Background: Moral courage is one of the fundamental values of nursing profession and a powerful method of coping with ethical problems. Psychological empowerment is a suitable method of enabling individuals to coping mental pressures of the work environment. This study determined the correlation between moral courage and psychological empowerment of nurses.Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A total of 180 nurses employed in different wards were selected randomly. Data were collected by Demographics Questionnaire, Sekerka’s Moral Courage Scale, and Spreitzer’s psychological empowerment Scale and analyzed with SPSS16 using descriptive and inferential statistics.Findings: The results indicated that the mean score of moral courage was 21.11 ± 69.90 and the greatest amount of moral courage was in the dimension of “going beyond compliance”. The mean score of “psychological empowerment” was 30.9 ± 73.58 and the greatest mean belonged to “competence”. There was a positive significant correlation between “psychological empowerment” and “moral courage and its dimensions” (P < 0.05).Conclusion: The findings suggested a correlation between moral courage and psychological empowerment. Thus, nurses’ moral courage could be enhanced by reinforcing their psychological empowerment leading to increased patient satisfaction and quality care.

Background: The knowledge and attitude of health care providers are important and influential factors in providing care services to the elderly and need to be considered during the training course. Simulation in geriatric nursing education can be an opportunity for learners to experience the restrictions of the elderly. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of training through simulation on the attitude and knowledge of nursing students in elderly care.Methods: This study was quasi-experimental with two experimental and control groups of pre and post-test, which was conducted on 70 nursing students of the 5th semester (two groups of 35 people). For the experimental group, the elderly simulation suit was worn for two hours, which was designed by the researcher and created sensory, physical, and motor restrictions similar to the elderly for students. Before and after the study, Kogan’s attitudes toward older people scale and Palmore’s “facts on aging quiz” were completed by students. The data were analyzed using an independent t-test and paired t-test using SPSS version 16 software.Results: The mean scores of students’ knowledge in the experimental and control groups had no significant difference at the beginning of the study (p < 0.05). But the mean scores of knowledge in the experimental group before and after the intervention was (9.2 ± 2.6) and (15.3 ± 3.5), respectively, and in the control group before and after the intervention was (10.4 ± 2.9) and (11.3 ± 2.6), respectively, which had a statistically significant difference (p = 0.0001). The mean scores of students’ attitudes in the experimental and control groups had no significant difference at the beginning of the study (p < 0.05). The mean scores of attitude in the experimental group before and after the intervention was (114.69 ± 8.4) and (157.31 ± 10.7), respectively and in the control group before and after the intervention was (113.34 ± 13.6) and (108.5 ± 16.6), respectively, which was significantly different (p = 0.0001).Conclusions: Based on the findings, the experience of aging restrictions through simulation has improved the knowledge and attitude of nursing students towards the elderly. Nursing education requires the growth of attitudinal skills, individuals’ beliefs, and creating empathy among them, so creating simulation opportunities can assist nursing students in the educational processes.

Background: Old age is associated with reduced physical ability. It is necessary to measure and evaluate the physical activity of older people. Implementing appropriate requires a valid and reliable tool. Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) is the frequently used self-reported physical activity assessment for older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the translation validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly. Methods: This study is a methodological, descriptive applied research was conducted on 300 older people. The translation process of the English version of PASE into Persian was carried out according to the process of translation and adaptation of scale recommended by the World Health Organization. The reliability of the scale was examined by calculating the Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The reliability and validity of the scale were evaluated by following the “Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments” (COSMIN) checklist. To assess the face and content validity, impact score (IS), the content validity ratio (CVR), and the content validity index (CVI) were determined. A confirmatory factor analysis was also performed. Results: The experts approved the quality of the Persian version of PASE. The reliability was calculated with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.94, an ICC of 0.99, and a test-retest correlation coefficient of 0.94. The qualitative and quantitative face validity of all questions by expert judgment and IS of greater than 1.5 was considered. Also, CVR and CVI scores of all questions were higher than 0.6 and 0.79, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fit for the original three-factor structure. Conclusions: The Persian or Farsi version of PASE was shown to have acceptable validity and reliability. This tool is suitable for measuring the physical activity level in the Persian elderly language special in clinical environments and therapeutic interventions.

