The Effect of Distant Reiki Applied to Individuals with Extremity Amputation on Pain Level and Holistic Well-Being: A Quasi-experimental Study.

BACKGROUND: Pain felt in an amputated limb is quite common. Phantom pain affects the lives of individuals in many ways and can negatively affect the holistic well-being of individuals. Distant Reiki can be used in the management of these problems. AIM: This study was conducted to examine the effect of distant Reiki applied to individuals with extremity amputation on pain level and holistic well-being. METHOD: This a quasi-experimental single group pre-test. Post-test design research was conducted between September 2022 and April 2023 and included 25 individuals with extremity amputation. Then, according to Classical Usui Reiki, distant Reiki application has been performed for 20 minutes every day for 10 days. Data were collected at the beginning of the study and at the end of the 10th day. The data were obtained using an Introductory Information Form, the Visual Analog Scale for Pain, and Holistic Well-Being Scale. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 51.32 ± 16.65 years. There was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test pain levels of the participants (p < .05) and HWBS subscale scores (p < .05). Accordingly, it was determined that after 20-minute distant Reiki sessions for 10 consecutive days, the pain levels of the individuals were significantly reduced and their holistic well-being improved. CONCLUSION: Distant Reiki has been found to be easy to administer, inexpensive, non-pharmacological, and appropriate for independent nursing practice to be effective in reducing phantom pain levels and increasing holistic well-being in people with limb amputation.

Nursing students' metaphorical perceptions of sexuality in older people: An example of metaphor analysis.

PURPOSE: This study aims to describe the metaphorical perceptions of nursing students towards sexuality in older people through metaphor. BACKGROUND: Age-related changes and health problems can adversely affect sexual functions. Sexuality is a basic physiological need that continues throughout life and it is important to eliminate the problems related to sexual life that occur in old age. Determining the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students, who will be health professionals of the future, towards sexuality in older people can make a significant contribution to providing holistic health care to older individuals. Therefore, it is important to determine the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students about the sexuality of older people to improve their professional competence. DESIGN: This study was conducted with metaphor analysis technique based on phenomenological method. METHOD: This study was conducted in a total of 222 nursing students. The study data were collected between January and February 2022 with a questionnaire form prepared by the researchers. In the first part of the questionnaire, questions about socio-demographic characteristics were included, and in the second part, the sentence "sexuality in older people is like., because." was included to determine the metaphors developed by the students about sexuality in older people. These handwritten writings of the students were used as the main data source in this study. Content analysis was used to evaluate the metaphors. RESULTS: In this study, students produced a total of 222 valid metaphors related to the concept of sexuality in older people. The metaphors revealing the students' perceptions of the concept of sexuality in older people were grouped under 5 categories; "Category related to slowing down and regression", "Category related to need or normal", "Category related to not possible", "Category related to the feeling of love, compassion and friendship" and "Unnecessary, unimportant or should not be category". In the study, it was determined that the category in which the most metaphors were generated was "related to slowing down and regression". CONCLUSION: In the study, nursing students provided metaphors containing both positive and negative concepts related to sexuality in older people. However, most the metaphors generated contain negative concepts. To support nursing students' positive attitudes towards sexuality in older people, to change their negative attitudes, and to increase their knowledge and awareness, it is proposed to incorporate courses on sexuality in older people into the nursing curriculum and to include sexuality in older people in courses on sexuality.

Effect of progressive muscle relaxation on the caregiver burden and level of depression among caregivers of older patients with a stroke: A randomized controlled trial.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation on the caregiver burden and level of depression among the caregivers of older patients with a stroke. METHODS: This randomized, controlled experimental study was conducted between December, 2015 and July, 2017 with the caregivers of older patients with a stroke who had been admitted to the home care unit of a state hospital. The caregivers were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 23) and control (n = 21) groups, based on the study's inclusion criteria. The caregivers in the intervention group practiced progressive muscle relaxation exercises at home 3 days per week for 8 weeks. The control group had no intervention. RESULTS: The mean age of the older patients with a stroke was 80.15 ± 9.86 years and the mean duration of the disease was 39.07 ± 44.69 months. The mean age of the caregivers was 50.29 ± 12.62 years, 84.1% of whom were female, 38.6% were elementary school graduates, and 86.4% were married. It was found that there was a statistically significant decrease in the mean Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale and Beck Depression Scale scores of the caregivers in the intervention group after practicing progressive muscle relaxation, but this decrease was not statistically significant when the intervention and control groups were compared. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there was a statistically significant decrease in the caregiver burden and level of depression among the caregivers in the intervention group after progressive muscle relaxation exercises, but that there was no statistically significant difference when the intervention and control groups were compared.

The Effect of Progressive Relaxation Exercises on Fatigue and Sleep Quality in Individuals With COPD.

This randomized controlled experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation exercises on dyspnea, fatigue, and sleep quality in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A Descriptive Questionnaire and the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Asthma Fatigue Scale, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Asthma Sleep Scale and Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale were used for data collection. The decrease in the mean dyspnea, fatigue, and sleep scores in the intervention group was statistically significantly more pronounced than the patients in the control group (P < .05). Progressive relaxation exercises can be implemented to decrease the dyspnea, fatigue, and sleep problems seen in patients with moderate and advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by nurses working in the clinic.