OBJECTIVES: This study investigates lay beliefs about the etiology and treatments of tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome, as well as identifying sociodemographic and personality variables affecting these beliefs among South Koreans. METHODS: In total, 673 participants (mean age 41.77±12.03 years) completed an online survey regarding their beliefs about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome. The factors related to their lay beliefs about the disorders were analyzed, and the correlates were investigated. RESULTS: Results indicated that lay people in South Korea held strong beliefs that the causes of tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome lie within the parenting/psychological and neurological/biological categories, compared to the dietary/environmental one. Among the sociodemographic variables, sex, age, and levels of subjective mental health knowledge were primarily associated with the aforementioned beliefs. Familiarity with tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome was also associated with these beliefs. Among the personality traits investigated, extraversion and conscientiousness had significant influences on the beliefs people had about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that both policy makers and mental health service providers should adopt a strategic approach for developing and implementing health education interventions about tic disorder and Tourette's syndrome because individual sociodemographic variables, familiarity with the disorders, and personality traits are all associated with the beliefs about these disorders.
Administrative Personnel ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Health Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Mental Health Services ; Recognition (Psychology) ; Tic Disorders ; Tics ; Tourette Syndrome

PURPOSE: This study identifies challenges to the first nurse training program for undergraduate nursing students at a nursing and midwifery school in Iran using a collaborative approach in order to improve the program. METHODS: Action research was used as a research strategy with qualitative content analysis and quantitative evaluation. The participants were 148 individuals from nursing academic and clinical settings, including administrators, faculty members, students, and staff nurses. We obtained approval from the research deputy and ethics committee of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran for this study. RESULTS: Lack of coherence in the educational program and implementation of the program, inadequate communication between management inside and outside the organization, insufficient understanding of situations by students, and improper control of inhibitors and use of facilitators in teaching and in practice were among the major challenges in the first training process in the context of this study. After classification of problems, the educational decision-making authorities of the school developed an operational program with stakeholder cooperation to plan initial reforms, implementation of reforms, reflection about the actions, and evaluation. Comparison of student satisfaction with the collaborative learning process versus the traditional method showed that except for the atmosphere in the clinical learning environment (p > .05), the mean differences for all dimensions were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm the overall success of the revised partnership program, but stressed the need for further modification of some details for its implementation in future rounds.
Attitude of Health Personnel ; Education, Nursing/*organization & administration ; Educational Measurement/methods ; Health Services Research/organization & administration ; Humans ; Iran ; Midwifery/*education ; Nurse's Role ; Nursing Education Research/organization & administration ; Personal Satisfaction ; Reproducibility of Results ; Students, Nursing/psychology ; Teaching ; Trust

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore how traditional ritual practices are incorporated into the context of contemporary healthcare. METHODS: An ethnographic study was conducted, using observations and interviews with 27 first-time mothers and 3 nurses at a postpartum nursing center in Taipei, Taiwan. RESULTS: Nursing routines, policies and care provision at the center affected the way traditional ritual practices were conducted. New mothers in this study constructed their everyday activities at the center by incorporating and modifying the ritual practices inside and outside the postpartum nursing center setting. CONCLUSIONS: Social changes have an influence on traditional postpartum ritual practices so a postpartum nursing center becomes a choice for postpartum women. Thus, health care professionals should value their own functions and roles at the postpartum nursing center since the new mothers regard them as the primary support resource to help them recover from giving birth. Therefore, they need to re-examine their practices from the postpartum women's perspective to provide better support and sensitive care to postpartum women and their families.
Adult ; Ambulatory Care Facilities/trends ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Education, Nonprofessional ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/trends ; Mothers/education/psychology ; Nurse's Role ; Nursing Process ; Obstetric Nursing/*trends ; Postnatal Care/*trends ; Postpartum Period/*ethnology ; Taiwan/ethnology

In response to the demands of an ageing nation, the postgraduate medical education in Singapore is currently in the early stage of transition into the American-styled residency programme. This study assessed the expectations of both radiology trainees and faculty on their ideal clinical learning environment (CLE) which facilitates the programme development. A modified 23-item questionnaire was administered to both trainees and faculty at a local training hospital. All items were scored according to their envisioned level of importance and categorised into 5 main CLE domains-supervision, formal training programme, work-based learning, social atmosphere and workload. 'Supervision' was identified as the most important domain of the CLE by both trainees and faculty, followed by 'formal training programmes', 'work-based learning' and 'social atmosphere'. 'Workload' was rated as the least important domain. For all domains, the reported expectation between both trainees and faculty respondents did not differ significantly. Intragroup comparison also showed no significant difference within each group of respondents. This study has provided valuable insights on both respondents' expectations on their ideal CLE that can best train competency in future radiologists. Various approaches to address these concerns were also discussed. The similarities in findings between ours and previous studies suggest that the 'supervision', 'formal training programmes' and 'work-based learning' domains are crucial for the success of a postgraduate medical training and should be emphasised in future curriculum. 'Workload' remains a challenge in postgraduate medical training, but attempts to address this will have an impact in future radiology training.
Attitude of Health Personnel ; Competency-Based Education ; Curriculum ; Education, Medical, Graduate ; methods ; organization & administration ; Faculty, Medical ; Female ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; methods ; organization & administration ; Male ; Radiology ; education ; Singapore ; Students, Medical ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Workload

