The Effect of Laughter Yoga on the Psychological Resilience and Sleep Quality of Nurses During the Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses frequently experienced psychological health problems such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and stress. These problems have reduced the psychological health of nurses. Primary Objective: This study aims to reveal the effect of laughter yoga on the psychological resilience and sleep quality of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: This randomized controlled trial study was carried out using an experimental research design with pre- and post-tests, including a control group. Setting: This study was conducted on nurses working in a hospital in Erzurum, located in the northeastern part of Turkey. Participants: The study involved 90 nurses, including 46 in the experimental group and 44 in the control group, between October and December 2021. Intervention: As an intervention, laughter yoga sessions were held online on Zoom for nurses in the experimental group. The experimental group was divided into three groups of 17, 17, and 16 individuals. Eight sessions of laughter yoga (two days a week for four weeks) were offered to nurses in the experimental group. Primary Outcome Measures: The Introductory Question Form, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used for data collection. Results: Laughter yoga significantly improved the resilience levels and sleep quality of the experimental group (P < .05). Conclusion: Laughter yoga can be used to improve the resilience and sleep quality of nurses.

The relationship between nurses' work stress levels and work-family conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic and the affecting factors: A study from Turkey.

PURPOSE: High work-family conflict affects nurses' physical, mental and psychological health and reduces their job satisfaction and performance. This study was conducted to determine the effect of work stress experienced by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic on family life and the factors affecting work stress and work-family conflict. METHOD: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on 820 nurses who agreed to participate in the research working in a hospital serving only patients with confirmed COVID-19 in a province in eastern Turkey. RESULTS: It was found that the average PJSS score of the nurses included in the study was 3.26 ± 0.56; the average WAFCS score was 3.00 ± 0.81. It was found that there was a moderately positive, statistically significant relationship between the PJSS and WAFCS average scores for the nurses, and the impact of work stress on the levels of work-family conflict was 28 % (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: It was determined that the work stress levels of the nurses included in the study were at a level that could threaten their health, the conflict levels in work-family life were high, and the conflict levels in work and family life increased as the levels of work stress increased.

Prevention of microbial colonization of feeding tubes in the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Various microorganisms which increase the mortality rate in the intensive care unit (ICU) cause microbial colonization of the nasogastric tube (NGT) and use the NGT as a reservoir. AIM: To detect the colonization on the NGT and to determine the effect that training regarding hand hygiene, NGT management, and enteral feeding (EF) provided to ICU nurses and auxiliary service staff (ASS) has on the level of NGT colonization. STUDY DESIGN: A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test control design was used in this study. Microbial samples were taken from the outer and inner parts of NGT. The microorganisms were categorized as: group 1, no risk; group 2, low risk pathogenic; group 3, high-risk pathogenic group. The training was given to nurses (n = 15) and ASS (n = 7). Hand hygiene, NGT, and EF care training are provided to nurses and ASS by researchers. A total of three training sessions were scheduled to be held in 3 weeks so that all health care staff members were trained. Each session lasted 2 h in total. Patients were assigned to a group if one of the microorganisms presented on the outer surface of the patient's feeding tube and/or on the hub. The hand hygiene compliance was evaluated by direct observation according to the World Health Organization hand hygiene indications. RESULTS: The study was conducted with 46 patients. Evaluating the patients for the presence of microorganisms before education revealed that 4.3% were in group 1, 21.8% were in group 2, and 73.9% were in group 3. After the education, evaluating the samples for the presence of microorganisms revealed that 39.1% were in group 1, 13% were in group 2, and 47.8% were in group 3. A statistically significant difference was found between the number of samples included in the groups after the participants had received training (H = 8.186; p = .017). CONCLUSIONS: An NGT could act as a reservoir of microbial colonization and high-risk microorganisms could be on the tube. Providing training not only to nurses but also to ASS will help reduce the risk of colonization. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Eliminating such colonization with effective hand hygiene during NGT feeding is a cost-effective method. Providing training not only to nurses but also to ASS will help obtain the optimum benefit from patient care.

Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of the Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Scale.

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer is an important public health problem because of its frequent occurence and fatal consequences. Early diagnosis of breast cancer increases the treatment success and survival. For the early diagnosis of breast cancer, women's screening beliefs and attitudes need to be determined. This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Scale to determine patients' beliefs and attitudes regarding breast cancer screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This methodological study was carried out with 261 women. A survey form and the Turkish version of the Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Scale were used in the data collection. Coverage validity was determined by the coverage validity index, and the Davis technique, item-total score correlations, Cronbach alpha evaluation, factor analysis, and AMOS analysis were used. RESULTS: The factor structure of the 13-item Turkish version of the Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Scale was examined. After the factor analysis, a threefactor structure emerged which accounted for 70% of the total variance and has an eigenvalue of over 1.00. In the internal consistency analyses of the scale, item-total score correlation values ranged from 0.37 to 0.90, and no items were extracted from the scale. CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of the Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Scale was found to be a valid and reliable measurement tool in determining the screening beliefs and attitudes of women.

Comparison of the Fear Levels and Sleep Problems of Nurses Working in Wards Where Patients with and without COVID-19 Are Hospitalized: A Study from Turkey.

