Perception of faculty in the community health sciences colleges towards simulation-based education in clinical nutrition undergraduate practical courses.

BACKGROUND: Simulation now is widely used for training and education in different fields including healthcare education. Medicine and healthcare students can be trained in a secure, efficient, and engaging setting by Simulation-based Education (SBE). Therefore, this study aimed to assess the perception of faculty members in the community health departments towards SBE to be used in practical subjects for clinical nutrition undergraduate courses. METHOD: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among community health sciences faculty members. The perception was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire that included three sections. RESULTS: This questionnaire was completed by 125 faculty members, of whom 36 (28.8%) were male and 89 (71.2%) were female. Overall, faculty members had positive perceptions, with a mean score of 3.86 ± 0.74, but a high level of anxiety toward SBE, with a mean score of 3.42 ± 0.75. There was a statistically significant difference between the responses of the faculty members based on the training they received in simulation (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study results indicate that community health sciences faculty members' perception of SBE in Saudi Arabia is generally positive. However, the results show high levels of anxiety among faculty members toward SBE.

Comparing the Familiarity of the Basic and Clinical Faculty Members of Iran University of Medical Sciences with the Principles of Digital Professionalism.

Background: Due to the changing conditions of education, research, and treatment in the world, especially the recent pandemic, and more use of virtual space, there is a need for evaluation of digital professionalism in faculty members as the most influential people who have a direct and deep impact on the next generation. Methods: In this analytical cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2023 on 149 faculty members of Iran University of Medical Sciences, they were invited to participate in the study through various methods (SMS, E-mail, and media messages). The link to the Persian standardized questionnaire was made available for participants. If a person received less than 70% of the score in each area, he/she would receive solutions to improve his/her situation in that area at the end of answering the questions. The self-administered questionnaire has 5 fields and 33 questions. Maximum scores were 10 points. Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients and statistical tests consisting of chi-square, t-test, Mann-Whitney U, one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis H were used in the analysis. Results: The mean overall score of people in principles of digital professionalism was 0.8. Women and basic sciences faculties had a significantly better status than men and clinical faculties in the principles of digital professionalism as a whole (P = 0.001 and P = 0.049, respectively). The domain of "knowledge management and information literacy" had significantly lower scores in professors in comparison with other degree (instructors, assistant professors, and associate professors (P = 0.039). Conclusion: The mean score of the principles of digital professionalism is acceptable at 80%. Coherent, timely, and up-to-date training to ensure the effective, safe and appropriate use of digital technology, especially for men, professors and clinical faculty members who had a lower score than others, should be done.

Mapping the core competencies and entrustable professional activities of medical ethics for faculty members.

INTRODUCTION: The present study aimed to develop core competencies and Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for faculty members through participating in faculty development programs in medical ethics. METHODS: This study included five stages. First, categories and subcategories were extracted based on the literature review and interviews with 14 experts and through inductive content analysis. Second, the content validity of the core competency list was checked by 16 experts using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Third, based on the previous phase, a framework for EPAs was developed by the taskforce in two sessions through consensus. Fourth, the content validity of the list of EPAs was compiled based on a three-point Likert 11 medical ethics experts from necessity and relevance perspectives. Fifth, EPAs were mapped by ten experts to the developed core competencies. RESULTS: After conducting the literature review and interviews, 295 codes were extracted, which were further classified into six categories and 18 subcategories. Finally, five core competencies and 23 EPAs were developed. The core competencies include "Teaching medical ethics", "Research and scholarship in the field of medical ethics", "Communication skills", "Moral reasoning", and "Policy-making, decision-making, and ethical leadership". CONCLUSION: Medical teachers can be effective in the moralizing healthcare system. Findings showed that faculty members should acquire core competencies and EPAs for proficiently integrating medical ethics into curricula. Faculty development programs can be designed in medical ethics for faculty members to help them to acquire core competencies and EPAs.

Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Excellence in Academic Research? a Study of Science and Engineering Faculty Members in China.

Research excellence is one of the key missions of universities and an important engine for socio-economic development. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 has affected academic research in many ways. This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the research performance of science and engineering faculty members in China's top research universities. It is found that the pandemic caused a decline in the numbers and quality of published articles, and the effects persisted over time. The negative effect of the pandemic on research excellence was more pronounced in the older faculty groups and departments of science. In addition, the pandemic has harmed international research collaborations among academics, which is likely to obstruct research excellence in the long run. In the end, this paper proposes several policy recommendations to reinvigorate universities' capacity for research innovation in the post-pandemic era.

