Showing 12 results for Clinical Competency
Abolghassem Amini, Susan Hassanzadeh Salmasi, Abdolreza Shaghaghi, Naser Safaii, Kamran Sedaghat,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (6-2005)
Abstract
Introduction. Clinical skills training program provides an opportunity for medical students to improve their clinical skills in a simulated setting which is designed and equipped for learning a number of key skills by practicing on manikins and related equipments. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of clinical skills training program on clinical competencies of medical students in the management of vaginal delivery in Tabriz Medical University.
Methods. In this quasi-experimental research with one group, pre- and post-test design, 50 medical students were selected randomly and assessed using a valid and reliable questionnaire asking about their clinical competencies in the management of different stages of vaginal delivery and also about their suturing skill. Likert scale was used for determining the level of competency based on self-assessment approach. Data analysis was done by SPSS software using descriptive analysis, paired t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient.
Results. A significant increase was observed in the mean score of skills related to pre-delivery stage (from 14±13.65 to 89±10.72), skills needed during performing the delivery (from 18.17±13.3 to 88.95±9.26), and skills needed during the post-delivery stage such as suturing and dressing (from 31.07±16.57 to 85.17±12.78). There was a significant difference between the mean score related to the skills needed before, during and after delivery, before and after education.
Conclusion. Practicing in Clinical Skills Center considerably increased perceived self-efficacy of medical students for doing the skills needed for the management of a safe vaginal delivery which in turn could lead to increasing their skills in confronting patients.
Nasrin Jaffari Golestan, Zohreh Vanaki, Robabeh Memarian,
Volume 7, Issue 2 (3-2008)
Abstract
Introduction: One of the most significant problems in clinical environment is the unskilled and inexperienced nurses. This is while, most managers are not aware of nurses' proficiency and competency level. Therefore, applying the new strategy of "organizing nursing mentors committee" by managers as well as their orientation in this regard could be considered as a strategy to improve clinical competency. Methods: This quasi-experimental study as two group design was performed to assess the clinical competency level of five novice nurses and their performance on 72 patients hospitalized in medical-surgical wards in one of the hospitals in Tehran in 2005. They were divided into two experiment and control groups, and were evaluated before and after the intervention. Data was collected using observational checklists in communicative, cognitive, and psychomotor competency domains as double blinded. Number of patients in the experiment group was 32 and in the control group was 40 which were matched before and after the intervention in each group. The allocation of the novice nurses into groups and wards was done randomly. Data was analyzed by SPSS software. Results: Clinical competency of the novice nurses increased in all three domains in both groups. Paired t–test showed this increase in both groups. Moreover, independent t-test demonstrated that the mean difference in the experiment group was higher than the control group. Novice nurses' clinical competency was in a primary level in both groups before the intervention, but, after 3 months was promoted to the advanced level in the experiment group who were exposed to mentors committee. Conclusion: Organizing "nursing mentors committee" is an effective strategy for nursing managers, in order to help novice nurses who need to acquire clinical competency in different domains in a limited time frame.
Susan Valizadeh, Yousef Mohammadpour, Kobra Parvan, Sima Lakdizaji,
Volume 9, Issue 2 (10-2009)
Abstract
Introduction: Despite global acceptance of outcome-based education, few investigations are available about its effects on clinical competencies (cognitive and behavioral skills) of nursing students. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of outcome-based education on clinical competencies of nursing students compared to traditional education. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study using two groups design with pre and post-tests, 26 nursing students were selected through census and divided randomly into two control and experiment groups. Each group included 6 to 7 persons. After completing the pre-test of cognitive skills, the control group received clinical education through traditional method and the experiment group through outcome-based education, for 9 days. Then, students' cognitive skills were measured by post-test and their behavioral skills were observed via checklist. Data was analyzed by SPSS software using Wilcoxon, Mann Whitney, and Fisher exact tests. Results: Outcome-based education was effective in promoting students' cognitive and behavioral skills. The mean of cognitive and behavioral skills of the experiment group in post-test were significantly higher than that of the control group in all cases and in total. Also, students' clinical competency in the experiment group was significantly higher than control group. Conclusion: Outcome-based education leads to developing nursing students' competencies more than traditional method. It is recommended to employ this method more in clinical education.
