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Background It is a challenge for pharmacy courses worldwide to combine theoretical knowledge with practical skills to equip students for their future practice. Computer-based simulation offers a way of building a bridge between theory and practice. In recent years, digital simulation has expanded rapidly as a new technique of virtual learning. The digital platform ''Pharmacy Simulator'' proposes computer-based encounters with virtual patients to train clinical and communication skills in a community pharmacy setting. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, while students were digitally resilient and endured the endless challenges of online lectures, many were dealing with Zoom and screen fatigue. Purpose To investigate pharmacy students' acceptance of Pharmacy Simulator before and during a pandemic situation. This focuses on students' self-assessment and confidence in counselling after playing the scenarios on Pharmacy Simulator. Method Two cohorts of Master of Pharmacy students at The University of Western Australia played two scenarios on Pharmacy Simulator in 2019 (anaphylaxis and salbutamol) and 2021 (anaphylaxis and vaccination). A mixed-method analysis was performed with data from (i) qualitative semi-structured interviews carried out in 2019 pertaining to participants' acceptance of Pharmacy Simulator and in 2021 (ii) a questionnaire with 25 items derived from the interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim into electronic format with the data management assistance MAXQDA and analyzed inductively using the Framework Method. Questionnaire responses were analyzed in Microsoft Excel using descriptive statistics. Openended questions were evaluated inductively. Findings Data were collected from 20 interviews and 31 answered questionnaires. In 2019, participants reported that Pharmacy Simulator was a fun, engaging, and straightforward learning tool and, therefore, user-friendly. They reported the feedback at the end of the session to be most valuable. The platform was perceived to fill the gap between the theory from lectures and community pharmacy practice. In 2021, participants ''agreed'' (median: 4, on a 5-point Likert scale) with seven statements about Pharmacy Simulator's usability, such as it being a helpful tool for acquiring new knowledge. Participants' confidence in counselling regarding the scenario topics improved. One participant stated, ''It taught me more through trial and error''. Conclusion Pharmacy students reported similar acceptance levels of Pharmacy Simulator before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of simulation during virtual patient encounters seems to facilitate the transfer from theory to practice, independently of learning conditions that were predominantly screen-based.
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The purpose of research was to study practices, barriers, and solutions of Phetchabun health massage establishments under COVID-19 situation. Non-participant observation, informal interview, in-depth interview, and participation observation were carried out respectively. Purposive sampling was used with 15 health consumer protection officers in charge;11 district level, 2 provincial level, 2 regional level as well as each representative of 11 districts. Results after implementation of "Preparation Guidelines for Health Spa, Health Massage, and Beauty Massage to Promote Health Tourism During COVID-19 Pandemic" were categorized into two sections. Firstly, the practices, barriers, and solutions of government officer performances included preparation for reopening, monitoring of the provider practices, and performance report. Secondly, the provider operations consisted of doing "Self-Assessment of Health Establishment", logging-in webpage before reopening, and practices for clients included screening and report of patients under investigation, establishment monitor, service, and establishment cleaning. In summary, the preparation guidelines were purposed to reopen their business with numerous contents and messages written by official language, it caused establishment providers and practitioners difficultly understood when applying. LINE Application and making calls were easy and accessible methods for their communication to reach current data and to ensure exact information. Various encouragements and having compliments were also considerable to form trust and confidence among them, they also raised their proud.Copyright © 2023, World Informations Syndicate. All rights reserved.
