Preferences for printed books versus E-books among university students in a Middle Eastern country.

Background: Learning styles vary among the students at the university level which has changed from traditional to more technology pervaded strategies involving digital gadgets. The Academic libraries are being challenged to upgrade from old fashioned hard copy resources to digital libraries including electronic books. Purpose: The main purpose of the study is to assess the preferences of using printed books versus e-books. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional survey design was used to collect the data. A total of 607 students were included in the study. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Results showed that 86.8% of the students were in undergraduate program with 48.9% students in the second year of the program, 95.6% in the age group of 17-26 years and 59.5% of them being females. The study concluded that 74.6% of students prefer e-books in terms of easy to carry and 80.6% of them spent more than 1 h reading from e-books, while 66.7% of the students preferred printed books due to the ease in studying and 67.9% favored as it is easy to make notes. However, 54% of them felt studying from the digital copies difficult. Conclusion: The study concludes that the students prefer e-books as they spent more time reading from e-books and are easy to carry; while traditional printed copy is comfortable to use and easy to take notes and study for exams. Implications for practice: As many changes are happening in the instructional design strategies with the introduction of hybrid methods of teaching and learning, the findings of the study will guide the stake holders and educational policy makers to design novel and modernized educational design that has a psychological, and social impact among the students.

Objective structured clinical examination vs traditional clinical examination to evaluate students' clinical competence: A systematic review of nursing faculty and students' perceptions and experiences.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of clinical competence of nursing students is an essential requirement in professional nursing education. This article summarizes the current published evidence indicating the nursing faculty and students' perceptions and experiences on benefits of OSCE over TCE. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. Electronic databases including Scopus, Medline, Science Direct, CINAHL, EBSCO, PsychINFO, and Pubmed Central were used to identify relevant articles. The studies published between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2020 and fourteen full-text articles that met all the inclusion criteria were included in the review. RESULTS: The review identified five themes namely: a) Student's perception of OSCE; b) student's satisfaction regarding OSCE as an examination approach; c) students' perception of TCE as an examination approach; d) student's level of stress and anxiety towards OSCE vs TCE; and e) faculty member's perception and experience of OSCE. CONCLUSION: We conclude that OSCE is a more credible assessment format to evaluate the clinical competence of undergraduate nursing students compared to the TCE method.

The effects of an olive-oil massage on hemodialysis patients suffering from fatigue at a hemodialysis unit in southern India - a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects that an olive oil massage has on fatigue among patients undergoing hemodialysis, and the associated sociodemographic factors that can reduce fatigue. METHODS: The study used true experimental pre- and post-test research design. A total of 200 patients were recruited in a selected hemodialysis unit in southern India and were allocated to either a study or control group by randomization, with 100 patients in each group. All the patients in the intervention group were given a lower back and lower leg massage using olive oil at the beginning, and after every hour, of their hemodialysis using olive oil for a period of eight weeks. In contrast, the control group continues to receive routine care. The level of fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale both before and after massage therapy. RESULTS: Between 73 and 80% of patients were suffering from severe fatigue and the mean fatigue score was 5.53 (SD 1.82) and 5.56 (SD 1.57) for the study and control group, respectively. After eight weeks of massage therapy, the results showed that 53% of patients in the study group showed borderline fatigue, with a mean score of 4.39 (SD 2.37), whereas in the control group 73% patients showed severe fatigue, with a mean score of 5.17 (SD 2.00). The independent t-test between the study and the control group showed a statistically significant reduction in fatigue in the study group with a mean difference (MD) of 3.56 (t=-1.24; p=0.000). There were also statistically significant changes noted in gender and in the duration of the hemodialysis (χ 2 = 6.043; p=0.049) and (χ 2 = 6.611; p=0.046) respectively. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that patients undergoing hemodialysis experienced moderate to severe levels of fatigue. In patients with no or mild anemia, massage has been shown to decrease fatigue and increase energy levels among patients undergoing hemodialysis for chronic kidney disease.

Traditional clinical training combined with high-fidelity simulation-based activities improves clinical competency and knowledge among nursing students on a maternity nursing course.

BACKGROUND: Providing adequate and quality clinical training to student nurses is a major issue in nursing education. In the Middle East, this issue is more prominent because providing intimate healthcare to women in maternity nursing, especially by male nursing students, remains a challenge. PURPOSE: This study compared the effects of a combination of traditional clinical training with high-fidelity simulation (TCT+HFS) activities vs TCT alone on the clinical competency and knowledge among students enrolled in a maternity nursing course in a Middle Eastern public university. METHOD: A quasi-experimental research design was adopted in the study. The sample consisted of 74 students (40 in the TCT group and 34 in the TCT+HFS group) from a cohort of nursing students in a Middle Eastern university. The Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument and a 29-item, researcher-designed knowledge scale was used to measure the relevant outcomes. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in the knowledge (F = 1.064, P = 0.306) or clinical competency scores (F = 0.168, P = 0.683) between the TCT+HFS group and the TCT group. CONCLUSION: Substituting 25% of the clinical hours with HFS may yield similar learning outcomes (knowledge and clinical competency) as TCT.

Foot care behaviors among adults with type 2 diabetes.

AIM: The aim of the study was to determine factors influencing foot care behaviors among adults with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A correlational descriptive study was conducted with a random sample of 160 adults with type 2 diabetes from the public hospital between April and July 2014. RESULTS: Just over 15% of the sample had a history of foot ulcers and almost 42% had numbness/tingling and pain in their feet. Positive foot care behaviors were correlated with higher income, higher educational attainment, lower body weight, positive attitude and higher awareness of diabetes and its management. CONCLUSION: Targeting type 2 diabetes people with low level of education, low income and overweight may help to enhance their foot care and reduce foot complications in similar populations, Implications. Those most at risk of foot problems should be targeted for education to increase their awareness of ways to prevent and to manage foot problems.

Do Perceptions of Empowerment Affect Glycemic Control and Self-Care Among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes?

BACKGROUND: The Arab adult with T2DM is understudied with less known facts about the perception of empowerment and its relationship with self-care and glycemic control. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which perception of empowerment by Arab adults living with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) was associated with better glycemic control and self-care management. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was led among 300 Arab adults living in Oman with T2DM in an outpatient diabetes clinic. The Diabetes Empowerment Scale (DES), glycosylated haemaglobin (HbA1c) and Body mass index was assessed. The DES was found to be valid and reliable for the population. ANOVA, Regression analysis, and Structural equation modeling was used for analysis. RESULTS: The composite score and three subscales of DES were a significant and strong predictor of good glycemic control among Omani adults with T2DM (p<0.001). Age, education, duration of DM, prior DM education program and medications were significantly associated with DES. CONCLUSION: Diabetes nurse educators engaged in the care of adults with T2DM should assess self-empowerment and tailor interventions to increase empowerment for better glycemic control. Patient empowerment plays an essential role in maintaining self-care behaviours and HbA1c.

Risk-assessment score for screening diabetes mellitus among Omani adults.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a self-administered risk-assessment scoring system for identifying Omani adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: An exploratory cross-sectional design was used. Simple random sampling was used to select 93 adults in Muscat. Ethical approval was obtained from the College of Nursing Research and Ethics Committee. The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) was used to collect the data in 2009. Informed consent was obtained from the participants. Data were analysed with the Pearson chi-square test. RESULTS: A total of 9.7% of the adults had very high FINDRISC and 17.2% had slightly elevated risk of developing T2DM within 10 years. The risk assessment (family history, waist circumference, body mass index, physical activity, dietary intake, hypertension and high blood glucose) of T2DM was significant and positively related to the prediction of T2DM among Omani adults.