Clinical Research Directory

Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices & Perspectives on Pregnant Muslims Fasting Ramadan

The study aims to assess healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perspectives in managing pregnant Muslim women who fast during Ramadan. Also, the investigators aim to highlight the barriers and institutional factors affecting healthcare professionals' ability to provide culturally competent care to these women

Narrative Medicine Effects on Burnout and Stress

A rising area of interest over the past several years has been on the issue of physician burnout. Burnout can be defined as a chronic occupational stress response characterized by multi-dimensional exhaustion and diminished sense of fulfillment in one's personal and professional life. Regarding the effects of emotional, occupational and physical stress on job satisfaction, standard of care and staff retention, it is important to determine meaningful methods to alleviate and prevent burnout among healthcare professionals.

Back to Work: Perspective of the Employee (Original Language Dutch: Terug-naar-werk: Perspectief Van Werknemer)

The aim of this study is to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors, needs, and forms of support that play a role for healthcare professionals in three crucial phases of the sick leave process: (1) absence from work, (2) the return-to-work process during illness, and (3) resumption of work. By combining qualitative interviews and available quantitative data, the study aims to form an integrated picture of how healthcare professionals experience their journey back to work and which elements contribute to a sustainable return to the workplace. The study focuses on two target groups: healthcare professionals who are currently unable to work (1-6 months) and healthcare professionals who have recently resumed work (≤ 6 months). Participants take part in one semi-structured interview (including a validated questionnaire). The research makes an important contribution to the current state of knowledge: although international literature already describes various factors that hinder and promote reintegration, there is little research that focuses specifically on healthcare professionals, who face unique risks such as high work pressure, emotionally stressful working conditions, and structural staff shortages. Furthermore, there is a clear knowledge gap regarding which forms of support (e.g., communication, guidance, work organization) are perceived as effective by healthcare professionals themselves, both during illness and when returning to work. There is also a lack of practical insight into the medium-term absence phase (1 month - 1 year), although this phase appears to be crucial for successful reintegration. The study contributes by: * systematically identifying needs, obstacles, and success factors specific to healthcare professionals; * generating insights into the process of returning to work in the medium term; * developing practical recommendations that can be directly applied in the retention and reintegration policies of healthcare institutions; * providing scientifically substantiated building blocks that contribute to improved decision-making at the policy level regarding sick leave in the healthcare sector. By linking the insights gained to a theoretical framework and existing literature, this research fills both a scientific gap and a practical need. The results have the potential to contribute directly to a more effective, personalized, and sustainable reintegration policy for healthcare professionals in Flanders.

The Efficacy of Combining Music Intervention With Nicotine Replacement Therapy to Reduce Smoking Craving, Among Healthcare Professionals Who Are Trying to Quit.

Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death and disease worldwide. The health benefits of quitting smoking are well-documented. Healthcare professionals play a key role in the fight against smoking. Nevertheless, they are also affected by smoking, with a prevalence ranging from 16% to 43%, depending on their profession. Furthermore, their smoking status impacts how they deliver smoking cessation treatments. A randomised controlled pilot trial to compare the efficacy of combining music intervention with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) with NRT alone in managing smoking craving among 50 healthcare professionals who smoke is proposed. Furthermore, given that the risk of relapse exceeds 50% in the first 12 months after quitting smoking and that this has harmful consequences for patients, this study also aims to identify predictors of successful cessation. In an ancillary study, the MUSICAT-BIO project, the association between successful cessation and both the gut microbiota and epigenetic regulation of BDNF is evaluated. Due to the limited available literature, a group of non-smoking volunteers is included in this study to enable comparison of the gut microbiota and BDNF epigenetic regulation between: 1) smokers and non-smokers; 2) abstinent and active smokers; and 3) abstinent smokers and non-smokers.