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Objective: The impact of social media on public health has been examined in various studies. However, none have explored user engagement based on the type of Facebook posts related to renal disease. Therefore, the present study sought to determine which type of nephrology-related posts have greater user engagement. Setting(s): Facebook pages. Method(s): The posts on a specific Facebook page curated by a team of nephrologists in Malaysia were examined in this cross-sectional study. The type of post, likes, comments, shares of a post and reach of a post were used for data analysis. Analysis of variance was used to quantify the relative contribution of each independent variable to the odds of the post being highly liked or shared. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare links, photos, shared videos, status and videos for parameters such as reach, the number of times a specific piece of content has been displayed on a screen (impressions), and user engagement. Result(s): Shared videos and photos received the highest median reach of 5,862 and 5,880, respectively. People who 'liked' the page in 2019, 2020 and 2021 numbered 193, 4,196 and 2,835, respectively. Among the types of content on the Facebook page, photos and shared videos received the highest median lifetime reach of the post compared to links, status and videos in terms of 'people who liked the page'. Conclusion(s): The study findings suggest that posting a video or photo maximises the chance of engagement and meaningfully impacts public health outcomes.Copyright © The Author(s) 2023.
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Aim. To determine the clinical efficacy and safety of the immobilized (sorbed) probiotics Bifidobacterium bifidum 1 (5x108 CFU) and B. bifidum 1 (5x107 CFU) in combination with Lactobacillus plantarum 8P-A3 (5x107 CFU) in the complex therapy of pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 in adult patients without severe risk factors and their impact on health-related quality of life (QoL). Material and methods. An open, randomized prospective study included 100 patients (45 males, 55 females), aged from18 to 60 years without risk factors for severe COVID-19, with pneumonia confirmed by computed tomography and an area of lung lesion no more than 75% (moderate forms). SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasal and oropharyngeal swabs (RT-PCR) was detected in 72% of the participants, in the rest it was highiy probable in terms of the aggregate parameters. The publication presents the results of self-assessment (94 respondents) of working capacity limitations, shortness of breath, intestinal disorders since the end of the probiotic regimen (PR: hospitalization period - B. bifidum 1, 3 capsules 2 times a day for 10 days, then after hospitalization - B. bifidum 1 in combination with L. plantarum 8P-A3 2 powders 3 times a day for 14 days) and QoL (Short Form Medical Outcomes Study: SF-36) 1 month after hospitalization. Results. At the end of PR, the ability to engage in daily activities was higher by 23.1% [95% confidence interval 5.3-37.3, OR 0.08 (0.08-0.77)]. Difficulty of breathing during exercise was less common by 29.7% [15.1-44.5%], OR 0.09 [0.02-0.40], hard stools and no bowel movements were recorded less often by 21.3% [8.5-34, 1] for 1-3 days. One month after hospitalization, the QoL of the patients receiving standard treatment was significantly reduced relative to population indicators in Russia. It was more significantly due to the psychological component of health [total measurement 38.1 (36.2-40.0)] and less significantly due to the physical component [49.5 (48.3-50.8)]. The main reasons limiting daily activities [Role Emotional (RE): 39.4 (37.4-41.4)] were decreased vitality [VT: 40.2 (38.9-041.5)], emotional depression [Mental Health (MH): 41.2 (39.4-43.0)], deficit of social contacts [Social Functioning (SF): 45.1 (43.7-46.6)]. The patients who received PR had a higher ability to carry out daily activities [RE: 57.7 (55.6-59.7)], the severity of psychological problems associated with fatigue, anxiety and depression was lower [MH: 59.8 (58.7-60.9), p<0,001]. The effect of the PR on negative perceptions of social isolation was comparatively less [SF: 53.9 (52.2-55.4)]. The QoL of the patients who additionally suffered from diarrhea in the acute period of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia was worse in comparison with the patients without diarrhea (due to pain and inability to endure physical activity). The effects of immobilized (sorbed) probiotics to the QoL of the patients with diarrhea during the acute period of COVID-19 were most significant. Conclusion. PR had a significant positive effect on the QoL within a month after hospitalization, increasing working capacity and improving mental health, reducing the severity of psychological problems and fatigue. Additional researches are needed on the possible relationship of organic and functional gastrointestinal diseases with the progression of diarrhea in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. No side effects of the sorbed probiotics regimen have been identified.Copyright © Eco-Vector, 2022.
