors with an eigenvalue greater than one were extracted, supporting the validity of two-factor structure of the original BPI. Factor loads of these two factors ranged from 0.55 to 0.91. The Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient was 0.79 for the severity scale and 0.80 for the interference scale. The item-to-total correlations of the scale ranged between 0.42 and 0.69. The Turkish version of the BPI (BPI-Tr) is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing postsurgical pain severity and its interference. The BPI-Tr will be useful for clinical assessment of postsurgical pain in Turkey.

A longitudinal analysis of the self-directed learning readiness level of nursing students enrolled in a problem-based curriculum.

Self-directed learning is an important outcome of nursing education. Although problem-based learning is believed to facilitate self-directed learning, previous studies have reported conflicting results. This longitudinal survey explored the perceived changes in self-directed learning for 4 years in a baccalaureate nursing education program with an integrated problem-based learning curriculum. Fifty of 59 students (response rate, 85%) completed the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale at five different time points: at the beginning of each academic year and at program completion. Scores were significantly lower during the first academic year compared with other years, and fourth-year scores were significantly higher than in previous years. Scores on the three subscales (i.e., self-management, desire for learning, and self-control) increased significantly during the 4 years of the program. These findings support self-directed learning as a maturational process. Implications for nursing faculty and curriculum development are discussed.

A comparison of problem-based and traditional education on nursing students' critical thinking dispositions.

Determining the critical thinking (CT) levels of students in undergraduate nursing schools is important in terms of establishing the methods of education that should be used. Although there is some evidence that active learning approaches like problem-based learning are effective in developing CT, the findings are inconclusive. This descriptive analytic study compared levels of critical thinking among senior nursing students (N=147) in two educational programs, one of which used a problem-based learning (PBL) model while the other used a traditional model. The California critical thinking disposition inventory (CCTDI) was used as a data collection tool. Comparisons between the groups were made using t-test analysis. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the critical thinking disposition scores of the seniors in the PBL school and those in the school implementing the traditional model. Analysis of sub-scale scores showed significant differences in truth-seeking and open-mindedness. These findings add to the evidence that the active and self-directed nature of PBL encourages students' ability to think critically, be tolerant of the ideas of others and evaluate conflicting information before reaching a conclusion.

Effectiveness of online education in teaching breast self- examination.

BACKGROUND: This research evaluated the effectiveness of an online education model in teaching breast self- examination to university staff and students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1,679 women participated in a breast self-examination online training program. Breast self-examination knowledge evaluation forms developed by Maurer (1997) were used in the research and were evaluated on a 100 point scale. Paired t-test and McNemar's Test statistics were employed. RESULTS: The participants scored an average of 46.5 (14.0%) on knowledge on breast self-examination before training, but 77.4 (11.0%) one month after education and 76.7 (9.52%) after six months. There was a clear significant difference between these knowledge levels (p<0.05). Similarly, while the rate for systematic practice of breast self-examination among women was 30.8% before training it increased to 47.8% afterwards. Again the difference was significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Online education is an effective method for teaching breast self-examination to women.

A method in prevention of cancer: peer education.

Today, cancer is the most common disease in many parts of the world. Choosing a healthy lifestyle and environment can help people prevent cancer development and an important aspect is better communication. Peer education models can provide networks within the context of 'social actions'and 'social ease'. Here we focus on a number of practical examples which have been described in the literature.

Assessing the efficacy of a peer education model in teaching breast self-examination to university students.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer education model in teaching breast self-examination to a late adolescence female student group attending the second class of Buca Educational Faculty of Dokuz Eylül University (DEU). A total of 15 volunteer students were given the breast self-examination training programme by a researcher and thereby became qualified as peer educators. Each then reached 10 peers and conveyed information on the Breast-Self Examination Programme. The identification forms of the students were filled out by the researcher. Evaluation forms I and II developed by Maurer (1997) for regular BSE practice and skills were used and evaluated with 100 points. The "paired t-test", "Student's t-test", "McNemar test", and "Pearson correlation test" were employed to for statistical assessment. According to the evaluation results; while the students's average point of knowledge on BSE was 43.0 +/- 11.7 before training, it became 88.9 +/- 8.15 after a week, and 86.9 +/- 9.69 after four weeks. It was obvious that there was a meaningful difference between those knowledge rates (p<0,05). Similarly while the ratio of systematic practice of BSE among students was 2.6% before training it increased to 66% (p<0.05). Additionally, the average point of the students BSE practice skills became 91.5 +/- 7.25 at four weeks after the training with a significant increase as well (r=0,70). Therefore we conclude that the peer education model is an effective method for teaching breast self examination to students.