Strides in Development of Medical Education
Volume:13 Issue: 2, 2016

Medical education is one of the most important challenges facing Iranian medical authorities. Meanwhile, Islamic Azad University as a non-governmental authority for medical education has its own challenges and problems. This study aimed to assess faculties’ perception to identify the challenges in this area to improve the achievement of educational goals and the quality of health care.
In this qualitative study in 2014, the conventional content analysis was done for 10 semi-structured interviews with the faculty member of Islamic Azad University with experience, interest and authority in medical school. After implementation of interviews, reviews were done several times. The open coding system was used to generate initial categories for analysis.
Analysis of data obtained from interviews with participants resulted seven themes including the public system abandoned the university, despite the general acceptance, ignoring students’ positive and negative characteristics, problems of clinical faculty, challenges of research area, challenges in clinical education, problems related to the field of interaction with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and improving strategies. Each theme consisted of several sub-categories and described the specific aspects of the challenges in this area.
It is expected that the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in the Stewardship of Health and Medical Education, consider the clinical education in Islamic Azad universities in terms of planning and policy-making. Islamic Azad University officials also should consider strategies within the organization.

Regarding the importance of nursing education promotion, there is a need to use methods that have the ability to create knowledge and skills in students. This study aimed to assess the effect of education (inquiry, bedside education and routine approach to clinical education) on critical care nursing student's clinical learning.
This quasi-experimental study performed in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Valiasr hospital in Arak, Iran, during Octobers to March 2014. The subjects were 60 nursing students who were selected via census method and randomly were divided into three groups of 20 subjects. After the administration of pretest, students in the control group were educated using common method; in one of the experimental groups, the inquiry-based method and the other group, bedside method were used for education for 10 days. Then, the three groups completed the questionnaires at the end of education again (posttest). Finally, data were analyzed using ANOVA, paired-t and independent-t tests.
The mean total score of the clinical skills and cognitive domain was significantly difference among the three groups after the intervention (F = 136.75, degree of freedom = 2, P = 0.0001). After testing the homogeneity hypothesis of variances and using Games-Howell post-hoc tests, the total scores of training in bedside and inquiry-based education were significantly more than the routine training after the intervention (P It seems that two methods inquiry-based and bedside education enhanced clinical skills of students. Therefore, it is recommended to use these two methods of clinical educating to enhance students’ clinical learning.

Procrastination is one of the effective factors that reduce students’ academic performance. The rate of procrastination and help-seeking styles may be different in male and female students and this can affect their academic performance. So, this research aimed to determine the differences among male and female students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in academic procrastination and academic help-seeking styles.
In this descriptive study, research participants included 392 students (234 female and 158 male) of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in the academic year of 2014-15 who were selected using stratified random sampling method. Procrastination Assessment Scale and academic help-seeking styles questionnaire were performed by the participants. Validity and reliability of questionnaires were approved. The gathered data were analyzed via SPSS software using MANOVA test.
There were significant differences among the male and female students regarding procrastination and academic help-seeking style components. The mean scores of readiness for the exams and providing the midterm report components (14.48) was higher in female students. In addition, female university students used autonomous help-seeking style (16.29) while male university students used avoidant help-seeking style (9.20).
Totally, higher or lower scores in students’ procrastination and academic help-seeking style components depends on factors such as parents’ attitude or insight to parenting styles. This research has implications for teachers, educators and consultants which can be used for improving the university students’ achievement.

Medical education complexity gets worsen when confronting with a lot of information to be memorized and needs to have new techniques for learning and remembering. Mnemonic instruction is a way to help students to remember the information or vocabulary more effectively and easily. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mnemonic instruction among interns in the management of patients with poisoning.
A quasi-experimental study performed during 24 months among 120 emergency medicine interns in Rasool Akram Hospital, Tehran, Iran. We evaluated the knowledge of two groups of interns (n = 60) about management of patients with poisoning two times with a self-administered questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.78). At baseline, all the participants were filled the questionnaire as their baseline knowledge of poisoning management; then, both groups participated in a standard education course for poisoning management. In addition, we conducted an additional physical class for case group and taught them about the mnemonics instruction in poisoning. At the end of ward rotation, all participants answered the same questionnaire and the scores were compared between the groups for each time and within the groups for each test.
Mean scores were statistically different between the two times of testing in each group (P Using mnemonics was not effective enough to help interns to remember about management of poisonings better than usual educational activities.

Efficient emergency call answering services are vital for the medical emergency services all around the world. The provision of emergency services is based on ordering and prioritizing received calls. In addition, educating this kind of services has a prominent role in answer time and quality. The aim of this study was to describe the experience of telephone triage nurses in 115 Emergency Call Center of the Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Management Center at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
This study was conducted in form of phenomenological qualitative study. The sample was selected based on purposive sampling method including 5 nurses in emergency medical services at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, with at least 5 years of experience in the 115 Emergency Call Center. Data were collected using deep unstructured individual interviews. The average time of each interview was 63 minutes and an electronic recorder was used to record the interviews. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi method. The collected data were reconsidered by the researcher in order to confirm their reliability.
From the interviews, 737 summarized concepts were extracted and formed 9 thematic categorizations. Finally, the 3 themes of “performing cultural and societal roles”, “performing professional and organizational roles”, and “performing personal roles” were obtained. Experiences of nurses were stated in the form of a compact and continuum set between strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats.
The findings of the study can be summarized in two fundamental points. First, evaluation skills which are used in face-to-face consultation cannot be transferred directly by telephone. This shows that specific training on telephone consultation, treatment evaluation, and decision-making skills should be provided for triage nurses who work at such centers. Second, a greater degree of job satisfaction can be achieved among the emerging class of telephone triage nurses through allowing independent decision-making and decreasing decision-making errors by consistent telephone triage instructions, and creating suitable educational methods in order to control experienced stresses. These are points that must be considered by the Medical Emergency and Disaster Management Centre to promote occupational knowledge of nurses in 115 Emergency Call Center.

