Facilitation of the development of blended e-learning model for nursing education in a resource-constrained educational setting in Nigeria.

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2016.Nursing education in Nigeria has passed through many waters. The purpose of the study was to facilitate the design, development and testing of a blended e-learning model for nursing education in a resource-constrained educational setting in Nigeria. The study has as its specific objectives to: assess the current modes of delivery of nursing education and stage of development of e-learning in nursing education in Nigeria; establish the perceptions of e-learning as a mode of teaching and learning among nursing stakeholders (nursing students, nurse academics, nurse practitioners, nursing administrators and nursing leaders); appraise the nurses’ computer literacy level, their computer skills and e-learning experiences. Others are to: explore the contextual factors and antecedents (preconditions) necessitating the use of e-learning in nursing education in Nigeria; examine the essentials for developing and testing a blended e-learning model in the Nigerian context; and pilot the developed blended e-learning model. The Khan Framework for E-Learning and the Garrison and Anderson’s Community of Inquiry Model served as the theoretical underpinning for the study. The study adopting the education action research approach has pragmatism as its philosophical stance. The study design comprises three serial cycles (the assessment/exploration, development and the implementation/testing cycle), reminiscent of action research. Each cycle was a complete mini study and consisted of an iterative cyclical loop of sequential steps of problem identification, planning, acting, observing, and reflecting that necessitated the concurrent use of quantitative and qualitative research designs. Cycle 1 (the assessment / exploration cycle) employed a complimentary quantitative / qualitative data collection approach. Quantitative data were collected with the aid of an adapted structured questionnaire administered on a cluster sample of 402 nurses selected across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, and qualitative data gathered through key informant interviews of 16 purposively selected information-rich nursing leaders. Quantitative data analysis done with the aid of SPSS 21 employed both descriptive (frequency count, percentage, mean) and inferential statistics (such as Pearson Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests), while qualitative analysis employed content analysis technique, with both quantitative and qualitative findings integrated. The development cycle (Cycle 2) adopted majorly qualitative design utilizing critical reflection, synthesis of findings from the preceding needs assessment/exploration cycle, the use of reflective journal, brainstorming and consultative sessions with research team, to develop the theoretical blended e-learning model. The evolving model was critically reviewed and progressively refined before piloting. The final cycle, the implementation / testing cycle (Cycle 3), adopted a case methodology design to pilot the developed blended e-learning model among two purposively selected arms (1st and 4th year) of the part-time bachelor of nursing science students. Two nursing modules previously taught via face-to-face mode were administered using the newly developed blended e-learning model over a period of one semester. A pre- and post-test survey and focus group discussions held (one among the students and the other among teaching staff) to assess the effectiveness and suitability of the model for deploying nursing education. Results showed that a majority (69.4%) of the nurses holds only professional diploma qualifications in nursing. The computer literacy and computer skill of the nurses though adjudged as largely fair, the 34% that had poor computer literacy and the 32.8% of the nurses that exhibited poor computer skill is a cause for concern. A majority (73%) of the nurses had no prior learning experience in computer, thus the need for inculcation of a computer appreciation programme into the proposed blended e-learning model. There was however a generally positive perception of e-learning as a mode of teaching and learning among Nigerian nurses (79.6%). There was also a significant relationship between computer literacy and nurses’ perception of e-learning (p < 0.05); and nurses’ perception of e-learning and their e-learning experiences (p < 0.05). The antecedents for use of e-learning for nursing education in Nigeria are development and globalization, technological advancement, internet revolution and policy directives from the NUC. Contextual factors established by the study include: massive demand for university education in nursing, growing dissatisfaction with diploma professional nursing qualifications among nurses, the need to enrich the learning experience of nurses undergoing ODL baccalaureate nursing programme while at the same time lessening the burden experienced by those enrolled in the programme. Yet significant is the unearthing of some challenges to the use of e-learning for nursing education in a typical resource-constrained environment which include: inadequate power supply; inadequate interconnectivity; lack of infrastructure; and ignorance-related issues. Further, the study established the following as the essentials for developing and testing a blended e-learning model in a resource-constrained educational setting: an eye that sees possibilities, institutional readiness; good planning; support at different levels (individual, institutional, national); collaboration (holistic teamwork); 360 degree feedback, robust project management, policies and strategic direction. The developed blended e-learning model for nursing education in a resource-constrained educational setting was piloted for a whole semester (about 4months). The result of the piloting showed that the developed model was not only found suitable by both learners (students) and the instructors but largely effective at achieving learning objectives. It was noted that its use has facilitated an increase students’ involvement in their own learning and the use of multiple teaching-learning approaches. While certain itches (inadequate student-student and teacher-student interaction secondary internet connectivity problems and tablet-related issues) were experienced, the model has proven to be a useful tool for increasing access to nursing education while not compromising on the quality of learning

Burnout experience among nurses and self – reported quality of care in Osun State tertiary hospitals

