Development of the Individualised Developmental Care Knowledge and Attitude Scale.

BACKGROUND: There is a need for a valid and reliable scale to determine the individualised developmental care levels of nurses who provide care for preterm newborns. AIMS: To develop the Individualised Developmental Care Knowledge and Attitude Scale for nurses who provide care to preterm newborns and to evaluate its validity and reliability. METHODS: This methodological study was performed with 260 nurses who provide care for preterm newborns in neonatal intensive care units. The content validity of the research was evaluated under the guidance of professionals working in the pediatric field. Collected data were analysed using values, percentage, mean, standard deviation, correlation analysis, Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient and factor analysis methods. RESULTS: The total Content Validity Index for all items was found to be 0.930. The result of Bartlett's test of sphericity (x2 = 4691.061, p = 0.000) was significant, and the KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) measure of sampling adequacy was 0.906. The fit indices for confirmatory factor analysis were x2/SD = 4.35, GFI = 0.97, AGFI = 0.97, CFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.057 and SRMR = 0.062. All of the related fit indices were in the accepted range. The Individualised Developmental Care Knowledge and Attitude Scale was developed at the end of the study, and 34 items and four dimensions were identified. The Cronbach's alpha of the full scale was 0.937. CONCLUSIONS: From the results, it can be concluded that the Individualised Developmental Care Knowledge and Attitude Scale is both a reliable and valid measurement tool for determining individualised developmental levels.

The effect of storybook reading on children's preoperative fear and anxiety levels: A randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of reading a preoperative preparation-themed storybook on children's preoperative fear and anxiety levels. METHODS: The research design was a randomized controlled experiment. The research sample included 80 children (40 in the story group and 40 in the control group) who met the inclusion criteria. Data collection tools were collected through face-to-face interviews with the 'Survey Form', 'Child Fear Scale (CFS)' and 'Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS)'. In the research, the book named Elif Has Surgery was used as an intervention tool. In the story group, the preoperative preparation-themed storybook was read to the child in their room at the clinic by their mother within 10 min. The control group received only clinical routine. The study was approved by the ethics committee. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in the mean scores of the CFS and mYPAS scales in the control and story groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that reading a preoperative preparation-themed storybook reduced children's fear and anxiety before surgery. It may be recommended to expand the use of preoperative preparation-themed storybooks in order to prevent fear and anxiety experienced before surgery in paediatric surgery clinics. Story reading is an effective, cheap, non-pharmacological intervention. The clinical trial registration number is NCT05478369.

Perceived stigma and self-esteem for children with epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: The study was conducted to determine the sense of stigma and self-esteem in children with epilepsy. METHODS: The study has a descriptive-correlational design.The research group included 150 children aged 9 to 15 who presented to a hospital in eastern Turkey, the Pediatric Neurology Clinic and Polyclinic, between January and June 2021, and were admitted to a pediatric clinic associated with the epilepsy polyclinic. A personal information form, a child perceptions scale (CPS), and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI) were used to collect the data. RESULTS: Children scored an average of 3.31 ± 1.10 on the CPS and an average of 37.33 ± 27.78 on the CSEI. A statistically significant, high-level, and negative relationship was found between CSEI and CPS scores (p < 0.05). As the CSEI score increases, the CPS score drops. A statistically significant model was obtained from the regression analysis (F = 246.816; p = 0.000; R2 = 0.791; SH = 17.07). The CSEI score significantly predicts the CPS score. CONCLUSION: The research study revealed that children with epilepsy have a high perception of stigma and low self-esteem levels, and that children's perceptions of being stigmatized are influenced by their educational status, their parents' educational status, their income level, their family type variables, and their self-esteem. The study determined that children's self-esteem decreased as their perception of stigma increased.

Relationship between adolescents' perceptions of social support and their psychological well-being during COVID-19 Pandemic: A case study from Turkey.

The aim of this research was to establish the relationship between the perceptions of social support and the psychological well-being among adolescents during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This research, which includes descriptive and relative features, was conducted from December 15, 2020 to January 31, 2021. There were 378 participants, all of whom were adolescents aged from 13 to 18 years who were living in Turkey. Either the adolescents themselves or their parents used social media tools or sites such as Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, etc., and they had all agreed to participate voluntarily. The adolescents had given their permission to the ethics committee through oral or written statements before the data were collected. The data collection process involved completing a questionnaire form, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Psychological Well-being Scale for Adolescents (PVSA). The Analysis of the data included numbers, percentages, means, the independent samples t test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Kruskal-Wallis H test, multiple regression analysis and correlations between these. Of the 378 participants who were admitted to the study, the mean age was 14.66 ± 1.65, and 52.1% were female. The total mean for the perceived social support among adolescents was established as being 54.39 ± 17.13. The mean level for psychological well-being was determined as being 91.13 ± 12.34. A significant difference was detected between gender and levels of social support and psychological well-being of adolescents (p < 0.05). As a result of multiple regression analysis, the overall score of gender and PVSA has been found to have a statistically meaningful effect on the MSPSS overall score (p < 0.05). However, the difference in relation to the classes, the parents' jobs, the income levels, the family types and the places of residence of the adolescents in terms of social support and psychological well-being was not statistically significant. There was a statistically positive and strong correlation between the scores for social support and psychological well-being. The present study, which occurred during the outbreak of COVID-19, found that the levels of social support perceived by the adolescents and their psychological well-being were decent. In addition, the study showed that as the levels of perceived social support among the adolescents rose, their psychological well-being also increased positively.

