Nurses' attitudes towards euthanasia: a cross-sectional study in Iran

Aim: Nurses have an important role in caring for terminally ill patients. They are often confronted with euthanasia but little is known about their attitudes towards it. The present study aimed to examine Iranian Muslim nurses' attitudes towards euthanasia. Methods: In this exploratory cross-sectional study, all qualified registered nurses working in two teaching hospitals (Kashani and Hajar hospitals) in Iran were invited to participate. The Euthanasia Attitude Scale (EAS) was used to assess the nurses' attitude towards euthanasia. Of 266 nurses who fit the criteria, 190 participated in the study (response rate 72.9%); 91.1% (n=173) were female and 8.9% (n=17) were male. Results: In total, 57.4%, 3.2% and 39.5% of nurses reported a negative, neutral and positive attitude to euthanasia respectively. Nurses reported their most negative attitude to the domain `practical consideration' with mean of 2.36 +/- 0.9 and most positive attitude to the domain `treasuring life' with a mean EAS score of 2.85 +/- 0.4. Conclusion: The majority of Muslim nurses were found to have negative attitudes to euthanasia. We recommend that future studies should be conducted to examine Muslim nurses' attitudes to euthanasia in different cultures to determine the role of culture and religious beliefs in attitude to euthanasia

Quality of Life and its Related Factors among Elderlies Living In Nursing Homes

Background & Aim: Elderly residents of nursing homes are one of the most vulnerable elderly populations and addressing the quality of these people’s life is one of the most challenging health issues in this century .The aim of our study was to determine the quality of life (QOL) and its related factors among elderlies living in Charmahal va Bakhtiyari nursing homes. Material & Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 87 elderlies living in Charmahal va Bakhtiyari nursing homes were recruited by census. Data was collected by Short Form Quality of Life (SF-36) and then analyzed by independent t-test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and regression analysis using SPSS-PC (v.15). Results: The mean score of total QOl was 41.56±18.59 and most participants scored lower than 50 for overall quality of life and each of its subscales. The highest and lowest quality of life standard deviation and mean score was associated with “physical performance” (47.70±20.55) and “Emotional role playing” (36.78±27.71) subscales. Also quality of life was associated with age, gender, educational level and satisfying with nursing homes (P<0.05). Moreover, QOL was mostly related with age (β=-0.537, p=0.000). Conclusion: The Quality of life of elderly residents of nursing homes was low, especially in emotional role playing subscale. Moreover, the quality of life of older ones and illiterate participants, women and those with lower satisfaction with nursing homes was lower. Accordingly, designing and performing appropriate training and supportive interventions to promote these elderly people’s QOL are recommende

Influence of training about carcinogenic effects of hookah smoking on the awareness, attitude, and performance of women

Background: Wrong attitudes and beliefs about the less carcinogenic effects of hookah smoking comparing to cigarette, easy availability, low cost, and other factors have caused that the usage of hookah smoking increase a lot in our country. Objective: This study has been done with the purpose of examining the influence of education about carcinogenic effects of hookah smoking on the awareness, attitude, and performance of women who refer to the healthcare and medical treatment centers. Materials and Methods: At this semi experimental study, 60 women who refer to the medical and hygienic centers of Bushehr were placed in 3 educational groups based on simple accidental sampling. The tool for data collection was a questionnaire including demographic features, awareness, attitude, and performance measurement. Results: according to the results, the amount of awareness in the majority (48%) of participants about carcinogenic effects of hookah smoking was in an average level. 100% of the participants had the awareness of over 33.1% and their attitude toward hookah smoking was 100% positive that after the intervention it was reported 5%. The participants’ performance in hookah smoking before the intervention was only 25% desirable that after the intervention it was reported 73.3%. The results of Kolmogorov–Smirnov test also showed that the distribution of awareness, attitude, and performance was quite normal. Conclusion: according to the results, it’s the society’s basic need to warn people about carcinogenic effects of hookah smoking by increasing people’s awareness through media, holding training courses, showing movies, and training booklets

