The effect of simulation-based education on childhood epileptic seizure management knowledge, skills, and attitudes of nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Lack of knowledge about epileptic seizure management and negative attitudes toward children with epilepsy among nursing students may negatively affect the quality of healthcare services they deliver. AIM: This study aimed to examine the effect of training given to nursing students using simulation and standard child mannequins on their childhood epileptic seizure management knowledge, skills, and attitudes. METHODS: Participants (n = 72) were recruited from a Nursing Faculty in Izmir, Turkey. Students were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups (n = 36 in each). The intervention group received simulation-based training on epilepsy while the control group received standard child mannequin training on epilepsy. One week after the training, the students were asked to demonstrate their epileptic seizure management knowledge and skills on a simulation model or a standard child mannequin. During this process, they were observed and assessed by two independent observers on the basis of a list of epileptic seizure management skills. All participants completed the personal information form, the Epilepsy and Epileptic Seizure Management Knowledge Test, and the Epilepsy Knowledge and Attitude Scale before, and after the training, McNemar's test, repeated measure ANOVA (intravenous), dependent t-test, chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, Pearson's correlation analysis, and Pearson's chi-square test were used to compare the groups. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the consistency between observers. RESULTS: The epilepsy knowledge scale mean scores of both groups significantly increased after their respective trainings (p < 0.001), but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.829). There was no statistically significant difference between the pre- and posttraining epilepsy attitude scale mean scores of the control group (p = 0.630), however, a statistically significant increase was observed in the epilepsy attitude scale mean score of the intervention group (p = 0.008). In addition, both groups' self-confidence in epileptic seizure management significantly increased after the training (p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Simulation-based training was beneficial for students insofar as it helped them to develop positive attitudes toward epilepsy.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Different Methods of Decreasing Pain During Phlebotomy in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the applications of external cold and vibration and blowing soap bubbles during phlebotomy in children aged between 3 and 6 years. DESIGN: This study is a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: The sample was obtained using block randomization. Children were divided into three groups: "external cold and vibration group," "blowing soap bubbles group," and "control group." Children, their parents, the nurse, and the researcher rated the children's pain during phlebotomy. FINDINGS: A statistically significant difference between groups was found on pain scores. Pain scores were lower in the groups of external cold and vibration, and blowing soap bubbles than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The methods of external cold and vibration and blowing soap bubbles had a pain relieving effect in children aged between 3 and 6 years during phlebotomy.

Cultural adaptation of the Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool in Turkish children with cancer.

PURPOSE: Pain is very common among pediatric cancers. This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool (APPT). METHODS: In this methodological study, language validity and content validity of the words in the third section of the scale, which was administered to children with cancer, were tested using the Q-sort method. The APPT was used to measure test-retest reliability once for each of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd weeks of the chemotherapy protocols for 30 children. A reliability test was conducted using the APPT for 96 children with cancer. RESULTS: The number of words included in the third section of the APPT was reduced to 56 following the completion of the language and content validity using the Q-sort method. In the test-retest method, results from the three measures taken showed that the intra-class correlation coefficient was good. The internal consistency of the scale was also good (α = .78) in terms of the total number of body areas marked on body outline diagram, pain severity, pain intensity ratings, total number of word descriptors, and total number of sensory, affective, evaluative and temporal word descriptors. Correlations were found between the total number of body areas marked on the body outline diagram and the total number of word descriptors (r = .53), the pain severity and pain intensity ratings (r = .95), and the total number of word descriptors (r = .38). CONCLUSIONS: The Turkish version of the APPT was determined to be valid, reliable and easy to use for pediatric cancer patients.

Infiltration and extravasation in pediatric patients: A prevalence study in a children's hospital.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of infiltration and extravasation among children staying in a children's hospital and the interventions carried out when infiltration or extravasation occurred. METHODS: A prospective and descriptive research design was used in the study, conducted between September 2015 and February 2016, and determined the prevalence of infiltration and extravasation and their characteristics. The study sample consisted of 297 peripheral catheters in 173 pediatric patients. RESULTS: Of 297 peripheral catheters, 50.8% were located on the right and 30.6% were inserted in the dorsal metacarpal vein. Infiltration and extravasation occurred in 2.9% and 2.3% of the patients, respectively. The prevalence of infiltration and extravasation was 5.5 and 4.4 per 1000 patient-days, respectively. The applied interventions after infiltration or extravasation included covering with a gauze dressing or alcohol-soaked cotton, cold application, irrigation with physiological saline, and elevation. CONCLUSION: The infiltration and extravasation prevalence were found to be high, but the interventions to address them were inadequate. Training and implementation strategies should be planned for pediatric nurses to prevent infiltration and extravasation.

Effects of Virtual Reality and External Cold and Vibration on Pain in 7- to 12-Year-Old Children During Phlebotomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the virtual reality (VR) and external cold and vibration methods on pain scores in children aged 7 to 12 years during phlebotomy. DESIGN: A randomized controlled study. METHODS: The sample of children (n = 121) was allocated to the groups (group 1, VR; group 2, external cold and vibration; group 3, control) by blocked randomization. Pain scores were assessed after the phlebotomy using self-report, parent's reports, report from the nurse who attempted the phlebotomy, and researchers' report with the Wong-Baker FACES scale. FINDINGS: Pain scores were determined to be lower in groups 1 and 2. Although there was no difference between the groups 1 and 2, a statistically significant difference was found between groups 1 or 2 and group 3 based on all pain scores. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that VR and external cold and vibration are effective in reducing the pain in 7- to 12-year-old children during phlebotomy. VR can be used safely for the pain management of children who are growing up in the age of technology.