An assessment of informal caregivers' knowledge levels on daily and emergency care practices for the elderly: A descriptive cross-sectional study.

This study was aimed to determine knowledge level of informal caregivers daily care, emergency situations and the effect of the socio-demographic characteristics of informal caregivers on their knowledge levels. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between November 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, with 83 (79.8 %) informal caregivers living in rural areas in northeast Türkiye. The data were collected using the Barthel Index for Activities of Daily Living, the Socio-Demographic Questionnaire, and the Questionnaire for Information on Elderly Care and Situations Requiring Emergency Care. 54 (65.1 %) of caregivers were women, 74 (89.2 %) did not receive training on the daily care of the elderly. A statistically significant difference was determined between the level of knowledge of caregivers about elderly care, caring experience for the elderly and emergency situations, their education level, and their perceptions of needing further information about elderly care (p < 0.05). Informal care givers should be trained by nurses.

Nurse Perceptions of Knowledge and Preparedness for Disasters.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the level of knowledge and perceptions of preparedness for disasters among nurses working in a tertiary university hospital. METHOD: The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of nurses working in a university hospital in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey (n = 340). The sample included 183 nurses who were determined using the OpenEpi program and the universal sampling method. The data were collected using the Sociodemographic Information Form and the Disaster Preparedness Perception Scale in Nurses (DPPSN) and analyzed using SPSS 22 software. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 34.31 + 8.52 years; 83.1% were female, 66.1% had at least a bachelor's degree and worked in a surgical ward, 49.7% had been working for at least 11 years, and 58.5% had received training on disasters. Those who received disaster-related training received it mostly face to face (70.1%) from their institutions (91.6%) and in the form of 2-4 hours of training (75.7%); 52.5% had previously participated in a disaster-related drill, and 83.1% took on the role of caregiver during a disaster. The DPPSN mean score of the nurses involved in the study was found to be 3.53 ± 0.58 out of 5 points for the total scale. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that nurses considered themselves partially adequate for disaster preparedness, in general.

Demographic characteristics, clinical findings and functional status in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the demographic features, clinical findings and functional status in patients presenting with fibromyalgia syndrome. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted between May 1 and August 1, 2017, and comprised fibromyalgia syndrome patients who were followed up at the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Polyclinic of Bingöl State Hospital, Bingöl, Turkey. Data collection was done using a predesigned questionnaire. It consisted of two parts. In the first part, patients were asked questions including their socio-demographic characteristics. In the second part, visual analogue scale and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire were applied for evaluating pain intensity and function. RESULTS: Of the 136 patients, 101(74.3%) had no sleeping pattern and 88(64.7%) were restricted in activities of daily living. Pain complaints were lasting for a mean period of 5.0±5.1 years and the diagnosis version was 3.8±3.2 years. The mean score of the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire was 53.3±15.3 and 125(91.9%) patients had a mild level. The mean score of visual analogue scale was 5.1±3.0 and 50(36.8%) patients had severe pain. Fibromyalgia impact questionnaire score of illiterate individuals was significantly higher than others (p<0.05), and the score of low-income individuals was higher than the others (p<0.05). Individuals with high income had the lowest score (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with fibromyalgia had a better course of illness when their education and socio-economic status were in good condition, and the complications of pain and illness were further reduced.

Nurses interventions to reduce unwanted noise.

The study evaluated the nurses' interventions to reduce unwanted noise. This hospital-based, descriptive study was conducted at a Training Hospital in the Eastern part of Turkey, Trabzon, between 15-30 January 2016. It was participated by 248 volunteer nurses. Nurses express the noise of visitors (96.3%) on the first rank among the kinds of noise. The results of the study showed that most of the nurses were determined to use "a picture hanging technique on the wall" (53.2%) for preventing noise. No significant correlation was found between the descriptive characteristics of the nurses and nursing interventions to prevent noise (p> 0.05). A significant difference was found between the nurses working in internal medicine and surgical service in terms of the effect of noise on their work (p <0.05).

