PURPOSE: Learning style preferences vary within the nursing field and there is no consensus on a predominant learning style preference in nursing students. The current study compared the learning style preferences of nursing students at two universities in Iran and Malaysia. METHODS: A purposive sampling method was used to collect data from the two study populations. Data were collected using the Learning Style Scale (LSS), which is a valid and reliable inventory. The LSS consists of 22 items with five subscales including perceptive, solitary, analytic, imaginative, and competitive. The questionnaires were distributed at the end of the academic year during regular class time for optimum response. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the learning style preferences between the two study populations. RESULTS: A significant difference was found in perceptive, solitary, and analytic learning styles between two groups of nursing students. However, there was no significant difference in imaginative and competitive learning styles between the two groups. Most of the students were in the middle range of the learning styles. CONCLUSION: There were similarities and differences in learning style preferences between Zabol Medical Sciences University (ZBMU) and University Sains Malaysia (USM) nursing students. The USM nursing students were more sociable and analytic learners, whereas the ZBMU nursing students were more solitary and perceptive learners.
Consensus ; Humans ; Iran* ; Learning* ; Malaysia* ; Nursing ; Students, Nursing* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Learning-style instruments assist students in developing their own learning strategies and outcomes, in eliminating learning barriers, and in acknowledging peer diversity. Only a few psychometrically validated learning-style instruments are available. This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable learning-style instrument for nursing students. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in two nursing schools in two countries. A purposive sample of 156 undergraduate nursing students participated in the study. Face and content validity was obtained from an expert panel. The LSS construct was established using principal axis factoring (PAF) with oblimin rotation, a scree plot test, and parallel analysis (PA). The reliability of LSS was tested using Cronbach's alpha, corrected item-total correlation, and test-retest. RESULTS: Factor analysis revealed five components, confirmed by PA and a relatively clear curve on the scree plot. Component strength and interpretability were also confirmed. The factors were labeled as perceptive, solitary, analytic, competitive, and imaginative learning styles. Cronbach's alpha was >0.70 for all subscales in both study populations. The corrected item-total correlations were >0.30 for the items in each component. CONCLUSION: The LSS is a valid and reliable inventory for evaluating learning style preferences in nursing students in various multicultural environments.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Learning* ; Schools, Nursing ; Students, Nursing ; Weights and Measures* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The goal of the current study was to identify associations between the learning style of nursing students and their cultural values and demographic characteristics. METHODS: A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to gather data from two populations. All 156 participants were female, Muslim, and full-time degree students. Data were collected from April to June 2010 using two reliable and validated questionnaires: the Learning Style Scales and the Values Survey Module 2008 (VSM 08). A simple linear regression was run for each predictor before conducting multiple linear regression analysis. The forward selection method was used for variable selection. P-values < or =0.05 and < or =0.1 were considered to indicate significance and marginal significance, respectively. Moreover, multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine the invariance of the Farsi and English versions of the VSM 08. RESULTS: The perceptive learning style was found to have a significant negative relationship with the power distance and monumentalism indices of the VSM 08. Moreover, a significant negative association was observed between the solitary learning style and the power distance index. However, no significant association was found between the analytic, competitive, and imaginative learning styles and cultural values (P>0.05). Likewise, no significant associations were observed between learning style, including the perceptive, solitary, analytic, competitive, and imaginative learning styles, and year of study or age (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Students who reported low values on the power distance and monumentalism indices are more likely to prefer perceptive and solitary learning styles. Within each group of students in our study sample from the same school the year of study and age did not show any significant associations with learning style.
Demography* ; Female ; Humans ; Iran* ; Islam ; Learning* ; Linear Models ; Malaysia* ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing* ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: Nurses and physicians must be competent enough to provide care for the clients. As a lack of knowledge and a poor attitude result in a low performance of delivering care, this study aimed to explore the nurses versus physicians' knowledge, attitude, and performance on care for the family members of dying patients (FMDPs). METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted at the educational hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. The samples were 110 nurses and 110 physicians. The data were collected through a convenience sampling method and using a valid and reliable questionnaire. RESULTS: The average knowledge, attitude, and performance on care for the FMDPs were not significantly different between nurses and physicians (p>0.05). The majority of nurses (55.4%) and physician (63.6%) were at a moderate and a fair level of knowledge of care for the FMDPs. Most of the nurses (81%) and physicians (87.3%) had a positive attitude towards caring the FMDPs. Most of the nurses (70%) and physicians (86.3%) had a moderate and fair performance. CONCLUSION: Having enough knowledge and skills, and a positive attitude are necessary for caring the FMDPs. Nurses' and physicians' competencies must be improved through continuing educational programs and holding international and national conferences with a focus on the palliative care.
Adult ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; *Attitude to Death ; Clinical Competence ; Empathy ; Family ; Female ; Humans ; Iran ; Male ; *Nurses ; *Palliative Care ; Personnel, Hospital ; *Physicians ; *Professional-Family Relations ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; *Terminal Care

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing students being trained to perform vaccinations. METHODS: The grounded theory method was applied to gather information through semi-structured interviews. The participants included 14 undergraduate nursing students in their fifth and eighth semesters of study in a nursing school in Iran. The information was analyzed according to Strauss and Corbin's method of grounded theory. RESULTS: A core category of experiential learning was identified, and the following eight subcategories were extracted: students' enthusiasm, vaccination sensitivity, stress, proper educational environment, absence of prerequisites, students' responsibility for learning, providing services, and learning outcomes. CONCLUSION: The vaccination training of nursing students was found to be in an acceptable state. However, some barriers to effective learning were identified. As such, the results of this study may provide empirical support for attempts to reform vaccination education by removing these barriers.
Education ; Humans ; Iran ; Learning* ; Nursing* ; Problem-Based Learning ; Schools, Nursing ; Students, Nursing* ; Vaccination*

PURPOSE: Healthcare staff educate nursing students during their clerkships at community health nursing programs. Their teaching methods play an important role in nursing students' acquisition of competencies; however, these methods have not been studied thoroughly. Thus, this study aims to describe, interpret, and understand the experiences of healthcare staff's teaching methods in clerkships at a community health nursing program. METHODS: This study was conducted using purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews with 13 members of the staff of three urban healthcare centers in Iran. The data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis. RESULTS: Multiplicity of teaching was identified as the main category of teaching method, and the five subcategories were teaching through lecture, demonstration, doing, visits and field trips, and readiness. The most common method used by the healthcare staff was lecturing. CONCLUSION: The healthcare staff used multiple methods to teach students in the nursing clerkship of the community health program, which was the strength of the course. However, they should be familiar with, and utilize additional methods, such as discussion rather than lecture.
Clinical Clerkship ; Community Health Nursing* ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Humans ; Iran* ; Nursing ; Students, Nursing ; Teaching*

PURPOSENurses played a critical role in performing triage during the Iran-Iraq War. However, their experiences in triage have not been discussed. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the triage experiences of civilian nurses during the Iran-Iraq War.

METHODSOral history method and in-depth interviews were used to collect data to gain the nurses' experiences in triage.

RESULTSFour themes were extracted from the data, which were the development of triage, challenging environment to perform triage, development of mobile triage teams, and challenges of triage chemical victims for nurses.

CONCLUSIONTriage is an important skill for nurses to manage critical situations such as disasters and wars. Nurses have to be competent in performing triage. Involvement in critical situations helps the nurses learn and gain more experience on how to manage unexpected events.