The influence of workplace culture on the continuing professional development of emergency medical services providers in Saudi Arabia: an ethnographic study

Emergency medical services (EMS) providers deliver critical pre-hospital clinical emergency and lifesaving practices. These providers need to engage in continuing professional development (CPD) activities to meet their registration requirements, and maintain and develop their knowledge, skills and professional competencies in order to provide competent and safe EMS practices. The literature has highlighted a number of significant impacts of workplace culture on CPD from the perspectives of a wide range of healthcare professionals. However, the influence of workplace culture on the CPD of EMS providers in Saudi Arabia, and the extent to which these providers value and engage in CPD are not well understood. The research question for this study on EMS in Saudi Arabia was: How does the workplace culture of emergency medical services providers influence their continuing professional development? This study adopted a focused ethnography approach. Focused ethnography is concerned with studying narrowly determined cultures, such as a specific category of providers or a department in a healthcare facility. The theoretical framework developed by Spradley guided the research process. The study was conducted in one of the main institutions that provides public EMS to the community in the Aseer region within Saudi Arabia. Three participant groups were included: (1) administrative leaders; (2) trainers; and (3) EMS providers. Ethics approval was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Adelaide and from the participating institution. Data was collected from: 133 participants in an online survey; 5 focus groups with a total of 23 participants; 13 semi-structured individual interviews; 300 hours of field observations; and a review of a number of non-confidential workplace documents. The quantitative data from the online survey were analysed using descriptive statistics. The qualitative data were thematically analysed using the steps of analysing and interpreting ethnographic data developed by Holloway and Galvin. The study found a number of aspects of workplace culture that discouraged formal CPD for EMS providers. These issues related to administrative systems; leadership profiles; EMS workloads; language barriers; and significant shortages of appropriate human, material and financial resources. However, some cultural factors supported informal CPD for EMS providers. All levels of participants were aware of and valued CPD. There was a culture of positive collegial relationships and personal friendships among EMS providers, which assisted them to support each other in engaging in some form of CPD. The original contribution of this study to the body of knowledge is that, even though the value placed on CPD was high across the participating groups, support for CPD within the workplace culture was weak. This is due to the lack of integrated structures and systems that govern and promote such behaviours across the workplace. This resulted in an absence of sustainable, timely and high-quality formal CPD for EMS providers. To maintain the growth and evolution of the EMS profession and to deliver safe, contemporary EMS practices to patients then this approach to CPD needs to be modified and improved. Patient safety and the quality of EMS care in the participating region could be compromised.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Adelaide Nursing School, 202

Coping strategies and social support are associated with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in Saudi paramedics

Purpose Three main objectives of this study were as follows: (1) To estimate the prevalence rate of post-traumatic stress disordered (PTSD) symptoms among Saudi paramedics, (2) To investigate which types of coping strategies were associated with PTSD symptoms among Saudi paramedics, (3) To explore which sources of social support were associated with PTSD symptoms among Saudi paramedics. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 217 paramedics working in the Saudi Red Crescent Authority from September to December 2019. Participants completed questionnaires measuring PTSD symptoms (the Screen of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders; SPTSD), passive and active coping strategies (Brief COPE Scale; BC), and three forms of social support: support from friends, family and organizational support. Associations between coping strategies, social support and PTSD symptoms were investigated using correlational analyses, hierarchical linear regression and binary logistic regression. Findings 46% of participants experienced one or more PTSD symptom, 28.6% scored above the cut-off for partial PTSD and 17.5% scored above the cut-off for full PTSD. PTSD symptoms were significantly positively correlated with passive coping and negatively associated with both family and friends support. Passive coping was positively associated with a greater risk of meeting criteria for PTSD. Originality/value The current findings suggest that interventions to help reduce PTSD in Saudi paramedics should include strategies to reduce passive coping. Future research is urgently required to help understand the psychological, social and work-related factors that contribute to these high levels of PTSD

Distribution of influenza A and B antibodies and correlation with ABO/Rh blood grouping

Background: Influenza is a clinically-significant infection with significant number of globally reported annual deaths. The aim of this study was to study the distribution of influenza A and B antibodies in Najran, the Southwest region of Saudi Arabia, and to investigate the correlation between demographic characteristics and influenza virus antibody levels.Methods: Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect antibody level of influenza A and B. The correlation with ABO/Rh blood groupings was also examined. The total number of participants was 252. Only twenty-four subjects received the flu vaccine.Results: It was found that 33.7% and 24.1% of unvaccinated subjects were IgG-positive for influenza A and B, respectively. Interestingly, the antibody levels of the unvaccinated participants were higher than the vaccinated group. A significant difference was found between unvaccinated participants with O+ and influenza A and B antibody levels (**p=0.0045). The antibody level was inversely correlated with age in influenza B IgG subjects but not influenza A IgG (r=-0.1379; R squared=0.01900; p=0.0375). Forty-three subjects (17%) were positive for antibodies of both influenza A and B.Conclusions: IgG antibody positivity is greater in cases of influenza type A compared to influenza B. A significant correlation was found in the unvaccinated group between influenza B IgG antibody levels and age, but not influenza A (*p=0.0375). More research is needed to investigate the role of O+ blood group in influenza infections

