[Nursing and Midwifery students' approaches to study and learning in AJUMS]

Utilizing appropriate approaches to study and learning can be improved student academic performance. This study was designed to investigate the study and learning approaches used by of Nursing and Midwifery students in AJUMS. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 165 of Nursing and Midwifery students in 2010. The Approaches to Study Skills Inventory for Students [ASSIST] questionnaire was administered. The questionnaire includes 52 questions that assessed the study of different methods of deep, strategic and surface approaches. Questionnaire content validity was confirmed by experts and its reliability with Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the three deep approach, strategic and surface was calculated 0.76, 0.85 and 0.64, respectively. Data was analysed by SPSS-15 software and descriptive and analytical chi square test and Pearson correlation coefficient. The frequency of deep, strategies and surface approaches of nursing students was 28.6%, 46.4% and 25.0% respectively. The figures for midwifery students were 30.9%, 49.4% and 19.8% respectively [P=0.721]. Between GPA, sex and Duration of study in universities and students' study approaches differences were not statistically significant. The results showed that students mostly used strategic and deep approaches. The rate of such study approaches will change the way students tend to use deep approaches to increase and the strategic approaches to decrease. Between nursing and midwifery students' study approaches in utilizing of deep and strategic approaches no significant difference was found, but nursing students, mostly used surface approach

[ survey on professional skills among general practitioners of Health Service Centers in Qazvin Province]

In the art of medicine, besides learning of background science, having professional skills is essential for a physician. Some studies show a feeling of dissatisfaction associated with learning professional skills in medicine graduates. This study was performed to assess the professional skills in general practitioners of health service centers in Qazvin province. In this descriptive study performed in 2008, the professional skills of all general practitioners working in Health Centers of Qazvin Province [I.R.Iran] including 33 medical, management and communicational skills were assessed through self-assessment method. The results were statistically analyzed, through chi square test and Phi, Cramer's V, comparison between two proportions, and contingency coefficient. P values less than 0.05 were considered as significant. Findings: Of 33 target skills in 91 general practitioners including 36 males and 55 females, lack of desirable professional skills in 16 items was found in at least half of the physicians. The skill of urinary catheterization in male and female patients, by male or female physicians, both showed significant difference [P=0.000]. The relationship between the gender of physician and the skills of management of a normal vaginal delivery showed a significant difference [P=0.044] whereas such relationship between the gender and management of post delivery complications demonstrated an insignificant difference, statistically. Regarding the results, revision in the contents of clinical educational courses and based on real need, increasing skills training, collecting and strict execution of "Log Book" in all clinical internship courses, establishment of "OSCE" method for assessment of skills in intern trainees, and designation of re-educative workshops for training skills in graduate physicians, are suggested

[ effect of progressive muscular relaxation on quality of life in adolescents with epilepsy]

Epilepsy can causes some problems for epileptic child and adolescences that are negative effect on quality of life in these patients. relaxation was effective in reducing seizure frequency. Purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of progressive muscular relaxation on quality of life in adolescents with epilepsy. This investigation is a quasi-experimental study. Twenty epileptic people were selected by goal-based sampling. Data were collected in start of research, 4 weeks late and past of intervention by interview, demographic questionnaire and Iranian version of the QOLIE-AD-48 questionnaire. Participants were asked to practice the technique 20 minutes daily at home for 4 weeks. findings had showed school performance had the highest score in quality of life [89.52] and attitude toward epilepsy had the least score in quality of life mean scores [22.5] of patients. Quality of life mean scores improved from 62.27 to 71.95 after intervention period [P<0.001]. All five domains of quality of life scores [epilepsy impact, memory- concentration, health perception, school performance and physical function] [P<0.001] enhanced after relaxation practice period but it was not significant for the mean scores of social support, stigma and attitude toward epilepsy. Findings showed effects of progressive muscular relaxation on improving quality of life of epileptic adolescents

[Assessing barriers of Nurse-patient's effective communication in educational hospitals of Ahwaz]

Establishing an effective communication with patients is an essential aspect of nursing care. However, most of studies described the nurse-patient relationship as weak. Recognition of barriers in nurse-patient's effective communication from their point of view could facilitate the actions need to be taken for removing such barriers. The study aimed at assessing barriers of nurse-patient's effective communication from nurses and patients' viewpoints and to compare them. This descriptive - analytic study was undertaken in 2008, with a sample of 80 nurses and 80 patients drawn from three educational hospitals in Ahvaz city. They were selected by convenience sampling. Data were gathered through a questionnaire with 30 questions for nurses and 15 questions for patients on a 5-points Likert rating scale. It was found that [nursing works overload] [77.5%], [hardship of nursing tasks][73.75%], [deficiency of welfare facilities for nurses][67.5%], [physical and emotional fatigue] [66.25%] and [not appreciating nurses] [62.5%] were reported by nurses as the main barriers of effective communication. Patients considered [nurses' unfamiliarity with local language] [40%] [Nurses' bad temper] [33.75%], [sex difference with nurses] [32.5%], [Patients' transmitted diseases] [28.75%] and [lack of therapeutic and welfare facilities for patients] [25%] main barriers of effective communication. The study revealed there are some congruency and discrepancy between nurse's and patient's viewpoints in ranking barriers. Thus health manager should put their attempts on eliminating or modifying the most important barriers announced by nurses and patients, especially on factors which both groups reported