Morning-evening type and burnout level as factors influencing sleep quality of shift nurses: a questionnaire study

Aim To assess the relationship between sleep quality and demographic variables, morning-evening type, and burnout in nurses who work shifts. Methods We carried out a cross-sectional self-administered study with forced choice and open-ended structured questionnaires – Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, Morningness- eveningness Questionnaire, and Maslach Burnout Inventory. The study was carried out at Gazi University Medicine Faculty Hospital of Ankara on 524 invited nurses from July to September 2008, with a response rate of 89.94% (n = 483). Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to determine the risk factors of poor sleep quality. Results Most socio-demographic variables did not affect sleep quality. Participants with poor sleep quality had quite high burnout levels. Most nurses who belonged to a type that is neither morning nor evening had poor sleep quality. Nurses who experienced an incident worsening their sleep patterns (P < 0.001) and needlestick or sharp object injuries (P = 0.010) in the last month had poor sleep quality. The subjective sleep quality and sleep latency points of evening types within created models for the effect of burnout dimensions were high. Conclusions Nurses working consistently either in the morning or at night had better sleep quality than those working rotating shifts. Further studies are still needed to develop interventions that improve sleep quality and decrease burnout in nurses working shifts

Factors affecting the quality of life of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: A questionnaire study

Objective: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the factors affecting cancer patients' quality of life. Methods: We collected data from 352 chemotherapy patients of an Outpatient Chemotherapy Unit in a state hospital. We included volunteered chemotherapy patients with a signed informed consent and at least 50 Karnofsky Performance Scale points. We gathered data by Personal Information Form and Nightingale Symptom Assessment Scale (N-SAS) and analyzed via basic descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis. Results: Patients were women (54.8%), married (83.5%), elementary school graduates (57.1%), housewives (44.6%) and undergoing fluorouracil-based therapy (47.2%), and almost all patients had religious and cultural rituals for the disease. Women experienced worse physical and social well-being than men (P = 0.001, P = 0.0001). Singles had worse psychological and general well-being (P = 0.0001, P = 0.0001). Housewives had the worst physical and social well-being (P 0.05). Breast cancer and sarcoma patients had the worst social well-being than other cancer patients. The N-SAS points of patients were not affected by blessings/prays, vow/sacrifice, consulting local herbalists and visiting "ocaks (folk physicians)" (P > 0.05). Patients with bad quality of life practiced lead pouring and amulets (P < 0.05). Gender was the first factor affecting the quality of life. Conclusion: Advanced studies on individual quality of life factors affecting cancer would empower nurses for better personal care techniques and patients for easily overcoming the disease

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Cancer Patients and Determination of Affecting Factors A Questionnaire Study

This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the use and effects of complementary and alternative medicine on cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The research was conducted in Daytime Chemotherapy Unit of the College District Outpatients in the Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital and comprised 397 patients in the oncology outpatients. Written informed consents were obtained from all participants. Among the participants, 52.6% were women, 85.1% married, 10.6% illiterate, 41.1% housewife, and 8.8% civil servants. Among the patients participated in the study, 27.7% had cancer in the family, 22.6% had gastrointestinal cancer, and 22.1% had breast cancer. Most of the patients (92.2%) resorted to religious and cultural approaches, and some patients (33.8%) used nutritional and herbal products besides medical treatment. The nutritional and herbal products used as remedy included stinging nettle (22.3%), fennel flower (20.1%), and herbal products that were advertised by herbalists in media (9.7%). It was determined that most of the patients resorting to complementary or alternative medicine were women (52.6%), housewife (51.5%), and patients with a history of cancer in the family (37.7%). Complementary and alternative medicine use as a remedy for cure is common among patients in Turkey. But when it is considered that many of these products had the potential to negatively affect cancer therapy, it is crucial that nurses providing care to cancer patients should be well informed about complementary therapies, be aware of the potential risks and benefits, and communicate openly with patients on their health care choices