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Objective: The prevalence of geriatric cancer disease is gradually increasing. Both the cancer diagnosis and many accompanying symptoms affect individuals bio-psycho-socially and impair the quality of life. This study was conducted to evaluate pain and nutritional status in geriatric cancer patients. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with geriatric cancer patients receiving treatment in the ambulatory chemotherapy outpatient clinic of a university and oncology hospital. The population of the study consisted of cancer patients receiving treatment in the hospital and the sample consisted of 215 geriatric cancer patients who were voluntary to participate in the study. The data of the study were collected using a questionnaire, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the Mini Nutritional Assessment. Results: The mean age of the patients was 69.3±4.7 years. Respiratory tract cancers ranked first (28.8%). 42.8% of the patients were at stage four and they frequently experienced symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite and poor nutrition. VAS mean score was 4.8±2.8, Mini nutritional assessment mean score was 9.2±3.0, and there was a negative significant correlation between the VAS and Mini nutritional assessment mean scores (p

Bu araştırma, öğrenci hemşirelerin yeni tip koronavirüs (COVID-19) hakkındaki düşünceleri ve kaygı düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiyi belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Tanımlayıcı tipte olan çalışma, Nisan-Mayıs 2020 tarihleri arasında bir Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesinin Hemşirelik Bölümünde öğrenim gören öğrencilerle yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın evrenini tüm öğrenciler oluştururken, örneklemini araştırmaya katılmaya gönüllü olan 346 hemşirelik öğrencisi oluşturdu. Çalışmaya başlamadan önce Sağlık Bakanlığı, Etik kurul ve ilgili kurumdan gerekli izinler alındı. Veriler, anket ve durumluk kaygı envanteri ile çevrimiçi olarak toplanmıştır. Durumluk kaygı envanteri ortalama puanlarının 46,4±9,2 olduğu ve cinsiyet, ailede kronik hastalık, dezenfektan kullanma, yiyecek stoğu bulundurma, evde kal çağrısına uyma, stres yaşama ve inanma durumu ile durumluk kaygı envanteri puan ortalamaları arasında korelasyon olduğu belirlendi. eğitim ve yaşam kalitesinin olumsuz etkilendiği (p

The present study was conducted in a cross-sectional and descriptive design to examine the relations between alexithymia levels and social media addictions of nursing students.The study population consisted of nursing department students, and the sampling consisted of 202 students who had social media accounts and who volunteered to participate in the study. The study data were collected online between November 01, 2020 and November 08, 2020 with the questionnaire, Social Media Addiction Scale-Adult Form, and Toronto Alexithymia Scale. The data were evaluated with the Student's t, one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and correlation analysis.It was found that 75.2% of the students were female, 57.9% were in the 18-20 age group, 60.3% of them spent 2-3 h a day on social media; social media addiction mean score was 64.81 ± 5.80 alexithymia mean score was 71.27 ± 8.62, and 46.03% were completely alexithymic. It was also found that there was a statistically positive and significant relation between the social media addiction and alexithymia scores of the students (p 0.05).It was determined that the mean alexithymia and social media addiction scores of the students were high, and they affected each other. In this respect, it is recommended that students be given training on limiting the use of social media.Social media addiction average score was found to be high in nursing department students. The alexithymia score averages of the nursing department students were found to be high. It was determined that the COVID pandemic nursing department students increased the time they use social media.

Objective: The use of theory/model is very important in providing nursing care in standardized frameworks. One of these models in the literature is Dorothy Johnson's “Behavioural System Model”. Material and Methods: In this study, the nursing process of a 59-year-old patient who was followed up with the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and had many comorbid conditions but continued her negative behaviors towards her diseases was presented using Johnson's Behavioural System Model. Case: In our case, first of all, a detailed medical history was taken and physical examination was performed, and conditions that disrupted the balance of the subsystems in the model were determined. Afterwards, a nursing care planthat can be implemented to provide behavioural change to restore balance was designed. Conclusion: Since it is very important to provide behavior change in chronic diseases, it is recommended to use Johnson's Behavioural System Model in chronic disease management and to conduct studies in different chronic diseases.

Purpose: The study was conducted to examine the spirituality and spiritual care perceptions of nursing department students. Methods: The study was conducted in descriptive design with nursing students at a state university. Permission was obtained from the ethics committee, the institution, and the students before the study. The universe of the study consisted of all nursing students studying at the faculty, and the sample consisted of a total of 500 students who were willing to participate in the study. The data were collected with a questionnaire and with the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Detection Scale. The scores received from this scale were between 17 and 85, and high total scores suggest that the spirituality and spiritual care detection scale level is “good.” The data obtained in the study were evaluated with the Student t, one-way ANOVA, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: It was determined that 66.2% of the students had knowledge about spiritual care, 27.4% received this knowledge from the school, and 60.2% met the need for spiritual care with worshiping. It was determined that the mean spirituality and spiritual care detection scale score of nursing students was 66.83 ± 5.01, and the mean spirituality and spiritual care detection scale score was statistically significant according to the grades (p < 0.05). It was also found that the students with an authoritarian family structure had lower mean spirituality and spiritual care detection scale scores than students with democratic and protective families. Conclusions and Recommendations: It was found that many nursing department students had knowledge on spirituality and spiritual care, the mean spirituality and spiritual care score was “good,” and that the family structure and the grade affected this situation. In this respect, it is recommended that students are supported and prepared for the clinic with topics including spirituality and spiritual care in nursing education.

