[Formal and Informal education: perspectives and experiences of nursing and midwifery faculty members]

The process of formal education lonely can not prepare medical sciences masters for work environment and responding to changes. They need informal and lifelong learning. The aim of this study was to explain the perspectives and experiences of nursing and midwifery masters about formal and informal education. In this qualitative study semi-structured interviews were done with 12 nursing and midwifery faculty members. The interview questions were related to the participants' perspectives and experiences from learning activities. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim, and then were analyzed based on content analysis method. Lifelong learning, self learning, the necessity of teaching profession, taking document were amongst the contexts which explained the masters learning experiences on formal and informal education. The data showed that having unprepared sensation for teaching after taking formal document especially at the beginning of employment was a motivator for learning. Learning essence, teaching, having new content to teach are as strong motivators for learning and taking part in educational workshop. The participants in this study mostly entitled "organization and time" as learning barriers. The necessity of being accountable to students, job promotion, professional obligations and familiarity with the science world new achievements lead to struggle by master for learning as formal or informal activities. Formal education is necessary as a base for future learning but not enough. Informal education as complementary to learning acts plays a basic role

[A phenomenological analysis of post operative pain experiences in three subcultures in Iran]

Pain is a phenomenon with both personal and cultural meanings. As cultural diversity increases around the world, caregivers are more and more likely to care for clients from backgrounds different from their own. Culture affects the assessment and management of pain. The aim of this study was to explore the meaning of pain experiences in 3 subcultures in Iran. A phenomenological approach was used in order to explore the meanings of post-operative pain experiences in participants. Data were gathered through series of semi structured interviews as well as goal-oriented observation and collected written narratives. Benner's interpretive method was used for data analysis. From analysis of viewpoints of 15 patients from Khorram-Abad, 13 patients from Tehran and 8 patients from Gorgan, 4 themes emerged. Considering postoperative pain insignificant compared to primary pain, need for protection, and increase in spirituality and insensitivity of healthcare providers were the emerged themes. While pain is a subjective and personal phenomenon and reaction to pain is influenced by cultural and personal values, in this study no difference was found in the pain experiences in 3 under-study subcultures. It seems that Iranian-Islamic culture acts as a conceptual umbrella to encompass the whole experiences and influences all subcultures