Effects of web-based diabetes education on knowledge retention in adult general population: An experiment

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a study to improve diabetes knowledge through a web-based diabetes course in the general adult population. We hypothesised that participation in a web-based diabetes course would have a positive impact on diabetes knowledge retention.

METHODS

Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. Participants in the experimental group attended an interactive web-based diabetes course. The Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ24) was used to assess the diabetes knowledge levels. The DKQ24 was completed at the beginning and end of the observation period of 3 months. The experimental group also completed it immediately after the intervention.

RESULTS

At the end of the observation period, a statistically significant difference in the mean rank of DKQ24 scores was found in favor of the experimental group (p < .001). The results of the experimental group had a lower interquartile range (IQR = 3) than those of the control group (IQR = 5).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that providing a web-based diabetes course to the general population is effective and can improve diabetes knowledge and retention.

Assessment of management styles among top nursing leaders in Slovenian primary health centers: a cross-sectional analysis

PURPOSE

This study aims to endeavor to discern the predominant leadership styles used by nursing managers within the framework of Slovenian primary health centers. Using a quantitative research approach, the study was conducted through the administration of a structured questionnaire.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The investigation encompassed 67 nursing managers, representing the entire spectrum of primary health centers in Slovenia. A stratified representative subset comprising 53 top nursing managers actively participated in this study.

FINDINGS

The prevailing leadership style among nursing managers predominantly manifests as the "integrated" style, characterized by a balanced emphasis on both interpersonal relationships and task-oriented elements. These nursing leaders exhibited a proclivity for fostering collaborative teamwork, with their leadership approach notably shaped by traits such as positive thinking, self-assuredness, comprehensive leadership knowledge and an intrinsic motivation to guide and inspire individuals. Notably, leadership knowledge emerged as the most influential factor in determining the selected leadership style. The study's findings recognize specific areas in which leadership competencies among nurse managers may require further enhancement and development.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

The study's findings are based on a specific subset of nursing leaders in a particular region, which can add to the originality, especially as there is limited prior research in this specific context. The study's exploration of leadership styles is original in the sense that it provides insights into the leadership behaviors and traits of nursing managers in the given context. The emphasis on factors such as positive thinking and leadership knowledge as influential elements adds originality to the study.

Qualitative study on domestic social robot adoption and associated security concerns among older adults in Slovenia

Introduction

Despite the increasing use of domestic social robots by older adults, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding attitudes, concerns, and potential adoption behavior in this population. This study aims to categorize older adults into distinct technology adoption groups based on their attitudes toward domestic social robots and their behavior in using the existing technology.

Methods

An exploratory qualitative research design was used, involving semi-structured interviews with 24 retired Slovenian older adults aged 65 years or older, conducted between 26 June and 14 September 2023.

Results

Four distinct groups of older adults were identified: (1) Cautious Optimists, (2) Skeptical Traditionalists, (3) Positive Optimists, and (4) Technophiles based on eight characteristics.

Discussion

These groups can be aligned with the categories of the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Privacy and security concerns, influenced by varying levels of familiarity with the technology, pose barriers to adoption. Perceived utility and ease of use vary considerably between groups, highlighting the importance of taking into account the different older adults. The role of social influence in the adoption process is complex, with some groups being more receptive to external opinions, while others exhibit more autonomous decision-making.

Profiling nursing students' dishonest behaviour: Classroom versus clinical settings

Background

While academic dishonesty among nursing students is becoming a global problem, the instruments used in studies on this topic are heterogeneous and, in many cases, not even validated. This makes it difficult or impossible to compare the findings on a global scale.

Objectives

To investigate the profile of Croatian nursing students’ dishonest behaviour in classroom and clinical settings and to examine the relationship between the incidence of dishonest behaviour in both settings.

Research design

A quantitative cross-sectional study using a Croatian online version of the Nursing Student Perceptions of Dishonesty Scale (overall Cronbach’s alpha 0.933).

Participants and research context

446 nursing students from a higher education institution in Croatia, EU, in the academic year 2020/21.

Ethical considerations

The study was approved by the relevant committee of the higher education institution.

