Designing, implementation and evaluation of story reading: a solution to increase general empathy in medical students.

BACKGROUND: Communication and mutual understanding among healthcare providers is a significant concern within the healthcare system, and enhancing empathy is one way to foster effective communication and mutual understanding. The aim of this research is to evaluate and compare the impact of story reading on the level of empathy in medical students at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. METHODS: The study employed an intervention educational design (a quasi-experimental), with a convenience sample of 51 medical students selected as the statistical population. The process of story reading was conducted over six two-hour virtual sessions in the students' classroom, spanning six weeks. Selected stories were discussed in an online virtual class under the supervision of an instructor, focusing on story elements. To assess students' empathy in this educational program, the Davis General Empathy Questionnaire was administered before each of the six sessions, after, and one week later at the end of the course. Statistical analysis of the collected data was performed using repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni's post hoc test through SPSS version 28 software, with a significance level set at 0.05. RESULTS: The findings revealed that 27 participants (58.7%) were female students, with the remaining being male students, having an average age of 19.5 ± 0.86 years. The level of general empathy among the students significantly increased after the intervention compared to before the intervention (P<0.001). Furthermore, the analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated a significant effect of the story reading program on enhancing empathy in terms of emotional and cognitive transfer among students in the intervention group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The research findings suggest that the story reading program effectively enhances the overall sense of empathy among medical students at the University of Medical Sciences. Therefore, implementing this method in universities, higher education centers, libraries, and psychology centers for teaching empathy can be valuable in fostering empathy skills and improving healthcare.

Enhancing residents' neonatal resuscitation competency through team-based simulation training: an intervention educational study.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal resuscitation training in a simulated delivery room environment is a new paradigm in pediatric medical education. The purpose of this research is to highlight team-based simulation as an effective method of teaching neonatal resuscitation to senior pediatric residents. METHODS: In an intervention educational study, we evaluated the impact of team-based simulation training in the development of neonatal resuscitation. A team consisting of a three-person group of senior pediatric residents performed neonatal resuscitation on a low-fidelity newborn simulator based on the stated scenario. Video-based structured debriefing was performed and followed by the second cycle of scenario and debriefing to evaluate the feasibility of conducting team-based simulation training in a lesser-resourced environment. Evaluation criteria included megacode scores which is a simulation performance checklist, pre-and post-test scores to evaluate residents' knowledge and confidence, the survey checklist as a previously developed questionnaire assessing residents' satisfaction, and debriefing from live and videotaped performances. Four months after the end of the training course, we measured the behavioral changes of the residents by conducting an OSCE test to evaluate post-training knowledge retention. Mean ± SD was calculated for megacode, satisfaction (survey checklist), and OSCE scores. Pre- and post-program gains were statistically compared. The first three levels of Kirkpatrick's training effectiveness model were used to evaluate the progress of the program. RESULTS: Twenty-one senior residents participated in the team-based simulation. The mean ± SD of the megacode score was 35.6 ± 2.2. The mean ± SD of the overall satisfaction score for the evaluation of the first level of the Kirkpatrick model was 96.3 ± 3.7. For the evaluation of the second level of the Kirkpatrick model, the pre-posttest gain in overall confidence score had a statistically significant difference (P = 0.001). All residents obtained a passing grade in OSCE as an evaluation of the third level. CONCLUSIONS: Team-based simulation training in neonatal resuscitation improves the knowledge, skills, and performance of pediatric residents and has a positive effect on their self-confidence and leadership skills. There is still a need to investigate the transfer of learning and abilities to real-life practice, and further research on cost-effectiveness and impact on patient outcomes is warranted.

Perceived Challenges Caused by Covid-19 Outbreak in Students of Medical Sciences.

Background: Students of medical sciences are a highly vulnerable group during COVID-19 pandemic who may experience a wide range of challenges and stresses. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived challenges caused by COVID-19 outbreak in students of medical sciences. Materials and Methods: A qualitative study was carried out based on conventional qualitative content analysis following Graneheim and Lundman from December 2020 to February 2021. The participants were 17 students of medical sciences and data gathering was done through semistructured interviews. Results: Data analyses revealed 5 categories and 12 subcategories. The extracted categories were perceived fear of contracting coronavirus, social limitation, changes in education, neglecting health protocols, and worrying news and information overload. Conclusions: The findings indicated that students of medical sciences had been facing challenges and the COVID-19 had affected the psychological, social, and academic functioning of the health-care students. It is important to take measures to improve their mental health. These measures can prevent medical complications in these students, especially during clinical internship.

