Introductory Information Research Articles

Factors Affecting Death Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Open Heart Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Study.

After the operation, death anxiety of patients is affected by many factors. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting death anxiety of patients undergoing open heart surgery. A descriptive, cross-sectional study. Data were collected using the 'Introductory Information Form,' the 'Templer's Death Anxiety Scale,' and the 'Spiritual Well-being Scale.' This study was conducted with 313 intensive care patients. The mean scores of the patients on the "Death Anxiety Scale" were moderate (7.96 (4.28)). According to the study findings, age, gender, length of stay in the intensive care unit, and spiritual well-being were found to be important predictors of death anxiety (F (4,308) = 16.149, p < .001). Considering gender differences in nursing care, it is thought that the intensive care period will be shortened, the level of spiritual well-being will increase and death anxiety will decrease.

Effectiveness of maternal-targeted training on nonpharmacologic pain management on heel stick sampling: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundHeel stick sampling, which is a common procedure in newborns, causes acute pain, and parents are aware of this. AimThe current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of maternal-targeted training on newborn pain management, addressing the use of nonpharmacological methods and anxiety. MethodsThe study is 2-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. A total of 64 mothers were included in this study. Mothers were randomly allocated to each group; intervention (n:32) and control (n=:32). Training on nonpharmacological pain management in newborns was given to the mothers in the intervention group. Data were collected with an Introductory Information Form, Nonpharmacological Pain Management Use Checklist, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. ResultsNonpharmacological methods were used for the procedures in the control group and the intervention group, with an absolute difference of 68.8% between groups. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001) and had a large effect (d = −79.222; 95% CI, −9.365 to 670.143. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of anxiety score (p = 0.558). ConclusionDemonstrates the clinical relevance and feasibility of training targeting maternal on neonatal pain management during the heel stick sampling procedure.Practice Implications: When non-pharmacological methods in pain management of newborns were recommended by the nurse, maternal involvement in pain management increased significantly, suggesting that nurses have a key role in ensuring parental involvement.Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05173662.

Determination of Pain Severity and Affected Life Activities of Individuals with Chronic Pain during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period

Background/Aims:: The pandemic period can have negative effects on chronic pain. It is possible that these effects may affect life activities together with pain. The study was conducted to determine the change in pain intensity of individuals with chronic pain during the COVID-19 pandemic and the affected activities of daily living. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with 204 individuals with chronic pain. Data were collected with an Introductory Information Form, a questionnaire about life activities, and a Numerical Rating Scale. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson χ2 and Mann-Whitney-U test. Results: During the pandemic period, it was found that all patients with and without COVID-19 increased the severity of pain. Considering the change in life activities, patients who had COVID 19 during the pandemic period compared to those who did not; It was determined that they had problems in the parenting role, fulfilling their religious beliefs, gaining weight, hygiene activities, dressing-undressing, continuing to work and sexual desires/desires. It was determined that the pandemic period negatively affected the pain intensity of the patients. In addition, it was determined that having COVID 19 damaged many life activities of patients. Conclusions: Considering that the duration of the pandemic is three years, it is thought that this process and being COVID 19 may have long-term effects on the pain levels and life activities of the patients.

The Effect of Nurses' Netlessphobia Levels on Perceived Stress and Job Satisfaction Levels

The present study aimed to determine the impact of nurses' perceived stress and job satisfaction levels in their working lives on the fear of not receiving internet service (Netlessphobia), which is one of the most widely used services in today's living conditions. For this purpose, a total of 34-item questionnaire was prepared including 8-item introductory information form, 12-item Fırat Netlessphobia Scale, 14-item Perceived Stress Scale, and 20-item Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. The population of the descriptive and correlational study was 550 nurses. The data of 373 nurses who met the inclusion criteria were assessed. The data were analyzed using Ver SPSS 25 package program. Along with descriptive statistics (number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, median, minimum, maximum), the reliability was assessed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation and linear regression analysis. For statistical significance, p

The effect of dry heat and dry cold application on pain, anxiety and fear levels before blood sample collection in school age children (7–12 years): A randomized controlled study