Background: Superficial eye disorders are one of the most common complications of improper eye care in intensive care units that can lead to corneal ulcers and permanent eye damage. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the implementation of eye care protocol on the incidence of infection and superficial eye disorders in patients admitted to intensive care units. Methods: This study was a cross-over clinical trial that was performed on 32 patients admitted to the intensive care unit with reduced or no blink reflex following loss of consciousness or receiving sedatives. The eye of the test group received eye care according to the protocol and the eye of the control group received the routine care of the ward. The data collection form included demographic and clinical information and the clinical score scale of superficial eye disorders, which were completed in 7 days for both eyes. Data analysis was performed by McNemar and Cochran tests with a 95 % confidence interval. Results: In the study of superficial eye disorders, the frequency of dacryorrhea and hyperemia was not significantly different in the second to seventh days in the control and test eyes (P < 0.05). The frequency of xerophthalmia was not significantly different between the control and the test eyes on the second to third days (P < 0.05), but there was a significant difference on the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh days (P = 0.0001). Also, the frequency of corneal opacity was not significantly different in the second and third days (P < 0.05), but in the fourth (P < 0.05), fifth, sixth, and seventh days, this difference was significant (P = 0.0001). Conclusions: Based on the results, although the implementation of eye care protocol has been able to have a significant effect on reducing ocular complications and problems, routine eye care in the intensive care unit also has clinical effectiveness. Therefore, in order to prevent and completely eliminate eye disorders in the intensive care unit, more evidence and research are needed. Trial registration: The trial was retrospectively registered on https://en.irct.ir/trial/43493 on 13 November 2019 (13.11.2019) with registration number [IRCT20140307016870N5].

Nurses need professional competencies for safe and effective care. In this regard, nursing informatics competence is a significant need for intensive care unit nurses. In this study, the Delphi method was used during four rounds. The participants included 30 panelists selected by purposive sampling method. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and descriptive statistics. During the rounds, the items were evaluated for importance, necessity, relevancy, and percentage of agreement. The findings of nursing informatics competencies in the intensive care units (ICU) were classified in three categories including basic computer skills (7 subcategories and 20 items), skills to use information management software (2 subcategories and 9 items), and specific nursing informatics skills (2 subcategories and 22 items). In order for nurses to perform successfully in ICU, they must meet some abilities such as computer skills, available software management, nursing information systems familiarity, nursing databases, web search methods, and English proficiency.

Background: Oral hygiene is an integral part of general health of a person. Nurses qualified about oral care can play an important role in improving the quality of oral health in hospitalized patients. This study investigated the educational needs of nurses in the field of oral health of hospitalized patients. Methods: The study used the modified Delphi method in three rounds. Fifty faculty members of the School of Dentistry and Nursing were selected via purposive sampling. The data collection tool was a demographic form and an open-ended questionnaire in the first round and a structured questionnaire in the next rounds. The analysis was performed using both content and descriptive analysis techniques. Results: The top ten oral health education priorities for nurses were greater than 75% with a consensus level: oral anatomy and physiology, learning the signs and symptoms of common oral diseases, learning of oral medications and administration, learning the drugs that cause damage to the mouth and teeth, training in managing dental emergencies, patient education for tooth brushing and taking care of the mouth, especially in the elderly patient, providing oral and dental care, training for unconscious and fasting patients, undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and hospitalization in intensive care unit. Conclusion: The findings of the study emphasized the need for interdisciplinary cooperation between nursing and dental professionals for the development of an oral health curriculum for nurses to promote and improve oral health and prevent dental diseases in hospitalized patients and the community.