Turkish Validity and Reliability Study of the Surgical Anxiety Questionnaire for Adult Patients.

PURPOSE: This research aims to adapt the Surgical Anxiety Questionnaire (SAQ) to Turkish culture and conduct validity and reliability studies. DESIGN: This research is a methodological study. METHODS: The sample of the research consisted of 311 patients and research data were collected between April 2019 and May 2021. FINDINGS: The scale content validity index was 0.931. As a result of the factor analysis, the items were distributed in four subdimensions and explained 58.745% of the variance, and the model had good fit values. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.890. CONCLUSIONS: The Turkish version of SAQ is a valid and reliable measurement tool and can be used for adult patients.

Determining the Effectiveness of Forced-Air Warming Blankets in Maintaining Postoperative Body Temperature: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of forced-air warming blankets in normalizing body temperature in the postoperative period. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial METHODS: The study sample consisted of patients (N = 67) who underwent lung lobectomy in the Thoracic Surgery Service of a university hospital. Forced-air warming blankets were used in the treatment group and 100% cotton blankets were used in the control group. Patients' body temperatures were monitored using a tympanic thermometer until it reached 37°C. FINDINGS: The body temperature of the patients in the treatment group reached 37°C in a shorter time than that of the patients in the control group (52.27 ± 29.79 min and 139.0 ± 81.93 min, respectively; P < .001), and that the perception of comfort of the patients in the treatment and control groups increased (P < .001) after warming. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend that forced-air warming blankets are used for patients undergoing lung lobectomy in order to reach normal body temperature in a shorter time.

Determination of the Effectiveness of Informing With the Guidance of an Education Booklet in Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of precolonoscopy information with the guidance of an education booklet on anxiety and bowel preparation adequacy in patients undergoing colonoscopy. DESIGN: A randomized controlled study. METHODS: The education group was informed face to face by the researcher with the guidance of the colonoscopy education booklet and provided the education booklet. The control group received usual care. FINDINGS: The mean state and trait anxiety scores of the patients in the education group were found to be significantly lower than the control group. In the education group, the bowel preparation adequacy was determined to be higher compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Informing patients with the guidance of the education booklet before the colonoscopy decreased patients' state and trait anxiety levels and increased their bowel preparation adequacy.

Effect of stoma model based education on knowledge and skill levels of student nurses: a quasi-experimental study from Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of education with a stoma model on knowledge and skill levels of student nurses. METHODS: The quasi-experimental study was conducted at a professional education and skills laboratory of the Nursing Department within a health sciences faculty in Turkey between March 2015 and November 2016. The sample comprised an experimental group that had students who took a surgical diseases nursing course during the spring, and a control group that had students who took the same course during the autumn. A student information form, a knowledge level evaluation form, and a skill level evaluation form were used data collection. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. . RESULTS: Of the 133 students, 69(52%) were in the experimental group and 64(48%) in the control group. It was determined that the skill level of the experimental group was higher than the control group (p<0.05) and there was a positive correlation between knowledge and skill levels of student nurses in both groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Education with a stoma model increased student nurses' skills and promotes their knowledge.

Determining the incidence of postoperative delirium in elderly patients who undergo orthopaedic surgical interventions in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of postoperative delirium in elderly patients having undergone orthopaedic surgical interventions. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the traumatology clinic of GATA Haydarpasa Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, from April 2014 to April 2015 and comprised patients who underwent orthopaedic surgical interventions. The subjects included were aged >65 years, had no mental disorders, no acute cerebrovascular disease, no known history of delirium and/or dementia. Data was collected using a self-generated questionnaire, mini mental state examination and delirium rating scale. SPSS 18 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 60 participants, 39(65%) were female and 21(35%) were male. The overall mean age was 77.07±8.66 years. Besides, 22(36.7%) patients hadmoderate cognitive impairment preoperatively, and 51(85%) had no delirium postoperatively while 9(15%) had delirium. CONCLUSIONS: Degree of cognitive impairment,advanced age and type of surgery were determined to be risk factors for delirium.

Attitudes of surgical nurses towards pressure ulcer prevention.

STUDY AIM: Nurses play the key role in prevention of pressure ulcers, and negative attitudes of them may affect preventive care strategies. This research aimed to identify surgical nurses' attitudes towards pressure ulcer prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional study design was used to collect data between March 31-May 16, 2016 on 101 voluntary nurses (66.01% of all nurses) working in surgical units of a university hospital in Turkey. "Attitude towards Pressure Ulcer Prevention Instrument" and "Nurse Information Form" were used to investigate nurses' attitude toward preventing pressure ulcer. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, independent samples t-test, Pearson's chi-squared, and correlation tests were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The mean age of nurses' was 32.0 ± 6.3 years and, the average duration of clinical experience was 72.3 ± 61 months. A total of 54.5% were working in surgical wards and, 40.6% gained additional education about pressure ulcer care. The mean total attitude score was found to be 80.5% (41.8 ± 4.8). Previous education significantly affected the total attitude score of nurses (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The total scale score showed that surgical nurses had a positive attitude towards pressure ulcer prevention and nurses who had previous education about pressure ulcer care has higher attitude score than who had not. It is recommended that effective in-service education programs be developed at hospitals or that nurses be required to attend courses to help them to improve their pressure ulcer care.

