Iran Journal of Nursing

  Background & Aim: Althorgh remarkable achievement in higher education system, especially in the nursing and medical fields are emerged, there are still several obstacles regarding clinical nursing education concerning novice and less-experienced mentors. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate novice nursing mentors’ problems and providing sound solutions as influencing factors of promoting quality of education.

  Material & Method: This study was a descriptive analytical design with problem solving approach for nursing mentors regarding clinical educational problems (including 40 novice mentors with less than 5 years experience) in Tehran State Universities, 2006. The data collection tool included demographic and specific nursing mentor's problems questionnaires.

  Results: Analysis of data showed, the problems of education in different aspects with their priority included: 1: personal domain (determining the place of practical education regardless of the mentor’s previous experiences) with the highest score of ‘134, 2: role performance problems, (inappropriate evaluation of the mentor’s role performance by the faculty authorities) with the highest score of ‘162.5, 3: organizational structure problems (lack of a clear and coordinated organizational relationship between education and practice field) with the highest score of ‘175. 4: interaction communication problems (inadequate interaction between the novice mentor and the other clinical colleagues) with the highest score of ‘152.5, 5: equipment and facilities problems (the limitation of physical environment and inappropriate space for educational programs, conferences, etc.) with the highest score of ‘150, 6: job satisfaction problems (lack of necessary equipments for reducing in-service probable injuries and harms) with the highest score of ‘180,’ and finally, 7: perceived self-efficacy problems (the ability of discussing the novice mentor’s ideas and opinions with the faculty members) with the minimum score of 312.5.

  Conclusion: According to the study findings and considering appropriate approaches of each domains based on special criteria, establishment of a "Committee of Nursing Clinical Education Quality" would be necessary as the most appropriate strategy for reducing nursing clinical education problems.

  Background & Aim: Patient education by nurses can be one of the best strategies for optimum self- care at home. The objective of this study is pathologic study of patient education process and answering to these questions :1- What is the process of patient education? 2- What are the pathogens of correct implementation of patient education?

  Material & Method: This was a qualitative research with using content analysis method. Sample size included twenty B.S nurses, three MS nurses, ten nurse students and ten hospitalized patients. The setting of the study was schools of Nursing and Midwifery and 2 general hospitals of Arak University of Medical Sciences. Data gathering method was semi - structured interview. Analysis of data was done based on content analysis method.

  Results: The study Findings showed that factors related to: 1- Curriculum planning, in Schools of Nursing and Midwifery 2- Patient education courses 3- Insufficient attention to nurses conditions 4- Insufficient attention to educational, cultural and habitual needs of patients and their families 5- Educational management 6- Attitude of participants to patient education, were key issues in the process of patient education that was related to inappropriate implementation of patient education in clinical settings.

  Conclusion: Patient education and nurses' role in this regard were significant factors to be considered. The pathogens which were effective on incorrect implementation of patient education, decrease the quality of care nursing. Applying the new curriculum planning can empower nurses on patient education. Providing in service training for clinical nurses and patient education follow up by clinical and educational managers can lead patient health promotion.

  Introduction & Aim: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is the second common parasitic disease in Iran. According to several studies, insufficient knowledge of mothers about the prevention strategies related to occurrence of the disease in their children are significant. Therefor, educating of the rural families by home visit program could be effective approach to prevent Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of designed home visit program on promoting preventive behaviors regarding Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in rural families of Tang Hanna district in Neyriz.

  Material & Method: The study was a quasi-experiemental desing which 60 families with at least one child (with 6-12 years old) were randomly selected, with (no Cutaneous Leishmaniasis) from seven rural areas and assigned to two groups of experimental and control groups and matched to demographic indicators (age, education, income...). Data collection tools included a questionnaire and observational- interviewing checklist about preventive behaviors. The Pretest phase was performed in two groups during 3 meetings. Then, home visit program was performed in experimental group for 4-5 meetings. The duration of each meeting was about 45 minutes for the period of one month and half. Then the post test phase was performed in the two groups, after intervention.

