Face to face education to virtual classroom in the health sector during covid pandemic

The lockdown posed a great impact on teaching and learning process which aided in the shift of face to face education to virtual classroom. As the e- learning was newly introduced, it was difficult to execute initially due to prior unpreparedness. We put forth this study to analyse student's perspective and challenges faced in online education during pandemic times.The study was done in medical and allied health science colleges of Chennai and Puducherry. This is cross-sectional study conducted between June and August 2020. This is an online survey conducted through google forms circulated to undergraduates and post graduates of medical and allied health science courses. Frequencies and percentages were used to express the data. Statistical Analyses were done by SPSS software and graphs were made by Microsoft excel. We received response from 419 participants. Mobile phone was the widely used gadget to access online class. Most of the institutes conducted online class daily and assessment twice weekly. In student’s point of view, though e- learning had several disadvantages like poor net connectivity, clinical training inadequacy, difficulty in attending class for longer duration and unfavourable learning environment, it proved constructive at pandemic time. On improvement in the design of the learning environment and teaching system, the online learning platform would better to serve its purpose in future pandemic.

Atuação do enfermeiro em situações de desastres naturais: uma revisão integrativa

Os desastres podem acontecer por diversos fenômenos naturais, as vezes pela junção de dois ou mais, sendo classificados em tecnológicos ou naturais. Estes eventos adversos geralmente atingem pessoas que já se encontram em situação de vulnerabilidade, podendo estar relacionada diretamente a transtornos psicológicos, podendo ainda, afetar os profissionais. O trabalho teve como objetivo geral analisar com base na literatura científica a atuação do enfermeiro em situações de desastres naturais. Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica do tipo Revisão Integrativa (RI) da literatura, que utilizou os Descritores em Ciências da Saúde (DeCS) e dos títulos da Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) e Mesh terms. Ao todo foram selecionados onze estudos, a maior parte apresentou abordagem qualitativa dos dados, correspondendo a sete (63,3%) trabalhos, em que a base de dados da National Library of Medicine apresentou o maior número de estudos (45,4%). A maior parte das publicações concentraram-se no ano de 2019 (36,3%) e 2020 (27,2%). Quanto ao idioma dez (90%) das publicações estavam na língua inglesa; em que o Brasil foi o país com o maior número de publicações (27,2%). A assistência prestada aos pacientes vítimas de desastres naturais, deve ser focada em aspectos físicos e psicológicos. Nesse caso, a enfermagem deve entrar em ação lidando diretamente com o sujeito e prestando esclarecimentos acerca do procedimento realizado por ele, além de realizar escuta ativa, quando o paciente tem condições e deseja verbalizar, oferecer conforto e utilizar o toque como fonte de segurança aos clientes.

“There hasn’t been a career structure to step into”: a qualitative study on perceptions of allied health clinician researcher careers

Background There are many demonstrated benefits for health service organizations engaging in research. As a result, growing numbers of clinicians are being encouraged to pursue research as part of their clinical roles, including in allied health (AH). However, while the benefits of having clinician researchers embedded in AH services have been well established, the career needs of those engaged in these dual roles are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine perspectives of the career pathway for AH clinicians engaged in “clinician researcher” roles within Australian health services. Methods A qualitative descriptive study was conducted, utilizing semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to ensure selection of varied locations, professions and role types. Results were analysed using thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was established using regular peer debriefing during theme development, and respondent validation of final themes. Results Fifty-seven AH clinician researchers, including those who did and did not have research as a formal component of their current role, participated in semi-structured interviews. Key themes were as follows: (1) clinician researchers prefer roles which are embedded in health services; (2) current opportunities for clinician researcher roles in health are insufficient; (3) there are deficiencies in the pathway for clinician researcher careers; (4) clinician researchers are not always valued or incentivized by health services; (5) the current career challenges impair the viability of clinician researcher careers; and (6) the clinician researcher career path has been improving, and there is hope it will continue to improve. Conclusion This study outlines a number of weaknesses in the current career structure and opportunities for AH clinician researchers in Australian health services. In particular, while there are strong intrinsic drivers to pursue this dual career, extrinsic drivers are poorly developed, including a lack of job opportunities, an unstable career pathway and a lack of valuing or incentivizing this career choice within health services. This often means that clinician researchers feel compelled to choose between a research or clinical career, leading to loss of this valuable combined skill set. The findings of this research may assist health services in developing and supporting improved clinician researcher career pathways.

