Intensive care unit nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards older adults with COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Older adults constitute the majority of patients admitted to COVID-19 intensive care units (ICUs). The knowledge and attitudes of ICU nurses towards older adults diagnosed with COVID-19 significantly impact the quality of treatment and nursing care they deliver. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the ICU nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards older adults with COVID-19. METHOD: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between February and October 2021. The sample consisted of 112 ICU nurses from a public hospital and three university hospitals. Demographic data were collected together with the Nurse COVID-19 Knowledge Level Assessment Form (NKLAF) and the Kogan's Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (KAOPS). The data were analysed using the independent-groups t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U Test (Z score), Kruskale-Wallis Variance Test, post hoc test, and Spearman's correlation analysis. RESULTS: Intensive care nurses had a mean NKLAF score of 21.29 ± 2.63 (mean difference: 21.24). They had a mean KAOPS score of 129.37 ± 15.20 (mean difference: 129.32). There was no correlation between NKLAF and KAOPS scores (r = 0.163, p > 0.05). Female nurses had a significantly higher mean NKLAF score than their male counterparts (Z: -2.733, p = 0.006). The intensive care nurses with bachelor's degrees had a significantly higher mean KAOPS score than those with associate degrees (KW: 6.888, p = 0.032). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that ICU nurses know enough about COVID-19 and have positive attitudes towards older adults diagnosed with it. Moreover, some descriptive characteristics affect the knowledge and attitudes of ICU nurses towards older adults. Therefore, nurses should consider these factors when planning interventions to enhance their care for older adults.

The Effectiveness of Telehealth Interventions on Medication Adherence Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global health issue with an increasing frequency across the world and is an important disease in which medication adherence is a priority component for disease management. Several interventions are implemented to increase medication adherence in patients with type 2 DM, and telehealth interventions have become widespread thanks to technological advancements. This meta-analysis aims at reviewing the telehealth interventions applied to patients with type 2 DM and examining their effects on medication adherence. Methods: Relevant studies published in ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and PubMed from 2000 to December 2022 were searched in this meta-analysis. Their methodological quality was assessed using the Modified Jadad scale. Total score for each study ranged from 0 (low quality) to 8 (high quality). Studies with four or more were of good quality. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used for statistical analysis. Publication bias was assessed using the funnel plot and Egger regression test. Both subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis were performed in the study. Results: A total of 18 studies were analyzed in this meta-analysis. All studies scored 4 or above in their methodological quality assessment and were of good quality. The combined results have shown that telehealth interventions significantly increased medication adherence in the intervention group (SMD = 0.501; 95% CI 0.231-0.771; Z = 3.63, p < 0.001). Our subgroup analysis has revealed that HbA1c value, mean age, and duration of intervention significantly affected the study results. Conclusion: Telehealth interventions are an effective method to increase medication adherence in patients with type 2 DM. It is recommended that telehealth interventions be expanded in clinical practices and included in disease management.

The Relationship Between Religious Attitude, Compassion and Spiritual Care in Nursing Students: The Case of Türkiye.

In the present descriptive study, we aimed to examine the relationship between the levels of religious attitude, compassion and spiritual care perception among nursing students. Data were obtained from 135 nursing students using the Socio-Demographic Diagnosis Form, the Ok-Religious Attitude Scale, the Compassion Scale, and the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis H test, the Spearman correlation test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. A positive correlation was found between the scores of the Ok-religious attitude scale and cognition sub-dimension, emotion sub-dimension, behavior sub-dimension, god sub-dimension and compassion scale and spiritual care-giving scale scores. Furthermore, we observed that some socio-demographic, and nursing profession and spiritual care characteristics of the students affected their religious attitudes, compassion and spiritual care perception. The sub-dimension scores of compassion and awareness of sharing among female students and the mindfulness scores of students with nuclear families were high. Our data suggest that the course contents for spiritual care, which is an integral part of holistic nursing care, should be included in the nursing curriculum. Moreover, we recommend that efforts be made to maintain a high level of compassion while considering the socio-demographics of the students and their opinions on the nursing profession. Finally, the data presented here has the potential to serve as a valuable resource for the development of novel approaches to the provision of spiritual care within nursing education programs.