Needs analysis for an undergraduate dental curriculum in KPK, Pakistan: Gap identification and general needs assessment.

Objective: Dental institutes continue to face challenges in making the transition from a discipline-based to an integrated curriculum. The need analysis is often the first step in the development and implementation of any curriculum. This study intends to carry out a needs analysis for a contemporary dental curriculum in private and public sector dental colleges of Peshawar, KPK, Pakistan. Methods: The mixed method study was carried out at public and private dental institutes in Peshawar from April to July 2022. To guarantee triangulation, data were gathered from three sources. The first source was an analysis of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council's dental curriculum accreditation standards. The second source was gathering the experts' perspectives, and the final source was a systematic literature search to explore the necessity for an integrated undergraduate dental curriculum from the experiences and expertise of contemporary curricula. Results: Thematic analysis identified the need for the dental curriculum to be a five-year BDS program, involvement of students, and inclusion of digital dentistry and environmental sustainability in the dental curriculum. PMDC accreditation standards focus on alignment in mission, vision, curricular outcomes, an integrated curriculum, and a quality assurance system for assessment. Experts identified the need for a patient-centered curriculum focusing on integrated patient care. They also identified that the current educational environment should be improved to sustain a contemporary dental curriculum in Pakistan. For the literature review, nine articles were included in the final review. Conclusion: The current dental curriculum is not accommodating to the needs of the students in Peshawar. The current dental education environment lacks the infrastructure, logistics, and teacher training to sustain the standards set by PMDC.

Did the students' satisfaction rates at Avalon University School of Medicine correlate with the occurrence of accreditation site visits?

INTRODUCTION: Accreditation of medical education programs can be observed from different perspectives. Regulatory/accreditation agencies consider it vital to assure a certain level of quality. Other stakeholders may perceive the accreditation process as a negative experience, draining resources, and efforts. Although accreditation may improve the program's governance and administration, its direct or indirect impact on students must be further investigated. This study explores the relationship between the occurrence of accreditation site visits and student satisfaction rates at Avalon University School of Medicine. METHODS: A comparison study was conducted with retrospective satisfaction data from two accreditation cycles at AUSOM. We used the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP) student surveys for data collection, and data from 2017, 2019, and 2022 were used. The response rate was 70% (n = 71), 72% (n = 47), and 60% (n = 56) for basic science students and 80% (n = 111), 82% (n = 115), and 70% (n = 76) for clinical students in 2017, 2019, and 2022, respectively. The survey for basic sciences students included 37 questions/items, and the survey for clinical students included 39 questions/items. The responses for the questionnaire were on the five-point Likert scale. The retrospective data were evaluated using the unpaired Wilcoxon-rank sum test. RESULTS: The ratings for the basic science students' survey increased from 2017 to 2019 (first accreditation cycle) only for 11 items/questions and they were increased from 2019 to 2022 for all items/questions. The ratings for clinical science students' surveys increased from 2017 to 2019 (the first accreditation cycle) for all items/questions with a statistically significant p-value. They increased for 28 questions/items from 2019 to 2022, and two items (availability and adequacy of career counseling) showed statistically significant p-values. CONCLUSIONS: The pre-accreditation preparation and the self-evaluation process while correcting the program's deficiencies are essential triggers for the quality improvement process associated with accreditation.

Introduction of Cancer Education Program in Secondary School Curriculum: Perceptions of Education Teachers and Policymakers in Oman.

