Does workplace spirituality enhance motivation of hospitals social workers? The scrutiny in Iran.

BACKGROUND: In today's world as the globe of organizations, employees tend to show endeavor and more involvement in organizational goals and mission by creating workplace spirituality. AIM: The present study aimed to investigate the role of workplace spirituality in improving hospital social worker's motivation. METHODS: The study employed a cross-sectional design and was conducted in 19 private and governmental hospitals in Karaj city, Alborz province, north Iran in 2019. The statistical population included all 302 hospital social workers who were selected as the sample population according to Cochran's formula. Using two standard questionnaires of workplace spirituality and employee motivation, we assessed the role of workplace spirituality in improving the hospital' social workers' motivation. RESULTS: According to research findings, there were significant relationships between workplace spirituality, meaningful working, sense of community, forgiveness, and honesty with hospital social workers motivation p ⩽ .05. There was a significant difference between age group, gender, level of education and workplace spirituality, and motivation of hospital social workers p ⩽ .05. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that health planners and authorities may need to examine factors that contribute to the promotion of workplace spirituality to increase the motivation of hospital social workers for improved performance of health organizations.

The role of communication skills in the promotion of productivity of health human resource in Iran: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Organization survival is dependent on communications and managers spend a main portion of their time to establish communications. The identification, improvement, and development of communication skills serve as the essential components of successful organizations. The present study aimed to investigate the role of communication skills in human resource (HR) productivity in North Iran and aimed to investigate the role of communication skills in health HR (HHR) productivity in North Iran. METHODS: The study employed a cross-sectional design and was conducted in six deputies supervised by the Alborz University of Medical Sciences, in 2019. The statistical population included all 302 employees were selected as the sample population according to the Cochran's formula. Using two researcher-made questionnaires of communication skills and HHR productivity, we assessed the role of communication skills in HHR productivity. RESULTS: According to the research findings, there were significant relationships between communication skills including verbal skills, listening skills, and effectiveness skills with HHR productivity (P ≤ 0.05). There was a significant relationship between age group, gender, level of education, and travel home-university distance with communication skills and resource productivity of employees (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study examines the role of communication skills in the promotion of HHR productivity who work in the administrative section of the University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Findings suggest that health planners and authorities may need to examine factors that contribute to the promotion of the communication skills for increase HHR productivity of employees and improved performance of health organizations.

Cost analysis of education for students in the School of Health of Alborz University of Medical Sciences: An application of activity-based costing technique.

INTRODUCTION: The educational service is expensive and having the right financial information is one of the most important tools for managing financial resources. Therefore, due to the importance of this issue, this study aimed to determine the cost of educational services for medical sciences students at Alborz University of Medical Sciences. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March 20, 2018, and March 20, 2019, at Alborz University of Medical Sciences. The current and capital cost data were extracted from the university's financial database, and the cost price of services provided was calculated using the activity-based cost model. RESULTS: The mean annual cost of services per student was $4778, and the mean cost of education per hour was $113. The total cost price of services provided per student at the school was 65% for wages and salary, 26% for depreciation of building and equipment, and 9% for consumable goods and services. Furthermore, the share of different cost centers to the total cost price of services provided per student was 82% for educational services, 11.9% for student welfare services, and 6.1% for research services. CONCLUSION: Costs of personnel, especially pays to faculty members and the costs of capital expenditures, are the most important costs in higher education institutions. It seems reducing of pay to faculty members through novelty approach of education and evaluation, reducing capital expenditures through use effective of buildings and equipment that can be placed higher education institutions in the path to productivity.

The Need for A Training Software among Iranian Infertile Couples: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Training needs are multidimensional requirements affected by social and cultural background, level of knowledge and personal and health conditions. This study was conducted to explain the needs for a training software among Iranian infertile couples. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this qualitative study, we used content analysis to examine the need among ten infertile participants (four men and six women) and six health care professionals (including two gynecologists, two reproductive health specialists and two midwives). The present research was carried out from January 2017 to July 2018 at Rouyesh and Ibn Sina infertility treatment centers in Karaj, Iran. The participants were selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation. Four focus group discussions with the health care professionals and twelve semistructured, in-depth interviews with the infertile participants were held for data collection. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis in MAXQDA-10. RESULTS: Data analysis led to the extraction of a central theme of "a multidimensional training application" and its four main categories, including "pre-treatment training", "diagnostic training", "mid- and post-treatment training" and "continuous psychological training". These main categories also had 20 subcategories. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, infertile women and men have multidimensional training needs before and after treatment and during the process of diagnosis; psychological aspects should also be considered.The interviewed health care professionals helped to explain these training needs. A training software thus needs to be designed based on the real needs of the infertile community.

The performance of select universities of medical sciences based on the components affecting medical education.

Background: Every educational institution requires an evaluation system in order to find out about the quality and desirability of its activities, especially if it is a complex and dynamic environment. The present study was conducted to evaluate the educational performance of schools affiliated to Alborz University of Medical Sciences to help improve their performance. Methods: This descriptive analytical study was conducted in six schools affiliated to Alborz University of Medical Sciences in April 2016-October 2016 and October 2016-April 2017. The evaluation was carried out in two stages: self-assessment by service executives across schools, and external assessment in person by the university's expert staff. The study tools included the components, criteria and desirable standards of educational performance in ten categories. Data were analyzed in SPSS. Results: The results obtained showed that, in April-October 2016, the highest performance evaluation scores pertained to the "secure testing" and "rules and regulations" components and the lowest to the "packages for reform and innovation in education" and "the school action plan" components. In October 2016-April 2017, the highest scores pertained to "workforce empowerment" and "secure testing" and the lowest to "faculty affairs" and "electronic education management system". Conclusions: Offering a balanced portrayal of the actual performance of schools using the right performance indicators in two consecutive periods can help further motivate the superior schools and encourage the weaker schools to strive harder. Competition among schools to get a higher score in the components affecting medical education helps mobilize them to move toward reform and improvement.