BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic forced academic institutions to suspend face-to-face activities, causing a drastic shift to a remote and online setting for learning and teaching. While necessary, the sudden change created a lasting effect on the constituents of medical schools whose curriculum relied on lectures, clinical skills, and hospital experience in teaching its students. This study aims to describe the effect of the rapid digitalization on the medical faculty at the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine-William H. Quasha Memorial (SLMCCM) in Metro Manila, Philippines.

METHODS

Members of the medical faculty of the college were invited to participate in focus group discussions (FGDs) where four frames were discussed, namely content, pedagogy, technology, and mindset. Responses taken in the FGDs underwent thematic analysis to find commonalities and patterns among the concerns and comments of the faculty.

RESULTS

Analysis of faculty feedback regarding the four frames revealed a spectrum of responses, encompassing both positive and negative sentiments. Content-related feedback predominantly focused on strategies for effectively segmenting and synthesizing information within the online environment. Pedagogical concerns are primarily centered on adapting teaching methods and delivery styles to the online format. Technological feedback highlighted the perceived advantages and limitations of online platforms and tools, as well as the role of technological support in facilitating the transition to online instruction. Finally, a significant portion of the feedback addressed the psychological effects of the pandemic on faculty members as medical educators, with responses ranging from expressions of fear to statements of confidence.

CONCLUSION

In the context of the evolving educational landscape, particularly the accelerated adoption of online and hybrid learning models in medical education, faculty recognition of the necessity of digitalization is paramount. Despite the inherent challenges of this transition, the faculty's demonstrated openness to change and innovation presents a significant opportunity for institutional growth. By continuing to invest in these technologies, institutions can not only enhance the medical curriculum but also prepare future physicians for the increasingly digital nature of healthcare delivery.

Faculty ; Education, Medical ; Technology

OBJECTIVES: Anxiety is a common negative emotion. Under current social circumstances, university young teachers face multiple stressors and are more prone to anxiety, seriously threatening their physical and mental health. This study aims to investigate the impact of job insecurity on anxiety of university young teachers, while exploring the mediating roles of perceived stress and insomnia on this relationship. METHODS: Using convenience sampling, young teachers from a general university in a Chinese province were surveyed online. Scores of the Job Insecurity Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Athens Insomnia Scale-Short Form, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale were collected. A chain mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro. RESULTS: A total of 798 subjects were finally included. The detection rate of anxiety among university young teachers was 36.47%. Mediation analysis showed that job insecurity not only had a direct effect on anxiety, but also indirectly affected anxiety via perceived stress (46.42% of the total effect) and insomnia (7.45%), as well as through the chain-mediating path of perceived stress→ insomnia (13.18%; all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Job insecurity is a significant predictor of anxiety in young university faculty. Perceived stress and insomnia serve as sequential mediators in this relationship. Targeted interventions addressing job insecurity, stress perception, and sleep disturbances, alongside efforts to improve mental health literacy and the working environment, may help promote the overall well-being of university young teachers.
Humans ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/epidemiology* ; Universities ; Female ; Anxiety/psychology* ; Male ; Stress, Psychological/psychology* ; Adult ; Faculty/psychology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; China/epidemiology* ; Occupational Stress ; Job Security

INTRODUCTION

With the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, schools around the world have slowly started to reimplement on-site classes with guidelines to prevent outbreaks. The University of Santo Tomas has devised their own set of guidelines, including safety protocols, vaccinations and daily health declarations. These were monitored using the
Thomasian Online Medical Services and Support (ThOMedSS).

