BackgroundThe profound impact of empathy training on quality nursing care has been recognized. Studies have shown that there has been little improvement in nurses’ communication skills, and that they should work to enhance this area. Relevant training will lead to an improvement in nurses’ empathic skills, which in turn, will enable them to understand their patients better, establish positive interpersonal relationships with them, and boost their professional satisfaction.ObjectivesTo reveal the effect of empathy training on the empathic skills of nurses.Patients and MethodsThis study was conducted as an experimental design. The research sample consisted of 48 nurses working at the pediatric clinics of Farabi hospital of Karadeniz Technical University in Turkey (N = 83). Two groups, an experimental group (group 1) and a control group (group 2) were determined after questionnaires were supplied to all nurses in the study sample. At first, it was intended to select these groups using a random method. However, since this may have meant that the experimental and control groups were formed from nurses working in the same service, the two groups were selected from different services to avoid possible interaction between them. The nurses in the Group 1 were provided with empathy training through group and creative drama techniques. Pre-tests and post-tests were conducted on both groups. Data was collected via a questionnaire designed around the topic “empathic skill scale-ESS”, developed by Dokmen. The Kolmogorov Smirnov test was employed to assess whether the measurable data was suitable for normal distribution. Data was presented as numbers and percentage distributions, as mean ± standard deviation and Chi-square, and as student t tests and paired t tests. The level of significance was accepted as P < 0.05.ResultsThe nurses in the experimental group had a mean score of 146.7 ± 38.8 and 169.5 ± 22.1 in the ESS pre-test and post-test, respectively. Although the nurses in the control group had a pre-test mean score of 133.7 ± 37.1, which increased to 135.1 ± 51.7 after the training, no statistically significant difference was found (P = 0.886). A comparison of the groups indicated that they scored similarly in the pre-test. However, the experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group in the post-test (P = 0.270 and P = 0.015, respectively).ConclusionsIn the light of these findings, it is recommended that communication skills should be widely included in in-service training programs; similar studies should be conducted on broader control groups formed through randomization; and a comparison should be made between the findings.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of peer education on breast self-examination (BSE) knowledge and health beliefs. 180 female university students were trained in BSE by the nursing students. Students instructed in groups by their peers showed a much higher degree of BSE knowledge. It was also found that perceived confidence of the students educated both individually and in groups increased afterward. Study results further revealed that the methods used for peer instruction do not affect students' sub-dimensions of health beliefs differently after the education.

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of home healthcare on the quality of life (QOL) in patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. A total of 42 patients, who met eligibility criteria, were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group. Control group patients received "usual care" defined as pain control and management through the pain clinic. Experimental group patients received pain control through the clinic plus three home visits. During the home visits, their nursing care was guided by an evidence-based protocol developed by the research team. Data were collected on pain, performance, symptoms, and QOL by using previously developed and validated instruments.Significant differences were found between the two groups on physiological function, psychological concerns, and total stress. In the experimental group, there was a significant decrease in pain and increase in performance from baseline to the final data collection period. For the control group, a significant decrease in QOL over the study period was observed. There were no significant differences between the two groups on pain, performance, QOL, and QOL subscales at the final visit.

Nurse telephone follow-up is an acceptable and feasible form of patient contact and is a convenient and efficient way to offer patients the support and continuity of care they need.

Terminal stage cancer patients felt lonely in general, and patients with a lack of visitors and family support experienced a higher level of loneliness.

Aim The aims of the study are to determine the incidence of oral mucositis, the stage of the condition, risk factors, and other oral complications in patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy and to evaluate the factors that have an impact on these. Methods The study included 147 patients undergoing outpatient cancer chemotherapy at the Chemotherapy Unit of a University Hospital between February and April 2015. We used a questionnaire and the World Health Organization “Mucositis Grading Scale”. Chi‐squared tests were used to determine the relationships between factors, and multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to explore predictive factors. Results The frequency of oral mucositis was 51.7%. The most common oral problems were mouth dryness (55.1%), a reduced/changed sense of taste (52.4%), and a lack of appetite (47.6%). Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for oral mucositis were advanced age, a lack of appetite, and the duration of chemotherapy. Conclusions As a result, half of all patients undergoing outpatient cancer chemotherapy developed oral mucositis. Patients are unable to adequately prevent oral mucositis and carry out oral care. It is recommended that more studies be conducted in outpatient units to evaluate predictive factors for oral mucositis.

Interventions and strategies that help women develop confidence in their abilities to perform early breast cancer detection methods are likely to encourage them to engage in regular screening for breast cancer.

Comfort, a concept associated with the art of nursing, is important for reducing the negative impact of hospitalization in a coronary care unit (CCU). Providing nursing interventions that ensure patient comfort is important for patients to respond positively to treatment. To determine the factors affecting comfort and the comfort levels of patients hospitalized in the CCU. A descriptive study. The study was conducted between December 2015 and February 2016 in the CCU of a state hospital located in Trabzon, Turkey. The sample consisted of 119 patients who complied with the criteria of inclusion for the study. Data were collected using the "Patient Information Form" and a "General Comfort Questionnaire." The mean patient comfort score was 3.22 ± 0.33, and we found significant relationships between comfort scores and age (r = -0.19; P = .03) and communication by nurses and physicians (P < .05). Regression analysis revealed that sufficient communication by physicians, education level, age, and having a companion were related to the comfort level (P < .05). Communication by nurses and physicians and having a companion could change the comfort levels of patients hospitalized in the CCU.