Cardiovascular diseases, which affect the heart and circulatory system, represent a major global health problem associated with high morbidity and mortality. In particular, coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction can restrict daily activities and increase the risk of death. In patients following acute myocardial infarction, changes in vital signs are of great importance. In particular, alterations in heart rate and blood pressure may increase subsequent cardiac risks and therefore require regular monitoring. In recent years, there has been growing interest in studies examining the effects of slow breathing exercises on cardiovascular health. In this context, in addition to pharmacological treatments, slow breathing exercises based on diaphragmatic breathing are thought to exert beneficial effects on heart rate and blood pressure. These techniques support autonomic nervous system balance by enhancing parasympathetic activation, improving baroreflex sensitivity, and reducing stress and anxiety levels, thereby contributing to improved quality of life. Current evidence indicates that breathing exercises are safe, simple, and may serve as a complementary approach alongside pharmacological therapies. However, larger and longer-term studies are needed to clarify their effectiveness and optimal application methods. The aim of this review is to examine the effects of slow breathing exercises on cardiovascular health, with a specific focus on heart rate, blood pressure, and quality of life.
Objective: The aim was to examine women’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of hope and the meaning of life.Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of 384 women aged 18–65 years living in Turkey. Participants were reached using the random snowball method and Google Forms. Data were collected using the Socio-demographic Information Form, The Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and Dispositional Hope Scale. In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, number, and percentage), Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test, Mann–Whitney U test were used. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.Results: 43.6% of the participants were aged between 18 and 26. A statistically significant, moderately positive correlation was found between the “presence of meaning” and “agency thinking” score (r=0.578, p<0.001). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the “presence of meaning” and “dispositional hope” score (r=0.604, p<0.001). No statistically significant relationship was found between the “search for meaning” and “pathways thinking” scores (r = 0.035, p = 0.496). No statistically significant relationship was found between the “search for meaning” and “agency thinking” scores (r = 0.009, p = 0.855).Conclusion: It has been concluded that women’s mental health is at risk during the pandemic, that feelings of hope and meaning contribute to women’s psychological resilience, but that these psychological resources need to be supported. These findings form the basis for practices to improve women’s mental health and emphasise the importance of psychosocial support programmes for women in the postpandemic period.
Type 2 diabetes is increasing globally and places a significant burden on individuals and health systems. Nurses are central to diabetes care; however, the specific evidence-based contributions they make to prevention, self-management support, and metabolic control are not clearly synthesised. Therefore, this review aimed to examine the evidence on the roles of nurses in supporting the prevention and management of Type 2 diabetes in adults. A narrative review informed by systematic search was undertaken in CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar, TRIP, and Cochrane for peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2024. Studies involving adults with Type 2 diabetes and reporting nurse-delivered or nurse-led interventions were included. Articles were appraised using the Cormack framework, and findings were narratively synthesised. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. Nurse-led education and support were consistently associated with improvements in diabetes knowledge, self-care behaviour, confidence in managing the condition, and emotional wellbeing. Several studies demonstrated improved glycaemic outcomes when nurses provided structured guidance on medication use, daily self-management activities, diet, and physical activity. Additional roles included communication that supported shared decision-making, coordination of care, and the integration of digital tools for remote monitoring and follow-up. Evidence indicates that nurses play a multifaceted role in supporting adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Education, behavioural support, coordinated care, and technology-enabled follow-up contribute to improved health outcomes. Strengthening nurse-led programmes and advanced training may enhance diabetes prevention and management in clinical practice.
