Good Learning Opportunities Research Articles

The use of designed E-book to improve a concept understanding and practical skill on a mammography machine quality control among radiological technologist students

The fashion in education increasingly integrates technology as learning supporting tool. For undergraduate radiological technologist (RT) students, the concept understanding and practical skills in their professional field have a significant impact on their success. Quality control (QC) of mammography machine is one of the professional responsibilities. A problematic situation in traditional learning process is the lack of devices and the primarily used lecture-style. This makes studying outside classroom and frequent practice more challenging. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the developed e-book in RT students about the concept understanding and practical skills of the mammography machine QC, compared with conventional methods. One-hundred and fifteen students were participants, whom were randomized into two groups. The experimental group was able to access the e-book for self-learning, while the control group received only the conventional class on the same topic. The five-scale questionnaires were used to assess student’s satisfaction. A strong increase in the test-scores of the experimental students indicated their in-depth knowledge and better performance in practical and evaluation skills. The experimental group performed better than the control group, with a statistically significant difference at p<0.00001. It also found that the majority of the students agreed that the e-book media was an excellent choice for their self-learning and training. So, it can be concluded that the e-book learning media has a positive influence to students – as a low cost, easily accessible and attractive supporting tool to provide students with the better opportunities for learning and skills-training.

Analysis Of The Influence Of Work Environment And Learning Culture On Employees' Work Commitment In National Airline Company Garuda Indonesia

The purpose of this study is to examine how organizational learning and work environment affect commitment to the company. Both quantitative and descriptive research methodologies are used in the study. Researchers employed descriptive research in this study. Non-probability sampling was employed in this study, and the sample size was one hundred participants. The author of this study collected data from respondents via questionnaires, interviews, and observation. Multiple regression analyses have been used in this study. The organizational commitment variable is positively and significantly impacted by the independent variables organizational learning and work environment, according to the results of the individual parameter significance test. These findings suggest that factors related to the work environment and effective organizational learning can raise the degree of organizational commitment. The study's findings also demonstrate that organizational dedication is positively impacted by the workplace. Overall, the study's findings point to the need for businesses to focus on and enhance organizational learning in the workplace because doing so can increase workers' organizational commitment. Emphasis on adequate facilities, good learning opportunities, leader support, a comfortable work environment, and interaction between employees can help increase the level of organizational commitment within the company.

Creating a virtuous circle during a pandemic threat: netizens' resilience via information-induced psychological distance and social media approach

PurposeDuring COVID-19 restrictions, people spent more time in cyberspace and consuming health-related information. An increase was also observed in mediated caring messages or health-relevant information sent to one another. This study aims to explore how the information and interactions around COVID-19 can provide a good learning opportunity for public health, specifically related to eHealth literacy and eHealth promotion.Design/methodology/approachWhile mainstream literature has concentrated on experimental designs and a priming effect, this study inspects psychological distance related to a health threat under real-life circumstances. The article adopted a survey approach and utilized PLS-SEM techniques to examine the proposed hypotheses.FindingsResults indicated that whereas closer social support correlates with closer psychological distance and less usage of the social media approach, more substantial COVID-19 impacts were associated with closer psychological distance but greater use of social media. Since both closer psychological distance and social media approach contribute to eHealth literacy, social support from closer and virtual social networks should be embraced but utilized through different routes and for different purposes. The timing of messages but not psychological distance affects people's social media approach, indicating that morning messages should be employed. Moreover, eHealth literacy mediates timing preferences and leads to a preference for eHealth communication earlier in the day. Overall, morning messages create a virtuous circle during a health crisis.Originality/valueThis paper establishes a mechanism of virtuous cycles for eHealth communication during a health threat. Additionally, it bridges existing research gaps by expanding chronopsychology and CLT in the health domain using an empirical approach, a real-life case and an extension of performance regarding information-seeking and utilization.

