Impact of social capital and perceived empowerment on burnout in health employees: A study in the shadow of the COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Social capital is an important resource that enables employees to build trust-based relationships with other individuals and groups in the workplace. Although the evidence reveals the effect of employee empowerment on burnout, the moderator role of social capital in this relationship is still unexplored. However, considering the health employees who have mental health problems and increased dissatisfaction with the COVID-19 epidemic, the importance of determining the antecedent factors that may affect burnout plays an even more critical role. OBJECTIVE: The effect of the epidemic process on the burnout level of health employees was examined. In addition, the effect of employee empowerment on burnout was examined and the moderate role of social capital was evaluated. METHODS: A total of 492 health employee completed the measures of social capital, perceived empowerment, and burnout. Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the moderate variable. Dawson slope were used to visualize the results. RESULTS: The burnout levels of health employees were low (2.00±1.34). Social capital had a moderating effect on the negative effect of employee empowerment on burnout (ß= 0.191). Apart from that, employee empowerment (ß= -0.192) and social capital (ß= -0.508) were negatively associated with burnout level (p < 0.05). CONLUSION: These results are expected to provide useful recommendations to management in the health sector to reduce burnout among health employees by focusing on social capital and employee empowerment.

The moderating role of paternalistic leadership in the relationship between job satisfaction and job stress among health workers in Gaziantep, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Adopting an effective leadership style is of critical importance in increasing healthcare efficiency and therefore determining patient satisfaction. For example, although there are many new and effective leadership types today, the paternalistic leadership approach can still play an effective role in developing countries. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the moderating role of paternalistic leadership in the relationship between job satisfaction and job stress. METHODS: A total of 466 healthcare workers completed measures of perceived paternalistic leadership, job stress, and job satisfaction. The research was conducted in the center of Gaziantep, one of the largest cities in Turkey. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the moderate variable. Dawson slope were used to visualize the results. RESULTS: A negative relationship was found between job satisfaction and job stress. Additionally, it has been determined that the perception of paternalistic leadership has a moderating role. It has been observed that as the perception of paternalistic leadership increases, the negative relationship between job satisfaction and job stress decreases. CONCLUSION: It has been concluded that the paternalistic leadership approach can play a critical role in increasing the productivity of healthcare workers and reducing the negative effect of stress on satisfaction. It has been suggested that policies be developed to develop appropriate strategies for creating work environments that will increase employees' perceptions of paternalistic leadership.

The relationship between breastfeeding self-efficacy and LATCH scores and affecting factors.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the relationship between breastfeeding self-efficacy and LATCH scores and affecting factors in Turkish mothers. BACKGROUND: The benefits of breastfeeding for newborns and mothers are well documented. Type of birth, maternal and neonatal complications; lack of support from healthcare professionals during breastfeeding, hospital routines, time and duration of mother-newborn attachment; and insufficiency of husband and family support are the most significant factors affecting breastfeeding initiation and mothers' breastfeeding self-efficacy in early postpartum period. Therefore, it is important to determine how all these factors affect breastfeeding. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study. METHODS: The sample of the study consisted of 303 postpartum women who were recruited at the obstetrics clinic of maternity hospital in one of the three largest city of Turkey. The data were obtained using Personal Identification Form, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form and LATCH Breastfeeding Assessment Tool to determine breastfeeding success. The mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentages, correlation analysis and Kruskal-Wallis variance analysis were used in data collection. RESULTS: The main finding of the study was a weak positive correlation between average LATCH scores and average Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form scores of women in the postpartum period. The women becoming pregnant four times or more got significantly higher average Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form and average LATCH scores, and the women married for 11 years or longer and the mothers starting to breastfeed their babies within 30 minutes of their birth got significantly higher average LATCH scores. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present research affirm the beneficial role of high self-efficacy in successful breastfeeding. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: It is of great importance that midwives and obstetric nurses routinely evaluate breastfeeding self-efficacy and the capability of breastfeeding for early detection of problems related to breastfeeding.

Awareness and attitudes of Turkish nursing students towards research and development in nursing.

BACKGROUND: The research course in nursing is included in almost all nursing curricula in national and international scales. PURPOSE: To compare awareness and attitudes of Turkish nursing students towards research and development in nursing. METHODS: This study had descriptive and cross-sectional research design. The research sampling is consisted of 390 senior students studying during the 2013-2014 academic year in six schools of health in six different geographical regions in Turkey. The Personal Identification Form and Nursing Students' Attitudes to and Awareness of Research and Development within Nursing Scale were utilized in data collection. RESULTS: It was determined that there is difference between awareness and attitude scores of nursing students from six different schools towards research and development in nursing according to their schools and background. CONCLUSION: It can be suggested that initiatives to increase awareness of students at nursing schools towards research course must be planned.

The information requirements and self-perceptions of Turkish women undergoing hysterectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the affects, information requirements and self-perceptions of Turkish women undergoing hysterectomy. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 37 Turkish women undergoing hysterectomy and followed in a gynecology unit of a state hospital in Canakkale, Turkey, between February and August 2012. Data were collected before discharge with a questionnaire composed of 32 questions. Percentage distributions and Chi-square test were used in the evaluation of the data. RESULTS: There was a significant relationship between fear of anesthesia and number of pregnancies (p=0.007) and between death during surgery and number of pregnancies in the preoperative period (p=0.027). The relationship between knowing type of surgery and knowing when sutures would be removed was also significant in post-operative period (p=0.045). In addition, there was a significant relationship between women's living only with their husbands and worrying about not having children anymore (p=0.032). CONCLUSION: The women's information needs were high and women's self-perceptions had been affected negatively after hysterectomy. It is recommended that nurses, primarily health professionals should have adequate knowledge on comprehensive care and psychosocial support after hysterectomy.

Effects of unplanned pregnancy on maternal health in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: to investigate the effects of unplanned pregnancy on maternal health in Turkey. DESIGN: a case-control study. SETTING: a government hospital in Aydin, Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: 314 women in the early postpartum period, selected with a non-probability method. FINDINGS: significantly more women with unplanned pregnancy had physical problems (76.4% vs. 63.7%; p<0.01) and lower haemoglobin levels (11.26±1.27g/dl vs. 11.62±1.27g/dl; p<0.01) compared with women with planned pregnancy. Also, significantly more women with unplanned pregnancy had lower scores for adaptive behaviour in pregnancy (14.78±3.08 vs. 19.19±3.11; p<0.001), felt negative feelings during labour (mean scores on Labour Agentry Scale: 81.03±19.07 vs. 98.64±16.94; p<0.001), felt more severe pain during labour (mean rank: 173.21 vs. 141.79, p<0.001), and were at high risk of depression in the early postpartum period (mean scores on Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale: 14.86±6.08 vs. 7.28±4.85; p<0.001) compared with women with planned pregnancy. KEY CONCLUSIONS: unplanned pregnancy has a negative impact on the development of positive behaviour concerning self-care, physical well-being, labour experience, pain in labour and psychological status in the early postpartum period. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: midwives and nurses should identify women with unplanned pregnancy at an early stage, and try to decrease the negative effects of unplanned pregnancy on maternal health and to improve prenatal, perinatal and postnatal care.