The prevalence of cancer is expected to increase worldwide for reasons related to a lack of awareness of cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Implementing cancer education programs in schools in the developing countries with similar demographic, economic, and health transition to that of Oman is crucial for enhancing students' cancer knowledge and promoting healthy behavior. This study aims to explore the perceptions of education, policymakers, and teachers regarding the inclusion of cancer education in secondary school curriculum. The study employed a qualitative method, conducting semi-structured interviews with ten education policymakers and ten school teachers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed verbatim and qualitatively using the framework approach. Three main themes have emerged: (1) perception of the importance of cancer education inclusion within the school curriculum, (2) the perception of cancer education implementation in schools, and (3) the perceived challenges of introducing cancer education in schools. Policymakers and teachers in Oman recognize the importance of cancer education in schools and emphasized the need to prioritize it due to the increasing prevalence of the disease and the belief that negative lifestyle habits played a role in its increased prevalence. Implementing cancer education programs in schools is essential in improving students' knowledge of cancer and health behaviors. Collaboration between the department of school health in ministry of education and in ministry of health and incorporating cancer education into different school activities can be beneficial. However, the perceived challenges of cancer education in schools include the decision on the priority of cancer education among other topics, the required procedures to introduce cancer education in schools, and the financial and logistics obligations of implementing cancer education programs. Therefore, addressing the financial and logistic requirements is essential to overcome the associated challenges for implementing cancer education programs within the school curriculum.

Curricular addition of pharmacy robbery education.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pharmacy robberies are a common occurrence. From 2010 to 2019, there were over 7500 prescription drug-related armed robbery incidents in the United States. A lecture on pharmacy robbery was added to the pharmacy curriculum in 2017 at Butler University. The primary objective of this study was to assess whether the pharmacy robbery lecture given during the first year of the pharmacy program is adequate, with a secondary objective comparing the results of this survey to one conducted prior to the curricular addition. This information provides an opportunity for schools of pharmacy to consider adding or enhancing drug diversion content into their curriculum. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: A cross-sectional survey of all students enrolled in each professional year of the Doctor of Pharmacy program was conducted spring 2022 to collect information on pharmacy students' knowledge and experience regarding community pharmacy robberies and their perceptions of the pharmacy robbery education in the curriculum. FINDINGS: A total of 285 of 407 students responded for a 70% response rate. More than half (53.5%) feel the pharmacy robbery education received is adequate and 63.9% feel prepared to properly manage a pharmacy robbery situation. The survey asked two pharmacy robbery knowledge-based questions and most students selected the correct response to both (89.9% and 97.8%). More than one-fourth (27.1%) of the respondents reported that the pharmacy they work/worked at had been robbed. When asked if students considered changing their career path because of pharmacy robberies, 9% responded yes. SUMMARY: Pharmacy robbery still exists, and having proper education helps students prepare for and handle community pharmacy robbery situations.

Education professionals' perceptions on perinatal mental health education in Australian and New Zealand medical and pharmacy curricula.

INTRODUCTION: Primary healthcare workers, including doctors and pharmacists, are well-positioned to detect and support women experiencing mental health disorders in the perinatal period. However, research exploring their education and training to fulfil these roles is limited. This study aimed to examine the perspectives of medical and pharmacy educational program representatives on perinatal mental health education in medical and pharmacy curricula at Australian and New Zealand universities. METHODS: A web-based search (e.g., Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) was used to identify potentially relevant medical and pharmacy educational program representatives. Eligible participants were invited to participate in audio-recorded semi-structured interviews which were transcribed verbatim. Data regarding perinatal mental health content within each program were extracted and tabulated for comparisons. Thematic analysis of participants' perspectives on perinatal mental health education was conducted. RESULTS: Fifty medical and pharmacy educational program representatives were invited to participate (December 2022-March 2023), of which 13 participated representing 14 programs. The extent and content of perinatal mental health education varied considerably across programs. Thematic analysis resulted in four themes: How much perinatal mental health content is enough?; Reflections on perinatal mental health related content; Perinatal mental health education in and beyond the classroom; Challenges associated with delivering perinatal mental health content. CONCLUSIONS: Participants acknowledged the importance of perinatal mental health content for medical and pharmacy students; however, limited time and lack of opportunities for students to complete placements were key challenges to curricular integration.

Cocreating eating disorder education solutions: A design thinking approach to dietetics curricula in Australia.

