Challenges for nursing education in Angola: the perception of nurse leaders affiliated with professional education institutions

Background: Angola is one of the African countries with the highest morbidity and mortality rates and a\ud devastating lack of human resources for health, including nursing. The World Health Organization stimulates and\ud takes technical cooperation initiatives for human resource education and training in health and education, with a\ud view to the development of countries in the region. The aim in this study was to identify how nurses affiliated with\ud nursing education institutions perceive the challenges nursing education is facing in Angola.\ud Methods: After consulting the National Directory of Human Resources in Angola, the nurse leaders affiliated with\ud professional nursing education institutions in Angola were invited to participate in the study by email. Data were\ud collected in February 2009 through the focus group technique. The group of participants was focused on the\ud central question: what are the challenges faced for nursing education in your country? To register and understand the\ud information, besides the use of a recorder, the reporters elaborated an interpretative report. Data were coded using\ud content analysis.\ud Results: Fourteen nurses participated in the meeting, most of whom were affiliated with technical nursing\ud education institutions. It was verified that the nurse leaders at technical and higher nursing education institutions\ud in Angola face many challenges, mainly related to the lack of infrastructure, absence of trained human resources,\ud bureaucratic problems to regularize the schools and lack of material resources. On the opposite, the solutions\ud they present are predominantly centered on the valuation of nursing professionals, which implies cultural and\ud attitude changes.\ud Conclusions: Public health education policies need to be established in Angola, including action guidelines that\ud permit effective nursing activities. Professional education institutions need further regularizations and nurses need\ud to be acknowledged as key elements for the qualitative enhancement of health services in the country.Introdução: Angola é um dos países africanos que apresenta os maiores índices de morbimortalidade e\ud devastadora insuficiência de recursos humanos na área de saúde, incluindo a enfermagem. A Organização Mundial\ud da Saúde estimula e implementa iniciativas de cooperação técnica para a formação e aperfeiçoamento de recursos\ud humanos na área da saúde e educação, visando o desenvolvimento dos países africanos. Este estudo teve como\ud objetivo identificar as percepções dos enfermeiros vinculados a Escolas de Formação em Enfermagem em relação\ud aos desafios para o ensino de enfermagem em Angola.\ud Metodologia: Após consulta ao Diretório Nacional de Recursos Humanos de Angola os líderes em enfermagem\ud vinculados a Escolas de Formação em Enfermagem do país foram convidados a participar do estudo por meio de\ud convites eletrônicos. Para a coleta de dados, realizada no mês de fevereiro de 2009, foi utilizada a técnica de Grupo\ud Focal. O grupo de participantes foi direcionado para a questão central: quais os desafios encontrados para a educação\ud em enfermagem no seu país? Para o registro e compreensão das informações, além do uso de um gravador, um\ud relatório interpretativo foi elaborado pelos relatores. Os dados foram codificados via análise de conteúdo.\ud Resultados: Participaram do encontro 14 enfermeiros, sendo a maioria vinculada a escolas de ensino de\ud enfermagem de nível técnico. Verificou-se que os líderes de Escolas de Nível Técnico e Superior de Enfermagem em\ud Angola enfrentam muitos desafios, relacionados principalmente à falta de infra-estrutura, ausência de recursos\ud humanos capacitados, problemas com a burocracia para a regularização das escolas e escassez de recursos materiais.\ud Em contrapartida, apresentam soluções centradas predominantemente na valorização dos profissionais de\ud enfermagem, o que implica em mudanças culturais e de atitude.\ud Conclusões: É necessário o estabelecimento de políticas públicas de educação em saúde em Angola com diretrizes\ud de ação que permitam a atuação efetiva dos enfermeiros. Salienta-se a necessidade de regularização das Escolas\ud profissionalizantes e o reconhecimento do enfermeiro como elemento chave para o incremento da qualidade dos\ud serviços de saúde do país.To the Health Work and Education Management Secretary of the Brazilian Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organization in Brazil for their political and financial support, which enabled the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Nursing and Midwifery Development to construct a database on Nursing in Angola.To the Health Work and Education Management Secretary of the Brazilian Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organization in Brazil for their political and financial support, which enabled the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Nursing and Midwifery Development to construct a database on Nursing in Angola

