The Psychosocial Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Primary School Children of Health Professionals.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, health professionals had to spend much of their time working in hospitals, which may have caused psychological distress to their children. This study was in the form of a case study pattern, one of the qualitative research methods aimed to identify the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the primary school children of health professionals. Its sample consisted of health professionals (n = 60) and their children (n = 60), who were all at primary school. Data were collected from the parents using a questionnaire, and from the children by asking them to create drawings and explain them. Descriptive and content analysis were carried out. The findings were grouped under the headings of "Spatial and Social Effects on the Child's Daily Life," "Effects on the Child's Emotions," and "Effects on the Parent From the Child's Perspective." It is recommended that interventions to maintain the psychosocial well-being of children be planned.

Alarm fatigue among nurses working in intensive care and other inpatient clinics.

BACKGROUND: Alarm fatigue is an important technological hazard that adversely affects patient safety and the healthcare team. Nurses can be exposed to an excessive amount of alarms during their work which may lead to alarm fatigue. OBJECTIVE: To determine the experiences of alarm fatigue among nurses working in intensive care units and other inpatient clinics. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted in university hospitals in five cities in Turkey between August and December 2019. A total of 592 nurses participated in this study. The data was collected using questionnaires and the Visual Analog Scale (0 to 10 points) was used to determine the level of alarm fatigue. RESULTS: More than half of the nurses experienced problems, especially false alarms, caused by devices. Alarm fatigue decreased with increasing age and working years. Nurses reported appropriate actions in solving problems, but also had practices that may increase the risk of error, such as turning off or muting alarms or turning off equipment. CONCLUSION: Alarm fatigue is mostly caused by false alarms. It can lead to physical fatigue, increased workload and decreased concentration, resulting in an increased possibility of error. Management of alarm fatigue is necessary in preventing a compromise in patients' safety and improving quality of care.

Sleep Problems in Individuals With Intestinal Stomas and Determining the Quality of Sleep: A Multicenter Study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine sleep problems and the sleep quality of individuals with intestinal stomas. DESIGN: Descriptive quantitative design was used. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: The research was carried out from September 2018 to September 2019 at 3 university hospitals with stoma units located in Ankara, Turkey. The study sample comprised 222 individuals with intestinal ostomies who were being monitored in these 3 centers. Approximately half (N = 113, 50.9%) had an ileostomy and 68.5% (N = 152) had a temporary stoma. More than half of the participants (N = 116, 52.3%) reported current sleep problems, 59.5% (N = 132) reported that their stoma affected their sleep, and 64% (N = 142) had problems at night due to their stomas, reporting that they woke up frequently during their main sleep period due to ostomy-related problems. METHODS: Three instruments were used to measure study outcomes: the researcher-designed instrument determining the descriptive characteristics of individuals with intestinal stomas, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. RESULTS: The mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was found to be above 5 (13.42, SD: 3.01) indicating poor sleep quality. The mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale score was 7.54 (SD: 6.37) indicating that participants had daytime sleepiness. The mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores of participants with ileostomies ( P = .002) and those with temporary stomas ( P = .009) were found to be significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings indicate that individuals with intestinal stomas have poor sleep quality and problems with daytime sleepiness; those with ileostomies and temporary stomas had the worst quality of sleep.

Determination of thermal comfort among nurses working with personal protective equipment in COVID-19 clinics.

AIMS: This study aimed to determine thermal comfort among nurses working with personal protective equipment in COVID-19 clinic. METHODS: In this study, a descriptive design was carried out between June and September 2020. Sample of the study consisted of 246 nurses (77.6%) who worked in the COVID-19 clinics with personal protective equipment. We used a questionnaire to determine thermal comfort of nurses; a follow-up form to determine the factors affecting thermal comfort; and the ASHRAE Thermal Sensation Scale. Four measurements and follow-ups were made three times. RESULTS: More than half of nurses complained of ambient temperature and ventilation, one-third complained of humidity and nearly half complained of poor air quality. The mean thermal comfort score of nurses working in COVID-19 clinics was 1.19 (SD = 0.75). The thermal comfort of the nurses was negatively affected in all measurements except before wearing personal protective equipment. The highest scores were measured leaving the patient room and before removing personal protective equipment (M = 2.65, SD = 0.58). CONCLUSION: The thermal comfort, work performance and stress levels of the nurses were negatively affected by working with personal protective equipment. This study reveals the necessity of improving the working conditions of nurses, including working hours, environment and personal protective equipment.

Factors Affecting the Thermal Comfort of Perioperative Personnel in the OR.

