Attitudes of nursing students toward people with disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Attitudes of healthcare professionals are major factors in the rehabilitation and self-acceptance of people with disabilities. Consequently, it is important that nurses develop or maintain positive attitudes towards people with disabilities during their education. Nevertheless, more knowledge is needed about current attitudes of nursing students and factors influencing these attitudes. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the attitude of Turkish nursing students towards people with disabilities and demographic variables mostly influence this attitude. PARTICIPANTS: The sample of the study comprised of 587 undergraduate nursing students. DESIGN AND SETTING: This descriptive study was conducted at two nursing schools and two health schools at undergraduate level located in three different cities in Turkey. METHOD: Data were collected in a class composed of students from schools between January and April 2009. The questionnaire used in the study consisted of four parts: (1) a demographic data sheet; (2) background in disability (3) contact and experiences with disabled people (4) The Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP-form O). RESULTS: All of the participants were female with a mean age of 22.25 ± 1.53. Only 2% of the participants reported having a physical disability themselves. The mean ATDP score was 64.27 ± 0.36 (range 33-96). The age, school type, prior knowledge, giving care to disabled people in the family and social life were found statistically significant factors for having positive attitudes (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The age group, type of school, prior education regarding the disabled and the condition of caregiving to disabled people are factors influencing nursing students' attitudes towards people with disabilities.

Toward an integrative theoretical framework for explaining beliefs about wife beating: a study among students of nursing from Turkey.

An integrative theoretical framework was tested as the basis for explaining beliefs about wife beating among Turkish nursing students. Based on a survey design, 406 nursing students (404 females) in all 4 years of undergraduate studies completed a self-administered questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed and collected from the participants during their attendance of core courses. The results revealed that between 8% and 27% of the students expressed some level of willingness to justify wife beating, between 8% and 11% showed a tendency to believe that battered women benefit from beating, and between 10% and about 29% indicated that battered women are responsible for their beating. However, more than 88% of the students expressed willingness to help battered women, more than 63% of them indicated that violent husbands are responsible for their behavior, and about 28% or more showed a tendency to support punishing violent husbands. The results also indicated that significant amounts of the variance in the students' beliefs about wife beating can be attributed to their patriarchal ideology, to their exposure to family violence during childhood and adolescence, and to their traumatic symptoms. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the results for future research on the topic. Emphasis is placed on developing a more integrative theoretical approach for explaining beliefs about wife beating, and on the professional socialization of nursing students.

Barriers to research utilisation among nurses in Turkey.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to identify barriers to research utilisation in practice among nurses in Turkey. BACKGROUND: It is clear from the nursing literature that there are several factors that can impede the use of research in practice. It is important that these are identified and addressed. DESIGN: Survey. METHOD: This descriptive study was carried out with 216 nurses from government and private hospitals in Izmir between January-April 2007. The data collection instrument used for the study consisted of the Barriers to Research Utilization Scale and a self-administered questionnaire form that contained demographic data, educational background and nurses' involvement in research activities. RESULTS: More than half of the nurses did not receive research education before graduation, and 85.2% did not receive an in-service education. Only 58.3% of nurses give great importance to research, and 24.5% are interested in research. Involvement in research activities is inadequate. Five out of the top 10 barriers were related to 'setting', three to 'nurse' and two to 'presentation'. Educational level, undergraduate research education and involvement in research activities were predictor factors of perceived barriers to research utilisation. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying the barriers to research utilisation is the first step in overcoming the barriers. It is hoped that research capability in the health care field in Turkey can be enhanced. Creating an organisational climate that values research use and supports nurses to participate in such activities is crucial. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The study findings provide key factors and the top barriers to research utilisation to nurse administrators in developing strategies to increase the utilisation of research findings in clinical practices.

Barriers to Research Utilization Scale: psychometric properties of the Turkish version.

AIM: This paper is report of a study designed to assess the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Barriers to Research Utilization Scale. BACKGROUND: The original Barriers to Research Utilization Scale was developed by Funk et al. in the United States of America. Many researchers in various countries have used this scale to identify barriers to research utilization. METHODS: A methodological study was carried out at four hospitals. The sample consisted of 300 nurses. Data were collected in 2005 using a socio-demographic form (12 questions) and the Turkish version of the Barriers to Research Utilization Scale. A Likert-type scale composed of four sub-factors and 29 items was used. Means and standard deviations were calculated for interval level data. A P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. FINDINGS: Language equivalence and content validity were assessed by eight experts. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the Turkish version was made up of four subscales. Internal consistency reliability coefficient was 0.92 for the total scale and ranged from 0.73 to 0.80 for the subscales. Total-item correlation coefficients ranged from 0.37 to 0.60. CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of the scale is similar in structure to the original English language scale.

Knowledge about cervical cancer risk factors and pap testing behaviour among Turkish women.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the paper was to examine knowledge about cervical cancer and in relation to Papanicolaou (Pap) testing among Turkish women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study research was carried out at Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital's Obstetric and Gynecology Outpatient Clinic between March 1st, and May 30th, 2008 with 92 volunteer women who were sexually active and aged 25 to 61. Data was collected through survey forms by interviews conducted by researchers. The form consisted of 30 questions and three parts. RESULTS: Of the women who participated in the research, 33.7 % were aged 42-49 and 44.6 % were primary school graduates. It was determined that 53.3 % of the women had long experience of living in a province and big city and that 82.6 % had middle income. Approximately two-thirds (68.5%) had received a Pap test. The knowledge of the women within the scope of the research concerning cervical cancer risk factors (having a sexually transmitted disease, giving birth to many children, smoking, having sexual activity with a man who has had partners with a cervical cancer and having sexual intercourse at an early age) was found to be related with their condition of having pap testing. CONCLUSION: The women's condition of having pap testing is influenced by their age group, having a history of cancer in their family and having knowledge of cervical cancer in advance (p <0.01). This research once again demonstrated that having knowledge is influential on the habit of having pap testing. Taking this conclusion into consideration, it is crucial that information services aimed at the whole society, specifically women, should become widespread with the participation of health workers.