Findings/results

Almost all participants (91.3%) performed dishonest behaviour on two or more occasions in the classroom and 32.5% did so in the clinical setting. The incidence of dishonest behaviour increased with the students’ year of BSc study (p = .008). All subscales of dishonest behaviour in the classroom were significantly and positively associated with dishonest behaviour in the clinical setting, except for the Not My Problem and Non-Compliance subscales.

Discussion

Based on these results, the following should be taken into consideration: 1) dishonest behaviour in the classroom is associated with dishonest behaviour in the clinical setting; 2) even the slightest occurrence of dishonest behaviour in the clinical setting can lead to fatal events.

Conclusions

The gradual increase in BSc nursing students’ dishonest behaviour with their year of study raises several questions regarding the development of ethical and moral values in this population. This raises the need for early and continuous exposure of students to ethical content from the beginning of their studies and support from competent educators.

Improving the efficiency of remote conference tool use for distance learning in higher education: A kano based approach

During the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions around the world were challenged to shift from traditional to distance teaching processes. This was not an easy task as educational institutions had to face many technology and human related challenges. The purpose of this paper is to present an approach that helps teachers to use remote conference tools (RCT) for a particular course more efficiently. The approach enables both teachers and students to be more effective in online education in general and during pandemics. The proposed approach leans on the Kano model and specifically focuses on evaluation of RCT features (RCTF) from students' and teachers' perspectives. Such evaluation enables development of recommendations for effective RCTF use. The approach was tested in three different case studies: Case 1 (computer and information science - software development; 39 students, 2 teachers), Case 2 (criminal justice and security - introduction to information systems; 130 students, 2 teachers), Case 3 (applied kinesiology - statistics; 44 students, 2 teachers). In all three cases, the results clearly demonstrated the benefits of the proposed approach and showed that the use of RCTF should be adapted to the specifics of each course where lectures and tutorials need to be considered separately.

Zasnova prototipa informacijskega sistema za klinično pot otročnice in novorojenca v zgodnjem poporodnem in neonatalnem obdobju

Uvod: Klinična pot je metodologija, ki celotnemu zdravstvenemu timu omogoča racionalno in na primerih dobre prakse utemeljeno obravnavo, spremljanje opravljenega dela ter poenoteno in poenostavljeno dokumentiranje. Cilj je bil identificirati klinično pot za učinkovito obravnavo otročnice in razviti prototip informacijskega sistema, ki bi olajšal izvajanje omenjene poti.Metode: S sistematičnim pregledom literature je bila identificirana obstoječa klinična pot. Z metodo modeliranja in s strukturiranimi intervjuji šestih deležnic v fokusni skupini je bil oblikovan prototip informacijskega sistema. Evalviran je bil s prepoznavanjem vzorcev in ključnih tem iz kliničnega okolja.Rezultati: Kriteriji presojanja deležnic fokusne skupine pri  evalvaciji prototipa kažejo, da lahko prototip informacijskega sistema ustrezno podpre omenjeno klinično pot. Predlogi za izboljšavo, ki so jih podale deležnice fokusne skupine, so bili v razviti prototip vključeni naknadno.Diskusija in zaključek: Za obravnave znotraj sistema klinične poti v zgodnjem poporodnem obdobju so pomemben vezni člen prav medicinske sestre. Z uvedbo obravnav po sistemu klinične poti, ki je podprta s predlaganim informacijskim sistemom, se lahko bistveno izboljša način dokumentiranja obravnav pri izvajanju omenjene klinične poti. Z reduciranjem nepotrebnega dvojnega beleženja bi medicinske sestre pridobile več časa, ki bi ga lahko koristneje porabile. 

The effect of job satisfaction, absenteeism, and personal motivation on job quitting: A survey of Croatian nurses

Previous studies point to many inconsistencies regarding the determinants of job quitting. This study focuses on the impact of nurses’ job satisfaction, work motivation, nursing practice environment, personal characteristics and absenteeism on their intention to leave the job. An anonymous survey was performed on a sample of Croatian registered nurses. The results indicate that nurses’ job dissatisfaction, combined with a higher rate of absenteeism, represents a clear indication of their future turnovers. Nursing practice environment and personal motivation do not have a significant direct effect on the Intention to leave the job, but do have an indirect one through job satisfaction.