The Role of Social Media Advertisement and Physical Activity on Eating Behaviors among the General Population in Saudi Arabia

Abstract: Over the past few decades, people in Saudi Arabia have become less inclined to adopt active lifestyles and healthy eating habits due to the increasing use of digital technologies such as social media. The objective of this online-based cross-sectional study was to assess the role of social media food advertisements and physical activity on eating behaviors among the general population in Saudi Arabia (n = 471). Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, which consisted of four parts: (i) sociodemographic information, (ii) attitude towards social media, (iii) eating behaviorsrelated information, and (iv) exposure to and engagement with social media advertisements. The study’s outcome variable, eating behaviors (healthy vs. unhealthy), was assessed using the following question: “Are you on a healthy diet (such as a balanced diet, keto, or low carb)?” A multiple binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors that influence unhealthy eating behaviors. Approximately 79.6% of the participants had unhealthy eating behaviors. Participants who were not involved in daily physical activity were more likely to have unhealthy eating behaviors compared to their counterparts (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 4.86). Participants who watched food ads on social media channels 1–3 times a week (AOR = 2.58) or daily (AOR = 3.49) were more likely to have unhealthy eating behaviors than their counterparts. Participants whose appetite to try foods increases always (AOR = 1.42) or usually (AOR = 2.88) after viewing ads on social media were more likely to have unhealthy eating behaviors. These findings suggest that policymakers should take immediate action to regulate food advertising policy to promote a healthy food environment across the country. Saudis should be encouraged to engage in more physical activity, which could support the maintenance of healthy eating patterns and lifestyles.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Risk and diagnostic factors and therapy outcome of neonatal early onset sepsis in ICU patients of Saudi Arabia: a systematic review and meta analysis

BackgroundNeonatal early onset sepsis (NEOS) is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition affecting newborns within the first few days of life. While the diagnosis of NEOS was based on clinical signs and symptoms in the past, recent years have seen growing interest in identifying specific diagnostic factors and optimizing therapy outcomes. This study aims to investigate the diagnostic and risk factors and therapy outcomes of neonatal EOS in ICU patients in Saudi Arabia, with the goal of improving the management of neonatal EOS in the country.MethodsThis method outlines the protocol development, search strategy, study selection, and data collection process for a systematic review on neonatal early onset sepsis in Saudi Arabian ICU patients, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) is a well-established guideline that provides a framework for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses in a transparent and standardized manner. It aims to improve the quality and reporting of such research by ensuring clear and comprehensive reporting of study methods, results, and interpretations. The search strategy included electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library) and manual search of relevant studies, and data were extracted using a standardized form.ResultsThe systematic review included 21 studies on neonatal sepsis in Saudi Arabia, with varying study designs, sample sizes, and prevalence rates of sepsis. Group B streptococcus and E. coli were the most commonly isolated pathogens. Various diagnostic factors and risk factors were reported, including hematological parameters, biomarkers, and blood cultures. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Joanna Briggs Institute critical checklist.ConclusionsThe review identified a number of risk and diagnostic factors and therapy outcomes for neonatal sepsis. However, most of the studies were having small scale cohort groups. Further research with controlled study designs is needed to develop effective prevention and management strategies for neonatal sepsis in Saudi Arabia

Identification of Significant \u3cem\u3eE\u3c/em\u3e0 Strength in the 2\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e → 2\u3csub\u3e1\u3c/sub\u3e\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e Transitions of \u3csup\u3e58,60,62\u3c/sup\u3eNi

The E0 transition strength in the 22+ → 21+ transitions of 58,60,62Ni have been determined for the first time following a series of measurements at the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Kentucky (UK). The CAESAR Compton-suppressed HPGe array and the Super-e solenoid at ANU were used to measure the δ(E2/M1) mixing ratio and internal conversion coefficient of each transition following inelastic proton scattering. Level half-lives, δ(E2/M1) mixing ratios and γ-ray branching ratios were measured at UK following inelastic neutron scattering. The new spectroscopic information was used to determine the E0 strengths. These are the first 2+ → 2+ E0 transition strengths measured in nuclei with spherical ground states and the E0 component is found to be unexpectedly large; in fact, these are amongst the largest E0 transition strengths in medium and heavy nuclei reported to date

Identification of significant E0E0 strength in the 22+→21+2^+_2 \rightarrow 2^+_1 transitions of 58,60,62^{58, 60, 62}Ni

The $E0$ transition strength in the $2^+_2 \rightarrow 2^+_1$ transitions of $^{58,60,62}$Ni have been determined for the first time following a series of measurements at the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Kentucky (UK). The CAESAR Compton-suppressed HPGe array and the Super-e solenoid at ANU were used to measure the $\delta(E2/M1)$ mixing ratio and internal conversion coefficient of each transition following inelastic proton scattering. Level half-lives, $\delta(E2/M1)$ mixing ratios and $\gamma$-ray branching ratios were measured at UK following inelastic neutron scattering. The new spectroscopic information was used to determine the $E0$ strengths. These are the first $2^+ \rightarrow 2^+$ $E0$ transition strengths measured in nuclei with spherical ground states and the $E0$ component is found to be unexpectedly large; in fact, these are amongst the largest $E0$ transition strengths in medium and heavy nuclei reported to date