Participation in a communication skills training program was associated with improved communication skills of emergency medicine residents, increased patient satisfaction, and decreased complaints.

Objective: To determine the effects of a communication skills training program on emergency nurses and patient satisfaction.Methods: Sixteen emergency nurses attended a 6-week psychoeducation program that was intended to improve their communication skills. The first 3 sessions of the psychoeducation program consisted of theoretical education on empathy and communication. Other sessions covered awareness, active communication, and empathic skills on a cognitive behavioral basis using discussion, role play, and homework within an interactive group. The effects of the program were assessed using a communication skills scale, empathy scale, and patient satisfaction survey and were reflected by the reduction in the number of undesirable events between nurses and patients in the emergency department.Results: The mean communication skill score (177.8±20) increased to 198.8±15 after training (p=0.001). Empathy score also increased from 25.7±7 to 32.6±6 (p=0.001). The patient satisfaction survey of 429 patients demonstrated increased scores on confidence in the nurses (76.4±11.2 to 84.6±8.3; p=0.01); the nurse's respect, kindness, and thoughtfulness (72.2± 8.1 to 82.1 ± 6,5; p=0.01); individualized attention (71.3± 6.2 to 73.2 ± 9.8; p=0.2); devotion of adequate time to listening (84.6± 9.3 to 89.8 ± 7.6; p=0.03); and counseling and information delivery (71.1± 10.2 to 80.2 ± 9.7; p=0.01). The number of undesirable events and complaints during nurse-patient interactions decreased 66 % from 6 to 2.Conclusion: “Communication Skills Training” can improve emergency nurses' communication and empathy skills with a corresponding increase in patient satisfaction and reduction of the undesirable events and complaints during nurse-patient interactions.

The aim of this study is to identify the body image and personality traits of male-to-female transsexual and homosexual persons in Turkey: 36 homosexuals and 52 male-to-female transsexuals were evaluated. According to the Body Cathexis Scale (Secord & Jourard, 1953) transsexuals compared with controls are statistically more satisfied with their waist, height, eyes, hips, legs, body posture and weight; dissatisfied with their body hair distribution, shoulder width and genitals. Homosexuals compared with controls are statistically more satisfied in height, sharpness of senses, hips, legs, sexual activity and body posture; dissatisfied in body hair distribution and genitals. It may be interpreted that transsexuals are identified with female body. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1978) revealed that transsexual participants have statistically higher mean neuroticism (N) scores than do controls.

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Low IGF-1 levels can be used to predict delirium after surgery. However, the complex nature of cytokines and delirium itself make it difficult to utilize cytokines to predict delirium instead of psychometric tools.