Objective: This research focused on the communication skills of nurses, who are an important part of health institutions. This study aimed to determine the ability of nurses to use their communication skills to solve interpersonal problems they encounter.Methods: The population of the research consists of nurses working in public hospitals in Istanbul. 625 nurses who participated in the research from the determined population constitute the sample group. In this quantitave research method, a descriptive design was used in the comparative relational scanning model. The study data were collected on the internet in November 2023. "Communication Skills Scale" was used to measure the communication skill levels of the participants and "Interpersonal Problem Solving Inventory" was used to measure their interpersonal problem solving skills. The data were analyzed with the SPSS program; one-way analysis of variance, t-test techniques, and basic statistics (mean, mode, median, etc.) methods were used.Results: Findings obtained as a result of the study; It has been shown that the communication skills and interpersonal problem-solving skills of the participants differ in terms of gender and professional seniority. However, critical relationships were also found between communication skills and interpersonal problem-solving skills.Conclusion: These findings were discussed in light of the literature. In the last part of the study, suggestions for improving the communication and interpersonal problem-solving skills of nurses are included.
Objective: This study aims to determine the self-efficacy perception and quality of life in individuals diagnosed with RA, as well as to evaluate the relationship between these variables and the influencing factors.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 rheumatoid arthritis patients between November 2015 and February 2016. Data were collected using the Information Form, Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).Results: The mean ASES score was 106.39 ± 40.31, with the lowest scores in pain management. Lower self-efficacy was linked to female gender, lower education, unemployment, and comorbidities. SF-36 scores were lowest in the Physical Role Limitations subscale. A significant positive correlation was observed between self-efficacy and SF-36 (p < 0.01), highlighting self-efficacy’s impact on well-being.Conclusion: This study highlights the critical role of self-efficacy in determining SF-36 in RA patients. Enhancing self-efficacy through multidisciplinary interventions, patient education, and psychosocial support may contribute to better disease management and improved patient outcomes.
Objective: Within the Turkish cultural context, nurses experience ethical dilemmas related to respecting elderly patients’ needs, wishes, values, and decision-making processes, while balancing family expectations, autonomy, patient safety, and institutional responsibilities during physical restraint decisions. This study aimed to adapt the Nurses’ Ethical Dilemma for Physically Restrained Elderly Patients Scale into Turkish and to evaluate its psychometric properties in terms of validity and reliability.Methods: A methodological, descriptive, and correlational design was used. Data were collected from 167 nurses using a descriptive characteristics form and the adapted scale. Analyses included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, item–total correlations, and test–retest reliability.Results: The Turkish version of the scale, consisting of four factors and 17 items, demonstrated strong psychometric validity comparable to the original version. The total explained variance was 65.09%, all factor loadings exceeded 0.30, and RMSEA was below 0.05. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.75 for the total scale and ranged from 0.81 to 0.93 for the subdimensions.Conclusion: The Turkish version of the Nurses’ Ethical Dilemma for Physically Restrained Elderly Patients Scale demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties and cultural relevance, indicating that it is a valid and reliable tool for assessing ethical dilemmas in geriatric nursing care, while cross-cultural comparison of subscale scores should be interpreted with caution.
Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between levels of hopelessness and self-management of chronic diseases in older adults with chronic diseases who apply to a university hospital.Materials and Methods: This descriptive study included 150 older adults who visited the outpatient clinic between December 2024 and May 2025 for chronic disease follow-up. Data were collected using the Patient Identification Form, Beck Hopelessness Scale, and Chronic Disease Self-Management Scale. Parametric tests, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analyses were performed.Results: The older adults participating in the study were 58.0% female, 72% married, with an average age of 70.03±3.94. 62.7% of the participants lived in the provincial center, and 39.3% had a primary school education. Participants' Beck Hopelessness Scale total hopelessness score was 10.69±5.58, Chronic Disease Self-Management Scale subscales; Self-Stigmatization subscale 2.22±0.72, Treatment Adherence subscale 3.72±0.87; Coping with Stigma subscale 2.62±0.94, and the average score for the Effectiveness of Health Services subscale was 3.17±1.06. Hopelessness showed negative correlations with health care effectiveness, coping with stigma, and treatment compliance, and a positive correlation with self-stigma (p<0.01). Regression analysis indicated that higher hopelessness scores significantly predicted increased self-stigma (β=0.476, p<0.001), while negatively predicting coping (β=-0.592, p<0.001), health care effectiveness, (β=-0.650, p<0.001), and treatment compliance (β=-0.334, p<0.001).Conclusion: Findings demonstrate a significant association between hopelessness and self-management in older adults with chronic diseases. Reducing hopelessness may improve clinical management and coping with stigma, treatment compliance, and health perceptions, thereby strengthening overall self-management capacities.