The Information Needs of Women Who Have Undergone Breast Cancer Surgery in the West of Turkey.

This descriptive study aimed to evaluate the information needs of breast cancer patients who have undergone surgery, and the level to which those information needs are met in the west of Turkey. It was conducted in 55 women who had undergone surgical intervention between March 2013 and March 2014 in a university hospital in the west of Turkey. A personal information form and the Patient Information Needs Scale were used to gather data. Descriptive statistics, the Chi-square test, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to analyze the data. It was found that the information need of the patients (3.9 +/- 0.6) was near the "very important" level, and that this need was "somewhat met" (2.4 +/- 0.9). When the information needs of the patients and the level to which those needs were fulfilled were compared, the level of fulfillment was statistically significantly lower (p < 0.001). Among the different subscales evaluated, information relating to medication was the most needed, and the information needs pertaining to this subscale were met to a greater degree (p < 0.05) than the remaining subscales. The results showed that the information needs, primarily the medication-related information needs, of the patients were high, but that the level of meeting these needs was low. It should be considered important for patients who have undergone breast cancer surgery to be kept informed and provided with information regarding their medication.

Sleep and quality of life in people with ileal conduit.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the sleep quality and the association between sleep quality and quality of life in people with ileal conduit. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional design was adopted. The study sample comprised 111 people with ileal conduit operated on in urology clinics in a state hospital between January 2011 and May 2014. Six months after the operation, they were called by telephone to participate in the study. Data for the study were collected using a questionnaire form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Stoma Quality of Life Scale (SQLS). RESULTS: The mean ± SD total PSQI score of the people with ileal conduit was 10.20 ± 2.95, mean total score of SQLS was 43.63 ± 7.21, mean Work/Social Function domain score was 37.27 ± 5.80 and mean Stoma Function domain score was 50.0 ± 12.56. The total sleep quality had a low degree of negative correlation with total SQLS score, a medium degree of negative correlation with Work/Social Function (r = -0.327, p < .001) and no correlation with Stoma Function (r = -0.096, p > .001). People using a night drainage system had higher sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: This study determined that quality of life and sleep deteriorate in people with ileal conduit. The quality of life decreases when the sleep quality is poor, and decreased quality of life affects quality of sleep in people with ileal conduit.

Informational Needs of Postmastectomy Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine informational needs of postmastectomy patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted in the general surgery clinics of a university health center for medical research and practice with 72 voluntary patients. For data collection, a patient identification form was used, which was prepared by the researchers in accordance with the literature. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 52.66±13.39 years, 87% were married, 58% had primary school education, 76% had moderate economic status, and 53% had undergone simple mastectomy. It was determined that 83% of the patients wanted to be informed about hospital and home care interventions, 82% about symptoms and prevention of post-surgical problems, 76% regarding breast cancer and treatment options, and in the range of 54-68%, patients wanted information on the effects of surgery on the body, shoulder and arm exercises, breast self-examination, the effects of breast cancer on family and work life, lymphedema and prevention interventions. CONCLUSION: We recommend that patients with mastectomy should be informed about topics including care interventions, breast cancer and treatment options, effects of surgery, and reducing these effects.

Level of Perception of Individualized Care and Satisfaction With Nursing in Orthopaedic Surgery Patients.

Lately, individualized nursing care and patient satisfaction are important and current issues being discussed. But there is not enough information for patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the individualized care perception and satisfaction in nursing care levels in orthopaedic surgery patients. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 156 patients who underwent orthopaedic surgery. Data were collected using the personal information form, the Individualized Care Scale, and the Newcastle Satisfaction With Nursing Scale. The Spearman correlation analysis and descriptive statistics were performed. The mean individualized care and satisfaction with nursing care scores were found to be close to the preset maximum value, and it was determined that an increase in the level of awareness about nursing interventions and the level of perceived individualized care caused an increase in satisfaction levels regarding nursing care. Nurses should recognize the importance of performing individualized care in order to increase the level of satisfaction with nursing care in orthopaedic surgery patients.

Effects of the contact isolation application on anxiety and depression levels of the patients.

This study was aimed to assess the effects of contact isolation application on anxiety and depression levels of the patients, the effects of certain sociodemographics and patient characteristics on anxiety and depression levels, and the thoughts of the isolated patients about contact isolation. This non-randomized quasi-experimental study was carried out with 60 isolated and 57 non-isolated patients with hospital infection. The data were acquired from Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A (anxiety) and HADS-D (depression)) and patient information form. There was no statistically significant difference between the anxiety and depression levels of the isolated and non-isolated patients. In the isolated patients, the depression points were higher in patients who were, women, received primary education and had lower income levels. Of the patients, 86.4% of them told that they were happy to be in the isolation room. Contact isolation application did not affect anxiety and depression levels of the patients. However, personal attributes increased the development of depression. In contact isolated patients, personal attributes should be taken into consideration in nursing care planning to prevent development of depression.

