Intensive Care Nurses' Fears about Returning to Work after Recovering from COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Experiencing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) disease is a difficult and exhaustive process. Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses return to the ICU after recovering from COVID-19. Aim: This study was planned to determine the care difficulties and ethical problems faced by ICU nurses returning to work after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Method: In-depth interview technique was used in this qualitative study. This study was conducted between January 28 and March 3 2021 with 20 nurses diagnosed with COVID-19, working in an ICU. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews with semi-structured questions. Results: Average age of the participating nurses was 27 ± 5.8; 14 of them were not planning to leave the profession; 13 felt confused about the pandemic process and all experienced some ethical problems related to the care process. Conclusion: Long work hours during the pandemic negatively affect ICU nurses' psychology. After experiencing the disease, the ethical sensitivity of the nurses in this group providing care to patients increased. Determining the difficulties and ethical problems experienced by ICU nurses after recovering from COVID-19 can be a guide in increasing ethical sensitivity. How to cite this article: Isik MT, Özdemir RC. Intensive Care Nurses' Fears about Returning to Work after Recovering from COVID-19: A Qualitative Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(4):283-288.

Attitudes of health professionals towards violence and their tendency to report spousal violence.

The aim of this study is to determine the attitudes of primary care providers, physicians, nurses and midwives towards domestic violence and their tendencies to report violence against women and the affecting factors. The population of this study was 294 health professionals. The mean score on the Domestic Violence was 19.23 ± 4.28 and on the Scale of Health Professionals' Intentions/Behaviors Regarding Reporting Intimate Partner Violence was 124.24 ± 20.41. While the health professionals' attitudes towards domestic violence were more negative in our study, attitudes towards reporting violence against women were more positive. Also, health professionals faced ethical problems related to the principles of privacy and confidentiality.

Relationship Between Physician's and Nurses' Attitudes Towards Futile Treatment and Their Approach to Death and Terminally Ill Patients.

We aimed to determine the relationship between the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards futile treatment and their approach to death and terminally ill patients. We collected the data from nurses-physicians working in the intensive care unit, using the Nurses' Attitudes towards Futile Treatment Scale (NAFTS) and Approach to Death and Dying Patients Attitude Scale (ADDPAS). Avoidant attitudes displayed towards death and terminally ill patients increase as futile treatment is administered more. Health workers who work in the intensive care unit and witness futile treatment more frequently in the clinic are of the opinion that futile treatment should not be performed.

Individualized care perceptions and moral distress of intensive care nurses.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care settings are characterized by their structure, which constantly changes in parallel with scientific and technological developments, the uncertainty of the lifeline between birth and death, the challenges in the fair distribution of limited resources, the participation of individuals in medical decisions, and witnessing the pain experienced by individuals. These characteristics also affect the level of moral distress, which can make it difficult for ICU nurses to provide the most appropriate individualized care for their patients. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to determine the moral distress levels and individualized care perceptions of intensive care nurses. STUDY DESIGN: This study employed a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted with 128 nurses working in the intensive care units of a university hospital in Turkey. Data were collected using an 'Information Form', 'the Moral Distress Scale', and 'the Individualized Care Scale-Nurse Version'. RESULTS: 78.9% of the nurses stated that there was staff shortage, and 36.0% stated that the physical conditions were not suitable for care in the intensive care units in which they worked. The mean score on the Moral Distress Scale was 79.2 ± 46.4. The mean total score on the Individualized Care Scale-Nurse Version was 3.5 ± 0.8. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the intensive care nurses had moderate levels of moral distress and good levels of individualized care perceptions although there was no significant relationship between their moral distress levels and individualized care perceptions. Also, the nurses adopted care behaviours supporting patients' feelings and autonomy. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: In our study, the intensive care nurses did not reflect their moderate-level moral distress in the individualized care provided. It could be beneficial to measure intensive care nurses' moral distress and care levels at frequent intervals so that early precautions could be taken to prevent the accumulation of moral distress and care difficulties among intensive care nurses.

Ethical Attitudes of Intensive Care Nurses during Clinical Practice and Affecting Factors.

Background: Technological advances in critical care contribute to patient survival, but healthcare professionals working in these units, which require technical expertise, experience highly challenging ethical decision-making processes. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the attitudes of intensive care nurses toward ethical problems they face during clinical practice and the affecting factors. Method: The study included a total of 294 nurses working in the intensive care units at a city hospital. Data was collected using the Personal Information Form and Ethical Attitude Scale for Nursing Care. Findings: About 58.8% of the participants were females and 71.1% had undergraduate degrees. The total scale score was 56.48 ± 15.98. A statistically significant difference was found between participants' gender, weekly working hours, ethical definition status, and scale score averages. Conclusion: More than half experienced frequent ethical problems and tried to solve them on their own. Trainings aimed at developing ethical sensitivity and participation in symposiums/conferences that address ethical issues specific to intensive care are recommended. How to cite this article: Isik MT, Özdemir RC, Serinkaya D. Ethical Attitudes of Intensive Care Nurses during Clinical Practice and Affecting Factors. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(3):288-293.

