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BACKGROUND: Individual and social concerns can negatively affect nurses' mental health during a large-scale earthquake's early stages, making it challenging to perform their professional responsibilities. AIM: This cross-sectional correlational study aimed to examine the relationship between depression, anxiety, and stress levels Turkish nurses experienced during an earthquake's early period. The nurses participating in this study were not directly present in the earthquake-affected area. METHODS: The study was conducted on 232 nurses between February 10 and 25, 2023. The data were collected using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress-21 Scale and the Job Performance Evaluation Form developed by the researchers through a literature review. These were used to investigate nurses' work motivation changes due to the earthquake. The study followed the STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: The participants' depression levels were severe, anxiety levels were extremely severe, and stress levels were moderate following the earthquake. Nurses who felt exhausted experienced reduced energy levels toward their work and reported a decrease in their desire, effort, and work motivation to perform well. In addition, they had higher depression, anxiety, and stress scores (p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: Psychological difficulties, including depression, anxiety, and stress experienced by nurses not directly present in an earthquake-affected area, reduced their professional efforts and motivation and negatively affected the patient care process. Further studies should focus on conducting comparative studies in different cultures affected by natural disasters on the longitudinal analysis of the impacts of nurses' psychological distress on their job performance. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Nursing policymakers should be aware of the negative psychological effects experienced by nurses during the early post-earthquake period, even if they are not directly present in the earthquake-affected area. The study recommended that nurses should be provided with psychological support to deal with the negative effects of natural disasters and maintain job performance, including the nursing care process.
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OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of zinc oxide versus barrier creams for the maintenance of skin integrity in intensive care patients with a risk of pressure injury (PI). METHODS: This was a retrospective and cross-sectional study. The authors included data from 95 patients treated in the neurology and respiratory ICUs of a training and research hospital between January and June 2022. Patients in the neurology ICU were treated with zinc oxide cream (group 1, n = 48), and patients in the respiratory ICU received classic barrier cream (group 2, n = 47). Sociodemographic characteristics and PI data (Braden Scale score, Pressure Ulcer Healing Assessment Scale [PUSH] score, and PI stage) were obtained from each patient's file. RESULTS: The mean PUSH score of the patients who received zinc oxide cream was 3.83 ± 4.39 at discharge versus 6.79 ± 4.40 for the group who received barrier cream. When PUSH scores and PI stages during hospitalization and discharge were compared, the authors found a statistically significant between-group difference in mean discharge scores (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this retrospective study based on patient records, zinc oxide creams had more positive effects on the prevention of PIs than barrier creams.
