Iranian Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine
Year:2016 | Volume:8 | Issue:6|Papers Count:10

The Parthian rule was a major period in the history of Iran that lasted for nearly five centuries and may be investigated from various viewpoints. The lack of resources and cultural works pertaining to this period, however, is what sets it apart from most other eras in the history of Iran.The Parthian dynasty enjoyed a relatively quiet rule, which indicates it was an advanced civilization with a highly developed system of healthcare. Nevertheless, our knowledge about the medical practices of the Parthian era is rather limited. The purpose of this study was to examine historical sources to shed a light on the attitude of the Parthian society to healthcare, and to explain the lack of resources on the subject.

Nurses face numerous patients with different cultural backgrounds and needs on a daily basis. Cultural diversity can be an obstacle in the way of providing quality healthcare services. Cultural competency is the proper response to cultural and ethnic diversity in the society. This research was conducted to define the concept of cultural competency in nursing education.In this study, Persian and English keywords related to cultural competency, nursing education and nursing curriculum were first searched separately and in combination on the internet and in existing literature. Consequently, papers that were more directly related to the topic were chosen and their concepts were extracted. Cultural competency refers to a set of knowledge, views and skills used simultaneously to enable the individual to work efficiently in different cultural conditions. In this study, first cultural competency was defined and then the process of its acquisition, the facilitating factors, barriers and consequences were described.Considering that in Iran cultural variables are affected by many different factors, it seems necessary to investigate cultural competency in the existing cultural conditions. Moreover, there seems to be a need for comprehensive planning to provide solutions for professors and students in this respect.

Women are the epitome of affection and are therefore suited for the caregiver role by nature. In Prophet Muhammad’s era, women entered one of the toughest and perhaps most masculine areas of social life, that is, the battlefield. Prophet Muhammad permitted and endorsed the presence of women in battles, and appointed troops of women to accompany him to war for the purpose of providing nursing and medical care. The importance of this issue lies in recognition of the role of Muslim women in social arenas such as battlefields. This study aims to: a) investigate the medical role and performance of women during wartime in Prophet Muhammad’s era, and b) describe the medical function of women in the Prophet’s battles while introducing some who have been active in this domain.This was an analytic/descriptive study conducted by collecting note cards from library resources. Our findings showed that women had a significant presence in battles during the early stages of Islam, and as historical evidence confirms, they appeared in the caregiver role by the permission of Prophet Muhammad. Moreover, women’s presence was not due to a shortage of men in the battlefield, but rather because of their abilities in the field of medicine and healthcare, where they succeeded in offering a remarkable performance.

Geography and astronomy are among the oldest and most widely practiced sciences that have continued to exist in modern times, and have always been associated with medicine. In astronomy, this association extends to astronomical calendars and the prediction of the most and least favorable occasions for the treatment of diseases. In the geographical context, it includes health and human diseases connected with environmental factors, and has developed with time into what is known today as medical geography.Najm al-Mulk, the royal astronomer to the court of Naser al-Din Shah, was the first Iranian teacher and author of geography and astronomy in Dar ul-Fonun to promote these sciences, and was responsible for writing the traditional calendar. The aim of this study was to examine the evolution of geography and astronomy during the Qajar era. For this purpose, we investigated astronomical calendars and historical books, and examined the association of traditional medicine with geography and astronomy while inspecting the role of Najm al-Mulk in the process.

In treatment settings, where a wide range of personality and individual diversity is to be expected, psychological variables such as intelligence and empathy enhance nurses’ amenability and affect their moral sensitivity. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between nurses’ personal intelligence and empathy, and their moral sensitivity. This was a descriptive-analytic and correlational study conducted on a statistical sample of 250 nurses working in West Azerbaijan during 2015 selected by Cochran formula and cluster sampling. Mayer’s Personal Intelligence Scale, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy and Lutzen’s Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire were used for data collection. The data were analyzed by Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. A positive relationship was found between nurses' moral sensitivity and the empathy variable (r=0.279, P=0.002), the subscale “forming models” (r=0.411, P=0.001) and the subscale “guiding choices” (r=0.544, P=0.001) of personal intelligence. The results of multi-variable correlation coefficient using the input method indicated that empathy and the subscales of personal intelligence influence nurses' moral sensitivity (R2=0.374).Adherence to professional ethics is among the main responsibilities of nurses. Our findings showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between empathy and the subscales of personal intelligence in nurses and their moral sensitivity. It is therefore necessary to increase the latter by enhancing nurses’ personal intelligence and empathy through group training.

The ethical climate in hospitals is among the factors affecting health care providers’ moral development and the quality of care. This study aimed to explore nurses' perception of the ethical climate in health centers and certain related factors.This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 168 nurses employed in one of the teaching hospitals affiliated with Shahed University. Data collection tools included a socio-demographic questionnaire and Olson's Hospital Ethical Climate Survey.Most of the nurses (83.1%) in this study were female, and the mean age was 35.10±9.42 years. From the nurses’ perspective, the highest score of ethical climate was related to managers (4.56±1.04), and the lowest score pertained to the patients’ domain (2.87±0.47). Moreover, no significant difference was observed in questionnaire domains according to demographic characteristics.The results showed that the nurses in this study had a relatively positive outlook on the prevailing ethical climate in the hospital. It is recommended, however, that managers devise strategies based on the employees’ viewpoints in order to achieve the ideal ethical climate.

The present study tests a model of the relationship between Islamic work ethics and job satisfaction and organizational commitment with mediation of intrinsic motivation. Research design was correlation through structural equation modeling (SEM) and the sample consisted of 203 employees of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences selected by census sampling method. Participants in this study completed questionnaires on Islamic work ethics, job satisfaction, organizational commitment and intrinsic motivation. Reliability and validity of all questionnaires were reported to be at an acceptable level. Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS-21 and SPSS-19 software packages. In addition, Preacher and Hayes’ SPSS macro program was used for testing mediation. The results showed that the proposed model fit the data properly, and that Islamic work ethics directly affected job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Moreover, the mediating effect of intrinsic motivation on the relationship between Islamic work ethics and job satisfaction and organizational commitment was confirmed. Employers can therefore rely on Islamic work ethics and training the employees and supervisors to reinforce intrinsic motivation, and thus promote job satisfaction and organizational commitment.