Background: Individual and social concerns can negatively affect nurses’ mental health during a large‐scale earthquake's early stages, making it challenging to perform their professional responsibilities.Aim: This cross‐sectional correlational study aimed to examine the relationship between depression, anxiety, and stress levels Turkish nurses experienced during an earthquake's early period. The nurses participating in this study were not directly present in the earthquake‐affected area.Methods: The study was conducted on 232 nurses between February 10 and 25, 2023. The data were collected using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress‐21 Scale and the Job Performance Evaluation Form developed by the researchers through a literature review. These were used to investigate nurses’ work motivation changes due to the earthquake. The study followed the STROBE checklist for cross‐sectional studies.Results: The participants’ depression levels were severe, anxiety levels were extremely severe, and stress levels were moderate following the earthquake. Nurses who felt exhausted experienced reduced energy levels toward their work and reported a decrease in their desire, effort, and work motivation to perform well. In addition, they had higher depression, anxiety, and stress scores (p < 0.005).Conclusion: Psychological difficulties, including depression, anxiety, and stress experienced by nurses not directly present in an earthquake‐affected area, reduced their professional efforts and motivation and negatively affected the patient care process. Further studies should focus on conducting comparative studies in different cultures affected by natural disasters on the longitudinal analysis of the impacts of nurses' psychological distress on their job performance.Implications for nursing and health policy: Nursing policymakers should be aware of the negative psychological effects experienced by nurses during the early post‐earthquake period, even if they are not directly present in the earthquake‐affected area. The study recommended that nurses should be provided with psychological support to deal with the negative effects of natural disasters and maintain job performance, including the nursing care process.

Background: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an effective exercise for improving physical and psychological function. However, there is an ongoing debate about the effects of HIIT on older adults. This study aimed to examine the effects of HIIT on cardiometabolic health and quality of life in older adults and to provide evidence-based information on the effectiveness of this type of exercise by performing a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Methods: The ScienceDirect, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, and Pedro databases were used to search for all studies conducted up to December 1, 2024. Data were analyzed using Cochrane Review Manager (RevMan) [version 5.4.1] software. Quality of life data was analyzed using standardized mean difference (SMD), while mean difference (MD) was calculated for continuous variables such as heart (bpm), V̇O₂peak (mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹), 6MWT (m), and gait speed (m/s). In cases where high heterogeneity was observed, the random-effects model was preferred, and in cases where low heterogeneity was observed, the fixed-effects model was preferred. Results: This meta-analysis was performed using data from 11 studies. HIIT intervention groups had statistically significant increases in 6MWT (z = 3.24; 95% CI = [24.56, 78.67]; p = 0.0002), V̇O₂peak (z = 3.74; 95% CI = [1.38, 4.42]; p = 0.0002), and quality of life (z = 2.66; 95% CI = [0.40, 2.63]; p = 0.008) compared to the control groups. However, the meta-analysis indicated that HIIT resulted in non-significant changes in gait speed (z = 1.43; 95% Cl = [-0.04, 0.28]; p = 0.15). Conclusions: This meta-analysis revealed that HIIT interventions in older adults positively affect cardiometabolic health parameters (6MWT, V̇O₂peak) and quality of life. Conducting HIIT as a supportive treatment component with health professionals such as physicians, physiotherapists, and nurses within the framework of a multidisciplinary team approach may contribute to improving the health of older adults. Trial registration: The study was registered on the International Prospective Registry of Systematic Reviews-PROSPERO database (CRD42023481425) on November 20, 2023.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of zinc oxide versus barrier creams for the maintenance of skin integrity in intensive care patients with a risk of pressure injury (PI). METHODS: This was a retrospective and cross-sectional study. The authors included data from 95 patients treated in the neurology and respiratory ICUs of a training and research hospital between January and June 2022. Patients in the neurology ICU were treated with zinc oxide cream (group 1, n = 48), and patients in the respiratory ICU received classic barrier cream (group 2, n = 47). Sociodemographic characteristics and PI data (Braden Scale score, Pressure Ulcer Healing Assessment Scale [PUSH] score, and PI stage) were obtained from each patient’s file. RESULTS: The mean PUSH score of the patients who received zinc oxide cream was 3.83 ± 4.39 at discharge versus 6.79 ± 4.40 for the group who received barrier cream. When PUSH scores and PI stages during hospitalization and discharge were compared, the authors found a statistically significant between-group difference in mean discharge scores (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this retrospective study based on patient records, zinc oxide creams had more positive effects on the prevention of PIs than barrier creams.

The aim of this study was to determine the satisfaction with nursing care among patients diagnosed with Covid-19 and related factors. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted between June and July 2020. The population of the study consisted of 102 patients treated in the Covid-19 clinics of the University Teaching and Research Hospital. The data were collected using the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale with a total of 19 items, and the Patient Description Form designed to record the sociodemographic characteristics and medical histories. The data were evaluated using the program package IBM SPSS 20.0. To test the significance of the difference between two independent groups, the Student’s t-test was used, and the one-way ANOVA was used to test the significance of the difference between more than two groups. Results. The results showed that most patients were satisfied with nursing care. A higher level of satisfaction was seen in patients treated in the Covid-19 intensive care units, those with chronic conditions, and those who received information about their health state from nurses. Patients’ family type, sharing fears and worries with nurses, getting information from nurses and the quality of nursing care were the variables significantly associated with patient satisfaction with nursing care. Conclusions. Satisfaction with nursing care among Covid-19 patients was moderate. When nurses use effective communication skills to meet patients’ care needs, provide patients with adequate information, allow them to express their feelings, and keep them safe, this will further enhance patient satisfaction.

Hand massage is a nonpharmacological nursing intervention that reduces pain, anxiety, and discomfort. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of hand massage on pain, anxiety, and comfort levels in neurological intensive care unit (ICU) patients, contributing to evidence-based nursing practice. This randomized controlled trial was conducted in a neurology ICU in Turkey. A total of 66 patients were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received 12 hand massage sessions over six consecutive days (twice daily). Pain, anxiety, and comfort were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), the Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI), and the general comfort scale–short form (GCS-SF). The control group received standard care. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, the Kruskal–Wallis H test, and the Bonferroni post-hoc analysis. Patients in the intervention group demonstrated significantly reduced pain and anxiety levels and increased comfort at both 15 and 60 minutes postintervention compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Hand massage based on Kolcaba's comfort theory is a safe, low-cost, and effective intervention that reduces pain and anxiety while enhancing comfort in neurological ICU patients. Integrating hand massage into routine care may support holistic symptom management in critical care settings. Sert H, Gurcay B, Koc F, Eren MG, Acar BA, Toprak Y. The Effect of Hand Massage on Pain, Anxiety, and Comfort Levels of Intensive Care Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Indian J Crit Care Med 2026;30(2):140–147.