Effect of relaxation exercises on controlling postoperative pain.

This study examines the effect of relaxation exercises on controlling postoperative pain in patients who have undergone upper abdominal surgery. This is a cross-sectional and crossover study conducted on 60 patients who underwent upper abdominal surgery between October 2006 and June 2007, in the General Surgery Department, Health and Research Practice Center, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey. We assessed the patients' pain levels before and after the relaxation exercises. Patients' personal information forms were used to collect data, and pain levels were determined using the verbal pain scale. We used the Wilcoxon T test, nonparametric Spearman correlation analysis, and nominal by interval eta analysis to assess the data, percentage, and frequency analyses. Pain levels were found to be reduced after the relaxation exercises compared with the levels before the relaxation exercises (z = -5.497; p < .001). Relaxation exercises, a nonpharmacologic method, are effective in reducing postoperative pain and should therefore be included in a regimen to control postoperative pain in patients who have undergone upper abdominal surgery.

Hand-washing behaviour and nurses' knowledge after a training programme.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nurses' hand-washing behaviour and knowledge before and after a training programme. This prospective study involved 200 nurses who participated in hand-washing training at a university hospital in Turkey. The data were collected using a personal information form and pre- and post-test surveys that had been developed by the researchers. During the study, the nurses received 40 min of training on hand washing and a handbook prepared by the researchers. The hand-washing behaviour and knowledge of the nurses were assessed before training and 1 month after the training. To analyse the data, descriptive statistics, a t-test and a Mc Nemar chi-squared test were used. Following the training, there was a significant increase in the frequency of hand washing by the nurses (t = -2.202, P = 0.029), together with an increase in the time allowed for hand washing (P = 0.024, P < 0.05), knowledge of hand-washing practices (t = -16.081, P < 0.05) and quality (t = -10.874, P < 0.05). Planned training programmes for hand washing should be implemented to improve the behaviour and knowledge of nurses.

Inadequate knowledge levels of Turkish male university students about testicular self-examination.

INTRODUCTION: Testicular cancer occurs in men aged between 15-35, accounting for 1% of all male cancers. The most common symptom is a painless swelling in the early period, so it is important for individuals to be conscious about and perform testicular self-examination. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge and performance of testicular self-examination (TSE) in male university students. METHODS: The target population of the study consisted of 275 male university students aged between 20-25. Data were collected using a 27 item-questionnaire developed by the investigators consisting of 3 sections: 1) socio-demographic characteristics; 2) risk factors for testicular cancer; 3) practices related to TSE. The data obtained were analyzed using frequency distribution and percentages. RESULTS: 88% of the students (n=242) reported having no knowledge of TSE, whereas 36% (n=12) of the remaining 12% (n=33) reported having performed TSE. With regard to the reasons for non-performance, 88% (n=242) of the participants said they did not know about TSE, 6% (n=17) said they did not attach importance to TSE and 4% (n=11) were afraid. CONCLUSION: The results of our study demonstrated that adolescent males should be educated by nurses about testicular tumors and their symptoms as well as TSE performance.

Evaluation of handwashing behaviors and analysis of hand flora of intensive care unit nurses.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the handwashing behaviors of intensive care nurses based on personal statements, and to identify the microorganisms represented in the hand flora preshift and postshift. METHODS: This prospective study was performed with 60 intensive care nurses between January and December 2008, at a training and research hospital at a university in Turkey. Samples were taken from the hands of the nurses for bacteriological culture, using the bag-broth method, at the beginning and end of the shift. The samples were cultured aerobically and the colonies that grew were counted and identified. The nurses completed a self-report questionnaire, and their answers were evaluated. RESULTS: The frequency of handwashing by participants during each shift was 32.8±13.9. Overall, 65% of the nurses preferred alcohol-based antiseptic solutions for handwashing, 95% used paper towels to dry their hands, and 98.3-100% of the nurses washed their hands after performing care procedures. The Escherichia coli and coagulase negative Staphylococcus species were found to be at significantly higher levels in the postshift hand culture samples when compared to the preshift hand culture sample values. Enterobacter cloacae was the only species found in the postshift hand culture samples of the nurses. CONCLUSIONS: The number of colonies of the microorganisms in the hand flora of the nurses increased postshift. The handwashing behavior of intensive care nurses must be improved as they nurse critical patients.

Patient satisfaction with nursing care and its relationship with patient characteristics.

The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction with nursing care and the relationship between patient satisfaction and patient characteristics. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a 1100-bed tertiary care teaching hospital in Turkey. Data were collected using the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scales and a patient information form. Overall, data indicated a high level of patient satisfaction. Hospitalization affected the Experience of Nursing Care Scale independently, while the type of ward, sex, income, and education independently affected the Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale. Patients who underwent surgical procedures, male patients, the 40-59-year-old age group, those who had low levels of education or income, and patients who were hospitalized for long periods were most satisfied. Patients' sex, age, income, duration of hospitalization, and ward type were important factors that affected their satisfaction with nursing care. The characteristics of patients who have a low level of satisfaction with nursing care should be assessed and taken into consideration by nurses.