The effect of an interactive robot on children's post-operative anxiety, mobilization, and parents' satisfaction; randomized controlled study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of an interactive robot on Turkish children's post-operative anxiety, mobilization, and parents' satisfaction related to post-operative care. METHOD: A randomized controlled study was conducted with 84 children who will undergo day surgery aged 5-10 years and their parents at a university hospital between June 2020-April 2022. The interactive robot was provided to accompany the children during the postoperative mobilization. Children in the control group received standard care during mobilization. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Children's State Anxiety (CSA), Parental Satisfaction Scale-Visual Analog Scale, and Mobilization Chart. RESULTS: It was determined that the CSA score of the children in the control group were higher than the intervention group before their first mobilization after surgery (p = 0.005). During the first (p = 0.042) and second (p = 0.012) mobilization, it was determined that the mobilization duration of children in the intervention group was longer than the children in the control group. It was found that the parents of the children in the intervention group had a high level of satisfaction. CONCLUSION: It has been determined that interactive robots positively affect postoperative mobilization in children undergoing day surgery, reduce the anxiety level of children before mobilization, and increase the duration of mobilization. In addition, the use of interactive robots increased parents' satisfaction with post-operative mobilization care. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Using interactive robots to reduce the stress and anxiety of children during the perioperative process can be a promising approach to improve their recovery by providing early mobilization.

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.

The patient safety culture perception of Turkish nurses who work in operating room and intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the patient safety culture perception of operating room and intensive care nurses and the factors affecting this perception. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted on 232 nurses working in a Turkish city hospitals. The data obtained from the nurses were collected using personal information form and Patient Safety Culture Scale (PSCS) from June to July 2015. RESULTS: The total score average of the nurses on the PSCS was 2.58±0.39. The nurses obtained the highest score on the employee behavior subscale, and the lowest score on the the adverse event reporting system subscale. No significant difference was found between the total score averages of the PSCS of the operating room and intensive care nurses (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The patient safety culture score average of the operating room and intensive care nurses was at medium level. In addition, being able to choose the unit in which they worked, working day or night shifts, and being educated on patient safety were found to affect the patients safety cultures of the nurses (P<0.05).

Do Turkish patients with lumbar disc herniation know body mechanics?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Most common and important cause of the low back pain is lumbar disc herniation. Patients with lumbar disc herniation face with difficulties during daily activities due to the reduction of physical functions. In order to maintain daily activities without pain and discomfort, the patients should be informed about proper positions and body mechanics. The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge and the applications of the patients with lumbar disc herniation about body mechanics. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted with 75 patients with lumbar disc herniation in Edirne, Turkey. The population consisted of 75 patients who accepted to participate in the study. In the collection of data the questionnaire, which was developed according to literature by the researcher, was used. Descriptive statistics, student t-test, variance and correlation analysis were used for assessment of the data. The significance level was accepted at 0.05. RESULTS: It was found that 53.3% of the patients experienced awful/very severe pain. and there were some points that the patients have enough information about; mobilisation, standing, carrying the goods, leaning back while sitting, leaning somewhere while standing, getting support from the chair when standing up, avoiding sudden position changes, changing feet frequently while standing. It was detected that a statistical relation between educational level and knowledge about body mechanics exists. CONCLUSION: This study shows that individuals with lumbar disc herniation have not enough information about body mechanics and they experienced long-term severe pain. Nurses and other health care workers have important role in explaining the importance of body mechanics to the patients and should encourage them to use that in daily life.

Effect of gum chewing on reducing postoperative ileus and recovery after colorectal surgery: A randomised controlled trial.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the effect of gum chewing on the reduction of postoperative ileus and recovery after surgery. METHODS: This study was conducted a randomized controlled trial in 60 patients who underwent colorectal surgery between November 2011 and December 2012. Patients in the experimental group chewed gum three times a day. The time of flatus and defecation, the time to start feeding, pain levels and time of discharge were monitored. RESULTS: Post-surgery results for gum-chewing were first flatus and defecation times and the time to start feeding was shorter; pain levels were lower on the 3rd - 5th days; patients were discharged in a shorter time post-surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Chewing gum is a simple intervention for reducing postoperative ileus after colorectal surgery. Further studies that examine the effectiveness of gum chewing on other surgical interventions in which the development risk of postoperative ileus should be performed.

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.