Burnout of Faculty Members of Medical Schools in Korea.

BACKGROUND: There is no national survey on medical school faculty members' burnout in Korea. This study aimed to investigate burnout levels and explore possible factors related to burnout among faculty members of Korean medical schools. METHODS: An anonymous online questionnaire was distributed to 40 Korean medical schools from October 2020 to December 2020. Burnout was measured by a modified and revalidated version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey. RESULTS: A total of 996 faculty members participated in the survey. Of them, 855 answered the burnout questions, and 829 completed all the questions in the questionnaire. A significant number of faculty members showed a high level of burnout in each sub-dimension: 34% in emotional exhaustion, 66.3% in depersonalization, and 92.4% in reduced personal accomplishment. A total of 31.5% of faculty members revealed a high level of burnout in two sub-dimensions, while 30.5% revealed a high level of burnout in all three sub-dimensions. Woman faculty members or those younger than 40 reported significantly higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Long working hours (≥ 80 hours/week) showed the highest reduced personal accomplishment scores (F = 4.023, P = 0.018). The most significant stressor or burnout source was "excessive regulation by the government or university." The research was the most exasperating task, but the education was the least stressful. CONCLUSION: This first nationwide study alerts that a significant number of faculty members in Korean medical schools seem to suffer from a high level of burnout. Further studies are necessary for identifying the burnout rate, related factors, and strategies to overcome physician burnout.

What we think about professional and unprofessional behaviors: differences between the perception of clinical faculty members and medical students.

INTRODUCTION: Differences in the viewpoints of clinical faculty members and medical students about prioritizing professional norms accepted by the professional community and lack of alignment of these views can lead to distortion of understanding, problems in learning and assessment of professionalism, and failure in students' professional identity formation. This study aimed to identify the differences in viewpoints of clinical faculty members and medical students about prioritizing the importance and prevalence of professional and unprofessional behaviors among undergraduate medical students. METHODS: A multi-stage qualitative study was conducted at Tehran University of Medical Sciences during 2020-2021. At first, a systematic search was conducted to identify professional and unprofessional behaviors using the directional content analysis method. A panel of experts was formed to check the codes obtained from reviewing the literature and to evaluate its compliance with the context. Then, the modified nominal group technique sessions were held with clinical faculty members and medical students to strengthen the codes extracted from the studies and systematically integrate their views to achieve a comprehensive list of professional and unprofessional behaviors in accordance with the context. Finally, a consensus was made among them about prioritizing the importance and prevalence of these behaviors in undergraduate medical students. RESULTS: A total of 490 codes of professional behaviors and 595 unprofessional behavior codes were identified in the literature review. In the following sessions of the modified nominal group, 13 clinical faculty members listed 105 codes of professional and unprofessional behaviors, and 51 medical students also listed 313 codes. The results of the modified nominal group technique showed that the faculty members reported the importance of unprofessional behaviors higher than professional ones. At the same time, students rated the importance of professional behaviors higher than unprofessional ones. Both faculty members and students rate the prevalence of professional behaviors as high and the prevalence of unprofessional behaviors as low. CONCLUSION: The results showed a difference of views between clinical faculty members and medical students about prioritizing professional and unprofessional behaviors. It is essential to align their viewpoints to understand, learn and value professionalism to develop a professional identity.

University Teachers During the First Lockdown Due to SARS-CoV-2 in Italy: Stress, Issues and Perceptions of Misconduct.

With the spread of the pandemic and the introduction of measures aimed at its containment, it is necessary to understand in specific national contexts how home quarantine has affected the psychophysical well-being of academics, and their ability to maintain integrity. To this end we constructed an online questionnaire to investigate the levels of stress, well-being, and work-life balance in relationship with living and working conditions. Moreover, the questionnaire was designed to obtain information about the perceived occurrence, increase or decrease of misconduct in research (e.g., research misconduct by colleagues) and professional relationships (e.g., misbehaviors between colleagues, from students and toward students). The questionnaire was administered online by contacting faculty at three universities in Tuscany, Italy, asking them to relate their experience during the first lockdown (March-May 2020). Faculty members were invited to complete the questionnaire by their institutional e-mail account. The final sample consisted of 581 respondents. The results showed that inadequacies of the equipment, and particularly poor internet connection, were significantly correlated with main issues reported, such as relationships with students and research activities. Female teachers primarily suffered from stressful conditions, lacked well-being, and experienced work-life imbalance. Stress levels were related to perceptions of the frequency of misconduct and of an increase in their frequency during the period of home quarantine. Female professors, when compared to their male counterparts, perceived misconduct from students as increased and more frequent in the period of quarantine. Results point to a gender issue that is likely to arise from conditions of domestic activities imbalance and that increases stress and misconduct perception.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of oral cancer prevention among students, interns, and faculty members at the college of dentistry of Jazan University.