Knowledge about the nature and types of learners’ learning styles can help teachers to adjust their teaching methods with students’ learning styles to achieve the desired educational outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of students’ learning styles (based on Kolb learning Styles) and adaptive teaching method.
In this descriptive-correlation study, 250 students in Elmi-Karbordi higher education ýcenter at Zahedan Jahad-e-Daneshgahi, Iran, were selected via simple random sampling model. For collecting the data, the learning styles of Kolb and adaptive teaching method questionnaires were used. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and regression analysis tests.
The amounts of correlation coefficient of assimilating, divergent, accommodating, convergent learning styles and adaptive teaching method were 0.810, 0.765, 0.795, and 0.809, respectively (P Given the positive and meaningful correlation between the learning styles with adaptive teaching method, teachers of educational centers are suggested to use adaptive teaching method based on learning-based activities, assessment of learners’ needs, engaging students in the teaching process and flexibility for personal development.

Pharmacology education for nursing students aims to teach them how to acquire the necessary skills in the field of patients’ pharmaceutical cares; the acquisition of these skills is one of the necessary qualifications in nursing profession. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting learning and development of clinical skills in pharmacology course from the viewpoint of nursing students.
In this descriptive study, 200 nursing students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, selected through convenient sampling in 2014 were enrolled. Data were gathered through a researcher-made questionnaire consisted of six categories including instructor’s clinical competence, instructor’s educational competence, instructor’s interpersonal communication, clinical learning environment, curriculum planning and student factors. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive and analytical statistics (Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests).
Instructor’s clinical competence (2.32 ± 0.33) and clinical learning environment (2.13 ± 0.39) had the most and the least effects on learning and development of clinical skills in pharmacology course from the students’ viewpoints, respectively.
Paying attention to and strengthening the instructors’ qualifications, recruiting efficient teachers, and creating appropriate clinical environment can have important role in learning medical care. On the other hand, considering the motivational factors affecting students’ success in acquiring knowledge and experience and their appreciation of the importance and necessity of proper medication, and providing strategies to increase students’ clinical learning can facilitate and strengthen learning process of pharmaceutical care.

Nursing staff can prevent asphyxia and neonatal mortality by learning the correct resuscitation principles. Therefore, this study was performed with the aim to determine the effectiveness of teaching through simulation of the performance of nurses in neonatal resuscitation.
In this experimental study, 40 nursing staff were divided into teams of 2 nurses through simple randomization. The level of knowledge before and after the intervention was evaluated using a written exam. To assess performance before and after the intervention, simulated environment and scenario building were used. All stages of resuscitation of the teams were filmed. Before training, the experimental group participants viewed their videos and were trained through error analysis, practicing on manikin, and viewing educational videos of resuscitation (2011). The videos were evaluated and scored by two instructors through double-blind techniques and using a standard checklist. Data were analyzed in SPSS software using independent sample t-test, paired t-test, repeated measurement, and Pearson correlation coefficient.
The level of knowledge in the control and experimental groups increased by 9 and 10 scores, respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.830). Before the training, no statistically significant difference was observed in terms of performance (P = 0.109). However, one month after training, a significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of performance (P The results showed that the simultaneous use of simulation and filming for training will be more effective in the learning process. Thus, it is better that both techniques be used for training to be more effective.

One of the main goals of higher education is evaluating teachers’ educational performance to improve teaching. The results may be used to increase the teachers’ job performance and to promote teaching and learning processes. In this regard, students’ evaluation of their teachers is one of the most common evaluation methods in universities and educational centers. Thus, this study aimed to compare the faculty members’ and students’ viewpoints about the factors influencing evaluation of teachers by students.
In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 93 teachers and 93 students selected via stratified random sampling method were enrolled. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire containing 3 dimensions, moral and behavioral (8 items), educational (10 items), and compliance with training rules (8 items); the face and content validities were confirmed by academic specialists and its reliability was confirmed. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS20 statistical software and with help of descriptive statistics and independent-t test.
From the teachers’ viewpoint, the overall mean score of the moral and behavioral, educational and compliance with training rules factors were 3.45 (± 0.52), 4.32 (± 0.84), and 4.59 (± 0.58), respectively. From the students’ viewpoints these values were 3.25 (± 0.47), 4.04 (±0.78), and 4.36 (± 0.71), respectively. Independent-t test showed that with the assumption of equality of variances, there were not any significant differences between the characteristics.
Efforts for improving teacher evaluation in universities with the assistance of authorities and experts, and on the one hand, using the results in curriculum content of in-service teachers, can help much to improve teaching quality.