Quality of Life and its Dimensions in Ostomates

زمینه و هدف: استومی و بیماری‌های زمینه‌ای مرتبط با آن، می‌توانند کیفیت‌زندگی بیمار را به میزان قابل توجهی کاهش دهند. پژوهش حاضر به منظور بررسی کیفیت‌زندگی بیماران دارای استومی و شناخت مشکلات پیش روی این بیماران انجام شد. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی- تحلیلی، 84 بیمار دارای استومی مراجعه کننده به مراکز آموزشی درمانی منتخب دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تهران و انجمن استومی ایران از طریق روش نمونه‌گیری در دسترس انتخاب شدند. از طریق مصاحبه و تکمیل پرسشنامه کیفیت زندگی بیماران دارای استومی گرداوری و به کمک نرم افزار SPSS و روش‌های آماری توصیفی و استنباطی تجزیه و تحلیل شد. یافته‌ها: میانگین و انحراف معیار نمره کیفیت زندگی برای هر یک از ابعاد جسمی5/17، روانی1/25/6، اجتماعی26 و معنوی26/6، همچنین کیفیت زندگی کل6/16/6 تعیین شد. بر اساس پاسخ‌های بیماران؛ به ترتیب بیشترین و کمترین میانگین نمره کیفیت ‌زندگی در بعد جسمی به گویه‌های یبوست(1/21/9) و وضعیت کلی سلامت جسمی (2/39/5)، در بعد روانی به گویه‌های توانایی به خاطر آوردن وقایع (4/24/8) و دشواری تطابق با استومی(8/22/3)، در بعد اجتماعی به گویه‌های داشتن خلوت کافی در منزل برای مراقبت از استوما(8/13/9) و استرس‌زا بودن بیماری برای خانواده(9/11/1) و در بعد معنوی به گویه‌های داشتن انگیزه برای زنده ماندن(7/22/8) و برآورده شدن نیازهای روحی با انجام فعالیت‌های مذهبی گروهی(3/48/4) اختصاص یافت. کیفیت‌زندگی کل با سن، وضعیت اقتصادی، وضعیت استومی (دایمی یا موقتی بودن) و مدت داشتن استومی مرتبط بود (05/0P). نتیجه گیری: پرستاران می توانند با بهره گیری از این یافته ها، چالش ها و عوامل مرتبط با کیفیت زندگی بیماران دارای استومی را بهتر بشناسند و درنتیجه برنامه های مراقبتی-آموزشی مناسب تری را برای این بیماران و خانواده های آن ها طراحی و اجرا نمایند

A comparative study on the effects of verbal and non-verbal education on the knowledge and attitude of soldiers regarding the transmission and prevention of AIDS

Aims: Aims: Todays attention on sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS has significantly increased. Military services is the best place that can help to prevent the spread of the disease. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of different educational methods on soldiers' knowledge and attitudes about the transmission and prevention of AIDS. Methods: Ninety tree soldiers were assigned to three training groups using stratified sampling. Data gathering tools contained questions related to knowledge and attitude. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16. Results: According to the results regarding the attitudes of the soldiers in the lecture group, the difference between the pre-test and the post-test attitude scores was statistically significant (P=0.011). The difference of the attitudes between the pretest and posttest in the tutorial group was also significant (P=0.019). Knowledge of the participants in the lecture group and the training manual group differed significantly from that of the control group (P<0.01 and P<0.001 respectively). Conclusion: According to the findings, the indirect training method could be more effective on the durability of the knowledge of the soldiers

Correlation between hope and mental health after mastectomy in breast cancer survivors

Background & objectives: Mastectomy is one of the main treatments for breast cancer that may stimulate a lot of psychological distresses in women’s life. It may affect the level of hope among women. This study was conducted with the aim of assessing correlation between hope and mental health after mastectomy in patients with breast cancer. Methods: This is a descriptive-correlational study that one hundred patients with breast cancer after mastectomy referred to Seyed-Al-Shohada hospital of Isfahan in 2013 were selected by the convenient sampling method. Data gathering tool were SCL-25 mental health and Herth Hope Index and data were analyzed by SPSS-17. Results: According to the results, 49% of the subjects�had high hope and among the dimensions of the mental health, depressive dimension owned the highest average�of score (3.05±1.72). Based on the Spearman correlation coefficient test, there was a direct linear correlation between hope and mental health (p<0.001, � � �=0.565). Conclusion:�Because of positive relationship between hope and mental health adopting the counseling psychology as the major priority in health centers should be considered by health officials and managers will play a key role to decrease mental health problems in mastectomy survivors

The effect of educational program on drugs self-management in patient with epilepsy- A randomized clinical trial

