Assessing the Cognitive Domain through MCQs: Critical to Quality Assurance in Higher Education

While establishing assessment methods as a critical element of quality assurance, one must not lose sight of the intent to measure both expected learning outcomes and intended programme objectives. The achievement of quality assessment is rooted in ensuring that the content and approaches to delivery produce graduates and programmes which are high quality. One of the most common strategies to assessing higher order cognitive domain is via Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). In this paper we will reflect on a quality assurance effort to ensure that this strategy was appropriate (doing the right thing), necessary (for the right reasons) and sufficient (achieving the desired results) in meeting the requirements. An exemplar of a continuing professional development approach to the constructing, measuring and evaluation of MCQs is provided, which emphasised the imperative of both faculty (peer) and organisational commitment to the process and achieving the desired product of competent and successful graduates

Exploring the experiences of resilience in Muslim Afghan Refugee children

The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of Muslim Afghan refugee children living in Canada. War has an impact on a child\u27s life, including education and protection by the family and community. The actual course of events of war can never be told completely due to the occurrence of simultaneous adversities. Hermeneutic photography was used to understand the experiences of Afghan children. Data were collected through photo conversations. Building and sustaining resilience was a theme that emerged from the data analysis. The findings of the study provide a useful guide for education, practice, and policy development to benefit Afghan refugee children and their families to overcome adversities in a new country

Perceptions of patients regarding quality nursing care (QNC) at a tertiary hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

Background: Patients’ experiences regarding the quality of care continue to be a hot topic of discussion in the healthcare industry. Exploring the quality of nursing care from the patients’ perspectives is a vital element of quality evaluation. The purpose of this study was to explore the patients’ perspectives regarding quality nursing care. Methodology: A qualitative descriptive exploratory design was used. A total of twelve participants were recruited from one medical and one surgical unit at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis approach was used for data analysis. Results: Data analysis generated three main themes: (1) meaning of QNC, (2) characteristics of nurses, and (3) participants’ recommendations. Conclusion: Nursing care continues to be the foundation of healthcare and QNC could have a great effect on patients’ positive outcome of recovery and well- being. The study also provided vital implications for nursing administrators, practicing nurses, nursing, education, and research

Preterm Birth a Risk Factor for Postpartum Depression in Pakistani Women

A Pakistani cohort of 170 mothers of full-term infants and 34 mothers of preterm infants were screened at 6 weeks after delivery to compare the rate of PPD, and examine the contribution of parenting stress and mother-infant interaction to PPD among mothers of preterm infants. Mothers completed the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale, and a general questionnaire. Mothers of preterm infants also completed the parental stress scale and parental bonding questionnaire. The rate of PPD was significantly higher with the adjusted odds increasing by 2.68 (95% Confidence Interval 1.16 - 6.17, p = .015) in mothers of preterm in- fants. Significantly more depressed mothers of preterm infants did not receive some level of support from their husbands (p = .014), and had some level of difficulty feeding (p = .03) or identifying the amount to feed their infant (p = .02). A large proportion of mothers reported no support from friends in rearing children

A Qualitative Study: Why Prolonged Stay in the Recovery Room?

There are a number of factors that prolong patients’ stay in the recovery room (RR), which are related to system or clinical issues. However, less has been discovered from the RR nurses about reasons for prolonged patient stay and recommendations to solve this issue. Prolonged patient stay of more than 2 hours in the RR interferes with the primary role of the RR nurse, which is to provide care to immediate postanaesthesia patients. Consequently, this could affect the operating room schedule, normal flow of patients to the RR and discharge to the nursing units

Exploring lived experiences of married Pakistani women post-mastectomy

Objective: This qualitative descriptive exploratory study aimed to explore the lived experiences of married Pakistani women, 2 years post-mastectomy.Methods: Twelve participants were recruited through purposive sampling from outpatient oncology clinic from a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed, and then themes and sub-themes were identified.Results: Women verbalized a range of their experiences throughout the span from diagnosis to mastectomy. One over arching theme, quality of life and four main themes and their subthemes emerged from the data. Following are the themes; from history to diagnosis, worries, coping strategies, and recommendations.Conclusions: The study findings revealed that effective coping strategies were beneficial for these women, as these women coped well after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Strong recommendations were made by the participants for the formulation of support groups, which could help them reduce their anxiety through information exchange

Defining the cultural milieu for implementing faculty practice in Pakistan

Faculty practice can promote a collaborative partnership mutually beneficial to both nursing education and service. However, little is known about its implementation in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential for introducing faculty practice within the cultural milieu of Karachi, Pakistan. Focus groups of nursing faculty, staff and students were conducted in various settings: government, semi government and private institutions to elicit the data. Data analysis revealed that a more comprehensive definition of faculty practice is needed that will provide the foundation for a culturally acceptable model of faculty practice in Pakistan. Hierarchy dominates the current cultural milieu and must be addressed before faculty practice can be implemented

Psychobiobehavioral model for preterm birth in pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries

Preterm birth (PTB) is a final common outcome resulting from many interrelated etiological pathways; of particular interest is antenatal psychosocial distress (i.e., stress, anxiety, and depression). In LMI countries, both exposure to severe life stressors and rate of PTB are on average greater when compared with high-income countries. In LMI countries women are exposed to some of the most extreme psychosocial stress worldwide (e.g., absolute poverty, limited social resources). High prevalence of antenatal stress and depression have been observed in some studies from LMI countries. We propose a psychosocial, biological, and behavioral model for investigating the complex multisystem interactions in stress responses leading to PTB and explain the basis of this approach. We discuss ethical considerations for a psychosocial, biological, and behavioral screening tool to predict PTB from a LMI country perspective

Global Perspectives on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Vulnerable Babies of the World British

The authors as Canadian trained neonatal nurses have acquired neonatal nurse practitioner training and have been afforded the opportunity to work or provide consultation in countries such as Afghanistan, China, Kenya, Tanzania, Pakistan, and Syria. This study describes the perspectives on neonatal intensive care units in developing countries, which are a culmination of personal experiences reinforced by colleagues with experiences in South Africa, India, Nepal, Uganda, and Vietnam and relate to family decision making and access to care, referral and transport of ill babies, capacity of health care facility, neonatal nursing training and education, and neonatal sepsis, the leading cause of death. The potential impact of the patterns of neonatal mortality are presented. Clinical implications are explored as an attempt to improve the quality of care and improve neonatal morbidity and mortality in developing countries in the absence of material and human resource

Resilience in Afghan children and their families: a review

Resilience enables individuals to survive the horrors of war and other such tragedies. This article draws on personal reflections of living in the post-Taliban period in Afghanistan and a review of the literature to explore resilience processes that may be present in the Afghan population. Adverse factors that Afghan children and families face include: destruction of infrastructure, danger, traumatic experiences, post traumatic stress disorder, political and ideological commitment. The protective factors that may have enabled them to survive, and subsequently rebuild in the face of multiple challenges are absolute faith in Allah (God), family support and community support. Understanding more about the kinds of adversities they face and the nature of their protective processes gives healthcare professionals a basis for working with them to improve their health and wellbeing