Assessment of Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Undergraduate Nursing Students.

Background There has been a dramatic increase in the incidence and prevalence rate of autism globally. This increase could be correlated to the increase in the awareness level and understanding of the disorder among healthcare providers and autistic children's families. Aim This study aimed to assess undergraduate nursing students' knowledge about and attitudes toward children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods A cross-sectional quantitative study design was used. A convenience sample of 235 undergraduate nursing students from all levels was obtained. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Descriptive analysis (including mean, median, and standard deviation) was conducted. Inferential analysis was conducted to identify the relation between participants' demographic data and the subscales. Results The majority of the studied sample was aged 20 years or over (n=194, 82.55%) and was from the second year of undergraduate nursing school (n=120, 51.1%). The total mean score of the overall knowledge levels among nursing students at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) was mild (M=0.91, SD=±1.04), whereas the overall mean percentage score of undergraduate nursing students' attitudes toward care, education, and advocacy for autistic children was 74.38%, indicating a positive high level of attitude. Conclusions This study highlighted the level of nursing students' knowledge about childhood autism. Additionally, it disclosed their attitudes toward autistic children. The study filled a gap in the literature by revealing the perspectives of nursing students toward ASD.

Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness Among Healthcare Students in Saudi Arabia.

Background Healthcare workers are responsible for dealing with pediatric victims of violence. While the awareness and reporting of suspected cases are rising, there is a lack of research that proves the awareness, knowledge, and attitude of healthcare students. Objectives We evaluated the awareness of child abuse and neglect and examined the demographic factors associated with them. Participants and setting The study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah with a sample of 237 undergraduate healthcare students. Methods We utilized the quantitative design and surveyed a convenience sample of 237 healthcare students from March to May 2021. The survey contains questions on child abuse and neglect. Results The respondents' overall mean on the scale was 82.90 (SD = 14.00). The students rated the subscale "Actions considered as child neglect" as the highest (M = 4.18, SD = 1.08), followed by "Actions considered as child abuse" (M = 4.04, SD = 1.21), "Reasons for under-reporting child abuse and neglect cases in Saudi Arabia" (M = 3.34, SD = 0.68), and "Knowledge regarding child abuse and neglect" (M = 3.13, SD = 0.53). The analyses showed that gender (t= -3.88, p< 0.001) and year level (F= 5.98, p= 0.003) were associated with the students' "knowledge regarding child abuse and neglect." Conclusion The findings revealed a good awareness of child maltreatment among healthcare students. However, the students reported a lower awareness of the different reasons for under-reporting child violence cases in Saudi Arabia.

Stigma towards health care providers taking care of COVID-19 patients: A multi-country study.

Background: Health care providers (HCPs) have always been a common target of stigmatization during widespread infections and COVID-19 is not an exception. Aim: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of stigmatization during the COVID-19 pandemic among HCPs in seven different countries using the Stigma COVID-19 Healthcare Providers tool (S19-HCPs). Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: The S19-HCPs is a self-administered online survey (16-item) developed and validated by the research team. The participants were invited to complete an online survey. Data collection started from June-July 2020 using a convenience sample of HCPs from Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Kuwait. Results: A total number of 1726 participants were included in the final analysis. The majority of the study participants were Jordanians (22%), followed by Kuwaitis (19%), Filipinos (18%) and the lowest participants were Indonesians (6%). Other nationalities were Iraqis, Saudis, and Egyptians with 15%, 11% and 9% respectively. Among the respondents, 57% have worked either in a COVID-19 designated facility or in a quarantine center and 78% claimed that they had received training for COVID-19. Statistical significance between COVID-19 stigma and demographic variables were found in all aspect of the S19-HCPs. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated high levels of stigmatization against HCPs in all the included seven countries. On the other hand, they are still perceived positively by their communities and in their utmost, highly motivated to care for COVID-19 patients. Educational and awareness programs could have a crucial role in the solution of stigmatization problems over the world.

Whole-Person Development of Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Multi-University Study.

AIM: This study examines how nursing students in Saudi Arabia view their holistic development during university study and the association between their perceptions and academic performance. BACKGROUND: Holistic nursing education fosters broad development and emphasizes students' cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual potentials. METHOD: This descriptive and correlational study utilizes the Whole Person Development Inventory to collect data from 998 student nurses enrolled in six governmental universities in Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: The professional dimension recorded the highest mean, followed by the intellectual, spiritual, physical, and psychological dimensions. The social dimension received the lowest overall mean. Intellectual, psychological, social, and spiritual development has an association with high academic performance. CONCLUSION: This study encourages policymakers and various stakeholders concerned with nursing education in the country and worldwide to be intentional and systematic in adapting the whole-person development approach in nursing education.