Aim: This research was carried out to examine the opinions of fourth grade students of nursing department about the differences between theoretical education and clinical practices in nursing profession. Materials and methods: The sample of the descriptive and cross-sectional study consisted of 131 fourth grade nursing students who agreed to participate in the study in the 2018-2019 academic year. The data of the research were collected with the Introductory Information Form and the Bachelor’s Degree Nursing Program Assessment Scale (BNPAS). The total score of BNPAS is 100, and the low score indicates that the program's effectiveness is negative and the high score is the program's effectiveness. Frequency, mean, percentage values, correlation analysis and Mann-Whitney U test were used to evaluate the data. Results: It was found that 53.4% of the students thought to work as a clinician after graduation and 87% thought that there was a difference between theoretical education and clinical practices in the nursing profession. The most common reason leading to difference is respectively; It was determined that the number of students was high (74.8%), insufficient application areas (63.4%), and the lack of teaching staff (47.3%). In order to overcome this difference of students; It has been determined that it makes suggestions such as strengthening the cooperation between clinical nurses and teaching staff (61.1%), establishment of simulation laboratories in schools (58.8%) and ensuring that the teaching staff deficit is in clinics (55%). The mean score of the students to evaluate the undergraduate program in nursing was 61.1±19.8. Conclusion: It was determined that the majority of students stated that there was a difference between theoretical education and clinical practices in nursing and they evaluated the undergraduate program in nursing as close to positive.

The importance of complementary and supportive applications is increasing. Pranayama, which is one of these methods, has a positive effect on health with its philosophy and discipline that are specific to it. It is also an important step in yoga, which is an ancient Indian science and lifestyle, and is translated as "breath science, breath control, and willful breathing." In Sanskrit, pranayama consists of the words prana, which means "life force, vital energy, vitality," and yama, which means "control." According to the science of yoga, if humans can learn to control prana, they can also control their body, emotions, and mind. The fact that pranayama is a simple self-control technique that increases the awareness of breathing and shows that it is an influential and cost-effective practice for the patient in the management of symptoms, which is a responsibility of nurses. In this respect, the purpose of the present study was to provide information to health care professionals to be able to use pranayama types in symptom management, to provide evidence-based information to health care professions concerning concepts and philosophy of pranayama to guide nurses in clinical practice. For this purpose, the results of the studies searched in the PubMed database using the key words "pranayama" and "nursing" are shared.

Patients receiving hemodialysis treatment may experience several symptoms at the same time, such as fatigue and pain. Progressive relaxation exercises (PRE) have been reported to have positive effect on the control of these symptoms. In this study, a randomized, controlled, and experimental study was conducted to examine the effect of PRE on pain, fatigue, and quality of life in hemodialysis patients; the study was carried out with 48 intervention and 48 control patients receiving treatment in the hemodialysis units of 2 hospitals. Data were collected by a questionnaire prepared by the researcher, which included questions about sociodemographic variables and the disease; Piper Fatigue Scale; Visual Analog Scale that measures pain severity; and SF-36 Quality of Life Scale. The results of study revealed that mean total fatigue score and mean pain score decreased in the intervention group after the application of PRE; whereas no change was observed in the control group (P < .05). It was also found that quality of life physical component mean score and mental component mean score increased in the intervention group after the application of PRE (P < .05).

This study was conducted with randomized controlled and experimental design to examine the effect of breathing exercise on daytime sleepiness and fatigue on patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The first application was performed by teaching patients in the intervention group breathing exercises including diaphragmatic and pursed lip breathing via the face-to-face interview technique. Then, the researcher applied breathing exercises in the same patient group every morning/evening for 10–15 min and a total of 20–30 min for eight weeks via the online interview method. The data were collected via a questionnaire, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), and Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS). Chi-square, Student’s t, Mann Whitney U, paired sample t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and generalized estimating equations were used to assess the data. It was determined that PFS total mean score of the intervention group which was 6.15 ± 1.65 before the application decreased to 5.34 ± 1.94 in the eighth week (p > 0.05) and PFS total mean score of the control group which was 5.59 ± 1.76 before the application increased to 5.77 ± 1.81 in the eighth week (p > 0.05). ESS total mean score of the intervention group which was 12.13 ± 4.34 at the baseline decreased to 9.13 ± 4.71 in the eighth week (p > 0.05) and ESS total mean score of the control group which was 10.37 ± 2.77 at the baseline increased to 10.5 ± 2.85 in the eighth week (p > 0.05). It was concluded that breathing exercise performed in the intervention group decreased the fatigue and daytime sleepiness mean scores of the patients at the end of the fourth and eighth week. In addition, the group-time interaction was significant, which was associated with the intervention group.