Identifikacija priporočil, razvoj in testiranje uporabe piktogramov za izboljšanje komunikacije starejših v socialnovarstvenih zavodih

Uvod: Piktogrami so slikovno komunikacijsko orodje, ki izboljšuje komunikacijo med izvajalci zdravstvenih in socialnih storitev ter starejšimi. Raziskava je zasledovala tri cilje: (i) identificirati priporočila za izdelavo piktogramov, primernih za starejše v socialnovarstvenih zavodih; (ii) na podlagi identificiranih priporočil razviti piktograme; (iii) ovrednotiti njihovo uporabnost. Metode: Raziskava je temeljila na kombiniranem pristopu in so jo sestavljali trije deli: (i) analiza znanstvene in strokovne literature ter izvedba intervjujev s štirimi medicinskimi sestrami v socialnovarstvenih zavodih za identifikacijo priporočil za izdelavo piktogramov; (ii) izdelava piktogramov; (iii) evalvacija piktogramov s kvazieksperimentom. Za statistično obdelavo podatkov je uporabljena univariatna analiza (izračun frekvenc in relativnih frekvenc). Rezultati: Identificirana priporočila za izdelavo piktogramov se nanašajo na njihovo splošno zasnovo, uporabo barv in oblik ter lokacijo. Intervjuji so natančneje opredelili priporočljivo lokacijo piktogramov ter konkretne potrebe po njihovi sporočilnosti: »nevarnost opeklin«, »higiena rok«, »nevarnost padca«, »nevarnost udarca vrat«, »jedilnica«, »delovna terapija«. Evalvacija izdelanih piktogramov s tridesetimi starejšimi iz socialnovarstvenega zavoda je pokazala ustrezno razumljivost, tri vodje služb za zdravstveno nego in oskrbo pa so potrdile njihovo uporabnost. Diskusija in zaključek: Identificirana priporočila predstavljajo dobro osnovo za nadaljnjo izdelavo piktogramov za starejše iz socialnovarstvenih zavodov. Pogostejša uporaba piktogramov v socialnovarstvenih zavodih bi izboljšala komunikacijo s starejšimi in nudila ustrezno pomoč pri zagotavljanju njihove varnosti in ustrezne orientacije.

Expected professional and personal characteristics of clinical mentors: Differences between physiotherapy and social gerontology students

Background: Clinical mentors play an important role in the development of knowledge and the acquisition of competencies of different health professionals. The success of the entire mentoring process also depends on the professional and personal characteristics of the clinical mentor. The purpose of this study was to identify which professional and personal characteristics of clinical mentors are relevant to physiotherapy (PHT) and social gerontology (SG) students. Methods: The web survey was performed between January 20 and May 15, 2018, using the adapted version of the nursing clinical teacher effectiveness inventory. The final sample consisted of 100 PHT and SG students from one of the Slovenian Universities. Results: The competencies “explains clearly” (p ˂ 0.001) and “takes responsibility of own actions” (p = 0.023) were statistically significantly more relevant to PHT students than to the SG students. The competencies “explains clearly” (p ˂ 0.001), “demonstrates clinical skill and judgment” (p = 0.033), “takes responsibility of own actions” (p = 0.023), and “is self-critical” (p = 0.023), were statistically significantly more relevant to PHT than to the SG students, while the statements “discusses current development in his/her field” (p = 0.002), “communicates expectations of students” (p = 0.029), “demonstrates empathy” (p = 0.037), “demonstrates enthusiasm” (p = 0.005), and “has a good sense of humor” (p = 0.005) were statistically significantly more relevant to SG students. Conclusion: The contrast in responses reflects the differences in the nature of both professions: The predominantly instrumental nature of PHT and the predominantly expressive nature of SG.

The connection between chronic diseases and self-image and self-esteem

Introduction: With aging, the incidence of chronic diseases among elderly increases, as about 88% of them have at least one chronic condition, with 50% having at least two. The presence of these diseases influences their self-image and self-esteem. This study aimed to identify the effects of chronic diseases on self-esteem and self-image in the group of elderly people. Methods: A quantitative research design using a structured questionnaire was employed, where Rosenberg questionnaire with an adapted measurement scale was used for evaluating self-esteem, while Marsh’s adjusted Multidimensional self-concept scale was used for assessing self-image. Results: The survey involved 51 respondents: 25.5% were male, and 74.5% were female, the average age of the respondents was 77.0 years. 60.8 % of them reported high blood pressure, 31.4% rheumatism, 25.5% osteoporosis and 23.5% diabetes. “Rheumatism” was statistically significantly associated with two elements of self-esteem: the “athletic self-esteem” and “inclusion”, whereas the claim for self-assessment “I can do things as good the majority of other people” was associated to the incidence of  “diabetes”. Conclusions: The results of our study indicate that rheumatism, as a most common chronic disease among this population, has a significant impact on some elements of self-image and self-esteem. Further research should focus on the concepts of self-esteem and self-image of this population.

