Clinical Skills Scores Research Articles

Comparing the impact of different transfusion medicine teaching methods—A mobile application versus task-based learning—On two dimensions of clinical competence among nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

AimTo evaluate and compare the impact of a transfusion medicine training course delivered via two different teaching methods—a mobile application and task-based learning—on nursing students' knowledge and clinical decision-making skill. BackgroundTo advance nursing education and clinical competence, it is crucial to integrate innovative methods, such as mobile applications and task-based learning, that promote active and competency-based learning. Evaluating these methods provides educators with insights to enhance nursing students' knowledge and clinical decision-making skill, ultimately improving patient care and supporting professional development. DesignA quasi-experimental study using a pretest-intervention-posttest design with a control group. MethodsThis study included 82 nursing students from the 6th to 8th semesters, selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups—mobile application (n=30), task-based learning (n=30) and control (n=30). The first group received educational content through a mobile application, the second group through task-based learning and the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using a valid and reliable three-part researcher-made tool, including a demographic/educational checklist and questionnaires on knowledge and clinical decision-making skill, administered before and two weeks after the intervention. Analysis was done using paired t-test, analysis of covariance and Bonferroni post hoc test, with a significance level set at p<0.05. ResultsFollowing the intervention, both intervention groups showed a significant increase in knowledge and clinical decision-making skill scores (p<0.05). Although both groups had higher knowledge scores than the control group, the differences were not significant (p>0.05). In contrast, clinical decision-making scores were significantly higher in both intervention groups compared with the control (p<0.05). No significant differences were observed between the intervention groups regarding the mean post-test knowledge and clinical decision-making skill scores (p>0.05). ConclusionBoth teaching methods effectively improved nursing students' knowledge and clinical decision-making skills in transfusion medicine. To leverage these findings effectively, educational authorities should integrate mobile applications and task-based learning into nursing curricula, test these methods in various settings to assess their impact and use the findings to update curricula in line with current educational needs.

An Evaluation of the First Clinical Posting in Psychiatry of the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Curriculum for Undergraduate Medical Students in India.

The new competency-based medical education (CBME) curriculum presents an opportunity to address the many deficiencies in undergraduate (UG) psychiatry education in India. There are no published reports of such evaluations of psychiatry teaching programs based on the new CBME curriculum. We performed a cross-sectional evaluation of the first clinical posting in psychiatry of the new CBME curriculum using the following metrics: clinical skills, knowledge, attitudes towards psychiatry, self-efficacy in performing the specific learning objectives (SLOs), and satisfaction with specific teaching-learning and assessment methods implemented. The mean knowledge score after the posting was significantly higher compared to the mean knowledge score at baseline (7.79 vs 5.45, p<0.001). The mean clinical skills score after the posting was 13.77 (0-20 range). Improvement was noted in the mean scores on all three sub-scales of the attitudes toward psychiatry scale. However, the improvement in scores was statistically significant only on the 'Stigma of Psychiatry' sub-scale. The mean scores on the items of the self-efficacy scale were between 63.41 and 77.73 (0-100 range). The mean scores on all items of the satisfaction scale were between 4 (somewhat satisfied) and 5 (very satisfied). We have described an evaluation of the first clinical posting in psychiatry of the new CBME curriculum. The posting was effective in imparting knowledge and clinical skills and potentially bringing about favorable changes in the attitudes toward psychiatry among UG medical students. The students also perceived confidence in performing the SLOs and were satisfied with the teaching-learning methods and assessment methods implemented.

