A Theory of Transitions Influencing Diabetes Self-management Among Emerging Adults With Type 1 Diabetes.

Emerging adults with type 1 diabetes are experiencing numerous transitions, potentially affecting diabetes self-management. For example, when transitioning to college, these emerging adults may experience changes in their daily routines and usual reminders or triggers for habitual behavior such as checking blood glucose levels. In turn, these emerging adults may omit checking glucose levels, impacting decisional and adaptational diabetes self-management behavior associated with their insulin dose or bolus. Thus, we propose a theory on transitions influencing daily routines, diabetes self-management habitual behavior triggers, and, in turn, diabetes self-management habitual and decisional/adaptational behaviors for emerging adults with type 1 diabetes.

Low back pain knowledge and associated disability among nursing staff in Oman.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is a prevalent issue worldwide, impacting all healthcare professionals, in particular nurses, and leading to disability. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the predictive contribution of demographic factors, the presence of LBP, and knowledge about LBP in forecasting the level of disability among nurses in Oman. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a paper-based questionnaire comprising two valid tools: the Low Back Pain Knowledge Questionnaire and the Oswestry Low Back Disability Questionnaire. A total of 236 nurses working in two tertiary hospitals in Oman participated in the study. RESULT: The findings indicate that 66.8% of nurses had low back pain. The low back pain knowledge score was 13.81(SD 4.42). The mean disability score was 9.13 (SD 8.56), indicating mild disability. There is a negative significant association between low back pain knowledge (r = -0.24, p < .004) and disability level. The low back pain presence was also significantly associated with disability level (t (233) = 4.606, p < .001). The results of the regression indicated the two predictors (i.e., knowledge level and low back pain) explained 13 % of the variation in nurses' disability level [F (3,230) = 11.447, p = .01]. CONCLUSION: Low back pain is prevalent among nurses in Oman, and it is associated with disability. Preventive strategies need to be implemented.

Clinical experience of omani undergraduate nursing students: Qualitative study.

Background: Commencing clinical practice is a main milestone in the educational journey of undergraduate nursing students as it indicates the beginning of their professional life. The clinical training experience is frequently described as stressful and challenging for nursing students. Objective: s: This study was conducted mainly to examine, explore and interpret nursing students' perceptions of the challenges they faced as nursing students during their clinical experience. Setting: College of Nursing at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. Participants: A total of 32 undergraduates nursing students who were enrolled in the nursing program and had finished at least one clinical course from their study plan. Method: Data were collected using focus group discussions. A total of 32 participants were recruited and six focus groups were conducted. Data was transcribed and it was analyzed using thematic analysis. Result: Two main themes were identified, and under each theme, several subthemes were merged. The two main themes are: challenges that hindered self-directed learning, which included instructor approach and nurse approach, and challenges that hindered experiential learning, which included theory-practice gap, insufficient practice, lack of confidence and evaluation methods. Conclusi: on: This study provided insights into the challenges that hindered the effectiveness of clinical nursing education. Several recommendations were proposed to maximize the benefits of clinical practice and to create less stressful environments.

Female teachers' child abuse reporting role in Oman: Results from focus groups.

BACKGROUND: Schoolteachers are in a good position to identify and report suspected child abuse and neglect cases; however, they still fail to report all the cases. Recently, the Sultanate of Oman, which is a collectivistic culture, mandated schoolteachers to report any suspected case. However, there is a lack of evidence known to us about the factors associated with Omani teachers' reporting behavior. Such evidence is needed to inform the interventions that are designed to enhance teachers' reporting behavior. OBJECTIVE: The current study was designed to address this gap by exploring the factors that affect Omani schoolteachers reporting behavior of suspected child abuse and neglect cases. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A total of 26 participants were recruited from five basic education schools in the Muscat governorate in Oman. METHODS: This is a descriptive qualitative study. Five focus group discussions were conducted. Thematic coding was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Three themes were discerned from the data analysis. The factors that affect Omani schoolteachers as described by the participants were: 1) reporting within an environment of educational resource scarcity; 2) reporting within an environment of competing female social roles and their professional reporting role; and 3) reporting within an environment of complex and diverse abuse and neglect cases. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the role of culture in reporting behavior. Implications for research and practice are discussed.