Hypoglycaemic confidence levels and experiences related to the hypoglycaemia of patients with diabetes: A mixed methods study.

AIMS: This study had three aims: to determine the hypoglycaemic confidence levels of participants, to identify factors affecting hypoglycaemic confidence levels of participants and to assess experiences related to hypoglycaemia of participants. DESIGN: The explanatory-sequential-mixed method was used in this study. METHODS: The quantitative stage included a sample of 177 people, and the qualitative stage included a sample of 18 people. Data of the study were collected between April and June 2023 with the Hypoglycemic Confidence Level Scale, Personal Information Form and Semi-Structured Interview Form. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were used for quantitative data analysis. For the qualitative data analysis, content analysis was performed in the MaxQda program. RESULTS: The scale items are scored between 1 and 4, and an increase in the score obtained from the scale indicates an increase in confidence levels. The mean hypoglycaemic confidence level score of the participants was 3. The data obtained in the qualitative stage were grouped under three main themes: Experiences Related to Hypoglycaemia, Reasons for Experiencing Hypoglycaemia and Managing Hypoglycaemia. CONCLUSION: Identifying hypoglycaemic confidence levels and hypoglycaemia experiences of patients with diabetes can guide health professionals, especially nurses, in promoting person-centred care interventions. IMPACT: The study discussed the hypoglycaemic confidence levels of diabetic patients and their experiences related to hypoglycaemia. The factors affecting the hypoglycaemic confidence level of the participants were educational status, income status, fear of experiencing hypoglycaemia, ability to self-administer insulin, receiving hypoglycaemia training and frequency of experiencing hypoglycaemia. The results of this study may provide guidance for the development of appropriate prevention and coping strategies for hypoglycaemia. Identifying the experiences of patients with diabetes with hypoglycaemia can guide health professionals, especially nurses, in promoting person-centred care interventions. REPORTING METHOD: The Good Reporting of a Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS) checklist was used for reporting. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Experiences of intensive care nurses providing care to the victims of Kahramanmaras earthquakes.

BACKGROUND: Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras in 2023. The earthquakes resulted in serious losses of life and property in 11 provinces, and the injured were transferred to other provinces for treatment and care. To date, no studies on the experiences of intensive care nurses providing care to earthquake victims after the Kahramanmaras earthquake sequence have been identified. AIM: The aim of the present study is to explore the experiences of intensive care nurses providing care to earthquake victims who were transferred to other provinces. STUDY DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive research design with conventional content analysis was used. Snowball sampling was used in the selection of intensive care nurses. Data saturation was achieved with 20 nurses. In-depth interviews were conducted with the participants through phone between March 8 and March 15, 2023. MAXQDA 20 software was used for data analysis. The COREQ checklist was used to guide the reporting of the study. RESULTS: Twenty nurses were recruited. Four themes emerged from the data: challenges in caregiving processes; psychological challenges; ethical situations; urgent need for training and support. CONCLUSIONS: After the Kahramanmaras earthquake sequence, described by some as the disaster of the century, nurses encountered patients with unique needs that they had never encountered before and tried to cope with the constantly changing health conditions. For this reason, they were affected psychologically and experienced challenges in caregiving processes. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Conducting comprehensive training for diseases common among earthquake victims, developing new protocols for providing care to earthquake victims, developing more action plans for nurses, and psychologically supporting intensive care nurses would facilitate the caregiving processes.