Predictors of nursing students' intention to receive COVID-19 vaccination: A multi-university study in Saudi Arabia.

AIMS: This study examined the predictors of student nurses' intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. We measured the nursing students' risk perceptions, anxiety, fears and beliefs on COVID-19 vaccine; attitudes towards it and vaccine literacy (VL). DESIGN: This study is a multi-university study utilizing the quantitative, cross-sectional and predictive approach. METHODS: Using convenience sampling (n = 1170), we surveyed 10 Saudi universities from November 26, 2020, to December 31, 2020. Forward stepwise multinomial logistic regression was performed in identifying the factors predicting student nurses' intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. RESULTS: The overall mean in the risk perception, anxiety and fear was 9.59 (SD = 2.82, possible range = 1-15), 3.95 (SD = 4.77, possible range = 0-20) and 18.17 (SD = 6.65, possible range = 7-35) respectively. They also reported a mean of 29.90 (SD = 6.56, possible range = 8-40) on COVID-19 belief. COVID-19 positive and negative attitudes mean score was 3.64 (SD = 0.92) and 2.72 (SD = 0.90) in a 1-4 range of scores respectively. The functional and interactive-critical COVID-19 VL of the students were at moderate levels. More than half of the respondents (55.9%) intended to be vaccinated against COVID-19, 17.6% did not intend to do so and 26.5% were unsure. High-risk perceptions, low levels of COVID-19 anxiety, positive beliefs and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccine, and high levels of interactive-critical COVID-19 VL were significant predictors of student nurses' intentions to vaccinate against COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Policymakers could consider the factors identified in this study and why the students did not intend to receive the vaccine in planning a nationwide vaccination program. The colleges of nursing could also utilize the findings in developing educational programs that aim to improve VL and beliefs and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccine.

Incivility among Arabic-speaking nursing faculty: testing the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of incivility in nursing education-revised.

OBJECTIVES: Civil environment in nursing education enhances achieving learning outcomes. Addressing incivility can be crucial to improve academic achievements. The purpose of this study was examining the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Incivility in Nursing Education-Revised scale regarding nursing faculty. METHODS: This cross-sectional study conducted in five Arab countries using a convenience sampling strategy. Two hundred twenty-five Arab-speaking nursing faculty participated in this study. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the construct validity of the translated Arabic version of the Incivility in Nursing Education-Revised that are related to nursing faculty. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and a coefficient of 0.867 indicated strong scale reliability. CONCLUSION: The Arabic version of the Incivility in Nursing Education-Revised scale that is related to nursing faculty is a valid and reliable tool that can be used to evaluate incivility among Arab-speaking nursing faculty.

Incivility among nursing faculty: A multi-country study.

BACKGROUND: In nursing programs, incivility can be a main issue affecting future registered nurses, and this may threaten patient safety. Nursing faculty play an important role in this scenario to reduce incivility. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess incivility among nursing faculty in different countries. METHOD: This descriptive (cross-sectional) study was conducted to assess the extent of incivility among nursing faculty by using Incivility in Nursing Education-Revised tool and a non-probability (convenience) sampling method was used. Three hundred ninety-five nursing faculty in 10 countries distributed in four continents participated in this study. RESULTS: The results indicated that levels of incivility among participants in different countries were significantly different. Also, there was a significant difference (F = 9.313, P value = 0.000) among the nursing faculty concerning the behaviours that have been rated as disruptive. Furthermore, there was a significant difference (F = 6.392, P value = 0.000) among participants regarding uncivil behaviours that have occurred during the past 12 months. CONCLUSION: Regular assessments are needed to highlight uncivil behaviours and reduce them by making policies and rules in order to enhance academic achievement in nursing education.

Self-compassion influences the caring behaviour and compassion competence among saudi nursing students: A multi-university study.

