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@#BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the short-term efficacy of a 4-week ultrasound curriculum taught by American first-year medical students to general practitioners working in public health care clinics, or puskesmas, in Bandung, Indonesia. METHODS: We performed a prospective, observational study of Indonesian health care practitioners from public clinics in Bandung, Indonesia. These practitioners were enrolled in a 4-week ultrasound training course taught by first-year American medical students. A total of six sessions were held comprising of 38 ultrasound milestones. A pre-course and post-course written exam and practical exam was taken by each participant. RESULTS: We enrolled 41 clinicians in the course. The average pre-course exam score was 35.2% with a 2.4% pass rate, whereas the average post-course exam score was 82.0% with a 92.7% pass rate. The average practical score at the completion of the course was 83.2% (SD=0.145) with 82.9% of the class passing (score above 75.0%). CONCLUSION: Our data suggests that first-year medical students can effectively teach ultrasound to physicians in Indonesia using a 4-week intensive ultrasound training course. Future studies are needed to determine the amount of training required for proficiency and to evaluate the physicians' perceptions of the student-instructors' depth of knowledge and skil in point of cаre ultrаsound.
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OBJECTIVE: To identify and examine the current national nursing strategies and policy impact of workforce development regarding human resources for health in seven selected countries in the Region of the Americas: Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, and the United States. METHODS: A review of available literature was conducted to identify publicly-available documents that describe the general backdrop of nursing human resources in these seven countries. A keyword search of PubMed was supplemented by searches of websites maintained by Ministries of Health and nursing organizations. Inclusion criteria limited documents to those published in 2008-2013 that discussed or assessed situational issues and/or progress surrounding the nursing workforce. RESULTS: Nursing human resources for health is progressing. Canada, Mexico, and the United States have stronger nursing leadership in place and multisectoral policies in workforce development. Jamaica shows efforts among the Caribbean countries to promote collaborative practices in research. The three selected countries in Central and South America championed networks to revive nursing education. Yet, overall challenges limit the opportunities to impact public health. CONCLUSIONS: The national nursing strategies prioritized multisectoral collaboration, professional competencies, and standardized educational systems, with some countries underscoring the need to align policies with efforts to promote nursing leadership, and others, focusing on expanding the scope of practice to improve health care delivery. While each country wrestles with its specific context, all require proper leadership, multisectoral collaboration, and appropriate resources to educate, train, and empower nurses to be at the forefront.
OBJETIVO: Determinar y analizar las actuales estrategias nacionales de enfermería y la repercusión política del desarrollo de la fuerza laboral en materia de recursos humanos para la salud en siete países seleccionados de la Región de las Américas: Argentina, Canadá, Costa Rica, Estados Unidos, Jamaica, México y Perú. MÉTODOS: Se llevó a cabo una revisión de la bibliografía con objeto de seleccionar documentos públicamente accesibles que describieran la situación general de los recursos humanos de enfermería en los siete países. Se complementó una búsqueda de palabras clave en PubMed con otras búsquedas en los sitios web creados por los ministerios de salud y las organizaciones de enfermería. Los criterios de inclusión limitaron los documentos a aquellos publicados entre el 2008 y el 2013 que trataran o evaluaran temas coyunturales o los progresos en torno a la fuerza laboral de enfermería. RESULTADOS: Se producen avances en materia de recursos humanos de enfermería para la salud. Canadá, Estados Unidos y México cuentan con un liderazgo de enfermería más dinámico y políticas multisectoriales de desarrollo de la fuerza laboral. Jamaica muestra iniciativas entre los países del Caribe para promover prácticas de investigación colaborativas. Los tres países seleccionados de América Central y del Sur impulsaron la creación de redes para reactivar la formación de enfermería. No obstante, las dificultades generales limitan las oportunidades de repercutir en la salud de la población. CONCLUSIONES: Las estrategias nacionales de enfermería dieron prioridad a la colaboración multisectorial, las competencias profesionales y los sistemas de formación estandarizados. Algunos países subrayan la necesidad de alinear las políticas con las iniciativas de promoción del liderazgo de enfermería, y otros se centran en la ampliación del ámbito de la práctica con objeto de mejorar la prestación de los servicios de salud. Mientras que cada país lidia con su contexto específico, todos ellos requieren un liderazgo adecuado, la colaboración multisectorial y recursos apropiados para formar, capacitar y facultar al personal de enfermería con objeto de que ocupe una posición de vanguardia.
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Humans , Workforce , Health Workforce , Nursing Services , Peru , Argentina , Canada , Costa Rica , Jamaica , MexicoABSTRACT
Introduction: Previous sentinel surveys of HIV in Nigeria studied pregnant women attending antenatal care; thereby omitting other important high-risk groups. We therefore investigated the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in low- and high-risk populations in the state of Plateau; Nigeria. Methodology: Blood samples were collected by venepuncture from 5;021 adults aged ?15 years between August and October 2008. At least one major town and one rural community were selected in each Local Government Area (LGA). Samples were initially screened with a rapid HIV testing kit; reactive samples were further tested using Stat Pak. Discordant samples were confirmed using Genie-II. Results: Of 5;021 subjects screened; 245 (4.88) were seropositive. Local Government prevalence ranged from 0.68 in Bassa to 16.07 in Jos North. On average; LGAs in the Southern Senatorial Zone had higher rates. Most (over 80) positive cases were younger than 40 years. Females had a significantly higher (6.85) prevalence than males (2.72). Age-specific prevalence was higher among females aged 25 to 29 years (2.09). Risk factors identified for acquisition of HIV infection were previous history of STDs (6; 16.28); men having sex with men (2; 11.76); having multiple sexual partners (97; 10.49); intravenous drug use (10; 7.58); sharing of sharp objects (20; 4.82); and history of blood transfusion (21; 3.65). Conclusion: The seemingly higher prevalence recorded in this survey could be attributed to the inclusion of high- and low-risk groups in the general population; unlike previous reports which studied only antenatal care attendees. This survey provides useful baseline information for further studies