Development of Agile Scrum Perception Tool to Evaluate Students' Opinions on Agile Methodology in Nursing Education.

Background and Aim: Agile methodology (AM) is an innovative, active, team-based learning method that enhances higher-order thinking (metacognitive ability), collaboration, hands-on training, and student engagement in the classroom and clinical environment. Exploring the student's opinions of AM in teaching helps understand how agile can be utilized in higher education to positively improve learning ability, leadership, and teamwork. Hence, the study aimed to develop the agile scrum perception tool (ASPT) to evaluate the opinions on AM among nursing students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional design was carried out to develop ASPT in different phases. The tool was initially derived from focus group discussion and literature review. The preliminary draft was revised and modified based on expert review and suggestions by content and construct validity. Reliability was calculated in terms of internal consistency. The developed tool was evaluated using data from 200 4th-year nursing students. Results: A total of 23 items of ASPT have adequate psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity. Internal consistency was checked by coefficient alpha, which was 0.87. Construct validity was analyzed by factor analysis; all items were loaded in 6 factors, accounting for 54% of the variance in the total ASPT score. Conclusion: ASPT has good validity, reliability, and broader scope in medical and allied education related to project management, clinical teaching, and classroom teaching.

Effectiveness of agile methodology on metacognitive ability, and clinical performance among nursing students-An interventional study.

BACKGROUND: The emerging trend focuses on the need for an active agile method in the nursing curriculum. It helps to improve student engagement, the interaction between the students and teachers, higher-order thinking, teamwork, and practical skills. This study was done to assess the effectiveness of agile methodology on metacognitive ability and clinical performance among nursing students. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this interventional study, two groups of the pre-post design were adopted. Each college was considered a cluster. By using the chit method, the colleges (four) were randomly selected for the experimental and control groups. To avoid contamination, all the fourth-year students were included either in the experimental group (133) or the control groups (132), respectively. The pretest was conducted using a metacognitive awareness inventory (metacognitive ability (MA)) and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) tool (clinical performance (CP)) in the experimental and control groups. Leaders were selected using leader attribute inventory (leadership ability (LA) in the pretest and posttest 2 among the experimental and control groups before the agile teaching. By using agile methodology, the newborn course was taught for 21 days in the experimental group. To assess the effectiveness of agile methodology, the control group was not given any teaching. Posttests were conducted immediately and after 1 week to assess the MA and CP in the experimental and control groups. The control group had agile training for 10 days after the posttests to understand the newer agile methodology. The data were analyzed by using SPSS version 28. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to assess the data for effectiveness. RESULTS: The result showed that there is an improvement in the metacognitive ability (MA) score and clinical performance score over time in the experimental group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study finding supports that incorporating agile methodology in education impacts the metacognitive ability and clinical performance among nursing students. However, the teacher must be familiar with the methodology while incorporating agile in teaching.

Management practices of tuberculosis in children among pediatric practitioners in Mangalore, South India.

INTRODUCTION: In spite of having BCG vaccination and tuberculosis control program for the last 50 years, prevalence of tuberculosis continues to be high in India. Inadequate diagnostic methods, suboptimal treatment and monitoring, and the lack of vigilant reporting system are some of the contributing factors for the failure of TB control. OBJECTIVES: To know the current practices among local pediatricians regarding management of TB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Field based cross sectional study. All the registered pediatricians who were practicing in Mangalore, (list - local IAP branch) were included in the study. A structured Questionnaire on signs and symptoms of TB, diagnosis, strategies adopted in treatment, MDR tuberculosis and reporting of cases to RNTCP was asked. Management practice standards according to the Updated National Guidelines for Pediatric Tuberculosis in India, 2012, RNTCP guidelines in consensus with IAP, latest at the time of the study. RESULTS: 50 pediatricians participated in the study with 62% having an attachment to the teaching institution. More than 50% identified all the symptoms of TB. 64% were sending chest X-ray, Mantoux test and gastric lavage/induced sputum examination for AFB to diagnose TB. 22% were not stressing for AFB examination. Still 16% told serological tests as one of the diagnostic modality. 52% were not aware about the diagnosis of latent TB. In 16% of their cases ATT was on a trial basis. Only 52% of the clinicians are adhering to updated national (RNTCP) guidelines. 30% felt still there are drawbacks in the current RNTCP guidelines. 72% knew the correct definition of MDR tuberculosis. But only 36% of them knew the diagnostic method (gene expert/CB NAAT) of confirming the MDR TB. CONCLUSION: Management practices are found to be still suboptimum. Better engagement of the private sector is urgently required to improve TB management practices and to prevent diagnostic delay and drug resistance.

V. cholerae 01 outbreak in remote villages of Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh, 1994.

An outbreak of V. cholerae 01 occurred in remote villages of Rohru tehsil, district Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, during June-July 1994. Seven villages were affected. Overall attack rate was 16.4 per cent in surveyed villages. Attack rate in children < 5 was significantly high. Suspected source was spring water contaminated from open air defaecation. V. cholerae was resistant to co-trimoxazole and streptomycin.