Attitudes and Behaviors of Palliative Care Nurses on Euthanasia.

This review was planned to present an overview of the findings in the scientific literature on euthanasia, palliative care, and nurses' attitudes and behaviors. A literature search was done in "EBSCO," "PubMed" databases, and "Google Scholar" search engines. In the study, a search was made between January and March 2023 using the keywords "palliative care," "euthanasia," and "nurse attitudes." Articles published in English and accessible were included in the research. Palliative care practices differ according to the health system, socioeconomic status, cultural conditions, geographical location, and education levels of countries On the other hand, discussions on the integration of euthanasia into palliative care practices continue. While palliative care practices differentiate in countries where euthanasia has been legalized, scientific, legal, religious, and ethical discussions continue in countries where euthanasia is not legal. There are many different variables, such as age, gender, professional experience, and cultural and religious factors, that affect nurses' attitudes and behaviors on this issue. It can be suggested that the results of the research, which will evaluate the factors affecting the attitudes of nurses toward euthanasia, death and terminally ill patients, include social changes in order to provide a literature and database in this field.

Cultural Viewpoints of Nursing Students on Patient Privacy: A Qualitative Study.

The purpose of this study was to determine the feelings, thoughts, perceptions and cultural standpoint of nursing students concerning patient privacy. This study was conducted as a qualitative descriptive design. The homogeneous sampling method, purposive sampling method for qualitative research samples, was used to determine the study group. Data were collected from 17 nursing students at a state university in Turkey. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted, and content analysis was used to analyze data. Three main themes emerged from the data: perception of privacy, factors affecting patient privacy and suggested solutions. Four sub-categories emerged: religion, gender, culture and reassuring communication. The perceptions of many of the students relating to the concept of privacy coincided with the concepts of confidentiality and all kinds of information concerning the patient. It was seen that the most effective intervention among the students' solution proposals to ensure privacy was the necessity to make physical improvements in hospitals.

The effect of duration of pressure on bruising and pain in the subcutaneous heparin injection site.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effect on pain and bruising of pressure applied for different durations after subcutaneous heparin injection. METHODS: This research was a quasi-experimental study. The research was performed with 60 patients. Two different injection techniques were applied at an interval of 24 hr to each patient taking part in the study. Method A: after the low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) injection, pressure was applied with dry cotton for 10 s directly after the needle was withdrawn. Method B: after the LMWH injection, pressure was applied with dry cotton for 60 s directly after the needle was withdrawn. After the injection process was completed, the dimension of the bruising formed were evaluated. Also, after the injection process was completed, the patients were asked to show on a visual analog scale the severity of pain felt during the injection. Statistical analysis of the research data was performed with the statistics package IBM SPSS 22.0. The Wilcoxon signed rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used in the analysis of the data. RESULTS: The results of the statistical analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the mean size of bruising and pain level according to the duration of pressure applied to the injection area (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded in this study that the duration of pressure applied to the injection site after subcutaneous LMWH injection did not affect the size of bruising or the severity of pain, and, unlike in the literature, that 60 s of applied pressure did not have a positive effect. Also, it was found that gender had an effect on the formation of bruising and the severity of pain, and body mass index had an effect on pain severity. Ten seconds of pressure applied to the injection site after subcutaneous LMWH injection may be enough to reduce complications.

Evaluation of Bachelor's Degree Nursing Program Assessment by Nurses Working at A University Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study from Turkey.

The aim of this study was to examine the evaluation of integrated program, traditional and problem based programs in nursing by nurses working in a university hospital. The population of the study consisted of the 288 nurses. In the collection of research data, use was made of a Nurses' Description Form and the Bachelor's Degree Nursing Program Assessment Scale (BNPAS). It was found that the total mean BNPAS scores of nurses graduating from the integrated educational program were higher than those of nurses graduating from traditional and problem-based learning educational programs (p < 0.05). The total mean BNPAS scores of nurses who followed professional scientific publications after graduation were higher than the scores of those who did not, and the difference was found to be significant (p < 0.05). It was concluded that nurses had positive assessment of the bachelor's degree programs from which they graduated.

Investigation of the effect of the virtual reality application on experimental pain severity in healthy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of virtual reality application on experimental ischemic pain created with a blood pressure instrument in healthy volunteers. METHODS: The research sample consisted of 172 volunteer adult students who conformed to the inclusion criteria. These individuals were assigned into an experimental (n=86) and a control group (n=86) by a simple randomization method. All individuals in the experimental and control groups wereexperimentally subjected to pain for two minutes by applying 260 mmHg of pressure 3-4 cm above the antecubital region of the left arm with an aneroid adult-type blood pressure instrument. During the procedure, the volunteers in the experimental group watched virtual reality images, while those in the control group received no intervention. Immediately after the procedure, the pain levels of the individuals in both groups were assessed with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: We found that the mean pain score of the individuals in the experimental group was 2.62±1.82, and that of individuals in the control group was 5.75±1.65. Results of the statistical analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the mean pain scores of the individuals in the experimental and control groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study found that the use of virtual reality was effective in reducing the level of pain in healthy individuals. This method used a smartphone with widespread availability and ease of transportation, which can be used by health professionals as a non-pharmacological method in the management of pain.

