Dispositions to think critically among nurse educators

Nurse Educators' critical thinking dispositions have a direct influence on the educational process and its outcome. In fact, the external measure of nurse educators' effectiveness is their graduates'abilities to think critically [6, 13]. Hence, they should demonstrate competence related to critical thinking in order to be role model, open doors to new perspectives of the world for their students, as well as foster self-confidence and encourage lifelong learning. The aim of this study is to determine the critical thinking dispositions among nurse educators. This study was carried out in all scientific nursing departments at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Alexandria, included all nurse educators who were available at the time of data collection in the above mentioned settings and willing to participate [n=151]. The data was collected using California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory [CCTDI]. the current study revealed that 70.9% of nurse educators had positive disposition toward critical thinking, while less than one quarter of them [21.2%] had ambivalence disposition and only 7.9% strong positive disposition toward critical thinking disposition. It can be seen that the critical thinking self-confidence and analyticity subscale had higher mean scores, whereas the truth seeking subscale had the lowest mean score. There was a significant difference between nurse educators' academic degree and truth seeking, systematicity and total critical thinking disposition scores. The findings of this study revealed that the highest scores in self-confidence and analyticity and the lowest score in truth seeking. So, Studies should be conducted to examine the relationship between critical thinking dispositions and other variables such as critical thinking skills, thinking styles, leadership styles, personality type, teaching styles, burnout, and nurse educators' roles and core competencies

Factors associated with noncompliance of patients taking antihypertensive medication

Hypertension is the single most common and most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Generally, adherence to a medical regimen is most likely to be a problem in chronic therapy, when the perceived benefits of therapy are not readily apparent. Hypertension is a classic example of such a disease. Poor patient compliance to the extent of losing hypertension control can reverse the beneficial effects on stroke, cardiovascular diseases and hypertensive nephropathy. With serious financial implications, the cost is even higher if it considers that non-compliance negates the efforts invested in screening, diagnosis and counseling of hypertensive patients. Hence, the present study was carried out to investigate the impediments to pharmacological and non -pharmacological compliance among patients with hypertension and identify the predictors of compliance of these using the health belief model as a theoretical framework .The sample was [179] hypertensive patients attending the Main University Hospital Clinics in Alexandria. All participants, were interviewed with a questionnaire consisting of four sections sociodemographic information, a detailed health history, Investigated pharmacological and non-pharmacological compliance and the knowledge and perception of patients. The study revealed that 90.5% of patients attended the clinic regularly for prescriptions', refills. According to statements of the patients, more than two third of them were either non compliers 41.9% or partial compliers. The most frequently reported barrier to full compliance was feeling that blood pressure was normal by 49.7% of patients followed by forgetfulness, dislike medications, and avoidance of side effects by [16.8%, 15.1% and 11.7%] of patients respectively. Pharmacological compliance was predicted by achieving a controlled blood pressure [P=0.000], lower likelihood of experiencing drug side effects, and perception of, benefits associated with adherence to the management plan, high perception of susceptibility to hypertension related complications' [P=0.0002] and restricting dietary salt [P=0.0053], The present study concluded that as educators. nurses can improve the success of the overall management of plan set for their patient. Health risk advice should stress the positive aspects of hypertension as a treatable disease since the perception of the benefits if education was influential where as perceptions of the dangers of the disease were not