AIM: This research investigated the perceptions of Saudi nursing students regarding self-compassion and examined its influence on their caring behaviour and compassion competence. DESIGN: This is a quantitative and cross-sectional study. METHODS: This multiuniversity study surveyed a convenience sample of 961 nursing using the Self-compassion Scale, Compassion Competence Scale and Caring Behavior Inventory-16 version. Standard multiple analysis was performed separately for caring behaviour and compassion competence as dependent variables. For both models, the self-compassion dimensions and the demographic variables were considered predictor variables. RESULTS: The students reported their self-compassion moderately, with mindfulness receiving the highest mean and self-judgment receiving the lowest mean. Significant differences were observed on self-compassion of students between universities. Caring behaviour and compassion competence were also rated moderately by the students. "Self-kindness" and "common humanity" were identified as significant predictors of caring behaviour, whereas "self-kindness," "self-judgment," "common humanity" and "mindfulness" were significant predictors of compassion competence.

The Compassion Competence Scale Arabic version: A validation study among student nurses and interns in Saudi Arabia.

AIM: The aim of this study is to assess the validity and reliability of the Compassion Competence Scale Arabic version for Saudi nursing students and interns. BACKGROUND: Compassion is an essential element of quality health care in which training nursing students to deliver compassionate care is important. Assessment of compassion competence of Arabic-speaking nursing students requires a valid and reliable tool. DESIGN: This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. METHODS: This investigation was conducted from April to May 2019 in two universities in Saudi Arabia involving nursing students and interns. Cultural adaptation was performed using a forward-backward translation method. Content validity and construct validity through exploratory factor analysis were established. Internal consistency, stability and reliability were also determined for the scale. RESULTS: The Arabic version has an excellent content validity. The exploratory factor analysis supported a three-factor solution that accounts for 50.62% of the scale's variance. The Cronbach's alpha of the scale was 0.806, whereas the Cronbach's alpha of the subscales ranged from 0.739 to 0.797. The intraclass correlation coefficient of the two-week test-retest scores was 0.84. The university, gender, year level and family type predicted the students' compassion competence. CONCLUSION: The Arabic version can be used to measure Arabic-speaking nursing students' compassion competence in clinical areas.

The Self-Compassion Scale Arabic version for baccalaureate nursing students: A validation study.

BACKGROUND: The Self-Compassion Scale is an extensively used tool to measure self-compassion among different groups of population, including nurses. The tool has been translated and tested for its psychometric properties in previous studies. Assessing self-compassion among Saudi nursing students is critical as self-compassion is suggested to create a positive effect on one's wellbeing, coping, emotions, and other personal outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This study determined the validity and reliability of the Self-Compassion Scale Arabic version (SCS-A) for nursing students. It also identified the demographic factors associated with the students' self-compassion. DESIGN: A quantitative, cross-sectional design. SETTINGS: The investigation was carried-out in two government universities in Saudi Arabia. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 322 Saudi nursing students in the 2nd to 4th year, as well as nurse interns was surveyed (mean age = 21.27, range = 18-27). METHODS: The Self-Compassion Scale was culturally adapted to come up with the SCS-A. Content validity was established. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to establish the construct validity; whereas for reliability, internal consistency and test-retest reliability were established. Pearson's product correlation, t-test, and One-way Analysis of Variance were used to examine the demographic factors associated with self-compassion, accordingly. RESULTS: A panel of experts rated content validity as excellent. The EFA revealed six dimensions namely "self-judgment," "self-kindness," "common humanity," "mindfulness," "isolation," and "over-identification", with total variance of 64.1%. Cronbach's alpha values for the six factors were from 0.76 to 0.85, with an overall α of the whole scale at 0.86. Computation revealed ICC values ranging from 0.84 to 0.92, whereas the ICC for the entire SCS-A was 0.81. CONCLUSION: SCS-A shown satisfactory validity as well as good reliability. SCS-A can be used to collect baseline data on self-compassion, which could be used in developing policies in the universities and training hospitals to ensure that nurse interns and nursing students have compassion toward self. The study also opens opportunities for multi-country and cross-cultural studies on self-compassion among nursing students.

Perceptions of female Saudi undergraduate nursing students toward family-centered care.