Massoud Bahreini, Marzieh Moattari, Mohammad Hossein Kaveh, Fazlollah Ahmadi,
Volume 10, Issue 2 (7-2010)
Abstract
Introduction: Evaluating nurses' clinical competencies is of special importance in managing care process and determining their educational needs. The objective of this study was to compare the clinical competen-cies and clinical skills application by nurses in two hospitals affiliated to Boushehr and Shiraz Medical Universities. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the clinical competencies of all 266 nurses employed in two main hospitals of Boushehr and Shiraz medical universities and volunteered for participation in the study were compared. A questionnaire containing 73 nursing skills in seven domains of clinical competencies was used to investigate the level of nurses' clinical competencies through Visual Analogue Scale (0 to 100) and their clinical skills application via a 4 degree Lickert Scale. Data was analyzed by SPSS software using descrip-tive statistics, independent t-test, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Results: Having a mean score of 87.03±10.03, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences' nurses enjoyed higher level of clinical competencies compared to the mean score of 71.07±13.66 achieved by those in the hospital affiliated to Boushehr University of Medical Sciences. More over, 70 percent of clinical skills are recurrently exploited by nurses employed in Boushehr while this rate is more than 83 percent in the hospital affiliated to Shiraz Medical University. Conclusion: The level of clinical competencies and the extent to which nursing skills are employed by nurses is dissimilar in these two hospitals. Educational needs assessment for nurses and modification of health care quality in different hospitals is recommended to be investigated.
Farahnaz Mohammadi, Mohammad Ali Hosseini,
Volume 10, Issue 2 (7-2010)
Abstract
Introduction: Due to the close association between clinical competency and the quality of care concept, clinical competency has a special place in evaluating medical sciences students. This study was performed to investigate perceived clinical self-efficacy among students at the beginning and end of clinical education course and compare it to teachers' evaluation of students’ clinical competencies. Methods: This descriptive correlational cross-sectional study performed on all students of physiotherapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), speech therapy (ST), and social working (SW) in Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences University. Data was gathered using a researcher made questionnaire distributed at two points, once at the 4th semester and once again at the 8th semester. Data was analyzed using independent t-test and variance analysis. Results: The mean of perceived clinical self-efficacy was in the range of 51-100 for students of all disciplines. The mean score of overall perceived self-efficacy of all students in all disciplines was significantly higher in the 8th semester compared to that of the 4th semester. The correlation coefficient between teachers' evaluation and students' perception from their own clinical self-efficacy was insignificant (r=0.04). Conclusion: Students' self-evaluation of clinical competency could provide valuable and complementary information for evaluating medical sciences students. Setting educational objectives according to students' needs and faculty members’ viewpoints as well as adopting qualitative strategies for educational evaluation and emphasizing on self-efficacy perception in students, may lead to qualitative improvement of educational procedures.
Esmaeel Managheb, Ahmadreza Zamani, Behzad Shams, Ziba Farajzadegan,
Volume 10, Issue 2 (7-2010)
Abstract
Introduction: There are methodological challenges on the subject of communication skills training despite general agreement on its advantages. This study was performed to compare the effect of communication skills training through video feedback with the usual method of lecture. Methods: This quasi-experimental double-blind prospective study was performed on two groups of 20 interns in the year 2005 in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. First, both groups received education through lecture and immediately were tested by OSLER (Objective Structured Long Examination Record). Then the video feedback was played for the experiment group. Two months later, the same examination was performed for the both groups. The result was analyzed by SPSS software using Mann–Whitney, Wilcoxon, and chi² tests. Results: No significant difference was observed between two groups considering gender, age, and the number of internship months. Scores achieved on OSLER-I revealed no significant difference between the two groups but, the discrepancy in OSLER-II was significant. The difference between scores of OSLER-I and OSLER-II was significant in the experiment group and insignificant in the control group. A significant difference was discovered in history-taking skill, physical examination, diagnosis, and treatment, before and after participation in the workshop in the experiment group. Conclusion: Communication skills training through video feedback improved interns' skills for history-taking and physical examination. It also enhanced the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment. Emphasizing on necessity of communication skills training, it is also recommended to pay attention to advantages of video feedback method as an educational approach.
