Iranian Journal of Medical Education

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Introduction. New methods of teaching in nursing education has not been extensively investigated in Iran. Considering the importance of nursing education promotion and successful application of new methods of teaching, especially focus group method, this study was conducted to determine and compare the effect of lecture, and focus group teaching methods on nursing students' learning in community health course (1) at Shahed University in the year 2002-2003. Methods. A semi-experimental study was conducted on 49 nursing students who had community health course (through census sampling method). After matching the variables of sex, gender, mean grade of previous semester and the use of students' dormitory, 24 students were selected for focus group and 25 students for lecture group, randomly. A teacher taught them using the two methods, during the morning for one hour, 45 minutes, and for 16 sessions. The data colleting tool was a demographic data sheet and community health test in the form of multiple choice questions. Both groups took the pretest and demographic data sheet at the first day of the course and post-test at the last day. The data were analyzed by SPSS 9.5 using frequency distribution, mean, standard deviation, Mann Whitney and Sign test. Results. The learning rate increased significantly in both focus group method and lecture method groups. But, in the group taught by focus group method, the learning rate was significantly higher than lecture group method. The mean grade of previous semester in lecture method group showed a positive moderate correlation with their learning rate. Conclusion. Considering the role of focus group method in making the students active in learning, developing their social skills and improving their communication skills, it can replace lecture teaching method. It is suggested that teachers and educational planners apply this method in students' education. More studies are recommended to investigate the weaknesses and strengths of this method.

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Abstract Introduction: Research is the basis of nursing and should be in accordance with society’s health needs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the master theses’ subjects in nursing conform to the burden of diseases as Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Methods: In this comparative study, 373 researches registered in the lists of school libraries or university web sites as master degree theses in nursing during 2000-2005, were investigated. Then, their subjects were compared with the etiology of burden of diseases as Disability Adjusted Life Years in Eastern Mediterranean Region published in World Health Organization Report in 2003. Results: The proportion of theses’ topics and the etiology of burden of diseases, including intentional and unintentional accidents, sensory disorders, congenital anomalies, gastrointestinal and dental diseases, respiratory diseases , nutritional deficiencies and endocrine disorders was less than optimum. In contrast, the proportion of theses’ topics on cardiovascular, genitourinary, dermatology and musculoskeletal diseases, diabetes mellitus, neoplasms and maternal and antenatal problems was more than the related DALYs. In addition it was optimum for neuropsychological disorders. Conclusion: Most theses’ topics were in accordance with this health index. Considering the high number of theses concerning maternal situation, specially ante-natal problems and also, urogenital tract, it is suggested to avoid this over attention and consider other topics such as accidents and their burden more, in doing research and thesis.

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Introduction: Nursing education has to be planned considering the community’s health needs based on the most recent criteria introduced by World Health Organization. The purpose of this study was to determine whether nursing curriculum conform to the burden of diseases as Disability Adjusted Life Years in Iran in 2003. Methods: In this comparative study, the etiology of burden of diseases based on Disability Adjusted Life Years was extracted from the World Health Report (2003). Then the number of credit hours in the baccalaureate nursing curriculum assigned to these etiologies was determined and reported as frequency. Results: The proportion of credit hours in nursing curriculum assigned to psychiatric, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal and sensory disorders as well as intentional and non-intentional accidents, nutritional deficiencies, and congenital anomalies was less than the proportion of burden of diseases as Disability Adjusted Life Years related to these diseases. This proportion was more than optimum level concerning infectious diseases, maternal and antenatal problems, endocrine, genitourinary and dermatologic diseases, and at an optimum level for musculoskeletal disorders and malignant neoplasms. Conclusion: A more precise revision of baccalaureate nursing curriculum considering the above mentioned diseases is recommended.

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Introduction: Community health nursing education in filed is one of the main courses of Iranian nursing education curriculum however, little scientific attention has been paid to the evaluation of community health nursing process so far. Therefore, the present study was conducted to explore nursing students' comprehension of community health nursing in field education. Methods: A qualitative study was employed using content analysis approach with 19 bachelor degree nursing students. Data were gathered through unstructured interview technique. Results: The data analysis resulted in emerging 2 main categories as ‘suitable learning aspects for students’and ‘learning inhibitor aspects’. The participants mentioned the education in filed with its specific conditions as a way to personality development, employing theory in practice, in-depth learning, learning from various human resources, and achieving skill to teach patients. Inhibitor aspects were related to ineffective clinical instructors, inefficiency of management of training, and theory-practice gap. Conclusion: Clinical education of nursing students should cover active learning and personal/professional growth.It also should be compatible with community requirements. The study participants pointed out to factors which nursing education policy makers and nursing faculties should pay attention to in order to improve the quality of training community health nursing in filed.

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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.

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Introduction: Medical education quality improvement is a major issue in Iran’s medical education system. One of the strategies for medical education quality improvement is evaluation of the status quo and identification of the weaknesses. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate educational departments of Kashan Shahid Beheshti Teaching Hospital according to clinical education standards in line with the education reform plan and accreditation package.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 210 stagers and interns of Shahid Beheshti Teaching Hospital of Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2016. Subjects were selected by means of census method and data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The viewpoints of stagers and interns about the conformity of educational programs (round, grand round and morning report) with clinical education standards in departments of pediatrics, internal medicine, general surgery, cardiology, infectious diseases, neurology and specific surgery were assessed.

Results: The highest rate of desirability of round from the viewpoints of stagers was related to infectious diseases (77.3%) and cardiology (66.7%) departments and from the viewpoints of interns was related to infectious diseases (60%) and neurology (40%) departments. The highest rate of desirability of grand round from the viewpoints of both stagers and interns was related to infectious diseases department (86.7% and 80% respectively). The highest rate of desirability of morning report from the viewpoints of both stagers and interns was related to the infectious diseases department (46.7% and 80% respectively).

Conclusion: Given the moderately desirable status of educational programs in most of the departments, faculty members should get familiarized with new trends in medical education and clinical education standards through holding clinical education workshops and be encouraged to follow these standards. Moreover, departments should make efforts to eliminate weaknesses and achieve the desirable status.

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Introduction: Morning report is one of the most effective methods in clinical education. The purpose of this paper was to assess the current state of morning report in the Department of Internal Medicine at Kashan University of Medical Sciences in order to identify the weaknesses and standardize this important educational procedure.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in Department of Internal Medicine at Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2016. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire based on the clinical education standards developed by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Deputy of Education. First, the weaknesses were identified in the morning report sessions by surveying the stagers, interns and residents selected by means of census method from all of the internal medicine learners (15 stagers, 6 interns, and 9 residents). Then, faculty members were lectured on the correct way of holding morning report session. After the trainings, the participants were resurveyed using the same questionnaire and the extent of changes in complying with the educational standards was measured. The data were analyzed by Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test.
Results: The standards with significant increase in full compliance after the intervention were as follows: complete observation of “step-by-step discussion” (p<0.001), “differential diagnosis” (p=0.001), “discussion of diagnostic tests” (p<0.001), “discussion of systematic approach” (p=0.005), “discussion of radiology images” (p=0.002), “provision of appropriate conditions for teacher-learner interactions” (p=0.004), “attention to learners’ attendance” (p=0.001), and “teacher-learner eye-contact” (p=0.024).
Conclusion: The training of the internal medicine faculty members in morning report had a positive effect on the standardization, and the quality of education and its compliance with the standards may be improved by continuous trainings.