How nursing care based on kolcaba's comfort theory affects comfort results of the male circumcised children and their parents: A randomized controlled study

Objective: This study aims to determine how nursing care based on Kolcaba's Comfort Theory affects comfort results of male circumcised children and their parents. The effects also included increasing the child's level of comfort and decreasing their concern, fear, and pain, as well as, decreasing parents' concerns and increasing their care satisfactions. Method: This randomized controlled experimental double-blinded study was conducted at a hospital in Isparta between June and September 2019 with 52 children and their parents in the intervention group and 46 children and their parents in the control group. The intervention group was provided nursing care practiced with comfort-oriented care interventions (COCaI) including standard care interventions, pre-operative training, coloring and puzzle intervention, rewarding intervention, telemonitoring and consulting interventions. The control group received routine nursing care practiced in the clinic. Children's data were evaluated using the Comfort Behaviors Checklist, Children's State Anxiety, Children's Fear Scale, Visual Analog Scale. Parents' data were evaluated through Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Scale, PedsQL Health Care Satisfaction Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, and ANOVA test in the repetitive measurements were used for the hypotheses. Results: Following nursing care based on Kolcaba's Comfort Theory, a significant difference was detected between comfort, concern, and fear scores of the children in the intervention group in favor of the children, as well as concern and care satisfaction scores of the parents in favor of the parents according to groups and measurement times (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was found between groups in terms of children's pain scores (p>0.05). Conclusion: Nursing care based on Kolcaba's Comfort Theory was found to be practical and effective in increasing circumcised children's level of comfort, decreasing parents' and children's concerns, and increasing their care satisfaction. Key words: male circumcision, nursing care, Kolcaba's Comfort Theory, comfort, pediatric surgery