The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Perceived Stress Among Healthcare Professionals

Mindfulness is defined as a state of awareness in which an individual consciously pays attention to the present moment without judgment, reaction, or resistance, thereby promoting mental and psychological well-being. Self-compassion refers to adopting a kind, understanding, and supportive attitude toward oneself. While mindfulness enables individuals to recognize sources of stress and develop strategies to cope with them, self-compassion encourages a gentle and caring approach toward oneself during this process. Research has shown that mindfulness practices enhance self-compassion and that these two constructs have a synergistic effect in reducing stress. Work-related stress negatively affects both the professional functioning and overall health of individuals. Acknowledging the increasing prevalence of stress and stress-related illnesses, the International Labour Organization (ILO) officially included stress and stress-induced disorders in the list of occupational diseases in 2010. Compared to other professions, these stressors have a more profound physical and psychological impact on healthcare professionals. In this context, the concepts of mindfulness and self-compassion are critically important for enhancing the psychological resilience of healthcare professionals and improving their stress management skills. This study is designed as a non-randomized, quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group study to determine the effect of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on the levels of mindfulness, self-compassion, and stress among healthcare professionals. Data collection tools will include a demographic information form, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the A Scale to Mearsure Self-Compassion (SCS), and a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for stress assessment. The research will be conducted with healthcare professionals working at Aksaray Training and Research Hospital, located in the central district of Aksaray, Turkey. An 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program will be implemented for the intervention group. Data will be collected between May and December 2025. The results of the study will be analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. In addition to standardized scales, the effectiveness of the MBSR program will also be evaluated using a biological stress marker-salivary cortisol. The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program implemented in this study is expected to contribute to the field of occupational health nursing. Furthermore, the program is anticipated to enhance healthcare professionals' abilities to consciously recognize their emotions, accept painful experiences with understanding rather than suppression, and transform negative thoughts and emotions into more constructive perspectives.

Climate Change Awareness: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Climate change awareness among nurse managers is crucial for enhancing healthcare efficiency and mitigating environmental and societal impacts. This study aims to develop and implement an educational program to improve nurse managers' awareness of climate change. Methods: A randomized controlled trial will be conducted with 108 nurse managers (54 experimental, 54 control) from two major hospitals in Istanbul, Turkey: Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital (n=71) and Göztepe Prof. Dr. Süleyman Yalçın City Hospital (n=58). Sample size was determined using G\*Power 3.1.9.7, referencing the study by Alvarez-Nieto et al. (2022), assuming an effect size of 0.79, a significance level of α=0.05, and 95% power. The required sample size was calculated as 90, increased by 20% to account for potential attrition, resulting in 108 participants. Participants will be recruited through full enumeration sampling due to the limited number of nurse managers. Data will be collected via face-to-face administration of a Demographic Information Form (12 items) and the Climate Change Awareness Scale (Ataklı \& Kuran, 2022), which consists of 52 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with a reliability coefficient (α) of 0.92. Intervention: Following institutional approval from the Provincial Health Directorate, education nurses will disseminate information about the study via digital communication platforms. Nurse managers will be enrolled in separate digital groups for experimental and control conditions. Pre-test data will be collected face-to-face before the intervention. The educational program will be delivered to the experimental group, while the control group will receive no intervention. Post-test data collection will occur four weeks after the intervention. Statistical Analysis: Nominal and ordinal data will be presented as frequencies and percentages, while scale scores will be reported as means and standard deviations or medians and ranges. Normality of data distribution will be assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Independent Samples T-Test and One-Way ANOVA will be used for normally distributed variables, while Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests will be used for non-normally distributed data. Analyses will be conducted using SPSS 26 with a significance level set at p\<0.05. Expected Outcomes: The study will evaluate the effectiveness of the educational program in enhancing climate change awareness among nurse managers. Findings will contribute to the development of targeted training programs to integrate environmental awareness into nursing leadership. Ethical Considerations: Ethical approval and institutional permissions will be obtained prior to study commencement.