Surgical treatment of primary Tracheal Carcinoma in a Patient with Recklinghausen’s disease(Neurofibromatosis type 1

This is the case of a 56-year-old man with signifi cant history of neurofi broma-tosisandsmokingwhopre-sentedwithrespiratorydistressandworkuprevealedtosis and smoking who pre-sented with respiratory distress and workup revealed intra-trachealmass.Eventhoughtheexpectationwasthetrachealtumortobeintra-tracheal mass. Even though the expectation was the tracheal tumor to be benignthepathologyrevealedmalignancy.Notably,pulmonarynoduleswereatbenign the pathology revealed malignancy. Notably, pulmonary nodules were at firstthoughttobebenigntumors,yetworkuprevealedtheseweremetastatic.fi rst thought to be benign tumors, yet workup revealed these were metastatic. PresenceoftworareconditionscancoexistanditisimportantforthecliniciansPresence of two rare conditions can coexist and it is important for the clinicians tokeepanopenmindwhilemanagingpatientswithnewlyfoundmasswhohaveto keep an open mind while managing patients with newly found mass who have historyofbenigntumors.Thiscasealsorepresentsgoodlearningopportunityhistory of benign tumors. This case also represents good learning opportunity forsurgicalmanagementofintratrachealtumorwhenintubationisachallengefor surgical management of intratracheal tumor when intubation is a challenge.

Transition to hybrid teaching of mathematics: challenges and coping strategies of Swedish teachers

Sweden was one of the few countries that did not close down their schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. Different hybrid teaching methods were adopted, some of which are here to stay. This qualitative study explores the challenges that Swedish mathematics teachers had transitioning from face-to-face to hybrid teaching and the coping strategies that they adopted to reduce the effect of these challenges on their practices, well-being and students’ learning experiences. The results from the study were gathered from some 51 primary and secondary mathematics teachers in Stockholm using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analysed with cognisance of Lazarus and Folkman’s coping theory and Simonson’s equivalence theory. The results revealed that hybrid teaching had some negative impact on teaching quality, student achievement, student health, teacher workload, and teacher-student dialogue, which underpins the Swedish school curriculum. This lack of dialogue and high-quality interaction undermines the equivalency theory principle, which suggests that the format of instruction should not influence the quality of students’ learning experiences. Also, the results revealed that majority of the teachers ascribed positively to problem-based coping strategies as compared to the emotion-based coping strategy as they worked hard to provide students with good learning opportunities.

“It Is Not About Us and Them”: Nursing Students’ Perception of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Mental Health Clinical Studies

Through interdisciplinary collaboration, a synthesis can be made together across subject boundaries that basically separate the subjects. This means that in addition to their own expertise, the professions can create a new understanding, new attitudes and new knowledge. In other words, a shared additional knowledge. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe nursing students’ experiences of interdisciplinary collaboration in clinical studies in mental health services. A qualitative, explorative study was performed based on three focus group interviews. A qualitative content analysis was conducted. The analysis resulted in the categories: ‘Community’—The students experienced the interaction and the communication in different ways. ‘Learning’—The students could gain both knowledge and understanding. In conclusion when the interdisciplinary collaboration was optimal, the students experienced it as enriching both in terms of interaction, communication, learning and understanding. Interdisciplinary collaboration can give students knowledge of cultural forms of expression so that they can better meet patients’ needs. The students also gain an increased understanding related to care. Students can get good learning opportunities when different professions are taught together.

Editorial V1 N1

It gives me great pleasure to launch this new respiratory journal. Recent years have been very unpredictable, and I hope we are past the worst period of the pandemic. Covid greatly impacted the healthcare personnel, and many junior doctors missed out on structured teaching. I would like to thank my team of editors, contributors and publishers for the hard work they have put in to enable the first edition to be published. The journal’s first edition has a variety of respiratory articles which we hope will provide a good learning opportunity for our readers.

