Awareness and Utilization of Moodle among Students at Nursing Schools in North-Western Nigeria

Background: E-learning has been observed to enhance and support the teaching and learning processes, ranging from the way students use educational materials on the web or server and accessing course work online while following a course on campus to programs offered entirely online. Again e-learning allows for efficient transfer of knowledge anywhere and anytime, regardless of subject matter. It opens up a world of learning unavailable in most corners of the world, while at the same time empowering learners with the information technology awareness and skills crucial to succeed in today's global knowledge economy. Aim: The study aimed at assessing the awareness and utilization of moodle among students at nursing schools in North-Western Nigeria. Methodology: A cross-sectional analytic design was used for this study. Multistage sampling technique was used to select three schools; school of nursing Birnin Kudu, Jigawa state, school of nursing Katsina, Katsina state and school of nursing Gusau, Zamfara state which forms the setting for the study. A total of 307 nursing students were selected and recruited for the study. A structured Self-Administered Questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics and the Bonferroni Post Hoc test were used in data analysis which. Results: The findings of the study revealed that most of the students (245 out of 305) have an excellent levels of awareness of e-learning with a percentage of 80.4%. The study also found out that most of the students have a high level of utilization of e-learning with 62%. The study also showed a statistically significant relationship between awareness and utilization of elearning among students at nursing schools in North-Western Nigeria with P-values of 0.001. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it was concluded from the results of the study that the students have an excellent level of awareness of e-learning and have a high level of utilization of e-learning.&nbsp

Effect of Educational Technology Usage on Student’s Clinical Skills, Competencies and Satisfaction at School of Nursing in Sokoto State, Nigeria

Background: Technology allows the most difficult tasks to become seamlessly easy and more efficient. In education, technology has allowed the dissemination of knowledge to be dispersed instantly and it allows for quicker and more effective communication. A critical reflection on what nursing educators should consider now in order to better support the clinicians of the future is also included with a particular focus on existing informatics curricular supports. Aim: The study aimed at assessing the effect of the use of educational technology on student clinical skills, competency, and satisfaction at schools of nursing Sokoto state. Methodology: A quasiexperimental design was used for the study, A total of 239 respondents, with pre-test/post-test injection and hand hygiene clinical Competency observation checklist and a researcher developed a questionnaire for satisfaction. Results: The findings of the study revealed that the effect of educational technology on student clinical competence skills based on hand hygiene difference of 2.36 with t(186)=9.837, p<0.05, hence, the experiment group performed better than the control group in hand hygiene competencies and injection procedure with mean 1.12 with t(186)=3.556, P<0.05 The satisfaction with teaching/learning using reusable learning object, both experiment, and control groups were relatively satisfied with the reusable learning object educational technology The mean levels of satisfaction was 26.54 and 26.38 for experimental and control groups respectively r(92)=0.425, r2=0.18 (18%), P<0.05 Conclusion: The RLOs were successful in supporting the students understanding of clinical procedures such as injection and hand hygiene issues, resulting in effective ability and confidence to meet their clinical competency

Distribution of Kell phenotype among pregnant women in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria

Introduction: Kell antigen is highly immunogenic and is the common cause of antibody production in mismatched blood transfusions, haemolytic transfusion reaction (HTR) and maternal alloimmunization, which causes severe anaemia in neonates. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and ethnic variation of the Kell phenotype among pregnant women in Sokoto, Nigeria. Methods: Kell antigen status of 150 pregnant women aged 18-45 years and mean age 27.19 ±4.69 years attending antenatal clinic in UDUTH Sokoto Nigeria was determined using the conventional tube method and anti-Kell reagents (Lorne Laboratories, UK). Results: Among the 150 subjects studied, 3 (2.0%) of subjects were positive and 147 (98.0) were negative for K antigen. Of the 150 pregnant subjects; 32 (21.3%) were primigravidae while 118 (78.7%) were multigravidae. Kell phenotype was more prevalent among primigravidae (3.1%) compared to multigravidae (1.7%) women. The distribution of Kell phenotype among the pregnant subjects was compared based on ethnicity. The prevalence of Kell antigen was significantly higher among the Hausa ethnic group (3.2%) compared to other ethnic groups which indicated zero prevalence (p=0.001). Kell negative phenotype was ≥ 96.8% among all the ethnic groups. Conclusion: Our observed prevalence of Kell phenotype is consistent with previous studies among Blacks and Asians but significantly lower than values observed in previous studies among Caucasians. We recommend that all pregnant women should be screened for the presence clinically significant red cell antigens including Kell antigen on their first antenatal visit. Kell negative red cell should be routinely provided for all pregnant women and women with child bearing potential to reduce the risk of Kell-associated HDFN. There is need to introduce routine screening of pregnant women for clinically significant red cell antibodies to facilitate the effective management of HDFN as well as prevent HTR. There is also need for sustained health education of pregnant women in the area to encourage early booking for antenatal care

