Exploring an educational assessment tool to measure registered nurses' knowledge of hearing impairment and effective communication strategies: A USA study

The need for a Smart Phone Application to Facilitate Communication Between Deaf-Mute and Hearing-Impaired Patients and Dentists

Objective

This study aims to determine the difficulty of communication between deaf-mute and hearing-impaired individuals, and their dentists and the need for an application to facilitate communication.

Materials and methods

This is a cross-sectional study. A self-reported questionnaire was distributed among individuals with hearing disability. We measured demographic data, deaf-mute and hearing-impaired patients experience at the dental office, their interest and ability to use modern means of communication, and their willingness to use smartphones, tablets or computers to communicate with their dentists. Fisher's Exact test was used to determine association between different variables with cut-off point (P < 0.05).

Results

58.5% of individuals with deafness or hearing impairment have visited dental offices. 51% of individuals reported they could not understand their dentists during visits. 45.3% stated that their complaints were understood. 30.2% of the information given by dentists were clear to them and only 24.5% of individuals were given all necessary information. 73.58% of all individuals are willing to use mobile applications to facilitate communication if recommended by their dentists.

Conclusions

Many individuals with hearing disability are facing difficulties in communication in the dental office. The majority of them are willing to use a mobile application to help them communicate better with their dentists.

Does volunteering change attitudes towards people with disabilities? A qualitative study of the experience of orthodox Jewish nursing students

BACKGROUND

People with disabilities identify negative staff attitudes and behaviors as barriers to accessing health services. Studies show that nursing education activities specific to people with disabilities improves nursing care. This study explores the experience of orthodox Jewish nursing students volunteering with people with disabilities, how their attitudes towards this population changed.

DESIGN

A qualitative design was used. This research is part of an extensive ongoing study of orthodox and ultra-orthodox (Haredi) students volunteering with people with disabilities.

METHODS

Data from 13 semi-structured interviews, conducted between July and September 2017, with 14 male students (two students chose to be interviewed together) and four people with disabilities were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Volunteering enhanced students' awareness of the needs of people with disabilities, changed their attitude towards this population and enhanced their confidence as nurses. The individuals with disabilities valued the help they received as well as the opportunity to change the students' prior notions and stigmas regarding disability.

CONCLUSIONS

Projects such as ours could improve the attitude of nursing staff towards individuals with disabilities and improve nursing care. We recommend involving people with disabilities in designing such projects.

Face-to-Face and blended methods to improve oral competence in nursing students through simulation

Communication and interpersonal skills are relevant to the health professions, so it is important to promote these competencies at university. This research assesses the effectiveness of teaching oral competence through simulation using face-to-face and blended methods. A public speaking workshop was conducted in a group of 144 first year nursing students. Three groups were obtained according to the teaching method (Group 1: traditional method-3 sessions, Group 2: traditional method-2 sessions, Group 3: blended method-2 sessions). Public speaking confidence was measured at the beginning and end of the training, and oral competence was assessed at the end. As a result, all groups achieved a good level of oral competence after the training. However, while students in Group 1 showed greater oral competence, with regard to confidence in public speaking, students in Group 1 showed significantly worst results than those in Group 3. We concluded that simulation is a useful strategy to improve cognitive learning, and behavioural and practical competencies such as public speaking. As for the teaching method, although blended learning did not offer better results than traditional learning, it seems useful provide there is at least one face-to-face session so that the student can perform a speech and receive corrective feedback.

Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Nurses' Beliefs Toward Deaf and Hard of Hearing Interaction

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Nurse-patient communication has a significant effect on health outcomes and quality of care. The purpose of this research was to develop and validate an instrument to measure nurses' beliefs toward interacting with Deaf signers, non-signing deaf, and hard of hearing (DdHH) patients.

METHODS

Initial pool items created based on literature review. Content validated by DdHH and hearing registered nurses (RNs) and certified interpreters working in healthcare. Resulting D/deaf and Hard of Hearing Interaction Beliefs Scale for Registered Nurses (DdHH-IBS/RN) administered to two groups of RNs. Two validation studies conducted.

RESULTS

Analyses demonstrated high inter-item reliability, internal consistency reliability, and stability reliability of a 25-item DdHH-IBS/RN. Confirmatory factor analysis supported hypothesized structure of the scale.

CONCLUSION

The DdHH-IBS/RN is a reliable and valid scale to measure nurses' beliefs towards DdHH interaction.