Application of ChatGPT-based blended medical teaching in clinical education of hepatobiliary surgery

Objective This study evaluates the effectiveness of incorporating the Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) into the clinical teaching of hepatobiliary surgery for undergraduate medical students. Materials and methods A group of 61 medical undergraduates from the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, undergoing hepatobiliary surgery training, were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (31 students) using ChatGPT-based blended teaching or a control group (30 students) with traditional teaching methods. The evaluation metrics included final exam scores, teaching satisfaction, and teaching effectiveness ratings, analyzed using SPSS 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) with t-tests and χ 2 tests. Results The experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in final exam theoretical scores (86.44 ± 5.59 vs. 77.86 ± 4.16, p < .001) and clinical skills scores (83.84 ± 6.13 vs. 79.12 ± 4.27, p = .001). Additionally, the experimental group reported higher teaching satisfaction (17.23 ± 1.33) and self-evaluation of teaching effectiveness (9.14 ± 0.54) compared to the control group (15.38 ± 1.5 and 8.46 ± 0.70, respectively, p < .001). Conclusions The integration of ChatGPT into hepatobiliary surgery education significantly enhances theoretical knowledge, clinical skills, and overall satisfaction among medical undergraduates, suggesting a beneficial impact on their educational development.

Use of problem-based learning in orthopaedics education: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BackgroundCurrently, problem-based learning (PBL) has been widely used in many disciplines, but no systematic review has explored the advantages and disadvantages of PBL in orthopaedics education.MethodsWe searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Chongqing VIP Database (VIP), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases up to April 2023 to identify for relevant studies. Relevant studies were identified by using specific eligibility criteria, and data were extracted.ResultsA total of 51 randomized controlled trials with 4268 patients were included. Compared with traditional education, PBL teaching yielded significantly higher knowledge scores (SMD=1.10, 95% CI: 0.78~1.41, P<0.00001), procedural skill scores and clinical skill scores than traditional teaching (SMD=2.07, 95% CI: 1.61~2.53, P<0.00001; SMD=1.20, 95% CI: 0.88~1.52, P<0.00001). Moreover, the total scores were higher in the PBL teaching group than in the traditional teaching group (MD=5.69, 95% CI: 5.11~6.26, P<0.00001). Students also expressed higher levels of interest and satisfaction in the PBL teaching group than in the traditional teaching group (OR=4.70, 95% CI: 3.20~6.93, P<0.00001; OR=5.43, 95% CI: 3.83~7.69, P<0.00001). However, there was less learning time and higher levels of learning pressure in the PBL teaching group (OR=0.12, 95% CI: 0.06~0.24, P<0.00001; OR=5.95, 95% CI: 3.16~11.23, P<0.00001).ConclusionCurrent evidence indicates that PBL teaching can increase knowledge scores, procedural skill scores, and clinical skill scores. Students have higher levels of interest in teaching and higher levels of teaching satisfaction in the PBL group. However, students can feel higher levels of study pressure and experience less study time. The findings of the current study need to be further verified in multicentre, double-blind and large-sample RCTs.

A Study on the Cultivation of Clinical Thinking Ability of Vocational Education Nursing Students Assisted by Information Technology

Abstract The proliferation of information technology has provided innovative developments in the clinical training and education of nursing students. The auxiliary role of information technology in the medical field is discussed in this paper, which encompasses medical-related surgery, medical specialty teaching, scientific research, and remote diagnosis and treatment. A virtual simulation teaching system was constructed based on the assistance of information technology, and the development process of the system was divided into three-dimensional modeling, interactive function design, system packaging and distribution, and testing and evaluation sections. It also performs functional simulation of each section and provides 3-dimensional visualization of traveling waves, standing waves, and the acceleration principle through the mathematical modeling of traveling wave and standing wave simulation. Finally, the human-computer interaction was realized through the collision detection technology of the smoothing function and directed envelope box algorithm. There was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of exam performance scores, as well as the total clinical thinking skills scores of the two groups. The average evaluation score of students on the 14 evaluation items reached 8.69. It is clear that the VERT virtual simulation teaching system has a positive impact on the teaching of nursing, and the assistance of information technology is beneficial to the development of good clinical thinking ability of nursing students.

