Iranian Journal of Medical Education
Year:2014 | Volume:14 | Issue:1|Papers Count:12

Introduction: Nursing students are encountered with a wide range of health-related problems. On the other hand, the role of spiritual intelligence as a new approach in mental health, physical health, and efficient social partnership is considered to be very important. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between spiritual intelligence and general health among nursing students within year 2012 in Tehran.Methods: This descriptive correlation study included 320 B.S. nursing students studying in different universities of Tehran that were selected through Morgan Formula. Data was collected using questionnaire for demographic data, Abdollazadeh’s spiritual intelligence questionnaire, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Data was analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation coefficient, and linear regression.Results: There was a significant positive relationship between spiritual intelligence and general health (P<0.005). Among demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, habitats, and educational year) only average grade showed a significant relationship with spiritual intelligence (P<0.016) and general health (P<0.025).Conclusion: Higher spiritual intelligence was associated with more general health of nursing students. It seems that promotion of spiritual intelligence increases mental health and physical health of nursing students and thus improves the quality of medical care to patients.

Introduction: Today's Medical education is associated with numerous complications including potential increase of data volume in clinical and theoretical learning environments. This requires for new strategies using appropriate instructional methods. This study was performed to investigate the effect of the memorization model on nursing students' academic achievement in physiology course.Methods: This quasi-experimental study with two groups of pre- and post-tests was conducted on all second semester nursing students, Students studying renal physiology were selected as the experimental group (n=48) and midwifery students studying physiology of kidney (n=46) and nursing students studying endocrine physiology course (n=48) were selected as control groups. All experimental sessions were held using Memorization model and control sessions were conducted through regular methods of lecture and slide show. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, paired t-test, and ANOVA.Results: No statistically significant difference was found between mean scores of pretest which was 4.38±1.27 for experiment group and 4.15±1.79 for midwifery control group and 3.69±1.4 for nursing control group (p>0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of control group of nursing students (11.67±3.52) and experimental group (14.28±3.32), (p<0/001).Conclusion: Employing new teaching models such as memorization model that is appropriate with educational content can be effective in improving students’ learning. However, accomplishment in their application is affected by teachers’ ability to employ the model, students’ creativity skills, and study strategies.

Introduction: Communication skills are important instruments in providing nursing care. Hence, improving communication skills of nursing students and finding their weaknesses and strengths are among the most important objectives of nursing education. The purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate students' communication skills in various areas as well as the skills’ relationship with students’ demographic characteristics.Methods: In this descriptive correlation study, 330 nursing students were selected among all nursing students studying in Baqiyatallah, Army and Shahed medical universities in Tehran using cluster random sampling. Data collection tool was a researcher made questionnaire which measured five domains including verbal and nonverbal skills, internal and external coordination, respect to clients, and unconditional admission. Data was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics (chi2).Results: The findings of this study showed that communication skills of 83% of students in the area of onset awareness, 91% in verbal and nonverbal skills, 88% in the area of internal and external coordination, and 97% in the area of respect to clients were at an average and desirable level but in the area of unconditional admission of patients, 55% of students showed poor communication skills. Moreover, the results for the area of onset awareness (p=0.041) and respect to the client (p=0.014) showed a significant difference between the two genders. Considering the areas of internal and external coordination (p=0.002) and respect to the clients (p=0.004), there was a significant difference between communication skills of students of first and second year compared to students of third and fourth year.Conclusion: The poorest communication skills of nursing students related to the area of patients’ unconditional admission and this weakness can impede effective communication with clients and result in unsuccessful and improper care. Therefore it is recommended include formal and informal education of this skill and other communication skills in the curriculum of nursing students.

Introduction: Research is one of the most interesting areas in which the effects of self-efficacy and confidence have been studied but little attention has been paid to it in Iran. The purpose of this study is to survey the relationship between self-efficacy in research and research performance among students of Medical Sciences University of Mashhad.Methods: This descriptive correlation study was performed on the population of all students of Mashhad Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Dentistry in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences within 2011-2012 academic years. Using proportional stratified sampling method, the sample size was defined based on faculty and finally 185 students were selected to participate in the study.Questionnaires of research self-efficacy and research performance were used for data collection. Data was analyzed using Pearson’s correlations, regression, and t-test for independent groups.Results: There was a significant correlation between self-efficacy in research and all its components (excluding self-efficacy in statistics) with students’ research performance (p<0.01). Simple regression coefficients indicated that research self-efficacy scale was able to predict students’ research performance (p<0.05) and the results of multiple regression beta coefficients showed that among seven subcomponents of self-efficacy, only the subcomponent of report writing is able to predict performance (p<0.05). In addition, the results of independent t-test showed that there was no significant difference between male and female students in terms of research performance.Conclusion: In order to improve students’ research performance, they must be ensured about their capabilities and research skills.