Shahram Shayan,
Volume 10, Issue 5 (2-2011)
Abstract
Introduction: In recent decades integration of pedagogic and technologic approaches resulted in a change in main structure of universities. Appearance and utility of electronic education especially in assessment system and examinations of medical students, necessitates designing new assessment methods and tools. This study is to discuss and design EPMP software as an appropriate tool for measurement of the ability in students’ clinical reasoning and problem solving. Methods: Regarding the structure of PMP examination, this software was designed in form of a three layer object generated using program C language and visual studio.Net with software base of SQL server 2000 as well as Ajax software to promote user interface (UI) to be used as an internet explorer IEO6. Results: This soft ware represents patients’ problem in form of some text hints and fixed and animated pictures through simulation and then with some questions, lets the student or assistant follow up patients’ management and treatment. Conclusion: Because of the consistency of the designed software with international standards, this was welcomed by faculty members and assistants in university level and board of examinations. Assistants’ survey results showed their desire to hold these examinations with more frequencies within their education period and the potentiality to enable them to work with computer more skillfully.
Abbas Heydari, Batul Alizadeh, Seyedreza Mazloum,
Volume 13, Issue 7 (10-2013)
Abstract
Introduction: Several programs have been introduced to improve clinical skills of nursing students. Meanwhile, taking benefit of expert clinical nurses (preceptors) for educating nursing students is a new groove to clinical learning. Regarding the limited number of studies on this subject in Iran, current study aimed to determine the effect of preceptorship program on nursing students’ clinical skills.
Methods: This experimental study of pre and post-test with two groups design was conducted on 64 BSc nursing students passing their clinical course in the burning-care ward of Imam-Reza hospital of Mashhad. Students were randomly assigned into two groups of control and intervention. In the intervention group, every student was supervised and trained by an expert nurse (preceptor). Control group were trained through the routine teaching method by the clinical instructor. The students’ clinical skills were measures and compared before and after clinical course in the two groups, using t-test, paired t-test Mann Whitney and covariance analysis
Results: The students’ clinical skills were improved in both groups. According to the findings of independent t-test and Mann Whitney, the score increments in preceptorship program were significantly more than in the routine method (p≤0/002).
Conclusion: Implementation of preceptorship program is helpful and effective for improving clinical skills of nursing students. Thus, it is recommended that educational centers and hospitals try to employ this educational method. On the other hand, the results of this study revealed the necessity of collaboration between academic members and health care providers.
Mousa Alavi, Alireza Irajpour,
Volume 13, Issue 10 (1-2014)
Abstract
Introduction: Despite importance of evaluating students’ clinical competencies through nursing education program, there is still controversy about optimum characteristics (indices) of clinical evaluation methods and there is no consensus. This study was performed to determine optimum characteristics of clinical competencies’ evaluation and to assess clinical nursing teachers’ viewpoints.
Methods: This mixed method study carried out in three subsequent phases in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Firstly, the criteria for evaluationg nursing students’ clinical competencies were extracted from different sources such as libraries and databases. In the second phase in which nursing students (n=17), clinical teachers (n=4) and nursing professionals (n=2) participated the extracted criteria were revised, completed and categorized. Finally a 4point Likert scale questionnaire was utilized to get the views of a census sample of 47 clinical nursing teachers about the evaluation criteria. Data were analyzed through qualitative and quantitative methods and descriptive statistics.
Results: Qualitative data analysis led to identify 5 main themes and 44 subthemes of criteria (optimum characteristics) for clinical evaluation methods namely criteria for evaluation context, criteria for evaluation content, criteria for evaluation process, criteria for grading students and criteria for evaluation outputs. The maximum and minimum of the mean scores (Standard Deviations) of the clinical nursing teachers’ views about the importance of the criteria were 3.81±0.49 and 2.74±0/9 that were related to “linking the theoretical and clinical education” and “using new information technology” respectively.
Conclusion: This study introduces some important characteristic of clinical competency evaluation methods. Considering the high agreement of clinical nursing teachers with importance of the extracted criteria, it would be worthwhile to use them to improve clinical competency evaluation methods for nursing students.