Analysis of the Application Value of Micro-Course Combining PBL Teaching Method in the Clinical Practice of Anesthesia Graduate Students

Objective: Exploring the Application Value of Micro lessons Combined with PBL Teaching Method in Clinical Internship of Anesthesiology Graduate Students. Methods: Through controlled experiments, 42 anesthesia graduate students who were interning in hospitals were selected as the research subjects. They were divided into two groups using a random number table: the traditional group using traditional teaching and the combined group using micro lessons combined with PBL teaching, with 21 people in each group.Collect and compare data on teaching effectiveness and method satisfaction for two groups. Results: In terms of teaching effectiveness, the theoretical knowledge score of the joint group was (91.61 ± 3.97) points, the clinical operational skills score was (93.74 ± 4.44) points, and the total score was (92.90 ± 3.16) points, which showed a significant improvement compared to the conventional group's (85.44 ± 2.89) points, (87.92 ± 5.25) points, and (86.57 ± 4.71) points (P&lt;0.05); the satisfaction rate of the joint group with teaching methods is 95.24%, which is significantly higher than the conventional group’s 61.90% (P &lt;0.05). Conclusion: The application value of combining micro-course and PBL teaching method in the clinical practice of anesthesia graduate students is high, which can not only significantly improve the teaching effect, but also be favored by clinical practice graduate students, which is worthy of promotion.

Comparison of simulation and video-based training for acute asthma

BackgroundEmergency medicine is particularly well suited to simulation training. However, evidence for the efficacy of simulation-based medical training remains limited especially to manage high-risk cases such as acute asthma.ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to compare the performance of high-fidelity simulation (HFS) and interactive video-case challenge-based training (IVC) for final-year medical students in the management of acute asthma.MethodsThis was a prospective randomized controlled study conducted at the emergency department (ED) of Monastir University hospital ( Tunisia). 69 final-year medical students were randomized to HFS (n = 34) and IVC (n = 35) training on acute asthma topic. The study was conducted over a 1-week period. Efficacy of each teaching method was compared through the use of multiple-choice questionnaires (MCQ) before (pre-test), after (post-test) training and a simulation scenario test conducted 1 week later. The scenario was based on acute asthma management graded on predefined critical actions using two scores: the checklist clinical score (range 0 to 30), and the team skills score (range 0 to 16). Student satisfaction was also evaluated with the Likert 5 points scale. Two years after the post-test, both groups underwent a third MCQ testing to assess sustainability of knowledge.ResultsThere were no differences in age between groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the HFS and IVC groups pre-test scores (p = 0.07). Both groups demonstrated improvement in MCQ post-test from baseline after training session; the HFS MCQ post-test score increased significantly more than the IVC score (p < 0.001). The HFS group performed better than the IVC group on the acute asthma simulation scenario (p < 0.001). Mean checklist clinical score and mean team skills score were significantly higher in HFS group compared to IVC group (respectively 22.9 ± 4.8 and 11.5 ± 2.5 in HFS group vs 19.1 ± 3 and 8.4 ± 3.1 in IVC group) (p < 0.001). After 2 years, MCQ post-test scores decreased in both groups but the decrease was lower in HFS group compared to the IVC group.ConclusionHigh-fidelity simulation-based training was superior to interactive video-case challenge for teaching final year medical students,and led to more long-term knowledge retention in the management of simulated acute asthma patients.Trial registrationThe study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02776358 on 18/05/2016.

Do clinical and communication skills scores on credentialing exams predict potentially inappropriate antibiotic prescribing?

There is considerable variation among physicians in inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, which is hypothesized to be attributable to diagnostic uncertainty and ineffective communication. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether clinical and communication skills are associated with antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory infections and sinusitis. A cohort study of 2,526 international medical graduates and 48,394 U.S. Medicare patients diagnosed by study physicians with an upper respiratory infection or sinusitis between July 2014 and November 2015 was conducted. Clinical and communication skills were measured by scores achieved on the Clinical Skills Assessment examination administered by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) as a requirement for entry into U.S residency programs. Medicare Part D data were used to determine whether patients were dispensed an antibiotic following an outpatient evaluation and management visit with the study physician. Physician age, sex, specialty and practice region were retrieved from the ECFMG databased and American Medical Association (AMA) Masterfile. Multivariate GEE logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between clinical and communication skills and antibiotic prescribing, adjusting for other physician and patient characteristics. Physicians prescribed an antibiotic in 71.1% of encounters in which a patient was diagnosed with sinusitis, and 50.5% of encounters for upper respiratory infections. Better interpersonal skills scores were associated with a significant reduction in the odds of antibiotic prescribing (OR per score decile 0.93, 95% CI 0.87-0.99), while greater proficiency in clinical skills and English proficiency were not. Female physicians, those practicing internal medicine compared to family medicine, those with citizenship from the US compared to all other countries, and those practicing in southern of the US were also more likely to prescribe potentially unnecessary antibiotics. Based on this study, physicians with better interpersonal skills are less likely to prescribe antibiotics for acute sinusitis and upper respiratory infections. Future research should examine whether tailored interpersonal skills training to help physicians manage patient expectations for antibiotics could reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.