The General Medical Council encourages the integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) teaching into basic medical education. We wished to explore the attitudes of medical students to CAM and its inclusion in their undergraduate curriculum. Medical students were invited to complete the validated Integrative Medicine Attitude Questionnaire (IMAQ) and to state whether they considered it appropriate for them to learn about CAM in medical school. The questionnaire was completed by 308 students (65.8% response rate). CAM had been received by a majority of respondents and their families. Participants believed that doctors with knowledge of CAM provide better patient care and that it is desirable for physicians to exploit the placebo effect. Most students expressed the view that doctors should be able to answer patients' questions about herbal medicines. There was a belief that patients should be warned to avoid using supplements which have not undergone rigorous testing. Students who were current or previous users of CAM or whose family members used CAM had higher total IMAQ scores and openness subscale scores than those who did not report use of CAM. Two-hundred and nine (68%) students expressed a desire to study CAM as part of their medical curriculum. This study reveals a positive attitude towards a holistic approach to patient care which embraces CAM. Medical students believe that integrative medicine should be taught in medical school.
Attitude of Health Personnel ; Complementary Therapies ; education ; Female ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; education ; Male ; Students, Medical ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Teaching

Death and dying is an ultimate process that every human being must experience. However, in these days we do not like to think or discuss about death and dying. Actually, hatred and denial is the usual feeling when we encounter death and dying. Dying is more than a biological occurrence. It is a human, social, and spiritual event, but the spiritual dimension of patients is too often neglected. Whether death is viewed as a "wall" or as a "door" can have significantly important consequences for how we live our lives. Near death experience is one of the excellent evidences to prove that there should be spiritual component being separated from the human physical body when we experience death. People have called it soul, spirit, or nonlocal consciousness. Caregivers need to recognize and acknowledge the spiritual component of patient care. Learning about death and dying helps us encounter death in ways that are meaningful for our own lives. Among the several learning tools, utilizing cinema with its audio and visual components can be one of the most powerful learning tools in death education.
*Attitude to Death ; Caregivers/education/psychology ; Health Personnel/*education/psychology ; Humans ; Psychodrama

PURPOSE: To examine geographical imbalances by analyzing new graduate nurses' migration patterns among regions where they grew up, attended nursing school, and had their first employment and to identify factors related to working in non-metropolitan areas. METHODS: The sample consisted of 507 new graduates working in hospitals as full-time registered nurses in South Korea. Migration patterns were categorized into 5 patterns based on sequential transitions of "geographic origin-nursing school-hospital." Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with working in non-metropolitan hospitals. RESULTS: Nurses who grew up, graduated, and worked in the same region accounted for the greatest proportion (54%). Sixty-five percent had their first employment in the region where they graduated. Nurses tended to move from poor to rich regions and from non-metropolitan to metropolitan areas. Working in non-metropolitan hospitals was related to older age, the father having completed less than 4 years of college education, non-metropolitan origin, non-capital city school graduation, and a diploma (vs. baccalaureate) degree. CONCLUSION: Admitting students with rural backgrounds, increasing rural nursing school admission capacities, and providing service-requiring scholarships, particularly for students from low-income families, are recommended to address geographical imbalances.
Adult ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate ; Employment ; Female ; Hospitals, Rural ; Hospitals, Urban ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology ; Poverty ; Professional Practice Location

PURPOSE: Clinical training for nursing students is limited to rudimentary skills to avoid potential risks. Simulation-Based Training (SBT) can overcome the shortcomings of clinical training. We evaluated the educational effect of SBT for obstetrical nursing students using high-fidelity simulation courses. METHODS: We developed a simulation program for obstetrical nursing students to practice nursing skills that are necessary to provide quality care. The program consisted of four sessions. 1st: An orientation and a preliminary test. 2nd: Learning core skills required in obstetrical nursing. 3rd: Testing each student with scenario. 4th: Providing a debriefing session. At the beginning of the program, students were surveyed about their self-confidence in obstetrical nursing care, and at the end of the program, they were surveyed about the adequacy of SBT as well as self-confidence. RESULTS: Students' self-confidence showed a significant difference before and after simulation. Mean adequacy of SBT was 7.15+/-1.35 (out of 10). Most students became more interested in Women's Health Nursing after SBT. CONCLUSION: The results from evaluating the effects of simulation-based obstetrical nursing training show that SBT provides invaluable clinical experience for obstetrical nursing students by overcoming the lack of actual clinical involvement in clinical training programs.
Adult ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Clinical Competence ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Obstetrical Nursing/*education ; Pregnancy ; Program Evaluation ; Students, Nursing/*psychology ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop a spiritual care education program (SCEP) for nursing students to help increase their awareness of the essence of spirituality in care so as to enable them to promote spiritual well-being and spiritual care competence. METHODS: The participants were assigned to an experimental group (n=42) or a control group (n=39). From August to October 2009, the experimental group participated in the SCEP, which were held 2 hours a week for 6 weeks. The data were analyzed using chi2-test, Fisher's exact probability test, paired t-test, t-test with the SPSS WIN 17.0 statistics program. RESULTS: The experimental group had a higher mean score for spirituality, spiritual well-being and spiritual care competence than the control group. Significant differences were found between the experimental group and the control group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the SCEP was effective in improving spirituality, spiritual well-being and spiritual care competence for nursing students.
Adult ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Clinical Competence ; Curriculum ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate ; Humans ; *Models, Theoretical ; Program Development ; Program Evaluation ; Questionnaires ; *Spirituality ; Students, Nursing/*psychology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the attitudes of medical students toward psychiatry. METHODS: A total of 254 fourth-year medical students were investigated with a 29-item questionnaire. RESULTS: Although in general, medical school students showed a positive attitude towards psychiatry, opinions about certain aspects like the reputation of psychiatry and the attitude toward psychiatric therapy were not positive. CONCLUSION There are still some misunderstandings for psychiatry among medical school students, some of which are based on false beliefs that should be actively targeted for remediation.
Attitude of Health Personnel ; Career Choice ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Psychiatry ; education ; Specialization ; Students, Medical ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult