Iranian Journal of Medical Education
Year:2013 | Volume:13 | Issue:4 (54)|Papers Count:9

Introduction: One of the concerns of educational system is test anxiety that impairs academic performance. On the other hand, using the spiritual sources in solving life problems and confronting conflicts and achieving goals is attended increasingly. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between spiritual intelligence and its dimensions with test anxiety among nursing and midwifery students.Methods: This descriptive -analytic study was conducted on a census sample of 246 BS nursing and midwifery students in Qom University of Medical Sciences in 2012. The spiritual intelligence questionnaire developed by Badii et al and the anxiety inventory were used. The Data were analyzed by path analysis and correlation coefficients.Results: There was a significant inverse relation (r=-0.28, p=0.002) between spiritual intelligence and test anxiety scores. Among all aspects of spiritual intelligence, self-awareness (Consciousness) and Ability to deal with problems had the most influences on anxiety. There was a significant relation between all dimensions of spiritual intelligence whit its total score (p<0.0001).Conclusion: According to the inverse relation between spiritual intelligence and test anxiety, it seems that paying attention to spiritual intelligence is valuable and effective in improving educational performance and controlling test anxiety.

Introduction: Students’ choice of dentistry as the discipline of study is influenced by several factors. These factors influence the interest and attitude of these students towards their future career and are the important aspects in the quality of services provided by them. Given the importance of this issue, this study aims to investigate the views of dental students about important factors influencing their choice of dentistry as discipline, and possible differences among the two genders.Methods: This descriptive study was performed nationwide on dental students who had participated in Student Congress using random sampling. Data was collected using a questionnaire which its validity was approved by qualified professors and its reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha test. The questionnaire had 22 questions and was distributed among a random sample of 325 students. Their agreement with each question was measured on a 7-point Likert scale. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests such as independent t -test and Pearson correlation coefficient.Results: A total of 283 students (112 males, 171 females) with a mean age of 22.3±2.04 completed the questionnaire. Based on the mean scores, factors such as a socially decent career (4.92), job security (4.84) and a high-paying job (4.84) were the main reasons for choosing dentistry. This is while considering dentistry as an opportunity for research (2.61) and having information or background about dentistry (2.65) were the least important factors. Investigating aspects affecting dentistry choice between the two genders, only being keen on the scientific aspect of dentistry was significantly higher in female students than that of males (P=0.039). Other factors were not significantly different between the sexes.Conclusion: In students’ opinion, acceptable social position, ensured future of the work and proper income were the most important factors in choosing dentistry. Also regarding the most important factors in choosing dentistry, there was not any significant difference between two sexes. Due to the high cost of education and the requirements for providing a high quality of health care, it seems that more attention is required toward the cultural superiorities and cognitive abilities necessary for the students to choose their study courses.

Introduction: Increased volunteers for postgraduate education have expanded competition. It has been a serious challenge for both participants and educational managers to be prepared for postgraduate entrance exam. This study aims to explain the process of preparing for postgraduate entrance exam among nursing postgraduate students based on expectancy theory.Methods: This study used directed qualitative content analysis based on expectation theory by semi structured interviews. Ten participants among nursing postgraduate students were selected by purposeful sampling. Data analysis was conducted by content analysis.Results: After data analysis, four themes have emerged include self-efficacy, precept, firm effort and selfesteem. In directed approach, self-efficacy and self-esteem were related to expectancy. As well, valence and firm effort and counseling were related to instrumentality. “Self” was the most central concept in data analysis related to educational achievement.Conclusion: Necessity for reaching to the appropriate level of performance in nursing postgraduate entrance exam requires broad instruction for diverse skills critical for enhancing “Self” in student. Therefore student-centered learning approaches are recommended.

Introduction: Without clinical education, efficient nursing education is hardly achievable. Nursing Students recall clinical education as their most stressful course ever. Peer mentoring may be one of the strategies to reduce student stress in the clinical environment. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects that a peer mentoring program has on nursing students’ stress factors in clinical environment.Methods: This research is a quasi-experimental study on 44 second-semester nursing students of Urmia Nursing and Midwifery School who were selected through census. They were randomly divided into two groups as control (21) and intervention (23). In intervention group, a 7th semester nursing student mentor took the responsibility of guiding and supporting each group of 4-5 second semester students. The instrument for data collection was the Farsi version of Clinical Experience Assessment from developed by Kack & Kleehammer. Data were analyzed using Chi2, Wilcoxon, and Mann-Whitney test.Results: Clinical Stressor Scores of students in the intervention group declined from 50.45 to 41.9. Wilcoxon test also showed a significant statistical difference (P=0.001). In the control group, no significant difference before and after the intervention (P=0.06) was seen.Conclusion: Peer mentoring program leads to a reduction in nursing students’ stressors in clinical environment. Therefore, it is recommended to use this method in clinical education.

