Motherhood experiences of nurses receiving postgraduate education: A phenomenological research study.

OBJECTIVE: Trying to juggle multiple roles and responsibilities as a student, nurse, and mother can be challenging due to pressures from overlapping time management. This study was conducted to explore the experiences of graduate students who work as nurses and are mothers. METHODS: The qualitative phenomenological data for this study were gathered from nurses at a training and research hospital between August and November 2022, utilizing face-to-face interviews. The study cohort comprised twelve nurses aged 28 to 48, all actively engaged in postgraduate education. Data were collected using a descriptive information form and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was executed through inductive coding, facilitated by the Max Qualitative Data Analysis (MAXQDA) Analytics Pro2022 software. RESULTS: Four central themes were developed: "Experiences During the Breastfeeding Process," "Positive Effects," "Encountered Challenges," and "Expectations." CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscored that nurses who are mothers and pursuing postgraduate education encounter difficulties throughout their academic pursuits, notably attributed to working conditions and professional cultural values.

The Effect of Nursing Students' Liking of Children and Attitudes Toward Clinical Practice on Their Comfort and Worry Levels in the Pediatric Clinic.

This research was conducted as a descriptive and cross-sectional study to determine the effects of nursing students' liking of children and attitudes toward clinical practice on their comfort and worry levels in the pediatric clinic. The research was carried out with 270 nursing students who had already taken or were taking the child health and diseases nursing course. Data were collected using a Nursing Student Information Form, the Barnett Liking of Children Scale, the Nursing Students' Attitudes toward Clinical Practices Scale, and the Pediatric Nursing Student Clinical Comfort and Worry Assessment Tool. Mean values, percentage calculations, and linear regression analysis were used for the analysis of the research data. Participants' mean scores were 52.30 ± 6.16 on the Barnett Liking of Children Scale, 103.72 ± 19.35 on the Nursing Students' Attitudes toward Clinical Practices Scale, 15.61 ± 3.74 on the comfort sub-dimension, and 11.63 ± 4.32 on the worry sub-dimension of the Pediatric Nursing Student Clinical Comfort and Worry Assessment Tool. It was determined that the liking of children and attitudes toward clinical practice explained 43.6% of the clinical comfort level of pediatric nursing students in Model 1 and 45.2% of their clinical worry level in Model 2. It was determined that the liking of children and attitudes toward clinical practice significantly affected the comfort and worry levels of nursing students in the pediatric clinic.

Therapeutic communication skills level among students undertaking the pediatric nursing course and the associated influencing factors.

AIM: The present study to determine the level of therapeutic communication skills among the students undertaking the pediatric nursing course and explore the associated influencing factors. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 140 nursing students who took the pediatric nursing course. Data were collected using a Nursing Student Information Form and the Therapeutic Communication Skills Scale for Nursing Students. The mean and percentage calculations, t-test, ANOVA test, and regression analysis were conducted to analyze the correlations between the participants' descriptive characteristics and their mean scores on the scales. RESULTS: The participants' mean scores obtained on the total Therapeutic Communication Skills Scale for Nursing Students and all of its subdimensions were observed to have a statistically significant correlation with variables such as gender, grade point average, willingness to select the nursing department, satisfaction with the nursing department, difficulty in establishing communication, perceived ability to establish social relations, difficulty in communicating with a child, perception of childhood life, experience with child care, fondness for children, interest in playing therapeutic games with children, and perceived ability to communicate with children. In Model 1, certain descriptive characteristics (satisfaction with the nursing department, difficulty in communicating with a child, experience with child care, interest in playing therapeutic games with children, and perceived ability to communicate with children) explained 52.4% of the therapeutic communication skills scores of the pediatric nursing students and were statistically significantly. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, it was determined that some of the descriptive characteristics of the students who took the pediatric nursing course had a significant effect on their therapeutic communication skills. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: In order to develop the therapeutic communication skills of students undertaking a pediatric nursing course, it is necessary to support these students with a standard curriculum that includes student-centered, innovative, and interactive educational methods, such as role play, case analysis, and video-based learning. It is also recommended to conduct comparative studies on different educational approaches for nursing students undertaking pediatric nursing courses or meta-analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of such approaches.