Knowledge of Turkish mothers with children in the 0-13 age group about cancer symptoms.

BACKGROUND: There have been few studies in Turkey on the incidence of childhood cancers. A mother's knowledge about signs and symptoms of cancer is important for early diagnosis, effective treatment, and improvement of life expectancy. This study was conducted with a group of mothers of children, aged 0-13, at a Family Health Center (FHC) in Turkey's Eastern Black Sea Region, to analyze their knowledge about cancer symptoms in childhood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group of this descriptive/cross-sectional research comprised 2,061 mothers, ages 19-49, at an FHC in the Eastern Black Sea Region in February 1, 2011 - June 1, 2011. Before the study, permission was obtained from the local ethics board and the institutions concerned. A value of p<0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the mothers, 34.9% were between the ages of 40-47, 40.5% had three children, 73.8% had no experience with children with cancer, 45.9% said they learned about cancer on television, 39.7% stated that the primary reason for childhood cancer was the mother's smoking during pregnancy, 68.8% said that early diagnosis would save a child, and 98% wanted to learn about childhood cancer. CONCLUSION: It was determined that the mothers' knowledge of cancer was deficient.

Genitourinary infection prevalence among women who used an intrauterine device or oral contraceptives.

PURPOSE: The study aimed at investigating genitourinary infection prevalence among women who used an intrauterine device (IUD) and oral contraceptives (OC) in relation with their socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS: The study was conducted at the Mother and Child Health and Family Planning center between October 2011 and February 2012 and included 81 women who used IUD, 84 who used OC, and 84 who did not use artificial contraceptive methods (coitus interruptus). RESULTS: It was found that there was a difference between the three groups in terms of urinary system infection (X (2) = 9.85, p = 0.000) and genital infection (X (2) = 8.29, p = 0.001). It was also observed that urinary infection was more common in the OC group, whereas genital infection was more common in the IUD group. In urinary culture, it was seen that Enterobacter species was the most common microorganism among the group who used an IUD, while Escherichia coli was the most common microorganism in the group who used OC and the control. In vaginal cultures, Candida albicans was determined to be the first isolated microorganism among the group who used OC, IUD, and the control. CONCLUSION: It is believed that the most significant reason for genitourinary infections among women was inadequate hygiene practices rather than use of different contraception methods.

Impact of home education on levels of perceived social support for caregivers of cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The healthcare needs of cancer patients are complex and persons involved in their caregiving process are faced with many issues that need to be addressed. The entire family and particularly the person taking on responsibility for patient care develop expectations from healthcare professionals, especially nurses. OBJECTIVE: The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of a home education program provided to caregivers of cancer patients on the level of their perceived social support and problems in caregiving. INTERVENTIONS/ METHODS: The caregivers of thirty seven cancer patients of 2,400 registered people in a family center were given an educational program in this descriptive and cross-sectional study twice a week for a month during the period of March 2011 - April 2011. RESULTS: Of all caregivers, 56.8% were between the ages 36-40, 94.5% were female, 91.9% had received no education on caregiving, 81.0% stated that they mostly felt physically and mentally inadequate in their caregiving. Perceived Social Support from the family indicated a significant difference at 8.05 ± 4.38 before and 11.7 ± 4.97 after the education. A comparison of the mean scores of caregivers on emotional issues before and after the education revealed the following: spiritual distress scores were 2.54 ± 0.69 before and 2.44 ± 0.43 after the education; hopelessness scores, 2.24 ± 0.59 before and 2.23 ± 0.38 after the education; ineffective individual coping was 3.89 ± 1.42 before and 2.45 ± 0.59 after the education; competing needs in decision-making were 3.54 ± 0.69 before and 2.10 ± 1.24 after the education; depressive feeling were 3.01±1.53 before and 2.02 ± 0.99 after the education (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Positive effects of home education on levels of perceived social support and caregiving problems of caregivers of cancer patients were observed. Home educational programs for caregivers of cancer patients are important for both better understanding of the requirements of their patients and themselves.