Attitudes Of Healthcare Students Research Articles

Exploring the Depth of Patient Safety and Care: An Investigation into the Knowledge and Attitudes of Healthcare Students Across Undergraduate, Graduate, and Postgraduate Levels

Background: Patient safety is a cornerstone of healthcare education, aiming to minimize harm to patients through the reduction of errors. The global emphasis on enhancing patient safety has led to the development of various tools and curricula designed to foster a culture of safety among healthcare professionals, including dental students. With the World Health Organization's endorsement of the Patient Safety Curriculum Guide, there's a recognized need to integrate patient safety principles comprehensively into healthcare training programs. Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes towards patient safety among dental undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students across private and public sector institutes in Karachi, utilizing the Attitude to Patient Safety Questionnaire version III (APSQ-III) as a measure. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, enrolling 180 participants through convenience sampling from both private and public dental schools in Karachi. The APSQ-III, a validated tool comprising 33 items across nine domains of patient safety, was employed to gather data on students' perceptions. Statistical analysis involved mean score calculations and reliability assessment using Cronbach's alpha. Results: The majority of participants were female (78.9%), with a significant number of undergraduates (169) compared to postgraduates (11). Public sector institutions accounted for a larger share of participants (98) than private (82). Overall, students demonstrated positive attitudes towards patient safety, with mean scores across all domains exceeding 5 on a 7-point Likert scale. Notably, Safety Training and Error Reporting Confidence were highlighted, with postgraduates showing particularly high scores in these areas. The reliability of the APSQ-III in this context was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha greater than 0.8. Conclusion: The study underscores the utility of the APSQ-III in dentistry for evaluating patient safety perceptions, revealing generally positive attitudes and a sound base of knowledge among dental students in Karachi. These findings advocate for the continued emphasis on patient safety education within dental curricula to cultivate a proactive safety culture.

Time for Dementia: innovation in dementia education

Background:The future healthcare workforce needs the skills, attitudes, and empathy to better meet the needs of those with dementia. Time for Dementia is an educational programme in which healthcare students from a range of professional groups visit a person with dementia and their family carer over a two-year period. The first phase of research demonstrated positive outcomes for students (Banerjee et al., 2021; Daley et al., 2020). Here we discuss the most recent findings from the second phase.Objectives:to evaluate the impact of Time for Dementia on student attitudes, knowledge and empathy towards dementia, and satisfaction of students and families.Methods:A mixed methods longitudinal cohort study was conducted between 2014- 2021. Measures of dementia knowledge, attitudes and empathy were administered to healthcare students at five universities in the south of England before and after (24 months) they completed the Time for Dementia programme. Data were also collected at equivalent time points for a control group of students who had not taken part in the programme. Outcomes were modelled using multilevel linear regression models. Satisfaction surveys were completed by students and families at the end of the programme.Results:2,700 intervention group students, 562 control group students and 803 families consented to participate in the research. Students undertaking the Time for Dementia programme had higher levels of knowledge and positive attitudes at follow-up compared to equivalent students who did not undertake the programme. Satisfaction was high for both students and families, with both perceiving benefits of taking part.Conclusions:The results suggest the Time for Dementia programme is effective in improving the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare students across different professional groups and universities. It also demonstrates that dementia education that meaningfully involves people with dementia and their carers can be delivered at scale for healthcare professionals.

Professional foreign language – analysis of motivation and attitudes of healthcare students

The significance of foreign language proficiency in the global environment is characterized as a crucial component for enhancing international communication, collaboration, and labor market mobility. English is currently widely used as the language of international communication in various domains, while German is increasingly becoming the language of communication within the European Union. This paper presents the results of a study conducted on the courses of English Language and German Language in the first year of the undergraduate program in Radiological Technology and Physiotherapy at the Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar. The study aimed to analyze students' attitudes and motivation towards learning a foreign language in the context of their studies. The study investigated the factors contributing to students' motivation for learning a foreign language for specific purposes, such as the need for communication within the profession, expectations of employment in an international environment, and personal development aspirations. For this purpose, an anonymous questionnaire was constructed and administered among the target student population (N=95), and statistical analysis of the collected data was performed using the SPSS 20.0 statistical software. The introduction provides an overview of previous research on motivation for learning foreign languages in professional contexts, followed by the presentation of study findings. The obtained results enable a detailed analysis of motivational factors and can be utilized for the development of various teaching approaches and tailored instructional strategies to stimulate student motivation.

