ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Misinterpretation of abbreviations by healthcare professionals has been reported to compromise patient safety. This study was done to determine the prevalence of abbreviations usage among medical doctors and nurses and their ability to interpret commonly used abbreviations in medical practice. METHODS: Seventy-seven medical doctors and eighty nurses answered a self-administered questionnaire designed to capture demographic data and information regarding abbreviation use in medical practice. Comparisons were made between doctors and nurses with regards to frequency and reasons for using abbreviations; from where abbreviations were learned; frequency of encountering abbreviations in medical practice; prevalence of medical errors due to misinterpretation of abbreviations; and their ability to correctly interpret commonly used abbreviations. RESULTS: The use of abbreviations was highly prevalent among doctors and nurses. Time saving, avoidance of writing sentences in full and convenience, were the main reasons for using abbreviations. Doctors learned abbreviations from fellow doctors while nurses learned from fellow nurses and doctors. More doctors than nurses reported encountering abbreviations. Both groups reported no difficulties in interpreting abbreviations although nurses reported often resorting to guesswork. Both groups felt abbreviations were necessary and an acceptable part of work. Doctors outperformed nurses in correctly interpreting commonly used standard and non-standard abbreviations. CONCLUSION: The use of standard and non-standard abbreviation in clinical practice by doctors and nurses was highly prevalent. Significant variability in interpretation of abbreviations exists between doctors and nurses.
ABSTRACT
Self-esteem is an important determinant of psychological well-being that is particularly problematic during adolescent life stage. There is a correlation between low self-esteem and other social problems among today's adolescents. This study was conducted to determine the mean self-esteem score, and to determine the association between self-esteem and age, sex, race, religion, number of siblings, ranking among siblings, family function, parental marital status and smoking among adolescents aged 12 to 20-years-old. A cross sectional study design using random cluster sampling method was done. Four out of a total of 35 secondary schools in Klang District, Selangor were selected. Respondents consisted of individual students in selected classes from the four selected schools. Data was collected using a self-administered, structured, pre-tested questionnaire and was analyzed using the SPSS version 12.0. Out of 1089 respondents, 793 completed the questionnaire (response rate 73.82%). The overall mean self-esteem score was 27.65. The mean self-esteem score for males (27.99) was slightly higher than females (27.31). The differences in the mean scores by race were statistically significant. There was a statistically significant relationship between mean self-esteem scores and sex, age, race, religion, number of siblings, smoking and family function. There was no statistically significant difference between mean self-esteem score with parental marital status and with ranking among siblings. The overall mean self-esteem score was 27.65. Self-esteem was associated with sex, age, race, religion, number of siblings, smoking and family function.
Subject(s)
Psychology, Adolescent , Self Concept , Students/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Echocardiography , Female , Humans , Malaysia , Male , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
We experimentally demonstrate that a short length of highly nonlinear holey fiber (HF) can be used for strong L(+) -band (1610-1640-nm) Raman amplification and ultrafast signal modulation. We use a pure silica HF with an effective area of just 2.85mum(2) at 1550 nm, which yields an effective nonlinearity ~15 times higher than in conventional silica dispersion-shifted fiber. Using a 75-m length of this fiber, we obtained internal Raman gains of more than 42 dB and a noise figure of ~6 dB under a forward single-pump scheme, and the Raman gain coefficient was experimentally estimated to be 7.6 chi 10(-14)m/W . Also, an 11-dB signal extinction ratio in a Raman-induced all-optical modulation experiment was achieved with the same fiber.