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to compare the fear levels and sleep problems of nurses working in wards where patients with COVID-19 are hospitalized and nurses working in wards without COVID-19 patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional research was conducted on 211 nurses using a web-based online survey in Turkey (including 104 nurses working in wards where patients with COVID-19/107 nurses working in wards where patients without COVID-19). RESULTS: When the COVID-19 Fear Scale mean scores of the nurses working in wards where patients with/without COVID-19 were compared, it was determined that the difference between the groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). When the sleep problems experienced were compared according to the Post-Sleep Inventory, it was determined that the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05). There was a moderately significant and positive correlation between the nurses' mean scores for the COVID-19 Fear Scale and Post-Sleep Inventory. CONCLUSIONS: It was determined that as the fear levels of nurses increased, they experienced more sleep problems.

Relationship between the social support and psychological resilience levels perceived by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A study from Turkey.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the social support and psychological resilience levels perceived by nurses in Turkey during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study was descriptive and cross-sectional. FINDINGS: The level of social support perceived by the nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic was very good, and the perceived psychological resilience level was moderately good. Moreover, their psychological resilience was found to increase as the social support perceived by them increased. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Psychiatric nurses should determine the social support resources of nurses, especially during the epidemic period. Individual and institutional studies should be conducted to increase nurses' psychological resilience.

Turkish version of the childbirth perception scale: Reliability and validity study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to adapt the Childbirth Perception Scale (CPS) to the Turkish language and to test its validity and reliability. DESIGN AND METHODS: This methodological study was conducted with 240 puerperants. FINDINGS: The confirmatory factor analysis of the index values showed a good fit. The internal consistency coefficients were 0.74 for the delivery perception, 0.65 for the first postpartum week perception and 0.70 for the total. The total correlation of the CPS items and the test-retest correlation showed high-reliability levels. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Based on the study results, the Turkish language version of the CPS is valid and reliable.

The effect of a course on violence against women on the attitudes of student midwives and nurses towards domestic violence against women, their occupational roles in addressing violence, and their abilities to recognize the signs of violence.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a course on violence against women on the attitudes of student midwives and nurses towards violence against women and their abilities to recognize the signs of violence. METHODS: This study used a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with experimental and control groups and was conducted with student midwives and nurses. RESULTS: The results indicated that the difference between pretest and posttest scores averaged across three scales was statistically significant for students in the experimental group (P < 0.001) and not statistically significant for students in the control group ( P > 0.05). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The traditional attitudes of students who enrolled in the course on violence against women decreased, and their levels of knowledge of signs of violence increased.

Prevalence and risk factors for domestic violence against infertile women in a Turkish setting.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors for domestic violence among women seeking infertility treatment at an IVF center. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 423 infertile women who referred to the IVF Center in the southwest of Turkey between 1 January and 31 July 2016. The women were interviewed without their male partners by using the questionnaire and Infertile Women's Exposure to Violence Determination Scale. RESULTS: A total of 306 participants (72%) declared having experienced domestic violence. It was found that 30% of the women exposed to violence stated that they were subject to physical violence, 6% to sexual violence, 62% to emotional violence, and 19% to economic violence. It was determined that the total mean score obtained by the women exposed to violence from Infertile Women's Exposure to Violence Determination Scale was 120.04 ± 12.69 and when it was evaluated based on the total mean scores to be obtained from the scale, level of violence experienced by the women was found to be severe. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of exposure to violence was determined to be high in women included in the study. The most common type of domestic violence is psychological violence.

The validity and reliability of the Antenatal Perceived Stress Inventory Turkish version: A methodological study.

The aim of the authors in this study was to adapt the Antenatal Perceived Stress Inventory developed abroad into Turkish for the evaluation of perceived stress during pregnancy. This study consisted of 350 primigravidas who attended the outpatient clinic of Nenehatun Women's Birth Hospital in Erzurum city in eastern Turkey between 10 March 2015 and 4 January 2016. The Prenatal Distress Scale and Turkish version of the Antenatal Perceived Stress Inventory were used to collect data through face-to-face interviews. The data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows and LISREL software packages. Explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach's alpha coefficients, split-half testing, parallel forms reliability, and test-retest methods were used to determine the validity and reliability of the Antenatal Perceived Stress Inventory. The average age of the participants was 23.51 ± 3.82. The total score average for perceived stress on Turkish version of the Antenatal Perceived Stress Inventory was 2.28 ± 0.90. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the Antenatal Perceived Stress Inventory was 0.70, the item-total point correlations were between 0.36 and 0.56, and the correlation value of the test-retest was 0.98. In the parallel forms reliability conducted to determine the equivalence of the scales, there was a statistically significant correlation between Turkish version of the Antenatal Perceived Stress Inventory and The Prenatal Distress Scale (r = 0.689, p < 0.001). The results of the explanatory factor analysis revealed that a three-factor structure, with factor loadings in the range of 0.36-0.79 explained 43.56% of the total variance. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the validity of the three-factor structure of the scale and that the data fit of the model was acceptable. It was established that the Turkish version of Antenatal Perceived Stress Inventory was a valid and reliable measurement instrument. This scale can be used for the evaluation of perceived stress in Turkish pregnant women.