The Effect of an Acupressure Training Program for Pediatric Nurses Caring for Children Undergoing Chemotherapy.

Acupressure is a nonpharmacological technique that can be used to control chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in children with cancer. To use acupressure as a strategy for managing CINV, oncology nurses must have adequate knowledge and skills to implement the technique in clinical practice. Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of an acupressure training program for pediatric nurses caring for children undergoing chemotherapy. We used a quasi-experimental design. Our sample populations included a convenience sample of 36 pediatric nurses and a purposive sample of 45 children undergoing chemotherapy. We used four tools for data collection: (1) a structured questionnaire comprising two parts: (a) characteristics of nurses and children and (b) assessment of nurses' knowledge; (2) an observational checklist for application of acupressure technique; (3) the Baxter Animated Retching Faces (BARF) scale; and (4) a vomiting assessment sheet. We found that after the training intervention, 94.4% ( n = 34) of nurses had a good level of knowledge and skill implementing the acupressure technique. There was a statistically significant difference in the knowledge and skill of the nurses before and after the training intervention, χ 2 (35, N = 36) = 19.113, p = .000. We concluded that the training program significantly improved the nurses' level of knowledge and skill when caring for children undergoing chemotherapy. We also found that after implementing the training intervention, the frequency and severity of CINV decreased among the children we studied. We therefore recommend that acupressure (in combination with antiemetic medication) be included as part of a protocol for chemotherapy administration in children.

Effect of Clustering Nursing Care on Spreading COVID-19 Infection Among Nurses: A Retrospective Study.

Background: The nurse's first and most important responsibility is to protect themselves from contracting or spreading COVID-19. Purpose: Investigate the effect of applying clustering nursing care on spreading COVID-19 infection and fatigue level among nurses who provide nursing care for COVID-19 patients. Methods: Retrospective case-control study, where cases had a COVID-19 infection in the previous six months and controls were free. Internet-based survey sent to nurses at eight hospitals. Findings: A total of 100 cases and 250 controls. About 36.8% of nurses who did not apply clustering care suffered from COVID-19 infection. Meanwhile, 83.3% and 93.3% of those who clustered three and four procedures, were free of COVID-19 infection. Discussion: Applying clustering for nurses' care decreases spreading of infection among nurses and decreases fatigue level related to work. Female nurses, increased fatigue, and a lack of training are all factors that may contribute to the spread of CVID-19 infection among nurses.