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Background: Delayed dyspnea and fatigue are prevalent symptoms among patients with COVID-19, and family caregivers play a crucial role in their care.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a health literacy-promoting intervention based on the Family-Centered Empowerment Model (FCEM) on delayed dyspnea and fatigue in patients with COVID-19.Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at Chamran Hospital in Tehran, Iran, in 2022, involving 70 pairs of COVID-19 patients and their primary family caregivers. Patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group using a block randomization method. The intervention group received two 30-minute training sessions for primary family caregivers, while the control group received routine training. Data were collected using the Health Literacy Instrument for Adults, the Fatigue Severity Scale, and the Borg Dyspnea Scale before, one week after, and six weeks after the intervention. The chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, Mann-Whitney test, Friedman test, repeated measures analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation test were used to analyze the data.Results: The mean baseline health literacy score was higher in the control group; however, the increase in health literacy was significantly greater in the intervention group (F=75.31; Df=1.73; P

BackgroundThe health system was challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses, as part of the health system, were expected to manage themselves in a situation where everyone was in crisis and to be able to do their work quietly and calmly. This study was conducted to show how Iranian nurses faced the COVID-19 crisis.MethodsIn a qualitative content analysis study, 16 participants, including eight nurses, five supervisors, and three head nurses of a university hospital in Tehran, Iran, were interviewed between February and December 2020. Using purposive sampling, nurses who were working with patients with COVID-19 were selected to be involved. Data were analyzed using MAXQDA 10 software, and codes were categorized based on similarities and differences.FindingData analysis revealed 212 codes. These codes were classified based on similarities and differences in 16 categories, and four main themes emerged: unpreparedness, positive adaptation, negative coping, and reorganization.ConclusionSince nurses are on the frontline in times of biological disaster, the COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to demonstrate the role of nurses in reducing the burden of disease, identifying problems and opportunities, and planning appropriate interventions.

Background: Emergency department is among the most crowded hospital units. The function of this department considerably affects the functions of other hospital units as well as patient satisfaction. The Stabilization Model is a strategy with potential effectiveness in managing overcrowding in emergency department. This study aimed to determine the effects of overcrowding management based on the stabilization model on patient safety in emergency department. Materials and Methods: This pretest-posttest quasi-experimental was conducted in 2015 in the emergency department of a teaching hospital located in Tehran, Iran. Primarily, the perceived safety of 35 patients was assessed using the Patient Safety Assessment Questionnaire. Then, an overcrowding management intervention was implemented based on the stabilization model. Finally, the perceived safety of 35 newly recruited patients was assessed after the intervention. The SPSS software (v. 16.0) was employed for data analysis through the Chi-square, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, and the independent-sample t tests. Results: The mean (SD) score of patient safety was 27.45 (8.43) in the control group and 34.45 (4.04) in the intervention group and the between-group difference was statistically significant (t34 = 50.37, p < 0.001). The rate of patient safety increased from 65% at baseline to 82% after the intervention. Conclusions: Overcrowding management based on the stabilization model can significantly enhance patients' perceived safety. Therefore, this strategy can be used to ease emergency department overcrowding and enhance patient safety and care quality.

Introduction: Premenstrual syndrome with high prevalence has a negative effect on girls’ normal living. Using drugs to relieve the symptoms and adverse effects of long-term use of the drugs can be a matter of concern. In this study, we tried to reduce the severity of premenstrual syndrome using group counseling. Methods: The study sample was girls aged 15 to 17 years old studying in high school in Hamadan in 2016. The study tools were two questionnaires containing demographic characteristics and the PSST. Of 215 participants, 120 subjects with moderate to severe menstrual syndrome were divided into two groups of 60 subjects. Subjects participated in 3 counseling sessions regarding increasing self-awareness about the premenstrual syndrome. Data was analyzed by SPSS21 using independent and paired t-test. The significance level was less than 0.05. Results: The mean of severity of premenstrual syndrome before and after counseling sessions was not statistically significant in the both groups (P =0.87), but after the end of the consultation, there was a significant decrease in mean severity of syndrome severity in the intervention group compared to the control group (P

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common nosocomial infections that increase mortality rate and the length of hospitalization. Oral care can improve patient's oral health, however, the role of oral care in the reduction in incidence rate of VAP is indisputable. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oral care on the frequency of VAP of patients in intensive care unit. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 80 participants who were randomly assigned to a control group and an intervention group from 2016 to 2017. Data were collected at the first, third, and fifth days of the study using a demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire and the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score for detecting pneumonia. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS software. Results: The results of this study showed that the frequency of pneumonia on the third and fifth days was 15.80% (6) and 23.70% (9) in the control group and 10.50% (4) and 7.90% (3) in the intervention group, respectively. Chi-square test did not show a significant difference (p = 0.059); however, the frequency of pneumonia in the intervention group reduced compared with the control group. Conclusions: According to the results of this study, the oral care program could not significantly decrease the incidence of VAP in critically ill patients compared with routine oral care practices. Similar studies with a larger sample size and longer duration should be conducted for better results.

