Nurses' Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care and Influencing Factors in Türkiye, Italy, and Albania: A Multicultural Study.

The present study aimed to explore the perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care among nurses who work in three different countries with different cultures as well as the factors influencing their perception. This is a cross-sectional multicultural study conducted with a total of 1090 nurses from Türkiye, Albania, and Italy. Data were collected through the "Individual Information Form" and the "Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale". Nurses' mean score on the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale was above average. It was also found that country, marital status, religious belief, Islamic religion, training for spiritual care, and using spiritual practices to cope with difficulties or illnesses influenced nurses' perception of spirituality and spiritual care. It was concluded that nurses from the three countries associated spirituality and spiritual care with religion and that some personal characteristics influenced their perceptions of spiritual care. The results highlight the need for training in spiritual care to improve nurses' perceptions and practices of spiritual care.

Self-Perceived Clinical Competence of Nurses in Different Working Experiences: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Competence is an essential concept for measuring nurses' performance in terms of effectiveness and quality. To this end, our analysis highlighted the process of acquiring competencies, their self-evaluation into clinical practice, and how their proficiency levels change throughout the nursing career. In detail, this research explored nurses' perceived level of competence and the factors that influence it in different contexts. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire to assess the nursing participants' perception of their competencies in different clinical settings was accomplished. RESULTS: A descriptive and bivariate analysis was performed on 431 nurses. Most respondents assessed their level of competence to be higher than their roles required. The Kruskal-Wallis test confirmed that nursing experience was a relevant factor influencing nursing competencies. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest improving the competence of practicing nurses, using experience as a measurable effect of their development.

Determining Self-Efficacy of Nurses Who Graduated From Distance Education Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The current literature states that distance education has caused a lack of professional skills, regression of existing professional skills (Kaya & Akin Isik, 2021; Kürtüncü & Kurt, 2020), a lack of self-confidence, and feelings of inadequacy among nursing students (George et al., 2020). The current study examined the professional self-efficacy of nurses who graduated from distance education because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. METHOD: This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2020 and June 2022 with 164 nurses who graduated from distance education in 2020-2021 from three faculties of health sciences. RESULTS: Professional self-efficacy of the nurses was found to be above average. Male nurses and nurses who believed distance education had a negative impact on their professional skills had significantly higher professional self-efficacy. Some nurses reported that their professional theoretical knowledge was insufficient and defined the effect of distance education on their professional skills as relatively negative. CONCLUSION: Most of the nurses expressed that distance education had a negative effect on their professional self-efficacy and working life. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(10):480-488.].

On Between Death and Life: Intensive Care Nurses.

The aim of this study is to explore intensive care nurses' perceptions and experiences about death and dying patient. This study included 15 nurses from a university hospital's intensive care units (paediatric and internal medicine). Data were collected through face-to-face, in-depth and individual interviews using the "Nurse Information Form" and "Semi-Structured Interview Form". Six major themes and sixteen sub-themes were identified on the nurses' perceptions and experiences with death. After the nurses described their perceptions of death, their responses, approaches, coping mechanisms, and effects on the dead and dying patient in care and factors affecting perceptions of death were defined. Our findings suggest that nurses, particularly those working in intensive care, should be educated/trained on death, and dying patient care. Thus, orderly psychological support should be provided to nurses.

An examination of the fear of COVID-19 and professional quality of life among nurses: A multicultural study.

AIM: To determine the factors that influence nurses' fear of COVID-19 and professional quality of life as well as their attitudes towards COVID-19 in four different countries. BACKGROUND: The emergence of COVID-19 has affected the psychological and professional quality of life of the frontline health care workers, especially nurses. DESIGN: An online cross-sectional multicultural study. METHODS: A total of 1071 nurses from Turkey, Brazil, Spain and Italy were selected by convenience sampling. All participants were invited to complete the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and Professional Quality of Life Scale through online form from October 2020 to January 2021. RESULTS: It has been seen that nurses' fear of COVID-19 has been above the average and their professional quality of life has been affected negatively during the pandemic. Almost one out of three nurses (28.6%) thought of quitting their job during the pandemic. The majority of nurses (91.0%) thought their professional quality of life changed during the pandemic. The mean score of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale is higher in nurses who are working in Brazil, are female, have a chronic illness and are working in an outpatient clinic. Professional quality of life is even lower in nurses who are younger than 40, have a professional experience of less than 15 years, are working in Brazil and have concerns about themselves and their relatives because of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: It was determined that there was a relationship between fear of COVID-19 and professional quality of life subscales of nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse leaders have an important role in supporting nurses actively during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and providing them with good working conditions, sufficient resources and rewards. In order for nurses to be able to cope with the challenges brought about by the pandemic, particularly the fear of COVID-19, and to avoid thoughts of quitting the profession, it would be beneficial to take certain administrative measures on institutional and territorial basis. It is recommended that employees with a chronic disease work in low-risk clinics, the number of nurses be increased in busier clinics, working hours be reduced and nurses be provided with psychosocial support by experts to cope with stress. On the other hand, effective infection control, personal protective measures and implementing institutional policies and protocols can help to reduce the fear of COVID-19 and increase their professional quality of life.

