Sezer Kisa

Turkish nurses' experiences of verbal abuse at work.

In the health sector anywhere in the world, nurses make up one of the groups that are most exposed to violence such as sexual harassment, verbal abuse, and physical abuse. This descriptive study investigated the experience of verbal abuse among 339 hospital nurses in Turkey. Findings indicate that the most frequent and most severe forms of verbal abuse reported were judging and criticizing, accusing and blaming, and abusive anger; the most common emotional reactions were anger, followed by shame, humiliation, and frustration; and most nurses used engaging in negative activities to cope with verbal abuse. The results of the study suggest that hospitals must adopt zero-tolerance policies for professional verbal abuse.

Association of depression and anxiety with oocyte and sperm numbers and pregnancy outcomes during in vitro fertilization treatment.

To estimate association of depression and anxiety scores with oocyte and sperm numbers and pregnancy rates during in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, 80 Turkish couples were administered the Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety and Beck Depression Inventories. A significant correlation (r= -.25) obtained between Depression and womens oocyte pickup data and number of oocytes, showed that low oocyte numbers were associated with higher Depression. No significant relation was found for sperm counts with Anxiety and Depression scores on the day of oocyte pickup and sperm collection, but sperm motility was weakly and inversely correlated with Depression scores. Women with high State Anxiety score on the oocyte pickup day had significant lower pregnancy rates, as did those with higher Depression. Counseling of couples by health professionals on fertility-related issues to be implemented in IVF units is advisable.

Validity of the symptomatic approach used by nurses in diagnosing vaginal infections

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To examine the validity and effectiveness of a symptomatic approach based on symptoms, administered by a nurse working in womens health area, in identifying vaginal infections in women with or without vaginal discharge. DESIGN Survey. METHODS Between November 2005-August 2006, 300 married women were included. A questionnaire and vaginal discharge assessment form were used for data collection. The modified algorithm of a symptomatic approach without speculum examination was used to manage participants. Three diagnoses were made for each participant. The first diagnosis was made by the research nurse using the vaginal discharge assessment form; the second diagnosis is the clinical diagnosis which was made after the gynaecological examination by a physician; and the third diagnosis is the microscopic diagnosis made by the physician when assessing the collected specimens. RESULTS In the methodological part of this study, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the symptomatic approach were 91.5, 69.7, 87.7 and 77.5%, respectively. The symptomatic approach had 27.7% sensitivity for bacterial vaginosis, 16.6% for trichomonas vaginalis and 62.8% for candida albicans, compared to the microscopic results. The sensitivity of the approach was higher for the identification of candidiasis compared to bacterial vaginosis and trichomonas vaginalis. CONCLUSION From the results, it is suggested that the symptomatic approach model can be used by nurses who work in womens health area to diagnose vaginal infections. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE This study showed that trained clinician nurses will be able to diagnose and manage vaginal infections - especially candidiasis - by using the symptomatic approach. Moreover, the symptomatic approach will encourage women not to delay or fail to seek treatment for their health problems, especially for vaginal infections in conservative societies.

Quality of Sexual Life and Its Effect on Marital Adjustment of Turkish Women In Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an important period of a womans life that can affect marital relationships because of decrease in the sexual function. This study aimed to examine the effect of sexual life on the marital adjustment of 607 healthy, pregnant women using the self-administered Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Female and the Marital Adjustment Scale. Results showed that 30% of the pregnant women experienced problems during sexual intercourse and 50% had painful intercourse. The median total score of the Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Female for pregnant women was 35.5, and the median total score of the Marital Adjustment Scale was 41.0. The authors found a positive moderate level correlation between the sexual quality of life for women and their marital adjustment for being pregnant (r = 0.468, p =.001). The results imply that the variance in the sexual activity during the childbearing period does occur and pregnant women need to be assessed regularly with regards to their sexuality by health care providers in a professional atmosphere.

Determinants of family planning use among Turkish married men who live in South East Turkey.

This study assesses the determinants of family planning methods use by Turkish married men in South East Anatolia. A descriptive and cross-sectional survey research design was used among 1,352 men aged 20 to 52 years who lived in South East Turkey. A pilot-tested questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and multivariate regression analysis were used. The rate of nonusage of contraceptive methods among the participants was 60.4%. Within the nonusers, 34.9% reported a religious prohibition and 9.4% had misconceptions about family planning. Chi-square analysis determined four factors that were significantly related to the men’s usage of contraception. These factors are the following: the men’s age, educational level, number of existing children, and their perception of their household income level. These four factors were also subjected to multivariate regression analysis, the results of which were used to compute odds ratios for each value of each factor indicating the likelihood for using contraception by men within each group. Male-specific family planning programs can make an important contribution to the overall efforts to improve the usage of contraceptives by men. It is important to note that family planning services and education programs related to family planning should be appropriate for men.