The aim of this study was to examine the quality of work life (QoWL) and working conditions of oncology nurses in Turkey. The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design. The data were collected via the introductory information form and Brooks' Quality of Nursing Work Life Survey. The study was completed with 138 nurses. The factors affecting QoWL were determined using stepwise multiple linear regression. Nurses had a moderate QoWL, and age, duration of working in nursing, the number of nurses, and the working style were significantly associated with QoWL. To improve the QoWL, the nurses' socio-demographic factors should be considered and working conditions should be improved. Furthermore, well-designed institutional policies should be developed to improve the patient-nurse ratio and provide a quality healthcare. What this paper adds?In the current study, Turkish oncology nurses had a moderate quality of work life.Age, duration of working in the nursing, the number of nurses in the unit and the working style were linked to work-related quality of life in oncology nurses.Well-designed institutional policies should be developed to improve the working conditions and to increase work-related quality of life in oncology nurses.

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of inhaler aromatherapy on invasive pain, procedure adherence, vital signs, and saturation during port catheter insertion among patients diagnosed with cancer. The study was conducted in a nonrandomized controlled trial. Sixty patients including 30 patients in the intervention group and 30 patients in the control group, who were subjected with the same local anesthetic protocol, were included in the study. Aromatic mixture prepared by diluting orange, chamomile, and lavender oil in 70 mL distilled water was inhaled by the intervention group during the procedure. The data of the study were collected by using questionnaire, vital follow-up form, and visual analog scale. The patients in the intervention and control groups were similar in terms of sociodemographic and disease characteristics (P.05). It was determined that inhaler aromatherapy applied to patients in the intervention group decreased pain experienced during the procedure and facilitated the procedure adherence (P.05); however, it did not affect vital signs and saturation (P.05). It can be recommended to administer inhaler aromatherapy with pharmacological therapies during catheterization procedure since it decreases invasive pain and facilitates the procedure adherence.

Objective The present study was conducted as a randomised controlled design in order to evaluate the effect of lavender oil inhalation on pain development during vascular access among patients undergoing haemodialysis. Methods The study was conducted involving a total of 60 patients receiving treatment at the haemodialysis unit of a public hospital. The data of study were collected using a questionnaire and a Visual Analogue Scale. Lavender oil inhalation containing a 1:10 ratio of lavender and sweet almond oil was prepared. Results The pain mean score of the intervention group was 3.8 ± 0.3 prior to the application of lavender oil inhalation and decreased to 3.0 ± 0.2 following the inhalation application; whereas, the pain mean score of the control group increased from 5.4 ± 0.3 to 5.6 ± 0.6. Conclusion It was observed that applying lavender oil inhalation to patients undergoing haemodialysis did decrease pain level experienced by patients during vascular access and caused no negative effects.

Objective: The study aimed to examine the relationship between compassion fatigue and moral sensitivity of intensive care nurses. Method: Permission was obtained from the ethics committee, institution, and nurses prior to the study. The population of the study consisted of all nurses working in a university hospital, and the sample consisted of 144 intensive care nurses who agreed to participate in the study. The data were collected through the Questionnaire, the Compassion Fatigue Scale, and the Moral Sensitivity Scale. The total score of the compassion fatigue scale ranges between 24 and 120, and a high score indicates a “high level of compassion”. The total score of the moral sensitivity scale, on the other hand, varies between 30-210, and as the score increases, moral sensitivity decreases. The obtained data were evaluated with Student t, One-Way Anova, Kruskal Wallis, Mann Whitney U, and correlation analysis. Results: It was found that 55.6% of the nurses had a bachelor’s degree, 44.4% had been working in the intensive care unit for 4-6 years, 39.6% had professional ethical dilemmas, and 44.6% of those who had ethical dilemmas could not solve this problem. Compassion fatigue and moral sensitivity scale mean scores were found to be 83.3 ± 6.7 and 125.4 ± 7.2, respectively, and there was a positive correlation between compassion fatigue and moral sensitivity mean scores ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: The mean score of the compassion fatigue and moral sensitivity scale of intensive care nurses was at a “moderate” level, and there was a positive correlation between the nurses' moral sensitivity scale and compassion fatigue scale scores. In line with these results, it can be suggested that the compassion fatigue and moral sensitivities of nurses especially those working in intensive care be evaluated in terms of resolving the ethical dilemmas they may experience in patient care, and these nurses be supported on these matters.

