Journal of Caring Sciences
Volume:3 Issue: 1, Mar 2014

Preterm infants are under different procedures as a part of their care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Reduction of their stress and to provide rest opportunity for them is very important. In this regard, clustering of routine care is recommended. The aim of this study was to compare of physiological responses in preterm infants to clustered care with three and four noninvasive procedures (Respectively 7 & 10 point stressor). A randomized crossover clinical trial performed in NICU of Al-Zahra teaching hospital, Tabriz, Iran in 2013. Thirty one preterm infants were studied at 32 weeks gestational age. The tool for data collection was a researcher-made data gathering sheet that personal information and measurement of primary outcomes (heart rate, respiratory rate and blood oxygen saturation) were recorded. The analysis of data was done with use of mixed model method at 0.05 significant level. Mean of oxygen saturation in before, during and after of clustered care with three procedures were respectively 97.52, 97.32, 97.84 and four procedures 97.29, 97.16, 97.35, heart rate of three procedures 146.26, 149.90, 149.97 and four procedures 146.45, 150.39, 151.13, respiratory rate of three procedures 51.68, 48.87, 47.71 and four procedures 51.71, 50.26, 52.35 that all of them were at normal range. Significant differences were not found between mean of physiological responses in two interventions. There was no significant difference between clustered care with four and three procedures. Both of them could be recommended for preterm infants in 32 weeks.

Patient’s noncompliance dietary and fluids intake can lead to a build-up of toxic fluids and metabolic end-products in the blood stream which may result in an increased morbidity and premature death. The aim of the study is investigate relationship between the social support and adherence to dietary and fluid restrictions in hemodialysis patients. In this correlational study upon 237 hemodialysis patients, the data was collected with the dialysis diet and fluids non-adherences hemodialysis questionnaire (DDFQ), and the multidimensional scale of perceived Social Support (MSP). Interdialytic weight gain, predialytic serum potassium levels, and predialytic serum phosphate levels was considered as biochemical indicators of dietary and fluid adherence. Data were analyzed by SPSS Ver.11.5. About 41.1% of patients reported non-adherence to diet and 45.2% of them reported non-adherence to fluid. Frequency of non-adherence to fluid was more common in patients. The highest level of perceived support was the family support 11.19 (1.34). There was a significant relationship between social support and adherence to dietary and fluid restrictions. Noncompliances to dietary and fluid restrictions were related to laboratory results. This way those patients who more supported had more adherences of diet and fluid restrictions and had lower level of phosphorus and potassium in laboratory results. Nurses have the main role to identify different methods providing social support for patients, also to encourage the families to support their hemodialysis patients.

Hospital anxiety and surgery has an unpleasant and disturbing feeling for a child and his/her family. This study aimed to determine the effect of toys and visit in reducing children’s anxiety before the surgery and their mothers and satisfaction with the treatment process. This was a quasi-experimental study in posttest design with a control group. 60 children aged 3 to 8 years, who were undergoing ear, nose and throat surgery in Tabriz Amiralmomenin hospital, were chosen, and regarding their age and gender, were recruited into the control or experiment group. For the experiment group, the interventions before surgery were applied. The level of anxiety in children and parents was evaluated by Observation Scale of Behavioral Distress (OSBD-R) and Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The level of parental satisfaction with the treatment process before being discharged from the hospital was evaluated by the process of treatment satisfaction questionnaire (PSQ-18). Data were analyzed by SPSS ver.13. Mean anxiety scores of the children and mothers in the experimental group were lower than the control group. Mean maternal satisfaction score of the treatment process in the experimental group was higher than the mean scores of the control group. However, in the subscales of general satisfaction, interpersonal behavior, and financial aspects of satisfaction with treatment, no statistical significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups. Based on the findings, providing toys for children and informing the parents about medical information has a major effect in reducing children’s and other’s anxiety and increasing maternal satisfaction with the treatment process.

Empathy is the ability to put one in the place of others and to better understand their feelings and experiences. According to researchers, there is a type of challenge in using this concept in nursing field. In most cases, the term empathy substitutes other concepts. Regarding this point, it seems quite necessary to research and discuss different dimensions of this concept in different studies. This study aimed to determine empathy regarding the nurses’ point of view. In this descriptive study sample size was selected according to study population or in the other hand all the nurses in 3 general hospital was selected because they are the most important teaching hospital in Tabriz. LEP (La Monica Empathy Profile) was used as empathy tool. Data were analyzed by SPSS Ver. 13.0. In nonverbal behavior dimension, touching the patient was considered as the most effective methods. On the other hand, nurses could not always be able to control stress and they could not always being with patients to show their empathy. Many people believe that nurses showed very little feelings while raggedly the reflective enclosure and they occasionally had to change their schedules to talk to patients. In most cases the nurses support nonverbal behavior, such as reflective, close and touching encountering in establishing relationship with the patient. However, to improve this situation, planning for nurses to become familiar with the ways through which they can express their interest to show empathy would be effective.