A Simulação e a Videoconferência no Ensino de Enfermagem

The objective of this study was to compare the learning outcomes of undergraduate nursing students who used simulated low fidelity teaching strategies with the results of those who used high fidelity simulated teaching videoconference. This is an experimental study carried out with undergraduates nursing students from Brazil which were divided into two groups and submitted to different distance education strategies: Virtual Learning Environment (AVA) and videoconference. The data were collected through questionnaires and theoretical and theoretical-practical evaluation. In general terms, this work compared the two groups of students, which had been randomly distributed and submitted to simulated low fidelity teaching (17) and to the videoconference of the simulated high fidelity training and its respective debriefing (27). The present study was carried out following the ethical precepts. The Free and Informed Consent Term was used. The students reported that VLE and video conferencing aided their learning. It was also observed that the learning performance of the students submitted to the simulation of low fidelity was better than those who attended the videoconference of the simulated high fidelity training and its respective debriefing. It is concluded that the simulated teaching is an effective teaching strategy that promotes the participation of the student as an actor of his learning.O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar os resultados da aprendizagem de estudantes de graduação em enfermagem que utilizaram estratégias de ensino simulado de baixa fidelidade com os resultados dos que usaram videoconferência do ensino simulado de alta fidelidade. Trata-se de um trabalho experimental realizado com graduandos de enfermagem do Brasil, os quais foram divididos em dois grupos e submetidos a diferentes estratégias de educação a distância: Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA) e videoconferência. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionários e avaliação teórica e teórico-prática. Em linhas gerais, foram comparados os dois grupos de estudantes, os quais haviam sido distribuídos aleatoriamente e submetidos ao ensino simulado de baixa fidelidade (17) e à videoconferência do treino simulado de alta fidelidade e seu respectivo debriefing (27). O estudo foi realizado seguindo os preceitos éticos. Utilizou-se o Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido. Os estudantes relataram que o AVA e a videoconferência auxiliaram no seu aprendizado. Observou-se ainda que foi melhor o desempenho da aprendizagem dos alunos submetidos à simulação de baixa fidelidade do que o daqueles que assistiram à videoconferência do treino simulado de alta fidelidade e seu respectivo debriefing. Conclui-se que o ensino simulado é uma estratégia de ensino eficaz que promove de modo efetivo a participação do aluno como ator de seu aprendizado

A Reescrita do riso: uma abordagem crítica de duas traduções portuguesas da obra The Importance of Being Earnest

Orientadora: Mestre Maria Helena GuimarãesO objectivo deste nosso trabalho é identificar, através de uma abordagem crítica de duas das traduções portuguesas da obra de Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest, quais os processos de fabricação do cómico, para utilizar aqui uma terminologia bergsoniana, bem como tentar sistematizar alguns dos problemas que a sua tradução coloca e apontar para estratégias que ajudem a solucionar as múltiplas dificuldades tradutivas presentes em textos marcados pela ironia e pelo humor. Cremos poder afirmar que as questões inerentes à tradução do Riso, do que de humorístico há num texto, escrito ou oral, raramente são abordadas pelos teóricos dos Estudos de Tradução, embora seja indiscutível o ser humor um fenómeno transversal a todas as culturas e os textos de cariz jocoso serem, em geral, bastante apreciados. Partimos deste pressuposto para estabelecer quer o nosso corpus de análise, quer a organização do nosso trabalho. A nossa investigação recairá, como já dissemos, sobre duas das traduções portuguesas existentes da obra de Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest, uma obra exemplar em termos da complexidade de interpretação e de tradução do humor, a saber: A Importância de Ser Earnest de Januário Leite1 Quanto Importa Ser Leal de António Pedro2 No Capítulo 2, socorrer-nos-emos das obras Le Rire, de Henri Bergson, e The Joke and its Relation to the Unconscious, de Sigmund Freud, para tentar chegar a uma definição do conceito de humor. No Capítulo 3, traçamos o quadro metodológico transdisciplinar que norteou este nosso trabalho de investigação. No Capítulo 4, tentaremos, com base na análise crítica comparada de duas traduções da peça de Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, apontar, pela via transdisciplinar, aqueles que consideramos ser os maiores obstáculos a uma correcta tradução do risível

Main clinical features in patients at their first psychiatric admission to Italian acute hospital psychiatric wards. The PERSEO study