The effects of kangaroo mother care on physiological parameters of premature neonates in neonatal intensive care unit: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: The effects of Kangaroo mother care (KMC) on physiological parameters in preterm infants have been reported in the literature by experimental and quasi-experimental studies, and varying findings have been presented. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of KMC on the physiological parameters of premature newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. DESIGN AND METHOD: The review was conducted according to the specified keywords by scanning the EBSCO-host, Cochrane Library, Medline, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and TR index databases using the keywords "kangaroo care AND preterm AND vital signs." The pool mean differences (MDs) were calculated, adopting a 95% confidence interval (CIs) using the Stata 16 software for the meta-analysis [PROSPERO: CRD42021283475]. RESULTS: Eleven studies for systematic review and nine studies for meta-analysis, including 634 participants, were found eligible for inclusion. It was determined that the "temperature" (z = 3.21; p = 0.000) and "oxygen saturation" (z = 2.49; p = 0.000) values created a positive effect in general in the kangaroo care group; however, there was no sufficient evidence to state that it affected the "heart rate" (z = -0.60; p = 0.55) and "respiratory rate" (z = -1.45; p = 0.15) values. In the present study, the duration of KMC application had statistically different effects on temperature and oxygen saturation (SpO2) (p < 0.05). One-hour or shorter applications of KMC had a higher effect on the temperature and oxygen saturation values (1.83; 1.62, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our results provided references for clinical implications, and the "temperature" and "oxygen saturation (SpO2)" values created a positive effect in general in the KMC group. However, there was no sufficient evidence to state that it affected the "heart rate" and "respiratory rate" values. The duration of KMC application had statistically different effects on temperature and oxygen saturation. One-hour or shorter applications of KMC had a higher effect on the temperature and SpO2 values. Longitudinal, randomized, controlled studies examining the effects of KMC on vital signs in premature newborns with vital parameters outside the normal reference range are recommended. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The goal of the NICU nurse is to improve the infant's well-being. The application of KMC is a unique care for the nurse in maintaining the newborn's well-being. The vital signs of newborns hospitalized in the NICU with critical problems may be out of normal limits. KMC is an essential developmental care practice that ensures that the neonate's vital signs are kept within normal limits by relaxing the neonate, reducing stress, increasing comfort, and supporting interventions and treatments. KMC application is unique for each mother­neonate pair. Depending on the tolerance of the mother and infant in terms of duration, it is recommended to perform KMC in the NICU under the supervision of a nurse. Neonatal nurses should support mothers in giving KMC in the NICU since KMC has ameliorative effects on the vital signs of premature neonates.

Concerns of High-Risk Pregnancies During Pandemic: COVID-19 and Fear of Birth.

AIM: This study was conducted to determine the fear of birth and coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnant women who applied to the high-risk pregnancy outpatient clinic during the pandemic and investigate whether there is a relationship between these fears. METHOD: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study using questionnaires. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale and Fear of Birth Scale for Pregnant Women were validated in Turkish in outpatient women with high-risk pregnancies. The study was carried out with 238 pregnant women between February 15 - April 15, 2021. RESULTS: The mean age of the pregnant women participating in the study was 30.22 ± 6.01, the mean week of gestation was 30.87 ± 5.56, the total mean of Fear of COVID-19 Scale score was found to be 18.23 ± 6.41, and Fear of Birth Scale for Pregnant Women total mean score was 62.30 ± 25.66. An increased prevalence of anxiety has been found in high-risk pregnant women during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. It was observed that there was a significant, positive, and low-level relationship between Fear of COVID-19 Scale-19 and Fear of Birth Scale for Pregnant Women of high-risk pregnant women (r = .268; p = .000). CONCLUSION: Prenatal anxiety was prevalent among high-risk pregnant women who required routine anxiety screening and psychosocial support during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic.

Designing dress (Sarbebe) for kangaroo care, the effect of kangaroo care provided with this dress on mother and newborn's comfort†.

The aims of the researchers were to design the clothes to be worn by the mothers in kangaroo care (KC) and to determine the effect of the KC provided with these clothes on the comfort of the mother and infant. This study was experimentally carried out as a methodological, randomized controlled trial for the designing of clothes for KC. Data were collected using the "Parent and Newborn Information Form", "KC Comfort Scale" and "Newborn Comfort Behavior Scale (Comfort-Neo)". The body temperature, heart rate, oxygen saturation, respiration rate parameters of the newborns were evaluated. The data were transferred to the IBM SPSS Statistics 23 program and evaluated. Our results showed that the KC Comfort Scale total score was 71.1 ± 14.8 in the control group and 84.0 ± 1.5 in the intervention group and "Newborn Comfort Behavior Scale" total scores were found to be 12.47 ± 6.90 in the control group and 8.67 ± 3.46 in the intervention group. It was determined that the KC Comfort Scale (z: -4.785 p: 0.000) in the intervention group were significantly higher compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Pain (z: -4.439 p: 0.000) and distress (z: -4.601 p: 0.000) levels of the control group were found to be significantly higher compared to the intervention group. Sarbebe is recommended to be used in KC practices since it was concluded that maternal comfort and satisfaction was high and the pain and distress scores of the newborn were low after KC provided with Sarbebe.