BackgroundBlood sampling, which is frequently performed on children admitted to hospital, causes them pain, anxiety and fear. ObjectivesThe study was carried out to determine the effects of dry heat and dry cold application before blood sampling on pain, anxiety and fear levels in school age children. MethodsThe study was conducted between June and January 2021 with a parallel-group randomized controlled experimental design. It was carried out with 117 children who applied to the Pediatric Blood Collection Polyclinic of a training and research hospital. The children were assigned to dry heat application, dry cold application and control group by simple randomization. Data were collected using the Child-Family Introductory Information Form, Wong Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBFPS), Child Fear Anxiety Scale (CFAS) and Medical Procedure Fear Scale (MPFS). In the data analysis, descriptive statistics, the Kruskal-Wallis H test, the Dunn test, Yates correction and the Pearson Chi-Square test were used. A level of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. ResultsIt was found that children who were treated with dry heat and dry cold before blood sampling experienced less pain. The anxiety of the children in the dry heat treatment group was lower than the control group. According to the children's MPFS Operational Fear sub-dimension median scores, procedural fear was found to be lower in the dry heat application group. Practice implicationsPediatric nurses can safely use dry heat and dry cold application in the management of invasive procedure-related pain, and dry heat application in the management of anxiety. Trial registrationThis trial is registered with the US National Institutes of Health (ClinicalTrials.gov) under the number NCT05974319.

A Survey of Student Dropout Analysis Using Machine Learning Approach

Online learning and conventional learning are two important methods that students pursue their educational degrees or expand their knowledge. The enormous rate of dropout of online students and the fact that this rate is still increasing leads to the concern of raise student retention rate. And the large number of conventional student dropout create loss in economics, time and education resources. Therefore, it is important to seek the factor affecting student dropout and investigate effective machine learning-based models on prediction of student dropout. Different factors including the clickstream, academic information, family are discussed, followed by introductory information about current popular machine learning algorithms. According to this comprehensive review, the grade of online learners and the total number of students assessment to courses seem to be the most powerful features and conventional students are affected by social contact and attendance of social activities.

Attitudes of different religions towards breast milk bank: Analysis of 17 countries with data mining

Breast milk is considered the best source of nutrition for infants. The establishment of breast milk banks for infants who cannot consume breast milk has always been a subject of debate from the past to the present. Religious orientations and cultures have shaped positive or negative attitudes towards these debates. This study aimed to determine and compare the attitudes towards breast milk banks in different religions. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from people living in Turkey, Nigeria, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Madagascar, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Iran, Mexico, Japan, England, Malaysia, Albania, Libya, Bangladesh, and Indonesia between May 2022 and April 2023. The study was conducted with individuals from Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, atheism, and other religions. The sample was determined using snowball sampling and the research was carried out with 2714 individuals from different religions who agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected using an Introductory Information Form and a “Questionnaire for Attitudes Towards Breast Milk Bank”. R programming language 4.1.3 was used for regression analysis with machine learning approach and artificial neural networks, and SPSS-25 was used for other statistical analyses. There was a significant difference between the individuals' mean total score on the Questionnaire for Attitudes towards Breast Milk Bank and their religious beliefs (p < 0.05). According to the results of the regression model, which was established to reveal the effect of religious belief on the attitude towards breast milk banks, statistical estimates of the regression model showed that the model was meaningful and applicable (F(5,2708) = 14.749, p = 0.001). Religious belief explained 2.7 % of the total variance in the level of attitudes towards breast milk banks. According to the results of the t-test regarding the significance of the regression coefficient in the regression model, the mean scores regarding the attitude towards breast milk banks were higher among participants from Hinduism (t = 6.971, p < 0.001), Christianity (t = 4.690, p < 0.001), Buddhism (t = 3.442, p < 0.001), and atheism (t = 4.424, p < 0.001) compared to those from Islam (constant). Individuals' attitudes towards breast milk banks differ according to their religions. The most important model in prediction with data mining was K nearest neighbour regression. It was determined that the attitudes of individuals from Islam were more negative than that of individuals from other religions. It is recommended that longitudinal studies be carried out on attitudes towards breast milk banks.

