HAYAT
Year:2009 | Volume:14 | Issue:3-4|Papers Count:13

Background & Aim: It is important to measure the anxiety level in patients who undergo heart surgery and find out ways to relief it. This study aimed to determine the effect of cardiac rehabilitation program's first phase on the level of anxiety among patients hospitalized for coronary arteries bypass surgery.Methods & Materials: In this randomized clinical trial, sixty patients were selected using block sampling and randomly allocated into experimental and control groups. Data were gathered using a questionnaire including the spiel burger's standardized questionnaire. The level of anxiety was measured in both groups. Then, the first phase of cardiac rehabilitation program (including physical exercise, and daily living activities) was carried out in the experimental group. Finally, patients in the experimental group discussed their experiences of surgery. Control group Patients received usual care. The level of anxiety was measured in both groups the day before surgery and at the time of discharge. Data were analyzed using t-test, chi-square, and Friedman tests in SPSS.Results: Findings showed that the level of anxiety had no significant differences between two groups at the time of admission. After implementing the rehabilitation program, the level of anxiety decreased significantly (P<0.001) in the experimental group. Significant differences were observed in the level of anxiety between two groups after intervention (P=0.015) and at the time of discharge (P=0.038).Conclusion: This procedure should be used in surgery patients.

Background & Aim: One of the nurses' roles in patient care is frequent position change in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. Because of attaching many lines and tubes to these patients, they are in supine or lateral positions most of the time. Nurses prefer these positions due to making care simple. Many studies have shown that prone position has positive effects on oxygenation and ventilation. However, other studies have shown some negative effects. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of prone position on oxygenation in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation.Methods & Materials: In this quasi-experimental study, 36 patients were selected using simple sampling method. Data were collected using a questionnaire and oxygenation data sheet. First, patients were put in supine position. After 30 and 120 minutes, oxygenation was assessed. Then they were changed to prone position and after 30 and 120 minutes oxygenation was reassessed. Data were analyzed using paired t test, spearman, and fisher exact tests in SPSS.Results: The results indicated that there was significant differences between prone position and the amount of spo2 and sao2 oxygenation after 30 and 120 minutes (P<0.001).Conclusion: Prone positioning was effective on oxygenation after 30 and 120 minutes; so nurse should use this position in their care.

Background & Objective: High rates of cesarean delivery have worried health policy makers. One of the main reasons for cesarean section in Iran is cesarean election. Health Belief Model (HBM) is one of the most powerful models used in health education programs. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of education designed based on HBM on choosing delivery mode among pregnant women.Methods & Materials: In this experimental study, 128 nulliparous women were recruited from Shahrood health care centers and private gynecologists' offices. Samples were randomly allocated into two equal groups. Women in the experimental group participated in two 40-minutes educational classes which were designed based on HBM. Data were gathered both before and after the classes, and then were analyzed using SPSS.Results: The results indicated that there were no significant differences between two groups in demographic characteristics, infertility history, disease history, perceived susceptibility, and perceived benefits and barriers. After the intervention, significant differences were found between perceived susceptibility (P<0.001), perceived severity (P<0.001), perceived barriers (P=0.004), with practice (choosing the delivery mode) (P<0.001).Conclusion: The results showed that using HBM in program designing was effective in the pregnant women's decision-making toward delivery mode.

Background & Aim: Spiritual well-being harmonizes several dimensions of human's life and is essential for coping with diseases. Chronic illnesses such as cancer cause crisis in physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of ones life. This study aimed to measure the spiritual well-being in cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy.Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study, Paloutzian & Ellison's Spiritual Well-being Self-report questionnaire was completed by 360 cancer patients. Patients were recruited using sequential sampling method. The inclusion criteria were being more than 20 years old, and being able to read and write. Data were analyzed using chi-square and Pearson tests in SPSS (version 11).Results: The study findings revealed that the mean scores for spiritual well-being, religious well-being, and existential well-being were (98.35±14.36), (54.67±5.92), (43.67±10.01), respectively. Also, statistically significant relations were found between age, marital status, and educational levels with spiritual well-being (P<0.001).Conclusion: Findings showed that the level of spiritual well-being was high in cancer patients. Moreover, as it is expected in Iranian culture, the level of religious well-being was more than existential well-being. There were significant relationships between spiritual well-being and personal characteristics. Hence, nurses should consider personal characteristics in their caring programs and choose a comprehensive and holistic approach toward their patients' care.

Background & Aim: While patient education promotes compliance to treatment and self-care ability, short hospital length of stay, anxiety, illness, and sleep disorders can interfere with this approach. It is not clear how realistic is to learn during the short hospitalization period, from nurses' and patients' perspectives. This study aimed to compare perspectives of patients and nurses on the reality of learning cardiac heart failure educational content in Shahid Rajaee heart hospital.Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, two hundred and fifty one patients and 181 nurses were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the reality part of CHFPLNI and were analyzed in SPSS-11.Results: Most of the patients were male (82.4%); most of the nurses were female (85.6%). The mean ages of patients and nurses were 55.18 and 35.15, respectively. The mean hospitalization period was 4.26 days and the mean duration of heart failure was 10.70 years. The majority of nurses had not participated in advanced preparation courses. Patients and nurses had agreement on the reality of medication learning. Patients rated medication (P<0.001), diet information (P<0.001), other information (P<0.001) and the total scale (P<0.001) as more realistic than the nurses did. Female nurses (P=0.012) and nurses with advanced preparation (P<0.001) perceived learning needs as more realistic than the other nurses.Conclusion: Regarding discordance between patients' and nurses' perspectives on the reality of learning, nurses may postpone to implement educational program. Patients' perspectives should be considered in the establishment of heart failure educational programs.