Exploration the role of a clinical supervisor to improve the professional skills of medical students: a content analysis study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Clinical supervision supports learners and paves the way for effective and efficient learning in clinical settings. This study aimed to explain the responsibilities of clinical supervisors in clinical education wards to improve the professional skills of medical students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this qualitative study, we used the conventional content analysis approach. The sample consisted of 16 faculty members of medical sciences and medical graduates of Iranian universities. Purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The Graneheim and Lundman method (2004) analyzed the data. RESULTS: From the analysis of interviews, 2 themes, 8 categories, and 18 subcategories were obtained. "Clinical supervisor responsibilities" as a theme includes the categories: "Creating motivation in learner", "Learner's need recognition", "Performance evaluation", "Creating learning opportunities", and "Professional ethics education". And, the sub-categories were: "Creating a supportive atmosphere", "Task assignment","Understanding training needs", "Understanding individual needs", "Periodic evaluation", "Proper feedback', "Reduce work stress", "Learner engagement' , "Learning Facilitation", "Attention to the patient's treatment", and "Ethical observance in relation to patients". As the second theme "Clinical supervisor characteristics" included the categories of: "Scientific competence", "Leading role", and "Ethical model". Their sub-categories are clustered as: "Knowledge of educational concepts", "Mastery of professional concepts", "Effective communication skills", "Understanding managerial concepts", "High resilience", "Career commitment ", and "social commitment" . CONCLUSIONS: The clinical supervisor will improve the professional skills of medical students, which will improve the quality of services provided, train efficient graduates, and provide a safe and relaxing environment that leads to patient satisfaction.

Towards the third generation universities: The core innovative function approach.

Background: Undoubtedly, economic and social value added depends on the functions of universities. Moving toward third-generation universities (3rd GU) is an inevitable process. These universities need different functions than traditional ones; therefore, identifying and determining their functions is essential. The purpose of this study is to collect, match and explore the functions of universities in the transition to 3rd GU and ultimately offer a functional model of the 3rd GU for the use of professors, academics and policymakers in order to evaluate and promote universities. Methods: A critical review method was adapted. Literature was included based on their relevant empirical data to research objectives and referral rates, and texts with more conceptual richness entered the study without time limitations. Results: A total of 20 texts were included in the final analysis. While presenting the basic model, extracts the overarching concepts associated with the success of 3rd GU. These key concepts include the 7 core functions of innovative and entrepreneurial activities, supportive activities (financial and non-financial), entrepreneurial education ( curriculum and academic workforce empowerment), creation and provide applied knowledge, boundary-spanning function or communications and interactions with other elements of the national innovation system (state and industry), develop innovative and entrepreneurial culture and institutional governance and leadership in the direction of economic growth and development. Conclusion: Using new functions at universities would be a move toward 3rd GU, economic growth and development in the country. So, these functions are a practically useful guide to policymakers to estimate the rate of success in each university and deliver the necessary suggestions to provide the mechanisms for the establishment of a successful university.

Structural Requirements of the Third-Generation University: The Case of Medical Sciences Universities in Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Given the social, economic, environmental and internal developments of universities, the necessity for medical universities to move to being third-generation universities has been demonstrated. These universities, along with the requirements of entrepreneurship and commercialization of research, are in need of structural requirements. This study was conducted with the aim to identify and introduce the structural requirements of medical sciences universities in Iran in the transition to the third-generation universities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a qualitative approach using a conventional content analysis method. The contributors comprised 16 faculty members working in medical universities in Iran who were purposefully recruited and interviewed face to face in semi-structured interviews between October 2018 and March 2019. RESULTS: Two wide classifications containing macro-structural requirements (institutional requirements) and micro-structural requirements (organizational requirements) were developed. Institutional requirements included four subcategories including redefining the university as a holding of knowledge business units, redefining academic units as a strategic business unit (SBU) which refer to the mission of the universities and eliminate bureaucracy, independence, and 'Competition in recruitment and contracts' which refer to the administrative requirements of the universities. The organizational requirements included units and offices, centers, and parks that are grouped because of similarities in internal processes. CONCLUSION: Medical universities need structural requirements to move to third-generation universities and improve infrastructure. These requirements, which develop in a spiral over time, must be appropriate and tailored to the capacity of each university.

Public and private hospital nurses' perceptions of the ethical climate in their work settings, sari city, 2011.

BACKGROUND: Nurses' perceptions of ethical climate patterns have certain undeniable effects on hospitals. There is little evidence of possible differences in this element between public and private hospitals and contributing factors. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated whether the perceptions of the ethical climate in nurses' working in public hospitals differ from that of nurses in private hospitals, and which factors may affect nurses' perceptions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of randomly selected registered nurses (n = 235), working in four public hospitals affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, and three private hospitals, was conducted in Sari City, Iran. A self-administered questionnaire, containing demographic characteristics and the Hospital Ethical Climate Survey (HECS), were used to assess registered nurses' perceptions of public and private hospitals ethical climate. An independent t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Across the five factors of HECS, the highest and lowest mean scores pertained to managers and physicians, respectively, in both public and private hospitals. Nurses who had a conditional employment situation and those working in pediatric intensive care units showed significantly more positive perceptions of the ethical work climate when compared to their peers (P < 0.05). Although the mean score of ethical work climate in private hospitals (3.82 ± 0.61) was higher than that in public hospitals (3.76 ± 0.54), no significant difference was found (P = 0.44). CONCLUSIONS: Hospital managers need to discover better ways to promote safety and health programs for their staff according to nurses' area of work and their type of units. They should also encourage greater levels of participation in safety-enhancing initiatives in the hospital's ethical climate, especially in the areas of nurses' perceptions of their physician colleagues, and for nurses with a conditional employment situation.