The feasibility and acceptability of an early tele-palliative care intervention to improve quality of life in heart failure patients in Iran: A protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Heart failure (HF) has become a global health problem that has affected the quality of life of millions of people. One approach to improving patients' quality of life (QoL) with chronic diseases such as HF is palliative care. In Iran, the bulk of palliative care research is directed to patients with cancer, with the primary focus on the physical aspect rather than the psychosocial and spiritual aspects of palliative care. To address this gap, this study aims to determine the feasibility and acceptability of this early tele-palliative care intervention to improve quality of life in heart failure patients in Iran. Methods: The early tele-palliative care versus usual care study is designed as a single-centre, randomised, feasibility trial of 50 patients with heart failure aged 18 to 65 and clinician-determined New York Heart Association class II/III or American College of Cardiology stage B/C HF, recruited in Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran, Iran. This intervention contains 6 weekly educational webinars and concurrent WhatsApp® group activities. Program feasibility and acceptability will be assessed by measuring the recruitment, attrition, and questionnaire completion rates; satisfaction and attitudes about the intervention will be measured via a telephone-based interviews. Secondary outcomes of Qol, mood status and number of emergency department visits will be measured with validated instruments. Participants in both groups will be followed up for 6 weeks, and the measures will be re-administered. Appropriate statistical tests will be used to analyse the data. Conclusion: This is the first early tele-palliative care intervention designed for heart failure patients in Iran. The intervention has been developed by a multidisciplinary team of academic and clinical professionals with patient stakeholder input to create a rigorous and culturally responsive approach for palliative care delivery for heart failure patients in Iran. Trial registration: IRCT registration number - IRCT20100725004443N29.

The Effect of Simulation Teaching on Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Self-confidence Related to Peripheral Venous Catheterization in Children: A Randomized Trial.

INTRODUCTION: In recent decades, nursing instructors have tended to use simulation rather than traditional methods due to benefits such as increased self-confidence. However, little academic literature is available to verify this claim. The procedure of establishing peripheral venous catheterization in pediatric patients is of great importance. Therefore, the researchers attempted to review the effect of the simulation teaching method on nursing students' self-confidence related to peripheral venous catheterization in pediatric patients. METHODS: In this trial, 45 students in the 5(th) and 6(th) semester of nursing school in the first half of school year 2012 from the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, were randomly assigned to three groups (a control group, and two intervention groups). They were trained in establishing peripheral venous catheterization in pediatric patients through simulation teaching method and practical training. The students' self-confidence was assessed by C-Scale before and after the intervention. RESULTS: The students' self-confidence score showed a significant increase in the simulation group after the intervention in comparison to other groups (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: RESULTS revealed a significant increase in self-confidence of nursing students related to peripheral venous catheterization in pediatric patients by simulation. This substantiates the assertion that simulation can improve self-confidence. Due to the low sample size, further studies with larger population are suggested.