Background Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) face many physical and psychological stressors because of the environment of these units and their own critical conditions and experience stress in various degrees. Each stressor may affect patients' experiences in ICUs differently. Aim and objectives This study aimed to examine the relationship between stressors and patients' experiences in an ICU. Methods This descriptive, cross‐sectional study was conducted between September 2014 and June 2015 in a university hospital and included 116 patients who were admitted to the general ICU for at least 24 hours. Data were collected using the Intensive Care Experience Scale and a questionnaire that included questions about socio‐demographic and disease‐related characteristics of patients and their stressors. Results The mean age of the patients was 57.81 ± 13.81 years, and the mean duration of ICU stay was 2.28 ± 3.88 days. There was a moderate positive relation between the stressors noise (r = .534; P < .01), thirst (r = .438; P < .01), loneliness (r = .410; P < .01), and pain (r = .404; P < .01) and the subscale frightening experiences. However, there was a moderate, negative relation between the stressors inability to speak (r = −.444; P < .01), surrounding speeches (r = −.458; P < .01), equipment noise (r = −.490; P < .01), and physical exercise (r = −.546; P < .01) and the subscale satisfaction with care. Conclusions The patients associated stressors with satisfaction and frightening experiences in the early period of their discharge from the ICU. As stressors increases, so do frightening experiences, and satisfaction with care is affected negatively. Relevance to clinical practice Currently, stressors to which patients discharged from ICU are exposed during their admission to wards are not evaluated in practice. This study is important in that it can help health professionals be aware of effects of stressors on patients in the early period of their discharge.
This study aimed to compare the psychometric properties of the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), which evaluates health-related quality of life in haemodialysis patients. Data were gathered using the NHP and the SF-36. Quality of life scores obtained from the NHP and the SF-36 were compared according to sociodemographic characteristics. It was found that the internal consistency values of the NHP and the SF-36 were similar. The floor effect of the two NHP subscales and the ceiling effect of all the NHP subscales were higher than those pertaining to the. It was observed that the NHP mean subscale scores were higher than those of the SF-36, except for one subscale of the SF-36. There was a significant positive correlation between the similar subscales of the NHP and the SF-36 and between the total scores. These results seem to support the utility of the NHP and the SF-36 in evaluating quality of life in haemodialysis patients.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of anxiety and pain in women with breast cancer. Patients who had been treated with modified radical mastectomy or breast conserving surgery were included. Data were gathered using the state-trait anxiety inventory and the visual analog scale. The pain levels and analgesic consumption of the patients were evaluated after surgery. The study sample consisted of 150 women. The mean age of the participants was 50.54±10.02. Most of the patients (58%) received breast conserving surgery. The mean state anxiety score was 44.74±11.91, and the mean trait anxiety score was 48.78±9.48 before surgery. The mean pain level on the first day following surgery was 3.26±1.91 and analgesic consumption was 2.98±1.08. There was no correlation between patient pain and anxiety levels. There was very slightly positive correlation between trait anxiety and total analgesic consumption. Assessing the levels of anxiety in breast cancer patients before surgery may contribute to the determination of postoperative pain.
The aim of the study was to assess undergraduate nursing and midwifery students' hand hygiene (HH) compliance. The questionnaire included questions about HH behaviours and compliance during patient care, and Fulkerson scale was used to relate HH to cleanliness of various activities. 57.4% of them reported that they used liquid soap for HH. 18.6% of them did not dry their hands after washing. 65.9% of them said that they performed HH when passing from one patient to another. HH rates were 80.7% after removing gloves. The first six activities on the Fulkerson scale were described as 'clean'; most of the students assessed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth activities as 'dirty'. Compliance with HH was high for all dirty and clean activities. Self-report method indicates compliance with HH which was an easy and inexpensive way to provide the information on HH.
Objective This descriptive study was conducted in order to determine the risk factors, symptoms and awareness of health sciences students with regards to colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods This study included 1,028 health science students from two different universities. Data for this study were collected via a questionnaire form that included questions about CRC risk factors, protective approaches and symptoms. Frequencies, percentages and averages of the data were assessed with Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests. Results The most frequent risk factors of the students (mean age: 21.25 years) were smoking (90.5%), excessive alcohol consumption (87.4%), family history of cancer (84.2%) and obesity (82.6%), while the most common protective approaches were smoking cessation, avoiding alcohol, regular physical activity and a low‐fat diet. There was a significant difference in the CRC awareness of students in terms of gender, the department and grade level at which they were studying, and having a family history of cancer. Conclusion Results of this study revealed that students had a sufficient awareness about risk factors and what they could do to diminish their risk, but their knowledge about CRC symptoms was less than expected. We believe that health sciences students should be given more education on CRC symptoms.
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