Thailand EMT Domestic Response During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Background/Introduction:Thailand Emergency Medical Team (Thailand EMT) was verified by the WHO in 2019 as a Type 1 fixed EMT. The second wave of COVID-19 hit the country in December 2020. Samut Sakhon province was the center of the spread with many migrant workers infected. Several field hospitals were set up, one being situated in the compound of a Buddhist Temple, Wat Krok Krak. Thailand EMT was tasked in setting up and running the operation here in the initial phase.Objectives:To describe Thailand EMT’s experience in operating a COVID-19 field hospital.Method/Description:On December 30, 2020, 16 members of the Thailand EMT were deployed to the Wat Krok Krak Field Hospital. The team comprised of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and emergency medical technicians who also functioned as logistic officers. Patients were admitted in groups every day. Physicians communicated with patients by using a telemedicine system to monitor patients clinically.Results/Outcomes:From December 31, 2020 through January 6, 2021, 143 COVID-19 patients were admitted. There were 104 female and 39 male patients. Patients were between 16 and 54 years of age, with a mean of 31.5 years. All were foreigner workers from nearby countries. Three patients had to be referred to a tertiary hospital. The rest of the patients were eventually discharged.Conclusion:Thailand EMT was able to adapt and deployed to operate a COVID-19 field hospital. Collaboration with relevant agencies and local authorities played a key role. This deployment, although within Thailand, was a good learning opportunity for the team to prepare for future operations.Tables and Figures (optional)

Children's learning-by-teaching with a social robot versus a younger child: Comparing interactions and tutoring styles.

Human peer tutoring is known to be effective for learning, and social robots are currently being explored for robot-assisted peer tutoring. In peer tutoring, not only the tutee but also the tutor benefit from the activity. Exploiting the learning-by-teaching mechanism, robots as tutees can be a promising approach for tutor learning. This study compares robots and humans by examining children's learning-by-teaching with a social robot and younger children, respectively. The study comprised a small-scale field experiment in a Swedish primary school, following a within-subject design. Ten sixth-grade students (age 12-13) assigned as tutors conducted two 30min peer tutoring sessions each, one with a robot tutee and one with a third-grade student (age 9-10) as the tutee. The tutoring task consisted of teaching the tutee to play a two-player educational game designed to promote conceptual understanding and mathematical thinking. The tutoring sessions were video recorded, and verbal actions were transcribed and extended with crucial game actions and user gestures, to explore differences in interaction patterns between the two conditions. An extension to the classical initiation-response-feedback framework for classroom interactions, the IRFCE tutoring framework, was modified and used as an analytic lens. Actors, tutoring actions, and teaching interactions were examined and coded as they unfolded in the respective child-robot and child-child interactions during the sessions. Significant differences between the robot tutee and child tutee conditions regarding action frequencies and characteristics were found, concerning tutee initiatives, tutee questions, tutor explanations, tutee involvement, and evaluation feedback. We have identified ample opportunities for the tutor to learn from teaching in both conditions, for different reasons. The child tutee condition provided opportunities to engage in explanations to the tutee, experience smooth collaboration, and gain motivation through social responsibility for the younger child. The robot tutee condition provided opportunities to answer challenging questions from the tutee, receive plenty of feedback, and communicate using mathematical language. Hence, both conditions provide good learning opportunities for a tutor, but in different ways.

Talent Management Practices in the South African Public Service

Talent management refers to the attraction, selection, and retention of employees, which involves a combination of HR processes across the employee life cycle. This study explored the best practice in talent management to ensure high potential talents are employed and retained due to the rising rate of employee turnover in the South African public service. A literature review and meta-analysis were conducted to explore different authors' views on the three main objectives of the study, which are to know the competencies of talent managers in developing high potential employees; explore the mechanisms talent managers can adopt in keeping high potential employees and to reveal the best practices in talent management. Findings from the study revealed that talent management is essential in assisting the employees in advancing their skills, improving their performance, and feeling engaged and motivated, thus allowing them to achieve desired goals. The ability to facilitate good planning, decision-making, change management, interpersonal relationships, emotional intelligence, programme implementation, and learning opportunities are the competencies required of talent managers to develop potential talents. Effective communication and feedback, promotion and advancement, efficient leadership, work-life balance, good organisational culture, development and training, and organisational commitment are the competencies required of talent managers to retain talents in the organisation. Regarding the best talent management practice, the study recommended that talent managers should specify the skills they need and select from a diverse pool of candidates. Other factors include onboarding practices, learning and development, performance management, an effective reward system, and a succession plan.