Investigation of the effect of the virtual reality application on experimental pain severity in healthy

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of virtual reality application on experimental ischemic pain created with a blood pressure instrument in healthy volunteers. METHODS: The research sample consisted of 172 volunteer adult students who conformed to the inclusion criteria. These individuals were assigned into an experimental (n=86) and a control group (n=86) by a simple randomization method. All individuals in the experimental and control groups wereexperimentally subjected to pain for two minutes by applying 260 mmHg of pressure 3-4 cm above the antecubital region of the left arm with an aneroid adult-type blood pressure instrument. During the procedure, the volunteers in the experimental group watched virtual reality images, while those in the control group received no intervention. Immediately after the procedure, the pain levels of the individuals in both groups were assessed with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: We found that the mean pain score of the individuals in the experimental group was 2.62±1.82, and that of individuals in the control group was 5.75±1.65. Results of the statistical analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the mean pain scores of the individuals in the experimental and control groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study found that the use of virtual reality was effective in reducing the level of pain in healthy individuals. This method used a smartphone with widespread availability and ease of transportation, which can be used by health professionals as a non-pharmacological method in the management of pain.

RESUMO OBJETIVO: El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar el efecto de la aplicación de realidad virtual en el dolor isquémico experimental creado con un instrumento de presión arterial en voluntarios sanos. MÉTODO: La muestra de investigación consistió en 172 estudiantes adultos voluntarios que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión. A estos individuos se les asignó mediante un método de aleatorización simple en un grupo experimental (n = 86) y uno de control (n = 86). Todos los individuos en los grupos experimentales y de control fueron sometidos experimentalmente a dolor durante dos minutos aplicando 260 mmHg de presión 3-4 cm por encima de la región antecubital del brazo izquierdo con un instrumento de presión arterial aneroide tipo adulto. Durante el procedimiento, los voluntarios en el grupo experimental observaron imágenes de realidad virtual, mientras que los del grupo de control no recibieron ninguna intervención. Inmediatamente después del procedimiento, los niveles de dolor de los individuos en ambos grupos se evaluaron con una Escala Analógica Visual (EAV). RESULTADOS: Se encontró que el puntaje promedio de dolor de los individuos en el grupo experimental fue 2.62 ± 1.82, y el de los individuos en el grupo control fue de 5.75 ± 1.65. Los resultados del análisis estadístico mostraron una diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre las puntuaciones medias de dolor de los individuos en los grupos experimental y control (p<0,000). CONCLUSÃO: Se encontró en este estudio que el uso de la realidad virtual fue efectivo para reducir el nivel de dolor en individuos sanos. Este método, que se lleva a cabo mediante el uso del teléfono inteligente y que ofrece una amplia disponibilidad y facilidad de transporte, puede ser utilizado por profesionales de la salud como un método no farmacológico en el tratamiento del dolor.

Predictors of foot care behaviours in patients with diabetes in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: The management of diabetic foot complications is challenging, time-consuming and costly. Such complications frequently recur, and the feet of individuals with diabetes can be easily infected. The variables that predict foot care behaviours must be identified to improve foot care attitudes and behaviours. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the predictors of foot care behaviours in individuals with diabetes and the role of these variables. METHODS: This descriptive and analytic study was carried out between July 2015 and July 2016, and 368 outpatients with diabetes from a public hospital in Turkey were included. The participants had no communication, psychiatric or neurological problems and had been diagnosed with diabetes for at least 1 year. Foot care behaviour was the dependent variable and was evaluated with the foot care behaviour questionnaire. The relationship among foot care behaviours and sociodemographic characteristics, diabetes-related attitudes, disease perception, health beliefs and perceived social support was evaluated. Factors that independently predicted effective foot care behaviours were estimated via a linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The foot care behaviour score of the participants was above average (54.8 ± 5.0). Gender (t = -2.38, p = 0.018), history of a foot wound (t = -2.74, p = 0.006), nephropathy (t = 3.13, p = 0.002), duration subscale of the illness perception scores (t = 2.26, p = 0.024) and personal control subscale of the health belief scores (t = -2.07, p = 0.038) were significant predictors of foot care behaviours. These variables, which provided model compatibility, accounted for approximately 22.0% of the total variance of the foot care behaviour score (R = 0.47, R 2 = 0.22, F = 5.48, p ≤ 0.001). DISCUSSION: Our results show factors that may affect diabetic foot care behaviours. Several of these factors prevent individuals from practising these behaviours. Further studies on the roles of barriers as predictors of foot care behaviours must be conducted.