Substance-induced psychosis (SIP) is a clinical condition in which psychotic symptoms occur during intoxication or withdrawal related to psychoactive substance use. Beyond psychotic symptoms, SIP may lead to significant psychosocial problems that affect individuals socially, within the family, at work, and in emotional and behavioural functioning. This review aims to comprehensively examine the psychosocial problems experienced by individuals diagnosed with SIP based on the available literature. Evidence indicates that these individuals commonly experience social isolation and withdrawal, stigma and exclusion, loss of roles and functioning within the family, unemployment and financial difficulties, difficulties in emotion regulation, hopelessness, aggression, depressive symptoms, and other behavioural problems. These problems negatively affect treatment adherence, overall functioning, and quality of life. Therefore, in addition to pharmacological treatment, psychosocial dimensions should be addressed in the management of SIP. In this process, psychiatric nurses should take an active role in assessment, supportive interventions, and continuity of care.
Objective: Enteral feeding intolerance (EFI) is a common complication in the nutritional management of critically ill patients in intensive care units and directly affects clinical outcomes. This review aims to examine the incidence, assessment criteria, and current clinical practices related to EFI and provide an evidence-based perspective.Method: Recent literature was reviewed regarding the definition, incidence, diagnostic criteria, and clinical management of EFI. Particularly, the use of gastric residual volume (GRV) and its place within clinical guidelines were compared using multidimensional assessment approaches.Findings: Literature indicates that EFI incidence ranges between 20% and 30%; however, varying diagnostic criteria result in significant differences across studies. GRV has traditionally been a primary indicator of intolerance, yet recent evidence shows that it is not reliable when used alone. GRV values above 500 mL are considered clinically meaningful only when accompanied by other gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal distension, vomiting, or diarrhea. Current evidence emphasizes that EFI should be evaluated holistically rather than through a single parameter, highlighting the importance of combining objective measurements with patient-specific clinical findings.Conclusion: EFI is a multifactorial condition that influences nutritional adequacy and patient safety in critical care. Therefore, nurses and other healthcare professionals should rely on multidimensional clinical evaluations and current evidence-based guidelines when managing EFI. A holistic approach that considers multiple symptoms provides more accurate and effective outcomes than single-parameter assessments.
Safe medication administration is a multifaceted process that encompasses the storage, prescribing, verification, preparation, administration, documentation, and monitoring of drugs, all of which directly affect patient safety. Any disruption or deficiency in these steps may place patient safety at risk. In pediatric populations, physiological differences, narrow therapeutic ranges, and the lack of age-appropriate formulations further increase the likelihood of medication errors. The literature highlights that medication administration errors have serious clinical and economic consequences and represent a preventable patient safety issue. Ensuring safe medication practices is a fundamental component of pediatric nursing care; however, nurses continue to face numerous challenges in maintaining medication safety. These challenges may stem from insufficient knowledge and experience, inadequate working conditions, communication problems, limited collaboration between parents and nurses, and shortcomings in patient safety culture. This review identifies these multidimensional challenges and highlights the urgent need for interventions that strengthen nurses’ working conditions, enhance parent–nurse collaboration, and promote a positive safety culture. Practical implications include the development of structured education programs, supportive institutional policies, and evidence-based strategies to minimize error risks. Future research should focus on designing and implementing interventions that enhance pediatric medication safety, improve treatment outcomes, and ensure sustainable, high-quality care for children.