BACKGROUND: Oral cancer awareness among current and future dental practitioners plays a substantial role in the early detection and prevention of oral cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of oral cancer prevention (OCP) among oral health practitioners in the College of Dentistry at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, and to determine factors that facilitate, or limit practices related to oral cancer prevention. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire survey was done among dental students (n = 274), interns (n = 81), and faculty members (n = 117) in the College of Dentistry at Jazan University between May 2019 to February 2020. The questionnaire was developed in English and modified from a previously validated and published questionnaire into Arabic. It covered every KAP of oral cancer prevention that was useful in accomplishing the study's objectives. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to determine the factors associated with the practice of oral cancer prevention in the past year. RESULTS: Only 29.7% reported having participated in any OCP activities in the past 12 months while about 42% and 53% of participants referred suspected oral cancer patients to the departments of maxillofacial surgery and oral medicine, respectively. Most of the participants had poor knowledge (71.9%), unfavourable attitudes towards OCP (83.6%) and poor levels of practice (62.9%). The study found that the attitude of the participants was significant in influencing their practices of OCP in the previous 12 months, after adjusting for all other factors. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of OCP among the sample population was poor. The survey findings suggest that oral health practitioners in Jazan are inexperienced in the methods to adopt for prevention and early detection of oral cancer, despite the high prevalence of oral cancer among province residents. Further research should investigate effective educational strategies and training for improving the participation of students, interns, and faculty members in oral cancer prevention activities.

Quality of nursing education programme in the Philippines: faculty members perspectives.

BACKGROUND: The subject of continuous improvement in the quality of nursing education programme is an extremely sensitive issue worldwide, particularly in the Philippines where a high number of trained registered nurses are exported to both developed and developing countries. The assessment of the quality of nursing education programme is usually measured using pass rates in licensure examinations by several government organizations. However, few studies have indicated that various categories of faculty members view the quality of nursing programmes differently, this study probed further and determined whether the quality of nursing education programme differs according to the profile of faculty members in Philippines colleges of higher education. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study design was employed in this study. One hundred and eight-five (185) faculty members in fifteen (15) higher educational institutions were selected for the research using purposive-census sampling. The study was carried out from January 1 to June 30, 2017. Close-ended structured questionnaires based on study objectives were used to collect data. Frequency and percentages were used to analyse the profile of faculty members whereas weighted means from a four Likert's scale was used to interpret the extent of perceived quality of nursing education programme. RESULTS: Majority, 39 and 46% of faculty members had 1-5 years' clinical experience and 6-10 years of teaching experience respectively. Faculty members strongly agreed with a grand weighted mean of 3.84 out of 4.00 that nursing education programme is of good quality in the Philippines and is synonyms with other universities in the world. Teaching experience of faculty members showed significant relations in the quality of mission/vision/goals/objectives (p-value = 0.008), curriculum and instruction (p-value = 0.038), administration of nursing programme (p-value = 0.025), faculty development programme (p-value = 0.003), physical structure and equipment (p-value = 0.016), student services (p-value = 0.017), admission of students (p-value = 0.010) and quality assurance system (p-value = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Faculty members strongly perceived nursing education programme to be of good quality in this study. Teaching experience of instructors showed a significant relationship with the quality of nursing education programme in all the quality assessment indicators. However, clinical experience and job category of faculty members rather showed that the quality of nursing education programme is the same throughout all the higher educational institutions. The study implies that the teaching experience of faculty members is a strong predictor of quality of nursing education programme and employing faculty experienced in teaching is substantial for the continuous improvement of nursing education programme.

