Nurses' Awareness and Perception of Drug-Drug and Drug-Food Interactions

Context: The issue of drug interactions is a global concern. Studies reported a high prevalence of drug interactions worldwide. The drug-drug interaction (DDIs) and drug-food interactions (DFIs) are often predictable and preventable. Nurses play essential roles in inpatient drug safety.Aim: This study aimed to assess nurses' awareness and perception of drug-drug and drug-food interactions. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to achieve the aim of this study on a convenient sample of 150 nurses working at emergency departments(medical, surgical), cardiac care unit, renal department, general surgery department, and the chest and heart surgical department at the Main University Hospital of Alexandria, Egypt. Four study tools were used. They were a structured interview questionnaire designed to assess the nurses’ sociodemographic characteristics, nurses’ working experiences to drug-drug and drug-food interactions, and nurses’ history in encountering drug-drug and drug-food interactions; nurses’ awareness of drug/drug interaction assessment questionnaire, nurses’ awareness of drug/food interaction assessment questionnaire, and drug safety nurses’ perception assessment questionnaire. Results: The findings of the current study reveal that 64% of the studied nurses did not receive training on DDIs or DFIs other than that in their basic education. 56% of the nurses came across patients who experienced either DDIs or DFIs. Regarding awareness, around half of them did not make aware of the drug-drug interactions of the studied drug pairs that are frequently used in clinical practice. Concerning DFIs, 74% of the studied nurses had a low level of total awareness. Regarding nurses’ perception of drug safety, 49.3% of the studied nurses agreed that the risk of drug-drug interaction is high, 55.3% agreed with the importance for prescribers to learn about DDIs and DFIs, and 53.3% of them agreed with the information regarding the DDIs and DFIs useful to the nurse in plan management. The current study revealed a statistically significant association between training received and nurses’ awareness regarding DDIs and DFIs. Conclusion: The study concluded a low level of awareness among the studied nurses regarding DDIs and DFIs with an average perception of the risk of DDIs/DFIs, and the importance of related information in plan management. The study recommended different strategies to be applied to assist prescribers and nurses in identifying potential DDIs, providing educational interventions, facilitating access to DDI information sources, applying computerized alerting systems, and delivering performance feedback among the most commonly recommended strategies

The Relation between Fatigue Level and Nurses’ Caring Behavior in The Orthopedic Department

Contents: Caring is a concept that is inherently difficult to define. The term caring is expressed in different ways in many cultures. Nurses' caring can impact a person's life processes, wellbeing, and functioning. On the other hand, fatigue is a subjective unpleasant feeling ranging from tiredness to exhaustion that could be physical, mental, or both. It may significantly interfere with functioning and may persist despite periods of rest. Aim: The present study investigates the relation between fatigue level and nurses' caring behavior in the orthopedic department.Methods: Research formulates three questions. What is the nurses' level of fatigue in the orthopedic department? What are the nurses' caring behaviors in the orthopedic department? What is the relation between fatigue level and nurses' caring behavior in the orthopedic department? The study utilized a correlational research design. The study was conducted in El Hadra Orthopedic and Traumatology University Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt, on all available nurses (50 nurses) who provide direct patient care and work in the previously mentioned setting. Two tools were used for data collection. Structured interview questionnaire; It consists of two parts. The first part was concerned with socio-demographic data, past medical history of psychological problems, and chronic illness. The second part was the Fatigue Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a one-dimensional scale, consisting of an unmarked 10 cm line to rate the nurses' level of fatigue. The second tool was the Orthopedic Nurse Caring Behavior Observation Checklist. This tool was used to assess nurses' caring behavior toward orthopedic patients through concealed observation.Results: It was observed that 60.0% of studied nurses had a severe level of fatigue. The study showed a moderate level of caring behaviors with a mean of 199.92±13.50 for the morning shift nurses and 222.34±14.27 for the nurses in the evening shift. The study evidenced a significant correlation between fatigue level and overall caring behavior.Conclusion: About two-thirds of the studied nurses had a severe level of fatigue. The overall nurses' caring behaviors dimensions were of a moderate degree. There is a significant positive correlation between fatigue level and the overall nurses' caring behaviors in both morning and evening shifts in the orthopedic department. The study recommended providing nurses with fatigue countermeasure strategies and to provide the organization with strategies to overcome fatigue. Nurses are recommended to pay more attention to caring behaviors

