Simulation

Background & Objective: Simulation is an educational technique which through providing whole or part of a clinical experience helps students to learn without being afraid of either their personal weaknesses or hurting the patient during interaction. Manipulation of medical education is widely being spread all over the world and this can be due to various factors such as technological improvements, ethical issues relating to practicing clinical skills, crowdedness of clinical environments for educational purposes, illness severity in most patients, drop in the length of patient’s stay in the hospitals, shortage of specialized staff in hospitals to facilitate educational process and so on. Methods: The current study has reviewed existing books, library references, papers and essays available in different scientific databases using keywords of “simulation”, “medical education” and “clinical skills”. Results: Simulation offers several advantages including increase in patient’s safety, reinforcement of interactive learning and student-centered, improvement in problem-solving abilities and critical thinking skills, and self-paced learning. Despite all the above-mentioned benefits, the point is that due to the high costs of simulation equipment as well as improper cost management policies particularly in educational centers, several studies should be run to analyze outcomes of manipulation of different simulators on students’ learning and then based on the efficiency of the simulators, the proper ones be used for educational purposes in clinical environments. Keywords Simulation Medical education Clinical skill

Reflective Learning and Teaching: A Review

Introduction: One of the most important characteristic of human being is his ability to learn. Structuralists believe that learning is an active process through which learners explores the principles, meanings and facts by themselves. Learner’s participation in learning process is one of the active learning strategies and reflective learning is considered as an active teaching method which is in direct relationship with learner’s attempts to advance professional capabilities and competencies. The aim of this study is to determine and present related topics to the subject of reflection in learning for students and teachers. Methods: This review study was performed through searching scientific databases such as Wiley, Elsevier, Pubmed, and Google scholar as well as using search engines such as Google to retrieve results. The key words were learning, reflective, reflective learning, reflective teaching, and reflection. A total of 90 Persian and English published evidences such as articles, books and web pages during 2009-2013 were retrieved and finally 26 evidences related to subject were selected. Results: After the review of selected articles and texts on reflective teaching and learning, issues such as reflection, reflection models, reflection and Kolb learning cycle, reflective learning, advantages of reflective learning and methods for its promotion, and reflective teaching were discussed. Conclusion: Since reflection is considered as an effective method in learning, it seems necessary to continue employing this method for all learners and teachers in all levels

Challenging Experiences of the Fathers of the Premature Infants Admitted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Background: Birth of premature infants and their admission in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are unexpected crises for the fathers. Therefore, raising the awareness of fathers regarding their experiences in such conditions could be helpful in the care of these neonates. The present study aimed to investigate the experiences of the fathers of the premature infants admitted in the NICU. Methods: This descriptive, explorative, qualitative study was conducted via purposive sampling, and 13 parents of the premature infants admitted in the NICUs of two hospitals in Isfahan, Iran, were enrolled. Semi-structural interviews were performed with the fathers of premature infants, and thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Results: Three main themes emerged in the study, including ‘emotions and responsibilities’, ‘information needs’, and ‘beliefs’. In terms of the emotions and responsibilities, fear and accountability were considered to be the major concerns among the fathers. With regard to information needs and beliefs, the need to obtain appropriate information and having faith in God and the infallible Imams were expressed by the fathers, respectively. Conclusion: Experiencing preterm birth and NICU admission are accompanied by stress and anxiety for the parents of the infants. Meanwhile, several factors could impair the ability of the fathers to cope with the crisis. Identifying and addressing the needs of the parents and providing the necessary training since the beginning of pregnancy could result in the effective management of NICU admission. In addition, proper facilities should be offered to support the fathers of preterm infants, such as parental leave

Effects of Reminiscence on Distress Tolerance and Spiritual Health of Mothers with Premature Newborns Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Isfahan, Iran

Background and Objective: Hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit is a psychological crisis for the family. However, reminiscence has positive effects on the improvement of mental health. In this regard, this study aimed to investigate the effects of reminiscence writing on distress tolerance and spiritual health of mothers with hospitalized newborns. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 40 mothers of newborns admitted to the intensive care unit of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Isfahan, Iran from February 2021 to August 2022. The research samples were divided into two experimental and control groups. During the hospitalization of the newborns in the hospital, the mothers in the intervention group recorded their daily memories with their newborns in a notebook for half an hour every day for 6 days. Data collection tools were demographic questionnaires, Distress Tolerance Scale by Simmons and Gaher, and the Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire by Polotzin and Ellison which were completed by mothers in both groups. At the descriptive level, the mean and standard deviation values as well as frequency distribution tables were used. Moreover, at the inferential level, Chi-square, Fisher's exact, independent t-test, and Mann-Whitney tests were employed. Results: The distress tolerance and the spiritual health scores of the mothers in the intervention group before the intervention were 45.03±5.57 and 39.63±18.16, respectively, which were increased to 56.95±12.32 and 68.60±30.07 after the intervention, respectively. After the intervention, the scores of distress tolerance and spiritual health in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control. Conclusion: Reminiscence in mothers of newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit can positively affect the anxiety and spiritual health of mothers

Parents' Role Before and During Infancy: An Islamic Perspective

Background: The infants depend on their parents for growth and survival during the early years of life. Therefore, the parents play a key role in the preservation and improvement of the infants’ physical and psychological health. Religion is one of the most influential factors that affect parenting. Regarding this, the present study aimed to investigate the Islamic perspectives on parents' role during infancy. Methods: This study was conducted within August 2014 to July 2016 (i.e., 24 months) using a qualitative content analysis. All the Shiite Islamic documents (i.e., Quran and Ahadith), which had Persian translation, were surveyed without any time limitation. Documents were in electronical and printed formats. Data analysis was performed using MAXQDA 10 software. Results: The results of analysis led to the emergence of three main categories. These categories included parents as the founders of infant’s physical and psychological health, parents as God’s representatives in nurturing the infant, and infant as part of parents’ flesh and God’s trust. The three obtained categories indicated the dimensions of Islamic perspective on parents' role during infancy. Conclusion: Based on the Islamic thought, God is the main carer and nurturer of the infants, and parents as the nurture way pavers can achieve the best outcomes by fulfilling their duties and invoking God for his assistance and grace. According to the findings of the study, since the infant is the sign of God’s trust and grace to the parents, the parents should make their best to raise a healthy and righteous child. The nurses’ awareness of religious beliefs may improve the quality of care. In this regard, the nurses can help the parents by training, counseling, and supporting them to have a healthy and righteous child