  Result: According to the results, independent t- test and Chi-squire test indicated that there was no significant difference between experimental group and control group (in demographic variables such as: age, sex, education, …) before the intervention . The t-test and Chi-square test indicated that there as not any significant differences between experimental and control group (P>0.05). Paired t-test and independent t- test indicated that there was a significant difference between before and after intervention about families performance in the experimental group (P<0.001) compared to the control group. Also Independent t-test indicated that there was a significant difference between experimental group and control group after intervention in some preventive behaviors regarding Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (P<0.001).

  Conclusion: According to the findings, it can be claimed that using a designed home visit program could be an effective approach in the promoting of preventive behaviors about Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the subjects. Moreover the results indicate that home-visit programs seem appropriate strategy for improving families performance in order to prevent Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

 Introduction and Aim: As the prevalence of overweight increases among adolescents, thus factors that may influence children’s participation in weight-related health behaviors need to be examied. This study examined barriers to and support for physical activity in overweight and obese adolescents compared with normal weight adolescents.

 Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, sample included 279 male students studying in two secondary schools in Tehran. Of all students , 179 (64.2%) were within normal weight range, 49(17.6%) were obese and 51(18.3%) were overweight. A questionnaire comprising demographic characteristics, and barriers to and support for physical activity, and also, a checklist of physical activity within current week were distributed to be filled out by students. Data were analyzed using One-Way ANOVA and Tukey's test.

  Results: According to finding, adolescents with normal weight had significantly higher moderate and vigorous physical activity than obese adolescents and the time of TV watching were significantly more among overweight and obese adolescents than adolescents with normal weight. Body-related, social and fitness barriers were the most predominant ones among obese adolescents. There was no statistically significant difference between mean score of convenience and resource barriers among different weight groups. Obese adolescents also reported significantly lower levels of adult and peer support for physical activity.

  Background and Aim: Sleep and rest are major needs of human which are included in physiologic needs category of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Since nurses work on morning, evening and night shifts irregularly, they are exposed to sleep problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of sleep and related factors among staff nurses working in Imam Khomeni hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services.

  Material and Method: This study had a descriptive – analytical design in which staff nurses working at Imam Khomeini Hospital lacated in Tehran were studied. The samples consisted of 120 nurses selected by simple random sampling. The instrument for data collection was the Demographic Information Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

  Results: The results showed that %62.5 of nurses had low sleep quality %33.5, low sleep quality and only %4.2 had good sleep quality. When examining relationship between sleep quality and the pattern of working shifts, statistical Chi-square test showed a statistically significant relationship (P<0.05) and staff nurses with irregular working shifts had lower sleep quality.

  Conclusion: This study showed that a much percent of nurses suffered from low sleep quality. Also, working shift pattern and the amount of work hours played an important role in quality of sleep in staff nurses.  

  Background and Aim: Coronary artery diseases are the most common cardiovascular diseases and considered as the main cause of mortality in the world and in Iran. A set of risk factors interfere to make these diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors of coronary artery diseases in patients with myocardial infraction.

  Material and Method: This case-control study was conducted on 60 patients with myocardial infarction admitted in cardiac care unit of Fatemieh hospital (as case group) and other 60 patients admitted in ENT and eye ward of Amiralmomenin hospital (as control group) in Semnan, Iran. The data collection tool was checklist, and the patients were evaluated regarding four main modifiable risk factors of coronary artery diseases as smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia.

  Results: The findings showed that 71.7% of the patients with myocardial infarction were male, the mean age of patients with myocardial infarction was 62.9 years, and the most common risk factors were smoking and hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between two groups relative to the prevalence of the risk factors as smoking, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia, but the difference was not statistically significant for diabetes. Odd's ratio relative to smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes were 2.95, 2.25, 2.78, and 2, respectively. Odd's ratio relative to smoking, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia were significant, but it was not significant relative to diabetes.

  Conclusion: The results indicated that smoking, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia are the most common risk factors in patient with myocardial infarction. Smoking with the highest Odd's ratio is the most important risk factor. Because these risk factors are modifiable, therefore, knowing them and taking actions to modify them are very important in reducing the risk of myocardial infarction and related mortality.

  Background and Aim: Education as a continuous and dynamic process can be analyzed through educational pathology to identify problems and barriers and to plan applicable strategies. The aim of this study was to determine factors influencing Health Assessment Course in Bachelor of Science nursing program.

