Applying professional values: the perspective of nurses of Isfahan hospitals.

Applying professional values is an important issue in nursing practice. It is also crucial to find out nurses' perspectives toward ethical and professional values in the clinical environment. For this purpose, we aimed to utilize a standard tool to survey perspectives on applying these values in nursing care in hospitals of Isfahan, Iran. This is a descriptive-analytical study in which 150 nurses working in hospitals of Isfahan, Iran in 2010 were recruited by quota convenience sampling, and their perspectives on professional values were assessed. Data were collected by the Nurses Professional Values Scale (NPVS) and analyzed using SPSS Software version 16 applying descriptive and interpretive statistics. In the present study, 84% of the participants were female and 88% had bachelor's degree in nursing. The average age was 34.2 (SD=7.3), and the average years of working in a hospital were 11 (SD=7.3). No significant association was present between demographic characteristics such as age, sex, educational level or work records and applying professional and ethical values. Results also demonstrated that respect for professional values is similar among nurses of different employment types. In this study, we addressed the most and the less important professional values specified by nurses with different types of employment and also different experiences. Iranian nurses believe in respecting the legal and ethical rights of patients as the most prominent value in the nursing profession. We suggest that these professional values be specified and assessed based on Iranian culture.

Comparing the preventive effect of 2 percent topical lidocaine and intravenous atropine on oculocardiac reflex in ophthalmological surgeries under general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: The current study aimed to determine preventive effect of 2 percent topical xylocaine on oculocardiac reflex in ophthalmological surgeries except strabismus, including retinal detachment and vitrectomy with scleral buckling under general anesthesia. METHODS: A randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out on 150 patients aged 18-90 years undergoing ophthalmological surgeries under general anesthesia. Samples randomly divided into the experimental group (received four drops of 2 percent topical xylocaine instilled in desired eye) and control group (received 0.5 mg atropine sulfate injection). Systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure of patients and baseline heart rate were recorded. They were compared regarding the incidence of bradycardia, heart rate less than 60 beats/minute, hypotension and blood pressure less than 90 mm/Hg. Data were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 20 using Chi-square and ANOVA. RESULTS: The difference between two groups was not statistically significant regarding demographic and basic variables. The incidence of bradycardia in both groups was respectively (90.7 percent vs. 17.3 percent), heart rate less than 60 beats/minute (40 percent vs. 13.3 percent), hypotension (76 percent vs. 32 percent) and blood pressure less than 90 mmHg was (28 percent vs. 8 percent). Accordingly, the differences between both groups were statistically significant (P > 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The preventive impact of topical xylocaine upon oculocardiac reflex in ophthalmological surgeries such as retinal detachment and vitrectomy with scleral buckling under general anesthesia was less effective than that of atropine injection. Therefore, to avoid this reflex in high-risk patients, injecting atropine would be safer.

Comparing the analgesic effect of intravenous acetaminophen and morphine on patients with renal colic pain referring to the emergency department: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Kidney stone is normally treated by opioids with a variety of side-effects including hypotension, respiratory depression and apnea, nausea and vomiting. Regarding less complications of intravenous acetaminophen, we aimed to compare it with intravenous morphine in management of renal colic pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled clinical trial was applied with a convenience sampling method, as 124 patients suffering from renal colic pain were randomly assigned into two groups of 62 patients. Pain was assessed using visual analog scale ruler. Results were analyzed by SPSS.18 using the descriptive statistic, Chi-square, ANOVA, independent t-test and logistic regression. RESULTS: According to the findings, 84 subjects (67.7%) were male. The mean age of participants were 39.06 (11.58). The mean of pain scores were not significantly different between two groups before administration of drugs (P = 0.415), while the more pain relief was achieved in morphine group after the intervention. Sex and age as influencing factors did not develop a significant difference in both groups. About the adverse effects, morphine had more complications and both groups showed a significant difference in occurrence of dizziness (P = 0.000) and hypotension (P = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Comparing intravenous morphine and acetaminophen in renal colic pain reviled that morphine can develop greater pain relief, but more complications such as dizziness and hypotension. Acetaminophen can be also be effective in renal colic pain, so it is concluded that acetaminophen can be administered as a less harmful drug for patients with renal colic pain.