Prevalence of nicotine dependence among university students in Jordan: a cross-sectional study

Tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever encountered. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of nicotine dependence among university students in Jordan and assess factors associated with this dependence.  A cross-sectional study using simple random sampling was conducted among university students from 3 public and 3 private universities selected for their convenience from central, middle, and east Jordan via administering a questionnaire between October 2016 and January 2017. The total number of participants was 892.  The overall nicotine dependence was 51.2%. Correlates to nicotine dependence were studying at an undergraduate level (OR=3.6; 95% CI: 1.4-8.1); studying humanities (OR=1.73; 95% CI: 1.2-2.1); existing of a smoking family member (OR=1.63; 95% CI: 1.5-1.9); starting smoking before age of 15 years (OR=1.60; 95% CI: 1.2-2.1); water pipe smoking (OR=1.48; 95% CI: 1.1-2.0); and studying at governmental universities (OR=1.36; 95% CI: 1.0-1.8).  Several socio-demographic characteristics had an impact on nicotine dependence. Future research is necessary to further improve our understanding of motives for smoking and dependence.&nbsp

Arab nursing students' perception of the emotional experience of patient care : a phenomenological study

Background: A shared emotional response helps with understanding what other people are feeling and/or thinking; and it is a vital skill in clinical settings. Collectivist communities place more emphasis on the emotional components of their feelings in comparison to the cognitive aspects of their emotions. Purpose: This study aimed to explore the emotions experienced by students at their first clinical placement. Methods: A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used among nine baccalaureate students. Results: Three major themes emerged from the data: overwhelming emotions; unbalanced perception of professional identity; and adjustment and adaptation. Conclusions and Discussion: It is evident that nursing students from collectivist communities encounter challenges in dealing with their emotions and managing their patients' emotions; however, they were capable of empathizing with their patients using the two components of their empathy; affective (emotion) and cognitive (cognition), with prominence given to the affective part. As countries become increasingly multi-cultural, which in turn influences the characteristics of people entering pre-registration nursing programs, nursing leaders are invited to address both dimensions of empathy as part of the nursing curriculum. Attention should also be given in clinical settings to appropriate channeling of clinical empathy to cultivate a professional identity