  Material and Method: This is a qualitative study with thematic analysis method in which face-to-face semi-structured interviews and focus group was used to collect data from a purposeful sample of 17 participants, 14 nursing students and 3 nursing instructors in Baghiatallah nursing faculty. Content analysis was used to analyze data.

  Results: Data showed that barriers in Health Assessment Course presentation were in educational planning, environmental equipments of nursing school and hospital, nursing instructor and evaluation methods.

  Conclusion: Regarding the barriers, we should focus on nurses' roles in real situations to make this course applicable. Also, reinforcing present educational system and continuing education of instructors and clinical nurses would minimize problems.

  Background and Aim: The basic role of nurses is the restoration of health through caregiving activities. The nurses can do all of their responsibilities if they are informed of duty description. One of the most important duties of nursing service head is to prepare staff nurses and to ensure their performance to achieve assigned activities. The aim of this study was to determine obstacles to implementation of professional pediatric nursing job description�in the pediatric hospitals located in Tehran, Iran.

  Materials and method: This research was a descriptive study in which 63 staff nurse and nurse manager, working in pediatric hospitals, were recruited by proportional stratified random sampling. The research instruments were a demographic data sheet and self-report questionnaire about obstacles to implementation of professional duties.

  Results: The mean age of the subjects was 33.92±8.92 years, the mean years of experience was 9.19±8.46, and the mean years of work experience in pediatric unit was 7.97± 7.42. All the subjects were female, out of which 74.6% were staff nurses and the remaining were nursing managers. The results showed that the most important obstacles were, “the improper ratio of nurses to patients” (management dimension), “shortage of continuing and in-service education courses” (educational dimension), “the lack of space for doing professional duties” (environmental dimension), and finally, “inadequate recreational facilities for nursing personnel” (motivational dimension).

  Conclusion: For overcoming the abovementioned obstacles, some strategies were developed and scored and finally, the most salient strategy, “establishing a national committee for review, reassessment and implementation of professional pediatric nursing job description” was considered to be executed.

  Background & Aims: Increasing number of retirees and improved life expectancy has been resulted in increased retirement years. The status of Iranian nurses seems to be different from nurses in other countries yet no model has been proposed regarding the adaptation of nurses with retirement. The aim of this study was to propose an adaptation model for retired nurses.

  Material & Methods: It was a qualitative grounded theory study. The participants were 20 retired nurses from Semnan city who were recruited by purposeful and theoretical sampling. In the first stage data was generated by semi- structured interviews. Field notes were also used as data. Data collection and analysis by constant comparison was done simultaneously using Strauss and Corbin method. In the second stage, the model of adaptation with retirement was composed using the themes emerged in the first stage and literature review according to the Walker and Avant method.

  Results: the proposed Model included some stages for nurses’ adaptation with retirement: preparation for the experience of retirement, identity reconstruction strengthening, optimum use of supportive factors, attention to negative interactions, and providing facilities for a normal life.

  Background &Aim : The elderly population is increasing day by day. So it is essential to attend to the health status of this age group for their health promotion and disease prevention. Accordingly having a clear definition of health concept in aged people is necessary.

  Material &Methods : In this study, a comprehensive and in-depth narrative review was carried out by searching the data bases of SCOPUS, PUBMED, PROQUEST, SCIENCE DIRECT, ISC, IRANDOC, MAGIRAN with the key words of "health, the elderly wellbeing, health measurement, health assessment and health status" alongside with the words, "elderly, aging, old people" without limitation of years.

  Results: The main approaches toward the concept of health according to available literature were medical and functional models. The medical model holds that physical examination is required for determining the health and wellbeing of elderly people and their health-related needs and the functional model proposes that the things expressed by an elderly can be the best index for their health status and their required supportive systems. It has been indicated that the perceived health by elderly people is a global and useful index which shows their health level and also interacts with social and biological components.

  Conclusion : The exploration of health and wellbeing among elderly people has a more mental nature than other age groups. Consequently, the investigation of wellbeing among the elderly must not only be restricted to its medical aspects.

  Received: 15 Sep 2012

  Accepted: 10 Dec 2012