The relationship between emotional labor level and moral distress.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has implications for health professionals. AIM: The aim of this study was to explain the relationship between emotional labor levels and moral distress in health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique. RESEARCH DESIGN: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was adopted. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: Data were collected between 7 February and 7 March 2021. 302 health professionals who were not on leave (annual leave, sick leave, prenatal and postnatal leave, etc.) at the time of the research and who volunteered to participate in the research were included. Research data were collected using a "Personal Information Form," the "Emotional Labor Scale" and the "Moral Distress Thermometer." ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The Ethics Committee approved the study (dated 07.01.2021 and numbered 2021/1-3). The participants were informed of the study aim and written consent was obtained before completing the survey. FINDINGS: In the present study, the mediator role of emotional labor in the effect of providing service to a patient with COVID-19 and having had COVID-19 on moral distress was examined in health professionals and it was found that there was a correlation between providing service to a patient with COVID-19 and moral distress regardless of whether or not emotional labor had a role in this relationship. CONCLUSION: In this study, the relationship between the level of emotional labor and moral distress in health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic was evaluated with a structural equation model.

Ethical Discourse of Medical Students on the Phenomenon of Death: A Qualitative Study.

The aim of this study is to discover medical students' ideas on the phenomenon of death; produce information on how these students interpret the value-related problems regarding death that they come across in different units of hospitals; and assess this data in ethical terms. This study included a qualitative research in which 12 focus group interviews were conducted with 92 fifth- and sixth-year medical students. Data obtained from interviews were assessed using a thematic content secondary analysis. The main themes were specified according to the medical students' statements and were reviewed under the contexts of the "dying process"; "effects of death"; "attitude and behavior of health professionals"; "seeing a dead body/looking at a dead body"; "accepting death"; and "forms of expressions of death." Medical students' encounters with death in different units of hospitals leads them to question their values and familiarize themselves with the borders of their areas of profession.

The effect of fear of contagion/being contagious on depression, anxiety and stress levels of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: University students are generally quite active in social life. It is thought that their fear of contagion/being contagious will affect their depression, anxiety and stress levels due to the removal of restrictions and the increase in individual responsibilities. This study aims to determine the effect of fear of contagion/being contagious on depression, anxiety and stress levels of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This study, descriptive and cross-sectional. Quantitative data were collected using the Demographic Information Form, the Fear of Contagion/Transmission Scale and the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale. The sample included 3500 participants. Descriptive statistics were used for the presentation of the results. The STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was used in this study. RESULTS: This study revealed that the depression, anxiety and stress levels of university students were above normal, and these results were mostly associated with females, those with a chronic disease and high fear of contagion/being contagious. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study may be useful for precautionary plans to support the psychological health of university students after the COVID-19 pandemic and in the fight against possible new pandemics. Considering the findings of our study, educational programs should be planned for youth in general and university students in particular to deal with depression, anxiety, stress and fears. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The depression, anxiety and stress levels of university students were above normal. As the fear of contamination and contagion increases, the level of depression, anxiety and stress increases. Those with chronic diseases have high levels of depression, anxiety and stress. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Research data were collected through an online questionnaire. Data collection tools were prepared on Google Forms, and then, links were shared with student groups over social media. Students shared the link on their social platforms, allowing it to reach wider audiences.

Effect of preoperative in-bed exercises and mobilization training on postoperative anxiety and mobilization level.

AIM: This study examines the effect of preoperative training on postoperative mobility and anxiety levels in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: This was a randomized controlled study. The sample of this study consisted of 60 (30 experimental group, 30 control group) total knee arthroplasty patients who were admitted to a public hospital's orthopedic department between January 2019 and May 2019. To collect data, a demographic information form, patient mobility scale, observer mobility scale, and state-trait anxiety inventory were used. The patients in the intervention group practiced bed exercise and mobilization training before total knee arthroplasty surgery. The control group had no intervention. RESULTS: It was determined that the patient mobility scale (2.0 ± 0.83) and observer mobility scale scores (6.93 ± 1.61) of the patients in the experimental group were significantly lower than the patients in the control group (respectively: 4.16 ± 1.31, 11.0 ± 1.74; p < .05). In the postoperative period, the mean scores of the state (38.86 ± 6.11) and trait anxiety scores (38.26 ± 3.85) of the patients in the experimental group were found to be significantly lower than the patients in the control group (respectively: 59.03 ± 9.10, 43.80 ± 4.38; p < .05). CONCLUSION: Preoperative training reduced the postoperative anxiety and increased the level of patient mobility after total knee arthroplasty in this study.