Agreement on fixation of pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures.

Pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures (pSCHFs) may be challenging injuries to treat because of the potential residual deformity. There is debate regarding the technical aspects of adequate closed reduction and crossed Kirschner wire (K-wire) fixation. Do surgeons have an agreement on the aspects of the fixation of pSCHFs? Radiographs of 20 patients from a cohort of 154 patients with pSCHFs treated with closed reduction and crossed K-wire fixation were selected. Forty-four surgeons viewed the postoperative radiographs and diagnosed the presence or absence of technical flaws and made a recommendation for or against reoperation. An expert panel of three orthopedic and trauma surgeons provided a reference standard for technical factors. Furthermore, final outcome 2years after trauma was assessed. There was limited agreement on potential technical flaws (ICC 0.15-0.28), radiographic measures of alignment (ICC for anterior humeral line and Baumann angle of 0.37 and 0.23 respectively), the quality of postoperative reduction, position of the elbow in cast, and recommendation for repeat surgery (ICCs between 0.23 and 0.40). Sensitivity and specificity for these questions ranged from 0.59 to 0.90. There was no correlation between the voted quality of postoperative reduction and loss of reduction or final function. Surgeons have limited agreement on the quality of postoperative results in pSCHFs and the indication for reoperation. Reviewing postoperative radiographs may present a good learning opportunity and could help improve skills, but it is not a validated method for quality control and has to be seen in light of clinical outcome.

Comparing the effects of demonstration, video display, and virtual social networks on nursing students' learning of hemodialysis clinical skills: An interventional and comparative study.

BACKGROUND:Applying new methods of clinical education seems to provide nursing students with educational opportunities. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of training through demonstration, video display, and virtual social space on the learning of clinical skills among nursing students.MATERIALS AND METHODS:In this semi-experimental research with posttest that was performed in 2019, thirty nursing students of the seventh semester were randomly assigned to three groups of demonstration, video display, and the social virtual space education with ten people in each group. The research was conducted in the hemodialysis ward of university hospitals. Each group was trained and evaluated during 10 days with 5-h sessions continuously. Participants' skills were evaluated using eight self-made, valid and reliable checklists, and the three groups were compared. For data analysis such as the means and standard deviations and inferential statistics, Mann–Whitney test, Kruskal–Wallis likelihood-ratio, and Chi-squared test in SPSS version 16 were used.RESULTS:The results indicated that practical skill levels in the group of virtual social network were significantly higher than the two groups of video display (P = 0.045) and demonstration (P = 0.03). In addition, the group of virtual space had significantly higher scores than those of the other two groups only in two skills of “prime” and “disconnecting the patients from the machine” (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:Proper use of networks and social virtual space for clinical training, along with conventional methods of learning, provides good learning opportunities and is affordable in terms of time, cost, and process.

The Role of social media in Developing English Language Writing Skills: Moulay Ismail University as a Case Study

The use of social media in the field of education has taken effect for quite some time. Social media applications offer learners good learning opportunities of using the language. The most important thing they provide learners with is that they promote authentic language use making it possible for students to improve their grammar knowledge and writing skills. Social media, as a learning platform, offers online platforms for users to generate and share information with other users and to interact with them synchronously or asynchronously by written and spoken word. Research has indicated that social media apps could be an efficacious platform for language learning. This study, therefore, comes to explore the effects of social media in the development of university students’ English writing skills and see how EFL students perceive social media in terms of usefulness and ease of use.It also examined whether or not there is any correlation between these variables. The sample consisted of 153 EFL university students using the convenience sampling technique. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and descriptive statistical tools were used to gain an in-depth understanding of the research topic. The results reveal that social media plays a key role in the development of EFL university students’ writing performance.