Healthcare University Courses Fail to Improve Opinions, Knowledge, and Attitudes toward Vaccines among Healthcare Students: A Southern Italy Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) Background: Healthcare providers have a crucial role in contrasting vaccine hesitancy (VH). We aimed to investigate opinions, knowledge, and attitudes toward vaccines in healthcare students (HS) at the University of Catania (Italy). (2) Methods: A survey was conducted from 1 October 2019 to 31 January 2020. Data on the opinions, knowledge, and attitudes of HS toward vaccinations were collected using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. The opinion answers were added to calculate the VH index (<18 = low, 19−22 = medium, >23 = high). Data were summarized by the VH index, degree, year of study, and sex differences, using descriptive statistics. (3) Results: A total of 1275 students (53.7% females) participated in the study, with a median (IQR) age of 21 (19−22) years. The median level of VH was 20 (17−23), with slightly higher values in males. We found an inverse trend between VH and opinions, knowledge, and attitudes toward vaccines. The same trend was confirmed in all study courses. Furthermore, the comparison between sexes revealed a higher level of knowledge in women. (4) Conclusions: The results highlight a lack of knowledge about vaccines, as well as contrasting opinions and attitudes among future health professionals. Therefore, future interventions on these topics in the preparation of future healthcare providers are needed.

Educational strategies used to improve the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of health care students and providers regarding implicit bias: An integrative review of the literature.

The thoughts, feelings, and attitudes health care professionals unconsciously have about patients can negatively impact patients' health outcomes. Systematic reviews related to implicit bias in health care providers have uncovered negative implicit bias towards older adults, people of color, people with disabilities, psychiatric patients, patients who are obese, people of low socioeconomic status, and women. Implicit bias impacts the quality, safety, and competence of care delivered; interactions between patients and providers; and patient approval of treatment recommendations. Health care professions students and health care providers need to participate in evidence-based educational strategies to manage and diminish bias. To review the evidence regarding educational strategies used with health care professions students and providers to improve their knowledge of implicit bias, reduce bias, and improve attitudes about bias. Integrative review. The literature review was completed in July 2020 with two updates performed in February 2021 and June 2021 using nine databases including Academic Search Complete™, Embase®, ERIC®, Ovid, PubMed®, Scopus®, and Web of Science™. Key terms used related to education, health care professions' students, health care providers, implicit, bias, incivility, microaggression, and microassult. Publications dates from 2011 to 2021 were included. Covidence software was used for the initial screening and for full-text analysis. Thirty-nine articles were analysed for this review. The most commonly used educational strategies to instruct about principles of implicit bias include discussion groups, simulation and case-based learning, pre-tests for awareness, use of expert facilitators, commitment to action/change, and debriefing. Common components of successful strategies include thoughtful program planning, careful selection of program facilitators (who are content experts), support of participants, and a system-level investment. Diverse educational strategies successfully addressed implicit bias across studies. Recommendations for future studies includes addressing limitations in sampling strategies and data collection to clarify relationships between educational strategies and participant outcomes. Educational opportunities are warranted that challenge health care professionals to explore their implicit bias towards others in an effort to provide care that considers diversity, equity, and inclusion and also limits personal implicit bias.

Future healthcare providers and professionalism on social media: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundNowadays, social media have become central in the daily lives of people, including healthcare professionals. Fears arise that the accelerated growth of these social platforms was not accompanied by the appropriate training of the healthcare students and workers on the professional use of social media. This study primarily aimed to assess the awareness of the healthcare students at Beirut Arab University, Lebanon on the professional standards of social media. It also aimed to assess the presence of differences in the practices and attitudes of healthcare students according to gender and major.MethodsA cross-sectional study was designed, and a paper-based questionnaire was distributed to healthcare students. Chi-Square test was used to analyse certain findings.ResultsOut of 1800 students approached, 496 participated in the questionnaire. All participants used social media. Only 19.5% (96/496) of them had received a structured education on the professional use of social media during their university study. The majority of students (349/488, 71.5%) thought that the professional standards on social media are distinct from those established in face-to-face interactions. Female students were more likely to get adequate answers in accordance with international guidelines. There were statistically significant differences in the practices and attitudes of students belonging to different majors (p value < 0.05).ConclusionThe line between what is professional on social media, and what is not, remains blurred for healthcare students. This study uncovered the need for clear and updated evidence-based guidelines assisting students in making the most appropriate decisions in the various online scenarios faced in healthcare practice.

