Iran Journal of Nursing
Year:2023 | Volume:36 | Issue:143|Papers Count:8

Background & Aims During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses working in psychiatric departments were also involved, which affected their mental health. The present study aims to determine the effect of psychological immunization on perceived stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19 in nurses working in the psychiatry department of a hospital in Zahedan, Iran. Materials & Methods This is a quasi-experimental study that was conducted from February to June 2022. Participants were 50 nurses from the psychiatry department of Baharan Hospital in Zahedan city who were selected by a census method, and were assigned to intervention and control groups. Data collection tools included a demographic form, the perceived stress scale, and the corona disease anxiety scale. The psychological immunization was provided in two four-hour workshops. Data analysis was done in SPSS software, version 16 using mean, standard deviation and chi-square test, independent t-test, paired t-test, and Fisher’s exact test. P<0. 05 was considered statistically significant. Results Most of the nurses had an infection with COVID-19 and were vaccinated. The mean and score of anxiety decreased from 11. 96±10. 05 to 8. 12±6. 92 in the intervention group (P=0. 004) and decreased from 11. 84±10. 26 to 8. 40±6. 51 in the control group (P=0. 07). The mean score of perceived stress changed from 27. 45±5. 56 to 27. 20±4. 20 after intervention in the intervention group (P=0. 8) and from 27. 48±4. 71 to 28. 32±4. 87 in the control group (P=0. 43). Conclusion The psychological immunization program has no significant effect on anxiety and stress caused by COVID-19 in nurses of psychiatric departments in Zahedan, Iran. It is recommended that psychiatric hospital managers should pay attention to the psychological problems of nurses at the beginning of the pandemic.

Background & Aims Aging is associated with decreased physical and psychological functions. This study aims to investigate the ability to perform basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL) in elderly women with osteoporosis in Tehran, Iran. Materials & Methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 130 elderly women over 60 years of age referred to selected hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2019-2020, who were selected by a consecutive sampling method. The data collection tools were a demographic form, the Barthel index for ADL, and the Lawton-Brody Instrumental ADL scale. The data was statistically analyzed in SPSS software, version 20. Results The mean age of the women was 67. 5±5. 7 years. None of them had dependency for performing ADLs such as eating. The highest dependence was for urination (54. 62%). Regarding instrumental ADLs, the highest inability was related to shopping (60. 77%), and the lowest inability was related to managing one's own medication use (0. 77%). The scores of basic and instrumental ADLs were significantly related to age and educational level (P<0. 001). Conclusion More governmental, family and social support is needed for elderly women with osteoporosis (with older age and educational level) who have lower ability to perform their basic and instrumental ADLs.

Background & Aims One of the concerns of nurses and physicians is the adherence to treatment in patients with heart diseases. In Iran, there are no accurate statistics on the treatment adherence of patients with coronary artery stents, and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in these patients has not been investigated. Therefore, this study aims to determine the relationship between treatment adherence and the risk of CVDs in patients with coronary artery stents. Materials & Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from June to August 2021 in Shahid Madani Hospital in Tabriz, Iran. Participants were 200 patients who underwent coronary angioplasty in the past year and had coronary artery stents. They were selected by a simple random sampling method. To collect data, a demographic form, the treatment adherence questionnaire, and the Framingham risk score (FRS) were used. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 22 using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation test, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance. Results The mean age of the patients was 61. 6±10. 62 years. Most of them were male (60. 5%) and married (68%). The overall mean score of treatment adherence was 41. 50±8. 48, indicating moderate adherence. Patients had poor adherence in domains of dietary regimen and regular physical activity such that most of them used high-fat food (87%) and had the least amount of physical activity per week (92. 4%), but they used prescribed medicines on time (70. 3%). Based on the FRS, men were twice as likely to have CVDs as women. There was a significant association between treatment adherence and the risk of CVDs, such that the risk of CVDs in the next 10 years among patients decreased with increasing their adherence to treatment (r=-0. 25, P<0. 001). Conclusion Given that there is a significant relationship between treatment adherence and the risk of CVDs in patients with coronary artery stents, and considering that these patients have poor adherence to a low-fat diet and regular physical activity, it is recommended that nurses in their patient education programs emphasize adherence to having a low-fat diet and regular physical activity and identify the barriers to achieving it, so that, by increasing patients’ adherence to treatment, the risk of CVDs in the next 10 years can be reduced in these patients.

Background & Aims Caring for a patient undergoing hemodialysis is a stressful experience that causes a heavy care burden. With the outbreak of COVID-19, family caregivers of these patients had increased worry about the risk of infection in the dialysis centers. This fear can make their care burden heavier. This study aims to investigate the impact of coping skills training on the care burden experienced by family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Materials & Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2020 on 60 family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis at the Comprehensive Treatment Center for Special Diseases in Birjand, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received coping skills training in six sessions. All participants completed the Zarit burden interview before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. The data were analyzed in SPSSsoftware, version 19. Results The two groups were homogeneous regarding demographic information (P>0. 05). Both groups had a moderate to severe care burden before the intervention. A significant difference was reported in the care burden score of the intervention group after training (P<0. 001). Conclusion Coping skills training can reduce the care burden of the family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Therefore, coping skills training can be used by nursing managers to reduce the care burden of family caregivers of patients with hemodialysis.

