Value-Rich Exposures in Medical Education; Synthesizing the Concept.

Introduction: Proper transfer of professional values is an essential part of medical education. Real-life experiences in the educational process are one of the most effective methods for achieving values and assisting students in developing their value framework. This study aimed to develop and characterize the concept of value-rich exposures in medical education to bring this concept closer to the practice. Methods: In order to perform the synthesis, according to Walker and Avant, a combination of hermeneutic phenomenological method and literature review was used. At first, researchers characterized the concept of value-rich exposures based on the lived experiences of medical students who had participated in a program based on value-rich exposures at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Iran. After that, the literature was reviewed using an integrative review approach. Then we looked at the similarities and differences between the results of the interviews and the literature review and chose the best word to name the themes and subthemes. Finally, to describe the concept of value-rich exposures in medical education, we created a conceptual matrix. Results: We defined the concept of value-rich exposure in medical education under five themes while implementing the steps of Walker and Avant's concept synthesis: probing self-inner values, value-rich program, value mentor, value-rich interactions, and value-rich environment. The elements and relationships of the themes were depicted in the form of a conceptual matrix. Conclusions: A value-rich exposure is a type of lived experience that occurs during a student's professional life, a necessity that, with proper planning, can play an important role in shaping medical students' professional identities. A preprint of this study was published at . DOI: .

Problem-based learning versus reflective practice on nursing students' moral sensitivity.

BACKGROUND: Moral sensitivity is one of the prerequisites for nurses' professional competency and patient care. It is critical to teach professional ethics in a student-centered manner in order to increase students' moral sensibility. This study evaluated the effects of professional ethics education via problem-based learning and reflective practice on nursing students' moral sensitivity. METHODS: This experimental study was performed on 74 nursing students who were randomly divided into three groups of problem-based learning, reflective practice and control. Principles of professional ethics were presented for the two intervention groups in four 2-hour sessions using ethical dilemmas scenarios. Participants completed the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire before, immediately, and three months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS16. RESULTS: Demographic characteristics of the three groups were similar (p > 0.05). The total moral sensitivity score significantly differed between the groups immediately and three months after the intervention (p < 0.001). The total mean score for moral sensitivity was significantly different between the two groups of problem-based learning and reflective practice, with the mean scores in the problem-based learning group being higher (p = 0.02). The mean score of moral sensitivity decreased statistically significantly in both experimental groups three months after the intervention as compared to immediately after the intervention (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Nursing students' moral sensitivity can be increased through reflective practice and problem-based learning. While the results indicated that problem-based learning was more successful than reflective practice, additional research is recommended to confirm the influence of these two strategies on moral sensitivity.

Value-rich exposures in medical education: phenomenology of practice according to the lived experiences of medical students in Iran.

Values ​​predispose people to make the right and especially ethical decisions, and are important for good performance in medical sciences. Students' lived experiences and the value-rich exposures during their education are some effective means of achieving professional values that help them build their own value frameworks. In this phenomenology of practice study, we aimed to explore and describe the lived experiences of a sample of medical students in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences regarding their value-rich exposures. In-depth interviews, students' written stories, recorded video interviews related to past trips and photographs were used to collect data. The data was analyzed based on Van Manen's thematic analysis method. Five themes emerged from the data: "in the shadow of a supportive mentor", "a well-orchestrated, value-rich program", "human interactions in a value system", "acquiring values in a real-life environment", "and seeking values in oneself". Our study identified different dimensions of value-rich exposure based on the lived experiences of medical students and pointed out some issues that medical education planners can consider to improve the quality of value-based education for medical students.

Collaborative Mentoring: Perceptions of a sample of Iranian Nursing and Midwifery faculties.

INTRODUCTION: Mentoring programs have the potential to develop human interaction based on respect, perseverance, and trust. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of a sample of Iranian nursing and midwifery faculty members in Birjand University of Medical Sciences concerning collaborative mentoring. METHODS: Experiences from 17 members were collected using semi-structured interviews. Following the approach recommended by Graneheim and Lundman (2004), a qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interviews. RESULTS: Two main themes emerged: 'reaching team satisfaction through an engaging mentorship' and 'group journey toward professional actualization'. CONCLUSIONS: As a feasible intervention, collaborative mentoring sessions can be used to improve personal life, professional interaction, and satisfaction of nursing and midwifery faculty members.

Medical students' value-rich exposures in clinical setting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exposing medical students to real-world situations and clinical practice experiences during their education years can help them build their professional value frameworks. The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most challenging conditions that medical students have experienced; however, this pandemic have provided value-rich opportunities assisting in development and enhancement of their professional identity. This commentary aimed to emphasize the importance of medical students' exposure to clinical practice during the pandemic and the potential that such encounters provide for internalizing values.

Effects of e-learning, lectures, and role playing on nursing students' knowledge acquisition, retention and satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Nursing education can maintain its dynamic quality when it moves toward innovation and modern methods of teaching and learning. Therefore, teachers are required to employ up to date methods in their teaching plans. This study evaluated the effects of e-learning, lectures, and role playing on nursing students' learning, retention, and satisfaction. METHODS: Sixty nursing students were selected as an experiment and control groups during two consecutive semesters. The educational content was presented as e-learning and role playing during one semester (experiment group) and as lectures in the next semester (control group). A questionnaire containing three parts was used to assess demographics, learning and satisfaction statuses. The questionnaire also included a final openended question to evaluate the students' ideas about the whole course. RESULTS: The mean scores of posttest were 16.13 ± 1.37 using role playing, 15.50 ± 1.44 using e-learning and 16.45 ± 1.23 using lectures. The differences between the mean scores of posttest and pretest were 12.84 ± 1.43, 12.56 ± 1.57, and 13.73 ± 1.53 in the mentioned methods, respectively. Lectures resulted in significantly better learning compared to role playing and e-learning. In contrast, retention rates were significantly lower using lectures than using role playing and e-learning. Students' satisfaction from e-learning was significantly lower than lecturing and role playing. CONCLUSION: Due to the lower rates of retention following lectures, the teachers are recommended to use student- centered approaches in their lectures. Since students' satisfaction with e-learning was lower than the other methods, further studies are suggested to explore the problems of e-learning in Iran.

A comparative study on effect of e-learning and instructor-led methods on nurses' documentation competency.

BACKGROUND: Accurate recording of the nursing care indicates the care performance and its quality, so that, any failure in documentation can be a reason for inadequate patient care. Therefore, improving nurses' skills in this field using effective educational methods is of high importance. Since traditional teaching methods are not suitable for communities with rapid knowledge expansion and constant changes, e-learning methods can be a viable alternative. To show the importance of e-learning methods on nurses' care reporting skills, this study was performed to compare the e-learning methods with the traditional instructor-led methods. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study aimed to compare the effect of two teaching methods (e-learning and lecture) on nursing documentation and examine the differences in acquiring competency on documentation between nurses who participated in the e-learning (n = 30) and nurses in a lecture group (n = 31). RESULTS: The results of the present study indicated that statistically there was no significant difference between the two groups. The findings also revealed that statistically there was no significant correlation between the two groups toward demographic variables. However, we believe that due to benefits of e-learning against traditional instructor-led method, and according to their equal effect on nurses' documentation competency, it can be a qualified substitute for traditional instructor-led method. CONCLUSIONS: E-learning as a student-centered method as well as lecture method equally promote competency of the nurses on documentation. Therefore, e-learning can be used to facilitate the implementation of nursing educational programs.