Gülendam Hakverdioğlu Yönt

Examination of Nursing Diagnoses Used by Nursing Students and Their Opinions About Nursing Diagnoses

PURPOSE This study was planned as a descriptive study for the purpose of determining what nursing diagnoses are used by nursing students and their opinions about nursing diagnoses. METHODS The response rate was 70% (n= 346). Research data about the nursing diagnoses students used and their opinions about them were collected on a semi-structured questionnaire developed by the researchers after reviewing related information in the literature. FINDINGS Of the students, 76.9% knew what nursing diagnosis was, but 31.5% had difficulty stating patient care needs as nursing diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS The majority of students in this study agreed that nursing diagnoses are a priority subject in the nursing profession, that nursing diagnoses needed to be used on the wards, and that nursing diagnoses needed to be documented in medical records on the wards. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE It is recommended that nursing diagnoses be given more concentration in the nursing curriculum and that courses about nursing diagnoses be prepared for the purpose of giving students more detailed information.

The Care Dependency Scale for measuring basic human needs: an international comparison

AIM To report a study conducted to compare the utility of the care dependency scale across four countries. BACKGROUND The care dependency scale provides a framework for assessing the needs of institutionalized patients for nursing care. Hendersons components of nursing care have been used to specify the variable aspects of the concept of care dependency and to develop the care dependency scale items. DESIGN The study used a cross-cultural survey design. METHOD Patients were recruited from four different countries: Japan, The Netherlands, Poland and Turkey. In each of the participating countries, basic human needs were assessed by nurses using a translated version of the original Dutch care dependency scale. Psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity of the care dependency scale have been assessed using Cronbachs alpha, Guttmans lambda-2, inter-item correlation and principal components analysis. Data were collected in 2008 and 2009. RESULTS High internal consistency values were demonstrated. Principal component analysis confirmed the one-factor model reported in earlier studies. CONCLUSION Outcomes confirm Hendersons idea that human needs are fundamental appearing in every patient-nurse relationship, independent of the patients age, the type of care setting and/or cultural background. The psychometric characteristics of the care dependency scale make this instrument very useful for comparative research across countries.

Comparison of oxygen saturation values and measurement times by pulse oximetry in various parts of the body

The aim of this study, which included 40 patients, was to compare the values pulse oximetry and the measurement times in various regions of the body. Data were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficient test and paired-sample test. The confidence power value was found to be .81 for the comparison of oxygen saturation values by arterial blood gas analysis and measurement by the forehead probe. It was found that the time for oxygen saturation measurement using the forehead probe was shorter than those using the finger and toe probes.

Examination of ethical dilemmas experienced by adult intensive care unit nurses in physical restraint practices.

Nurses are more likely to face the dilemma of whether to resort to physical restraints or not and have a hard time making that decision. This is a descriptive study. A total of 55 nurses participated in the research. For data collection, a question form developed by researchers to determine perceptions of ethical dilemmas by nurses in the application of physical restraint was used. A descriptive analysis was made by calculating the mean, standard deviation, and maximum and minimum values. The nurses expressed (36.4%) having difficulty in deciding to use physical restraint. Nurses reported that they experience ethical dilemmas mainly in relation to the ethic principles of nonmaleficence, beneficence, and convenience. We have concluded that majority of nurses working in critical care units apply physical restraint to patients, although they are facing ethical dilemmas concerning harm and benefit principles during the application.

Comparison of Oxygen Saturation Values Obtained From Fingers on Physically Restrained or Unrestrained Sides of the Body

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare semiexperimentally the pulse oximetry values obtained from a finger on restrained or unrestrained sides of the body. Background: The pulse oximeter provides a noninvasive measurement of the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in arterial blood. One of the procedures most frequently applied to patients in intensive care units is the application of physical restraint. Circulation problems are the most important complication in patients who are physically restrained. Evaluation of oxygen saturation from body parts in which circulation is impeded or has deteriorated can cause false results. Methods: The research sample consisted of 30 hospitalized patients who participated in the study voluntarily and who were concordant with the inclusion criteria of the study. Patient information and patient follow-up forms were used for data collection. Pulse oximetry values were measured simultaneously using OxiMax Nellcor finger sensors from fingers on the restrained and unrestrained sides of the body. Numeric and percentile distributions were used in evaluating the sociodemographic properties of patients. Results: A significant difference was found between the oxygen saturation values obtained from a finger of an arm that had been physically restrained and a finger of an arm that had not been physically restrained. The mean oxygen saturation value measured from a finger of an arm that had been physically restrained was found to be 93.40 (SD, 2.97), and the mean oxygen saturation value measured from a finger of an arm that had not been physically restrained was found to be 95.53 (SD, 2.38). Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that nurses should use a finger of an arm that is not physically restrained when evaluating oxygen saturation values to evaluate them correctly.