This study, which was conducted on patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, aimed to evaluate the effect of foot massage on peripheral neuropathic pain and sleep quality. The survey was conducted between November 2018 and April 2019. Research data were collected through questionnaire, visual analogue scale (VAS), Douleur Neuropathique 4/Neuropathic Pain 4 (DN4) Questions, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Classical foot massage was applied to participants in the intervention group, and they received 3 sessions a week, with each session lasting for 20 minutes over a period 4 weeks. After each massage session, pain levels were again assessed using the VAS and DN4 questionnaires. It has been shown that foot massage intervention reduces the patients' pain levels and has a positive effect on their sleep quality. Accordingly, foot massage can be recommended to patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to reduce their peripheral neuropathy-related pain and improve their sleep quality.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Ramadan fasting on fatigue in nurses. The study was conducted between June 19 and July 27, 2014, with a descriptive design. This study was completed with 99 nurses working in a public hospital in the city of Gaziantep located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. The data of the study were collected by using a questionnaire and the Piper Fatigue Scale. The Piper Fatigue Scale includes 4 subscale/dimensional scores and total fatigue scores. Higher scores indicate more fatigue. Statistical significance levels were set at P.05. It was determined that the fatigue subscale and total mean scores of nurses increased in a statistically significant manner except for the affective subscale after the month of Ramadan (P.05). In addition, it was found that the fatigue mean scores of those, who were working for 0 to 4 years, were employed in surgery units, and evaluated their health as bad, were higher (P.05). The Ramadan fasting increased fatigue levels of nurses. Therefore, it is of vital importance to evaluate fatigue levels of nurses especially in the month of Ramadan and take the necessary precautions in terms of patient and personnel safety.

The major goal of diabetes control is to assist patients to perform self-care and metabolic control. One possible way to achieve this goal is education and regular monitoring of patients by telephone. Thus, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the impact of education and telephone follow-up on self-care and metabolic control in diabetic patients. This experimental study was conducted at a hospital in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, with 88 diabetic patients including 44 intervention subjects and 44 control subjects. After an initial discussion, patients in the intervention group received education and telephone follow-up for 3 months. Required approvals were obtained before initiation of the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire form and the Diabetes Self-Care Scale. The Diabetes Self-Care Scale scores ranged between 140 and 210, where higher scores indicated increased self-care activities of patients. At the end of the study, the self-care score was found to increase from 61.3 ± 10.9 to 89.9 ± 12.3 in the intervention group (P < .005), but it showed a reduction from 56.5 ± 7.6 to 54.7 ± 9.3 after 3-month period in the control group. Education and telephone follow-up was also found to reduce the values of several variables of metabolic control including hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure. In conclusion, education and telephone follow-up of diabetic patients led to increased self-care scores and had a positive impact on metabolic control variables. In light of these findings, we suggest that education and tele-health home monitoring may be provided on a continuous basis to help patients sustain self-care behaviors that they have adopted during the study period.

Multipl myelom (MM) plazma hücrelerinin malign bir hastalığı olup, hematolojik kanserler içinde en sık görülen kanser türü olarak karşımıza çıkar ve ileri yaş hastalığı olarak da bilinmektedir. MM tanısı alan hastalar hangi yaş grubunda olursa olsun genellikle ağrı nedeniyle sağlık kurumuna başvurmaktadır. Yapılan çalışmalarda geriatrik bireylerin dışında da MM’li hastaların en sık yaşadığı semptomun ağrı olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Özellikle geriatrik kanser hastalarının yaşadıkları ağrının günlük yaşam aktivitelerini ve kaygı düzeylerini olumsuz etkilediği, ağrı düzeyi arttıkça anksiyetenin de arttığı ve yaşam kalitesinin kötüleştiği bildirilmektedir. Tüm bunlar göz önüne alındığında; kanser tanısı alan hastalarda bu semptomun iyi yönetilmesi son derece önemlidir. Ancak son yıllarda kanser tedavisi ve bakımındaki gelişmelere rağmen tüm kanser hastalarında olduğu gibi özellikle geriatrik MM’li hastalarda da etkili ağrı yönetimi sorun olmaya devam etmektedir. Bu nedenle bu makalede multipl miyelom tanısı alan geriatrik hastalarda ağrı yönetimi incelenecektir.and the anxiety level increases and the quality of life impairs with increasing pain level. When all of these are taken into account, it is extremely important to manage this symptom well in patients who are diagnosed with cancer. However, despite the improvements in cancer treatment and care in recent years, effective pain management continues to be a problem especially in geriatric patients with MM as in all cancer patients. Therefore, pain management in geriatric patients diagnosed with MM will be examined in this study