Introduction: In recent decades, medical education has seen a new approach to preliminary clinical skill training and early clinical experience. This study aimed to determine the clinical learning needs of students prior to entering clinical course and effects of clinical skills introductory courses on students.Methods: This was a single-group intervention with pre-test and post-test conducted on all students who had completed introduction to clinical medicine (ICM) courses in 2012 at Isfahan University of Medical Science. This study was performed in 2 phases: a) need assessment phase that was conducted using broad search and questionnaire b) planning, implementation, and evaluation phase. After identifying the required skills, we designed and conducted training workshops based on the needs. To evaluate the impact of workshops, MCQ test as a pre-test and post-test was held.Self-reported comfort level in dealing with situations that require performing the clinical skills were studied before and after attending the workshop with a researcher-made questioner. Results were analyzed using T and MC nemar tests.Results: Results of the need assessment showed that the third –year medical students’most urgent needs are: familiarity with common paraclinic tests, serious E&A initial care, resuscitation skills, and imaging skills. In all the workshops, mean of MCQ scores in the post- test was significantly higher than the mean in pretest. Also, There was an increase in self-reported preparedness in all items related to the skills being taught in each workshop; in 15 cases, there was a significant difference (p<0.05).Conclusion: The findings of the study indicate an increase in knowledge and students’preparation to apply clinical skills.Using the results of this study and similar studies, we can plan early clinical skills learning course in medical education programs.

Introduction: In spite of the significance of achievement actualization in the development of educational quality, little investigation has been done in this regard. University administrators have a minute knowledge about students’ achievement fulfillment and the factors influencing this issue. Therefore, this study was performed to investigate the association of personal characteristics and educational experiences of the students with their academic achievements.Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted on the students of Shahid Sadoughi Medical University within 2011-2012 academic years. Students were selected through random stratified sampling based on gender and discipline (n=300). The research tool was the college students’ experiences questionnaire (CSEQ). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression.Results: All three dimensions of college students’ experiences including perceptions of quality of environment, quality of effort, and social integration are significant anticipators of their academic achievements respectively and predict 0.43 of achievements variance. In addition, students’ experiences inpredicting their academic achievement differ considering gender, major, and educational level; it means that experience dimensions in male and female students predicted 0.38 and 0.31 of the achievement, respectively. Moreover, all dimensions of the experiences of health students predicted 0.31, allied health medicine students 0.38, nursing and midwifery students 0.43, medical students 0.22, and dental students 0.18 of achievement variance. The predictability rate for bachelors, masters, and graduate students were 0.45, 0.33, and 0.42, respectively.Conclusion: Purposeful planning for promoting students' participation in on-campus activities as well as interaction with administratory personnel can affect students’ efforts and ground for fulfillment of their and non-intellectual achievements in an acceptable level. This not only can improve the efficacy of educational systems, but also helps students’ improvement regarding their educational objectives, individual promotion, and social and professional qualification.

Introduction: Along with peaceful uses of ionizing radiation, its destructive applications have always threatened human life. One of the most important actions in calamities and disasters especially radiological and nuclear catastrophes is immediate assistance and medical care for victims. Therefore, knowing how to cope with nuclear and radiological disasters has become a part of modern care education nowadays. The purpose of this work is to study awareness of nursing faculty members and nurses in hospitals affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences about radiological accidents and how to deal with it.Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, we investigated the awareness of nursing faculties and nursing personnel (n=124) in three health care centers using a researcher-made questionnaire. After data collection, it was analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: According to the findings, 80.5 percent of subjects were female and 19.5 percent were male. The average age of subjects was 35.78±8.74 years. The majority of subjects in selected hospitals had bachelor' s degree. Participants’ awareness was 68.29% for monitoring radiation equipments, 52.5% for decontamination radioactive materials in hospital, 52.1% for familiarity with certain therapeutic protocols for treating nuclear victims, 57% for self-protection methods in terms of a nuclear accident, and 47.5% for specific protocols for reporting nuclear radiation damages.Conclusion: With regard to the findings of this study and the importance of nurse’s knowledge of caring and treating victims of radiological accidents, it necessary to include related contents in nursing curriculum and continuing education programs.