Newborn Screening for Developmental Dysplasia of Hip—A Survey for Knowledge and Skills Among Physicians in Delhi-NCR Region, India

Introduction Developmental dysplasia of hip (DDH) is a developmental disorder leading to life-long disability in child unless diagnosed early and treated well in time. This condition is also included under the screening and early intervention services provided by “Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram” of National Health Mission in India. The present study was done to assess knowledge, perceptions, and self-confidence of pediatricians/neonatologists, obstetricians, primary care physicians (PCPs), and the orthopedic surgeons regarding the newborn screening for DDH. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study used a prestructured validated online questionnaire in English language. Total 158 physicians, practicing in various private and government, teaching, and nonteaching institutions from Delhi-NCR region (54 pediatrician/neonatologists, 60 PCPs, 30 orthopedic surgeons, and 14 obstetricians), responded to the survey. Questions related to biodemographic details, specialty, professional experience, knowledge about the risk factors of DDH, appropriate timing(s) for screening DDH and the modalities used, and natural course of untreated severe and mild DDH were asked. Participants were required to self-assign a grade (score 0-10) for both knowledge and clinical examination skills with reference to screening of DDH. Data was analyzed using SPSS (version 23.0) software. P value &lt;0.05 was considered significant. Results Only 18% pediatricians, 27% PCPs, 20% orthopedic surgeons, and none of the obstetrician could identify all risk factors for DDH ( P = 0.159). Only 24% physicians knew that the natural evolution of untreated severe DDH is bad with need for multiple surgeries throughout life and only 17% knew that the most common natural evolution of untreated mild hip dysplasia at birth is good with minimal functional sequelae without the need for surgery. Only 56% pediatricians mentioned correctly that the first screening for DDH needs to be done at birth before discharge from the hospital. Orthopedic surgeons, obstetricians, and PCPs were comparable to pediatricians in this knowledge ( P ≥ 0.05). Only 52% pediatricians were aware of both Barlow and Ortolani clinical maneuvers and 18% did not know about any of these tests. Among orthopedic surgeons, 60% knew about both these tests and among obstetricians, only 14% knew about both these tests. Self-assigned score for both knowledge and clinical examination skills were unsatisfactory in all groups, the range of median score being 5 to 7 and 2 to 6, respectively. Clinical examination skills scores were significantly lower among obstetricians than the other groups ( P = 0.001; Kruskal-Wallis test). Clinical examination skills scores were significantly lower than the knowledge scores among PCPs, orthopedic surgeons, and obstetricians ( P = 0.001, 0.026, and 0.005, respectively; Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test). Conclusion Knowledge was unsatisfactory among all physicians, regardless of their specialty. Self-assigned scores for clinical examination skills, which is a surrogate of self-confidence and likely to affect the practices, were also unsatisfactory among all physicians, regardless of their specialty. The findings of this study indicate an immediate need of attention for continuing education and handholding of all stakeholders who are directly responsible for screening and early diagnosis of DDH at birth and early infancy. Such a pertinent issue should be incorporated as a core knowledge as well as skill competencies in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education curriculum.

Novel on-site follow-up and enhancement program (FEP) improves knowledge, clinical skills and enabling environment of skilled birth attendants in Nepal.