METHODOLOGY

Through a case-control study design, the study aims to determine an association between the vaccination status of UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (UST-FMS) students and breakthrough COVID-19 infections in the first semester of the academic year 2022-2023, with population data acquired via records of students participating in face-to-face classes from the UST Health Service Office, and categorized based on breakthrough infections and vaccination status.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Results were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test (pCONCLUSION

The study suggests that vaccination status did not have a statistically significant association (p = 0.3451) with breakthrough infections. The majority (99.94%) of students have received the complete primary COVID-19 vaccination series and only 6.61% of this population developed breakthrough COVID-19 infections, all occurring in those completely vaccinated. Breakthrough infections were 1.76 times more likely for those with booster shots than those without. The possible reason for this is the emergence of the Omicron variant. To improve the study, external exposures and individual behaviors must be considered as potential factors influencing infection rates.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Child: 6-12 Yrs Old ; Adolescent: 13-18 Yrs Old ; Young Adult: 19-24 Yrs Old ; Association ; Case-control Studies ; Covid-19 ; General Surgery ; Faculty ; Incidence ; Infections ; Medicine ; Universities ; Vaccination

OBJECTIVES

While the chronically overburdened state of public school teachers in the Philippines is well-established, little is known about how they specifically provide ‘care’ and attend to their students’ health in the workplace. This article addresses that knowledge gap by illustrating the many forms of ‘health work’ undertaken by public school teachers on a daily basis, and analyzing the concrete challenges they face in doing such work. In so doing, this article provides a qualitative construction of school teachers as ‘health workers’ in the country.

METHODS

This article draws from two focus group discussions conducted in Southern Luzon and Eastern Visayas between November 2018 to May 2019, as part of a multi-sited study on the health-related challenges faced by lowand middle-income Filipinos. A total of 19 teachers participated in those two discussions. We used the principles of thematic analysis to code and analyze the discussion transcripts.

RESULTS

Teachers regularly fulfill various tasks that can be considered health work, including measuring students’ anthropometrics; supervising and administering government programs like deworming, feeding programs, and vaccinations; providing first-aid and various forms of immediate medical attention; addressing students’ mental and psychological health concerns; and working with students’ families in ways that resemble social work. However, the study participants largely considered themselves unqualified to do health work, often sacrificed their own personal health and interpersonal relationships to take on the additional burden of health work, and felt they received insufficient institutional support.

CONCLUSION

Doing health work not only takes away from actual teaching time, but also comes at the expense of teachers’ own health. Hiring the appropriate personnel to conduct health work and improving legal safeguards are possible solutions to ameliorating the present working conditions of teachers. Yet, the larger and more long-term conversation demands the prioritiziation of teachers’ well-being and overall quality of life, and recognizing the cruciality of a healthy work-life balance for them. Future studies should involve more diverse geographic sites and teacher populations, and utilize more focused forms of analysis (e.g., comparative, policy-driven).

Human ; School Teachers ; Healthcare Workers ; Health Personnel ; Philippines

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic forced academic institutions to suspend face-to-face activities, causing a drastic shift to a remote and online setting for learning and teaching. While necessary, the sudden change created a lasting effect on the constituents of medical schools whose curriculum relied on lectures, clinical skills, and hospital experience in teaching its students. This study aims to describe the effect of the rapid digitalization on the medical faculty at the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine-William H. Quasha Memorial (SLMCCM) in Metro Manila, Philippines. Methods: Members of the medical faculty of the college were invited to participate in focus group discussions (FGDs) where four frames were discussed, namely content, pedagogy, technology, and mindset. Responses taken in the FGDs underwent thematic analysis to find commonalities and patterns among the concerns and comments of the faculty. Results: Analysis of faculty feedback regarding the four frames revealed a spectrum of responses, encompassing both positive and negative sentiments. Content-related feedback predominantly focused on strategies for effectively segmenting and synthesizing information within the online environment. Pedagogical concerns are primarily centered on adapting teaching methods and delivery styles to the online format. Technological feedback highlighted the perceived advantages and limitations of online platforms and tools, as well as the role of technological support in facilitating the transition to online instruction. Finally, a significant portion of the feedback addressed the psychological effects of the pandemic on faculty members as medical educators, with responses ranging from expressions of fear to statements of confidence. Conclusion In the context of the evolving educational landscape, particularly the accelerated adoption of online and hybrid learning models in medical education, faculty recognition of the necessity of digitalization is paramount. Despite the inherent challenges of this transition, the faculty's demonstrated openness to change and innovation presents a significant opportunity for institutional growth. By continuing to invest in these technologies, institutions can not only enhance the medical curriculum but also prepare future physicians for the increasingly digital nature of healthcare delivery
faculty ; education, medical ; technology