Health Literacy in People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: A Narrative Review

Overall literacy talents comprise an individual’s capacity to read, write and recognise written information (print literacy), articulate and interpret oral language (oral literacy) and interpret and apply for numbers in everyday activities (numeracy). Health literacy, a subset of overall literacy talents, is relatively correlated with it and has been described as the extent to which people can gain, approach, and understand introductory medical information and services required to take health decisions. Concerning HIV, people with low health literacy have less information on the illness and their medical care needs. Moreover, they show poor drug compliance, potentially leading to treatment failure and lack of achievement of the target viral load reduction. The shortfall of non-conceptual models of health literacy is an issue in the utilization of general proficiency instruments. HIV disease-specific health literacy instruments would be more useful and likely to provide more meaningful results rather than those obtained through the use of general instruments. Further exploration of HIV health literacy is demanded. Prospective studies should involve different geographical areas with different socioeconomic characteristics, societal structures and regional healthcare settings. This narrative review has limitations. The vast majority of the HIV research referenced in this study was conducted among the western and African populations with HIV. The studies generally excluded individuals over 50 years of age, restricting the applicability of the study findings.

ÜNİVERSİTE ÖĞRENCİLERİNDE SOSYAL MEDYA BAĞIMLILIĞININ SOSYAL DIŞLANMA İLE İLİŞKİSİ

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between social media addiction and social exclusion among university students. A descriptive and cross-sectional study included 466 university students, reached through social media platforms. Research data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of an introductory information form, the Social Media Addiction Scale-Student Form, and the Ostracism Scale for Adolescents, all prepared using Google Forms. The data obtained from the research were analyzed using the SPSS program. The mean total score on the Social Media Addiction Scale-Student Form for the participating students was 70.75±18.47, while the mean total score on the Ostracism (social exclusion) Scale for Adolescents was 20.36±5.97. It was determined that 45.9% of the students scored above the scale average on the social media addiction scale, and 60.3% scored above the scale average on the social exclusion scale. It was found that social exclusion is a predictor of social media addiction. In preventing social media addiction among university students, creating healthy environments where students can engage in social activities and considering the situation of social exclusion in the provision of psychosocial health services may be beneficial.

The Determination of Knowledge Levels of Women about the Prevention of Gynecological Cancers

Purpose: The aim of this research was to determine the knowledge level of women in the prevention of gynecological cancers. &#x0D; Methods: This descriptive research was conducted with 420 women from May to June 2022. Introductory Information Form and Gynecological Cancer Prevention Information Scale were used to collect of data.&#x0D; Results: The total mean score of the Gynecological Cancer Prevention Information Scale was 14.84±7.90 (min:0, max:35). As a result of this research, it was determined that women's knowledge of protection from gynecological cancers was close to the middle level. This situation was affected by variables such as age, education level, employment status, income level, alcohol use, age of first pregnancy, age of first sexual intercourse, thinking that female cancer is preventable, having regular gynecological examinations, and knowing about cancer screenings.&#x0D; Conclusion: Women's knowledge of prevention from gynecological cancer was not at the expected level. It is essential to emphasize the importance of cancer prevention and early diagnosis in order to reduce cancer-related death rates in the society.

The Effect of Using Virtual Reality Glasses on Anxiety and Fatigue in Women with Breast Cancer Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Pretest-Posttest Randomized Controlled Study

ObjectiveTo determine the effect of using virtual reality glasses on anxiety and fatigue in women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Data SourcesA total of 66 women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. The intervention group watched and listened to beach and nature content with virtual reality glasses for 30 minutes. The control group also received standard care. An Introductory Information Form, the State Anxiety Scale, and the Cancer Fatigue Scale were used for data collection. The scales were administered to the groups before the intervention, followed by practice or standard care, and then the scales were re-administered. All patients were evaluated for each cycle over four cycles. ConclusionIn the intervention group, the mean post-application anxiety scores decreased compared with the mean pretest scores, and the mean posttest anxiety scores decreased from the first cycle to the last cycle. In addition, the mean post-test anxiety scores of the intervention group were found to be lower in all four cycles than the mean post-test anxiety scores of the control group. In the intervention group, the mean post-test fatigue and subscales scores decreased in all cycles compared with the mean pre-test scores. Implications for Nursing PracticeThis research has shown that the use of virtual reality glasses is effective in reducing anxiety and fatigue scale scores and their subscales in patients with breast cancer. For this reason, it is recommended to introduce the use of virtual reality glasses to patients and to present their use according to patients' preferences.

