Bakir, Ebru; Ergün Arslanlı, Sevilay; Tümen, Tuğba

Aim To explore nursing students' clinical experiences in pediatric pain management and identify their educational needs. Background Hospitalized children worldwide continue to experience unrelieved pain despite treatment advances. Undergraduate nursing education is essential for pain management competence; however, research has focused primarily on theoretical knowledge, offering limited insight into real clinical experiences. Design Descriptive qualitative study. Methods Twenty-four third- and fourth-year nursing students participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Five themes emerged: (1) Interpreting Pediatric Pain: Gaps in Clinical Recognition and Assessment; (2) Clinical Decision-Making: Difficulties Integrating Assessment and Intervention; (3) Communication as a Relational Strategy; (4) Parental Influence: Balancing Support and Clinical Decision-Making; and (5) Clinical Performance Under Emotional Strain. Students demonstrated gaps in pediatric pain assessment, frequently neglecting its subjective nature and underusing standardized tools. Pharmacological decision-making was largely unrecognized; non-pharmacological strategies were emphasized instead. Although students applied appropriate communication techniques, integrating these into clinical decisions proved difficult. Emotional challenges were prevalent, underscoring the need for self-regulation and reflective practice. Conclusions Nursing students faced considerable challenges meeting the complex demands of pediatric pain management. Deficits in pain assessment and pharmacological competence, combined with overreliance on non-pharmacological approaches, may compromise effective pain care during transition to professional practice. Implications for practice Curriculum developers should design pediatric pain education bridging theory and clinical practice through concept-based, student-centered strategies — including simulation, case-based discussions, and reflective practice — alongside structured, supervised clinical experiences targeting pain assessment, pharmacological decision-making, and family communication.

Kasımoğlu, Necla; Beşiktaş, Sultan; Gürol, Ayşe

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the effects of tub bathing on stress levels, comfort, and physiological parameters in newborns undergoing phototherapy. Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 62 newborns receiving phototherapy in a university hospital neonatal intensive care unit (June 2024–June 2025). Infants were randomized to an experimental (tub bathing) or a control group. Physiological parameters, stress (Neonatal Stress Scale), and comfort (Neonatal Comfort Behavior Scale) were assessed at three time points: before, 15 min after initiation, and 15 min before completion of phototherapy. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 30.0. Results There were significant differences between the groups in terms of sex ( p = .005, φ = 0.35) and gestational week ( p = .045, φ = 0.36). Respiratory rate, heart rate, and oxygen saturation values in the experimental group were statistically higher compared with the control group ( p < .001, Cohen's d = 1.37–1.85). Mean scores of the Neonatal Stress Scale and Neonatal Comfort Behavior Scale revealed a significant decrease in stress and a significant increase in comfort in the experimental group (p < .001, Cohen's d > 1.40). The post-hoc power analysis indicated a test power of 1.00. Conclusion Tub bathing reduces stress levels, enhances comfort, and positively affects physiological parameters in newborns undergoing phototherapy. Therefore, it is recommended that nurses incorporate tub bathing as a safe and feasible nursing practice in neonatal care. Implications to practice Tub bathing is recommended as a standardized intervention to enhance physiological comfort in infants undergoing phototherapy. Additionally, involving parents in this process strengthens family-centered care and emotional bonding in the neonatal setting.

Bakir, Ebru; Arslanli, Sevilay Ergun

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the experiences of parents of children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) in Turkey. Design and methods: A descriptive phenomenological approach was employed. Ten participants were purposively sampled and interviewed in-depth using semi-structured methods. Data was analyzed thematically. The reporting of this study was informed by the COREQ guidelines. Results: The data revealed five themes: parental emotional reactions to learning about their child's diagnosis of DMD, parents as medical advocates for their child diagnosed with DMD, parental exhaustion from the day-to-day demands of caring for a child with a diagnosis of DMD, the DMD community as a lifeline for parents whose children have a diagnosis of DMD, barriers to adequate care for children with a diagnosis of DMD. Conclusion: This study offered multifaceted dimensions of parents' experiences with DMD, providing insights into the distinctive challenges, and coping strategies within the Turkish context. Parents encountered intricate and systemic challenges, and their ability to navigate these complexities varied depending on their support networks. Practice implications: Nurses can empower parents of children with DMD by addressing their emotional needs, educating them as medical advocates, and connecting them with community resources. Integrating these approaches into nursing practice ensures holistic, empathetic, and effective care, enhancing support and confidence for families navigating the challenges of DMD.