Education in uncertainty: Academic life as Indigenous health scholars during COVID-19.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to develop, communities around the world find themselves living in new and uncertain times. School and university closures are significantly disrupting the lives of students, educators and researchers alike. With the sudden shift to online learning platforms, the limitations on research projects and the lack of standardised policies and procedures, many concerns arise surrounding the unequal impacts of this crisis. This article brings together diverse perspectives on the effects of COVID-19 on post-secondary life for students and scholars engaged in the field of Indigenous health research. The authors reflect on how this time has impacted them as a graduating student, incoming PhD student, junior faculty member and mid-career faculty member respectively. Their experiences of teaching and learning at a large, research-intensive university in Toronto, Canada have been profoundly transformed, and will continue to change the way they work, research and interact at the graduate level. Working with Indigenous communities and organisations requires relationship building, collaboration and ceremony. In these unprecedented times, scholars cannot simply continue "business as usual". They must adapt everything, including how they teach, learn and work with Indigenous peoples, who are particularly vulnerable to this pandemic. Reflecting on the impacts that have already occurred and those that are still likely to come, the authors discuss what changes may need to be made in academia to support diverse actors within their scholarly community. They suggest changes to their scholarship with Indigenous communities in Canada to help them continue to work in a respectful, reciprocal and culturally appropriate way.

L'éducation dans des temps incertains : la vie universitaire pour les chercheurs dans le domaine de la santé des autochtones à l'heure de la COVID-19 ­ La crise de la COVID-19, qui continue de prendre de l'ampleur, plonge des communautés du monde entier dans des périodes inédites et incertaines. Les fermetures d'écoles et d'universités perturbent considérablement la vie des étudiants au même titre que celle des éducateurs et des chercheurs. Le brusque passage aux plateformes d'apprentissage en ligne, les restrictions imposées aux projets de recherche et l'absence de politiques et de procédés standardisés ont fait apparaître des préoccupations concernant l'impact hétérogène de la crise en cours. Cet article réunit différents points de vue sur les effets qu'a la COVID-19 sur la vie des étudiants de troisième cycle et des chercheurs dans le domaine de la recherche sur la santé des autochtones. Les auteures se penchent sur la façon dont cette période a impacté leur existence respectivement en tant qu'étudiante en fin de deuxième cycle, future doctorante et membres du corps professoral en début et en milieu de carrière ; une période qui a profondément marqué leur expérience de l'enseignement et de l'apprentissage dans une université centrée sur la recherche dans la ville canadienne de Toronto, et qui continuera à transformer leur façon de travailler, de faire de la recherche et d'interagir au niveau de l'enseignement supérieur. Travailler avec des communautés et organisations autochtones exige de construire des relations et de collaborer avec elles, et de respecter leurs usages. En cette période sans précédent, les universitaires ne peuvent pas faire comme si de rien n'était. Ils doivent tout adapter, y compris leur façon d'enseigner, d'apprendre et de travailler avec les peuples autochtones, particulièrement vulnérables face à cette pandémie. Dans une réflexion sur les conséquences qui se sont déjà fait sentir et sur celles probablement à venir, les auteures se penchent sur les changements susceptibles de devenir indispensables dans la sphère universitaire pour soutenir différents acteurs de leur communauté scientifique. Elles proposent des changements à leur travail avec les communautés autochtones au Canada pour les aider à continuer à opérer dans le respect et la réciprocité, et de façon adaptée sur le plan culturel.

Medical faculty members' perception of smartphones as an educational tool.

BACKGROUND: The rapid adoption of modern technology has changed many aspects of our life and communication; it has the power to influence and change the way we teach, learn and practice different types of professions mainly teaching and health care providing. Smartphone applications are increasingly becoming popular and widespread. Generally, these applications are likely to play a significant role in supporting education, in general, and medical education, in particular. This study aims at investigating how medical faculty members are using smartphones in medical education and practice, and how they perceive them as an educational tool at university level. METHODS: The researchers have distributed an online questionnaire - including three parts: a demographic part with five variables; a 15-item part of various applications of the smartphones; and a 14-item part measuring attitudes towards using these smartphones - among medical faculty members at two Palestinian universities. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Medical faculty members working at two Palestinian universities. Data have been collected from 30 participants out of 72 representing a response rate of 41.6%. RESULTS: The average skills score with smartphones usage is (3.18) which tells that faculty members use smartphones to support their teaching practices. In general, faculty members are positive towards smartphones as a prospective teaching tool since the average attitude towards using smartphones is (3.60). The study results show no significant differences among faculty members based on the five demographic variables, i.e. university, title, department affiliation, gender, and years of experience. CONCLUSION: It seems that the majority of faculty members believe that smartphones would be a significant instrument as well as addition to their teaching practices.