Ali Emadzadeh, Somayeh Alizadeh, Hossein Karimi Mooneghi, Lida Jarahi,
Volume 15, Issue 0 (4-2015)
Abstract
Introduction: The ability to perform a self-assessment as a critical competency of professionalism is considered essential for medical students at the Medical Education Accreditation Council. In this study, interns’ status of readiness to change was investigated in terms of self-assessment of clinical competency in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences using construct of the stages of change of trans-theoretical model. Methods: In this descriptive study 127 interns were selected through Morgan table based on convenient sampling in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2013-2014 academic years. The data was collected through a researcher-made questionnaire consisted of three sections: demographic information, background information and questions about the construct of the stages of change. After verifying the validity and reliability, questionnaires were completed through self-administration method. One-way ANOVA, T-test, Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. Results: More than half of the students (70.48%) were at the early stages of pre-contemplation and contemplation in the Trans-theoretical Model. A Bout (4/9%) of them had passed the pre-contemplation and contemplation and assessed their own clinical competency. Also 15.57% of the students were at the stage that self-assessment of clinical competency was part of their behavior. Conclusion: Results show that most medical students do not assess their clinical performance despite the fact that self-assessment and identification of educational needs are necessary for lifelong learning. It is recommended that self-assessment be used along with other assessment methods.
Saeideh Daryazadeh, Atiye Faghihi, Fariba Jokar, Omid Yaghini, Atousa Esmaeeli,
Volume 17, Issue 0 (4-2017)
Abstract
Introduction: The goal of clinical education in general medicine program is to achieve the minimum skills expected of graduates. Clinical competency exam is designed as a tool for assessing these minimum learning essentials. Exploring the viewpoints of examinees could be a step towards improving the quality of this exam and resolving its problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the viewpoints of interns participating in the clinical competency exam.
Methods: This qualitative study employed conventional content analysis approach. Subjects included 17 interns participating in the clinical competency exam in 2016 in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences who were interviewed in four groups of 4-6 people. Interviews were transcribed and then analyzed in MAXQDA-10 software.
Results: A total of 93 preliminary codes were extracted. Having the duplicates removed and similar codes integrated, 72 codes were extracted and classified into 4 main categories and 9 subcategories. The main categories were: “conditions of the exam administration, content of the exam, educational factors affecting the exam, and conditions of exam stations”.
Conclusion: It seems that educational factors affecting the exam are the major factors that influenced the clinical competency exam. Also, the objectives of the exam were not clear from the perspective of examinees which could affect the results. Since the clinical competency exam can be used as a tool to make students try more to acquire the necessary and expected skills, taking corrective measures and organized regular planning are essential in this area.
Mohammad Rasoul Zohour Soleimani, Athar Omid, Omid Yaghini,
Volume 22, Issue 0 (4-2022)
Abstract
Introduction: As regards the novelty of the Clinical Competency Exam (CCE) in medical curriculum in Iran, lack of study about result of CCE and necessity for study about the relationship between result of CCE and other common exams in medical curriculum, this study was conducted. This study investigated the correlation between CCE and other exams in medical curriculum.
Methods: This correlational study evaluated the CCE, comprehensive pre-internship exam (CPIE), Basic Science Grade Point Average (BSGPA), and Clinical Grade Point Average (CGPA) scores of the final year medical students admitted to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in the academic years 2008-2013. The data were garnered by reviewing the relevant documentation provided by the Vice-Chancellery for educational and student affairs of Isfahan medical school.
Results: The CPIE average score was 125±20.03 (out of 200), and the CCE average score was 16±1.38 (out of 20). The BSGPA score was 15.59±1.40 (out of 20) and the CGPA score was 16.62±0.90 (out of 20). Considering the effect of other variables, the CGPA scores were significantly correlated to the CCE average scores (p-value<0.001) with a regression coefficient of 0. 492, demonstrating that a one-point increase in the CGPA average score increases the CCE score by 0.492. Likewise, the coefficient was calculated as 0.004 for CPIE and 0.08 for CGPA (with other variables being constant).
Conclusion: According to the linear regression, students' CCE scores were significantly influenced by their CGPA, CPIE, and BSGPA scores. A significantly greater effect was observed in the CGPA, indicating a connection between knowledge level and CCE results. These relationships were, however, not very strong.