Awareness of interprofessional learning as a tool to improve a Brazilian university curriculum

ABSTRACT Interprofessional education is a key driver for patient-centered care. Interprofessionality in healthcare encourages team engagement and commitment, resulting in better outcomes and adherence to treatment. The present study aimed to use the adapted Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) to analyze and correlate receptiveness to interprofessional education among Brazilian undergraduate students, to improve educational strategies. This research conducted a cross-sectional observational study of the perceptions and attitudes of healthcare students using an electronic questionnaire based on the RIPLS. The sample consisted of 938 students from seven healthcare courses of study at a public university. Students in psychology scored lowest overall. Men scored slightly higher (M = 103.9) than women (M = 101.9; p = .002). No significant differences were found in age, year of study, and previous higher education experience. The differences observed between students in the various courses reflects a process of curriculum improvement and promotion of change in institutional teaching and learning. The current study from Brazil presents the receptiveness of students from seven healthcare-related higher education courses to interprofessional education, providing a panel of data that can inform discussions of the possible causes of discrepancy between different courses of study.

Undergraduate healthcare students' personal experiences with older adults : A qualitative description study

BackgroundUnderstanding students' experiences with regard to older adults is important for educators in developing specific educational strategies to encourage future healthcare professionals to consider the geriatric field as a career choice. ObjectivesThe study explored Italian university healthcare students' experiences with older people and their perceptions of them at the beginning of their course. DesignA qualitative descriptive design. SettingsA Faculty of Medicine in Italy. ParticipantsA sample of 15 students enrolled in healthcare courses was included. MethodsSemistructured interviews were conducted. The data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. ResultsSix categories were identified. The young Italian students' first experiences with older adults were with their grandparents, representing their first models of aging. Grandparents were sources of emotional support. Older adults were seen as custodians of collective memory and as a guide for younger generations. The intergenerational relationship was characterized by respect and reciprocity. Young adults recognize the frailty and vulnerability of older adults and view intergenerational solidarity as a way to protect them. They imagined their own old age as characterized by strong family relationships and by active aging, due to their personal experience with their grandparents. ConclusionsThis study revealed mainly positive experiences and attitudes of healthcare students toward older adults. The students' relationships with their grandparents contributed greatly to this outcome.

Effects of Ebola Virus Disease education on student health professionals

Background and purposeEbola Virus Disease (EVD) is a severe, often fatal illness. Studies have shown that healthcare professionals lack an in-depth knowledge of EVD. Countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa are beginning to emphasize the need to train healthcare professionals about EVD, but the United States still lacks formal training for healthcare students. There is little research about the effectiveness of EVD training to support this study. The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge-base and attitudes of healthcare students concerning EVD. Educational activity and settingTwo-hundred sixty-nine participants (including pharmacy students, physician assistant students, and nursing students) completed a pre- and post-survey. The survey measured both knowledge and perceptions. The post-survey was administered after the intervention to measure change. The intervention was comprised of a pre-recorded lecture about EVD transmission, prevention, and treatment. FindingsAll groups displayed significant changes in knowledge and perception, specifically in the areas of EVD transmission, prevention, and treatment. Pharmacy students’ attitudes increased significantly over their baseline score for all three attitude questions, whereas there were no significant changes in attitude to EVD among nurses. Physician assistant students’ attitudes changed regarding the topic of isolation. DiscussionEducation on EVD in pharmacy schools may provide beneficial results for students’ knowledge, and it may also help schools provide evidence to meet current standards for accreditation. SummaryThis educational intervention represents an effective format that could be a useful tool to help enhance or augment knowledge for healthcare workers. This could lead to better care for patients.

Actitudes hacia el cuidado de pacientes al final de la vida y miedo a la muerte en una muestra de estudiantes sociosanitarios

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between fear of death (own death, the death of other and the dying process of both) and the attitudes of healthcare students regarding end-of-life patient care. Also, to determine factors that might be associated with this process. MethodsDescriptive, transversal and correlational study. The Spanish version of Collet-Lester Scale and Attitudes about End-of-life Care Scale were applied to N=84 healthcare students (average age 27.7, SD=10.09; 82.1% (69) women) being trained at a Healthcare Centre of the Community of Madrid. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate sociodemographic variables, groups were compared by Student's T and Pearson's correlations. Resultsthe students showed an attitude towards the care of end of life patients (M=3.16, SD=. 330). Regarding the fear of death, the highest score was found regarding fear of the death of others (M=3.88, SD=.680), then fear towards my own process of dying (M=3.81, SD=.719), fear of others dying (M=3.48, SD=.697) and, last, fear of my own death (M=3.23, SD=.848). The differences between all of them were statistically significant (p < .001). Regarding the main variable of the study, the greater the fear of both their own death and that of others, the less favourable the attitudes they displayed towards end of life patient care. ConclusionsIt is relevant to consider which variables can affect health professionals in end of life patient care, as appropriate attitudes towards death are crucial for the proper management of patients in such a situation.