BACKGROUND: As the prevalence of eating disorders continues to increase, there is an urgent need to equip the emerging dietetics workforce to provide care to this growing population. The present study aimed to describe a five-step design thinking process that was applied to brainstorm ideas and develop and test solutions for consideration in the future. METHODS: A pragmatic, five-step design thinking approach was used during a 1-day, in-person design thinking retreat. Purposive sampling was used to identify key stakeholders, including subject matter, learning and teaching, as well as lived experience experts, dietetics students and recent graduates. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse brainstormed and design solution ideas. RESULTS: Seventeen participants attended the design thinking retreat in April 2023. Four education prototypes were developed and tested by stakeholders including: (1) a change to accreditation requirements for dietetics curricula; (2) a multimodal learning package for penultimate year students; (3) embedding disordered eating and eating disorder content into existing curriculum and upskilling educators; and (4) codesigning an eating disorder module. CONCLUSIONS: The design thinking retreat engaged a variety of stakeholders in curriculum design resulting in an array of prototype approaches that aimed to embed eating disorder content into university curricula. Further research is needed to test the prototypes and understand what impact this has on dietetics students' feelings of preparedness to provide care to people seeking this support.

Tools for measuring curriculum integration in health professions' education: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Curriculum integration is an important educational concept widely implemented by various educational institutions, particularly within the healthcare field. Its significance lies in enhancing the preparation of future healthcare professionals. The assessment of these integrated curricula is imperative to guarantee their effectiveness. Consequently, the aim of this systematic review is to delve into existing literature, with the goal of identifying instruments designed to assess the extent of curriculum integration in health professions' education. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify peer-reviewed papers and grey literature describing the development, validation, or use of instruments measuring the degree of integration in a curriculum. Eight databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, CINAHL Ultimate, Web of Science, Cochrane, ProQuest Central and EMBASE. Grey literature was also included. Titles, abstracts, and full text screening was conducted. Data extraction was done using a data extraction tool developed by our research team. RESULTS: The search resulted in the identification of 2094 references. After the removal of duplicates and title and abstract screening, 16 articles were deemed suitable for inclusion in this systematic review. Twenty-two instruments were extracted from these articles. The identified instruments assessed either integration attributes, perceptions about the integrated curriculum characteristics, process and outcomes, or curriculum integration level. Two of the instruments were focused on assessing horizontal integration (Basic Science Curriculum Assessment Instrument and the integration characteristic tool). In addition, one instrument was developed to assess integration within a single session only, while other instruments assessed curriculum integration level. Two of the integration instruments (The Session Integration Tool and Integration Ladder Questionnaire) provided scales for calculating integration levels. Validation of the integration assessment instruments was infrequent, with only 9 of 22 instruments validated for their psychometric properties. CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal the existence of diverse instruments designed to assess the extent of curriculum integration within health professions' curricula. The majority of identified instruments were focused on participants' perceptions towards the attributes of the integrated curriculum, and a significant number of these tools lacked validation.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the hidden curriculum assessment scale in nursing education: A validity and reliability study.

AIMS: The study aimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate a measurement scale for identifying and assessing the hidden curriculum in undergraduate nursing education. BACKGROUND: The hidden curriculum is a general term for educational information that exists outside of the teaching program and mainly affects students' knowledge, emotions, behaviors, beliefs, values and professional ethics. However, a specific instrument to comprehensively define and assess the hidden curriculum in nursing education has not yet been developed in China. DESIGN: A descriptive and explorative study design was used. METHODS: We developed the initial scale through a literature review, focus group discussion, Delphi expert consultation and pre-survey. From February to April 2023, the data were collected from a convenient sample of 512 nursing students enrolled in five medical universities in China to conduct exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis for validity testing. In addition, reliability analysis was conducted by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients, split-half reliability and test-retest reliability. The nursing students' responses were evaluated using a five-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The Hidden Curriculum Assessment Scale in Nursing Education (HCAS-NE) was formulated, consisting of 4 dimensions and 35 items. Exploratory factor analysis extracted four factors, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 66.863 % and confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the fit indices values of the scale structure model met the criteria for an ideal level. the Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.965, the Guttman split-half was 0.853 and the test-retest reliability was 0.967. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the Hidden Curriculum Assessment Scale in Nursing Education (HCAS-NE) has ideal reliability and validity, which provides a valid and reliable tool for identifying and assessing the hidden curriculum in nursing education.