The Effect of Brachytherapy Safety Education on Knowledge, Performance, and Attitude of Radiology Nurses

Context: Brachytherapy is one of the cancer treatment modalities. Like any treatment, it can produce acute and delayed side effects. Unfortunately, patients getting brachytherapy experience many side effects that may affect their all quality of life aspect. So, nurses working in radiotherapy settings must be confident about their knowledge, competence, and technical skills. Therefore, holding continuing education programs for nurses is necessary. Aim: This study aimed to determine the effect of brachytherapy safety education on radiology nurses' knowledge, attitude, and performance.Methods: Quasi-experimental one-group pre-posttest design was utilized to achieve this study on nurses working at Ayadi El Mostakabal Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. Four tools were used to collect the necessary data. A self-administered questionnaire was designed to collect the necessary data about the nurses. Radiology Nurses’ Knowledge Assessment Questionnaire to assess nurses' knowledge regarding nursing interventions for patients getting brachytherapy. Nurses’ Performance Observational Checklist to assess the actual nurses’ performance provided to patients getting brachytherapy. Radiology Nurses' Attitude Assessment Scale (RNAAS) measures nurses' professional attitudes and the influence of safety training programs on nurses' attitudes. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between nurses' knowledge, performance, and attitude between the initial assessment, immediate, two weeks later, and three months of educational program implementation at p=0.001. Regarding the relationship between studied nurses' knowledge and their characteristics, there was a relationship between nurses’ knowledge in the initial assessment and their age, marital status, and nurses’ years of experience at p=0.001, 0.002, and 0.0, respectively. While in the post-program implementation, the only relation was found between the nurses’ knowledge score and years of experience p=0.007, 0.053, and0.011 in immediate, two weeks later, and after three months of program implementation, respectively. There was no relation found between nurses' performance and their characteristics throughout program implementation phases. Conclusion: The current study findings concluded that radiation safety education for nurses regarding brachytherapy resulted in a statistically significant improvement in nurses' knowledge, performance, and attitude. Periodic and consistent update in-services training of nurses to improve their knowledge and practice enforces nurses to follow the approved guideline. Future studies are recommended to investigate nurses' knowledge and performance of radiation protection in the general ward or specialized departments

Effect of Lavender Essential Oil Inhalation on Anxiety Level for Patients Undergoing Closed Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Contents: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the medical diagnostic imaging techniques that can provoke or exaggerate anxiety in certain patients. It may sometimes lead to the cancelation of the MRI. The lavender essential oil has a long historical anxiolytic benefit. Aim: This study aimed to examine the effect of lavender essential oil inhalation with a massage on anxiety level for patients undergoing closed magnetic resonance imaging. Methods: A quasi-experimental research (study/control group) was used to achieve the aim of this study. The study was conducted at Magnetic Resonance Imaging Unit in Main University Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. A convenient sample of 100 patients was divided into the study and control groups (50 patients for each). Two tools were used in the present study. Those were structured interview questionnaire that elicited the patients' sociodemographic characteristics, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory to identify the patients’ anxiety levels. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between both groups concerning the anxiety level before the MRI procedure (χ2=2.041, P = 0.495). While there were statistically significant differences between both groups concerning anxiety level post-MRI procedure and after receiving interventions (χ2 =35.135, P=0.000), there was a highly statistically significant difference between anxiety levels before and after receiving intervention in study group patients (t= 77.059, P=0.000). Conclusion: Patients undergoing a closed magnetic resonance imaging who inhaled and massaged their hands with Lavender essential oil exhibited a reduced level of anxiety than the control group and compared to their preintervention level. The study recommended using the lavender essential oil, an inexpensive and noninvasive intervention in reducing MRI anxiety or other anxiety-producing procedures