Thermal comfort is an important component of any work setting and can be difficult to achieve in the complex OR environment. This comparative descriptive study sought to identify factors affecting the thermal comfort of perioperative personnel in the OR (N = 68). Researchers used the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Thermal Sensation Scale and researcher-developed surveys to collect data. The mean reported thermal comfort level was -0.44 (standard deviation 1.3), which is within acceptable parameters. Factors affecting thermal comfort were gender, professional role, and wearing additional clothing. Additionally, participants who complained about temperature or ventilation were less likely to report thermal comfort levels in the normal range. Health care facility leaders should consider the comfort needs of perioperative personnel when making purchasing decisions about ventilation systems and surgical clothing; however, they also should consider other factors (eg, surgeon comfort, permeability of protective clothing to blood and other body fluids).

Correlates of Ageism Among Health Care Professionals Working With Older Adults.

INTRODUCTION: The changing proportion of older adults in society necessitates the need to determine the attitudes of health care professionals toward older adults. The purpose of this study was to explore attitudes of ageism and its correlates among health care professionals working with older adults. METHOD: This descriptive study was conducted in seven hospitals in five cities in Turkey. A total of 628 health care professionals participated in this study. The Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA) was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, student's t test, one-way analysis of variance and multivariate linear regression were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean total score from the FSA was 56.9 ( SD = 8.0). Education (ß = -.18, p < .001) and difficulty with the care of older adults (ß = -.10, p < .05) were statistically significant predictors of the FSA score. CONCLUSIONS: The attitudes of health care professionals toward older adults were generally positive and affected by difficulty in providing care and the educational status of the health care professionals.

[Reporting of Nursing Care Preventing Surgical Site Infection in Colorectal Cancer Patients with Omaha System]. / Kolorektal Kanser Hastalarinda Cerrahi Alan Enfeksiyonunu Önleyen Hemsirelik Bakiminin Omaha Sistemi ile Raporlandirilmasi.

AIM: To manage and document the nursing care process related to Surgical Site Infection and control in colorectal cancer patient using the Turkish-Nightingale Notes (T-NN) program and test the usability of the program. METHOD: The sample of the study consisted of 30 patients who underwent colorectal surgery in a university hospital between 1 March and 31 October 2015. All nursing care data provided at hospital and during discharge are coded into the NN program based on the Omaha System. Analyzes were performed using descriptive statistical tests in the SPSS 22 program. RESULTS: The 56.7% of patients were women and 43.3% were men. Four patients in thirty were diagnosed by surgical site infection (13.3%). The nine nursing problems were chosen from the T-NN program were 51.1% "Skin", 13,2% "Communicable/infectious Condition", 9.4% "Nutrition" and 0.2% "Sexuality". In the solution of the problems, "Teaching Guidance, and Counseling; Treatments and Procedures; Case Management and Surveillance initiatives were used. Nursing care/ patient outcomes were assessed at the level of "Knowledge", "Behavior" and "Status". Significant improvement was observed at the level of "Knowledge" and "Behavior" in the patients who underwent surgery for potential problems at all levels in patients who developed Surgical Site Infection (CAE) (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Turkish-Nightingale Notes (T-NN) program was sufficient to describe the nursing care process for CAE in colorectal surgery patients. T-NN program could be used by infection control nurses. It was suggested that the program be used in different units and with different problems and samples. These efforts can provide the opportunity to use common language in nursing, to base evidence of nursing practices and to reveal the value of nursing care.

Factors Affecting Wound Healing in Individuals With Pressure Ulcers: A Retrospective Study.

Owing to the number and severity of concomitant factors, pressure ulcers remain a significant problem. A retrospective study of data from adult patients with a pressure ulcer was conducted to identify factors that may affect their healing. Data from patients who were hospitalized between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015, in a private Turkish university hospital who had a Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, or unstageable pressure ulcer that was assessed using the Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT) were abstracted. The following variables were examined: demographic characteristics (gender, age, hospital unit, duration of hospitalization), health status and disease data (vital signs, mobility, nutrition, diagnosis, chronic diseases, medication), laboratory values (albumin, hemoglobin, blood glucose), and pressure ulcer characteristics (stage, location, healing status, duration) and pressure ulcer risk status as determined by patient Braden Scale score. Seventy-eight (78) patient records were identified. Patient mean age was 70.8 ± 13.47 years, and length of hospitalization was on average 32.52 ± 27.2 days. Most ulcers (62; 79.5%) were Stage 2 and located in the sacral area (59; 75.6%). Thirty-four (34) patients (43.6%) were discharged and 44 (56.4%) died. At the time of discharge or death, 65.4% of the ulcers had not healed. Patients whose wounds were healed were significantly more likely to have higher hemoglobin and mean arterial pressure, better mobility, received oral nutrition, and discharged from the hospital than patients whose ulcers did not heal. The results suggest that these variables, including Braden Scale and BWAT scores, might be considered when developing a treatment plan of care. Additional studies examining risk factors for nonhealing pressure ulcers, including studies with large samples to facilitate multivariate analyses, are needed.