The Utility of Multiple-Choice Assessment in Current Medical Education: A Critical Review.

In recent years, healthcare education providers have boasted about a conscious shift towards increasing clinical competence via assessment tests that promote more active learning. Despite this, multiple-choice questions remain amongst the most prevalent forms of assessment. Various literature justifies the use of multiple-choice testing by its high levels of validity and reliability. Education providers also benefit from requiring fewer resources and costs in the development of questions and easier adaptivity of questions to compensate for neurodiversity. However, when testing these (and other) variables via a structured approach in terms of their utility, it is elucidated that these advantages are largely dependent on the quality of the questions that are written, the level of clinical competence that is to be attained by learners and the impact of negating confounding variables such as differential attainment. Attempts at improving the utility of multiple-choice question testing in modern healthcare curricula are discussed in this review, as well as the impact of these modifications on performance.

Mapping the landscape of sleep medicine training across Asia.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the current state of sleep medicine accreditation and training in Asia by conducting a comprehensive survey across 29 Asian countries and regions facilitated by the Asian Society of Sleep Medicine (ASSM) to identify existing gaps and provide recommendations for future enhancements. METHODS: The ASSM Education Task Force Committee designed a survey to gather data on accreditation, education, and training standards in sleep medicine, including information on challenges in enhancing education in the field. RESULTS: With an 86% (25 countries/regions) response rate, the survey showed that sleep medicine is recognized as an independent specialty in just nine countries/regions (36% of the countries/regions surveyed). Ten countries/regions have established sleep medicine training programs, with Japan and Saudi Arabia offering it as a distinct specialty. Significant disparities in training and accreditation standards were identified, with many countries/regions lacking formalized training and practice guidelines. The survey also revealed that most local sleep societies across Asia support the development of an Asian Sleep Medicine Training Curriculum led by the ASSM. However, several barriers significantly impede the establishment and development of sleep medicine training programs, including the scarcity of trained specialists and technologists and the absence of national accreditation for sleep medicine. CONCLUSIONS: The survey highlights the need for standardized sleep medicine training and accreditation across Asia. Developing an Asian Sleep Medicine Training Curriculum and promoting ASSM accreditation guidelines are key recommendations. Implementing these strategies is essential for advancing sleep medicine as a widely recognized discipline throughout Asia.

Design and pilot test of an implicit bias mitigation curriculum for clinicians.

Introduction: Clinician implicit racial bias (IB) may lead to lower quality care and adverse health outcomes for Black patients. Educational efforts to train clinicians to mitigate IB vary widely and have insufficient evidence of impact. We developed and pilot-tested an evidence-based clinician IB curriculum, "REACHing Equity." Methods: To assess acceptability and feasibility, we conducted an uncontrolled one-arm pilot trial with post-intervention assessments. REACHing Equity is designed for clinicians to: (1) acquire knowledge about IB and its impact on healthcare, (2) increase awareness of one's own capacity for IB, and (3) develop skills to mitigate IB in the clinical encounter. We delivered REACHing Equity virtually in three facilitated, interactive sessions over 7-9 weeks. Participants were health care providers who completed baseline and end-of-study evaluation surveys. Results: Of approximately 1,592 clinicians invited, 37 participated, of whom 29 self-identified as women and 24 as non-Hispanic White. Attendance averaged 90% per session; 78% attended all 3 sessions. Response rate for evaluation surveys was 67%. Most respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the curriculum objectives were met, and that REACHing Equity equipped them to mitigate the impact of implicit bias in clinical care. Participants consistently reported higher self-efficacy for mitigating IB after compared to before completing the curriculum. Conclusions: Despite apparent barriers to clinician participation, we demonstrated feasibility and acceptability of the REACHing Equity intervention. Further research is needed to develop objective measures of uptake and clinician skill, test the impact of REACHing Equity on clinically relevant outcomes, and refine the curriculum for uptake and dissemination.ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03415308.