Pain is among the most important symptoms in terms of prevalence and a major cause of distress for cancer patients and their family caregivers. Thus, we conducted this study with the aim to compare assessment of pain among cancer patients and their caregivers and to determine the problems experienced by caregivers.A cross-sectional and descriptive design was used. This study was conducted in a chemotherapy unit and an adult oncology clinic with 220 patients diagnosed with cancer who admitted to an oncology hospital and 220 caregivers. The study data was collected using a questionnaire and visual analogue scale (VAS, where "0: no pain," "10: severe pain"). Statistically significant levels were set at p 0.05.Pain severity as assessed by patients and their caregivers was 7.1 ± 2.8 and 7.3 ± 2.4, respectively, and the most common pain-related problems in cancer patients were fatigue (p 0.05), loss of appetite and insomnia (p 0.05) as reported by both patients and caregivers. Compared to their caregivers, patients more frequently reported financial burden associated with pain management and negative effects of cancer pain on their work life and domestic life and family relationships, all of which were statistically significant (p 0.05). The caregivers most commonly reported fatigue (56.8%) in their role as a caregiver.Pain assessments of both patients and caregivers and seeking their input on how to manage potential pain-related problems are crucial to achieve adequate pain control. In addition, psychological distress experienced by caregivers should not be overlooked.

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 562 nurses to find out nurses' opinions and practices concerning medical errors and to measure their tendency to make medical mistakes. Data were collected using a questionnaire and Tendency for Medical Errors Scale and evaluated using Student's t and one-way ANOVA tests. The average total score of the participating nurses was 4.4 ± 0.3. It was observed that 36.1% nurses made medical errors, and all of those nurses making mistakes have stated that they have made medication errors. It was found that nurses with higher education and working in the intensive care unit had a lower tendency, whereas those working in children's hospital had a higher tendency to make medical mistakes (P

Objective: The purpose of this research was to determine the frequency and severity of low back pain and influencing factors in nurses working in intensive care units. Methods: This research was conducted as a cross-sectional study with 114 nurses working in the intensive care units in the province of Gaziantep, Turkey. Study data were collected using a questionnaire form and visual analogue scale. Results: It was found that 84.2% of the nurses experienced low back pain, and 66.7% of the nurses evaluated this pain as “a pain with moderate severity”. It was determined that nurses who had not received any education on low back pain, who remained standing for long periods of time, who performed interventions that required bending forward, who lifted and repositioned patients, and who did not use any aiding equipment during interventions, experienced more pain and had higher average pain scores. In addition, average pain scores were higher among nurses with master’s and doctorate degrees, and those working in internal medicine and pediatric intensive care units and working in shifts. Conclusion: It was observed that many of the nurses working in intensive care units experienced low back pain, and especially those working in internal medicine and pediatric intensive care units and working in shifts had higher average pain scores.

The primary objective of this study was to assess the effect of aromatherapy and classic massage administered in various ways to breast cancer patients on their symptoms and quality of life. The sampling consisted of 280 patients. Quality of life and symptoms of the patients were evaluated once at baseline and then at week 6 and week 10 following the intervention. After intervention, the control group was observed to have lower total quality of life score and subdomain scores, whereas fragrance, massage and aromatherapy massage groups had higher scores, and the increase was more obvious particularly in the patients in the aromatherapy massage group. Similarly, whereas psychological and physical symptoms were experienced more intensely in the control group, the severity of all the symptoms experienced by the other patients decreased at week 6 and week 10 as compared with baseline especially in the group that was administered massage with aromatherapy.

The research was conducted to evaluate the effect of foot reflexology on fatigue, pain and cramps in haemodialysis patients. The sample consisted of 80 patients in total, 40 intervention and 40 control patients, receiving treatment in the haemodialysis units of two institutions. Data were collected by using a questionnaire, Piper Fatigue Scale and visual analogue scale for measuring the severity of cramp and pain. The intervention group received reflexology treatment for 1 week in three sessions following haemodialysis, each session lasting approximately 30 min. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used in data analysis. It was determined that reflexology reduced the fatigue subscale scores and total scale scores as well as pain and cramp mean scores in the intervention group. The research results revealed that the severity of fatigue, pain and cramp decreased in patients receiving reflexology.

This study was designed to examine the relationship between patients' pain severity and their self-reported quality of life, to evaluate factors that may affect pain and quality of life, and to assess patients' opinions and practices on the use of analgesics. The study was conducted with 260 cancer patients. Data were collected using a Quality of Life Scale and Visual Analog Scale questionnaire. It was found that mean scores of pain, all subdomains of quality of life, and overall mean scores of patients were at a moderate level, the lowest score in the subdomains of quality of life was in the psychological subdomain and the highest was in the spiritual subdomain. It was also found that as severity of pain experienced by patients increased, their general activities, mood, activeness, sleep, and nutrition were negatively affected. As severity of pain experienced by patients increased, their quality of life worsened. Patients were observed to have insufficient knowledge and a poor understanding with respect to the use of analgesics. In conclusion, it is very important for nurses to assess factors that can complicate pain management and to establish an effective pain control.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of acupressure, applied at P6 (Neiguan) acupuncture point, on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia. This was a randomized controlled trial conducted on patients with myeloblastic leukemia. A total of 90 patients, who received the same chemotherapy regimen and antiemetic therapy, were included in the study as 30 patients in the control group, 30 patients in the band group, and 30 patients in the pressure group. Although acupressure was applied by placing wristbands at P6 acupuncture point of both wrists in patients of the band group for totally 4 days, acupressure was applied with the use of finger pressure in patients of the pressure group for totally 4 days. No intervention was made in patients of the control group other than the routine antiemetic therapy. The data of the study were collected by using a questionnaire and nausea-vomiting chart. Severity of nausea-vomiting was assessed by using the visual analog scale on this chart. It was determined that the acupressure band applied to the patients included in the study reduced number and severity of nausea-vomiting (P.05); however, the acupressure applied with pressure did not affect number and severity of nausea-vomiting (P.05). It was found that the acupressure band was effective for reducing the chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

