Childhood Traumatic Experiences and Happiness of Nursing Students: A Mixed Methods Study

The aim of this study was to examine the childhood trauma experiences and current happiness levels of nursing students. The quantitative part of the study was carried out with 349 student nurses and the qualitative part with 25 student nurses. An explanatory-sequential mixed methods design was used. Data were collected using Demographic Information Form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, Oxford Happiness Questionnaire-Short Form and semi-structured Interview Form between November 2020 and September 2021. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics with the SAS 9.4 package program. Transcribed qualitative data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six stage thematic analysis approach, and this was performed with the MAXQDA 2020 package program. In the quantitative section, it was determined that as the participants’ childhood traumatic experiences increased, their happiness levels decreased. In the qualitative section six themes were formed (Childhood Trauma, Effects of Childhood Trauma, Coping with Childhood Trauma, Growing Up After Trauma, Perceptions of Future Parenting, Empowerment Through Nursing Education). It was determined that participants had various childhood traumatic experiences and mostly been exposed to emotional neglect. Some of the participants' childhood traumas continued to affect them in adulthood, and nursing education contributed to coping with trauma and raising awareness about it. © The Author(s) 2022

Determining family relations through drawing: Family relations in images drawn by immigrant children

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate family relations of immigrant children with the drawing method. Design and methods: The sample, which was carried out using the visual phenomenology method, consisted of 60 immigrant children between the ages of 4–14. The data were collected by face-to-face interviews with the children and family, using the Family Information Form and the Family Drawing Test. The data obtained from the drawings were analyzed with the MAXQDA 2022 program. Results: The pictures drawn by the children were examined and 3 themes (Chaos, Necessity, Development) and 9 sub-themes (Interpersonal Relations, Thoughts about Future, Violence, Authority, Emotional State, Communication, Needs and Desires, Role Modeling, Personality) were formed. Conclusions: It was determined that the family relations of immigrant children were adversely affected, children had conflicts with family members, were exposed to violence, felt many emotions, such as fear, anxiety, loneliness, anger, longing, exclusion, and needed communication, attention, and support. Implication to practice: It is thought that nurses could use the picture analysis method to understand the feelings and thoughts of children

Managing food allergies at school: A qualitative study

Introduction: The prevalence of childhood allergic diseases, including food allergies, has increased globally. Parents and children have experienced psychosocial and financial difficulties, decreased quality of life, anxiety, and depression in the management of food allergies in schools. Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the challenges experienced by mothers of children with food allergies during their children's school life. Design: A qualitative phenomenological study design was used. Methods: Online interviews were conducted with 9 mothers who have children with food allergies between June–August 2022. The data were analyzed using the content analysis method. The COREQ checklist was used in the study. Results: The ages of the mothers participating in the study ranged from 28 to 40. Four themes were generated from 75 codes: 1) Problems experienced in the process of utilizing health services, 2) Burden of care, 3) Coming out of the shell: The school process, and 4) Environmental and social perspective. Conclusions: Mothers carried the burden of food allergy management during the school process, and the increased burden of care negatively impacted mothers emotionally, physically, and socially. Also, mothers were anxious about the safety of their school-age children with food allergies and their experiences with school administration, teachers, and other parents made it difficult for food allergy management in the school environment. Clinical relevance: Children with chronic health problems such as food allergies need to be closely monitored by a health professional in school to ensure their safety. Nurses have a pivotal role in supporting families to address their child's food allergies competently, hence fostering positive health outcomes. This study showed that there was a need for the development of school health policies to ensure the safety of children with food allergies and to reduce anxiety and care burden among mothers

Awareness about potential abuse among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the abuse awareness level and related characteristics of parents with children aged 4-6 years diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: A total of 74 parents of children with ASD who presented at a university or an educational research hospital, or with children enrolled at 2 special education rehabilitation centers in January 2019–March 2020 were included in the study. The data were collected in face-to-face interviews using a family information form and the Abuse Awareness Scale for Parents. The analysis included t-test comparison of independent groups, calculation of number and percent-age distribution, and analysis of variance. Ethics committee and institutional approval, as well as permission from the creator of the scale, were obtained and the parents provided informed consent. Results: The scale scores indicated that the parents' awareness of abuse was high. Of the parents participating in the study, 92.40% were mothers. The mean scale score was 66.114±4.418. Parents identified the following factors most often as a source of risk: substance abuse of an abuser (92.00%), the parents’ lack of information about abuse (88.50%), and the gender of the child (82.20%). They saw strangers (93.60%) as somewhat more threatening than known individuals (90.50%), and indicated that they thought abuse was more likely to occur on the street/in the community (79.60%) than in educational institutions (69.70%). Professionals they deemed most important in the prevention of abuse were the police (81.20%) and psychologists (80.40%); other health professionals received little to no mention. Parents indicated that if they suspected abuse, the most common sources of redress would be prosecutors (94.30%) and the police (92.30%). Conclusion: Although the awareness level of potential abuse of their children was high, the parents interviewed felt that they lacked sufficient information about abuse. It is noteworthy that the parents did not consider healthcare professionals other than psychologists as having a meaningful role in the prevention of abuse. Training and counseling about the prevention of abuse for parents of children with special needs provided by pediatric and community mental health nurses could help raise awareness and knowledge of the community resources available to parents, as well as supplement a sense of caring and security. © 2021 by Journal of Psychiatric Nursing

Awareness about abuse of parents who have children with epilepsy

*Turan, Fatma Dilek ( Aksaray, Yazar )Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate of awareness about abuse and related situations of parents who have 4-6 age group children with epilepsy. Methods: The study included 204 parents with children diagnosed with epilepsy who applied to Akdeniz University Hospital Pediatric Neurology, Antalya Education-Research Hospital Pediatric Clinics between 15 January 2019 and 10 March 2020. The data were collected through a questionnaire form created in line with the literature, the "Abuse Awareness Scale for Parents" developed by Pekdogan. High scale scores indicate that parents' awareness of abuse is high. Written consent from Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine Clinical Research Ethics Committee, institutions, scale owners, informed consent was obtained from parents. Results: Parents who have children with epilepsy have a moderate awareness of abuse. About 89.2% of the parents are mothers. Abuse awareness scores are 56.911 +/- 4.714. Fathers, parents who have girls have higher awareness of abuse. As the child's mental disability increases (slightly to heavy), parents' awareness of abuse also increases. Parents with high levels of abuse awareness described risky persons as familiar people, neighbors, foreigners, risky environments as educational institutions, go on a visit to, public transportation, and risky situations as child's seizure, age, degree of mental disability, and abuser's alcohol-substance use. Conclusion: It is disappointing that important action-environments in Turkish culture pose a risk of abuse. It is attention getting that the education institutions are found to be risky by parents and the health professionals are not expressed in the prevention of abuse. Health-care professionals should inform children with epilepsy and their parents about child abuse