[ effect of problem-based learning on nursing students' learning level]

To offer a better care in complex clinical environments and with rapid changes in technology, nurses need to improve their problem-solving skill. Student-centered and active learning approaches are more effective in this regard. Hence, this study was to determine the effect of Problem-Base Learning [PBL] on nursing students' learning level. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 32 nursing students [in their fifth semester] who had chosen mental health course in Golestan University of Medical Sciences in 2007. The students were randomly divided into two groups of cases [8 persons] and controls [24 persons]. Having applied PBL and lecture during the course, learning was evaluated via theoretical exams of similar content and cognitive level in two groups, right at the end and two months after the course. Data was analyzed using Mann-Whitney and independent t-Test. The level of significance was 0.05. Most of the students, with a mean [ +/- SD] age of 21.85[ +/- 1.97] years, were single [90.62%], and lived in a dormitory [75%]. Although the mean scores were higher in cases compared to the controls two months after the course, there was no significant difference in both groups regarding overall learning. However, a significant difference was seen in different cognitive levels [P<0.0001]; this implies that lecture based learning students got a better score in knowledge level whereas PBL students received a higher score in tests of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. our results suggest that although both forms of teaching were effective, PBL seemed to be more effective than Lecture Based Learning in improving knowledge level and constant learning

[Concept analysis of competency in nursing: qualitative research and delivery of a hybrid model]

Competency is a complicated and an ambiguous concept. It is also a challenging subject in the health care arena, which is significant in different aspects of nursing, such as education, clinic and management. There are ambiguities about it, thus, in this article, researchers conducted analysis of this concept. This research is a concept analysis by the hybrid method. This model has three steps. In literature review stage, 475 related articles exist in databases up to September 2007 were analyzed and evaluated. As to the importance of educational system in the training of nursing courses, 5 educators were interviewed in the field work stage. After listening to tapes, results were Tran scripted and content analysis was done. In the last stage, holistic analysis was carried out. Best definition and properties of competency was selected based on literature reviews. In the field work stage, categories and attributes, same as literature reviews stage, were emerged with interviewing of nursing educators, in addition to holistic view properties, in relation to attitude domain and creativity of management domain. In the last stage, a hybrid model was delivered. In the Iranian field of nursing, educational planning, implementing competency instrument, nurses and students evaluation can be performed according to this study criterion