The goal of this study was to assess the effect of oral cryotherapy on the development of oral mucositis related to infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with leucovorin.This study, a randomized controlled trial with random assignments to the experimental and control groups, was conducted with cancer patients. The study included 60 patients; 30 patients in the study group were instructed to hold ice cubes in their mouth shortly before, during, and shortly after infusion of 5-FU with leucovorin, the 30 patients in the control group received routine care. Oral mucositis in the patients was evaluated at 7, 14, and 21 days after chemotherapy. For analysis of data, chi-square, Fisher's tests were used; p0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.In the majority of patients receiving cryotherapy, oral mucositis was not observed (Grade 0) at 7 and 14 days. Similarly, incidence of Grades 1, 2, and 3 oral mucositis in the experimental group was quite a bit lower when compared to the control group (p0.05). On day 21, no statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups was determined based on the development of oral mucositis (p0.05).We found that oral cryotherapy has a significant contribution to the protection of oral health by reducing mucositis score according to the WHO mucositis scale, especially on the 7th and 14th days. Nurses' awareness of how cryotherapy can affect patients and options for resolving problems will enable them to provide a higher standard of individualized care.

Life-threatening diseases such as cancer can create hopelessness and loneliness by altering the lifestyle of the patient and family. Perceived social support may facilitate coping with illness. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between hopelessness, loneliness, and perceived social support from family in Turkish patients with cancer. This study involved 188 patients with cancer. The data were collected using a questionnaire that determined the sociodemographic features, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Perceived Social Support from Family Scale. Data were evaluated with Mann–Whitney U and Kruskall–Wallis and Spearman product moment correlation coefficients. The mean scores of hopelessness (0–20), loneliness (20–80), and perceived social support from family (0–20) were 6.8 ± 0.4, 35.8 ± 0.8, and 15.2 ± 0.2, respectively. A statistically positive relationship existed between hopelessness and loneliness. A negative relationship between loneliness, hopelessness, and perceived social support from family was found (p

Aims and objectives. To assess the relationship between self-care agency scores, disability levels and factors regarding these situations among Turkish patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Background. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterised by severe to slight synovial joint inflammation that can lead to pain, stiffness and joint destruction with subsequent physical deformities, disabilities and reduced self-care. Self-care is an important component of comprehensive chronic disease management such as rheumatoid arthritis. If patients have high levels of self-care and adhere to rheumatoid arthritis treatment, it can be expected that they will have fewer symptoms and better functional capabilities. Design. A cross-sectional, design was used. Method. This study was conducted with 467 rheumatoid arthritis patients who applied at the Rheumatology Outpatient Department of Gaziantep University between September 2008–February 2009. The data collection instruments used in this study were the Demographic Data Form, Health Assessment Questionnaire (including disability index and pain scale) and Self-as-Carer Inventory. The frequency, mean, Student’s t-test, one-way anova, Kruskal–Wallis, chi-square, correlation and regression analysis were used; p

BACKGROUND/AIMS Diagnostic tests such as endoscopy are anxiety-provoking. The best intervention to reduce anxiety is to inform the patient about the procedure. Our study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of providing information on the patient's perception of endoscopy, compliance with the procedure and their anxiety level associated with the procedure. METHODS This study included 300 patients allocated to three groups (controls, and provision of written versus verbal information). Data were collected with identification form, perception form, State/Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Visual Analogue Scale completed by the patients and the physician regarding patient compliance. Chi-square test, paired sample t-test and one-way ANOVA tests were used for statistical evaluation of the data, and Tukey's HSD test was used for further analysis. RESULTS According to the results of the study, it was noted that the patients in the verbal information group responded more accurately to the questions related to the procedure. These patients experienced less pain, breathing difficulties and regret. Furthermore, they felt better during the procedure, were more satisfied, and evaluated the procedure as less difficult (p