Midwifery students' well-being among undegraduates in Slovenia: A pilot study

OBJECTIVES

Midwifery education is very demanding considering the professional competencies student midwives are required to develop. It can cause different levels of stress to students and affect their learning abilities. With the JDCS (Job Demands-Control-Social support) model adapted for educational purposes we aimed to estimate the midwifery students' coping abilities with study related stress.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A quantitative study was conducted using a questionnaire that evaluated perceived demand (9 items), perceived control (10 items), and perceived social support (10 items) with a 5-point Likert scale. 94 students were invited to participate in the study in autumn 2014. All necessary steps to address the ethical issues of the study were undertaken beforehand.

FINDINGS

One quarter of Slovenian midwifery students perceived midwifery education as too demanding, while 31% of them thought it was low-strained. 41% answered that the study motivated them. 28% believed that they lacked the possibility to make their own decisions regarding the study.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that the level of Slovenian midwifery students' well-being is generally high. Using the JDCS model in midwifery education, we could evaluate students' general coping abilities with study related stress. More studies should be performed to evaluate the research tool internationally.

Changes in nursing students' expectations of nursing clinical faculties' competences: A longitudinal, mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

Changes in nursing students' expectations of their clinical nursing faculty competences over the course of time are an insufficiently researched phenomenon.

OBJECTIVES

To explore what competences BSc nursing students expect from their clinical faculties during their clinical training, and whether their expectations changed during their three-year studies. Furthermore, to survey factors which influenced their expectations and whether the fulfilment levels of their expectations influenced their feelings, learning, and behaviour.

DESIGN

A two-phase, mixed-methods design was used.

SETTINGS

The Higher Nursing Education Institution in Osijek, Croatia, European Union.

PARTICIPANTS

A cohort of 34 BSc nursing students, who were followed over the course of their three-year studies.

METHODS

In Phase I, in each year, prior to their clinical training, participants responded to the same modified Nursing Clinical Teacher Effectiveness Inventory questionnaire about their expectations of clinical faculties' competences (52 items representing six categories of competences). In Phase II, seven days after their graduation, participants wrote reflections on the aforementioned expectations during their studies.

RESULTS

The results show that Clinical faculties' evaluation of student was the category in which participants had the highest expectations in all three years. Results of Wilcoxon signed rank test indicate a significant increase of participants' expectations in all categories of clinical nursing faculties' competences during their study. Participants' reflections confirm these results and indicate that actual competences of clinical faculties and behaviour have the most significant effects on the change in these expectations. Participants reported that expectations, if fulfilled, facilitate their learning and motivation for better performance.

CONCLUSIONS

BSc nursing students' expectations of clinical nursing faculty competences represent an important concept, as they obviously determine the quality of faculty practice. Hence, they should be considered in the preparation, implementation, and evaluation phase of this vital part of nursing education.

Nursing students' well-being using the job-demand-control model: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Students' well-being is very important both for students and institutions. However, this field lacks longitudinal research, which focuses on the change of nursing students' well-being during their study. In order to asses such changes the four study types according to Job-Demand-Control-Support-model were used: passive, high-strain, low-strain, and active.

DESIGN

A longitudinal design was employed: participants were recruited in 2010/2011 (phase I) and at the end of their study in 2012 (phase II).

SETTINGS

The study was performed in one school of health care in a university of applied sciences in Finland.

PARTICIPANTS

The final sample consisted of 135 nursing students (BSc) who started their study either in September 2008 or January 2009, and finished in December 2011 or May 2012.

METHODS

The participants responded to the same close-ended questionnaire in both phases.