Objectives: Burnout is a feasible phenomenon among healthcare professionals, including nurses. The consequence is reduction in their overall efficiency and therefore can affect the quality of care they render to patients. The study examined the influence of burnout experience on nurses – reported quality of nursing care in Tertiary hospitals in Osun state.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used to study 230 randomly selected nurses working in admission facilities of tertiary hospitals in Osun state. Data was collected with semi structured questionnaire adapted from Maslach Burnout Inventory and Karen – personnel instrument for measuring quality. Kruskal – Wallis H tests of association were done at 0.05 significance level.Results: The study revealed a statistically significant association between Burnout experiences and nurse – reported quality of nursing care in the hospitals studied (÷ 2 = 14.46, p = 0.006).Conclusion: Burnout experience affected the Self – reported quality of nursing care in the facilities studied.Keywords: Burnout experience, Self – reported quality of nursing care

Heavy metal, proximate and microbial profile of some selected commercial marine fish collected from two markets in south western Nigeria

The study on the elemental, proximate and microbial composition of fresh samples of Scomber scombrus, Gadus macrocephalus, Saclina pilchradus and Jack mackerel was determined to gain the knowledge of the risk and benefits associated with indiscriminate consumption of marine fishes. Wet digestion was done for the samples and was analyzed for minerals, heavy metals and microorganisms. The species examined contained appreciable concentrations of moisture, protein, lipids and ash content suggesting that the fish species could be used as a good source of minerals. Heavy metals analyzed were above tolerable limits; therefore, it can be suggested that taste, size, freshness and other related external appearances should not be the only factor to be considered in making choice for marketing and consumption of marine and freshwater fishes in Nigeria.Keywords: Scomber scombrus, Gadus macrocephalus, Saclina pilchradus, Jack mackerel, elemental, proximate, microbial, heavy metalsAfrican Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 13(10), pp. 1147-1153, 5 March, 201

Investigation of No2/No, So2, Co and Volatile Organic Compounds Emission from Solid Waste in Ogbomoso

Emissions from burning of solid waste have been a major source of air pollutions in Ogbomoso Township in the last few years. This research work estimate the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO2/NO), carbon(II)oxide, sulphur (iv) oxide and volatile organic compounds from solid waste in Ogbomoso as a measure of control using the emission factors approach. Determination of the solid waste generation potential using per capita approach was combined with the appropriate emission factors for the estimation. On the average, nylon has the least generation potential with 8.85% while solid (glass, metal, tin and sand) has the highest with 44.825%. These generation potentials increased from 44,073 tonnes/annum in the year 2002 to 63,822.88 tonnes/annum in the year 2011 with the population of 242,167 to 350,627 per capita respectively. However, results obtained from nitrogen oxides (NO2/NO), carbon (II) oxide, sulphur (iv) oxide and volatile organic compounds emissions rate shows an increased trend of 132.22 to 191.47, 1851.3 to 2680.6, 19.3 to 27.1 and 947.58 to 1372.19 tonnes/annum respectively in the year 2002 to 2011. The emission rate of NO/NO2, SO2, CO and volatile organic compounds must be controlled because of their adverse effect on the environment. The controlled could be by converting them for energy production owing to the high calorific value of the solid waste in Ogbomoso. Another controlled technique that can be employed in addition to conversion for energy production is by burning the waste in an incinerator since the solid waste consist of high percentage of combustible materials. Keywords: Emission factor, Solid wast

Effects of mothers' socio-economic status on the management of febrile conditions in their under five children in a resource limited setting

BACKGROUND: Public health research is shifting focus to the role of socioeconomic indicators in the promotion of health. As such an understanding of the roles that socio-economic factors play in improving health and health-seeking behaviour is important for public health policy. This is because the share of resources devoted to different policy options should depend on their relative effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: To measure the effect of socio-economic status (age, education, occupation, income, religion and family structure) of mothers on the management of febrile conditions in under-fives children METHOD: Two hundred mothers who brought their febrile under-five children to a health facility were interviewed on the treatment they gave to their children before reporting at health facility. Data collected were entered and analyzed using the SPSS software. Binary logistic regression was adopted for the quantitative analysis of the effect of socio-economic variables on the mothers' actions prior to utilizing the health facility. RESULTS: Results showed that while mothers' age was negatively correlated (-0.13), occupation was positively correlated (0.17) with under-fives mothers' action. Education, religion, income and family structure were however insignificant at 5% level CONCLUSION: This poses a lot of challenges to policy makers in the developing nations where women's education and earning capacity is low. There is therefore a need to increase the number of women benefiting from micro credit. This will ensure that more women are engaged in a form of occupation that is profitable and can sustain the economic and health needs of the family