Effects of therapeutic clowning on pain and anxiety during venous blood sampling in Turkey: Randomised controlled trial.

PURPOSE: The research aim was to investigate the effects of therapeutic clowning on pain and fear during the process of venous blood sampling in children. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was conducted in a randomised controlled trial from January to March 2020. The study population consisted of children from 7 to 12 years of age who came to the research centre for blood sampling. The research sample consisted of 166 children (83 in the intervention group and 83 in the control group) who met the research criteria and came to the research centre on a specific date through probable sampling. For the data collection, a questionnaire form, the Visual Analogue Scale and the Children's Fear Scale were used. Therapeutic clowning was used in this process for the intervention group. There was no intervention for children who were in the control group. The calculation of percentage distribution and means, χ2 test, analysis of variance analysis in repeated measures and least significant difference and independent t-test were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The results of the research indicated that children in the intervention group had significantly lower pain and fear than children in the control group (p < .001). Therapeutic clowning seems to effectively reduce pain and fear during venous blood sampling for children from 7 to 12 years of age. Our results support using therapeutic clowns which is an inexpensive, safe, and effective method for lowering children's pain and fear during venous blood sampling. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The use of therapeutic clowns could become the standard of care in blood sampling for children from 7 to 12 years of age in hospitals. Therapeutic clowning, which is an easy-to-use, low-cost and practical method to provide better communication and cooperation with the family and the child, can be used as a complementary therapy in all nursing areas, especially in the field of paediatrics. Nurses could be encouraged to be trained on the use of therapeutic humour based upon a standardised approach and offered guidance on how to apply entertaining methods such as clowns. Therapeutic clowning can be examined in other applications in nursing care in light of these results.

Effects of Therapeutic Clowning on Pain and Anxiety During Intrathecal Chemotherapy in Turkey.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of therapeutic clowning on pain and anxiety during intrathecal chemotherapy. DESIGN & METHODS: The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest control group design. The study sample was composed of children between 7 and 12 years old (N = 78) who had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and were undergoing intrathecal chemotherapy in a hospital in Turkey. The study was conducted with children who received services at this hospital. The results were obtained from 74 children (i.e. 36 in the control group, 38 in the clown group). The data were collected with a questionnaire developed by the researchers, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Faces Pain Rating Scale (FACES). VAS and FACES were used to measure pain and anxiety levels. Therapeutic clowning was applied to children in the intervention group. Analyses included percentage distributions, mean, chi-square, t-test, variance, and correlation analysis. RESULTS: Results showed that children in the clown group had significantly lower pain and anxiety than children in the control group (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, therapeutic clowning was effective in relieving the pain and anxiety of children between the ages of 7 and 12 years who undergone intrathecal chemotherapy. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Due to its positive effects, therapeutic clowning could be explore for use in other areas of paediatric nursing for the children between the ages of 7 and 12 years as a complementary treatment.

The Effect of Therapeutic Clowning on Handwashing Technique and Microbial Colonization in Preschool Children.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the effect of therapeutic clowning on handwashing technique and microbial colonization in preschool children. DESIGN: This randomized controlled trial was conducted using pre-test and post-test experimental and control groups. METHODS: The study was conducted between March and June 2016 in two kindergartens in eastern Turkey. The study was completed with a total of 195 students, including 90 students in the experimental group and 105 students in the control group. A questionnaire was used for data collection. This questionnaire included sections about the subjects' descriptive characteristics and the results of the bacterial cultures of their hand swabs. For the collection of these swabs, the subjects were informed in advance, and samples were collected at predetermined times. The swabs were analyzed to determine the bacterial colonization of the subjects' hands. Clowns and video activities were used as intervention tools in the study. FINDINGS: In the post-test, the microbial growth was ≤103 in 68.9% and >103 in 31.1% of the subjects in the experimental group. In contrast, the growth was ≤103 in 34.3% and >103 in 65.7% of the control group subjects. The difference in the post-test microbial growths of the two groups was statistically significant (p < .000). CONCLUSIONS: The hygienic handwashing technique taught in the therapeutic clowning and videos reduced the bacterial colonization on the preschool children's hands by 50%. Moreover, this method was effective in reducing the growth rate of coliform bacteria that indicate undesirable, poor hygiene of the hands. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Considering these results, we recommend that pediatric healthcare professionals use entertaining methods such as those involving clowns to teach and guide children regarding hygienic handwashing techniques.