The Effects of Workload and Working Conditions on Operating Room Nurses and Technicians.

This study was conducted between August 15 and September 20, 2013, to determine the effects of workload and working conditions on operating room (OR) nurses and technicians. The study sample included 74 OR nurses and technicians working in a private university's six hospitals. The Individual Workload Perception Scale and a questionnaire that collected data on risk and environmental factors were used. The mean age of study participants was 29.3 ± 6.7 years, and 62.2% of the participants were female. More than 90% of the nurses and technicians had experienced spills or splashing of blood or other body fluids; anesthetic gases and radiation had affected 63.5% and 71.6% of nurses and technicians, respectively; 63.5% reported lumbar pain; and 46.6% defined the work environment as very stressful. The average workload scale score was 32.4 ± 6.2 (min = 11, max = 55). OR nurses and technicians are exposed to many occupational risks.

Oncology nurses awareness of drug interactions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine oncology nurses awareness of drug interactions. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted with nurses working in the oncology clinics who are a member of Oncology Nursing Association of Turkey. A total of 115 nurses (response rate %20) were responded to the online survey that consists of 28 questions. RESULTS: The mean age of the nurses was 33 ± 6.8. The majority of nurses work in university hospital (60%) as a clinical nurse (62.6%) and have a Bachelor Degree in Nursing (63.5%). The mean working years in oncology was 4 years. Half of them stated receiving information on drug interactions mostly through in-service education and courses/congresses in last 5 years. The majority of them (84.3%) indicated that they are considering the possibility of drug interactions when they are scheduling the medication administration time. More than half of the responders (59.1%) encountered drug interactions; however, few explored drug interactions with food, drinks, and nutritional supplements. Their practices to assess possibility of drug interactions were reviewing the drug prospectus (78.3%); consulting with their colleagues (58.3%) and searching on the available website (42.6%) and looking at the drug interaction (39.1%). More than half (65.2%) stated lack of any system to identify drug interactions in their workplace. Nearly half of them indicated to including the drug interaction into patient education mostly for food-drug (73.9%) and drug-drug (63.5%) interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all indicated the needs for further education on drug interactions and suggested to have guideline/packet guide.

Reliability and validity of a Turkish language version of the Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate content and construct validity of a Turkish language version of the Bates Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT) as well as its internal consistency and interrater reliability. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: The study was conducted in 13 intensive care units that included patients with pressure ulcers; the units were located in a university hospital in Central Anatolia, Turkey. The sample comprised 70 nurses and 20 patients who have stage II, III, and IV pressure ulcers. METHODS: Data were collected between January and April 2011. Content validity was measured using the Davis Technique. The BWAT was scored by 2 groups, nurses with expertise in wound care and staff nurses. An expert nurse and a ward nurse conducted pressure ulcer evaluation on the same patient consecutively in order to determine interrater reliability. We also measured internal consistency via the Cronbach α. RESULTS: The content validity agreement rate was 0.82. The interrater reliability of the instrument was 0.82; its internal consistency calculated via the Cronbach α was 0.85. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study support the Turkish language version of the BWAT as possessing content validity, interrater reliability and internal consistency.

Determining the effectiveness of illustrated communication material for communication with intubated patients at an intensive care unit.

Communication with non-speaking patients in intensive care unit is stress for both nurse and patients. Semi-experimental study that took place at a University Hospital was to develop illustrated material for patient communication and determine its effectiveness. The study sample consisted of 90 intubated patients at the Adult Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit who had undergone open heart surgery. The patients were divided into the intervention and control groups. Data analysis was with descriptive statistics and the χ(2) test. The illustrated communication material was stated to be helpful by 77.8% and partially helpful by 22.2% of the intervention group patients regarding the communication between the health-care staff and the patients. Control group patients had more difficulties communicating with the health-care staff. Illustrated communication material was an effective method in communicating with intubated patients.

Effectiveness of an education program to prevent nurses' low back pain: an interventional study in Turkey.

