Hanan Al Sebaee

Background. Amputation is a profound loss that affects both the individual and family on all levels. Amputation poses challenges on many levels: physical, emotional, social, and financial. How people cope with their amputation depends upon their unique make-up, previous life experiences, support systems, and the meaning they give to their amputation. Aim of this study was two folds: firstly, identify the stressors and coping strategies among patients with new limb amputation, secondly, examines the relationship between stressors and coping strategies among patients with new limb amputation. Design a descriptive correlation research design was selected to fulfill the aim of the study and answer the research questions. Setting was the general surgery, orthopedic and/or vascular disorder departments at El Manial University Hospital. Sample a total of convenience of fifty limb amputated patients were recruited in this study. Tools, data were collected utilizing the following tools: 1) Structured Interviewing Questionnaire, 2) Amputation Related Stressors Questionnaire, and 3) Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Results of the study findings revealed that the new limb amputated patients facing different stressors related to, firstly social life, followed by nature of illness, work situation, body image changes, while hospital stay perceived as the least source of stress. The most common way of positive coping strategies that amputated patients used was minimize the situation followed by active coping strategy. There were statistically significant differences among the study subjects in relation to different coping strategy postoperatively. Recommendations: Comprehensive nursing management protocol dealing with amputation related stressors should be available to help such patients for adjustment.

Background: Assessment of clinical competence is of great importance when evaluating the expected learning outcomes of nursing education. Increasing number of students enrolled at Egyptian nursing faculties might increase the chances of malpractice that compromise patients’ conditions. Therefore it is challenging to have such an objective assessment tool to comprehensively assess students’ clinical competencies especially with increased students’ number. Aims of the current project are building capacity of nursing faculties and staff members for OSCE; establishing simulated learning experiences (OSCE) in nursing practice; comparing the feasibility, utility, and effectiveness of using OSCE versus traditional clinical assessment; examining faculty and students perspectives for OSCE; and evaluating the effectiveness of OSCE versus traditional clinical assessment. Method: To achieve aims of this study needs’ assessment of faculty members were carried out during conduction of raising awareness seminar about OSCE which attended by 72 faculty and staff members from both Cairo and Ain Shams Universities. A total of 7 workshops were held to build up their capacities on the scheme of OSCE and clinical scenario writings .One-hundred and forty faculty and staff members were attended and pre-post tests a were administered. Out of the 140, 31 were trained as data collectors. Implementation of the OSCE was carried out on 400 second and third year students at the areas of critical care units. Comparison of students' achievements at traditional and OSCE methods were carried out. Faculty’s and students’ perspectives were investigated. Results: Needs’ assessment revealed that 57% of faculty members knew nothing about OSCE and 98.6% of them had no experience in using OSCE; also a high statistical significant differences between OSCE and traditional assessment groups in the first and second trial (t=2.423, p=0.016), and (t= 6.23, p= 0.000) respectively. The students' achievements were better with OSCE. Faculty staff members indicated that, OSCE saves time (76.3%) prepares highly qualified competent students (62.5%) and improve students’ performance (62.5%). Conclusion OSCE examination offers an attractive option for assessment of students’ competency. It provided particular strengths in terms of faculty staff objectivity and reliability of the assessment process for all students, especially when compared with other methods of assessing practice.

Keywords: Assessment, OSCE, traditional method, Faculty capacity building, students’ perspectives

Successful nursing management of the burned patient is both complex and challenging. The patient is a holistic being composed of body, mind and spirit; nurses therefore are responsible for developing individualized plans of care that is based on assessment data reflecting the patients’ totality and needs. The importance of recognizing and studying the needs of burn patients is thus widely acknowledged. However, the accuracy of nurse assessments of patient’s needs has not been well investigated. The aim of this study was to explore the concordance between the patients' and nurses' perceptions of needs following burn trauma and its relation to patient variables (e.g., burn severity and visibility;…etc) and staff characteristics. Patients and nurses were asked to specify and quantify the perceived needs. The study was carried out in the burn inpatient unit, at Al-Manial Cairo University Hospital. Four instruments were utilized for data collection: socio-demographic data sheet, burn-related information scale, the needs’ perception rating scale. In addition, nurses related characteristics that might influence their perceptions of burn patients needs were collected in a specially designed form. Thirty patients and 14 nurses were recruited for participation in the study. The patients’ sample is made up of 19 males and 11 females, with a mean age of 31.97 ± 9.06 years. The results revealed that there were a gap in needs ratings between patients and their caring nurses. Comparison of the top ten needs revealed similarities as well as differences between patient and staff perceptions at both admission and discharge. Agreement between patients and staff was greatest with regard to physical and psychological domains of needs. Least agreement was most likely for social and cognitive needs. Comparison of patient and nurses’ ratings according to staff experience with burn trauma patients showed significantly higher ratings for the mre experienced nurses than their corresponding patients. The researchers emphasized the need for nurses’ continuing education efforts to sensitize them toward their patients’ varied caring needs.
Keywords: Burn, Patients, Nurses, Needs Perception, Concordance

This research was conducted parallel to the implementation of a project which was funded by the Higher Education Enhancement Project Fund (HEEPF). It aims at promoting clinical teaching skills among sixty five clinical nurse instructors of the faculties of nursing in Egypt. The clinical instructors were subjected to a structured teaching/ training sessions that included teaching group training session encompassing the main competencies inherent in the clinical instructors' role performance. Two research hypotheses were formulated to achieve the aim of the study; H1. Post-participation subjects’ conceptualization of clinical instructor role component scores will be higher than their pre- participation ones, H2. Post-participation subjects’ conceptualization of clinical instruction competence scores will be higher than their pre- participation scores. One group pre and post test pre-experimental design was utilized to be conducted in this study. A sample of convenience of 65 female clinical nurse instructors, were recruited for the study representing different academic departments of nursing specialties at the faculties of nursing in Egypt. Three instruments were utilized for data collection: (a) Role profile appraisal scale, (b) Clinical written simulation cards, and (c) Participants evaluation form for the teaching / training sessions and a socio-demographic data sheet. The results of this study documented the effectiveness of the teaching training sessions in promoting the participant clinical instructor competence, as evident by their higher post participation Role profile Appraisal and Clinical Instruction Competence Scores as compared to their prior participation scores. Therefore the two research hypotheses were statistically supported. The researchers recommended replicating the study with the addition of control group(s), and using additional instruments to measure personality characteristics of the subjects, and motivation related to the participation with emphases on application and evaluation of physical assessment skills. The study recommended the teaching training program should be replicated to wider population representing faculties of nursing to ensure dissemination and sustainability which was of the ultimate goal of the project.

Keywords: Teaching, training, clinical teaching, clinical nurse instructors, cognitive development, clinical roles.