Tendency to Stigmatize Epidemic Diseases Scale: Scale Development and Validity Study.

PURPOSES: The purpose of this study was to develop a scale to measure stigma during epidemics among adults in nursing care and validate its psychometric properties. METHODS: The preliminary items of the Tendency to Stigmatize Epidemic Diseases Scale scale were developed through a literature review, the Delphi technique, and content validity analysis. A total of 723 adults living in Turkey responded to the questionnaire from June to December 2021. The collected data were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis and confirmative factor analysis using SPSS and AMOS programs. RESULTS: The experts agreed on 51 scale items, and 24 items were removed following exploratory factor analysis. On the 27-item scale, a five-factor structure was found with an eigenvalue >1, explaining 59.2% of the total variance. The overall Cronbach's α value was 0.88. CONCLUSIONS: This scale is a reliable and valid measurement tool for adults to determine their level of stigma during epidemics in nursing care. This scale helps develop interventions to improve the psychological health of adults in nursing care.

Cacao Butter as Prophylaxis for Nipple Problems: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study.

Objective: Cacao butter is a type of oil extracted from the fruit of the Theobroma Cacao plant. This study was conducted to compare the use of breast milk and cacao butter for the prevention of nipple problems in the early postpartum period. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled study involved 72 participants, who were randomized into the cacao and mother's milk groups. Data were collected using Descriptive questionnaire, Nipple assessment form, and IMDAT (Amount of Urine Output, Condition of Breasts, Amount of Stool, Weight Increase and Satisfaction Status). Results: On postpartum day 10, the rates of nipple pain (11.40% cacao group versus 40.50% mother's milk group), rashes (14.30% cacao group versus 35.10% mother's milk group), and cracks (14.30% cacao group versus 43.20% mother's milk group) significantly reduced in the cacao group when compared with the mother's milk group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The application of cacao butter to the nipples is possibly a more effective method than the application of mother's milk for preventing nipple pain, rashes, or cracked nipples. Cacao butter can be used prophylactically to prevent nipple problems in the early postpartum period.

The Elephant in the Room: Nurses' Views of Communication Failure and Recommendations for Improvement in Perioperative Care.

Perioperative communication failures endanger patient safety and may reduce efficiency. The objective of our phenomenological research study was to determine the reasons for and consequences of perioperative communication failures and to seek recommendations for improvement. Fourteen perioperative nurses participated in this study. We conducted in-depth interviews with a semi-structured questionnaire following Colaizzi's seven-step methodology to extract themes. We organized the themes into categories: causes, consequences, and recommendations for preventing communication failure. Some themes for causes were inadequate time for preoperative preparation, lack of personnel, and disruptive behaviors of physicians. Consequences of communication failure were decreased staff retention, avoidance of colleagues, threats to patient safety, and intra-team violence. Two recommendations included enforcing institutional regulations and creating team spirit. The study revealed that nurses believe that institutional regulations should not only be present but enforced. Further, nurses believe that strengthening employees' interpersonal skills is essential to preventing communication issues.