A música para alívio do estresse de pais de recém-nascidos prematuros: revisão integrativa

Objetivo: identificar, por meio da literatura científica, a utilização da música como estratégia terapêutica para a redução do estresse de pais de recém-nascidos prematuros. Método: revisão integrativa utilizando artigos científicos completos indexados nas bases PubMed (Public/PublishMedline), Scopus (The largest base of abstracts and references from peer-revieweds cientific literature), PsycINFO (American Psychological Association base), Web of Science, LILACS (Literatura Latino Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), SciELO (Scientific Eletronic Library Online) e Base de dados em Enfermagem (BDENF) via Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (BVS). A pergunta norteadora foi: musicoterapia pode reduzir o nível de estresse de pais de recém-nascidos prematuros? Publicados no idioma português e inglês, e contendo descritores controlados e não controlados, no mês de fevereiro de 2021. Resultados: Foram selecionados 9 estudos, sendo apenas um realizado no Brasil. Os resultados encontrados foram, em geral, benéficos quanto a utilização da musicoterapia como forma de intervenção para a diminuição do nível de estresse de pais de recém-nascidos prematuros, além de proporcionar melhora do bem estar e da interação do pai/mãe e seu filho. Porém, um estudo identificou que a musicoterapia pode gerar efeito iatrogênico, como o aumento do estresse, nas situações em que não tiver um acompanhamento especializado. Conclusão: Esta revisão possibilitou observar que a musicoterapia é benéfica para a diminuição do nível de estresse parental de recém-nascidos prematuros, indicando também a necessidade de acompanhamento especializado.

Prescribing errors in general practice

Prescribing errors are relatively common in general practice. Jennifer McCutcheon provides an overview of common prescribing errors and how they can be prevented Nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals are increasingly becoming prescribers and many of them work autonomously in general practice. Prescribing professionals have a duty to understand what a prescribing error is, common examples of errors in practice, how they are prevented and how they can be investigated and reported should they occur.

Reshaping Pharmacy and Allied Health Education for a Post-Pandemic World Using Kotter's Change Model

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to higher education. The extraordinary challenges created by the pandemic required equally extraordinary efforts from faculty and other stakeholders to rapidly convert face-to-face classes to online/hybrid instruction. This rapid change was facilitated by use of a robust framework for not only making changes in short order but also sustaining the changes to reshape healthcare education for a post-pandemic future. To this end, the chapter discusses the effective use of Kotter's 8-step framework to successfully implement change in healthcare education at a college of pharmacy and allied health professions. This chapter discusses each step of Kotter's 8-step process to create, implement, and sustain change in pharmacy and allied health education. The model integrated people, processes, and effective strategies to create changes amid the pandemic (crisis). Lessons learned and implications for the future in a post-pandemic educational environment are presented.

Evaluation of Students to Select Different Educational Technique Using Dreem

Introduction: Problem-Based Learning (PBL) could be an instructing strategy in which complex real-world issues are utilized as the vehicle to promote student learning of concepts and standards as opposed to direct introduction of facts and ideas. In expansion to course content, PBL can promote the improvement of basic thinking aptitudes, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. It can also show new horizons for working in group to become a lifelong learner. Objective: To evaluate the educational environment in medical and allied health sciences students at Rawalpindi Medical University. Material & Method: Study design: quantitative cross sectional Settings: Rawalpindi Medical University Duration: Six months i.e. 1st January 2021 to 30th June 2021 Methodology: The students of medical from medical college and Physiotherapy from allied health sciences have been selected. Pre validated questionnaire DREEM was used to evaluate the perception of educational environment at Rawalpindi Medical University students for using educational strategies. The students enrolled in the study after giving consent. Results: The total number and percentages were 1200/1750 (68.5%) from medical students and 70/150 (46.6%) from allied health sciences participated in the study from Rawalpindi Medical University. Table 2 shows two groups, total participants, maximum score, mean value, Standard deviation and p value. The overall DREEM score of medical group was 135/200 which use PBL approach and Allied group score was 102/200 which was on traditional strategy. It is also noticed that mean score from the medical group is greater than 3 while Allied health sciences lower than 2. Conclusion: Differentiating student discernments of educational environments appear related with the medical schools embracing different educational methodologies in our setting. Cautious and detailed interpretation of DREEM symptomatic results can be utilized to identify qualities and shortcomings of educational program and needed intervention. In any case to sort of educational programs experienced, institutional mediations show up fundamental in the areas of academic and social support and stress management. Continuous assessment of learning situations ought to be linked to making strides the instructive encounters for medical students. Keywords: PBL, DREEM, Educational Environment, Learning

Allied Health and Complementary Therapy Usage in Australian Women With Chronic Pelvic Pain: a Cross-Sectional Study

Background Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) causes non-cyclical pelvic pain, period pain, fatigue and other painful symptoms. Current medical and surgical management strategies are often not sufficient to manage these symptoms and may lead to uptake of other therapies. Aims To determine the prevalence of allied health (AH) and complementary therapy (CM) use, the cost burden of these therapies and explore predictive factors for using allied health or complementary medicines.Materials and Methods An online cross-sectional questionnaire using the WERF EndoCost tool was undertaken between February to April 2017. People were eligible to participate in the survey if they were aged 18-45, living in Australia and had chronic pelvic pain. Results From 409 responses, 340/409 (83%) of respondents reported a diagnosis of endometriosis. One hundred and five (30%) women with self-reported endometriosis, and thirteen (18%) women with other forms of CPP saw at least one AH or CM practitioner in the previous two months, with physiotherapists and acupuncturists the most common. Women who accessed CM or AH services spent an average of $480.32 AUD in the previous two months. A positive correlation was found between education and number of AH or CM therapies accessed in the past two months (p<0.001) and between income level and number of therapists (p=0.028).Conclusions Women with CPP commonly access AH and CM therapies, with a high out of pocket cost. The high cost and associations with income and education levels may warrant a change to policy to improve equitable access to these services.