In this study, we compared health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), fibromyalgia syndrome (FS), or ankylosing spondylitis (AS), with those of a selected sample of healthy individuals. The study group comprised 530 patients (264 with RA, 149 with FS, and 117 with AS). Three hundred fifteen healthy controls were used for comparison. HRQoL scores were obtained using the Short-Form (SF)-36 Health Survey. Frequency, mean, correlation, and multiple regression analyses were performed; in addition to the Student's t test, one-way ANOVA test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and chi-square test. The average physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores of patients in the RA, FS, and AS groups were much lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). In all three patient groups, the lowest PCS score was found in the RA group, and the lowest MCS score was found in the FS group. The PCS scores of RA patients with disease-related changes in daily activities and the MCS scores of FS patients were lower (p < 0.05). In the three patient groups, the quality of life (QoL) of university graduates and those with a high level of income was good, whereas the QoL of patients who lacked information about the disease was poor. This study shows that AS, FS, and RA have a negative impact on HRQoL. Evaluating the HRQoL of patients with these conditions may provide guidance on their treatment and care.

This study was conducted with the goal of evaluating the challenge of diabetes in elderly individuals and affecting factors. This descriptive study was conducted with 88 diabetic patients 65 years of age or older who were admitted to the endocrinology and metabolism disorders outpatient clinic data of the study collected by using a questionnaire prepared by the researchers and the Elderly Diabetes Burden Scale. Total score of the scale varies between 19 and 92 points. While a higher score indicates a higher burden a lower score indicates a lower burden, data were analyzed by using Student t test, 1-way analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. Subscale and total mean scores of patients were as follows: 9.4 ± 3.2 for symptom burden; 12.4 ± 3.4 for social burden; 11.4 ± 3.3 for burden by dietary restrictions; 11.9 ± 3.7 for burden of worry about diabetes; 4.3 ± 1.3 for burden from treatment dissatisfaction; 9.4 ± 4.6 for burden by oral antidiabetic drugs or insulin; and 58.5 ± 9.6 for total diabetes burden score. Diabetes burden was found to be higher for patients who were at an advanced age, single, female, had a lower income, receiving oral antidiabetic or insulin treatment, and had diabetes duration of 6 to 11 years, a concomitant chronic condition or a diabetic person among first-degree relatives and who did not come for regular follow-up visits, had no assistance for their care, and who stated a poor quality of life and treatment compliance. Elderly diabetic patients were found to have a high total Elderly Diabetes Burden Scale score, and the highest scores were observed for the subscales of burden by dietary restrictions, social burden, and burden of worry about diabetes. Thus, it could be recommended to perform appropriate nursing interventions in order to assess and reduce diabetes challenge during planning of necessary treatment and care in elderly diabetic patients.

This research was designed to determine whether nurses are bullied by other staff members and the effects of such behaviors on the nurse victims. This study reports on nurses' interpersonal workplace relationships in a culturally unique environment. The study was conducted with 260 nurses working in three public hospitals. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The majority of nurses were female with bachelor's degrees and reported being assigned duties outside their usual responsibilities, held responsible for coworkers' mistakes, and criticized for job performance although they thought they had done their work properly. Most of the nurses who were bullied experienced health and sleep problems, did not want to go to work, and had communication problems with other staff members. Nearly all of the study nurses received psychological support to solve their problems and believed that the best way to prevent bullying was education.

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 562 nurses to find out nurses' opinions and practices concerning medical errors and to measure their tendency to make medical mistakes. Data were collected using a questionnaire and Tendency for Medical Errors Scale and evaluated using Student's t and one-way ANOVA tests. The average total score of the participating nurses was 4.4 ± 0.3. It was observed that 36.1% nurses made medical errors, and all of those nurses making mistakes have stated that they have made medication errors. It was found that nurses with higher education and working in the intensive care unit had a lower tendency, whereas those working in children's hospital had a higher tendency to make medical mistakes (P 0.05). It might be recommended that the working conditions of nurses be improved, and nurses in general and particularly, those working with pediatric patients be given regular training to prevent drug administration errors.

Objective: This study was conducted thinking that it was extremely important in terms of the disease and treatment to assess the symptoms that may be encountered before and after a stem cell transplantation and quality of life. Methodology: A prospective longitudinal design was used.The study was completed in two years on 82 patients who underwent transplantation at the bone marrow transplantation unit. Data were collected using a questionnaire, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, and the Short Form-36 quality of life scale. Results: It was observed that the patients had low mean scores of physical and mental quality of life both before and after transplantation; there was an increase in the mean scores of all the symptoms and primarily of fatigue after the stem cell transplantation as compared to before it; and the mean scores of physical and mental quality of life further declined (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Quality of life of patients who underwent stem cell transplantation is adversely affected in the periods immediately before and after transplantation. Patients’ quality of life worsens as the severity of symptoms experienced by patients increases.

