Iran Journal of Nursing
Year:2012 | Volume:25 | Issue:75|Papers Count:10

Background & Aims: Nowadays the elderly population is growing all over the world. Diseases and conditions resulting from this evolutionary process can be costly to governments and cause many disabilities which severly affect the erderly's quality of life. This study aims to determine the effect of self-care training program on quality of life of elderly.Material & Methods: It is a controlled randomized trial which was carried out on 60 elderly referred to Omid's elderly care center in Borougen city. After convenience sampling, the elderly were randomly assigned to two groups of experimental (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. The experimental group participated in a three months self- care training program. Data was collected by the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and analyzed using SPSS-PC (v.11).Results: The findings showed a significant difference in the mean scores of quality of life between the experimental and control groups (P<0.05) after intervention.Conclusion: Self-care education to elderly about the practices of proper nutrition, exercise, rest and medication can prevent a lot of problems and help them to improve their quality of life.

Background & Aims: Academic motivation plays an important role in acquiring knowledge and skills. The role of personality in educational success is beyond intelligence. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and academic motivation in nursing students.Material & Methods: It was a descriptive-correlational study. The sample consisted of 250 undergraduate nursing students in Najafabad branch of Azad University who were recruited during 2010-2011 academic year by census. Data related to personality traits and academic motivation was collected by the Persian version of Neo Big Five Inventory (NEO-BFI) and Hurter's Academic Motivation Questionnaire respectively and analyzed by SPSS-PC (v.16) using stepwise regression.Results: there was a direct significant correlation between academic motivation and conscientiousness trait (P=0.000, r=0.234) and also extroversion trait (P=0.001, r=0.202). There was an inverse significant correlation between academic motivation and neuroticism trait (P=0.000, r=-0.219).no significant relationship was seen between academic motivation and openness and agreeableness traits.Conclusion: this study showed that some Personality traits explain academic motivation in nursing students. Therefore it is suggested that those involved in teaching nursing students consider the role of personality traits when recruiting this students in nursing schools.

Background & Aims: Patient with heart failure have a low quality of life because of experiencing emotional, financial, and physical pressures. Perceived social support plays an important role in health maintenance and reducing negative effects of environmental and social related stressors. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the association between perceived social support and quality of life in patients with heart failure.Material & Methods: It was cross-sectional, correlational study. The study sample consisted of heart failure patients admitted to Hamedan city educational heart centers from 2008. Sixty patients were recruited by purposeful sampling. Data was collected by Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) and perceived social support in heart failure questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS-PC (v.13).Results: The finding indicated that %46.7 of the patients have enjoyed moderate levels of quality of life and %61.7 have enjoyed low levels of perceived social support. There was a significant relationship between perceived social support and quality of life (r=0.721, p=0.00).Conclusion: The results reveals the importance of health sector professionals' attention to perceived social support. Therefore nurses should pay more attention to designing supportive and effective care programs to help to promote the quality of life of these patients.

Background & Aims: Amputation of a body part is a "life-changing event". Amputation affects almost all aspects of an individual's life. Many issues arise following the loss of all or part of a person's limb (s). Disability as a consequence of amputation has a devastating effect on the quality of life of the disabled people. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with quality of life in people with lower limb amputations. Material & Methods: It was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of all above 18 years refferd to the rehabilitation center of Tehran during 2008 who had lost part or all of their lower limb due to disease or accident. Data was collected by the Short Form 36 Item Health Survey Questioner (SF36), and a researcher made tool, and analyzed using SPSS-PC (v.12).Results: The score of the quality of life of most study sample (%59.2) was 34-46. The mean and standard deviation of total quality of life was 55.02±17.226. there were a significant relationship between the quality of life and the samol's age, marital status, number of children, education, job status (before and after amputation), financial status, residence, the status of residence, type of insurance, type of home, the amputated limb, the level of amputation, the time after amputation, using prosthesis, use of assistive devices, and the reason for amputation (P<0.05).The regression analysis revealed that the factors associated with quality of life in order of importance were using prosthesis, financial status, the reason for amputation, and the number of children.Conclusions: Identification of these factors for consultation, planning and implementing appropriate health policies to improve quality of life of these individuals is recommended.