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PurposePresident Cyril Ramaphosa, in his 2018 State of the Nation Address, stated that "Thieves who are stealing public funds should be arrested and prosecuted”, and called for lifestyle audits of public-sector employees. The gross misuse of COVID-19 relief funds by public officials indicated the urgent need to execute these audits as an anti-corruption measure. This paper aims to provide a review of the existing state of affairs with regard to the application of lifestyle audits in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis paper critically analyses the literature available on the current position of South Africa concerning lifestyle audits in the public sector, based on the mandates of some of the anti-corruption agencies that could be responsible for the conducting and processing of such audits.FindingsSouth Africa has only recently seen a framework for applying lifestyle audits, developed by the Department of Public Service and Administration. Although these first steps in developing a standard practice are laudable, the practical process of dealing with misconduct and/or criminal matters remains to be seen. It is recommended that South Africa consider a legislative approach to dealing with unlawfully obtained wealth by either criminalising the act of illicit enrichment (per the United Nations Convention Against Corruption) or creating an Unexplained Wealth Order, as seen, for example, in the UK.Originality/valueSouth Africa is in dire need of addressing corruption in the public sector. Despite lifestyle audits being called for, the lack of proper implementation is negating any positive outcomes. Therefore, alternative solutions should be investigated.
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Objective. To study clinical features of migraine in patients with coronavirus infection, as well as headache associated with Covid-19. Material and methods. The study design was cross-sectional. We used free open online source <<Google, Forms>>. Participants were recruited by publishing a survey in social networks of the South Ural State Medical University among students who recovered from mild coronavirus infection in December 2020. The questionnaire assessed the features of migraine and headache ac-companying Covid-19. Results. There were 98 respondents;63 people had Covid-19 associated headaches. Previous migraine was observed in 25 patients, 32 people had no previous headache. According to patient self-assessment, cephalalgia was the most unpleasant symptom of coronavirus infection in 15% of respondents. Headache associated with infection corresponded to migraine phenotype in patients with previous migraine much more often than in those who had not previous migraine. Most patients required analgesics to relieve headache regardless previous migraine. Effectiveness of therapy was low. Respondents without previous cephalalgia rated Covid-19 headache as the most unpleasant symptom due to its intensity, high frequency and poor pain relief effectiveness. Covid-19 headache intensity was significantly higher in 52% of patients with previous migraine compared to baseline cephalalgia. Higher incidence by 2 or more times was observed in 72% of patients. In 28% of respondents, there was aggravation of course of migraine with higher intensity, incidence and poor pain relief after infection. Conclusion. Headache is a typical and maladaptive symptom of mild coronavirus infection. A quarter of respondents with previous migraine experienced aggravation of course of primary cephalalgia after Covid-19.Copyright © 2021, Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: The medical specialisation model in Spain is carried out in the context of specialised health training, through the residency programme. The aim of the study is to analyse, by an anonymous survey, the opinion on three aspects among final-year residents in Endocrinology and Nutrition (E&N): self-assessment of the knowledge acquired, working prospects, care and training consequences arising from the pandemic COVID-19. Material(s) and Method(s): Cross-sectional observational study using a voluntary and anonymous online survey, shared among final-year national interns in the last year of the E&N programme, carried out between June-July 2021. Result(s): 51 responses were obtained, 66% of the fourth-year residents. Overall perception of their knowledge was 7.8 out of 10. Most external rotations were in thyroid and nutrition areas. A total of 96.1% residents, carried out some activity associated with COVID-19, with a training deterioration of 6.9 out of 10. 88.2% cancelled their rotations and 74.5% extended their working schedule. The average negative emotional impact was 7.3 out of 10. 80.4% would like to continue in their training hospital, remaining 45.1%. 56.7% have an employment contract of less than 6 months, most of them practising Endocrinology. Conclusion(s): The perception of the knowledge acquired during the training period is a "B". Residents consider that the pandemic has led to a worsening of their training, generating a negative emotional impact. Employment outlook after completing the residency can be summarised as: temporality, practice of Endocrinology and interhospital mobility.Copyright © 2022 SEEN y SED
