Objective: In this study, we assessed psychosocial adjustment in patients with cardiovascular diseases and its relationship with spiritual well-being.
Methods: This descriptive analytic study was performed in 2018 in Qazvin, Iran. The subjects were 150 patients who were admitted to the cardiac ward of a teaching hospital. Data were collected using a background variables checklist developed by the researchers and two standard questionnaires of Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale and Ellison-Paloutzian Spiritual Well-Being Scale.
Results: The final score of psychosocial adjustment to cardiovascular diseases was 62.78±6.8 (range 48-83), indicating a moderate level of psychosocial adjustment to cardiovascular diseases. The mean score of psychosocial adjustment to cardiovascular diseases was significantly higher in women than in men (p=0.03). In this study, the mean of overall spiritual well-being was 74.93 indicating a moderate level of spiritual well-being. The mean of overall spiritual well-being was significantly higher in women than in men (p=0.001). The results showed a significant negative relationship between the participants’ psychosocial adjustment to cardiovascular diseases and spiritual well-being (rr=-0.21, p=0.01).
Conclusion: Findings from this study revealed that patients with cardiovascular diseases have a poor level of psychosocial adjustment. Patients with higher level of spiritual well-being reported better psychosocial adjustment.

Objective: The aim of our study was to determine the relationship between treatment compliance and health literacy in patients with hypertension.
Methods: This study included 116 patients in the sample group. The data were gathered with Structured Questionnaire, Morisky Treatment Adherence Scale, and the Health Literacy Scale. Number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Pearson’s correlation, and t tests were used in the statistical assessment of the data.
Results: The mean age of the patients participating in the study was 67.45±11.39 years. Treatment compliance was higher in male patients, those who were married, and those with high school or higher education. It was determined that there was a negative statistically significant relationship between means scores of the Morisky treatment adherence scale and age and a positive relationship between health literacy scale mean scores. The variables that predict treatment adherence are, in the order of importance, health literacy, comprehension of information, application/using, and marital status.
Conclusion: It has been demonstrated that the most significant variable predicting adherence to treatment in patients is health literacy; and as the degree of understanding and use of acquired information increases, the compliance to treatment also increases. Educational programs should be prepared to enhance the health literacy level in the patients, the patients should self-monitor, and healthcare professionals should follow up the patients regularly.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to examine the Turkish validity and reliability of the Propensity to Achieve Healthy Lifestyle Scale.
Methods: This methodological study was conducted with 132 patients with hypertension who were admitted to the internal medicine outpatient department of a university hospital. Data analysis was performed using content validity index, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.
Results: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale was found to be 0.80. In the exploratory factor analysis, it is stated that the scale has a single factor structure, which explains 50.75% of the total variance. Factor loadings were between 0.45 and 0.73 in the confirmatory factor analysis.
Conclusion: This study found that the Turkish version of the Propensity to Achieve Healthy Lifestyle Scale was reliable and valid for the Turkish society.