BACKGROUND: While family-centered care is considered a vital part of nursing care, nursing students seem to struggle in incorporating family-centered care in the clinical setting. Several factors such as minimal exposure in family interactions throughout their clinical practice, lack of experience in organizing family-centered clinical experiences, access to restricted clinical areas, and inadequate supervision from clinical instructors present as challenges among nursing students in practicing family-centered care. OBJECTIVES: This study explored the perceptions of nursing students toward family-centered care in Saudi Arabia. DESIGN: This study used the quantitative approach through the cross-sectional survey method. SETTINGS: The study was conducted in the Faculty of Nursing of a government university in Saudi Arabia. PARTICIPANTS: A total population sample comprising 232 female junior and student nurses participated in the study. METHODS: After the approval of the Ethical Board Committee had been secured, a survey containing a demographic information sheet and the Family-Centered Care Questionnaire was distributed to the students from June 2018 to February 2019. RESULTS: The overall mean of the students' responses in the questionnaire was 3.76 (SD = 0.67, range = 3.40-4.08), indicating a modest perception toward family-centered care. The dimension "family is the constant" received the most positive response from the students (M = 3.90, SD = 0.77), whereas the dimension "parent-to-parent support" was rated the lowest with a mean of 3.64 (SD = 0.89). Junior nursing students had more positive perception toward family-centered care than the seniors. Weak negative correlations were observed between students' age and family-centered care perception. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights into family-centered care, which could be used in crafting policies and interventions in various health care settings and nursing education in Saudi Arabia. Such insights could foster positive perceptions toward family-centered care among student nurses and guarantee excellent family-centered care nursing practice.

Nursing Students' Perceptions, Knowledge, and Preventive Behaviors Toward COVID-19: A Multi-University Study.

Background: Knowledge, perception, and preventive behavior should be considered in the planning of effective educational interventions for the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and in increasing awareness about the health risks brought about by this disease. This research aimed to assess knowledge, perceptions, and preventive behavior toward the COVID-19 infection among student nurses. Methods: The study has quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional design. A convenience sample of 1,226 student nurses from seven universities in Saudi Arabia was surveyed from March 22 to April 4, 2020. A four-part online survey on demographic characteristics, perceptions, knowledge, and preventive behavior of Saudi student nurses was carried out. Results: Nearly all students were aware of the outbreak (99.2%), and most of them received information on COVID-19 primarily from social media (71.0%). Over three-fourths of the students were confident that the government (89.1%) and Ministry of Health (MOH) (86.5%) were doing a good job responding to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. The overall average score in the knowledge questionnaire was 9.85 (SD = 1.62, range = 0-12), which is equivalent to 82.1%. The majority of the students always performed most of the preventive behavior identified in the survey, except "washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 s after blowing my nose, coughing, or sneezing" (39.2%) and "daily cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces" (41.6%). Being female, being in the fourth year, and gaining good perceived knowledge were associated with high actual COVID-19 knowledge. University, gender, age, academic level, and perceived COVID-19 knowledge were the associated factors. Conclusions: The findings of this study have provided baseline information on the current state of Saudi nursing students' perceptions, knowledge, and preventive behavior toward COVID-19 as the crisis is happening. The findings revealed some areas that should be focused on by nursing education, as well as health agencies, to ensure that the students have adequate knowledge and correct preventive behavior.

Assessment of nursing students perceptions of their training hospital's infection prevention climate: A multi-university study in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: The risk of acquiring and spreading infection must be minimized in nursing students because they are exposed to healthcare-associated infections during clinical training. To achieve this goal, students should be knowledgeable and competent in infection control practice before proceeding to their training hospitals. OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the nursing students' perception of the infection prevention climate in training hospitals in Saudi Arabia. It also examined the predictors of the students' perceptions. DESIGN: A quantitative, cross-sectional design was used. METHODS: This investigation was part of a large study conducted in six Saudi universities. A total of 829 Saudi nursing students were included in this study. Data were collected using the Leading Culture of Quality in Infection Prevention scale and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Ethical approval was obtained from the King Saud University, and permission was given by the administration of each participating university. RESULTS: The overall perception of nursing students indicated a modest infection prevention climate. Prioritization of quality and improvement orientation was rated as the highest dimensions, whereas psychological safety and supportive environment were the lowest. The nursing students in University F had the poorest perceptions among the six universities. The predictors of nursing student perception of their training hospitals' infection prevention climates were the university where they studied, their age, and participation in infection prevention seminars. CONCLUSIONS: This article describes nursing students' perception of the infection prevention climate of their training hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Results may provide a unique theoretical underpinning on the perception and factors that effect an infection prevention climate. Thereby, previous knowledge and literature may be expanded. Results can be used as a guide in establishing clinical policies in efforts toward improving the infection prevention climate.

