Objectives:The objective of this study is to determine the levels of perceived social support and psychological well being of nursing students. Methods:The research sample for the study which is of a descriptive nature was comprised of 300 nursing students who were continuing their education during the academic year 2015-2016. 'Introductory Information Form' , 'Perceived Social Support Scale' and 'Psychological Wellbeing Scale (Short Form)' were applied as data collection tools. Kruskal Wallis, Mann Whitney U test, Pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis were used in the assessment of the data. Results:The highest average among perceived social support subscales of nursing students belonged to special person support (23.00) while the lowest average belonged to friend support (21.00). According to the psychological wellbeing scale, the highest average scores were generated in the subscale of positive relations with others (5.43) while the lowest average was found in the subscale of self determination (4.43). The average scores of the third year students in terms of family (KW=8.37, p=0.039), friend (KW=13.29, p=0.004) and special person (KW=20.14, p=0.000) support were higher than those of of the first year students, and the average scores of the fourth year students in terms of individual development (KW=13.30, p=0.004) and positive relations with others (KW=7.87, p=0.049) were higher than those of the first year students. It has been determined that there is a positive relation between the perceived social support levels and psychological wellbeing of nursing students (p<0.01). Conclusion:It has been determined that the perceived social support and psychological well being of the students in upper grades were at a better level. It has been determined that as the level of perceived social support of nursing students increased, their psychological wellbeing increased as well.

Aim This study aimed to culturally adapt and evaluate the reliability and validity of the Holistic Nursing Competence Scale for application in the Turkish context. Background Nurses are expected to assess well‐being of individuals by considering physical, social, psychological, cultural and spiritual dimensions to enhance adaptation to diseases. In Turkey, no tools have been developed to date for the evaluation of competencies in holistic nursing in the country. Methods The study was conducted with 288 nurses working in two hospitals in Ankara equipped with over 500 beds. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed in order to identify whether the items and the sub‐dimensions of the adapted scale complied with the original structure comprising 36 items and five sub‐scales, namely ‘general aptitude’, ‘staff education and management’, ‘ethically oriented practice’, ‘nursing care in a team’ and ‘professional development’. Cronbach's alpha value was used as an estimate for reliability analysis. Results Opinions of 11 experts were obtained for content validation of the scale, and the content validity index was 0.90. The adaptation was observed to be acceptable on the basis of structural equation model fit indices in confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha value was estimated to be 0.97 and 0.90, respectively, for the complete scale. Conclusion The study identified the Turkish version of Holistic Nursing Competence Scale as a valid and reliable tool for the evaluation of competence in holistic nursing among nurses. Implications for nursing and nursing policy The instrument may now be utilized as a tool of measurement in nursing practice, as well as in education and research, for identifying the level of competence in the holistic nursing practices among the nurses in Turkey.

Background: Ageing is a process involving physical, social, psychological, spiritual and cultural changes. The elderly's personal characteristics may change, and the place where they live can lead to differences in their individual life expectations. Nursing home or community dwelling, where the elderly live can affect their psychological and spiritual well-being and their search for meaning in life. This study aimed to determine mental health symptoms, spiritual well-being and meaning in life among older adults living in nursing homes and community dwellings. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in three provinces of Turkey with the highest population of elderly people aged 60 and above. A total of 144 elderly people (71 living in nursing homes and 73 in community dwellings) participated in the study. The Descriptive Information Form, Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Spiritual Well-Being Scale and Meaning in Life Questionnaire were used for data collection. For the statistical analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman correlation analysis were applied. Results: About 42.3% of the elderly living in nursing homes were aged 80 and above, while 61.6% of those living in community dwellings were in the age range of 60-69 years. The hostility score in the community-dwelling elders was statistically higher than that of elders living in nursing homes. However, the harmony with nature score was lower in the communitydwelling elders. Negative relationships were found between total spiritual well-being and depression, anxiety, negative self and somatisation. Meanwhile, existing meaning in life found positive relationships among transcendence and harmony with nature. Conclusions: The awareness of healthcare workers is very important in helping the elderly make sense of the changes they experience. Moreover these healthcare workers should undergo systematic training to help the elderly prepare for old age by making sense of preserving mental integrity and seeking meaning in their lives.

ÖZETSıklığı ve süresi yaşla giderek artan depresyon, yaşlılık döneminde görü-len önemli psikolojik sorunlardandır. Yaşam beklentisi ve kalitesi düşen depresif yaşlı hastalarda, hemşireler için öncelikli bakım içeriğini; intihar girişimini önlemek, öz bakım gücünü arttırmak, yaşlı ve ailesini bakım ve tedavide desteklemek ve bilgilendirmek oluşturur. Bu derleme ile yaş-lılık ve depresyon konusunu hemşirelik mesleği açısından yeniden ele alarak hemşirelik bakım planlarına katkı sağlamak amaçlanmıştır.

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