Although great strides have been made in maternal and newborn health in Nepal, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is still high at 186 per 100,000 births. Many maternal deaths are preventable if there is access to a skilled birth attendant (SBA). The Ministry of Health and Population of Nepal launched the in-service SBA training program in 2007 and has trained over 10,000 SBAs to date. Evidence shows that one episode of training is not enough to retain skills. Therefore, the Nick Simons Institute (NSI) in collaboration with National Health Training Center (NHTC) devised a Follow-Up and Enhancement Program (FEP) in 2011 where the knowledge, clinical skills, and working environment of SBA graduates were assessed directly at their worksites. FEP allows on-site coaching and feedback so that graduates may continue to improve upon any gaps in their knowledge, skills, and working environment. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of FEP. We used a mixed-methods research design. A total of 73 SBAs who had a pre-FEP assessment in 2016 were followed up for a post-FEP assessment in 2017. We also collected data from 3 additional districts (115 SBAs) that had not previously had FEP, to compare SBAs in FEP versus non-FEP districts. Qualitative data was collected from 16 health facilities on the perceptions, motivation, and satisfaction of stakeholders. Of the total 188 SBAs that were sampled, a one-time FEP increased knowledge scores by 9%, clinical skills scores by 29%, and enabling environment scores by 7%. The number of deliveries conducted improved with a one-time FEP, although this increase was not statistically significant. We found a trickle-down effect of working in a facility that has had prior FEP, with SBAs that have never had FEP improving their clinical skills. FEP was found to be a highly accepted program and is beneficial to SBAs, trainers, and the Hospital Management Committee (HFOMC). However, a one-time FEP is not sufficient in retaining clinical skills and knowledge. FEP is a highly effective program by both quantitative and qualitative evaluation. Our study suggests that FEP should be frequent and continuous to retain the knowledge and clinical skills of SBAs, motivate them through on-site coaching, and improve their working environment through direct feedback to the Ministry of Health and Population.

Assessing the effectiveness of massive open online courses on improving clinical skills in medical education in China: A meta-analysis

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a new phenomenon in education worldwide. In China, MOOCs have been widely used in medical courses. However, the effects of MOOCs on improving clinical skills are controversial. Therefore, we conducted the study to verify whether the application of MOOCs in medical courses can improve participants' clinical skills in China. A systematic literature search was carried out using the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI and Wanfang databases according to the predetermined criteria. The Hedges' g and its corresponding 95% confidence interval were selected to assess the effects of MOOCs on participants' clinical skills. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analysis and publication bias test were performed in the study. A total of thirty-two records (thirty-two studies) with 3422 participants were identified in our study. There was a significant improvement in clinical skill scores of participants in the MOOC group compared with the control group. Subgroup analyses showed similar results in different student groups. Our study supported the notion that the MOOC-based teaching method appeared to be a more effective method than the conventional teaching technique for the improvement of participants’ clinical skills in China.

Effectiveness of the SBAR-Based training program in self-efficacy and clinical decision-making of undergraduate anesthesiology nursing students: a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundStructured Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation (SBAR) training technique have been widely utilized in clinical and educational settings. Therefore, the current study investigated the effectiveness of an SBAR-based educational program in students’ self-efficacy and clinical decision-making skills.MethodsThis quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pretest and posttest design and a control group at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. A total of 70 three- and fourth-year students were recruited for the study using the census method. The students were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in an SBAR-based educational course consisting of eight sessions held in 4 weeks. Differences in the levels of self-efficacy and clinical decision-making skills before and after participation in the SBAR course were assessed and compared. Data were analyzed using descriptive tests, the Mann-Whiney U test, paired and independent t-tests, and the Wilcoxon test.ResultsThe intervention group demonstrated significantly higher levels of self-efficacy with a mean score of 140.66 ± 22.43 (P < 0.001) and clinical decision-making with a mean score of 75.31 ± 7.72 (P < 0.001); while in the control group, the mean score of self-efficacy and clinical decision-making skills was 85.34 ± 18.15 and 65.51 ± 4.49, respectively. Moreover, the Mann-Whitney U test showed that the levels of students’ clinical decision-making skills were promoted to the next level after the intervention (P < 0.001); it means the distribution of the level of intuitive-interpretive skill was upgraded from 0 to 22.9%.ConclusionThe SBAR-based training programs can promote the self-efficacy and clinical decision-making skills of anesthesiology nursing students. Considering the weakness of the anesthesiology nursing curriculum at the undergraduate level in Iran, it can be expected that the SBAR-based training course should be included as an educational intervention in the curriculum of anesthesiology nursing students.