This study was undertaken to evaluate an education program to prevent low back pain among nurses. This interventional study used a one-group, pretest/posttest design and was conducted in four hospitals in Bolu, Turkey. Nurses' knowledge was assessed before and after training; 60 nurses were evaluated while performing five procedures that can lead to low back pain using an observation form. These forms were given to the nurses 3 months after the training to assess their knowledge and observations of the five specified behaviors were repeated. The mean knowledge and procedures scores of the nurses were higher just after and 3 months after the training compared to before training.

Testicular cancer awareness and testicular self-examination among university students.

BACKGROUND: This study was planned to determine the knowledge of testicular cancer (TC), risk factors and testicular self-examination (TSE) among university students. METHODS: A survey study was conducted at a university located in Ankara, Turkey with 634 male students. RESULTS: Almost half of them (44%) heard TC during their education and life but majority of participants has lack of knowledge about sign and symptoms of TC. Only 5.9 % of them (n = 38) indicated they received information on TSE and 17.7 % have performed the practice of TSE before; only one in a forth (n=21) performed monthly. The reason for not doing TSE was mostly (83.4%) 'not having knowledge' and 'not seen as important' (55.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Adding the education on TC, risk factors and TSE into their curriculum is proposed.

A Turkish version of Kogan's attitude toward older people (KAOP) scale: reliability and validity assessment.

The considerable growth in the elderly population in Turkey has brought with it problems as well as concerns regarding gerontological education for health care professionals. The quality of care provided for older people is directly related to the attitudes of health care professionals. Validated instruments are needed in order to study attitudes toward old people. Aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of a Turkish version of KAOP among faculty of health sciences (health management, nutrition and dietetics, nursing, physical therapy, social workers and sports) students (n=594) at a university. The scale was translated using the back-translation technique. A two-phase data collection design was used. Four weeks following the first completion, another KAOP form was given. Content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and stability reliability were assessed. Scores were between 86 and 175. The study sample reported slightly positive attitudes (132.9 ± 14.74). All of the 34 items were found to have significant item-to-total correlations. The content validity index was 0.94. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.84 for the total scale. The Turkish version of the KAOP can be considered reliable and valid scale for assessing the attitudes toward older people.

Low back pain: prevalence and associated risk factors among hospital staff.

AIM: This paper is a report of a study conducted to describe the prevalence and risk factors for lower back pain amongst a variety of Turkish hospital workers including nurses, physicians, physical therapists, technicians, secretaries and hospital aides. BACKGROUND: Hospital workers experience more low back pain than many other groups, the incidence varies among countries. Work activities involving bending, twisting, frequent heavy lifting, awkward static posture and psychological stress are regarded as causal factors for many back injuries. METHOD: A 44-item questionnaire was completed by 1600 employees in six hospitals associated with one Turkish university using a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected over nine months from December 2005 to August 2006 and analysed using Chi square and multivariate logistic regression techniques. FINDINGS: Most respondents (65.8%) had experienced low back pain, with 61.3% reporting an occurrence within the last 12 months. The highest prevalence was reported by nurses (77.1%) and the lowest amongst secretaries (54.1%) and hospital aides (53.5%). In the majority of cases (78.3%), low back pain began after respondents started working in the hospital, 33.3% of respondents seeking medical care for 'moderate' low back pain while 53.8% (n = 143) had been diagnosed with a herniated lumbar disc. Age, female gender, smoking, occupation, perceived work stress and heavy lifting were statistically significant risk-factors when multivariate logistic regression techniques were conducted (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Preventive measures should be taken to reduce the risk of lower back pain, such as arranging proper rest periods, educational programmes to teach the proper use of body mechanics and smoking cessation programmes.

Determination of the usage of body mechanics in clinical settings and the occurrence of low back pain in nurses.

This explorative study was designed to identify the usage of body mechanics in clinical settings and the occurrence of low back pain in nurses. The sample was composed of 56 nurses who work on the medical, surgical, emergency and intensive care units of a state hospital in Bolu, Turkey. Data collected through observation and interviews were evaluated using percentages, Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results of the study showed that the majority of the nurses (87.5%) experienced low back pain at some time in their lives. Among the contributing factors for back pain, the relationship between wearing high heels, heavy lifting and back pain was significant statistically. According to the observations, the majority of the nurses used body mechanics correctly while sitting (53.6%), standing (58.7%), carrying (64.3%), pulling or pushing (79.4%), moving the patient to the side of the bed without an assistant (53.4%), moving the patient to a sitting position in bed (71.4%) and assisting the patient to a standing position (66.6%). However 57.1% of the nurses lifted and 82% extended incorrectly. The conclusion from this research was that some of the nurses do not use body mechanics correctly and the majority have low back pain.