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Purpose: Given the high incidence of injury duringmarathon training, a better understanding of the factors associated with injury is needed. The purpose of the study was to investigate an expanded set of baseline factors of marathon runners to determine the association with injury during training. Method(s): Adult registrants of the 2022 New York City Marathon were recruited by email for a 16-week observational study. The baseline survey included demographics, running/injury/COVID history, race goal, orthotic use, grit scale, risk-taking scale, injury risk self-assessment, happiness and life satisfaction scales, and perceived risks of running. Injury surveys were collected weekly during training. Result(s): A total of 894 runners registered for the study and were uninjured at the start of the study. Average age was 44.5 years (standard deviation 11.8), 55% were female, and 76% had previously participated in a marathon. During the 16 weeks before the race, 221 of 894 (24.7%) experienced an injury, including 36 of 894 (4.0%) who did not participate in the race. Each of the baseline factors were assessed in a logistic regression model controlling for age, sex, body mass index, base weekly mileage, and number of prior marathons. The baseline factors associated with injury were orthotic use (odds ratio [OR] 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-2.74, P = 0.01), happiness (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.58-0.88, P = 0.001), and injury risk self-assessment (OR 1.13 for each 10% selfassessed risk, 95% CI 1.05-1.21, P = 0.001). There was no association with age, sex, body mass index, running/injury/ COVID history, race goal, grit, risk-taking behavior, life satisfaction, and perceived risks of running. Conclusion(s): Although age, sex, experience, and history of injury have been previously identified as risk factors for running-related injury, this was not the case in this large cohort of runners training for a marathon. Instead, orthotic use and self-assessed risk of injury were associated with higher rates of injury training, and a higher level of happiness was associated with lower rates of injury. Significance: The results show the value of a comprehensive running injury risk assessment, which could be standardized to facilitate comparative research. Accounting for these factors is important when assessing future injury prevention interventions.
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BACKGROUND: In the search for innovative methods to improve the quality and efficiency of health services, integrated clinical pathways (ICPs) have been introduced. AIM: As there is a gap in research on ICP efficiency, the aim of the study was to investigate the role and impact of collaboration and communication among three interprofessional ICP teams on the self-assessment of efficiency of ICPs. METHOD(S): A cross-sectional study was conducted using a descriptive quantitative with a survey (n = 152) and qualitative methods with a focus group (n = 27) and in-depth interviews (n = 22) in a typical general hospital in Slovenia. RESULT(S): The results showed that health-care professionals found patient health care and the work of healthcare professionals' better quality with ICP than without ICP. The ICPs team members assessed communication, cooperation, and effectiveness in the ICP team as relatively good but identified the lack of staff as the main reason for their limitations. The impact of ICP team collaboration and communication on ICP safety exists but it does not explain a sufficient proportion of the variance and the corelation is medium strong. The result also revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic did not primarily affect ICP team members' fear of possible infection, as studies have shown in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, but rather staff shortages leading to increased fear of errors and possible complaints and lawsuits from patients and relatives. CONCLUSION(S): Measures are needed for the additional employment of team members and the retention of current staff through financial compensation and the promotion of supportive workplace characteristics.Copyright © 2023 Mateja Simec, Sabina Krsnik, Karmen Erjavec.