How Well Prepared Are Dental Students and New Graduates in Pakistan-A Cross-Sectional National Study.

The transition of an undergraduate dental student to an actual practicing dentist is a crucial phase and ensuring the preparedness of graduates for the complexity and demands of contemporary dental practice is a challenging task. This study aimed to evaluate the self-perceived preparedness of undergraduate dental students and house officers in the dental colleges of Pakistan. A cross-sectional national study was planned to collect information from dental students and new graduates in Pakistan. The pre-validated Dental Undergraduates Preparedness Assessment Scale (DU-PAS) was used. A purposive sampling technique was utilized to recruit house officers and undergraduate dental students from 27 dental schools in Pakistan. The data analysis was carried out using the R statistical environment for Windows (R Core Team, 2015). A total of 862 responses with 642 females and 219 males were analyzed in the study. Overall, the clinical skills score was 30.56 ± 9.08 and the score for soft skills was 30.54 ± 10.6. The mean age of the participants was 23.42 ± 1.28. Deficiencies were reported in various soft skills and clinical skills attributes. The results highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of dental students and new graduates in Pakistani dental institutions. The findings may be used to further develop and strengthen the teaching and training of dental students in Pakistan.

Physical therapy students’ perception of their ability of clinical and clinical decision-making skills enhanced after simulation-based learning courses in the United States: a repeated measures design

It aimed to investigate physical therapy students’ perception of their ability of clinical and clinical decision-making skills after a simulation-based learning course in the United States. Survey questionnaires were administered to voluntary participants, including 44 second and third-year physical therapy students of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences during 2021–2022. Thirty-six questionnaire items consisted of 4 demographic items, 1 general evaluation, 21 test items for clinical decision-making skills, and 4 clinical skill items. Descriptive and inferential statistics evaluated differences in students’ perception of their ability in clinical decision-making and clinical skills, pre- and post-simulation, and post-first clinical experience during 2021–2022. Friedman test revealed a significant increase from pre- to post-simulation in perception of the ability of clinical and clinical decision-making skills total tool score (P<0.001), clinical decision-making 21-item score (P<0.001), and clinical skills score (P<0.001). No significant differences were found between post-simulation and post-first clinical experience. Post-hoc tests indicated a significant difference between pre-simulation and post-simulation (P<0.001) and between pre-simulation and post-first clinical experience (P<0.001). Forty-three students (97.6%) either strongly agreed (59.1%) or agreed (38.5%) that simulation was a valuable learning experience. The above findings suggest that simulation-based learning helped students begin their first clinical experience with enhanced clinical and clinical decision-making skills.

THE INFLUENCE OF PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING METHOD ON THE LEOPOLD MANEUVER CLINICAL SKILL IN DIPLOMA MIDWIFERY STUDENTS

Background: In dealing with the current condition of the Covid-19 pandemic, the education system finds the alternative and changes the regular learning to an online system. This online system depends on vital aspects such as well-structured, interactive, and substantive programs. Consequently, educators are challenged to be more frequently innovative and active in assessing and evaluating learning needs. Implementing a proper learning method helps to encourage students' willingness to learn since they are the core of the learning process. Therefore, this research considered Problem-based Learning as a suitable learning method to implement and improve clinical skills. By learning from a problem, students are indirectly instructed to learn how to collect and integrate new knowledge.&#x0D; Objectives: This study focuses on determining the implementation of Problem-Based Learning methods on the Leopold maneuver antenatal midwifery care subject in the diploma midwifery students.&#x0D; Methods: This study uses a quasi-experimental design with a one group pretest-posttest design. The samples in this study are 30 students from Megarezky University. Data are analyzed by univariate and bivariate with chi-square test. This study uses a questionnaire to measure students' interest and motivation in participating in learning in antenatal care courses, and to measure skills in performing the Leopold maneuver using a standardized checklist from the Antenatal Care Module of the Ministry of Health. This research is conducted within two months (December to January 2022).&#x0D; Results: The result reveals that the Problem-Based Learning Method (PBL) effectively increases the score of students' clinical skills with a p-value: 0.000 &lt; 0.05.&#x0D; Conclusion: Problem-Based Learning Method (PBL) effectively improves the clinical skills of Leopold maneuver Antenatal care.