Background & Aims: Striae gravidarum appears in many pregnant women and it creates aesthetic concerns among them. This study was done with the aim of determination of the effects of olive oil and Saj cream on the occurrence of striae gravidarum in the second trimester of pregnancy.Material & Methods: This study was a randomized trial. The study sample included 105 nulliparous women in their second trimester of pregnancy. All the women were in their 18th -20th week of pregnancy and refered to health centers of Tehran. Two intervention groups applied Saj cream (n=30) or olive oil (n=30) and control group (n=30) did not apply any creams. Data was collected by interview and observation and analyzed using SPSS-PC (v.13).Results: Striae manifested among 40% of those taking olive oil, 16.7% of those using Saj cream and 56% of those in the control group. There was a significant difference between the two intervention groups and the control group (P<.006).Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that application of Saj cream during the beginning of pregnancy to the end of the second trimester had been effective in reduction of striae gravidarum. Studies investigating the effect of other herbal oils on prevention of striae are recommended.

Background and Aim: Work place stress affects the mental health, performance and safety of nurses and their patients in health care centers. These nurses enter the work environment with various personalities and experience many events in their lives. Accordingly this study aims to determine the relationship between the mental health, personality trait and life events in nurses working in Tehran Emergency Medical Service (Tehran 115).Methods Materials: It was a descriptive correlational study. Two hundred nurses working in 115 Tehran Emergency service were randomly selected. Data was collected using General Health Questionnaire (GHO), scaling of life events and standard form of personality type and analyzed using SPSS-PC (v.16).Results: there was a significant relationship between mental health and personality trait and also life events (p=0.000). mental health status of bachelor nurses was better than operating room and anesthetic technicians (p<0.001) and they had experienced less stressful events (p<0.001).Conclusions: To select the right people for the job tenure, it is recommended that psychological tests such as personality traits to be done at the beginning of employment. Regular education programs and psychological counseling for these individuals is also recommended.

Background & Aims: Aging is a natural phenomenon and a variety of factors including psychological and physical disorders associated with aging has impact on the quality of life of this population. information on factors affecting quality of life of elderly, helps to increase their quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of life of seniors and various factors associated with it.Materials & Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Census was used to recruit 164 Kahrizak nursing home residents (Aprill-May2010). Elderlies' quality of life were assessed using LEIPAD questionnair and its associated factors were determined by a researcher made tool. In order to analyze the data, descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and Fisher's exact test were used. To investigate the relationship between individual and environmental factors of quality of life Spearman correlation coefficients was used. Analysis was done using SPSS- PC (v.16). P<0.05 considered as significant.Results: The quality of life of the highest percentage of subjects was undesirable in the dimensions including physical function (% 43.9), self-care (% 54.9), social functioning (% 61.6), sexual functioning (% 89) and life satisfaction (% 62.2). The depression and anxiety dimension of quality of life in (% 36) of the sample was moderately good and the mental dimension of quality of life of (% 43.3) of the sample was desirable. There were direct correlation between physical function, self-care, depression and anxiety, and mental function dimensions of quality of life and the personal characteristics and also psychological factors. There were direct relationship between self-care, social functioning, and sexual functioning dimensions of quality of life and before sleep habits. There was also a direct relation sheep between life satisfaction dimension of quality of life and psychological factors. The findings revealed that there are significant relationships among all factors related to the life of elderlies and physical performance (P<0.01), depression and anxiety (P<0.01), mental function (P<0.03) and sexual function (P<0.00) dimensions of their quality of life.Conclusion: Since the quality of life in this period would be threated by many factors, executing programs to promote social participation, improve medical and consultation services for this population is recommended. More research is needed in this field.

Background & Aims: Evaluation of clinical education is a fundamental part of educational planning. Students' perspective is one of the most important factors in educational evaluation. This study aims to determine the priorities of clinical education evaluation from the view points of nursing and midwifery students in Azad University of Semnan.Material and Methods: It was a descriptive cross- sectional study. One hundred and sixty nursing and midwifery students of Islamic Azad University of Semnan were recruited by census. Data was collected by a researcher made questionnaire (a=0.9) and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics by SPSS-PC (v.13).Results: The findings revealed that the students' knowledge of evaluation aims and its methods (3.71±.59) was the most important factor and receiving feedback (3.46±.71) was the least important factor in clinical evaluation from the students' perspective. There were no relationship between the students' perspective about clinical evaluation and their age, marital status, discipline, and also the semester of education.Conclusion: Giving information about the process and purposes of clinical education evaluation and considering the students' viewpoints in this regard from the beginning of clinical placement is recommended. Students' understanding of evaluation goals and processes would facilitate accepting the results and promote their motivation for effective learning.