Advancing neural network calibration: The role of gradient decay in large-margin Softmax optimization.

This study introduces a novel hyperparameter in the Softmax function to regulate the rate of gradient decay, which is dependent on sample probability. Our theoretical and empirical analyses reveal that both model generalization and calibration are significantly influenced by the gradient decay rate, particularly as confidence probability increases. Notably, the gradient decay varies in a convex or concave manner with rising sample probability. When employing a smaller gradient decay, we observe a curriculum learning sequence. This sequence highlights hard samples only after easy samples are adequately trained, and allows well-separated samples to receive a higher gradient, effectively reducing intra-class distances. However, this approach has a drawback: small gradient decay tends to exacerbate model overconfidence, shedding light on the calibration issues prevalent in modern neural networks. In contrast, a larger gradient decay addresses these issues effectively, surpassing even models that utilize post-calibration methods. Our findings provide substantial evidence that large margin Softmax can influence the local Lipschitz constraint by manipulating the probability-dependent gradient decay rate. This research contributes a fresh perspective and understanding of the interplay between large margin Softmax, curriculum learning, and model calibration through an exploration of gradient decay rates. Additionally, we propose a novel warm-up strategy that dynamically adjusts the gradient decay for a smoother L-constraint in early training, then mitigating overconfidence in the final model.

Bridging gaps in ophthalmology residency programs: the link between practice, training and confidence in ocular examination and gonioscopy for diagnosing glaucoma, a blinding disease.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate real-world utilization of gonioscopy for diagnosing glaucoma among ophthalmologists with diverse subspecialties, and understand current perceptions of teaching, training, and confidence in gonioscopy. METHODS: A nationwide anonymous online survey was conducted among practicing ophthalmologists, querying about demographics, professional experience, practice of routine ocular examination for glaucoma and perceptions of confidence in performing them. RESULTS: 136 ophthalmologists participated in the survey, with various levels of experience from residency to over twenty years of ophthalmology practice. Glaucoma specialists comprised 23 (16.9%) of the participants. Of the non-glaucoma-specialist respondents, only 33 (29.2%) expressed being highly confident in interpreting gonioscopic findings, which correlated significantly with their self-reported inadequate level of training in gonioscopy during residency (p < 0.001) and even more so with their low frequency of implementing gonioscopy in routine examinations (p < 0.001). The commonly cited reasons for the low practice of gonioscopy were insufficient time allotted to examinations and lack of experience, knowledge or equipment. CONCLUSIONS: Gonioscopy is fundamental to the detection of glaucoma. This study reveals underutilization of gonioscopy in the practice of ophthalmology and its association with lower training opportunities, calling for expedited changes in the residency's curriculum, alongside measures to promote its use in clinical practice.

Evaluating competency-based medical education: a systematized review of current practices.

BACKGROUND: Few published articles provide a comprehensive overview of the available evidence on the topic of evaluating competency-based medical education (CBME) curricula. The purpose of this review is therefore to synthesize the available evidence on the evaluation practices for competency-based curricula employed in schools and programs for undergraduate and postgraduate health professionals. METHOD: This systematized review was conducted following the systematic reviews approach with minor modifications to synthesize the findings of published studies that examined the evaluation of CBME undergraduate and postgraduate programs for health professionals. RESULTS: Thirty-eight articles met the inclusion criteria and reported evaluation practices in CBME curricula from various countries and regions worldwide, such as Canada, China, Turkey, and West Africa. 57% of the evaluated programs were at the postgraduate level, and 71% were in the field of medicine. The results revealed variation in reporting evaluation practices, with numerous studies failing to clarify evaluations' objectives, approaches, tools, and standards as well as how evaluations were reported and communicated. It was noted that questionnaires were the primary tool employed for evaluating programs, often combined with interviews or focus groups. Furthermore, the utilized evaluation standards considered the well-known competencies framework, specialized association guidelines, and accreditation criteria. CONCLUSION: This review calls attention to the importance of ensuring that reports of evaluation experiences include certain essential elements of evaluation to better inform theory and practice.