Design, implementation and evaluation of a virtual clinical training protocol for midwifery internship in a gynecology course during COVID-19 pandemic: A semi-experimental study

BackgroundOver the past year, the occurrence of COVID-19 pandemic has challenged clinical education for health care students, due to the possibility of exposure to the virus and increased spread of the disease. Clinical training of midwifery students in gynecologic problems, based on the Iran midwifery education curriculum, was also disrupted during this pandemic. ObjectivesThis study was aimed at designing, implementing and evaluating a virtual clinical training protocol for midwifery internship in a Gynecology course. DesignA semi-experimental study. SettingsFaculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran. ParticipantsForty-seven midwifery interns in Gynecology course were recruited during two semesters in 2020. MethodsFive steps based on the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model were taken, which included 1) educational and skills needs assessment, 2) design, 3) development via focused group interviews and brainstorming with the presence of the midwifery department members in three sessions, 4) implementation including pretest and posttest, webinar, uploading the information of virtual patients, questions and correct answers, and 5) evaluation including knowledge assessment by a designed questionnaire and skills evaluation by the modified-Mini-CEX checklist. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and paired t-test. ResultsAfter training, a significant increase (p < 0.001) was observed in scores of knowledge and interview skills, clinical judgment, consultation, efficiency, professionalism, clinical competence and total score of clinical skills. ConclusionsTraining for gynecological diseases through virtual clinic promoted knowledge and clinical skills of midwifery interns. To enhance education, a virtual clinic may be used in crisis situations and in combination with teaching under normal circumstances by strengthening the infrastructure and removing barriers.

Faculty Perception on Simulation Based Learning

Introduction: Simulation is an active teaching learning method performed in a controlled, protected and safe environment. The study was aimed to assess the the perception of simulation-based learning among Nursing faculties. Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted at selected college of nursing, Chennai among 63 nursing faculties selected through purposive sampling technique. Data was collected through Google forms using background variables Proforma and rating scale on perception of simulation-based learning through online mode. Results: Around half of the faculties (44.4%) were aged between 36 to 45 years, Post graduates (55.6%) and 49.2% had more than 10 years of teaching experience. Most of them (86%) had positive perception whereas 14% had neutral perception regarding simulation learning, with the domain wise mean score of Clinical skills &amp; Experience (27.1+9.2), communication and patient safety (21.5+7.4), Curriculum Replacement (11.1+2.5), Confidence and Satisfaction of Students (13.5+3.1). Conclusion: Implementation of SBL in Nursing education has been perceived favorably by a large number of Faculties. Faculty development Programme is needed to strengthen the nursing faculties in implementing simulation in a nursing education curriculum.