Özdemir, Hamide Nur Çevik; Ayran, Gülsün; Topuz, Çetin

Background: Parental competence is an important concept in increasing the quality of care provided to individuals with special needs and the quality of life of parents. This study was aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Parental Competence Scale designed for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Method: This methodological study was conducted with 433 parents of children with autism between November 2021 and February 2023. Information Form, the Parental Competence Scale for Parents of Children with Autism, and the Parental Self-Efficacy Scale were used to collect the data. The data were assessed using content and construct validity, item analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and internal consistency. Guidelines for reporting reliability and agreement studies (GRRAS) were adhered to in the study. Findings: The content validity index of the scale was 0.93. Item-total score correlation values ranged from 0.338 to 0.846. As a result of confirmatory factor analysis, the two-factor structure of the scale consisting of 19 items was confirmed. Factor loads were >0.30 and fit indices were >0.80. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the Turkish version of the scale was 0.85, and the Cronbach's alpha values of its sub-dimensions were 0.71 and 0.79. Conclusion: The parental competence scale for parents of children with autism is a valid and reliable measurement tool for Turkey. Practice implications: Pediatric nurses, all health professionals, special education professionals and teachers can use this scale in interventional studies aiming to evaluate or improve the competencies of parents with autistic children in the future.

Sevgi, Gülsüm; Ayran, Gülsün

Bacground: This research was conducted to examine the caregiving burden and stress situations of mothers with children with special needs. Methods: The research, which is descriptive and correlation-seeking, was conducted between September 2022 and September 2023 in special education and rehabilitation centers in a city in eastern Turkey. The population of the research consists of the mothers of 2072 children who received education in the specified Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers between the specified dates. The sample size was determined to be 324 individuals based on the known sampling method. “The Personal Information Form, the Zarit Caregiving Burden Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale were used to collect the data for this study. The data was analyzed using the SPSS package software. For the interpretation of the data, percentages, means, standard deviations, one-way variance analysis, independent groups t-test, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression were used. Findings: Among the mothers, 44% were aged 30–39, 87.0% had a child with a disability, and 51.9% had a child with an intellectual disability. The mean total scores of the mothers were 26.71 ± 8.80 for the Zarit Caregiving Burden Scale and 27.00 ± 11.35 for the Perceived Stress Scale. There is a difference between the mothers' age, education level, income level and the type of disability of their child and the Zarit Caregiving Burden scale score average; It was determined that there was a significant difference between the place of residence and the number of disabled children they had and the average score of the Perceived Stress Scale. A positive correlation was found between Zarit Caregiving Burden Scale scores and Perceived Stress Scale scores of the mothers (p < 0.05). Application to practice: The study revealed that mothers with children with special needs experienced higher levels of stress as their care burden increased. Providing economic assistance and informing and training mothers about the care of children with special needs were recommended to reduce the care burden of mothers with children with special needs.

Oluç, Tuğba; Sarialioğlu, Arzu

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a therapeutic play involving a hand puppet on the fear and pain associated with blood collection procedure in preschool children. Design and methods: The research was conducted as a randomised controlled experiment. The sample included children aged 3–6 years who attended the blood collection unit between July and October 2022 and met the study's inclusion criteria. The research was completed with a total of 120 children, divided evenly into one of two groups. The nursing intervention of the research was a therapeutic play applied with a hand puppet. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a Questionnaire Form, the Child Fear Scale and the Wong–Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale. Ethical principles were followed in the research. Results: Differences between mean fear and pain level scores between the groups were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The therapeutic play applied with a hand puppet reduced the level of fear and pain associated with the blood collection process. Practice implications: Health professionals working in units related to paediatrics can use hand puppets, which are easy to use, inexpensive and practical, to reduce the fear and pain associated with blood collection from pre-school children.

Ayran, Gülsün; Köse, Semra; Sarıalioğlu, Arzu; Çelebioğlu, Ayda

Purpose: The research was conducted to determine the hand hygiene and mask-wearing behaviors and related factors of secondary school students in the COVID-19 pandemic process. Design and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between March 02–April 022021 with 1284 students who continued their secondary education in a province in the east of Turkey. The data were collected face-to-face through the Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Mask-Wearing Behavior Form, and the Hand Hygiene Behavior Form. Percentage, mean, t-test in independent groups, Mann Whitney U test and Multiple Regression analysis were used in the evaluation of the data. Ethical principles were observed at all stages of the study. Results: It was determined that 80.1% of the students used disposable medical masks, 62.1% of their parents chose a mask suitable for the age of the student, and 52.1% used the mask they wore all day long. It was found that 41.4% of the students washed their hands before wearing a mask, and 51.9% after wearing a mask. It was determined that there was a significant relationship between students' mask-wearing behavior and gender, and hand hygiene behavior and gender, grade level, previous training on hand-washing and mask-wearing. As a result of multiple regression analysis, it was found that gender and mother's occupation had a statistically significant effect on mask-wearing behavior, while gender and previous training on mask-wearing had a statistically significant effect on hand-washing behavior. Conclusions/practice implications: Students exhibited correct behaviors regarding hand hygiene and mask-wearing, but some misbehaviors suggest that training is necessary, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic period.