Core sepsis-related competencies for medical students: an international consensus by Delphi technique.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition which may arise from infection in any organ system and requires early recognition and management. Healthcare professionals working in any specialty may need to manage patients with sepsis. Educating medical students about this condition may be an effective way to ensure all future doctors have sufficient ability to diagnose and treat septic patients. However, there is currently no consensus on what competencies medical students should achieve regarding sepsis recognition and treatment. This study aims to outline what sepsis-related competencies medical students should achieve by the end of their medical student training in both high or upper-middle incomes countries/regions and in low or lower-middle income countries/regions. METHODS: Two separate panels from high or upper-middle income and low or lower-middle income countries/regions participated in a Delphi method to suggest and rank sepsis competencies for medical students. Each panel consisted of 13-18 key stakeholders of medical education and doctors in specialties where sepsis is a common problem (both specialists and trainees). Panelists came from all continents, except Antarctica. RESULTS: The panels reached consensus on 38 essential sepsis competencies in low or lower-middle income countries/regions and 33 in high or upper-middle incomes countries/regions. These include competencies such as definition of sepsis and septic shock and urgency of antibiotic treatment. In the low or lower-middle income countries/regions group, consensus was also achieved for competencies ranked as very important, and was achieved in 4/5 competencies rated as moderately important. In the high or upper-middle incomes countries/regions group, consensus was achieved in 41/57 competencies rated as very important but only 6/11 competencies rated as moderately important. CONCLUSION: Medical schools should consider developing curricula to address essential competencies, as a minimum, but also consider addressing competencies rated as very or moderately important.

Re-energizing health literacy in Wales: a testbed for health, education and prosperity for all.

A growing body of evidence demonstrates the importance of enhancing health literacy for improved health outcomes, self-reported health, lower health services use and disease prevention. Importantly, improving health literacy has great potential to reduce health inequities and inequalities. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified health literacy as a global priority, viewing it as a right and a fundamental competency necessary to function within modern society. Building health literacy foundations should begin in early childhood, including focus within educational frameworks and school curricula. The WHO advocate for governments to embed it as an explicit goal. In response, it has received significant international policy and strategy focus, in addition to the development of country-level action plans. In Wales, UK, it was identified as a priority in 2010, but despite wider developments spanning health and social care, well-being, economy and education policy, growth in health literacy has stalled since. Optimizing health literacy would act as an indirect enabler to a range of Welsh policies and strategies. A promising avenue for strengthening the health literacy of current and future generations is through ongoing significant national education reforms and the introduction of the new Curriculum for Wales. One of four overarching purposes of this curriculum is healthy, confident individuals, and health and well-being constitutes one of six statutory curriculum areas. Tracking the impact of this on children and young people's health literacy offers opportunities for Wales to model and gain traction as a national-scale health literacy policy testbed. This requires re-energizing health literacy as a national priority.

Empathy Among Medical Students: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Survey.

Context In the context of healthcare, effective communication and empathy are fundamental skills for physicians, as empathy correlates positively with patient satisfaction, compliance, treatment adherence, and lower rates of physician burnout, depression and anxiety. This study aimed to assess empathy levels and related factors among undergraduate medical students. Methods A cross-sectional study in a Central Indian medical institute examined empathy levels and factors associated with it among medical students, utilizing various scales and statistical analyses. Results This study found that while empathy levels were relatively high among undergraduate students, there was a decline as they progressed through medical education, particularly after the first year of clinical exposure. The study identified several factors associated with empathy levels, including perceived stress, emotional separation, and social support. Notably, individuals experiencing higher levels of stress and emotional separation tended to have higher empathy levels. Conclusions The study's findings suggest that medical education should incorporate interventions to enhance empathy, including addressing stress, providing social support, and exposing students to the emotional aspects of patient care.