Most medical faculty members assume various roles such as educator, administrator, clinician, and researcher. (1) Furthermore, they act as role models for students and instruments to improve student wellness. Strategies geared towards the faculty can therefore promote a top-down approach to enhancing student wellness. (2) Unfortunately, there is a dearth of data about this. If we expect the faculty to take care of students’ wellness, then we must ascertain the faculty’s wellness as well.
Faculty, Medical ; Students

With the communicable diseases headlining several media platforms, hand washing remains the most effective way to remove germs and help prevent the spread of microorganisms -- when done correctly. Proper hand hygiene plays an essential role in reducing the occurrence of transmitting microbes. This descriptive quantitative research study primarily aims to assess the knowledge, practices, and skills of a Private Higher Educational Institution university personnel and students towards Proper Hand Washing. Data was obtained using Google Forms from 316 participants of Holy Angel University personnel and students aged 18 years old and above. The majority, or 54%, of participants had a high level of hand hygiene knowledge, good hand hygiene practices (52%), and proficient hand hygiene skills (72%). Overall, the university personnel and students demonstrated good knowledge and skills, and practices towards hand hygiene. Results can inform programs and policies to improve handwashing as a protective measure against viral infections.
Hand hygiene ; knowledge ; practices ; skills ; COVID-19 ; HEI ; students ; faculty

Nurse educators are vital in the future of healthcare and deserve recognition and benefits for this role they play. Nurse educators who are exposed to clinical and community settings are facing challenges different from those in the classroom setting. They are evidently at risk of exposure to numerous hazards, perils of life, and physical hardships when they do preceptorship to students. In accordance with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order (CMO) 15, a nurse educator must supervise a maximum of 10 students in clinical and community settings to complete the corresponding number of Related Learning Experience (RLE) contact hours equivalent to 1836 hours in every student. It is crucial that reforms and regulations be made to recompense nurse educators. Risk welfare is a financial benefit for nurse educators performing preceptorship in intensive nursing practice or RLEs. It is a payment to cover actual or potential threats or dangers associated with carrying out RLE activities. Proposed rates for the benefit may depend on the area and number of days of actual exposure; however, hospital settings may be considered at greater risk, warranting higher payment.
Faculty, Nursing

Faculty ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lipids ; Male ; Physical Fitness ; Universities

Background and Objective: In addressing vaccine acceptance, teachers may play a pivotal role as educators and models of behavior, as they serve as reliable sources of information. Thus, this study aimed to determine the association between knowledge and risk perception of teachers and their acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. Methodology: This study utilized an analytic, cross-sectional design. Seven hundred and seven public secondary school teachers in Manila City, Philippines accomplished the online self-administered questionnaire. The study was guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM). Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. Results: Respondents had a high knowledge on COVID-19 mode of transmission (95.2%), signs and symptoms (92.9%), diagnosis (57.6%), treatment (98.9%), and prevention (92.2%). They had a high risk perception (>69.2%) pertaining to four constructs (Perceived Susceptibility, Perceived Severity, Perceived Benefits, Cues to Action) of the HBM. Low risk perception of barriers was observed (66.1%). The majority (92.5%) are willing to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. Respondents who teach health-related subjects (94.4%) garnered more vaccine acceptors compared to teachers of non-health-related subjects (91.6%). After adjusting for sex, age, highest educational attainment, and subjects taught, Cues to Action remained to be associated with COVID- 19 vaccine acceptance. Conclusion Although high levels of knowledge and risk perceptions were observed, only Cues to Action had a significant association with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Hence, they need external cues, from physicians or the Food and Drug Administration, to accept the COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 Vaccines ; Health Belief Model ; School Teachers ; Knowledge