Target-Oriented Clinical Skill Enhancement (TOCSE) Is an Effective Tool to Bridge Didactic to Clinical Learning: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Purpose: To connect didactic learning to clinical application is a challenging task both for the teachers and students. Target-Oriented Clinical Skill Enhancement (TOCSE) is a teaching and learning tool that integrates basic medical sciences at the clinical level. The authors sought to determine if TOCSE is effective in bridging didactic knowledge to clinical skill and enhancing the clinical performance of fourth year medical students. Method: Between March 2021 and June 2021, in an online platform, the authors randomly allocated 141 fourth year medical students into the experimental (n=12 groups; n=63) and control groups (n=12 groups; n=78). Participants in the experimental group underwent the TOCSE module workshop while the control group utilized the standard method of teaching. The actively teaching faculty staff blinded of group allocation were invited to assess case presentations using a standardized rubric. A survey was done by the students (experimental and control) to evaluate how they perceived TOCSE to their performance and learning. Independent parametric t-test was performed to compare the clinical skill scores between the two groups. Results: The experimental group had a mean clinical skill score of 35.29 (SD=2.64, excellent) while the control group had a mean clinical skill score of 31.96 (SD=4.04, satisfactory). The between-group comparisons using independent t-test indicated that the mean difference of -3.33 clinical skills scores between the experimental and control groups was statistically significant (t=–2.39, p=0.026, 95% CI=–6.22 to –0.45). Moreover, the perceived usefulness score (scale 10 as highest) among the TOCSE presenters (experimental groups) was 8.43 (SD=0.84) and scores among the TOCSE audience (control groups) was comparable at 8.36 (SD=0.71), both of which were interpreted as very helpful. Conclusion: TOCSE is effective in bridging didactic knowledge to clinical skill and enhancing clinical performance of fourth year medical students.

Evaluation the Effectiveness of Abridged IMNCI (7-Day) Course v Standard (11-Day) Course in Pakistan

BackgroundThe conventional IMCI training for healthcare providers is delivered in 11 days, which can be expensive and disruptive to the normal clinical routines of the providers. An equally effective, shorter training course may address these challenges.MethodsWe conducted a quasi-experimental study in two provinces (Sindh and Punjab) of Pakistan. 104 healthcare providers were conveniently selected to receive either the abridged (7-day) or the standard (11-day) training. Knowledge and clinical skills of the participants were assessed before, immediately on conclusion of, and six months after the training.ResultsThe improvement in mean knowledge scores of the 7-day and 11-day training groups was 31.6 (95% CI 24.3, 38.8) and 29.4 (95% CI 23.9, 34.9) respectively, p = 0.630 while the improvement in mean clinical skills scores of the 7-day and 11-day training groups was 23.8 (95% CI: 19.3, 28.2) and 23.0 (95% CI 18.9, 27.0) respectively, p = 0.784. The decline in mean knowledge scores six months after the training was − 12.4 (95% CI − 18.5, − 6.4) and − 6.4 (95% CI − 10.5, − 2.3) in the 7-day and 11-day groups respectively, p = 0.094. The decline in mean clinical skills scores six months after the training was − 6.3 (95% CI − 11.3, − 1.3) in the 7-day training group and − 9.1 (95% CI − 11.5, − 6.6) in the 11-day group, p = 0.308.ConclusionAn abridged IMNCI training is equally effective as the standard training. However, training for certain illnesses may be better delivered by the standard course.

Students achieve comparable performance scores for clinical placements in public and private sectors: a longitudinal observational study.

Does student clinical performance differ according to healthcare sector? Does student clinical performance at Macquarie University differ from other Australian graduate entry-level programs? A longitudinal observational study with comparison to national data. A total of 284 physiotherapy students from Macquarie University. Each student's clinical performance was evaluated by a clinical educator using the Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) tool at the end of four 5-week clinical placements. Four measures of clinical performance were analysed: Total APP score, Employability Skills, Clinical Skills and a global rating of performance. A between-group difference in the APP results of 5% was nominated a priori as large enough to be considered important. Of the 1,136 placements, 533 (47%) were undertaken in the private sector. Among their four placements, 99% of students had at least one private sector placement and 70% had two or more private sector placements. There were negligible differences between private and public sector placements in Total APP scores (MD 0%, 95% CI-1 to 1), Employability Skills scores (MD 2% higher in the public sector, 95% CI 1 to 3) and Clinical Skills scores (MD 1% higher in the private sector, 95% CI-1 to 3). On the global rating of performance, 88% of placements in each sector were rated as being either good or excellent. Students in the private sector were 9% (95% CI 3 to 14) more likely to be rated as excellent compared with the public sector. There were negligible differences in clinical performance between the Macquarie University and other Australian graduate-entry students. Macquarie University's practice of increasing private sector participation in clinical education had no adverse effects on student clinical performance, and it is likely to be beneficial in better preparing students for work in the private sector.