Ethical values of academic nurses: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: While academics contribute to the development of society through all the subjects that they work on, they also have other important tasks to fulfill, such as being role models for their students and society. Therefore, the place of academic ethical values is a significant topic for academic nurses. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this research was to examine the attitudes of academic nurses toward academic ethics. RESEARCH DESIGN: This descriptive and cross-sectional research study was conducted between March and June 2017 in three different public universities in Turkey. The research sample consisted of 132 nurses in different professional positions at different universities who volunteered to participate in the study. The data were collected with an Information Form and an Academic Ethical Values Scale developed in Turkey. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Ethical approval was granted by the institutions involved, and all participants provided informed verbal consent. FINDINGS: The attitudes of academics participating in the research on academic ethical values were found to be highly positive. When the sub-dimensions of the scale were examined, the dimension with the highest average attitudinal score is found to be "values regarding the teaching process" and the dimension with the lowest average attitude score is found to be "values regarding society." Depending on the participants' academic position, it was determined that the total average score for the Academic Ethical Values Scale and the average scores of the "values regarding scientific research" and "values regarding the teaching process" sub-dimensions differed significantly (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was found that academic nurses had highly positive attitudes of toward academic ethical values. It can be argued that academics act more responsibly with regard to the ethical values of the teaching process than other areas. In addition, academics who are professors are most sensitive in their perception of academic ethical values.

Thesis survey results in the field of nursing regarding the use of complementary and alternative medical treatments in Turkey.

This descriptive literature review was planned to identify the prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) usage, frequency of usage, types/fields of use in master's theses and PhD dissertations based on the CAM methods, which are commonly used in nursing practice in Turkey. Data was collected in Turkey from February to March 2014 through a review of the National Thesis Centre (NTC) Archives at the Chairmanship of the Council of Higher Education and by obtaining the nursing theses/dissertations on CAM done between 1996 and 2013. Data were analysed by distribution of frequencies and percentages for publication year, number in sampling, method, case group, CAM type, and purpose of use/effectiveness. A total of 88 theses/dissertations were located. It was found that a majority of the theses/dissertations investigated were interventional. Investigation of the purpose of CAM use in theses/dissertations showed that the studies examined the effects of CAM on symptom control.

The Level of Professionalism of Nurses Working in a Hospital in Turkey.

INTRODUCTION: Professionalism is characterized by the degree of dedication displayed by individuals regarding the values and behavioral attributes of a specific career identity. Professionalism indicates attitudes that represent high levels of identification with and commitment to a specific profession. In the process of the professional development of nursing, various factors affect these obstacles which may impede the professional development of nurses and their professional behaviors. This study was carried out with the aim of determining the professional behavior of nurses in a hospital in Turkey. METHODS: In this descriptive exploratory study a total of 89 nurses working in a public hospital in northwestern of Turkey were participated. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and Behavioral Inventory Form for Professionalism in Nursing (BIPN). RESULTS: The result showed that mean scores on the BIPN were 5.07 (3.47). The areas with the highest levels of professional behavior were competence and continuing education 1.88 (0.34). The professionalism levels for nurses were the lowest in the areas of autonomy 0.06 (0.34), publication 0.10 (0.25), and research 0.25 (0.60). There was a statistically significant difference between the total BIPN scores and the education levels of the nurses and the working of nurses. CONCLUSION: The professional behavior of nurses is at a low level. Since the arrangement of the nurses' working conditions affects their professional behaviors; therefore, development in the field of professional behaviors in nursing must be assessed and supported to increase the quality of patient care.

The effect of air-lock technique on pain at the site of intramuscular injection.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of air-lock technique (ALT) on pain of intramuscular (IM) injection delivered to the ventrogluteal and dorsogluteal site (DS). METHODS: A randomized controlled trial design was used to assess the pain intensity associated with IM injections administered using 2 different methods and injection sites. Recruitment of patients was carried out between April and August 2013 at the Department of Brain Surgery, Cekirge State Hospital, Bursa, Turkey. The sample comprised 60 patients who developed no complications at the IM site, and had no illness that could affect their perception of pain. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups of 30 patients. Patients in the first group received injections in the ventrogluteal site (VS), while the DS was used for injections in the second group. Patients in each group received 2 injections, one using ALT and one not using the technique. After each injection, the pain felt by patients during the injection was immediately assessed using a visual analog scale. RESULTS: The mean pain score after injections to the DS by the ALT was 3.30 ± 2.70, while the mean pain score after injections to the VS using the same technique was 2.53 ± 2.52. CONCLUSION: Although the difference between groups was not significant, the results of the study supported the idea that injections delivered to the VS by ALT are less painful than those delivered to the DS.