Rengin Acaroglu

Evaluation of Night-Time Pain Characteristics and Quality of Sleep in Postoperative Turkish Orthopedic Patients

This descriptive, correlational study was conducted to determine orthopedic patients’ night-time pain characteristics, their quality of sleep and the contributing factors to poor sleep experiences, and the relationship between pain and sleep. Data were collected by using the McGill Pain Questionnaire-SF (MPQ-SF) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) on the second postoperative day. Data were analyzed using the SPSS version 10.0 for Windows. Mean age of the 75 patients was 49.55 ± 21.10 years and were hospitalized in the orthopedic wards for 10.56 ± 14.74 days. Of the sample, 65.3% were female and 36% had hip/knee arthroplasty surgery. Pain (45%) and noise (23%) were found to be the most cited factors affecting the sleep of patients in postoperative periods. They experienced “external” pain at the surgical site and verbalized their pain as “stabbing” and “tiring-exhausting.” Patients’ night-time pain was determined to be severe (6.59 ± 1.62); their quality of sleep was also poor (9.24 ± 3.53). A statistically significant correlation was found between patients’ pain intensity and quality of sleep (p≤.05).

Reliability and validity of Turkish version of clinical stress questionnaire

This study was conducted for the purpose of testing the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Clinical Stress Questionnaire, which was developed to examine the stress that nursing students experience in their first clinical experiences that are threatening or challenging. The study sample was comprised of 80 first-year nursing students who had their first clinical practice experience. Internal consistency of the total questionnaire was Cronbachs alpha=0.70 and the factor analysis supported the original construct. Based on these results the Turkish version of the Clinical Stress Questionnaire can be used as a valid and reliable instrument.

Pressure ulcer prevention and management strategies in Turkey.

Pressure ulcers are a serious problem that can lead to pain and delayed recovery. In Turkey, the selection of dressing products is usually left to the nurse managing the patient and depends on several factors, including the condition of the wound, the nurses knowledge, and the nurses experience. The aim of this study was to determine prevention and management strategies for pressure ulcer care in hospitalized patients in Turkey and to identify the factors that influence the selection of products by nurses. The descriptive study was carried out in various departments (orthopedic, neurological, oncology, and intensive care) where bedridden patients were found. A total of 110 nurses volunteered to participate. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire developed after a review of the literature. Only 32% of the nurses made use of a pressure ulcer care risk evaluation scale (Norton scale), and air mattresses were used by 89% as a preventive measure with patients who were at risk. When pressure ulcers occurred, advanced wound care products were preferred by most of the nurses. Seventy four percent of nurses considered the condition of wound for selection of products. Despite correctly noting several strategies for prevention of pressure ulcers, 9% of nurses also described massage around boney prominence and the use of inflatable rings as effective preventive strategies. This descriptive study shows that nurses in Turkey are primarily responsible for prevention and management of pressure ulcer care and that both traditional dressing products and advanced wound care products are used in the care of all stages of pressure ulcers in Turkey. It also illustrates the need for ongoing pressure ulcer education to promote evidence-based practice and reduce the use of ineffective (or harmful) strategies.

The relationship amongst student nurses' values, emotional intelligence and individualised care perceptions.

Background: Students’ gaining and adopting basic professional values, improving their emotional intelligence skills during the process of nursing education plays a significant role on meeting the needs of healthy/patient individual and his or her family, and individualized care practices. Objectives: This (descriptive, correlational) research was carried out to evaluate the nursing values, emotional intelligence levels, and individualized care perceptions of senior nursing students and to determine the relationship between them. Research question: (1) What is the status of students to adopt nursing values? (2) What is the level of students’ emotional intelligence? (3) What is the students’ individualized care perception? (4) Is there a relationship between students’ nursing values, levels of emotional intelligence, and individualized perceptions of care? Participants and research context: The research was carried out with 218 senior nursing students at the Faculty of Nursing, affiliated to a state university in Istanbul, who agreed to participate in the study, completing basic nursing education in May 2017. Ethical considerations: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Clinical Investigations of the Istanbul University Dentistry Faculty. Written permission was also obtained from the institution that research would be conducted. Before the data were collected, verbal permission was obtained by the investigator. Findings: It was observed that nursing values perceptions of students, emotional intelligence levels and individualized care perceptions were at a good level and there was a supportive relationship between them in the positive direction. It was determined that emotional intelligence skills of students, adoption of nursing values and individualized care perceptions increased in parallel with each other. Conclusion: In nursing education, nursing values peculiar to affective field, caring behaviors, and emotional intelligence skills that are guiding to maintain and direct these behaviors should be gained to students by supporting with correct learning methods and role models.

Effects of Listening to Music on the Comfort of Chemotherapy Patients

The symptoms of an illness that requires chemotherapy and the corresponding effects of such treatment exacerbate the pain and discomfort that patients typically experience. Listening to music may help patients cope with chemotherapy symptoms, thereby contributing to their physical ease and well-being. Seventy patients who were receiving treatment at the outpatient chemotherapy unit were invited to participate in this work. During chemotherapy sessions and the week after the sessions, the patients listened to music with headphones. The occurrence of chemotherapy symptoms such as pain, tiredness, nausea, depression, anxiety, drowsiness, lack of appetite, not feeling well, and shortness of breath in the intervention group was statistically significant after listening to music (p < .05). Improvements in total general comfort, as well as physical, psychospiritual, and sociocultural comfort, were also statistically significant (p < .05). These findings indicate that listening to music effectively reduces the severity of chemotherapy symptoms and enhances the comfort of patients receiving the treatment.