The Effect of Cryotherapy on the Prevention of Oral Mucositis and on the Oral pH Value in Multiple Myeloma Patients Undergoing Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cryotherapy on the prevention of oral mucositis (OM) and on the oral pH value in patients with multiple myeloma undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation. DATA SOURCES: This nonrandomized controlled clinical trial was carried out in Bone Marrow Transplant Centers of three hospitals with total 32 patients. In addition to standard oral care, a total of 80 minutes of cryotherapy was applied to the experimental group. OM was assessed according to the World Health Organization's Oral Toxicity Scale before chemotherapy and for 21 days after chemotherapy (every day in the first 14 days, then every other day until the 21st day [if not discharged]). CONCLUSION: According to the findings, cryotherapy did not change the incidence of oral OM, and neither affected the severity of nor decreased the duration of it. Oral pH value was found to be significantly different between the patient groups only before and 1 day after chemotherapy. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Cryotherapy is an inexpensive, easy-to-use method with no side effects; it would be beneficial to continue cryotherapy to prevent the development of OM in patients with cancer receiving drugs with a short half-life such as melphalan. It is also recommended to conduct further studies with different chemotherapy drugs with short half-lives to determine its effect on the prevention of OM development.

Effect of an aged simulation suit on nursing students' attitudes and empathy.

PURPOSE: Today, with an increasingly older population, it is essential to have well-educated and well-prepared nurses who can meet the health-related needs of geriatric patients but in some cases students have difficulty in understanding and empathizing with older persons. The impact of use of an aged simulation suit on the empathy and attitudes of nursing students towards older persons was investigated in this study. METHODS: A descriptive mixed-methods study was conducted, using the Basic Empathy Scale, The Kogan's Attitude towards Old People Scale, and semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: The Kogan's Attitude towards Old People Scale mean scores and the Basic Empathy Scale mean scores showed that there was a statistically significant increase in the empathy and attitude scores of students from the high-score group after they had carried out tasks using an aged simulation suit. A total of four themes were determined through data analysis. CONCLUSION: The use of an aged simulation suit proved to be an effective educational technique which made a positive contribution towards nursing students' development of empathy and also made a positive change in their attitude towards older persons.

Comparison of Glucose Values of Blood Samples Taken in Three Different Ways.

The purpose of the study was to determine differences and correlations between the blood glucose values of venous blood and the first and second drops of capillary blood samples taken in three different ways. Blood samples were (a) venous blood, (b) the first and second drops of capillary blood from the middle finger of the right hand (only washed with soap and water), and (c) the first and second drops of capillary blood from the middle finger of the left hand (washed with soap and water and cleaned with alcohol). It was concluded that the fasting capillary blood glucose values could be used in place of venous blood glucose values, that only washing the hands with neutral soap and water for 30 s could be sufficient for capillary blood glucose measurement, and that the first or second blood drop from a clean hand could be used for capillary blood glucose measurement.

Ethical decision-making levels of oncology nurses.