BACKGROUND: Few data are available on subjects presenting to acute wards for the first time with psychotic symptoms. The aims of this paper are (i) to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients at their first psychiatric admission (FPA), including socio-demographic features, risk factors, life habits, modalities of onset, psychiatric diagnoses and treatments before admission; (ii) to assess the aggressive behavior and the clinical management of FPA patients in Italian acute hospital psychiatric wards, called SPDCs (Servizio Psichiatrico Diagnosi e Cura = psychiatric service for diagnosis and management). METHOD: Cross-sectional observational multi-center study involving 62 Italian SPDCs (PERSEO – Psychiatric EmeRgency Study and EpidemiOlogy). RESULTS: 253 FPA aged <= 40 were identified among 2521 patients admitted to Italian SPDCs over the 5-month study period. About half of FPA patients showed an aggressive behavior as defined by a Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) score greater than 0 Vs 46% of non-FPA patients (p = 0.3651). The most common was verbal aggression, while about 20% of FPA patients actually engaged in physical aggression against other people. 74% of FPA patients had no diagnosis at admission, while 40% had received a previous psychopharmacological treatment, mainly benzodiazepines and antidepressants. During SPDC stay, diagnosis was established in 96% of FPA patients and a pharmacological therapy was prescribed to 95% of them, mainly benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. CONCLUSION: Subjects presenting at their first psychiatric ward admission have often not undergone previous adequate psychiatric assessment and diagnostic procedures. The first hospital admission allows diagnosis and psychopharmacological treatment to be established. In our population, aggressive behaviors were rather frequent, although most commonly verbal. Psychiatric symptoms, as evaluated by psychiatrists and patients, improved significantly from admission to discharge both for FPA and non-FPA patients

Clinical features and therapeutic management of patients admitted to Italian acute hospital psychiatric units: the PERSEO (psychiatric emergency study and epidemiology) survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The PERSEO study (psychiatric emergency study and epidemiology) is a naturalistic, observational clinical survey in Italian acute hospital psychiatric units, called SPDCs (Servizio Psichiatrico Diagnosi e Cura; in English, the psychiatric service for diagnosis and management). The aims of this paper are: (i) to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients, including sociodemographic features, risk factors, life habits and psychiatric diagnoses; and (ii) to assess the clinical management, subjective wellbeing and attitudes toward medications.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 62 SPDCs distributed throughout Italy participated in the study and 2521 patients were enrolled over the 5-month study period.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Almost half of patients (46%) showed an aggressive behaviour at admission to ward, but they engaged more commonly in verbal aggression (38%), than in aggression toward other people (20%). A total of 78% of patients had a psychiatric diagnosis at admission, most frequently schizophrenia (36%), followed by depression (16%) and personality disorders (14%), and no relevant changes in the diagnoses pattern were observed during hospital stay. Benzodiazepines were the most commonly prescribed drugs, regardless of diagnosis, at all time points. Overall, up to 83% of patients were treated with neuroleptic drugs and up to 27% received more than one neuroleptic either during hospital stay or at discharge. Atypical and conventional antipsychotics were equally prescribed for schizophrenia (59 vs 65% during stay and 59 vs 60% at discharge), while atypical drugs were preferred in schizoaffective psychoses (72 vs 49% during stay and 70 vs 46% at discharge) and depression (41 vs 32% during stay and 44 vs 25% at discharge). Atypical neuroleptics were slightly preferred to conventional ones at hospital discharge (52 vs 44%). Polypharmacy was in general widely used. Patient attitudes toward medications were on average positive and self-reported compliance increased during hospital stay.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results confirm the widespread use of antipsychotics and the increasing trend in atypical drugs prescription, in both psychiatric in- and outpatients.</p

Self-confidence for emergency intervention: adaptation and cultural validation of the Self-confidence Scale in nursing students

Objective: develop the cultural adaptation and validation of a Portuguese version of the Self-confidence Scale.Method: descriptive and exploratory methodological research for the adaptation and validation of a measuring instrument. The translation, synthesis, back-translation, revision, pretest and semantic evaluation phases were accomplished. The evaluation involving 178 students from a Teaching Diploma Program in Nursing. The ethical principles were complied with.Results: the internal consistency analysis of the scale reveals good Alpha coefficients (0.92 for the global scale and superior to 0.83 for the different dimensions). The factor analysis presents a three-factor solution with rational meaning.Conclusion: The scale is easy to answer and understand. Based on the obtained results, it can be affirmed that the scale reveals good psychometric properties, with great potential to be used in future research

Development of a theoretical-practical script for clinical simulation

Abstract OBJECTIVE To develop a theoretical-practical script based on the opinion of experts to be used in simulated clinical activities. METHOD Qualitative study through analysis of content of interviews with experts on the theme in order to develop the proposed script. Of the 24 invited experts, 12 specialists from educational institutions in Brazil and abroad participated in the study in compliance with the ethical precepts. The experts responded to questions on the characterization of their study attributes and described the items required for the development of a simulated scenario. In view of the responses obtained, data content was analyzed and classified into units and subunits of significance. RESULTS The items mentioned for the development of the script generated seven units of significance. The units and subunits of significance were gathered in three stages of the main components of the simulated scenario: prior, preparation, and finals. CONCLUSION This study enables an innovative, stimulating teaching experience, making it easier for professors to use the simulation resource as a learning process in an effective and objective manner, as a guide to professors and researchers in the area of clinical simulation