Enablers of the interpersonal relationship between registered nurses and students on clinical placement: A phenomenological study

Aim/objectiveThe aim of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences (nature and extent) of the interpersonal relationship between RNs and students during clinical placement. BackgroundIn Australia, as elsewhere, nursing students’ clinical placements are facilitated and supervised by registered nurses (RNs). There is evidence of positive teaching and learning interactions between RNs and students influencing student placement outcomes. Comparatively, little is known about the value of interpersonal relationships between RNs and students in the contribution to positive placement experiences. DesignA descriptive phenomenological approach was used to investigate the interpersonal relationship between RNs and students from the perspective of the lived experience of the RN. MethodIn depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten RNs and analysed using Colaizzi’s seven-step analytical approach. ResultsStudy findings revealed that RNs are committed to building positive interpersonal relationships with students to enhance learning and achieve successful clinical learning outcomes. Positive relationships are enabled through factors encompassing three overarching themes; Getting to know the student is essential; Effective communication is a reciprocal process, and Mutuality of engagement and commitment is critical. Vital to the relationship was the capacity to know the student, communicate with them openly and effectively, and have a mutually engaging, committed relationship with them. ConclusionsThe establishment of positive interpersonal relationships is important to the RNs who facilitate and supervise the clinical learning of nursing students for meaningful learning and successful student outcomes. Key findings included that getting to know the student is essential, effective communication is a reciprocal process, and mutuality of engagement and commitment is critical to building a positive relationship. Findings can be utilised to advise professional development for RNs who work with students on clinical placement with regard to the importance of developing positive interpersonal relationships with students and the characteristics that enable that to occur. The primacy of the relationship, brought about through RNs requirement to facilitate student clinical learning needs acknowledgement. Also, the importance of the interpersonal relationship for RNs and students needs recognition by both, to help them achieve success in clinical placements through effective interpersonal and professional relationships which promote good learning opportunities.

Rejuvenating the rewards typology: Qualitative insights into reward preferences

Orientation: In order to drive desirable behaviour, employees need to feel valued. It is, therefore, important to identify which rewards motivate employees and satisfy their needs.Research purpose: The overarching aims of this study were to explore how South African employees feel rewarded at work and to develop a model depicting how rewards can be categorised.Motivation for the study: There is a dearth of qualitative research on reward preferences, especially on the psychological façade of this construct.Research approach/design and method: Using a phenomenological research approach and in-depth interviewing techniques, 47 South African employees participated in focus group sessions. To analyse the data, a deductive and constructionist thematic analysis was employed.Main findings: The rewards construct is perceived to be multidimensional. Rewards can be categorised into three main categories: (1) extrinsic financial rewards (consisting of the total remuneration package), (2) extrinsic non-financial rewards (inclusive of good relationships, learning and development opportunities, organisational culture, communication, recognition, the physical working environment, feedback and work-life balance) and intrinsic-psychological rewards (encapsulating autonomy, meaningful work, felt competence, task enjoyment and challenging work).Practical/managerial implications: Outdated reward strategies should be re-evaluated to include all three categories of rewards. This means that there should also be a more in-depth focus on intrinsic-psychological rewards in the workplace.Contribution/value-add: This study highlighted the importance of using extrinsic (financial and non-financial) as well as intrinsic-psychological rewards to motivate employees and satisfy their needs. The insights gained from this research study can be used by future researchers and practitioners to construct modernised rewards frameworks.