Introduction: Becoming a concern for top universities worldwide, internationalizing the curricula is aimed to provide an international sight for academic curricula of the disciplines in universities nowadays. The purpose of this study is to investigate effective ways of internationalizing the curricula of medical sciences disciplines from the faculty’s viewpoint in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.Methods: This descriptive survey study was performed during 2011-2012 academic years. The statistical population included 423 faculty members of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.118 members were selected as the research sample. The research instrument was a questionnaire developed by the researcher using 5-point Likert Scale which covered seven areas. Also its validity and reliability was confirmed. Collected data was analyzed by descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (one-sample t-test, independent t-test, ANOVA and Scheffe’s test).Results: The score attained for all represented solutions for internationalization of medical curricula was significantly (P£0.05) more than the scale’s mean (m=3). Content/educational strategies (3.86±0.59) had the highest mean and structural/academic strategies had the lowest mean (3.34±0.66). There is no significant difference (P£0.05) in terms of sex and academic variables.Conclusion: It seems that it is effective to use different solutions including content/educational, motivation/humanistic, structural/academic, informative/communicative, cultural/social, political/diplomatic, and technological/equipment ones in internationalizing medical curricula.

Introduction: Utilizing appropriate approaches to study and learning can improve students’ academic performance. Recent studies have shown that students’ learning approaches are influenced by several factors including the type of assessment. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of multiple-choice tests (MCQ) and essay tests on the nursing students’ learning approaches.Methods: This quasi-experimental study was done on 124 students from the School of Nursing & Midwifery of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2011-2012. Subjects were divided into two groups based on the type of exam questions, one group multiple choice questions group and the other essay questions group. In this study, two questionnaires of study approaches (32 items) and exam preparation strategies (28 questions) were used. Validity and reliability of the questionnaires were confirmed. Both groups completed the questionnaires at the beginning and the end of the semester. Statistical analysis was performed by paired sample T test.Results: There was a significant difference between the deep approaches to study scores in students regarding essay type exams (3.70±0.37 vs.3.75±0.33, p=0.008). There was a statistically significant difference in the deep approaches to study in female students regarding essay type exams at the beginning and end of the semester (3.66±0.37 vs.3.73±0.34 respectively, p=0.001); there was a statistically significant difference in the surface approaches to study in male students regarding MCQ exams at the beginning and end of the semester (3.34±0.46 vs.3.63±0.60 respectively, p=0.05).Conclusion: The results showed that the application of essay type tests method for students’ evaluation could lead to a preference for deep approaches to study. It is suggested that this method be used in evaluating students to provide the opportunity to encourage deep approaches to study.

Introduction: Self-efficacy as well as learning and study strategies improve students’ academic performance through facilitating learning. The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between self-efficacy and learning and study strategies of nursing and midwifery student of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences.Methods: This was a correlation study. All of Hamadan nursing and midwifery students were selected using census method. Data were collected with "Learning and Study Strategies Inventory: LASSI" and "General Self-Efficacy" questionnaires and analyzed with descriptive and analytical statistics.Results: Five hundred students completed the questionnaires (response rate was 91%). There was a significant positive correlation between self-efficacy scores and each of the ten areas of learning and study strategies (P<0.01) and between each of the ten areas of learning and study strategies (P<0.01) and also self-efficacy (P<0.05) with the students’ point averages of the previous semester. There was a significant difference between gender and attitude, focus, and motivation (P<0.05). Female students had better attitude, focus, and motivation for learning. There was a significant negative relationship between anxiety, information processing (P<0.05), attitude, focus, motivation, selecting main ideas, testing strategies (P<0.01) also self-efficacy (P<0.01) and semesters spent at the university.Conclusion: Students with high self-efficacy use more learning and study strategies. Self-efficacy can improve their academic achievement and their ability to learn.

Introduction: Critical thinking is an essential skill for being knowledgable about riskfull conditions of midwifery, evaluation of clinical decisions, and a proper care planning for mother and child. This study aimed to explore midwives’ experiences of employing critical thinking in high risk situations in labor unit.Methods: Fourteen bachelor midwives working in labor unit participated in this qualitative content analysis study. They were selected through purposeful sampling method. Data was gathered by individual interviews recorded on audiotapes, transcripted and then analyzed. Interview transcriptions were coded through repeated comparisons with similar groups and then classified. Finally two main categories and eight subcategories were emerged.Results: Analysis of participants’ viewpoints and their sayings about employing critical thinking lead to development of two main categories: “trying to screen high-risk situations among apparently healthy patients” with 5 subcategories, and “trying to diagnose when facing a mother in a high-risk situation” having 3 subcategories. Analysis of findings showed that novice midwives screened high-risk situations relying on their professional knowledge and analyzing the information inductively; whereas experienced midwives tried to refer to their intellectual framework deductively based on their previous experiences of managing critical patients.Conclusion: According to the results, it seems necessary to revise and modify the curriculum of midwifery in order to improve critical thinking skill through acquisition of professional knowledge of midwifery and to educate students to manage high-risk cases. Therefore all midwives will acquire critical thinking skill and will be able to screen and diagnose high-risk patients.