AMAÇ: Klinik ortam, hemşirelik öğrencileri için önemli bir öğrenme ortamıdır. Bu çalışma Gaziantep Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Hemşirelik Bölümünde öğrenim gören öğrencilerin klinik uygulamalarda karşılaştıkları güçlükleri ve klinik hemşireleri hakkındaki görüşlerini belirlemek amacıyla kesitsel olarak yapıldı. YÖNTEM: Araştırma, Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Hemşirelik Bölümünde öğrenim gören, çalışmaya katılmayı kabul eden ve anketin uygulandığı günlerde derse devam eden 296 öğrenci ile yapılmıştır. Veriler literatür taranarak oluşturulan soru formu ile 2-13 Mayıs 2011 tarihleri arasında toplanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler bilgisayar ortamında sayı, yüzde hesaplamaları ve ki-kare testi ile değerlendirilmiştir. BULGULAR: Öğrenciler, klinik uygulama sırasında %44,3'ünün hemşirelerle ve %44,3'ünün arkadaşlarıyla olduklarını, sorun yaşamalarının en önemli nedeninin okulda aldıkları teorik bilgileri uygulama alanına yansıtamamaları olduğunu (%33,8) ifade ettiler. Öğrencilerin %59,1'inin kuramsal bilgilerini uygulama alanında kullanmalarına hemşirelerin kısmen yardımcı olduğunu, %53,0'ının uygulama alanında yaşadıkları herhangi bir sorunda hemşirelerden destek görmediklerini ifade ettikleri belirlendi. Öğrencilerin sınıflara göre karşılaştırılmasında; 1. sınıf öğrencilerinin klinikte yaşadıkları sorunların çözümünde ve kuramsal bilgilerini uygulama sırasında kullanmalarında hemşirelerden destek gördükleri, ancak sınıf arttıkça bu desteğin azaldığını (p

This study was designed to examine the relationship between patients' pain severity and their self-reported quality of life, to evaluate factors that may affect pain and quality of life, and to assess patients' opinions and practices on the use of analgesics. The study was conducted with 260 cancer patients. Data were collected using a Quality of Life Scale and Visual Analog Scale questionnaire. It was found that mean scores of pain, all subdomains of quality of life, and overall mean scores of patients were at a moderate level, the lowest score in the subdomains of quality of life was in the psychological subdomain and the highest was in the spiritual subdomain. It was also found that as severity of pain experienced by patients increased, their general activities, mood, activeness, sleep, and nutrition were negatively affected. As severity of pain experienced by patients increased, their quality of life worsened. Patients were observed to have insufficient knowledge and a poor understanding with respect to the use of analgesics. In conclusion, it is very important for nurses to assess factors that can complicate pain management and to establish an effective pain control.

207 Background: Pain is among the most important symptoms in terms of prevalence and a major cause of distress for cancer patients and their family caregivers. Thus, we conducted this study with the aim to compare assessment of pain among cancer patients and their caregivers and to determine the problems experienced by caregivers. Methods: A cross-sectional and descriptive design was used. This study was conducted in a chemotherapy unit and an adult oncology clinic with 220 patients diagnosed with cancer who admitted to an oncology hospital and 220 caregivers. The study data was collected using a questionnaire and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS where “0: no pain”, 10: severe pain”). Statistically significant levels were set at p < 0.05. Results: Patients were found to experience abdominal pain most of the time (29.1%) and their pain was intermittent (67.7%), stinging (16.4%) and lasted for 0 to 2 hours. Pain was diminished after use of analgesic in 50.5% of patients, worsened with physical activity in 17.7%, was associated with nausea in 7.7% and potent opioids were used for the relief of pain in 33.2% of patients. Pain severity as assessed by patients and their caregivers was 7.1±2.8 and 7.3±2.4 respectively and the most common pain-related problems in cancer patients were fatigue (p0.05) as reported by both patients and caregivers. Compared to their caregivers, patients more frequently reported pain-associated financial constraints and negative effects of cancer pain on their work life and domestic life and family relationships, all of which were statistically significant (p

AIM: The clinical setting is a significant learning environment for nursing students. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the problems experienced in clinical practices by the students studying in the Nursing Department of the Health Sciences Faculty of Gaziantep University and their views about clinic nurses. METHOD: Study consisted of 296 students who agreed to take part in the study and were attending the classes at the time when the questionnaire was administered became the sample of the study. Data were collected between 2-13 May 2011 using a questionnaire which was prepared by searching through the literature. The data obtained was electronically evaluated using quantification, percentage calculations and chi-square test. RESULTS: Most of the students stated that they worked with nurses (44.3%) and their friends (44.3%) during clinical practices, the major reason for their having problems was because they could not put into practice the theoretical knowledge they received in school (33.8%), 59.1% stated that nurses partially helped them use their conceptual knowledge in practice, and 53.0% said that they did not have any support from nurses when they experienced a problem during practice. When the students were compared by their grades, it was found that the 1st grade students received support from nurses in solving the problems they had in the clinic and in using the conceptual knowledge they had in practice, but this support decreased as their grades went up (p