The Effect of Nomophobic Behaviors on Caring Behaviors in Nurses Working in Intensive Care Clinics

Aim: It is known that nomophobia, which occurs as a result of phone addiction, causes individuals to experience more anxiety, depression and sleep problems than usual, and their quality of life and work performance are adversely affected. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of nurses exhibiting nomophobic behaviors on their care behaviors. &#x0D; Material and Methods: This research was conducted in a descriptive and relationship-seeking type. The minimum sample volume to be reached was calculated as 270 according to the known sample formula. The study was conducted with 284 nurses working in intensive care units. The research data were collected with Google Forms in February-May 2022. Introductory information form, Nomophobia Scale Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 were used to collect data. &#x0D; Results: Nomophobia scores were moderate with 90.09±28.47, and caring behaviors scores were high with 124.05±18.49. A low negative correlation (r=-0.178, p

The effect of auditory stimuli on the pain and physiological parameters of children on mechanical ventilation during aspiration procedure: A randomized controlled trial.

The study was conducted to determine the effect of mother's voice and music sound on pain and physiological parameters during aspiration procedure in children with mechanical ventilation support in the pediatric intensive care unit. This study was a randomized controlled type experimental study. According to the power analysis result of the sample of the study, 84 children who were treated in the pediatric intensive care unit of two university hospitals in Istanbul were formed. Introductory Information Form, Ramsey Sedation Scale, Physiological Parameter Form and Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) Pain Scale were used to collect data. When the pain results of the children were evaluated, the mean FLACC Pain Scale value of the children in the control group was found to be significantly higher than children in the mother's voice and music voice group (p < 0.05). It was determined that the lowest FLACC Pain Scale value was in the mother's voice group (p < 0.05). When the physical parameter results were evaluated, it was determined that the physiological measurement values of the children in the experimental group were positively affected (p < 0.05), there was a significant difference between the control group (p < 0.05) and the most effective result was in the mother's voice group (p < 0.05). Allowing children to listen mother's voice and music during aspiration procedure reduces pain of the children, positively affects their physical parameter values and enhances quality of nursing care. The results of this study create a scientific basis for nursing practices in the clinical settings and contribute to the clinical practices by shedding a light on future evidence-based studies.

Turkish Adaptation of Patient Nurse Trust Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study

Objective: This study aims to adapt the Patient-Nurse Trust Scale to Turkish and perform validity and reliability analyses.&#x0D; Methods: This study has been conducted as methodological. It was conducted between February 2021 and June 2021 in a training and research hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. The study was completed with 311 participants. Introductory Information Form, Patient-Nurse Trust Scale, and Trust in Nurses Scale were used for data collection. In addition to descriptive statistics, language validity, content validity, construct validity, criterionrelated validity, discrimination, internal consistency reliability, two-half test reliability, and item analysis methods were used to determine the scale’s psychometric properties.&#x0D; Results: As a result of factor analysis, it was determined that the scale showed a single factor structure, and explained 66.63% of the total variance. Item factor load values were found to vary between .74 and .88. The ratio of the chi-square value to the degrees of freedom (397.496/112) was found to be 3.549. It was found that RMSEA= .09, GFI= .86, IFI= .93, NFI= .91, CFI= .93, and RFI= .87. It was found that the correlations of all items varied between .71 and .87. The Chronbach’s alpha value for the whole scale was calculated as .97. As a result of parallel test analysis, it was determined that there was a significant positive correlation between both scales (r= .301; p= .000).&#x0D; Conclusion: The exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis results of the Turkish version of the scale are acceptable, and their reliability indexes are high.

The Effect of delivery method on optimality level and postpartum comfort in primiparous women

BackgroundDelivery is a normal event in a woman’s life and the most special experience. The delivery method affects the perinatal period as well as the level of postpartum comfort. AimsThis descriptive and cross-sectional study aims to determine the effect of delıvery method on optimality level and postpartum comfort in primiparous women MethodsThe study included 200 women. Data collection tools are the Introductory Information Form prepared by the researcher in line with the literature, the Turkish Adaptation of the Optimality Index, the Postpartum Comfort Scale. FindingsThe optimality index scores of the pregnant women with SVD obtained from PBI is 88.60 ± 5.71, the mean score obtained from OI is 84.02 ± 3.12, and the mean score of OI was determined to be 85.40 ± 2.98 for the groups who had SVD. ConclusionsIn accordance with the data, the optimality level of women has decreased due to non-evidence-based practices and invasive procedures during SVD. The total comfort score of the SVD group has also been negatively affected.