RESULTS

The majority of the participants experienced the study type as low-strain (phase I: 61.5%; phase II: 48.2%). The distribution according to their study type did not change substantially between both phases, although 42.2% of the participants changed their study type. The major changes of study types were from low-strain to others (21.4%), and from other study types to the active one (12.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that the majority of students do not change their study type and consequentially their well-being during their study, which is in contrast with previous research. Special attention should be put to the identification of students who change their study type to high-strain or remain in it.

An information communication technology based approach for the acquisition of critical thinking skills

BACKGROUND

Both academics and practitioners agree that critical thinking skills are necessary to provide safe and comprehensive nursing care. In order to promote the development of critical thinking, nurse educators need to keep the teaching/learning process captivating and interesting using active learning environments. These can be implemented by using modern information and communication technologies that are simple, fun, and time and cost effective.

OBJECTIVES

The goal of our study was to design and test an approach, which allows individual and fast acquisition of critical thinking skills with the use of information and communication technology.

DESIGN

A combination of qualitative and quantitative research design was implemented. The study consisted of a quasi-experiment (phases 1-3): (1) pre-test discussion board, (2) use of e-contents based on the presented approach, and (3) post-test discussion board. The participants' opinion about the presented approach was identified in phase 4.

SETTINGS

The study was performed in May 2012 during the course "Ethics and Philosophy in Nursing" at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Slovenia.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty first-year undergraduate nursing students.

METHODS

Qualitative analysis of the discussion boards (phases 1, 3) and an anonymous survey with open- and closed-ended questions (phase 4).

RESULTS

Qualitative analysis of the discussion boards showed a significant (p<0.001) improvement in the percentage of posts (12.2%) for which the opinions and conclusions of the participants were justified with valid arguments. The survey results indicated that participants perceived the e-contents based on the presented approach as useful, and that they improved their critical thinking skills.

CONCLUSIONS

Repeated confirmation of the validity of the presented approach through methodological triangulation represents a strong indication that the presented approach is a valuable tool to develop nursing students' critical thinking skills.

Students' well-being in nursing undergraduate education

BACKGROUND

Although previously the Job-Demand-Control-Support model has been successfully applied in many studies in the field of health care and education, the model was never used for the evaluation of the nursing students' well-being.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to promote nursing students' well-being. The objective was to verify whether the Job-Demand-Control-Support model is appropriate for the evaluation of their well-being.

DESIGN

The Job-Demand-Control-Support model was implemented and investigated in a multiple-case study, which consisted of two phases. In phase I the students' well-being along with the perceived levels of control, support, and demand for each individual student during their study were identified. These results were used in phase II, where the usefulness of the presented model was evaluated.

SETTINGS

The study was performed at the end of the academic year 2009/2010 in two institutions: Tampere University of Applied Sciences, School of Health Care, Finland (institution 1); and the University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Slovenia (institution 2).

PARTICIPANTS

Participants of the study were nursing graduates who finished their studies in 2009/2010 and the Vice-Deans for education of both institutions. The final sample included 83 students in institution 1 and 79 students in institution 2.

METHODS

The case study was combined with a survey (phase I) and an interview (phase II).

RESULTS

Although the students' well-being in these two institutions was different, most students of both institutions perceived their studies as low strain, placid, and only some of the students in both institutions had a high risk of malaise. The Vice-Deans for education of both institutions confirmed that the application of the Job-Demand-Control-Support model provided relevant information on the nursing students' well-being, which helped in planning improved nursing study programmes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that the Job-Demand-Control-Support model is appropriate for estimating undergraduate nursing students' well-being.

The effect of voluntariness on the acceptance of e-learning by nursing students

Although e-learning is an innovation that is worth making generally available, it is not always accepted by nursing students. Many researchers state that voluntariness is closely related to the individual level of adoption of innovations. Hence, we hypothesized that voluntariness moderates the effect of perceived attributes of innovations (e.g. relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability), which determines the acceptance of e-learning. To test the hypothesis a survey involving two groups of nursing students was carried out. For the first group the usage of e-learning was mandatory, for the second group it was optional. The results confirm our hypothesis. Institutions, interested in e-learning initiatives, should consider the effect of voluntariness when implementing e-learning. This paper provides a useful reference that can help e-learning providers to develop guidelines that can improve the acceptance of e-learning.