Background: Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a worldwide health problem. Anxiety and depression are common among patients suffering from chronic pain. Self-management strategies are used to help patients manage the emotional distress associated with pain. Aim: To evaluate the effects of cognitive pain self-management program (CPSMP) on depression, anxiety, and stress in women with chronic pain. Method: This pilot study with a pretest-posttest design performed on 20 women with chronic pain, who were referred to Imam-Reza and Qaem Clinic Centers and Clinical Psychology Center of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, during June-October 2014. The participants randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The intervention comprised of eight 120-min weekly group sessions. CPSMP employs the principles of cognitive therapy and self-management program strategies. The control group received regular treatment sessions. At pre-and post-test, the participants completed Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The data were analyzed using Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The mean ages of the intervention and control groups were 35.2±9 and 32.5±11 years, respectively. After the intervention, Mann-Whitney U test did not reflect a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of depression (P=0.14). Moreover, the results of Mann-Whitney test revealed a significant difference between the groups regarding anxiety (P

Background & Aim: Patient falling is one of the most important indicator of patient safety. Nurses have an important role in the prevention of patient falls and the improvement of patient safety standards. The current study aimed to determine the relationship between the incidence of patient falls and nurses’ professional commitment. Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study,300 nurses employed in hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, were selected through a proportional stratified sampling method. Data were collected by a three-part questionnaire consisted of the demographic data, the Nurses’ Professional Commitment Scale and the reports on the number of patient falls in the past three months. Data were analyzed on SPSS software using statistical tests including Pearsonchr('39')s correlation coefficient, Kruskal-wallis and independent-t test. Results: The mean score of patient falls in the past 3 months was 6±1.61(moderate) for each nurse and the mean score of nurseschr('39') professional commitment was 86±8.61 (committed).A significant and reverse relationship was observed between the incidence of patient falls and nurses’ professional commitment (R= -0.51; p

Objective: In this clinical trial, we examined whether or not expressive writing as a psychological intervention reduces psychological distress in vitiligo patients receiving phototherapy. Method: A total of 139 adult vitiligo patients were asked to complete the GHQ-28 in order to identify their psychiatric disturbances. The GHQ-28 scores showed that 78 patients (56.5%) had psychiatric distress. They were later enrolled in this randomized controlled trial conducted during June 2009 until Dec 2009 at Razi Hospital in Tehran. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A underwent the routine treatment protocol. Group B did the same, but they were also instructed to practice ‘expressive writing’. The intervention continued 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, patients in both groups were re-evaluated using the GHQ-28. Results: The overall GHQ-28 scores and sub-scores were significantly reduced in both groups A (47.9+/-11.71, P = 0.000) and B (48.94+/-10.69, P = 0.000) after 4 weeks of intervention. However, no statistically significance difference was found between the two groups in terms of their overall scores (P = 0.7) and their sub-scores. Conclusion: The effect of expressive writing on reducing psychological distress in patients with vitiligo remains equivocal. Nonetheless, further studies with larger sample sizes and of longer duration especially in non-western cultural contexts are recommended.

Background & Aim: Patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis are repeatedly exposed to stress and pain from approximately 300 punctures per year to their arteriovenous fistula . Patient comfort with the procedure is therefore of greatest importance for long-term compliance with the treatment and until a successful renal transplant. This study was conducted to determine the effect of rhythmic breathing on pain intensity when the needles are inserted into vascular access for hemodialysis . Methods & Materials: This was a quasi -experimental one-group time-series study. Thirty five patients in hemodialysis ward of Hamadan Besat hospital entered into the study via convenient sampling method. In this study, pain intensity during the insertion of hemodialysis vascular needles was measured in six sessions through two methods of routine intervention and rhythmic breathing. The data were collected using visual analog scale. Paired t-test was used to determine pain intensity mean difference between the two conditions . Results: Overall, the results showed that the mean pain intensities were 5.45±1.15 and 2.19±0.92 in two conditions including routine intervention and rhythmic breathing , respectively. Paired t-test showed a significant difference between the routine intervention and rhythmic breathing (P

