What do faculties specializing in brain and neural sciences think about, and how do they approach, brain-friendly teaching-learning in Iran?

Objective: to investigate the perspectives and experiences of the faculties specializing in brain and neural sciences regarding brain-friendly teaching-learning in Iran. Methods: 17 faculties from 5 universities were selected by purposive sampling (2018). In-depth semi-structured interviews with directed content analysis were used. Results: 31 sub-subcategories, 10 subcategories, and 4 categories were formed according to the “General teaching model”. “Mentorship” was a newly added category. Conclusions: A neuro-educational approach that consider the roles of the learner’s brain uniqueness, executive function facilitation, and the valence system are important to learning. Such learning can be facilitated through cognitive load considerations, repetition, deep questioning, visualization, feedback, and reflection. The contextualized, problem-oriented, social, multi-sensory, experiential, spaced learning, and brain-friendly evaluation must be considered. Mentorship is important for coaching and emotional facilitation

Improving critical thinking of students: A great challenge in clinical nursing education.

Introduction: With regards to the importance and role of critical thinking in nursing , especially in clinical setting, achieving this goal(improving critical thinking) is very important. So nursing teachers encounter with the challenge of how asisting their students for promoting the critical thinking skills especially in clinical setting. The aim of this study is investigating the ways of improving critical thinking in students and suggesting implications in this field. Methods: This study is a review article has done by searching the books, Databases such as IranmedexIrandoc-Magiran-SID-Ovid-PubMed,... using key words such as ‘critical thinking “,Students”,”clinical education”and “nursing”. Conclusion: Nurses in goal- directed education need to critical thinking. For improving it, providing especial contexts is necessary. Achieving this goal necessitate knowledge , attitude, ability , preparedness and exercise. After the presence of this elements there is need skill to improving critical thinking. These skills include general critical thinking skills such as using scientific approach ,hypothesizing, problem solving ,decision making and especial critical thinking skills in clinical settings. Results: Improving cognitive and affective domains ,motivating, developing imbalance and situations for interactions and balance between challenge and support , writing assignments such as short summary(approaching methodology , summarizing materials , is the way for critical thinking education)writing short analytical articles, problem solving exercises, using mass media research proposals and simulation are some ways, that in different situations by modifying and changing, can use for improving the students critical thinking

What do faculties specializing in brain and neural sciences think about, and how do they approach, brain-friendly teaching-learning in Iran?

Objective: to investigate the perspectives and experiences of the faculties specializing in brain and neural sciences regarding brain-friendly teaching-learning in Iran. Methods: 17 faculties from 5 universities were selected by purposive sampling (2018). In-depth semi-structured interviews with directed content analysis were used. Results: 31 sub-subcategories, 10 subcategories, and 4 categories were formed according to the “General teaching model”. “Mentorship” was a newly added category. Conclusions: A neuro-educational approach that consider the roles of the learner’s brain uniqueness, executive function facilitation, and the valence system are important to learning. Such learning can be facilitated through cognitive load considerations, repetition, deep questioning, visualization, feedback, and reflection. The contextualized, problem-oriented, social, multi-sensory, experiential, spaced learning, and brain-friendly evaluation must be considered. Mentorship is important for coaching and emotional facilitation

A Qualitative Inquiry into Nursing Students’ Experience of Facilitating Reflection in Clinical Setting

Background and Aim. Reflection is known as a skill that is central to nursing students’ professional development. Due to the importance and the role of reflection in clinical areas of nursing, it is important to know how to achieve it. However, nursing trainers face the challenge of how to help their students to improve reflection in clinical settings. The aim of this study was to investigate the nursing students’ experiences of facilitating reflection during clinical practice. This qualitative study was conducted by qualitative content analysis approach. Twenty nursing students during the second to eighth semester of their educational program were selected for participation using purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews. The interview was transcribed verbatim, and qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. From the data analysis, four main themes were extracted. Motivation to reflect, complex experiences, efficient trainer, and effective relations were four main themes obtained from study that, in interaction with each other, had facilitating roles in students’ reflective process on experiences. The findings revealed that the nursing students’ reflection in clinical settings is effective in personal and professional level. Reflection of nursing students depends on motivational and educational factors and these factors increase the quality of care in patients. Furthermore, nursing educators need to create nurturing climate as well as supporting reflective behaviors of nursing students