Background & Aims One of the goals of providing training to the anesthesia care team is to train staff with theoretical and functional abilities to deal with clinical challenges. However, there is a gap between the existing and desired performance levels of personnel in anesthesia procedures. This study aims to assess the competence of anesthesia personnel in Kashan, Iran, and find its related factors. Materials & Methods This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 95 anesthesia personnel of hospitals in Kashan, Iran, in 2023, who were selected using a census method. The data collection tools were a demographic form and the Anesthesia Nursing Competence Scale. Data were analyzed in SPSS v. 22 software using descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, standard deviation), Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman’s correlation test, Point-Biserial correlation test, and regression analysis. Results The mean age of the participants was 34. 57±10. 1 years. The overall competence level of anesthesia personnel was at a high level (84. 84±53. 11). Their competence had a significant relationship with their sex and marital status (P<0. 05). Conclusion The competencee of anesthesia personnel in Kashan is at a high level in all fields, except for the patient’s risk care. It is recommended to empower personnel in this area to prevent adverse events and improve the quality of medical services.

Background & Aims The ethical challenges of pediatric nurses in the work environment is inevitable. One of these challenges for nurses is related to euthanasia, which is affected by extensive legal, religious, and cultural issues. This study aims to determine the relationship between ethical reasoning and attitudes towards euthanasia in nurses working in children’s hospitals. Materials & Methods This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 194 pediatric nurses working in two children’s hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected electronically and in person using three questionnaires, including a demographic form, the nursing dilemma test (NDT), and the euthanasia attitude survey (EAS). The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 26. Results The mean score of ethical reasoning was 42. 92±10. 33, and the mean score of EAS was 2. 65±0. 12. The ethical reasoning score had no significant correlation with age, work experience, sex, marital status, education level, and history of participation in nursing ethics courses, except for the department, which was significantly related to ethical reasoning. The EAS score had no significant correlation with any of the demographic variables, except for the department. The Pearson correlation test results indicated a significant negative correlation between ethical reasoning and attitudes toward euthanasia (r=-0. 60, P<0. 001). Conclusion The ethical reasoning of pediatric nurses in the study hospitals is at a moderate level, and they have a negative attitude toward euthanasia. The nurses with higher ethical reasoning have a more negative attitude toward euthanasia. Nurses from special care units and emergency departments have lower ethical reasoning but a more positive attitude toward euthanasia. Participation in nursing ethics workshops has no significant relationship with ethical reasoning scores and attitudes toward euthanasia. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that comprehensive educational programs should be held to strengthen the ethical reasoning of pediatric nurses and enhance their perception of euthanasia.

Background & Aims One of the areas that need attention in the nursing profession, which can affect various fields of work, professional, care, etc., are temperament and character. Various factors can affect the temperament and character. One of these factors is the circadian rhythms in which most nurses experience disturbances. Considering the importance of examining and evaluating temperament and character in nurses and the effects of circadian rhythm disturbances on them, and given that less attention has been paid to it, this study aims to determine the relationship between circadian rhythm and temperament/character of nurses working in selected teaching hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Materials & Methods This is a descriptive-correlational study with a cross-sectional design. The study population consists of all nurses working in teaching hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. The study samples were 200 eligible nurses who were selected randomly (by lottery method) from different departments of four hospitals. A demographic form, the morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ), and Cloninger’s temperament and character inventory (TCI) were used to collect data. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS software, version 16. Results Most of the participants (64%) were neither-type nurses in terms of circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm in overall had a negative significant correlation with persistence (P=0. 039) and self-transcendence (P=0. 047). Also, circadian rhythm had a significant relationship with age (P<0. 001), sex (P=0. 044), employment status (P=0. 003), and work experience P<0. 001). The dimensions of TCI, including novelty seeking, reward dependence, persistence, self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence, had a statistically significant relationship with the demographic characteristics of nurses. Conclusion The circadian rhythm of nurses has a significant negative correlation with some components of TCI. Considering the impact of circadian rhythm on the quality of nursing care, the officials and hospital managers should gain sufficient knowledge of circadian rhythms, identify evening-type nurses, provide training, facilities, and special privileges to nurses, and determine their work shifts according to their circadian rhythms, so that they can improve the quality of patient care and increase patient satisfaction.

Background & Aims Tracheostomy is often performed for people hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs), but it can cause larynx damage and discomfort in the patient. Given that the final outcome and possible complications of tracheostomy are directly related to the quality of nursing care, this study aims to evaluate the effect of tracheostomy care training on the performance of nurses working in the ICUs of selected hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. Materials & Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 64 nurses working in the ICUs of Rasul Akram and Firouzgar hospitals in 2021. The data collection tools were a demographic form and the tracheostomy patient care evaluation questionnaire of Atashzadeh et al. (2015). data analysis was performed in SPSS software, version 16 using descriptive and inferential statistics (paired t-test, and analysis of variance). P<0. 05 was considered statistically significant. Results The mean age of nurses was 31. 49±6. 02 years. Most of them were female (70. 3%) with a bachelor's degree (90. 6%). Their mean overall work experience was 6. 74±5. 13 years, and their average work experience in the ICU was 4. 92±4. 66 years. Most of the nurses (43. 8%) had permanent employment. Most of the nurses had rotating shift (89. 1%), and had not completed the course of tracheostomy care (93. 8%). The results of the paired t-test showed a statistically significant difference in the mean performance score of nurses before training (45. 85±8. 87) and after training (93. 3±42. 33) (P<0. 001). Conclusion Considering that the performance of nurses in caring for patients with tracheostomy in the ICUs of selected hospitals is not satisfactory, educating nurses and providing sufficient facilities based on guidelines and opinions of experts are recommended to improve the quality of services to these patients by nurses in the hospitals.