Evaluation of knowledge of risk factors and warning signs of stroke - An observational study among future health care professionals.

Background and objective: The role of healthcare professionals in society is unique since they are providers of health information and medication counseling to patients. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate Knowledge of Risk Factors and Warning Signs of Stroke among undergraduate health care Students (UHCS) at King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: An online cross-sectional study was conducted among UHCS at KSU, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from September to November 2022, using self-administered 34-item questionnaires divided into five sections to assess participants' knowledge of stroke risk factors, warning signs, and management and source of information about the stroke. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 was used to analyze the data (SPSS). Results: Of the 300 questionnaires distributed, 205 students completed the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 68.3%. Of whom 63 (30.7%) were pharmacy, 81 (39.5%) were nursing and 61 (29.8%) were emergency medical services (EMS) Students. One hundred and eighty-two (88.8%) of the students agreed that stroke affects bodily movement. With regards to risk factors, students identified high blood pressure 182 (88.8%), followed by heart disease 175 (85.4%), advanced age 164 (80%), previous Stroke history 158(77.1%), and lack of physical activity 156 (76.1%). Difficulty in speaking or slurred speech 164 (80%), dizziness, and loss of balance 163 (79.5%) were identified as the warning signs of stroke. In this study, 41.3 % of the pharmacy students reported a good level of knowledge than nursing and EMS students. However, 32.2% (N = 66) of the healthcare undergraduates reported good knowledge. The knowledge score was significantly associated with the year of study, and educational degree (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, there were no differences between parents working in healthcare settings (p = 0.99). Conclusion: In conclusion, the knowledge of stroke among healthcare students at King Saud University varied. The reported knowledge gap mostly relates to stroke risk factors and warning signs. Therefore, increasing public awareness of potential risk factors and stroke warning signs needs to receive more attention.

Nursing Education Challenges from Saudi Nurse Educators' and Leaders' Perspectives: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Aim To explore the challenges in nursing education in Saudi Arabia from nurse educators' and leaders' perspectives. Background Saudi Arabia considerably lacks Saudi nurses and most nurses in Saudi healthcare facilities are expatriates with diverse academic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. The perception regarding nurses' profession and their low status in Saudi Arabia affect the nursing profession negatively, leading to staff insufficiency. Understanding the difficulties of the nursing profession could help intervene accordingly, in encouraging students to pursue a career in nursing. Methods An exploratory qualitative method was used. Three Saudi nursing educators and four leaders were interviewed. They were recruited through purposive sampling. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings Participants indicated that nursing education in Saudi Arabia is facing multiple challenges requiring serious attention from Saudi leaders. The challenges were divided to four themes and different categories; cultural challenges, educational challenges, organizational challenges (weak nursing authority, lack of acknowledgement for Saudi nurses), and work challenges (poor working environment, language barrier). Discussion The challenges that face nursing education in Saudi Arabia were mainly at three levels: management, system, and social. These challenges were the reasons for Saudi nurses to leave the profession. Conclusion This study revealed some of the challenges facing nursing education in Saudi Arabia. These challenges are not unique to Saudi Arabia but knowing about these challenges will help nurse educators and leaders to improve nursing programs, enhance students' clinical experiences, and promote nursing profession in Saudi Arabia.