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IntroductionRecently, pharmacists in Germany were allowed to administer influenza and COVID-19 vaccines for people aged 12 years and older in order to increase vaccination coverage rates. To adapt pharmacy curriculum for clinical practice, an innovative, high level vaccination training course comprising clinical skills, techniques required for level of competence was developed with participants interacting either with a high-fidelity simulator or low-fidelity injection pad. Clinical scenarios to manage adverse events were also implemented.MethodsA randomized controlled trial using a pre-post-design with pharmacy undergraduates alongside with a theoretical part was performed. The intervention group interacted with a high-fidelity simulator, while the control group was trained with low-fidelity injection pads. Before and after the respective training each participant went through an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and each participant completed a self-assessment questionnaire and knowledge quiz.ResultsOSCE Score were raised through an analytical checklist examining skills in anamnesis, patient information, vaccination process, and handling emergency case. Both training methods showed a significant (p<0,01) increase of skills but a significant (p<0,01) greater increase in the intervention group compared to the control group, particularly in vaccination process (p=0,007). Both Groups showed a similar increase of self-assessment score raised through a 6-point-Likert scale, and no significant differences were observed in the quizzes.ConclusionsHigh fidelity simulation proves to be an appropriate tool to train pharmacy students for vaccine administration, as a new pharmaceutical service and enable the students to recognize and manage adverse events.
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Objective To investigate the impact of the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as an intervention factor on residency training at different stages, and look into the enhancement effect of post-graduation medical training program based on competency of residency training, so as to provide reference for the optimization of medical education at the postgraduate stage. Methods After the initial success of COVID-19 prevention and control, 169 clinical postdoctoral trainess(clinical postdocs) and 515 graduate students specializing in clinical medicine(professional postdocs) were surveyed by an anonymous online questionnaire. To analyze the differences of cognition and self- evaluation of core competence between the two groups. Results There were 141 valid questionnaires collected from clinical postdocs (83.43%, 141/169) and 264 valid questionnaires collected from professional postdocs (51.26%, 264/515). In both groups, more than 85% of the students agreed or strongly agreed that they had a deeper understanding of the profession of doctors during the epidemic. The results of competency self-evaluation showed that, except for the items of "self-improvement", the self-evaluation scores of clinical postdoctoral students on other items were significantly higher than those of professional postdoctoral students (all P <0.05). Conclusions COVID-19, as a factor of emergency intervention, can improve the competency cognition of residents. The core-competency based post-graduation medical education model can comprehensively improve the students' comprehensive ability, which is an effective training program for residents. It is suggested that the vocational planning education for residents should be paid attention to in the stage of college education, and a new mode of college education that is closely combined with the post-graduation education should be further explored.Copyright © 2021 Thomson Reuters and Contributors.
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Introduction: During the recent COVID-19 pandemics, hospital staff often used personal protective equipment (PPE) beyond the standards recommended by the public health authorities. The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of the additional PPE compared to the standard PPE onto team performance when dealing with a medical emergency. Method(s): Single centre, prospective, randomized, controlled, openlabel, study compared 22 teams, consisting of a doctor and 2 nurses, randomized in a 1:1 ratio to use standard PPE or Super-Safe Setup in a simulated medical crisis. Before randomisation, all teams underwent a standardised mock scenario without the use of PPE was used to assess the performance at baseline. The primary outcome was Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM), secondary outcomes included the timing and quality parameters of CPR and physiological changes the rescuers. Result(s): As compared to standard PPE recommended by WHO [1], the use of additional PPE that included hooded coverall, significantly reduced non-technical skills of teams (TEAM score 30.6 +/- 5.7 vs. 36.2 +/- 5.0, p = 0.015) (Table 1), mainly due to reducing performance in complex tasks such as planning of future actions, prioritisation, and following the guidelines. This was also reflected in participants self-assessment score (Table 1). Nonetheless, there was no significant difference in the quality parameters and timing of milestones during a simulated CPR. There were no differences in rescuers physiological responses. Conclusion(s): During a simulated crisis, extended PPE compared to the PPE recommended by the World Health Organisation degraded nontechnical team skills. This did not translate into measurable deterioration of patient-centred outcomes, such as quality or timing of CPR.