Intensive Care Nurses' Anxiety About COVID-19, Approaches to and Attitudes Toward Dying with Dignity Principles During the Pandemic.

While trying to protect themselves from COVID-19, intensive care nurses saved many patients by providing care during the pandemic. The aim of this study is to determine the anxiety levels of nurses working in intensive care units about COVID-19, attitudes toward and approaches to end-of-life care, and attitudes toward dying with dignity. This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out with 144 nurses. The Attitudes and Behaviors of ICU Nurses Intended for End-of-Life Care Scale, Attitudes towards Principles about Dying with Dignity Scale and COVID-19 Anxiety Scale were used to collect data. The mean age of the nurses was 30.02 ± 6.02. 63.80% of them were women and 62.20% of them worked in the internal intensive care unit. While the participants supported the principles of dying with dignity, their attitudes and approach to end-of-life care were at a good level, and COVID-19 anxiety was at a low level. Participants mostly adopted the protection of human dignity and privacy principles. Attitudes and approaches to end-of-life care and attitudes toward dying with dignity were not affected by COVID-19 anxiety.

Relationship between nurses' professional values, empathy, and patience: A descriptive cross-sectional study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between the nurses' professional values and their empathy and patience levels, and the factors affecting them. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 215 nurses working at a university hospital between February and April 2021. Data were collected using the "Nurse Information Form," "Nurses' Professional Values Scale," "Patience Scale," and "The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire." FINDINGS: Results of our study revealed that nurses had high scores for the perception of professional values, empathy levels, and patience levels. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses had high scores for perceptions of professional values, empathy levels, and patience levels. Nurses' demographic characteristics influenced the scores.

Cultural Perceptions of Nursing Students Regarding Pain and Methods Used for Pain Management.

BACKGROUND: Understanding cultural perception of pain and determining the methods used for pain management contribute to the assessment of the pain experienced by nursing students. AIMS: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of culture on nursing students' perception of pain and the modern, cultural, and traditional methods they use for pain self-management. DESIGN: This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study. PARTICIPANTS/SUBJECTS: This study was carried out with 319 nursing students between March 1 and May 1, 2020. METHODS: For data collection, a questionnaire created by the researchers after literature review and the Pain Beliefs Scale were used. Data were evaluated using SPSS Statistics 20.0 program. RESULTS: The type of pain experienced most often by nursing students is headache (56.7%). The pain they experienced negatively affected daily activities. The mean score of those who used cultural method of psychologic beliefs for reducing pain was statistically significant (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Nursing students generally use massage, warm shower, and herbal tea drinking for pain management. The psychologic belief scores of those who applied these traditional methods of pain reduction were high.

Effect of abdominal massage on bowel evacuation in neurosurgical intensive care patients.

BACKGROUND: There are many factors, which affect the bowel evacuation of neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) patients, resulting in constipation. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate effect of abdominal massage on bowel evacuation and the risk of constipation in NICU patients. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized-controlled clinical trial. METHODS: The sample of this study included 80 NICU patients. The patients were randomly assigned to abdominal massage and control groups. The constipation risk of all the patients was assessed with Constipation Risk Assessment Scale (CRAS). The patients in the abdominal massage group received a total of 30 minutes of massage, 15 minutes every morning and evening, until the first defecation. The bowel sounds of all patients in the abdominal massage and control groups were assessed on a daily basis. The days when bowel sounds were heard and the first defecation took place were recorded in a Bowel Evacuation Form. RESULTS: The risk of constipation was higher in the patients in the abdominal massage (CRAS score 19.02 ± 1.81) and control groups (CRAS score 20.45 ± 2.61). The time of return of bowel sounds and the time of the first defecation were earlier in the abdominal massage group, compared to the control group (P < .05). In the control group, there was a weak correlation (P = .004) between the CRAS score and the time of return of bowel sounds, while there was a moderate correlation between the CRAS score and the time of the first defecation (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Our study results show that the risk of constipation is high in NICU patients, and abdominal massage is an effective nursing intervention to shorten the time of return of bowel sounds and the time of the first defecation. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses can safely apply abdominal massage to improve bowel evacuation in NICU patients.

Levels of uncertainty, fear and satisfaction with health professionals: experiences of parents whose children are hospitalized for COVID-19.

This study tried to determine the fear and tolerance of uncertainty levels of the parents of children hospitalized with COVID-19, and their satisfaction with the health care received during this time. Data were collected from 130 literate parents. A significant difference was found between the mean scores on the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-12) and the age of the parents and the presence of COVID-19 in other family members and the IUS-12. Also, a significant correlation was found between parents' fear of COVID-19 and IUS-12 scores. Parents had good levels of satisfaction with health care received and moderate fear of COVID-19 and intolerance of uncertainty levels. As parents' fear of COVID-19 increased, intolerance of uncertainty increased. The demographic characteristics, levels of fear of COVID-19, and intolerance of uncertainty did not affect the satisfaction levels.