Knowledge, attitude and compliance of infection control guidelines among dental faculty members and students in KSU.

BACKGROUND: Infection is one of the most crucial problems in health care services worldwide. It is considered one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality associated with clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate knowledge, attitude, and compliance with recommended infection control guidelines among dental faculty members and students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to obtain information regarding knowledge, attitude, and compliance with recommended infection control guidelines. The sample (n = 317) comprised of dental faculty members and students (3rd, 4th and 5th year) in both male and female campuses of College of Dentistry (KSU). This questionnaire contained three parts (knowledge, attitude, and compliance) and was distributed to the participants. After validation of the survey, data were collected, entered and analyzed by SPSS software. RESULTS: A total of 317 dental faculty members and students participated in this study. Out of the total study subjects, 141 (44.5%) were female and 176 (55.5%) were male. A comparison between dental faculty members and students was made based on their knowledge, attitude, and compliance, which resulted in almost equal percentages of knowledge (49.6, 49.0% respectively). In addition, it revealed that faculty members' attitude toward infection control in the dental clinic was more positive compared to their compliance with the infection control guidelines (70.6, 65.2% respectively) while with the students it was vice versa (67.2, 69.6% respectively). There is no statistically significant difference in the knowledge and attitude of dental faculty members and students regarding infection control guidelines (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that dental undergraduate student and faculty members at KSU demonstrated a good adherence to infection control guidelines. On the other hand, there was a lack in the knowledge of the basics of infection control standards.

Building capacity for information and communication technology use in global health research and training in China: a qualitative study among Chinese health sciences faculty members.

BACKGROUND: The demand to use information and communications technology (ICT) in education and research has grown fast among researchers and educators working in global health. However, access to ICT resources and the capacity to use them in global health research remains limited among developing country faculty members. In order to address the global health needs and to design an ICT-related training course, we herein explored the Chinese health science faculty members' perceptions and learning needs for ICT use. METHODS: Nine focus groups discussions (FGDs) were conducted during December 2015 to March 2016, involving 63 faculty members working in areas of health sciences from six universities in China. All FGDs were audio recorded and analysed thematically. RESULTS: The findings suggest that the understandings of ICT were not clear among many researchers; some thought that the concept of ICT was too wide and ambiguous. Most participants were able to cite examples of ICT application in their research and teaching activities. Positive attitudes and high needs of ICT use and training were common among most participants. Recommendations for ICT training included customised training programmes focusing on a specific specialty, maintaining a balance between theories and practical applications, more emphasis on the application of ICT, and skills in finding the required information from the bulk information available in the internet. Suggestions regarding the format and offering of training included short training programmes, flexible timing, lectures with practicum opportunities, and free of charge or with very minimal cost to the participants. Two participants suggested the linking of ICT-related training courses with faculty members' year-end assessment and promotion. CONCLUSIONS: This study among health sciences faculty members in China demonstrated a high level of need and interest in learning about ICT use in research and training. The results have important implications for the design and implementation of ICT-related educational programmes in China and other developing countries.

Institutional factors affecting participation in national faculty development programs: a nation-wide investigation of medical schools.

BACKGROUND: Medical schools have used faculty development programs as an essential means to improve the instruction of faculty members. Thus far, however, participating in such programs has been largely voluntary for individuals even though a certain degree of participation is required to achieve practical effectiveness. In addition, the learning behaviors of faculty members are known to be influenced by organizational contexts such as a hidden curriculum. Therefore, this study explored the organizational characteristics of medical schools affecting attendance at faculty development programs. METHODS: Forty medical schools in South Korea were included in this study. In total, 1,667 faculty members attended the faculty development programs at the National Teacher Training Center for Health Personnel between 2007 and 2015. For independent variables, information on the basic characteristics and the educational states was collected from all the medical schools. Themes were identified from their educational goals and objectives by inductive content analysis. RESULTS: The number of nine-year cumulative attendees from medical schools ranged from 8 to 104. The basic characteristics of the medical schools had little influence on faculty development program attendance, while several themes in the educational goals and objectives, including "cooperation", "serving various societies", and "dealing with a changing future" showed a significant difference in participation. The number of full-time faculty showed a significant positive correlation when it was smaller than the median, and the proportion of alumni faculty showed a significant negative correlation when it was higher than 50%. CONCLUSIONS: This study adds to existing knowledge on factors affecting attendance at faculty development programs by identifying related institutional factors that influence attendance. While the variations depending on the basic characteristics were minimal, the organizational environment surrounding medical education significantly contributed to attendance. Addressing institutional as well as individual factors could contribute to improving participation by faculty members in faculty development programs.