Objective: Non-compliance with medical treatment is a common problem in individuals with heart failure (HF). This study was conducted to evaluate medication compliance and influencing factors in patients with heart failure.
Methods: The study was conducted with 114 patients who were treated in the cardiology clinic and outpatient clinics of a training and research hospital between July and September 2019. The study data were collected using the Patient Information Form and the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS).
Results: The average age of the patients participating in the study was 66.98±12.23 years, and the average duration of medication use was 12.98±7.66 years. Of the participants, 52.6% were female, 85.1% were married, and nearly half (45.6%) were primary school graduates. The total score of the patients on MARS was 21.87±3.06. It was found that there was a low and negative correlation between the age of the individuals and the duration of medication use and the average scores of MARS (r: -0.321, p=0.001; r: -0.414, p<0.001, respectively). Patients under the age of 65, who were married, had a high level of education, had children, work, income more than expenses, lived with their spouse and children, had no comorbidities, received training on medication use, went to regular health checks, had knowledge regarding the effects and side effects of their medicines had significantly higher total mean scores of MARS (p<0.05).
Conclusion: It was determined that medication compliance was high in individuals with HF; however, some individual and disease-specific factors were found to reduce medication compliance. Nurses should be aware of the risk group of these patients and must perform the necessary interventions.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of planned patient education and telephone follow-up based on Orem’s self-care deficit theory on symptom management, self-care power, and health behaviors in patients diagnosed with heart failure (HF).
Methods: The study was conducted with 90 patients (45 interventions and 45 controls) who were eligible for the study on the basis of the inclusion criteria. The data were obtained using Patient Information Form, Heart Failure Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, Self-Care Power Scale, Heart Failure Health Behaviors Scale, and the Dyspnea and Fatigue Borg Scale. The intervention group was trained using planned patient education. The education context used in the study was formed after individual interviews with patients with HF and literature review. The experimental group was given individual consultation planned according to their needs before discharge using a HF education tool prepared for this study and was also given educational booklets. This group was consulted by telephone once a month. The control group was followed with the routine hospital program. Both the groups were evaluated at first interview and in the third month. The data were analyzed using t-test and the chi-squared test.
Results: The study revealed that patient education resulted in significant differences between the intervention and the control groups of patients in HF symptom management, self-care power, and HF health behaviors (p<0.05). At the end of the training for planned patient education, HF symptom management, self-care power, and HF health behaviors changed statistically in a positive way in the intervention group (p<0.05). However, no changes were detected in the control group (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Planned patient education had positive effects on HF symptom management, self-care power, and HF health behaviors.

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the perceived social support and hopelessness levels in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and to examine the relationship between them.
Methods: The population of the study included all patients with ICD who came to an outpatient clinic of a training and research hospital on the Anatolian side of İstanbul. The sample consisted of 81 patients who met the inclusion criteria. The data of the study were collected using the Patient Information Questionnaire, Beck Hopelessness Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, which were created by examining the relevant literature. One way analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Pearson correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis.
Results: As a result of this study, it was found that female patients with ICD had higher perceived social support scores from their friends than male patients, and the perceived social support levels of married patients from their families were significantly higher than those who were divorced. The social support scores perceived from friends of those who did not sleep in the intensive care unit in the past year were found to be significantly higher than the scores of inpatients, and their hopelessness scores were found to be lower. It was also found that the level of hopelessness was mostly affected by the level of perceived social support from the family; and as the perceived social support increased, hopelessness decreased.
Conclusion: Including psychosocial evaluations in outpatient clinic follow-ups of patients with ICD, planning care considering the perception of social support, evaluating the factors that cause hopelessness, and the coping methods that can be used will provide psychosocial well-being.

COVID-19 caused a pandemic globally shortly after its appearance in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and had a shocking effect on daily life. Thousands of patients were treated in hospitals every day because of the viral infection, which caused serious damage with its yet unknown effects from the moment it enters the human body. Therefore, rapid diagnosis, treatment, and care of the patients are very important to prevent possible damages from the virus, including the effects of the virus on cardiovascular functions and therefore increased mortality and morbidity rates. In this study, we aimed to provide literature information on nursing interventions that can be applied to identify cardiovascular syndromes associated with COVID-19 and to guide nurses.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) application and post-ECMO discharge rates are increasing globally and in Turkey. Therefore, the specialized care of patients on ECMO is an increasingly important issue. These patients need specialized care delivered by a multidisciplinary team. Nurses play a vital role in both care in intensive care units/clinics and post-discharge process management. This study focuses on the current literature to discuss the main characteristics of ECMO and the nursing care provided to patients on ECMO.

Vena Cava Superior Syndrome (VCSS) is a combination of clinical symptoms and interruption of the vena cava circulation owing to obstruction in the vein that drains blood from the head, neck, arms, and upper thorax into the right atrium. In VCSS, many symptoms are seen because of compression caused by a tumor. The feeling of discomfort experienced by the patient brings about the deterioration in the individual’s sense of comfort. The concept of comfort, which is expressed as getting rid of the situation that causes distress for the individual, and attaining comfort is directly related to nursing care practices. The concept of comfort and the comfort need of the ill individual were first mentioned by Nightingale and was developed by Katharina Kolcaba as a nursing theory. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the nursing care of the individual diagnosed with VCSS during the pandemic period and followed up in the clinic using Comfort Theory.