Patients’ Perspectives on Their Safety: A Qualitative Study in Two Public Health Facilities in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Background: Safe healthcare environments influence patients’ valuation of care received and impact on better health outcomes. It has been recognized that patients can contribute invaluably in improving the quality and safety of healthcare services they receive.Objective: To explore the perspectives of patients on their safety in healthcare.Methods: A qualitative study comprising of four (4) focus group discussions (FGDs) with six to eight participants was conducted in two public health facilities in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Patients admitted in medical wards (male and female) were recruited through a purposive sampling technique after obtaining their verbal informed consent to participate. A topic guide, containing open ended questions that explored patients’ opinions on their safety in healthcare was used for the discussions. All FGD sessions were recorded, transcribed and coded using thematic analysis.Results: The participants consisted of 15 females and 13 males in FGD sessions that lasted between 55 to 90 minutes. All participants were Hausa speaking, with varying levels of education. Six (6) themes were generated which the patients perceived to play a role in their safety in healthcare. These themes are: choice of hospital, patient satisfaction, patient experiences, patient engagement, communication openness and suggestions by patients for improvement.Conclusion: The findings of this study have highlighted both positive and negative perspectives of patients regarding their safety in healthcare. The patients provided some recommendations for areas where improvements are required for improved patient safety. These include infrastructural improvements, staffing, and availability of medicines, amongst others

Learning approaches as predictors of academic performance of undergraduate students in Ahmadu Bello Universiy, Zaria

Background: The research was conducted to investigate learning approaches as predictors of academic performance of undergraduate students in Ahmad Bello University, Zaria. The aim was to assess the learning approach of undergraduate students in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The objectives are to determine the predominant learning approach, identify factors that influence the students learning approach and explore the relationship between approaches to studying and academic achievement of undergraduate students of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Materials and methods: A non-experimental descriptive survey method was employed and analysis was done using SPSS version 21. The sample technique was probability (simple random) type of sample technique base on faculty. The sample size was calculated to 395 using Yamane formula. 395 questionnaires were administered out of which 375 were retrieved. Results: The study shows that 81.1% of the students were aware of learning approach and the predominant learning approach mostly used by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria undergraduate students is surface approach (M=14.88,SD=2.64). The study identified personal factors, family factors, school factors and peer factors and social factor as factors that influence the students learning approach. It also shows that there is a significant relationship between learning approach and academic achievement (R=0.205,p=0.005)

Prevalence and Pattern of Elder Abuse in Awe, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Violence against the elderly is a serious public health problem, a silent epidemic that is often a neglected by the society. Such abuses did not only stop at reducing quality of life of the elderly, in extreme cases, they even result in death. The study was aimed at investigating the prevalence and pattern of elder abuse in Awe, Nasarawa state, Nigeria. Descriptive research design was used for the study; Systematic sampling technique was employed to select a sample of 330 respondents for the study and structured pretested questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents, where 91% (300) of the questionnaires were successfully retrieved and descriptive statistical tools were used to analyze the data. From the result, 48.3% were aged between 60-65 years, 69% were females, 40.7% were Hausa by ethnic extraction and 64% had Secondary School Certificate/Grade II as highest educational qualification. Most of the respondents (93.7%) experienced elder abuse, 75.8% reported the experience of psychological abuse, 56.2% experienced physical abuse, 55.5% experienced financial exploitation and only 30.6% reported the experience of sexual abuse. Based on intensity, majority of cases of physical abuse were of moderate intensity (73.5%) and only 5% were severe, 71.5% of the respondents reported the experience of severe psychological abuse, 35.2% experienced severe neglect. Of the respondents who experienced sexual abuse, 52% reported moderate abuse and 18.7% reported severe abuse. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between age and experiences of psychological abuse and neglect (p <0.05). Being female had a positive correlation with experience of psychological abuse, neglect and sexual abuse (p><0.05). Level of education had a significant negative correlation with experiences of financial exploitation and sexual abuse, while being married had a significant positive correlation with experience of physical abuse. Having a chronic illness had a significant positive correlation with experiences of physical abuse, psychological abuse and neglect (p><0.05). The paper recommends that the public and private sectors should establish nursing homes for the elderly at least one in each LGA to help in shifting the task of care from the immediate family to professionals in a more elderly friendly setting. Also cultural and religious reorientation programmes should be instituted to bring back the traditional social support system that revered the elderly in African societies. &gt

The effect of washing with water and detergent on increasing the shelf life of pepper (Capsicum annum) on sale at Rimi and Tarauni markets of Kano State, Nigeria

Sample of pepper was collected from two selected vegetable markets and used to determine the most effective method of increasing shelf life of pepper. In the research two treatment methods used by marketers of vegetables washing with water and detergent were compared. The results showed that five fungal colonies were isolated from pepper samples obtained from the study aeas. The five fungal colonies isolated from the two markets have the following frequency of occurrence A. niger 17 ( 28.3 %) A. fumigatus 12 (23.3%), R. stolonifer 12 (20.0%), A. flavus 09(15.05%) and Mucor spp 08 (13.3%). Out of the total 60 fungal colonies isolated in the two markets, more colonies were counted from water wash pepper 37 ( 61.0%), while lower colony counts were recorded from detergent washed pepper in the two locations 23 ( 38.3%). It is clear therefore that, this investigation has established fewer fungal colonies counted from detergent washed samples in the two markets is that washing of pepper with detergent is more effective in increasing the shelf life of pepper by removing the surface contaminant micro-organisms