AIM: This study was carried out in order to determine ethical decision-making levels of oncology nurses. ETHICAL CONSIDERATION: Research Ethics Committee's approval was obtained prior to the data collection. Permission to use the Turkish version of the Nursing Dilemma Test was received from Birgül Cerit. Written approval was taken from school administrators to conduct the study confirming that there were no invasive procedures planned for human beings during the study period. The study was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration. Verbal consent was obtained from each of the nurses who agreed to participate after they were informed about the study content. METHOD: The population of this study conducted in a descriptive way consisted of a total of 96 nurses working at the oncology units and outpatient chemotherapy units of four different hospitals between September 2017 and March 2018. The study sample included 60 nurses who responded to the question form. The data of the study were collected using "Nurses Information Questionnaire" and "Nursing Dilemma Test" developed by Crisham in 1981. RESULTS: Oncology nurses' mean scores in Principled Thinking (49.00 ± 6.46) and those in Practical Considerations (18.35 ± 4.47) were found to be above the moderate level. It was determined that the oncology nurses participated in the study were familiar with situations similar to the dilemmas included in the Nursing Dilemma Test (15.00 ± 4.20). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that oncology nurses try to take ethical principles into consideration but are also affected by environmental factors while making decisions concerning ethical dilemmas. The most frequently encountered ethical dilemmas by oncology nurses include the following: deciding not to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, telling the truth to the patient, studies being carried out without the patient's content, and patient's refusal of treatment. In order to improve oncology nurses' critical thinking and ethical decision-making skills, it is important to determine ethical dilemmas encountered by oncology nurses, and nurses should be encouraged to be involved in ethical decision-making process through cooperation with the other healthcare personnel.

The Effect of Music on Dyspnea Severity, Anxiety, and Hemodynamic Parameters in Patients With Dyspnea.

This randomized controlled study (pretest, posttest, test control group) was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of music on the severity of dyspnea, anxiety, and hemodynamic parameters in patients with dyspnea. The research was conducted in the Chest Diseases Service of a public hospital in the western region of Turkey. The number of patients included in the sample was determined by power analysis, and as a result, 60 patients were accepted, 30 in the music group and 30 in the control group. Sixty percent of the patients who took part in the study were male, their mean age was 61.21 ± 1.13 years, and their mean dyspnea severity before the intervention was 62.68 ± 22.28. The difference between the mean dyspnea severity and anxiety scores of the music group patients before and after the application of music was found to be statistically significant (P < .05), but no statistically significant difference was found in hemodynamic parameters (P > .05). In light of the research findings, it was concluded that music had an effect on anxiety and the severity of dyspnea in patients with dyspnea but that it had no effect on hemodynamic parameters.

Ethical Decision Making Levels of Nursing Students.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to determine nursing students' levels of ethical decision-making. METHODS: The sample of the descriptive study consisted of 240 nursing students. The data were collected using the Student Information Form and "Nursing Dilemma Test". RESULTS: It was found that Principled Thinking (PT) mean score (48.38±7.97) of nursing students was above average while their Practical Consideration (PC) mean score (17.87±4.13) was close to average. It was also determined that the nursing students participated in the study were not familiar (17.75±2.77) with the dilemmas included in the Nursing Ethical Dilemma Test. CONCLUSION: The students paid attention to consider ethical principles when making decisions about ethical dilemmas; however, they are also affected by environmental factors as well. Sex and class level were found to be influential in the process of ethical decision making.

Effects of structured patient education on knowledge level and INR control of patients receiving warfarin: Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of patient education about the safety of warfarin therapy on related-knowledge levels and on International Normalized Ratio (INR) control. METHODS: In the study, randomized controlled experimental study design was used. It was conducted between September 2014-March 2015 with 63 patients who use warfarin at least two months at cardiology and cardiovascular surgery outpatient departments of two different hospitals in Manisa. Participants in the intervention group received one-to-one education about the safety of warfarin therapy and a booklet. Participants in the control group received usual care. Patients' warfarin knowledge levels in both groups were measured three times at monthly intervals. RESULTS: Before education warfarin knowledge levels were inadequate in intervention group, but it was higher after education and reached a good level. No significant difference was found between the International Normalized Ratio controls of the two groups. No significant relationship was found between pre- and post-education warfarin knowledge levels and the INR number in the therapeutic range. CONCLUSION: One-to-one education supported by written and visual material was effective in increasing patients' warfarin knowledge levels.

Dysmenorrhea Characteristics of Female Students of Health School and Affecting Factors and Their Knowledge and Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Methods.

The purpose of this study was to examine the menstruation and dysmenorrhea characteristics and the factors affecting dysmenorrhea of health school students, and the knowledge and use of the methods of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) on the part of those students with dysmenorrhea. This is a descriptive study. A descriptive analysis was made by calculating the number, percentage, mean, Pearson χ, and logistic regression analysis. A total of 488 female students participated in the research and 87.7% (n = 428) of all students experienced dysmenorrhea. It was detected that a family history of dysmenorrhea and regular menstrual cycles of the students were dysmenorrhea-affecting factors (P < .05). Seven of 10 students with dysmenorrhea used CAM methods. Heat application of CAM methods for dysmenorrhea management was the most commonly used and also known by the students. The students who experienced severe pain used analgesics (P < .05) and CAM methods (P < .05).