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Introduction: Tracheostomy is a common surgical procedure in the setting of acute respiratory failure. And improves outcomes for critically patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. Initially avoided due to it's high risk to biosafety, tracheostomy soon became a routine procedure in the critical support of critical ill patients affected by COVID-19. The aim of this review was to compare tracheostomy done in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 pneumonias in an UCI. Method(s): This retrospective, observational study included 78 patients (23 female, 55 male;age range: 23-90 years, mean age: 66) with severe pneumonia who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Hospital Beatriz Angelo (Portugal) between 01/03/2012 until 31/12/2021, to whom a tracheostomy was performed. Patients underwent orotracheal intubation with invasive mechanical ventilation, followed by percutaneous or open surgical tracheotomy. Indications, timing of the procedure, and time needed to complete weaning and decannulation, as well as complications, were reported and compared between patients with COVID-19 (N = 38) and non-COVID-19 (N = 40) pneumonias. Result(s): In both groups, weaning from difficult ventilation was the most common indication for the procedure, followed by prolonged mechanical ventilation in the COVID-19 group (42%) and protection of the airway/secretions management in the non-COVID-19 group (22.5%). Timing of the procedure was 14.6 and 16.4 days after mechanical ventilation in the COVID-19 and non-COVID group, respectively. The non-COVID-19 group reported more days to decannulation (39.3 vs 15.1 days) as well as more days to wean off from mechanical ventilation (20.3 vs 14.1 days) and more major complications (12.5% vs 2%). Hospital discharge rate was similar in both groups (COVID-19 with 42.1% and 42.5% to non-COVID-19). Conclusion(s): Although the differences between both groups are multifactorial, it's useful for self-evaluation observations, as well as sharing practices and outcomes for further analysis.
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The social, political, and economic environment is ripe with opportunity to engage women and their philanthropy. Professionals working in the field of philanthropy want ideas, practical information, research, and guidance about how to work with women donors, how to build women's philanthropy initiatives, and how to integrate this subset of donors into their current fund development departments. This book offers insight into the three historical waves of women's philanthropy and provides a summary of current research and inspiring stories collected from interviews with more than 70 women philanthropists and leaders. Each chapter begins with current research, followed by interviews and examples, and ends with suggestions for fundraisers on how to implement the information into a women's philanthropy initiative using a six-step process: Awareness, Assessment, Alignment, Action, Acknowledgement and Achievement. The last several chapters focus on lessons learned from successful programs in traditional organizational settings-healthcare, higher education, and environment-and what we have yet to learn from the new and emerging philanthropic models led by Laurene Powell Jobs, Priscilla Chan, Melinda Gates, Nancy Roob, and MacKenzie Scott. Throughout the book, themes of equity, diversity, and inclusion are evident and featured in stories and programs led by women of color and younger donors. Additionally, COVID has impacted how fundraisers work, requiring the philanthropy community to adapt and create new ways to reach women donors. The final chapter is a call to action to all women, to give bigger and bolder as the fourth wave of women's philanthropy rises. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022, corrected publication 2022.
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Outcomes: 1. Evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual communication workshop in comparison to prior in-person format. 2. Gauge medical students' level of emotional support during an advanced communication workshop in the virtual setting. Introduction: Medical schools rapidly adopted virtual learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many descriptions of virtual objective-structured clinical examinations (OSCE) have been published;however, there have been no studies comparing the effectiveness of in-person and virtual formats for medical students. Method(s): The investigators revised a previously conducted workshop from in-person to virtual format. The workshop is a five-station formative OSCE focused on advanced communication skills for senior medical students. After each station, examinees completed a self-assessment checklist (Communication Behavior Checklist;CBC) and received checklist-based assessments (CBC and modified Master Interview Rating Scale;mMIRS) from two same-level peers. Afterward, a faculty-led debrief was performed to review clinical cases, emotional responses, and student questions. A post-OSCE survey based on one collected after the prior in-person OSCE was distributed to students. Result(s): Eighty-three students participated in the virtual OSCE. Overall, CBC scores were lower in the virtual OSCE compared to in-person (p<0.05). There was no difference in mMIRS scores between virtual and in-person OSCE. Sixty-seven out of 83 (80.7%) students completed the post-OSCE survey. Results showed no difference between virtual and in-person OSCE in terms of educational value, whether the OSCE would change the way participants talk to patients, and preparedness to have serious conversations with patients. All 67 students somewhat or strongly agreed with feeling emotionally supported during the virtual OSCE. Discussion(s): In conclusion, a virtual OSCE on advanced communication skills was well received by students who reported similar educational value compared with a prior in-person OSCE. Students felt emotionally supported in the virtual format. While student performance related to interview process (mMIRS) was similar, scores on interview content (CBC) were significantly lower in the virtual environment compared with the prior in-person OSCE. For future virtual iterations, modifications may be necessary to ensure adequate instruction on interview content.Copyright © 2023