Nurses' perception on technology advancement in intensive care

BACKGROUND: Fast changing technology applications in intensive care units (ICUs) are believed to enhance the result of nursing care. We expect the nurses to work with constantly updated technology and presume that they are receptive to any revised version of medical devices. The nurse's perception on technology is infrequently discussed in hospitals or among medical device manufacturers.AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the nurses' perception about the advancement of technology in ICUs.SETTINGS: The study was conducted among the nurses working in different ICUs in a selected tertiary care hospital in Bengaluru, India.MATERIALS AND METHODS: An exploratory study was done using a hybrid method of qualitative and quantitative techniques. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses having ≥5 years of experience in ICUs, and thematic analysis was applied. Quantitative data were collected from the population of nurses with 1 year or more experience using survey questionnaire.STATISTIACAL ANALYSIS USED: ANOVA test and sample t-test were conducted on the applicable parameter.RESULTS: Most of the nurses found that high-tech equipment in ICUs is easy to operate, reduce their effort, prevent errors, and increase the comfort of the patient. The study found that nurses' perception about the advancement of technology does not vary according to age, experience, qualification, and whether they have attended any continued nursing education on technology applications. Statistically significant relationship was found between total perception and the nature of ICU in which the nurses work.CONCLUSIONS: The study found that nurses perceive advanced technology in ICU as beneficial. Nurses expressed their satisfaction about the advancement of technology, and they perceive it as a good learning opportunity for them. The participants expressed their need for more training when equipment with advanced technology or a revised version is brought in.

Workshop: A methodology for monitoring population health literacy in Europe – the HLS19 project

Abstract Health literacy (HL) is a critical determinant of health (WHO-Shanghai Declaration, 2016), i.e. of healthy life styles, of indicators of health status and of use and results of health care services. For Europe the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU) in 2011 demonstrated, that a considerable proportion of general populations in the researched 8 European countries (and in more countries in later surveys) had limited health literacy and that there was a considerable social gradient of health literacy. The HLS-EU study also showed that HL impacted certain health risks, important indicators of health status and of use of professional health services. But besides these general trends for all researched European countries, there existed considerable variations in distributions and associations of health literacy between the researched countries. Thus, since knowledge on health literacy of populations is relevant for planning health policy, the Solid Facts - Health Literacy of WHO-Europe (2013) recommended regular monitoring of population health literacy by standardized procedures. Since HL now is understood as a relational concept, HL can be measured on a personal or an organizational systems level. Also measures to improve HL can try to improve personal HL by offering better opportunities for learning or by developing Health Literate Organizations or settings to be more sensitive to personal HL of their users and be less demanding and more supportive for users. Therefore in 2017 the Action Network on Measuring Population and Organizational Health Literacy (M-POHL) was initiated under the umbrella of the European Health Information Initiative (EHII) by WHO-Europe. M-POHL from its beginning combines a policy with a research agenda. About 25 member states of WHO-Europe already joined M-POHL. As a first project the European Health Survey 2019 (HLS19) is ongoing with 15 countries participating. The workshop will inform about the vision and mission of M-POHL, about the methodology of the on-going HLS19 survey and about the way selected countries are using monitoring of HL for their health policy. Following 5 short inputs (60′), including two more general ones M-POHL and HLS19 and three on perspectives from countries, participants will have the opportunity (30`) to ask questions and discuss what M-POHL and HLS19 means or could mean for health policy of their country and their personal research or policy interests. Key messages Health literacy is a critical determinant of health which has to be monitored for general populations in all countries of WHO-Europe as a basis for national and European health policy. The Action Network of Measuring Population and Organizational Health Literacy (M-POHL) of WHO-Europe has started the Health Literacy Survey 2019 to provide data for evidenced-based health policy.

The teaching and learning environment of a primary care medical student clinical attachment ("Famulatur") - a qualitative study on experiences of students and primary care physicians in Germany.