Empowering health professions educators: enhancing curriculum delivery through customized e-tutorial training on fundamental digital tools.

Introduction: In the dynamic landscape of education, the fusion of technology and learning, commonly termed "technology-enhanced learning" (TEL), has emerged as a transformative phenomenon. This study focuses on the imperative integration of TEL in medical education, recognizing the diverse digital literacy levels of adult learners. The exploration introduces the innovative E-Portal training program, designed to empower health professions educators with essential skills for proficiently employing digital tools in instruction. Methodology: A dedicated team of medical educationists conducted a thorough investigation into E-curriculum design and delivery, employing the Moodle Learning Management System as the foundation for the E-Portal training program. The training, spanning crucial stages such as course design, content delivery, self-paced teaching, and quality assessment, facilitated participant progression at individual paces, unlocking subsequent steps upon meeting stipulated prerequisites. A pre-training questionnaire gauged participants' comprehension of distance learning, e-learning, synchronous and asynchronous teaching, and self-directed study. Subsequent focus group discussion post-training generated rich insights into participants' experiences, reflections, and identified challenges. Results: The results illuminate participants' limited adeptness with e-learning terminology, successful assimilation of components and functionalities, and heightened confidence in online teaching practices. However, discerned challenges during implementation, such as technical hurdles and engagement issues, highlight the multifaceted nature of TEL integration. While the E-Portal training positively impacted preparedness, participant feedback advocates for improvements in assessment tools, technical training provisions, and exploration of alternative Learning Management Systems. Discussion and conclusion: Study emphasizes the ongoing need for diverse training methodologies across Learning Management Systems, acknowledging the evolving nature of education and technology. This study underscores the transformative role of a tailored E-Portal training program in seamlessly integrating digital tools into medical education. The comprehensive insights provided contribute to a nuanced understanding of the advantages, obstacles, and potential avenues for enhancement in curriculum delivery through technology-enhanced learning, thereby propelling the field forward.

Impact of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses on children's nursing curriculum - A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Student nurses in the United Kingdom undertake field-specific pre-registration education. The implementation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses, has raised concerns that the increasingly generic component of pre-registration programmes is not adequately preparing newly qualified children's nurses to care for children safely. OBJECTIVE: To investigate how the introduction of the Nursing and Midwifery Council standards in the United Kingdom has impacted the structure and field specific content of pre-registration children's nursing programmes. SETTINGS: An online survey completed by 54 programmes, field, or professional leads linked to 76 pre-registration children's nursing programmes. This represents 80 % of higher education institutions with Nursing and Midwifery Council approved pre-registration children's nursing programmes across all four United Kingdom countries. METHODS: A survey to capture the current content and changes to curricula since the introduction of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Future nurse standards. The survey included closed-ended and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions were statistically analysed using SPSS v.28 for Windows. Open-ended questions were thematically analysed using Quircos v.2.1. RESULTS: 50 % of respondents reported changes to theoretical content. In 27 programmes (35.5 %) there was a decrease in child-specific content. Child specific teaching methods accounted for less than 30 % of the content of all programmes whereas cross-field teaching methods (Adult, Mental Health, Learning Disability and Child learners together) accounted for over 70 % of the taught content. Analysis of qualitative data identified three themes: genericism as the focus, the challenge to achieve the standards' proficiencies, and dilution of child specific content. CONCLUSIONS: The survey responses show disparities in how United Kingdom higher education institutions have interpreted the Nursing and Midwifery Council standards highlighting academics concerns on the growing genericism within pre-registration children's nurse education nationally. These findings will inform the next stage of the project comparing the impact of greater or lesser degrees of genericism on the outcomes of the programme for newly qualified children's nurses.