Egyptian Students' Experience of E-Maternity Course

Background: Egypt is facing a massive shortage in health care providers including nurses.  One of the Egyptian government strategies to overcome this problem is to increase students' intake at the existing nursing faculties as well as building additional nursing faculties in different governorates.  In such situation, there is an urgent need for e-learning, which is a means of alleviating the educational and health problems in Egypt. Responding to the rabid changes in the field of Information Technologies, an increasing interest in E-learning has emerged. In Egypt, little is known about the experience of introducing e learning in nursing education. Aim: This study aims to explore the Egyptian students' experience of E-maternity course. Methods: A Qualitative exploratory descriptive design was utilized using a phenomenological approach during the academic year 2012-2013.  Forty nine male and female students were selected through purposive sampling technique based o the following criteria: was having had a personal computer or laptop with an internet access and was agreed to share their views and experiences of the electronic course. Student feedback and focus group interviews were coded to develop an in-depth narrative data about students' experiences. Findings: E-learning was supported by positive students' feedback and reflections but still some students experienced some difficulties and challenges during their experiences of E-learning.  Indeed, as this study has shown, the main positive emerged themes were: convenience and sense of control, new teaching and learning method and self learning and interaction.  The second emerged theme was challenges and obstacles faced students who taught the online course.  Students' reflections were related to lack of electronic environment such as limited number of computers available, network problems, electronic management system, lack of technical support, and lack of computer skills.  Conclusion: Moving from teaching to learning is one of the policy makers' strategic objectives.  The use of e-learning would help students to acquire the learning outcomes.  E learning experience in nursing education can be improved; if the factors affecting the use of it were addressed in a correct manner. Recommendation: Corporation of e learning in nursing education should be guided both by governmental and institutional support. Key wards: E-learning, education, student's feedback.

Effectiveness of pelvic floor muscles training on females’ sexual function throughout pregnancy and postpartum

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate effectiveness of pelvic floor muscles training on females’ sexual function throughout pregnancy and postpartum.Methods: A quasi experimental research design was applied at the antenatal clinic of Mansoura University hospital, Egypt. A purposive sample of 72 nulliparous singleton pregnant client free from any connotation affect sexual practice was studied. The subjects were allocated into two groups; control group received conventional antenatal and postnatal care, while the intervention group received the same care besides performing pelvic floor muscle exercise at 20 weeks pregnancy until 10-12 weeks postpartum. Female sexual function, sexual quality of life, and strength of the pelvic floor muscle contraction were evaluated at baseline, at 28-30 weeks gestation, and at 10-12 weeks postpartum, by using the female sexual function index scale, sexual quality of life-female, and the Oxford grading scale.Results: The total female sexual quality of life index scores in the intervention group were higher than those of the control group at the pregnancy and postpartum follow ups (22.3 ± 6.9 vs. 15.9 ± 6.8 &amp; 26.0 ± 6.7 vs. 13.5 ± 6.3 respectively; p &lt; .001). The sexual quality of life-female scores were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group at the pregnancy follow up evaluation (54.2 ± 15.9 vs. 36.9 ± 9.7 respectively, p &lt; .001) and at the postpartum follow up evaluation (59.8 ± 13.5 vs. 30.3 ± 7.0 respectively, p &lt; .001). The pelvic floor muscles strength was significantly better in the intervention group than in the control group at the pregnancy follow up evaluation and at the postpartum follow up evaluation.Conclusions: Pelvic floor muscle training during early gestation weeks was an effective tool for improvement of the female sexual function, sexual quality of life-female, and pelvic floor muscles strength during pregnancy and postpartum. Thus, it should be encouraged for pregnant mothers at early weeks and continued till postpartum.</jats:p

Effect of applying blended clinical teaching strategies on nursing student’s achievement of abdominal examination in pregnancy

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effect of applying blended clinical teaching strategies on nursing student’s achievement of abdominal examination in pregnancy.Methods: A quasi-experimental research design was implemented on a purposive sample of 105 students registered in the maternity nursing course, Mansoura University, Egpyt. The participants were assigned to the comparison group; who were subjected to the conventional clinical demonstration, the video demonstration group who watched a video clip about the procedure of abdominal examination in pregnancy, or to the blended teaching group, who received both teaching methods. Four tools were used in data collection. Assessment sheet for demographics, student’s knowledge and performance were evaluated by Multiple Choice Questions test and performance checklist respectively, while a self-rating scale was used for confidence in clinical performance and satisfaction with the teaching method.Results: Immediately post-intervention, the blended teaching group had the highest knowledge score compared to the clinical demonstration and video demonstration groups (33.8 ± 1.8 vs. 30.3 ± 1.9 and 24.5 ± 2.8 respectively, p &lt; .001), and 38.0 ± 3.1 vs. 33.0 ± 1.2 and 28.0 ± 2.4 at 2 weeks evaluation and had the highest performance scores (7.8 ± 0.9 and 9.1 ± 0.8, p &lt; .001) immediately and at 2 weeks post-intervention respectively. Similarly, the blended teaching group had the highest confidence in clinical performance and satisfaction with the teaching strategies scores in comparison to the other two groups post-intervention (8.9 ± 0.9 and 9.4 ± 0.5 respectively; p &lt; .001).Conclusions: The study hypotheses were accepted, where blending the video demonstration with the conventional demonstration was an effective strategy for improving the knowledge and clinical performance scores, as well as increasing the confidence in clinical performance and satisfaction with the teaching strategy.</jats:p