Iranian Journal of Nursing Research
Year:2010 | Volume:4 | Issue:15|Papers Count:9

Introduction: Women constitute half of the population and their health is the keystone of family and society’s health. Women’s problems could adversely affect physical health and in particular mental health of the family, society, and future generations. The present study aimed at determining the social predisposing factors on women's health in Iran. Methods: Using qualitative method (content analysis), semi-structured interactional interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 22 women aged 20 to 50 years who were living in Tehran. Interviewing the participants were continued to reach data saturation. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed. They were analyzed through a qualitative content analysis method. Results: Six themes were identified in data analysis: gender disparities, burden, economical problems, appropriate occupation, women sport and cultural and educational growth which reflect effective social factors on women’s health. Conclusion: The study revealed that women are still suffering from disparities. They need appropriate social welfare, sport, job and education to be healthy. Knowing these, nurses could make an effort to acculturate men participation in house chores and to develop gender equalities in order to provide health for women and families.

Introduction: Educational programmers are designed to meet educational needs of learners. Therefore, need identification is the first step in educational planning. Nurses need new skills considering how rapidly the science borders are expanding. Identifying educational needs of nurse managers could be an effective way to empower them. This survey aimed at determining the educational needs of nurse managers of state hospitals, through Delphi method and job analysis. Methods: The study utilized mixed method by combing Delphi method and job analysis to determine educational needs of nurse managers. 20 nurse managers drawn from universities of medical sciences were recruited to the study. With reference to nurse managers’ task description–approved by Ministry of Health and Medical Education- educational needs were discovered based on ISO 10015 (launched by Ministry of Health for all job categories). Results: Educational needs of nurse managers were categorized in two groups of personal and organizational needs. Personal needs included skills in lecturing, article writing, English conversation and translation as well as running meetings. Organizational needs consisted of IT, Nursing ethic and law, quality assessment of wards, quality improvement in nursing care, standards of structure, equipments and human resources, crisis management, health education, HIS system, hospital infection control, nursing care procedure, management principles, human resource management, interview technique, research methods, statistics, SPSS software, health economics, teamwork and teambuilding, educational methods, religious practices and adjustments, educational need assessment, comprehensive evaluation, change management, critical thinking, stress management, communication skills, decision making techniques, problem solving and time management. Conclusion: Since the study revealed that significant needs in performing professional tasks of nurse managers have not been met, the results could be applied in developing educational programmers for nurse managers of university hospitals. The mixed method and educational need assessment model used in this study, could be used in assessing educational needs of other managers.

Introduction: Monitoring of patients' temperature is an important clinical nursing task. Proper treatment of patients is possible by controlling the body temperature accurately. Body temperature is usually taken at different sites like rectum, month, axillaries and tympanic. Rectal temperature measurement as a less invasive method has been used for a long time. This study was untaken to compare two methods of tympanic and rectal temperature measurement. Methods: A comparative study design was used to recruit a convenient sample of 336 patients in study. They ranged in age from 16 to 85. The tympanic temperatures were measured using the Braun Thermo Scan type 6020 and the rectal temperatures were measured by Samsung digital. The measurement accuracy of both thermometers was 0.1oC, according to those manufactures. Collected data were inserted to SPSS and Medcalc sofwares and analyzed through descriptive statistics, paired t-test, Pearson coefficient, Bland-Altman's analysis, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values. P-value less than 0.05 considered significant. Results: Using Paired t-test, it was revealed that tympanic and rectal mean temperatures were significantly different (P<0.0001). The Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated that the mean rectal temperatures were 0.23oC more than the mean of tympanic temperatures, with ranges of agreement between -0.98oC to 0.51oC for right tympanic temperatures and the limits of agreement between -0.88oC to 0.41oC for left tympanic temperatures. There was also high correlation between right (r=0.88) and left (r=0.89) tympanic temperatures (P<0.0001). Conclusion: Despite high correlation between rectal and tympanic temperature, their differences were significant both statistically and clinically. It could be concluded that tympanic temperature can't reflect the rectal temperature with high agreement. Based on the study’s result, tympanic method couldn’t be an excellent alternative for rectal method. However, each of them has special performances, advantages and disadvantages in clinical practice.

Introduction: Adolescents face special problems which are less common during childhood. Their self image that is influenced by their body changes during this period could cause eating disorders. The present study was undertaken to asses the relationship between body image and eating disorders among female students in Kerman’s high schools. Methods: Using a correlational study design, 650 female students drawn from high schools were selected. Data were collected through demographic, eating disorders and body image questionnaires. Data was analyzed using Central and distributional indices, T-test, one-way analysis of variance, linear and logistic regression.Results: Total mean score of body image was 64.02%. The highest scores belonged to the upper part of body such as hair, ears, hands and chest. 6.3% of students had eating disorder, consisting of 1.7% anorexia nervosa, 1.7% bulimia nervosa and 2.9% eating disorder not otherwise specified. Comparison of body image score and type of eating disorders showed significant differences except for anorexia nervosa. Linear regression and logistic regression showed a two-directional relationship between eating disorder variables and body image score. Only BMI was predictive factor for probability of eating disorders (P=0.02).Conclusion: The relationship between body image and eating disorder is two-directional. Therefore, observing the symptoms of one disorder suggests the probability of the presence of the other one. So educating people like parents and teachers and caregivers by community health nurse regarding nutritional problems can be effective in early diagnosing and identifying such disorders.