Background & Aim: Patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis are repeatedly exposed to stress and pain from approximately 300 punctures per year to their arteriovenous fistula . Patient comfort with the procedure is therefore of greatest importance for long-term compliance with the treatment and until a successful renal transplant. This study was conducted to determine the effect of rhythmic breathing on pain intensity when the needles are inserted into vascular access for hemodialysis . Methods & Materials: This was a quasi -experimental one-group time-series study. Thirty five patients in hemodialysis ward of Hamadan Besat hospital entered into the study via convenient sampling method. In this study, pain intensity during the insertion of hemodialysis vascular needles was measured in six sessions through two methods of routine intervention and rhythmic breathing. The data were collected using visual analog scale. Paired t-test was used to determine pain intensity mean difference between the two conditions . Results: Overall, the results showed that the mean pain intensities were 5.45±1.15 and 2.19±0.92 in two conditions including routine intervention and rhythmic breathing , respectively. Paired t-test showed a significant difference between the routine intervention and rhythmic breathing (P

Background and objective: Vasectomy as a none-expensive and easy contraceptive method is not mentioned by most of men in Zanjan. This study aimed to assess the rate of satisfaction from vasectomy among men undergone vasectomy in Zanjan, 2009. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected using 101 files of patients who undergone vasectomy in Zanjan health centers. Data were gathered using a self-structured questionnaire through face to face interviews and were analyzed using statistical tests in the SPSS. Results: Overall, 56.4% of men were satisfied from vasectomy. Satisfaction rate was higher among those who aged 45 years old and more (62%). Men whose wives were housekeepers were more satisfied than men whose wives were working (74% vs. 55%). Men living in rural areas were more satisfied than men who lived in urban areas (72% vs. 55%). Conclusion: Considering the causes of dissatisfactions in designing family planning programs should promote the rate of vasectomy in health centers.

Background & Aim: Motivated faculty promotes nursing students&apos educational level which leads to community health promotion. Attempts should be made to recognize and analyze motivating factors including expectations. This qualitative study attempted to clarify expectations of faculty of Tehran nursing schools on management system. Methods & Materials: This was a qualitative study. The participants were 14 nursing faculty members of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti, Artesh, Shahed, and Baghiatallah Universities located in Tehran. Purposive sampling was used to recruit the participants. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with the participants. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Expectations of nursing faculty were explained in eight categories: empowerment of the faculty, organizational support, fairness, appropriate performance evaluation, providing appropriate working conditions, applying appropriate management strategies, attention to welfare and financial problems and promoting quality of education and research. Conclusion: Understanding the expectations of the nursing faculty and trying to meet them can improve performance of the faculty. Meeting these expectations can enhance motivation and job satisfaction among the faculty.

Background & Aim: Motivated faculty promotes nursing students' educational level which leads to community health promotion. Attempts should be made to recognize and analyze motivating factors including expectations. This qualitative study attempted to clarify expectations of faculty of Tehran nursing schools on management system. Methods & Materials: This was a qualitative study. The participants were 14 nursing faculty members of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti, Artesh, Shahed, and Baghiatallah Universities located in Tehran. Purposive sampling was used to recruit the participants. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with the participants. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Expectations of nursing faculty were explained in eight categories: empowerment of the faculty, organizational support, fairness, appropriate performance evaluation, providing appropriate working conditions, applying appropriate management strategies, attention to welfare and financial problems and promoting quality of education and research. Conclusion: Understanding the expectations of the nursing faculty and trying to meet them can improve performance of the faculty. Meeting these expectations can enhance motivation and job satisfaction among the faculty.

Background and Aim: Social changes, economic conditions, social class and living place situations have been understood as stressors for head nurses. Head nurses have an important role in quality of service delivery to clients. The purpose of this study was to examine stress among head nurses in selected hospitals of Tehran. Martial and Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study on 90 head nurses selected by census sampling. The participants filled out a questionnaire containing demographic characteristics and stressors variables. Data were analyzed by SPSS and descriptive and inferential statistical were reported. Results: The finding showed that 74.4% of head nurses had normal stress and 25.6% of them had severe stress. There was statistically significant relationship between stress and experiencing general management course (P= 0.03). Conclusion: Role conflict and the absence of organizational support were respectively found to have the most and the least influential effect on stress. Also, job stress in head nurses who had passed general management course was less than the others.