زمینه و هدف : عدم تبعیت از رژیم دارویی در بیماران مبتلا به صرع منجر به افزایش مرگ و میر در این بیماران می شود. پژوهش حاضر با هدف بررسی تأثیر بکارگیری برنامه آموزشی بر خود مدیریتی دارویی بیماران مبتلا به صرع انجام شد. روش بررسی: این پژوهش یک مطالعه کارآزمایی بالینی تصادفی با گروه کنترل بود که بر روی 60 بیمار مبتلا به صرع مراجعه کننده به درمانگاه نورولوژی بیمارستان ولیعصر(عج) شهر زنجان انجام شد. نمونه گیری به روش آسان بوده و واحدهای مورد پژوهش به طور تصادفی در دو گروه کنترل (30) و مداخله (30) قرار گرفتند. برای گروه مداخله 4 جلسه آموزشی در قالب دو مرحله آشناسازی و حساس سازی با محتوی بیماری صرع و خودمدیریتی دارویی برگزار گردید. کلیه بیماران پرسشنامه خودمدیریتی دارویی بیماران مبتلا به صرع را قبل و یک ماه بعد از مداخله تکمیل کردند. یافته ها: درحالی که قبل از مداخله بین دو گروه از نظر مشخصات فردی و نمرات خودمدیریتی دارویی تفاوت آماری معنی داری وجود نداشت (05/0P>)؛ یک ماه بعد از مداخله بین میانگین نمرات خودمدیریتی دارویی دو گروه اختلاف آماری معنی داری به وجود آمد که حاکی از افزایش خودمدیریتی دارویی در بیماران گروه مداخله بوده است (001/0

Investigation of Educational Motivation and Its Related Factors in Students of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Motivation is one of the most important issues affecting academic achievement. This study was designed to assess the degree of educational motivation and their related factors in students of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this in analytical cross-sectional study 261 students studying in Shahrekord University of Medical Science during 2014-2015 educational year were selected by stratified sampling. Vallerands Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-C 28) and Related Factors questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire includs four parts; student welfare, faculty education and future job. Analysis of data was done by descriptive and analytical statistical tests. Result: Mean age of participants was 23.2&plusmn;2.0. Most students were female (71.8 percent), single (85.9 percent) and living in dormitories (69 percent). Level of motivation in most subjects was average and had significant relation with age, sex, parents&rsquo; education level, field of study,welfare, faculty education, training centers and job future (p <0.001) . Conclusion: Students' motivation should be increased. To achieve this; learning program about motivational theory for faculty members and more attention to students welfare are recommended. &nbsp

The attitudes of nursing students to euthanasia.

One of the most common morally controversial issues in endof-life care is euthanasia. Examining the attitudes of nursing students to this issue is important because they may encounter situations related to euthanasia during their clinical courses. The aim of our study was to examine nursing students' attitudes to euthanasia in Shahrekord city in western Iran. This was done using the Euthanasia Attitude Scale. The scale is divided into four categories, ie ethical considerations, practical considerations, treasuring life and naturalistic beliefs. Of 132 nursing students, 120 participated in the study (response rate 93.1%). According to the study's findings, 52.5%, 2.5% and 45% of the students reported a negative, neutral and positive attitude to euthanasia, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the nursing students' attitudes to euthanasia and some demographic characteristics, including sex, age and religious beliefs. Iranian Muslim nursing students participating in the study had a negative attitude to euthanasia. Further studies are recommended among nursing students from different cultures and of different religious faiths

Relationship Between General Self-Efficacy and Quality of Life Among Elderly Living in Chaharmahal Bakhtiari Nursing Homes

Objectives Reduction of physical and mental strength along with several diseases in aging severely diminishes elder people's quality of life. Meanwhile, self-efficacy can improve quality of life. We aimed to assess the relationship between self-efficacy and quality of life in elderly living in nursing homes. Methods & Materials In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 87 elder people living in Charmahal Bakhtiari nursing homes were recruited by census. Data were collected by General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE-10) and Short Form Quality of Life (SF-36) and then analyzed using independent t-test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and regression analysis.&nbsp; Results 69% of the participants had low level of general self efficacy (22.95&plusmn;8.02). 65.5% of them had low score in total quality of life (41.56&plusmn;18.59). A significant positive association was found between general self-efficacy and physical functioning (r=0.701), Physical role performance (r=0.350), emotional role performance (r=0.354), social functioning (r=0.821), psychological health (r=0.722), energy and vitality (r=0.749), body pain (r=0.783), general health (r=0.597) subscales and also with overall quality of life (r=0.797) (P<0.01). Conclusion Poor quality of life in elder people who live in elderly nursing homes is an important finding that needs special attention. Because of the significant correlation between general self-efficacy and different subscales of elder&rsquo;s quality of life in this study, it is suggested that nurses can design and execute appropriate interventions to promote these peoples&rsquo; self-efficacy and quality of life