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The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 prompted higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to switch to online learning for the safety of their citizens. The main purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between four indicators of digital learning experience and the intensity of student socio-pedagogical communication after the transition to distance learning. The data were collected from Ajman University, a private university in the UAE, during the spring of 2020. The sample consisted of 381 students who were surveyed using an online survey tool or email. First, this study found that the majority of students had access to digital tools and the Internet;however, a small number struggled with weak and unreliable Internet connection. Most students had a moderate to high ability to use digital technology, but some encountered difficulties and required assistance. Most students utilised digital communication tools for over five hours daily. The study also found a general lack of digital competency among students and difficulties in using digital tools for remote learning, highlighting the importance of investing in the development of digital skills. The study also found an intensification of social relationships and an increase in communication frequency between students and instructors;however, inadequate instructor–student communication remained a challenge. Finally, the multiple linear regression model showed that indicators such as the communication dimension of the lessons and the participatory nature of the courses positively impacted the intensity of student communication after the transition to distance learning.
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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic caused various challenges to the academic setting, especially for health care programs that require face-to-face (F2F) interactions to learn psychomotor skills. Simulation is often used to integrate didactic knowledge and enhance psychomotor skills to prepare students for clinical education experiences. The purpose of this study was to compare student confidence and interest in setting type prior to a first clinical education experiences between students who completed an F2F peer simulation course and students who completed the course virtually. Method(s): Subjects included second-year doctor of physical therapy students who participated in the F2F course in 2019 (n = 37) and those who completed the virtual course in 2020 (n = 36). A 5-item pre- and postcourse self-assessment was administered to evaluate student confidence and interest in the acute care setting. A factorial analysis of variance was used to examine confidence scores of both cohorts at pre- and postcourse assessment. Result(s): Confidence rating of students from both cohorts significantly improved from precourse to postcourse in all areas, indicating that all students showed improved perceived confidence in their clinical skills upon completion of the course. However, the ratings of "ability to respond to changes in patient status in the acute care setting" were significantly greater in the F2F cohort than in the virtual cohort at the end of the course. There was also a positive interaction effect of cohort year (delivery mode) indicating that the F2F cohort had a stronger response in level of perceived confidence compared with the virtual cohort. In addition, student interest in the acute care setting was significantly greater at postcourse assessment for students from both cohorts. Conclusion(s): Postcourse rating of student-perceived confidence in clinical skills performance and interest in the acute care setting improved regardless of the mode of delivery of the course. However, when examining student-perceived confidence levels to respond to change in patient status, students who participated in the F2F course felt more confident in their ability to do so. Although perceived confidence levels improved for all students, virtual learning of clinical skills may not be as effective in training students to safely treat complex patients in the acute care setting.Copyright © 2023 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Mentorship programs have been shown to greatly increase retention. This is especially important with the significant increase in nursing turnover related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this project was to determine the effects of a nurse-initiated leadership mentor program on the organization's leadership competencies. A nurse created and led leadership mentorship program for nurses was initiated in order to improve confidence and increase retention. The program will included: 11 mentors including the