Introduction: Many Adults remember their hospital admission during childhood. Hospitalization could be terrifying for children. In the other hand, it could be a positive experience, if they get well prepared for hospitalization by nursing plans. First hours of hospitalization are the most important. Therefore, orienting the child to hospitalization process and copying with fears could increase child’s self esteem. It would furthermore help the child to adjust with potentially stressful situation in future. The purpose of this study was to identify nursing performances regarding hospital admission of children aged 3-6 years. Methods: Using descriptive- analytic study method, 20 nurses who have worked in pediatric wards for at least one year, were selected through census sampling. The data were collected through an observational checklist. Nurses’ performance was assessed randomly three times a day during morning and evening shifts when the most hospitalization takes place. To know whether nurses’ performance was influenced by availability of facilities, another checklist was used to assess physical environment, facilities and equipments of hospital, three times within different days. All statistics were computed by the SPSS software (version 15). Results: The results revealed that 95 percent of nurses had weak performance at admission time (461 scores of 960). Physical environment and equipments of pediatric wards were found appropriate. No significant correlations were found between nursing performance and physical environment or equipments (P=0.21). There was no significant correlations between demographic of participants and nursing performance as well (P>0.05). Conclusion: The study found that physical environment, facilities and equipments of pediatric wards in educational hospitals of Hamadan city is appropriate, eve though nurses’ performance weren’t good enough in admitting children. It meant physical environment, facilities and equipments didn’t had any impact on nursing performance. Therefore, training nurses regarding children admission and how to use the available resources to promote their performance is needed.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death, and its prevalence is increasing. Nutritional depletion is a common problem among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. It is caused, to a large extent, by an imbalance between low- energy intake and high- energy requirements. This problem adversely affects morbidity and mortality. The present study aimed to assess the effects of nutritional guideline education on spirometric tests (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC) among patients with COPD. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted through a before and after design. Thirty hospitalized COPD patients drawn from Alborz hospital in Karaj were recruited to the study by random sampling. After filling the demographic questionnaire out, spirometric assessment was undertaken. Individual face to face education concerning proper nutrition was carried out during four sessions. Each session last 15 minutes and was given in four consequent days. Spirometric tests were measured again one and three months after education. They were followed up after discharge through home visits and telephone calls. Then, the indexes were compared. Results: Significant differences were found among mean FEV1 before intervention, one month (P=0.004) and three months after intervention (P=0.001). There were significant differences between mean FVC after one month (0.015) and three months after the intervention (P=0.000). Increased FEV1/FVC Indexes were reversely correlated with samples’ weight (P=0.034, r=0.426). FEV1/FVC Indexes three months after intervention were correlated with age (P=0.029, r=0.399). That meant older patients had higher FEV1/FVC values and Pearson coefficient test demonstrated the difference significant. Conclusion: The study suggests that patients with COPD should be aware of effectual factors on respiratory conditions. They need to be instructed regarding the foods have negative or positive impacts on their respiratory function.

Introduction: Nowadays, quality of life is an important aspect in caring of schizophrenic patients. A continuous and regulated model of follow up care such as the nursing ones, considering the chronicity of the disease and unsuccessfulness of the existing plans, is necessary to improve the quality of life in these patients. Method: This is a qusi-experimental study, determining the effect of applying the continuous care model on the quality of life in discharged schizophrenic patients. 36 patients have been selected based on inclusion criteria, and divided randomly into control and interventional groups of research. The data gathered from demographic, Heinrich Quality of Life (QLS: a=0.81) questionnaires and control check list (a=0.92). Test-retest, alfa chronbach and content validity methods were used to check the validity and reliability. The orientation and sensitivisation phases of the model applied on the interventional group in the hospital (6 sessions of education, twice a week for three weeks) and the control and evaluation phases carried out at their homes (6 visits, once every other week for three months). Findings: Independent and paired T tests and ANOVA used to analyze data in this study. The findings showed that there was no significant difference between the control and interventional groups in the whole quality of life and its dimensions (p>0.05) but a significant difference in the interpersonal relationship of the interventional group (p=0.003) after applying the care model and no significant difference in the whole quality of life and its other dimensions despite their raised scores (p>0.05). Discussion: This study results showed that applying the continuous care model will positively affect the interpersonal relationship and if prolonged, we can expect the effectiveness on the whole quality of life and its other dimensions. In fact this research and similar studies stated the necessity of nursing services for chronic psychiatric patients after discharge. So the useful outcomes can decrease the hospitalization and relapse rates beside the patients’ quality of lives.

Introduction: Most of studies on quality of life in Iran have been conducted using SF36 questionnaire. Even though its efficiency has been demonstrated in different studies, but using shorter instruments with easier application, particularly for elders could be more suitable. The present study therefore was conducted to assess and compare quality of life of patients with femoral neck fractures, measured by two questionnaires of SF36 and EQ5D. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 70 elders with femoral neck fracture. EQ5D and FS36 questionnaires were used to assess the general health related quality of life. Data were analyzed using statistical tests like Chi square, T-test, analysis of variance, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: Totally, 70 elders with a mean age of 73.15 years (ranging in age from 60 to 90 years) were participated in the study. The mean score of quality of life was 43.58±15.76 measured by EQ5D and 35.15±12.50 for SF36. The Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.76 (P=0.000). Conclusion: Considering the results which showed quality of life scores measured by two instruments were correlated, it is suggested to use EQ5D in accessing quality of life of elders with femoral neck fractures, in view of being shorter and simpler. Meanwhile, the study revealed the low quality of life scores in elders with femoral neck fractures, which calls healthcare workers to plan for improving the situation.