Background & Aim: The issue of children's mental health has been attracting widespread attention in recent years and the issue of parent-child mental health is particularly important. To investigate the effect of maternal anxiety on pregnancy outcome and also infants' mental health were the main purposes of this article.Methods & Materials: In this comparative study, a total of 40 pregnant women were selected using random sampling method from Imam Khomeini hospital. First, The women completed the Ketel anxiety questionnaire during the third trimester of their pregnancies. Based on the results, 20 women were allocated in the anxious mothers' group and the other 20 women were allocated in the calm mothers' group. Then, birth indicators were measured in both groups at the time of birth. Finally, infants' mental health indicators were measured using infants mental health measurement scale three months later. Data were analyzed using descriptive- inferential statistics (Chi-square and t-test) in SPSS.Results: The results showed that there were significant differences in anthropometric indexes between two groups (P<0.001). The rate of vaginal delivery was more in calm mothers than in the vexatious ones. Most of the calm mothers stated that they had wanted pregnancies. Mental health of the calm mothers' newborns were significantly higher than the mental health of the other group's newborns (P<0.001).Conclusion: These findings illustrated that maternal mental status could affect pregnancy outcomes at birth and infants' mental health third months after birth.

Background & Aim: Using illicit drugs such as Ecstasy is a deviant behavior in adolescents. Attitude toward using illicit drugs can predict its usage. This study was carried out in order to determine the adolescents' attitude toward using Ecstasy in 2006.Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, eight hundred adolescents aged 16-18 years who lived in the west of Tehran recruited from public regions of municipality. Data was gathered using authors-structured questionnaire. After filling in informed consents, the questionnaires were completed by the respondents.Results: Findings revealed that 78.9 % of the adolescents had negative attitudes and 17.5% had positive attitudes toward using Ecstasy. Boys and girls attitudes were not significantly different.Conclusion: Regarding relatively high negative attitudes among the adolescents toward Ecstasy using, it seems that investments in health promoting programs were appropriate. Nevertheless, along with these programs, parents and teachers should pay more attention to the issue.

Background & Aim: Effect of women's psychological status on delivery processes is proven. Studies showed that women who experience severe anxiety were more vulnerable for getting emergency cesarean, and physical and psychological complications. Cesarean section is a surgery in which a lot of complications may occur. As primiparous women experience more fear than the other women and also delivery outcomes in first delivery affect later deliveries; this study aimed to study the relationship between fears from vaginal delivery with the occurrence of emergency cesarean in primiparous women.Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 243 primiparous women were recruited randomly from Nicknafs hospital during a six months period in 2004. Data were gathered through face-to-face interviewing with the respondents using a structured questionnaire. This questionnaire was included demographic information, reasons for fear from vaginal delivery, and method of delivery. Data were analyzed using c2 test in SPSS.Results: Seven percent of the respondents stated that they did not fear from Normal Vaginal Delivery (NVD). Most of the respondents (44.4%) reported that they slightly fear from NVD and 26.3% said that they fear much from vaginal delivery. A relatively high percent of women (22.3%) stated that they extremely fear from NVD. The most mentioned reasons by the women for fear were pain (%68/3), and fetal injury (30%). There was a significant relationship between fear and method of delivery (P<0.001).Conclusion: It is essential that midwives consider the fear from NVD in their routine cares.

Background & Aim: Although cervical cancer has high prevalence, few qualitative studies have been carried out to reflect the perceptions of women on the influential factors that affect cervical cancer screening in Iran. The aim of this study was to explore a culturally-based experience of Karaji women regarding the barriers to and motivating factors for Pap smear screening test among Karadj women in 2007.Methods & Materials: In this content analysis, eight focus groups were conducted using semi-structured guide questions (n=86).Results: Findings revealed that factors such as medical advice, advice from friends and family, knowledge about symptoms and pap smear screening method, free and accessible services, and perceived threats would influence the women to undergo a Pap test. Major barriers were lack of knowledge about cervical cancer and its causative factors, inappropriate beliefs, fear from cancer diagnosis, and pain related to the procedure.Conclusion: Regarding the influencing factors on the rate of Pap smear screening test, it seems that designing appropriate educational programs in order to promote knowledge and correct health beliefs using mass media and local communications will result in referring more women to undergo Pap smear screening test.

Background & Aim: Social support is known as a factor in buffering negative effects of occupational stress. There are several stressful situations in nursing which could cause job dissatisfaction, low work performance, quit or turnover among nurses. These situations cause physical and mental problems which mostly lead to irreparable damages in nursing care. The purpose of this study is to determine the rate of social support among nurses.Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 373 nurses who worked in Iran University of medical sciences affiliated hospitals were selected randomly. The inclusion criteria were nurses who had no management experiences and at least had a six-month nursing experience. Data were gathered using a demographic form and the McCain and Marklin Social Integration Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS 13.Results: Eighty five percent of nurses mentioned that the support they receive from their coworkers, head nurses, and supervisors were moderate, high (10.7%), and low (4.3%), respectively. A significant association was found between social support and shifts. Perceived support from coworkers (mean=24.83) were more than perceived support from head nurses and the supervisors (mean=19.37).Conclusion: Most of the nurses received moderate level of support; whilst, they desired to have more relationship with their coworkers and nurses managers. Head nurses and supervisors can arrange excursions and traveling tours to establish more relationship with their staff.