Knowledge, Practices and Use of Contact Lenses Among University Students in Turkey.

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of contact lens (CL) use among university students, their awareness on CL, and CL users' practices for the cleaning and care of CLs. Methods: The data of this cross-sectional study were collected between April 2019 and July 2019. The sample consisted of university students who volunteered to participate in the study. The data obtained from the study were evaluated by Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) 22.0 package program in computer environment. Results: 929 students participated in the study and the average age of them was 21.99±1.85 years (Min. 18 - Max. 24), and it was determined that 36.6% (n=340) of the participants were male, 10.2% (n=95) of the total were using CL, 91.6% (n=87) of them used CL due to visual impairment. When students' levels of knowledge about the hygiene and care in CL use were examined 85.4% (n=82) washed their hands before wearing/removing CL, 85.3% (n=81) cleaned the lens container and filled it with new solution when the solution in the container was reduced, 18.5% (n=17) continued wearing CL while sleeping, 6.5% (n=6) washed CL with tap water, and 28.3% (n=26) of them stated that they swam in the sea with CL. It was determined that the prevalence of CL use was higher (p= .045) among smoking students. Conclusion: Health professionals are important in the trainings to be given to increase the students' knowledge of hygiene and care regarding the use of CL. More studies are needed on the effect of smoking status on CL use.

Turkish Adaptation and Validation of the EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care (EMPATHIC-30) Questionnaire to Measure Parent Satisfaction in Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Aim: The aim of this study was to translate and validate the shortened version of the "EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care" (EMPATHIC-30) questionnaire into Turkish to measure parent satisfaction in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). Method: The study used a cross-sectional design. The data of the study were collected from parents with infants staying in the NICU of a training and research hospital in Sakarya, Turkey, between July 2018-2019 after obtaining ethical approval. Totally, 238 parents (234 mothers, four fathers) agreed to participate in the study and completed the questionnaire. Of these, 35 mothers were recruited 1 month later for the test-retest reliability analysis. The questionnaire was translated using back and forward translation. Reliability and validity test were performed to measure the psychometric properties of the Turkish EMPATHIC-30. Results: The mean age of the parents was 28.27 (SD 5.93), and 48.3% of them were primary school graduates. The infants: 55.9% were male, the mean gestational age was 36.89 (SD 3.25) weeks, and mean length of hospital stay was 9.36 (SD 10.17) days. The mean scores of each item with a six-point scale of the EMPATHIC-30 questionnaire ranged between 4.01 and 4.87. The Cronbach's alpha of the total questionnaire was 0.95. Cronbach's alpha of the five domains (Information, Care and Treatment, Organization, Parent Participation, and Professional Attitude) ranged between 0.80 and 0.92. Pearson correlation coefficient between the domains and total questionnaire was r = 0.988. The Intraclass correlation coefficient was ICC = 0.998 in the test-retest evaluation. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed for construct validity and was moderate; Comparative Fit Index = 0.792, Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.770, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual = 0.0811, and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.107. Conclusion: The Turkish version of EMPHATIC-30 has adequate psychometric properties. The EMPATHIC-30-Turkish questionnaire is an easy and appropriate instrument which can be used to measure satisfaction of Turkish parents with infants staying in the NICU.

Childbirth and Postpartum Period Fear and the Related Factors in Pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to determine the factors affecting pregnant women's anxiety levels during delivery and the postpartum period. STUDY DESIGN: A descriptive and analytical study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Polyclinic; and Antenetal Education Class, Sakarya University Education and Research Hospital, Sakarya,Turkey, from October 2018 to January 2019. METHODOLOGY: Five hundred pregnant women constituted the sample. The data were obtained by using the questionnaire form consisting 25 questions containing the introductory information of pregnant women, prepared by the researchers, and the fear of childbirth and postpartum period scale (FCPPS). Pregnant women's demographic and obstetrical factors and FCPS score were analysed. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was determined between pregnant women's employment status (p = 0.003), smoking status (p <0.001), trimester of pregnancy (p <0.001), number of living children (p = 0.015), chronic disease (p <0.001), status of receiving education during pregnancy (p <0.001), status of receiving support during/after delivery (p <0.001), and the FCPPS averages. CONCLUSION: It was determined that pregnant women's anxieties about delivery and babycare increased, especially in the last trimester.