Determination of nurses' attitudes toward ethical principles in the clinical environment

This research was carried out as a descriptive study to determine the attitudes of nurses toward ethical principles in the clinical setting. The research was carried out between 08/04/2023 and 14/04/2023 with the participation of 203 nurses working in a university hospital. The data were collected using a 22-question introductory information form prepared by the researcher in line with the literature and the Ethical Principles Attitude Scale. The conformity of the data to normal distribution was evaluated by Shapiro-Wilk and Kolmogorov Smirnov tests. Frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, median (min-max), Kruskal Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the data. In line with the findings obtained from this study, nurses' attitudes towards ethical principles were determined at a high level. It is recommended that nurses' awareness of the importance of ethical principles in the clinical environment should be increased in their professional education and postgraduation continuing education programs.&#x0D; Keywords: Clinical environment; ethics; ethical principles; nurse.

Effect of Informing Patient Relatives by Short Message (SMS) on Their Anxiety and Satisfaction Level During Orthopedic Surgical Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the effects of informing patient relatives by short message on the level of anxiety and satisfaction during orthopedic surgery. DesignRandomized controlled trial. MethodsThe study was conducted with 112 relatives of patients who underwent orthopedic surgery in a state hospital between November 2017 and December 2017. The relatives of the patients were assigned randomly to the experimental and control groups. An Introductory Information Form, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Satisfaction Questionnaire were used as the data collection tools. Data were obtained by interviewing the patients’ relatives face-to-face and the relatives' self-report. FindingsThe state anxiety post-test scores in the experimental group were significantly lower than the scores in the control group (P < 0.001). The mean satisfaction score in the experimental group was 9.50 ± 1.43. ConclusionsThe anxiety level of the relatives who were informed by short messages during orthopedic surgery significantly decreased , and the individuals were satisfied with this service.

Turkish validity and reliability study of the "respectful maternity care" knowledge and practice scale of midwives.

Increasing cesarean rates in Turkey show that respectful maternity care services should be given priority and importance. It is difficult to achieve sustainable development goals without adopting a respectful maternity care approach, and there is no Turkish measurement tool to evaluate the knowledge and practices of midwives on "respectful maternity care". The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the "respectful maternity care knowledge and practice scale of midwives" is an appropriate measurement tool for Turkish women by conducting a Turkish validity and reliability study. The methodological study was carried out by midwives working in three Public Hospitals. Data were collected face-to-face using the "introductory information form" and "the respectful maternity care knowledge and practice scale of midwives". The scale consists of two sections knowledge and practice. Both sections have three sub-dimensions: "providing emotional support", "providing safe care", and "preventing abuse". The cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient value ranged between 0.76 and 0.95 for both sections.This study has determined that this scale, which was adapted, consists of three sub-dimensions and 46 items (23 items each) in both knowledge and application sections, is a highly valid and reliable scale compatible with Turkish culture, as a result of the validity and reliability findings.

İlk Yardim Eğitim Programinin Engelli Çocuğu Olan Annelerin Ev Kazalarinda Ilk Yardim Öz-Yeterliliklerine Etkisi

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of first aid training program on first aid self-efficacy of mothers with disabled children in home accidents.&#x0D; &#x0D; Material and Methods: This quasi-experimental one-group pretest-post-test study was conducted with 44 mothers. Mothers were given first aid education program in sessions. The data were collected using an informed consent form, an introductory information form, and the Self-efficacy of first aid scale for home accidents. First-aid self-efficacy was assessed twice to determine the first-aid self-efficacy levels of the mothers, to interpret the results of the first-aid education, and to measure the change over time. Paired sample t-test was used for pre-post comparisons in dependent groups.&#x0D; Results: There is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores of mothers' first aid self-efficacy (p

Traditional and Complementary Breastfeeding and Weaning Practices Among Mothers in Northern Cyprus

Objectives: The study was conducted to examine the traditional and complementary practices used by women to increase breast milk and wean their children from breastfeeding. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The population consisted of 254 mothers aged 20-45 lived in Cyprus. Mothers who had breastfed and stopped breastfeeding were included in the study. The data were collected by using an introductory information form prepared based on the literature, about breastfeeding and weaning process. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the data. Results: 64% of the participants started breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, 58% only breastfed for the first 6 months, and 16% breastfed for 24 months or more. Also women consumed mostly water and herbal tea (mostly fennel) and bulgur to increase breast milk. Conclusions: Although it was determined that mothers did not use many traditional methods when weaning their children, it was a remarkable finding that weaning by talking to the child was used less. It is recommended that education and counselling services be increased in order to increase rates of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and to follow evidence-based practices at the stages of increasing breast milk and weaning.