O R I G I N A L P A P E R Stool Specimen Collection: Nurses' and Patients' Perspectives Ramazan Gumral, MD

Abstract Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the difficulties that nurses are confronted with during the procedure of taking stool specimens, and the difficulties that patients experienced during giving stool specimens and their solutions. Background: Specimen collection is often the first crucial step in determining diagnosis and treatment methods. Appropriate specimen collection, transport, and processing are important to diagnose infectious diseases accurately. Methods: This descriptive/cross-sectional study included 173 nurses and 108 patients. To collect data, questionnaires developed by the authors were used. Results: Of the nurses, 24.3% stated that they have difficulty in explaining to patients the method for taking stool specimens. Of the patients, 66.7% expressed that they had difficulties in obtaining their own stool specimens. The main complaints of the patients were "not being able to determine the quantity of the stool to be given". Of the problematic patients, 16.7% expressed that they found no solution to their problems. Conclusion: Nurses should give patients information regarding an appropriate and applicable method of giving a specimen, and patients should be evaluated as to whether they need explanation on it

O R I G I N A L P A P E R .r . Determination of the Frequency of Clinical Skills Implementation by Senior Nursing Students in an Emergency Department

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to determine how often nursing students find an opportunity to observe and/or practice nursing skills during their training in an emergency department. Background: Clinical education as an integral part of nursing education offers the nursing students opportunities to gain clinical experiences in the nursing skills and procedures and deepens the theoretical part of the nursing in a real-life clinical environment. However, it is unclear that at which level clinical practice is experienced by the students in a clinical setting by the time of graduation. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in the emergency department of a university hospital. The sample of the study was included total 67 nursing students who underwent practical training. The data were collected using the "Nursing skills evaluation form". Results: It is determined that the most practiced nursing skills were to measure blood pressure, to measure body temperature and to inform patients about the medical practices that were done by the nursing students. The least practiced skills were to feed babies, monitor chest tubes and maintain endotracheal tube care. Conclusion: The study results show that some nursing skills are practiced very often, while others are never practiced in the emergency department. Therefore, it is recommended to evaluate the frequencies of targeted nursing skills to give an each student an opportunity of practicing in more feasible clinical settings