Consulted ethical problems of clinical nursing practice: perspective of faculty members in Japan.

BACKGROUND: There are several studies that have targeted student nurses, but few have clarified the details pertaining to the specific ethical problems in clinical practice with the viewpoint of the nursing faculty. This study was to investigate the ethical problems in clinical practice reported by student nurses to Japanese nursing faculty members for the purpose of improving ethics education in clinical practice. METHOD: The subjects comprised 705 nursing faculty members (we sent three questionnaires to one university) who managed clinical practice education at 235 Japanese nursing universities. We performed a simple tabulation of the four items shown in the study design. 1) the details of student nurse consultations regarding ethics in clinical practice (involving the students themselves, nurses, care workers, clinical instructors, and nursing faculty members); 2) the methods of ethics education in clinical practice; 3) the difficulties experienced by the nursing faculty members who received the consultations; and 4) the relationship between clinical practice and lectures on ethics. Furthermore, the analysis was based on the idea of ethical principles, respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. RESULTS: The response rate was 28% (198 questionnaires). The nursing faculty members were consulted for various problems by student nurses. The details of these consultations were characterized by the principles of respect for patient by nurses, the principles of benevolence by faculty and clinical instructors, and the principle of justice pertaining to evaluations. The results indicate that there is an awareness among the nursing faculty regarding the necessity of some sort of ethics education at clinical settings. Moreover, based on the nature of the contents of the consultations regarding the hospital and staff, it was evident that the nursing faculty struggled in providing responses. More than half of subjects exhibited an awareness of the relationship between the classroom lectures on ethics and clinical practice. CONCLUSION: The results suggest the need for analyzing the ethical viewpoints of student nurses, prior learning, and collaboration with related courses as part of ethics education in clinical practice.

Nursing Students' and Faculty Members' Experiences of Comfort during Transition to Context-Based Learning.

There is evidence supporting student-centered learning (SCL) as an effective pedagogy to prepare professionals to work in the evolving health care system of the twenty-first century. SCL has many benefits, among them that it helps students to learn to work in teams and develop problem-solving, critical thinking and communication skills. The focus on the student means that the teacher's power is decreased. This, along with openness of the approach, can make the transition to SCL a challenge. This study used an exploratory descriptive qualitative design to explore how comfortable nursing students and faculty members were in a context-based learning (CBL) program, a version of SCL. Nursing students and faculty discussed common challenges of trusting the CBL process. They also discussed the emphasis on self-directed learning and how it could mean that tutors are not as involved with students. To enhance a smooth transition, recommendations have been made, including clarifying the CBL philosophy at orientation, and mentoring and reassuring students.

Curriculum leadership in the postgraduate: Gap between current and optimal status.

BACKGROUND: Identifying the strengths and weakness points is one of the effective methods to analyze current status, and prioritizing actions based on the gap between current and optimal status is necessary for short-term and long-term planning in departments and colleges. The aim of this study was to determine the gap between current and optimal status of curriculum leadership in the postgraduate courses in two Iranian universities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 212 faculty members from the two Iranian universities (one medical and one nonmedical) was randomly selected through stratified random sampling method. Data were collected by using a researcher-made questionnaire, with 55 items categorized in four areas of main dimensions in curriculum leadership. The validity of the questionnaire was determined by curriculum studies scholars, and the reliability was confirmed as the Cronbach's alpha calculated 0.969. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics according to the variables. RESULTS: There was a gap in all dimensions and roles. The maximum gap (-1.70) with the highest frequency (98%) were related to "improving the educational atmosphere" dimension. As for items, the maximum gap (-2.41) was related to "society needs and expectations and the labor market" in "curriculum development and revision" dimension. CONCLUSION: The negative gap between all dimensions of curriculum leadership implies faculty members' dissatisfaction. Curriculum leadership at universities, colleges and departments of the study in all aspects need to be improved. Hence, it is necessary for managers to make use of the viewpoints of the faculty members to decrease the gap.

Assessment the satisfaction level of faculty members from virtual teaching during corona crisis in Rafsanjan School of Medicine.