Infertility is considered a traumatic stressor for infertile couples, and it becomes a psychosocial crisis for that person. Considering the importance of fertility and based on the cultural and social aspects of it in Iran, the present study aimed to determine mental health and its individual and social predictors in infertile women referring to the infertility center of Al-Zahra hospital in Tabriz, Iran, during 2012-2013. This was a descriptive-correlational study on 345 infertile women referring to Al-Zahra hospital in Tabriz, Iran, via convenient sampling. Data was gathered by the perceived social support questionnaire and mental health questionnaire. To determine the relationship between social support and personal and social characteristics, and mental health, multivariate linear regression was used. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. The mean (SD) total score of mental health of women was 29.70 (11.50), the score ranged from 0 to 84. The best condition was below the depression scale, and the worst condition was below the social dysfunction scale. Social support from the family was also a predictor of the mental health of infertile women. The findings of this study showed that infertile women, in terms of mental health and its subscales, have unfavorable conditions. Moreover, social support from the family is an important factor influencing mental health. Therefore, strengthening the social support of the family to improve the mental health of infertile women seems necessary.

Disclosure of cancer prognosis is one of the most difficult challenges in caring of cancer patients. An exact effect of prognosis disclosure on spiritual well-being of cancer patient was not completely investigated. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between perception of prognosis and spiritual well-being among cancer patients. In this descriptive-correlational study, which conducted in 2013, two hundred cancer patients referred to Shahid Ghazi Hospital and private offices of two oncologists in Tabriz participated with convenience sampling method. Perception of prognosis was investigated by Perception of Prognosis Inventory and spiritual well-being of cancer patients was investigated by Paloutzian and Ellison Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation test. Participants reported positive perception about the prognosis of their disease (score 11 from 15) and rated their spiritual well-being as high (score 99 from 120). There was a positive correlation between the perception of prognosis and spiritual health among cancer patients. Disclosure of cancer prognosis has negative effects on cancer patients. This result highlights the importance of considering cultural factors in disclosure of cancer prognosis. According to limitations of the present study approving these results need more studies.

The evidence suggests that some men experience depression after the childbirth of their wife, and this real and unknown phenomenon will adversely affect them as well as their families. Regarding the lack of understanding about the paternal depression and its complex and multifaceted etiology, the present study was done to assess the paternal postpartum depression and its relationship with perceived stress and social support components. In this descriptive study, 205 new fathers were assessed from 6th to 12th week postpartum in seven health centers, affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University. Collected data with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale were analyzed by descriptive statistics, correlation tests and linear regression analysis. 11.7% of the fathers scored 12 or above in the Edinburgh scale, which indicated depression symptom. The postnatal depression scores had a significant positive correlation with the perceived stress scores and a significant negative correlation with the perceived social support components scores. Perceived stress was key predictor of paternal postpartum depression. Perceived social support components cannot significantly predict the paternal postpartum depression. Assessment of paternal postpartum depression and its risk factors is recommended. Healthcare providers should pay more attention to the increasing public awareness, stress management and communication skills training, and support of fathers during the postnatal period.

The communication between nurses and patients'' families is commun- ication significantly impacts patient well-being as well as the quality and outcome of nursing care, this study aimed to demonstrated the facilitators and barriers which influence the role of communication among Iranian nurses and families member in ICU. This study was conducted by the grounded theory method. Participants comprised eight registered nurses and ten families. Patients were admitted to the ICU of two large university hospitals in Kerman, Iran. We used non-structured interviews for data collection. All interviews were transcribed verbatim with a simultaneous, constant comparative analysis of the audio tapes performed according to the Strauss and Corbin method (1998). According to data analysis, Facilitative factors between nurses and families'' communication consisted of two categories, i) spiritual care, emotional support, Participation, notification and consultation and Barriers that were three categories: i) misunderstandings regarding treatment ii) job and iii) patient difficulties. The findings led into the recognition of the important barriers and facilitators in communication between ICU team and the family of the patients. By identification of the barriers and facilitators of communication, establishing new rules and using creative methods in education and establishing the communication of ICU team and rules and using patient-based approach we can have effective communication.