Quality of life and eating attitudes of health care students.

To assess the quality of life and eating attitudes of health care students of the undergraduate programs of a public university. Observational, cross-sectional, and quantitative study performed in a federal university. Three questionnaires were used for data collection: a socio-demographic and academic, the WHOQOL-BREF and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). 399 students participated in this study, most women, average age of 22 years, average scores of EAT-26 of 15.12 and quality-of-life averages above 60 points in all domains. The students of the undergraduate program in Nutrition presented more inappropriate eating attitudes than other health care students; as the age evolves, vulnerability to inadequate eating attitudes increases; and the family income influenced negatively the quality of life in Physical and Social domains. Inadequate eating attitude diminishes the quality of life of health care students in all domains of the WHOOQOL-BREF.

Exploring knowledge and attitudes toward the hepatitis B virus: an internet-based study among Vietnamese healthcare students

Context: Hepatitis B is a serious global public health problem, especially in developing countries such as Vietnam. Many studies worldwide have focused on health care workers, a population at high risk of infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), but there is little research that explores the high levels of risk faced by health care students. Aims: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of Vietnamese undergraduate students toward hepatitis B vaccination. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1291 Vietnamese healthcare students between November 2017 and March 2018 via social media. Results: The mean score for knowledge was 4.0 ± 0.4, and the mean score for attitude was lower (3.5 ± 0.6). Levels of knowledge were higher (p&lt;0.001) among sixth-year students, students who had been vaccinated, and students attending public universities. Most participants were well-informed about the diseases caused by HBV, with 1128 (87.4%) agreeing that HBV infection can lead to liver cancer. Nevertheless, 259 students believed that HBV cannot be spread by sharing a toothbrush with an infected person, and 18.7% thought that asymptomatic carriers are incapable of transmitting HBV. Conclusions: Although students had adequate knowledge of HBV, their scores for attitude and their rates of vaccination were low. This study therefore recommends improving the knowledge and attitudes of health care students through orientation and sensitization programs and improvements in their educational environment.

The effectiveness of mental health-related theoretical education and clinical placement in mental health settings in changing the attitudes of health care students towards mental illness: A systematic review.

People with mental illness are subject to stigma, which is the process of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination. Patients' experience of discrimination from the health care community may be a barrier to help-seeking in mental illness. Mental health-related theoretical education and clinical placement in mental health settings during student years may reduce stigmatising attitudes towards mental illness. The objective of the review was to synthesize the best available evidence regarding the effectiveness of mental health-related theoretical education and clinical placement in mental health settings in changing the attitudes of health care students towards mental illness. A three-step search strategy was utilized to find studies published in English from 2001 to 2010 (inclusive). An initial search of Medline and CINAHL was undertaken to identify keywords. Secondly, the keywords were used to search CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, PsycINFO (via OVID), ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Mednar, Proquest and TRIP. Thirdly, reference lists of the articles identified in the second stage were searched for other relevant studies. The final decision to include studies was made through the consensus of two independent reviewers. Articles were assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological validity using critical appraisal instruments adapted from the "Critical Review Form - Quantitative Studies" by Law et al. and JBI-MAStARI. Disagreements that arose between reviewers were resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. In total, 55 full text articles were retrieved from an initial 1957 search results. Twenty-six studies were found to have met all the inclusion criteria and were subjected to critical appraisal. Twenty-two were selected for inclusion and four were excluded. Of the 22 included studies, one was a randomised controlled trial, five were non-randomised controlled trials and 16 were before and after studies. Specific details about the study methods, interventions, participants, instruments used, and outcomes of significance to the review were extracted using a table developed by the reviewers. Statistical pooling was not appropriate due to the variety of instruments used to measure outcomes, thus the results of included articles were synthesized in narrative summary. Both mental health-related theoretical education and clinical placement in mental health settings are effective in changing the attitudes of health care students towards mental illness. Theoretical education in the form of videos, lectures, presentations delivered by people with mental illness and coursework are effective stigma reduction interventions. Clinical placement is more effective when combined with theoretical education. However, the effect of educational interventions may be transient. Videos, lectures, presentations delivered by people with mental illness should form the basis of anti-stigma interventions. Educational interventions should be offered regularly to promote lasting change in attitudes. Mental health coursework and clinical placement must remain part of the corecurricula in health care courses. There is a need to investigate the effectiveness of educational interventions using RCTs and longitudinal designs. Interventions which can produce more lasting change could be developed. More research can be done to investigate effects of interventions in other student groups and with regards to specific mental illnesses. Lastly, a "gold standard" for measuring attitudes needs to be developed.