BACKGROUND: Evaluating the experiences and the satisfaction level of the academic members is an important parameter in planning for virtual education during COVID-19 pandemic. The present study was designed to evaluate the satisfaction level of faculty members of Rafsanjan School of Medicine regarding virtual education in COVID-19 crisis in two stages between 2019 and 2022. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted on the faculty members of Rafsanjan Medical School. The satisfaction level with virtual education during the COVID-19 pandemic was determined using a researcher-made questionnaire with appropriate validity and reliability. For analysing of quantitative variables, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, independent t tests and one-way analysis of variance and multiple linear regression were used. RESULTS: Data showed that only 15.2% of the faculty members had a previous experience of virtual teaching prior to the pandemic and 30.3% had a history of passing the empowerment course on virtual education before the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, 68.2% passed the empowerment course on virtual education at the same time as the COVID-19 epidemic spread. The overall satisfaction with virtual education in the first and second stages of the study was 49.05 and 49.22 out of 100, respectively. The satisfaction of NAVID learning management system was 66.66 percent among faculty members. The level of satisfaction in non-clinical members was significantly more than clinical members. CONCLUSION: The overall satisfaction of faculty members with virtual education was at an average or medium level. From the point of view of the faculty members, some aspects of virtual education need to be improved. Therefore, it seems necessary to improve the infrastructure and empower the faculty members to enhance the quality of virtual education.

Communities of reflection in nurse education programs: A qualitative multi-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing students often face challenges reconciling theoretical concepts with clinical realities. This study examines a novel concept 'Communities of Reflection' designed and tested to enhance coherency between theory and practice. The concept involves reflection groups comprising students, preceptors, and faculty during clinical placements. AIM: To examine the meaning of 'Communities of Reflection' regarding the coherency between theory and practice as perceived by the involved participants. METHOD: A qualitative multi-methods approach involved nursing students, preceptors, and faculty members who participated in 'Communities of Reflection.' Data collection methods included interviews, focus groups, written reflections, and observations. FINDINGS: The content analysis revealed that 'Communities of Reflection' facilitate a shared engagement in nursing, fostering a deeper level of reflection. Creating a safe space and embracing vulnerability are key aspects of this shared engagement. CONCLUSION: 'Communities of Reflection' offer a valuable framework for promoting coherency between theory and practice. It appears to be crucial to students' outcomes that a well-established, equitable theory-practice partnership is the solid foundation, acknowledging that emotions can serve as a catalyst for the development of professional expertise.

Assessment of Nursing Faculty Members' Knowledge Toward Research: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and aim In the context of contributing to healthcare and the well-being of a nation and its communities, nursing research plays a vital role in advancing the discipline of nursing science. Nursing research is essential for improving the quality of nursing care. This study aims to examine the research knowledge level of faculty members at the College of Nursing, University of Raparin, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 43 nursing faculty members at the University of Raparin. The survey was distributed using convenience sampling in April 2024. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0 (released 2019, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Continuous variables were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, while categorical variables were analyzed using frequency and percentage distributions. The association between knowledge scores and demographics was tested using Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square, and post-hoc tests. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to determine the variables that influence the knowledge score. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Results A total of 43 participants were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 32.56 ± 4.75, with 69.8% of participants being male. In terms of educational attainment, 48.8% held master's degrees, 39.5% held bachelor's degrees, and only 11% possessed PhDs. The mean work experience was 5.40 ± 4.04 years, and the mean knowledge score toward research was 3.09 ± 1.97 out of 7. Demographic variables, such as age, marital status, and gender, showed no significant associations with knowledge levels (p > 0.05). However, significant associations were found for education level (p = 0.004) and years of experience (p = 0.011). In the stepwise regression analysis, we observed a significant positive correlation between the level of education and knowledge score (F =10.787, p = 0.002). However, variables, such as age, gender, marital status, years of experience, and participation in research courses, did not demonstrate statistical significance (p-values > 0.05). Conclusion This study highlights a significant lack of research expertise among nursing faculty members, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted interventions and instructional activities in nursing education programs. It is crucial to address this knowledge gap in order to support the professional growth of faculty members and promote the advancement of nursing research and evidence-based practice. Policymakers should also consider implementing mentorship programs that strategically pair less experienced faculty members with seasoned researchers. This initiative aims to cultivate a collaborative learning environment and enhance research skills.