Aim: Following changes in licensing regulations for doctors (“Approbationsordnung”) in 2012, a 4-week clinical attachment (“Famulatur”) in primary care is now mandatory for all medical students in Germany. To date, it has not been studied how the Famulatur in primary care is perceived by the learner or the teacher. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of both medical students and primary care physicians (PCPs) with regard to the teaching and learning situation in the Famulatur in primary care.Methods: A qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 12 students from the medical faculty in Tübingen, Germany, and 17 PCPs from this region, was performed. Interview material was analyzed following content analysis according to Mayring. Results: In addition to considering the variety of tasks expected of the students and the optimal time for the Famulatur during the medical curriculum, the main themes of the interviews were the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement of the Famulatur. The Famulatur was predominantly perceived positively, although it being obligatory was criticized. In particular, the 1:1 supervision and the extended duration (compared to the first curricular primary care placement (“Blockpraktikum”)) were positively evaluated. PCPs and students were critical of the lack of a learning and educational Famulatur framework, which would have enabled earlier orientation and alignment of each party. Conclusion: The Famulatur offers good learning opportunities for medical students and provides an insight into primary care, which is typically seen positively; it appears to heighten enthusiasm for primary care within budding doctors. Even if the obligation should cease in “The Master Plan for Medical Studies 2020” (Masterplan Medizinstudium 2020), it would be beneficial to optimize the primary care Famulatur; the development of a student logbook and learning objectives could be helpful, for example in the form of portfolios.

Clinical experiences of perioperative nursing Masters students in selected Rwandan referral hospitals

Background: Clinical experiences allow nursing students to apply theoretical knowledge into practice hence socialize with their future professional roles and responsibilities. This is a report of observations made by thirteen perioperative nursing students in the first cohort of Master of sciences in nursing training program during their practicum in selected Rwandan Referral Hospitals aimed at improving students’ learning outcomes in future.Methods: Teams of four to five students were allocated to the operating theatres in three selected referral and teaching hospitals in Rwanda for thirteen weeks. At the end of their clinical placement, they wrote clinical reports that highlighted their observations informed by theoretical knowledge of perioperative nursing care using a structure, process and outcome format. These reports focused on the strengths and challenges observed.Results: Students were able to translate theoretical knowledge gained in class to clinical practice. Although the hospitals provided good learning opportunities in relation to the number of patients attended to and the various surgical treatments provided, the existing infrastructures, and care delivery systems, still need improvement.Conclusions: Hospital structure and processes helped the students to achieve their clinical learning objectives. Fostering strong collaboration of Universities, Hospitals and Ministry of Health will promote specialization in the emerging field of perioperative nursing in Rwanda.Keywords: clinical experiences, masters program students training, perioperative nursing, referral hospital

The utilisation of a structured debriefing framework within the pre-hospital environment: a service evaluation.

Background:Debriefing improves care and reduces error. To be effective, debriefs should be facilitated by trained individuals utilising structured and validated tools. Currently, in UK ambulance services there is no published evidence that structured processes utilising validated tools are being consistently delivered by trained facilitators, potentially impacting clinical practice.Methods:A pre-intervention survey related to debriefing was sent to 1000 clinicians within a specific geographical area of the trust via e-mail. In addition, 12 senior or advanced paramedics were recruited from the same area to participate in a training day and 12-week trial, utilising the Debrief Diamond as part of post-event debriefing. Following the trial period, all facilitators and participants of any recorded debriefs were invited to complete a post-intervention survey.Results:A total of 130 staff responded to the pre-intervention survey, with 22% reporting that previous debriefs had not identified areas for learning, and 13% reporting that previous debriefs had not identified good practice, learning opportunities or near misses. Post-intervention, 89% believed the process of debriefing was improved utilising a structured framework, 85% stated trained individuals improved the process, 93% reported the identification of good practice, 70% identified team level learning and 100% of facilitators reported improvements in identifying and supporting learning.Conclusion:Improvements in identifying good practice and learning opportunities were reported by both clinicians and facilitators in this evaluation, reflecting current evidence that structured and facilitated debriefs support safer care through the identification and subsequent reduction of human error. Consequently, the evaluation of appropriate debrief frameworks to provide consistency and validity to clinical debriefs in the pre-hospital environment should be considered to support safer clinical care.