The effectiveness of mental health-related theoretical education and clinical placement in mental health settings in changing the attitudes of health care students towards mental illness: A systematic review.

The effectiveness of mental health-related theoretical education and clinical placement in mental health settings in changing the attitudes of health care students towards mental illness: A systematic review.

The Attitudes of Medical, Nursing and Pharmacy Students to Inter-Professional Learning

Inter-professional learning (IPL) has the potential to promote collaboration among healthcare professionals in providing quality healthcare. For the IPL to have a positive influence on inter-professional collaboration the healthcare students must be willing to learn together. Attitudinal factors have been identified as the major factor hindering the implementation of IPL. In Malaysia, little is known about attitudes of healthcare students towards IPL. The aim of the study was to examine the attitudes of undergraduate medical, pharmacy and nursing students towards IPL. The medical, pharmacy, and nursing students at the University of Malaya, Malaysia self-administered the Readiness for Inter-Professional Learning Scale (RIPLS) questionnaire. Out of 850 undergraduate students approached, 836 completed the questionnaire giving a response rate of 98%. The internal reliability of RIPLS was acceptable (α = 0.84). Between groups analysis with ANOVA showed there was a statistically significant difference between the healthcare groups on the subscale “teamwork and collaboration” (F2, 833 = 16.35, P< 0.001). Post-hoc comparisons with Tukey test indicated medical students (M=36.21, SD = 5.50) had significantly the least score on this subscale compared to pharmacy (M= 38.21, SD= 4.31) and nursing students (M=38.47, SD= 4.73). Significantly higher proportion of medical students agreed that they have to acquire much more knowledge and skills than other healthcare students. Overall, the findings showed that pharmacy and nursing students were significantly more willing to be engaged in IPL compared to medical students. The results also suggest that a favourable attitude towards IPL exists among the medical, nursing and pharmacy students and this provides support for the introduction of IPL in their undergraduate curriculum.

Attitudes of healthcare students on gross anatomy laboratory sessions

At Chiba University, gross anatomy laboratory sessions ("laboratories") are required for physical therapy students. Though most physical therapy schools require their students to participate in laboratories so that they will better understand the structure of the human body, few data exist on the value of these laboratories specifically for physical therapy students. We administered questionnaires to physical therapy undergraduate students both before and after they participated in laboratories. Questionnaire items focused on student attitudes toward the laboratories and on human life and dignity. Data from 83 students were analyzed, with the following results: (1) 74.7% of students had a positive attitude about attending laboratories before doing so; (2) with few exceptions, students' attitudes about upcoming laboratories grew more positive after experiencing the laboratory work (P < 0.001); (3) laboratories caused students to contemplate the topics of human life and dignity; and (4) 83.1% of students hoped to participate in laboratories at least four times. These results indicate that laboratories reinforce physical therapy students' positive attitudes about laboratory learning and promote student reflection on human life and dignity. This study provides support for the implementation of multiple laboratory sessions using cadavers into a uniform curriculum for physical therapy students in Japan.

Health care student attitudes toward the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Enhancing successful counseling for cardiovascular disease prevention remains a challenge for health professionals and nursing and medical educators. To gain insight into the attitudes of health care professional students toward cardiovascular prevention strategies, this study examined the associations among prevention attitudes and health professional student demographics and health habits. Based on a self-administered survey completed by nursing and medical students from two Midwestern institutions, healthier personal lifestyle choices were independently associated with more positive attitudes toward cardiovascular prevention, but demographic factors were not. Educational experiences that encourage reflection on student lifestyles may enhance the counseling abilities of both nurses and physicians.