Sibel Küçükoğlu

Turkish children loved distraction: using kaleidoscope to reduce perceived pain during venipuncture

AIM To assess the effect of distraction (looking through kaleidoscopes) to reduce perceived pain, during venipuncture in healthy school-age children. BACKGROUND Distraction has been noted to be an effective method to help children cope with painful procedures. In the studies carried out, although it was found out that distraction made with different distracters reduced the pain of venipuncture, there is only one study confirming analgesic effect of distracters. DESIGN The study was carried out as an intervention-control group design. METHOD Children (n = 206), in whom venipuncture was applied in a laboratory for examination between the dates January-September 2006, were included in the study. The data were obtained by a form determining introductory features of the children and Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale and Visual Analogue Scale evaluating the pain. Descriptive statistics was used in the assessment of the data and t-test was used in comparisons of dependent-independent groups. RESULTS Pain levels of the children according to both scales in intervention group were lower than those of control group. But, it was detected that the distinction between score averages of intervention and control group of Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale, not Visual Analogue Scale, was statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION It was detected that the distraction made with kaleidoscope effectively reduced the pain related to venipuncture in healthy school children and that some features of the children influenced the perception of pain. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Distraction with kaleidoscope is a method, which the nurse will be able to use for venipuncture to obtain optimal pain control. In addition, it is important for a nurse to know some features about the children for a pain free and positive experience.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms seen in children within the 3-month period after the Van earthquake in Turkey

The research was conducted to determine the posttraumatic stress symptoms seen in children within the 3 month period after the Van earthquake in Turkey. The research was conducted between December 2011 and January 2012 with the earthquake survivor children in the 7-12 age group living in the tent city built in the central area of Van. The research data were collected by the researcher using the Childhood Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPTS-RI) and a questionnaire prepared by the researchers that contained questions on some information about the earthquake and on sociodemographic characteristics.It was found out that 8.6% (26) of the children had mild symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 19.7% (60) of the children had moderate symptoms of PTSD, 47.7% (145) of the children had severe symptoms of PTSD and 24.0% (73) of the children had very severe symptoms of PTSD. Furthermore, a significant difference (P < 0.001) was found between mean CPTS-RI scores and the economic losses experienced in the families of the children. In the study, PTSD was identified in the majority of children in the 7-12 age group who experienced the Van earthquake.

The effect of the facilitated tucking position in reducing vaccination-induced pain in newborns

BackgroundThis study was conducted to evaluate the pain perceptions of newborns during the hepatitis B (HBV) vaccinations performed in the facilitated tucking position and the classical holding position, respectively.MethodsThe randomized controlled experimental study was conducted between 1 September 2014 and 30 December 2014 at the neonatal intensive care unit of a Turkish university hospital. One group of infants was held in the facilitated tucking position (the treatment group; n = 30) during HBV vaccination; infants in the other group were held in the classical holding position (the control group; n = 30) during HBV vaccination. The Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) scores of the infants in the treatment and control groups were compared during procedure. Also, the infants’ physiological parameters were compared before, during, and after the procedure. Descriptive statistics, a chi-square test, and an independent samples t-test were used to assess the data.ResultsThe mean pain scores of infants vaccinated in the facilitated tucking position (2.83 ± 1.18) were significantly statistically lower than the scores of infants vaccinated in the classical holding position (6.47 ± 1.07) (p < 0.05).ConclusionsThe pain perceptions of newborns held in the facilitated tucking position during HBV vaccination were lower. The facilitated tucking position, a non-pharmacological method, is recommended as an effective and useful method for reducing pain during the procedure.

The Effects of Instrumental Touching on Infant Pain Perception and the Effects of Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetics (EMLA) on the Reduction of Pain

Background: Premature infants, who have to spend the first week of their lives in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), experience pain and stress in numerous cases, and they are exposed to many invasive interventions. The studies have shown that uncontrolled pain experienced during early life has negative and long-term side effects, such as distress, and such experiences negatively affect the development of the central nervous system Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of touching on infant pain perception and the effects of eutectic mixture of local anesthetic (EMLA) on the reduction of pain. Patients and Methods: Data for the study were collected between March and August 2012 from the neonatal clinic of a university hospital located in eastern Turkey. The population of the study consisted of premature infants who were undergoing treatment, completed the first month and who were approved for Hepatitis B vaccine. The study consisted of two experimental groups and one control group. Information forms, intervention follow-up forms, and Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) were used to collect the data. EMLA cream was applied on the vastus lateralis muscles of the first experimental group before the vaccination. The second experimental group was vaccinated by imitation (placebo), without a needle tip or medicine. Vaccination was carried out using instrumental touch in this group. A routine vaccination was applied in the control group. Results: Mean pain scores of the group to which EMLA was applied were lower in a statistically significant way (P < 0.05) compared to the pain scores of the other groups. Moreover, it was determined that even though invasive intervention was not applied to the newborns, the touching caused them to feel pain just as in the placebo group (P < 0.005). Conclusions: The results demonstrated that EMLA was an effective method for reducing pain in premature newborns, and the use of instrumental touch for invasive intervention stimulated the pain perception in the newborns.

The relationship between insufficient milk perception and breastfeeding self-efficacy among Turkish mothers

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between perceived insufficient milk and breastfeeding self-efficacy levels among Turkish mothers. Methods: The study was conducted on 200 mothers whose infants were hospitalized and under treatment and who could breastfeed their infants in the newborn clinic of a university hospital in eastern Turkey between June 2013 and February 2014. A sampling method was not applied in the study, so the sample consisted of the population of the study. The ‘Personal Information Form’, ‘Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale’ and ‘Perception of Insufficient Milk Questionnaire’ were used to collect the data. Data were analysed by using percentage distribution and arithmetic average; independent sample t test, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis variance analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and Cronbach alpha reliability coefficiency in the SPSS 18.0 package program. Results: The study determined that advanced age, higher education level and higher income status, male gender of the child, planning of the pregnancy, many births, receiving breastfeeding education and the length of time that mothers planned to exclusively breastfeed affected breastfeeding self-efficacy and perception of milk sufficiency positively (p<0.05). The study showed that, as breastfeeding self-efficacy levels of mothers increased, their perception of milk sufficiency also increased (p<0.05). Conclusion: The study concluded that some factors related to the mother, infant, pregnancy and breastfeeding affected breastfeeding self-efficacy and the perception of milk insufficiency. As the breastfeeding self-efficacy level increased, the milk was perceived to be more sufficient.

Violence Experienced by Turkish Nurses and their Emotions and Behaviors

Abstract This study was conducted to determine the nurses’ exposure to violence, and their emotions and behaviors in the workplaces. The study population consisted of 219 nurses (66.5%) who worked in a state hospital located in eastern Turkey. The data was collected with a data collection questionnaire prepared by the researchers. In the evaluation of the data, number and percentage distributions, and chi-square test were used. In the paper, it was observed that 74.4 percent of nurses were exposed to verbal violence from the relatives of patients (68.0%). Nurses considered the “inadequate security measures” as the major (55.7%) cause of violence. The majority (67.6%) of nurses exposed to violence have continued to provide care to the patient, and experienced anger (60.7%). There was a relationship between the level of education of the nurses and exposure to verbal violence of the abusers (doctor, nurses), and the nurses working in shifts and in the surgical clinics were exposed to violence mostly by the patients’ relatives (p<0.05). Considering the frequent incidence of violence and its physical and psychological harm to health workers, the importance of taking institutional measures for the safety of health workers becomes prominent.