Drinking Water Quality and Public Health of Selected Towns in SouthWestern Nigeria

database in the study area where none existed previously. Groundwater samples from bore-holes, hand-pump, and hand-dug wells of four densely populated towns in South- WesternNigeria were analyzed in respect to physicochemical factors, biological factors, and the metals Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), and Iron (Fe) for six consecutive months from September 2012 to February 2013 to give mean values for each town and water source. Total aerobic plate, total coliform bacteria, and Escherichia coli (E. coli)were detected in most of thewater samples from the different towns and sources considered. Except for total suspended solids and total solids, the physicochemical parameters of all the samples were within permissible limits. The concentrations Pb, Ni, Cr, and Cd were above the minimum permissible limits. The presence of coliforms and E. coli in the groundwater samples indicates fecal contamination. The microorganisms isolated in this study include Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas,Bacillus, and Micrococcus species. The analysis of variance of data obtained from this study shows that bore-hole water samples were safer for drinking that water samples from hand-pump, and hand dug wells across the communitie

THE EFFECTS OF GRADED LEVELS OF WILD SUNFLOWER MEAL ON GROWTH AND BLOOD PARAMETERS IN WEANER RABBITS

The study was undertaken to know the effects of graded levels of wild sunflower meal (WSM) on the growth and haematological changes in thirty-six (36) weaner rabbits. Six (6) rabbits were placed on each of the 6 dietary treatments containing 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% wild sunflower meal. The average daily feed intakes for the dietary treatments were 55.86 ± 1.70, 52.77 ± 2.20, 50.42 ± 1.6, 48.33 ± 1.20, 46.29 ± 1.60 and 43.29 ± 1.50, respective. The daily weight gains were 12.64 ± 0.58, 14.80 ± 0.66, 12.04 ± 0.59, 13.06 ± 0.63, 12.90 ± 0.55 and 11.34 ± 0.5g/d for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% (WSM) inclusions, respectively. No significant differences were observed amongst all dietary treatments for the growth parameters considered (P>0.05). The blood parameters equally did not show any significant difference (P>0.05) except for RBC values (P>0.05). It is therefore concluded that weaner rabbits can tolerate up to 25% wild sunflower meal (WSM) inclusion in their diets without negatively affecting the growth and haemotological parameter

Mycomeat Production through the Solid State Fermentation of Soymilk Waste by Lentinus Subnudus

Lentinus subnudus was cultured on soy milk waste with the view of using it to produce edible mycomeat. The solid state fermentation of soymilk waste was done singly without any additive. The basal substrate was then variously constituted with 5 g/l each of sucrose, citric acid and yeast extract. The set-ups were incubated in the dark and monitored daily until full ramification was obtained. The best mycomeat obtained within the shortest time frame was oven dried at 600C and then blended to powder. The pH, proximate and mineral composition of the mycomeat was determined. L. subnudus grown on soymilk wastes took only 11 days in which the resultant mycomeat of L. subnudus was found to be meaty-like in appearance and aroma. Oven-dried samples became coarse in texture with a pH of 3.91. Proximate analysis of the mycomeat showed 2.13% moisture content, 14.44% crude protein, 51.8% carbohydrate 9.56% crude fibre, 15.82% ether extract and 5.75% ash content. The percentage mineral composition revealed it to contain; Ca2+ (0.62±0.02), Mg2+ (0.03±0.01), K+ (0.06±0.01) Na+ (15.90±0.30), Mn2+ (8.20±0.04), Fe 2+ (19.22±0.21), CU2+ (2.74±0.02) , Zn2+ (7.17±0.01) Mo2+ (0.05±0.01) and Vitamin C (0.24±0.01). The resultant mycomeat represents a viable source of nutraceuticals . Keywords: Mycomeat, Lentinus subnudus, soymilk waste, mineral composition, proximate analysis

Knowledge of Puerperal Psychosis among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State

Objectives: Puerperal psychosis is the most severe and uncommon form of postnatal mental illness, with rates of 1-2 episodes per 1000 deliveries. The clinical onset is rapid, with the symptoms presenting as early as the first 2 to 3 days postpartum and the majority of episodes developing within the first 2 weeks after delivery. Therefore, this study seeks to assess the knowledge of causes/risk factors, signs &amp; symptoms, effects, and treatments/prevention of puerperal psychosis among pregnant women. Design: This descriptive study utilises a crosssectional design for data collection. The study was carried out at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinics to assess their knowledge about puerperal psychosis. A sample of two hundred and fifty-five pregnant women was included in this study using the purposive sampling technique. Data collection was done through a self-administered structured questionnaire and the data collected were analysed using a statistical package for the social sciences version. Results: The result of this study showed that about one-fifth of the respondents had good knowledge of the causes/risk factors of puerperal psychosis, one-fourth had good knowledge of signs, symptoms, and effects of puerperal psychosis while the majority of the respondents had good knowledge on treatment/prevention of puerperal psychosis. Generally, this study concludes that about onefourth of the respondents attending the antenatal clinic in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife, had good knowledge about puerperal psychosis. Conclusion: This study concludes that although the majority of the respondents possess good knowledge of treatment and prevention of puerperal psychosis, only a few had good knowledge of the causes/risk factors as well as knowledge of signs, symptoms, and effects of puerperal psychosis

Novel Catalysts Development for Production of Jet Fuel Range Hydrocarbons from Vegetable Oils

The abstract of this item is unavailable due to an embargo