A multi-university assessment of patient safety competence during clinical training among baccalaureate nursing students: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the perceived patient safety competence during clinical training of Saudi nursing students. BACKGROUND: Ensuring safety in healthcare settings requires improvements in the educational and clinical practice of professionals. Experts stressed that shared patient safety culture must be of primary importance; they also emphasised the resolute need for theoretically driven research approaches for patient safety competence in healthcare organisations and educational institutions. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional design. METHODS: This study was conducted in six government universities in Saudi Arabia. A sample of 829 nursing students was surveyed using the health professional education in patient safety survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The study adhered to the STROBE guideline for cross-sectional studies (See Supporting Information Appendix S1). RESULTS: The percentage of agreement on the items of the health professional education in patient safety survey ranged from 61.5%-76.5%. The dimension "understanding human and environmental factors" received the highest perceived competence, whereas the dimension "working in teams" received the lowest competence. Significant differences in students' patient safety competence from different universities were reported. Male students perceived their competence in "working in teams" higher than the female students. Students in their internship year had significantly higher levels of competence in all the six dimensions of the health professional education in patient safety survey than students in the third- and fourth-year levels. CONCLUSIONS: Saudi nursing students have positive perceptions towards their patient safety competencies. Significant differences were found in the patient safety competence of nursing students between universities, gender and year of study. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results provide valuable insights and guidance for improving the patient safety competence of nursing students. The findings can be used to guide the creation of policies and interventions that may ensure the continuous development of patient safety competence of nursing students as they navigate the clinical area.

Compliance with standard precautions during clinical training of nursing students in Saudi Arabia: A multi-university study.

INTRODUCTION: Nursing students are susceptible to healthcare-associated infections because of their direct patient interactions during their clinical training. Hence, compliance with standard precautions (SPs) is paramount during their clinical exposure and training. This study investigated the compliance with SPs and its predictors among Saudi nursing students from six universities. METHODOLOGY: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in six government universities in Saudi Arabia. A convenience sample of 829 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students was surveyed using the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out to analyze the data. RESULTS: The overall compliance rate of the respondents was 60.1% with a mean score of 12.02 (SD = 4.50). The students reported highest compliance on covering the mouth and nose when wearing a mask, while the lowest compliance was on disposing sharps box before it is full. The university, academic year level, and attendance to infection prevention and control training or seminar in the last six months were identified as significant predictors of the students' compliance with SPs. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide valuable insights and guidance for improving the practice of SPs among future nurses, which could result in the reduction of infection exposure and its transmission rates among future nurses in clinical settings.

Paediatric nurses' perceptions and practices of family-centred care in Saudi hospitals: A mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Family-centred care is widely accepted as the underlying philosophy of paediatric nursing. Studies of family-centred care have mainly been conducted in western countries and little is known of its practice in other contexts. No studies have been undertaken in the Middle East. AIM: To explore family-centred care in the Saudi context from the perspectives of paediatric nurses. DESIGN: A mixed methodology was utilised with an explanatory sequential design. In the quantitative phase a convenience sample of 234 nurses from six hospitals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia completed the Family Centred Care Questionnaire. The qualitative phase took place in one hospital and involved 140h of non-participant observation of paediatric nurses' practice. A convenience sample of 14 nurses was involved. Additionally, 10 face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with key staff members. A purposeful sample of 10 nurses was involved. The findings from both phases were integrated in the final analysis. RESULTS: The survey results indicated that participants identified most elements of family-centred care as necessary for its practice. They were less likely to incorporate them into their practice (p<0.001, paired t-tests, all subscales). These findings were supported by the observation data, which revealed that, while several elements of family-centred care were frequently practised, others were implemented either inconsistently or not at all. Findings from the interview data indicated that participants had limited and superficial understanding of what family-centred care means as a model of care; rather, they worked with the elements as a set of core tasks. In the current study, there were similarities between what has been found in the Saudi context and findings from other studies using the same tool in western contexts. There is general agreement regarding the differences between theory and practice. Nurses do believe and acknowledge the importance of family-centred care; however, they struggle with practising this model in their everyday work. In the current study, many factors contributed to this issue, including language barriers, communication issues, cultural issues and hospital policies. CONCLUSION: Western concepts of family-centred care appear to be accepted by paediatric nurses in Saudi Arabia. However, full adoption of family-centred care in keeping with western values is likely not to be appropriate or successful in the Saudi context where both nurses and families have a non-western culture. The western model of family-centred care requires cultural modification and further development to fit Saudi and Middle Eastern cultures.