CNO, assistant CNO, directors of nursing, and senior-level nursing managers. There were 22 mentees in the first cohort consisting of new managers and assistant nurse managers. Each participant if given a 65-page program book. The structured mentorship program lasted 6 months and required at least 8 meetings. The meetings will consisted of the organization's leadership competencies, a self-reflection activity, 3 open-ended question and 3 journaling activities. The mentors will assisted mentees to develop 3 career goals with long-term and short-term actions. The effectiveness of the mentorship program was determined by a questionnaire that rates self-confidence in areas of leadership competencies, self-evaluation, intention to stay, mentor skill, networking and more. The 32-item questionnaire will be completed by the mentors and the mentees before and after initiation of the program. At the conclusion of the mentorship program, pre- and post-program scores were calculated. For all participants, post-training questionnaire scores were significantly (p<0.0001) higher than those observed prior to the session, i.e. 90.05 ± 7.43 vs. 75.14 ± 9.77 (mean ± SEM), respectively, representing a learning gain of 15%. Retention rates of the participants at the end of the 6-month program is 97%. A nurse-directed mentorship program will be created to develop self-reflective leaders and increase retention. Confidence increased in the areas of leadership competencies, self-evaluation, intention to stay, mentoring skills, networking, and more. Participant retention will be tracked for 2 years. The next cohort will soon begin the program. A six-month leadership mentor program with a 65-page book can be adapted to the leadership competencies of any facility. The program is self-explanatory and easy to implement. This will help increase leadership skills, self-confidence, and retention.
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We examined the dynamic interplay of depression symptoms, mattering (i.e., self-evaluation of importance or significance to others), and anti-mattering across four years of development in young adulthood (age 20-23;N = 452) using a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM). Support for a transactional model between anti-mattering and depression symptoms was found. Specifically, anti-mattering positively predicted later depression symptoms and depression symptoms consistently predicted later anti-mattering. Depression symptoms also shared a negative association with later mattering but not the reverse, supporting a symptoms-driven model of depression symptoms and mattering. Auto-regressive paths, residual covariances, and cross-lagged paths were invariant over time. Accounting for gender, household income, parental education, and fear of COVID-19 as covariates did not change the results. The stability of mattering and anti-mattering suggest careful consideration of how to effectively change these patterns. The implications for assessment and intervention on mattering or anti-mattering in the prevention and treatment of depression are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Problem statement: Those diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have complex supportive care needs and the Australian Government funded 30 new dedicated MBC nurse roles across Australia in 2019 to better meet these needs. A pilot training program was designed to meet the individual learning needs of these nurses to increase their level of expertise in MBC nursing. Initially this program was designed to be delivered in-person, however recurrent COVID-19 restrictions required a change of approach to enable remote participation. Method(s): An expert working group created a curriculum of 20 learning modules addressing key elements of MBC nursing. From these modules a bespoke training program was designed for each participant to address their identified learning needs based on the validated Cancer Nurse Self-Assessment Tool for Metastatic Breast Cancer (CaN-SAT-MBC) and baseline interviews. During the pilot program, four intakes of two nurses (n=8) participated from August 2021 to June 2022. Participants completed a suite of online learning modules, 'attended' a 3-day clinical practicum, and commenced 12 months of bi-monthly clinical supervision for ongoing support. Participants attended the clinical practicum component either in-person or via a telepresence robot. Knowledge, skills and confidence in relation to MBC nursing are being measured by the CaN-SAT-MBC, and learner goals, expectations and experiences are being explored via qualitative interviews at three-time intervals: pre-training;post-practicum;and 12 months post-clinical supervision. Result(s): The final results of the evaluation will be available in 2023. It is hypothesised that nurses will report increased knowledge, skills and confidence in the areas of MBC nursing relevant to their identified learning needs following completion of the training program. Furthermore, it is also hypothesised that remote participation using robot technology will offer an equivalent learning experience to in-person training in this current pandemic environment. Conclusion(s): This study will test an individualised and innovative approach to breast cancer nurse education that may be utilised across Australia to upskill nurses in the provision of supportive care to those with MBC. There is potential for wide-spread adoption of robot technology for cancer education across Australia and beyond. Disclosure of interest: This project is partially funded by Astra ZenecaCopyright © 2022