BACKGROUND: In order for nurses to provide the desired/expected care during the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal protective equipment (PPE) they use should not cause additional damage. OBJECTIVE: The current study examined the effect of nurses’ use of PPE on their vital signs during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The present study was executed in a public hospital located in Turkey between October 2020 and December 2020 with a total of 112 nurses, 54 of them were serving in COVID-19 clinics, and 58 of them were working in other clinics. The data of the study was collected by using the introductory information form, the vital signs measurement, and the Visual Analogue Scale. The numbers, percentages, means, standard deviation, Chi-square, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The mean scores of SpO2, respiratory rate, body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure measurements of the nurses in the experimental group were compared before and after putting on the PPE. It was found that the difference between the two averages was statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was found that the use of PPE for a long time causes a decrease in SpO2, increase in respiratory rate, pulse and blood pressure, as well as the aches in face, ear, nose and head.

Background: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the pa-tient-centered care competence of nurses working in surgical units. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted with nurses working in the surgical clinics of university hospitals in Türkiye between January and September 2021. The data were col-lected using the Descriptive Information Form and Patient-Centered Care Competence Scale (PCCS). All nurses were invited to participate on a voluntary basis and 310 nurses filled out the questionnaire. Results: In the comparison of the PCCS sub-dimensions with the descriptive features, a signifi-cant relationship was found between the nurses' age and years of experience and the sub-dimension mean scores of respecting the patient's perspectives. There was a significant rela-tionship between the gender and education level of nurses and the mean sub-dimension scores for respecting patient perspectives, encouraging patient participation in care processes, and defending patients' rights. Conclusions: The results of the study showed that the patient-centered care competency of surgical nurses was high.

Aim: This study was conducted using a prospective randomized single-blind clinical trial model to examine the effect of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) on depression, anxiety, and stress in liver transplant patients.Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with liver transplant patients at a university’s Liver Transplant Institute between June 2021 and December 2021. The sample size of the study was determined as 84 (Experimental group: 42, control group: 42). Personal information form and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were used to collect data. The data obtained from the research were evaluated with SPSS 25.Results: In the experimental group, the mean score of DASS-21 was found to be 38.95 ± 11.96 before the NLP application and 25.21 ± 5.43 after the NLP application. It was found statistically significant that the value obtained in the second measurement was lower than the value obtained in the first measurement (p<0.05). It was determined that NLP application significantly decreased all parameters of depression, anxiety, and stress (p<0.05). In the control group, the mean score of DASS-21 was determined as 51.05 ± 7.53 in the first measurement and 52.57 ± 7.92 in the second measurement. It was found statistically significant that the value obtained in the second measurement was higher than the value obtained in the first measurement (p<0.05).Conclusion: This study found that NLP reduced depression, anxiety, and stress in liver transplant patients. In line with this result, it can be suggested that nurse’s benefit from NLP practice and receive training on NLP in managing the depression, anxiety, and stress experienced by liver transplant patients.

Background: A decrease in dynamic balance and muscle strength related to ageing is associated with a decreased quality of life, reduced life expectancy and increased risk of falls. Timed stand‐up test (TUG) is one of the most used clinical tests for the evaluation of dynamic balance and sit‐to‐stand test (STS). Although these tests are reported to be reliable in pathological conditions in different populations and different countries, there is a gap in the evaluation of the reliability of the tests by nurses in the older persons living in Turkish society.Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the inter‐ and intra‐observer reliability of the timed up‐and‐go test (TUG) and sit‐to‐stand test (STS) performed by nurses in Turkish community‐dwelling older persons.Methods: A total of 97 community‐dwelling older persons participated in this study. To determine the interobserver reliability of the TUG and STS tests, all tests were performed at an interval of 30 min by two nurses. To determine the intra‐observer reliability of the tests, each measurement was repeated 1 week after the first measurement by another nurse.Results: Excellent intra‐observer reliability was found for the TUG (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.962) and STS tests (ICC = 0.996), with a total range of 0.943–0.997. Excellent interobserver reliability was found for the TUG (ICC = 0.995) and STS (ICC = 0.996) tests. The coefficient of variant values for the tests was < 15%.Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that the TUG and STS tests can be reliably used by nurses in community‐dwelling older persons.Implications for Practice: This study is important in terms of determining the risk of falling among older persons aged 60 and over in Turkey, preventing hospitalisations due to falls and developing nursing policies that promote the safety of older persons individuals.

Aim: This study examined the relationship between perceived social support and comfort in coronary artery bypass graft patients. Material and Method: This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The study was conducted with 250 patients hospitalized for CABG surgery in a public hospital in southern Türkiye between April 1, 2022 - April 1, 2023. Research data were collected using a personal information form, the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS), and the General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ). The principles of the Declaration of Helsinki were adopted at every stage. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the participants' MSPSS score averages according to having children, marital status, and income level (p