Examination of midlife women's attitudes toward menopause in Turkey

This study used a cross-sectional descriptive design to examine the attitudes of 154 Turkish women aged ≥ 40 years towards menopause. A questionnaire and the Menopause Attitudes scale were used. The mean score of the attitudes was determined as 34.70 ± 8.56. Most women in the study had negative attitudes towards menopause. The majority of women with positive attitudes were older, well educated and had used hormone replacement therapy (P < 0.05). Using multiple linear regression analysis, age and education level were found to be statistically significant (P < 0.001). A statistically significant difference was found between the women in the premenopausal and menopausal years in terms of sexuality after menopause (P < 0.05). This study suggests that Turkish women 40 years and older have negative attitudes towards menopause and their primary concern in the premenopausal period is sexuality after menopause. Counseling of women on menopause-related issues in gynecology clinics is recommended.

Examining barriers to emergency contraception use

Using a cross-sectional survey research design, this study examined barriers to emergency contraception (EC) use among a sample of 318 Turkish women. Only 34% of the respondents reported being aware of EC methods, and about 20% had actually used EC. More than 90% of the participant women considered use of EC methods as a sin. The results of the study showed that the major barriers to EC use are lack of awareness and common misconceptions about EC methods. This study highlights the need of education for Turkish women regarding EC to increase awareness and dispel misconceptions related to EC.

Determination of the use of traditional practices to ease labour among Turkish women

The purpose of this study was to determine the use of traditional practices to ease labour among Turkish women. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 809 women by using an investigator-designed questionnaire. The mean age of the women was 28.9 ± 8.33 years (min = 15, max = 74), 49.4% were between 20-29 years of age and more than half (56.2%) of the women had had one to two pregnancies. The results showed that traditional practices were known and applied mostly by the women who were at an advanced age, less educated and who lived in rural areas. In addition, the knowledge and application status of traditional practices related to religious beliefs were found to be very high compared with superstitious practices. It was suggested that nurses provide culturally competent care that requires a commitment by the individual nurse to develop, refine and use specific skills in the care of women.The purpose of this study was to determine the use of traditional practices to ease labour among Turkish women. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 809 women by using an investigator-designed questionnaire. The mean age of the women was 28.9 ± 8.33 years (min = 15, max = 74), 49.4% were between 20–29 years of age and more than half (56.2%) of the women had had one to two pregnancies. The results showed that traditional practices were known and applied mostly by the women who were at an advanced age, less educated and who lived in rural areas. In addition, the knowledge and application status of traditional practices related to religious beliefs were found to be very high compared with superstitious practices. It was suggested that nurses provide culturally competent care that requires a commitment by the individual nurse to develop, refine and use specific skills in the care of women.

Opinions and Attitudes About Vasectomy of Married Couples Living in Turkey

This study was conducted as a descriptive study, designed to determine the opinions and attitudes of married couples living in Turkey about vasectomy. The sample consisted of 350 women. Researchers used a questionnaire to collect data. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were used. The results showed that 14% of women and 43.0% of men were of the opinion that undergoing a vasectomy procedure was a sin. Chi-square analysis determined statistically significant differences between the male and female groups (p < .05). More than 88.0% of the men were not willing to have vasectomy and 35.4% thought that vasectomy had a negative effect on marriage and sexual health. In addition, 58.9% thought that vasectomy had a negative effect on men’s health. Women were more likely than men to see vasectomy as merely a cultural taboo instead of a sin. Sociocultural factors, such as ideas that contraception is the woman’s responsibility, that sterilized men lose status in society, or that sterilized men lose authority in the family, as well as misconceptions about vasectomy such as concerns about sexual functioning, psychological effects, and effects on physical strength, were determined to be the main barriers for vasectomy use in Turkish culture. The study recommends determining strategies for overcoming sociocultural barriers by raising awareness and increasing the utilization of vasectomy. Couple-specific family planning programs can make an important contribution toward improving awareness of the benefits of vasectomy.

Opinions of women towards cesarean delivery and priority issues of care in the postpartum period

This study was conducted, in order to determine the opinions of women who had a cesarean delivery and the problems that they faced in the postpartum period. This descriptive study was conducted with 337 women who delivered babies by cesarean section. The data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The results of the study showed that 53.4% of women underwent cesarean delivery for the first time, and 83.1% said that it was the obstetricians decision to have a cesarean delivery. More than half of the women (61.1%) had a negative experience with cesarean delivery due to postpartum pain (44.7%) and inability to care for their infant (35.9%). The most common problems associated with cesarean delivery were postpartum pain (96.1%), back pain (68.2%), problems passing gas (62.0%), bleeding (56.1%), breastfeeding problems (49.6%) and limitation of movement (43.6%) respectively. Understanding the the opinions and problems of women towards cesarean delivery assists healthcare professionals in identifying better ways to provide appropriate care and support.