The Challenges of Nursing Procedures Training from the Perspective of Nursing Students: A Qualitative Study

Background & Objective: In nursing, clinical education due to its importance is known as the heart of professional education. One of the skills taught in the clinical environment is nursing procedures. Studies show that even students who have complete theoretical knowledge are unable to provide care and perform the required skills at the clients’ bedside independently. Thus, the present study was carried out with the aim to reveal the problems and challenges of nursing students in nursing procedures training. Methods: This descriptive-exploratory study was conducted with qualitative approach in 2016. The study participants consisted of 12 students from the School of Nursing. Purposive sampling was conducted until data saturation. Data were collected through interviews. All interviews were tape-recorded, handwritten, and analyzed line by line. To analyze the data, conventional content analysis was used. Results: From the interviews, 5 main categories and 17 subcategories, which represent students' experiences of the challenges of nursing procedures training, were extracted. The categories included the transition from skill lab to practice, discrepancies between education and clinical practice, fears, practice of clinical instructor, and students’ characteristics. Conclusion: Students are only able to perform the correct nursing procedures, when the appropriate training is provided. Considering the entrance behavior of students, attracting and employing experienced clinical teachers, and improving the learning environment can help in overcoming the obstacles expressed by students. Key Words: Challenge, Clinical education, Nursing procedures, Nursing student, Qualitative stud

Simulation

Background & Objective: Simulation is an educational technique which through providing whole or part of a clinical experience helps students to learn without being afraid of either their personal weaknesses or hurting the patient during interaction. Manipulation of medical education is widely being spread all over the world and this can be due to various factors such as technological improvements, ethical issues relating to practicing clinical skills, crowdedness of clinical environments for educational purposes, illness severity in most patients, drop in the length of patient’s stay in the hospitals, shortage of specialized staff in hospitals to facilitate educational process and so on. Methods: The current study has reviewed existing books, library references, papers and essays available in different scientific databases using keywords of “simulation”, “medical education” and “clinical skills”. Results: Simulation offers several advantages including increase in patient’s safety, reinforcement of interactive learning and student-centered, improvement in problem-solving abilities and critical thinking skills, and self-paced learning. Despite all the above-mentioned benefits, the point is that due to the high costs of simulation equipment as well as improper cost management policies particularly in educational centers, several studies should be run to analyze outcomes of manipulation of different simulators on students’ learning and then based on the efficiency of the simulators, the proper ones be used for educational purposes in clinical environments. Keywords Simulation Medical education Clinical skill

A Qualitative Inquiry into Nursing Students' Experience of Facilitating Reflection in Clinical Setting

Background and Aim. Reflection is known as a skill that is central to nursing students' professional development. Due to the importance and the role of reflection in clinical areas of nursing, it is important to know how to achieve it. However, nursing trainers face the challenge of how to help their students to improve reflection in clinical settings. The aim of this study was to investigate the nursing students' experiences of facilitating reflection during clinical practice. This qualitative study was conducted by qualitative content analysis approach. Twenty nursing students during the second to eighth semester of their educational program were selected for participation using purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews. The interview was transcribed verbatim, and qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. From the data analysis, four main themes were extracted. Motivation to reflect, complex experiences, efficient trainer, and effective relations were four main themes obtained from study that, in interaction with each other, had facilitating roles in students' reflective process on experiences. The findings revealed that the nursing students' reflection in clinical settings is effective in personal and professional level. Reflection of nursing students depends on motivational and educational factors and these factors increase the quality of care in patients. Furthermore, nursing educators need to create nurturing climate as well as supporting reflective behaviors of nursing students