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Background The complex health system and challenging patient care environment require experienced nurses, especially those with high cognitive skills such as problem-solving, decision- making and critical thinking. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of social problem-solving training on nursing students’ critical thinking and decision-making. Methods This study was quasi-experimental research and pre-test and post-test design and performed on 40 undergraduate/four-year students of nursing in Borujen Nursing School/Iran that was randomly divided into 2 groups; experimental ( n  = 20) and control (n = 20). Then, a social problem-solving course was held for the experimental group. A demographic questionnaire, social problem-solving inventory-revised, California critical thinking test, and decision-making questionnaire was used to collect the information. The reliability and validity of all of them were confirmed. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and independent sampled T-test, paired T-test, square chi, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results The finding indicated that the social problem-solving course positively affected the student’ social problem-solving and decision-making and critical thinking skills after the instructional course in the experimental group ( P  < 0.05), but this result was not observed in the control group ( P  > 0.05). Conclusions The results showed that structured social problem-solving training could improve cognitive problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making skills. Considering this result, nursing education should be presented using new strategies and creative and different ways from traditional education methods. Cognitive skills training should be integrated in the nursing curriculum. Therefore, training cognitive skills such as problem- solving to nursing students is recommended.

Background Clinical teaching-learning is a context-bound phenomenon. One of the problems related to field of medical education research is the lack of sufficient attention to context-appropriate methodologies. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry is to explain and represent teaching-learning in the clinical education of general medicine in Iran using the three types of maps situational, social worlds/arenas, positional, in combination with discourse analysis. Methods In this study, the authors used the situational analysis approach as a postmodern version of grounded theory. The data collection was undertaken in three stages. In the first stage, a mini literature review was conducted to highlight a possible gap in applying situational analysis in medical education research and the development of this methodology. In the second stage, the latest and most up-to-date documents of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) of Iran, the general medicine curriculum, and related documents were analyzed. Finally, the remote semi-structured interviews (web-based and telephone) were undertaken in the third stage. Participants in this stage included expert clinical teachers, medical education specialists, and students. In this study, the notes and transcripts were analyzed for the emergence and categorization of sub-themes and themes, represented in three maps. Results Thirty-one participants were involved in the web-based interviews, while seven participants took part in the telephone interview. Based on this research, the teaching-learning situation in clinical education on general medicine in Iran was represented in three maps; situational, social worlds/arenas, and positional. In addition, the results showed, clinical education of general medicine in Iran in six positions (curriculum; culture, behavior and attitude; management and leadership; environment, space and time; financial; and technology) has serious problems and challenges. Finally, based on the horizontal axis of the positional map, recommendations were provided to develop and support effective clinical teaching. Conclusions The clinical learning environment is a complex and multi-layered social environment in which should be considered these numerous social layers, arenas, social worlds, and discourses while developing curricula and teaching.

The scientific community is currently grappling with the “reproducibility crisis,” a phenomenon characterized by a significant loss of validity in research outcomes and a subsequent decline in public and scientific confidence. This crisis is evident in the high rate of studies, particularly within medicine and the humanities that fail replication tests and exhibit poor generalizability. This study aimed to specifically examine the issues of reproducibility in medical education research in Iran and propose effective solutions to address this challenge. This investigation employed a qualitative methodology, utilizing conventional content analysis. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a carefully selected group of 24 medical science professors. Interviewing continued until data saturation was achieved, with each session lasting between 60 and 90 min. The analysis was systematically performed using the established Graneheim and Lundman’s framework. The analysis led to the identification of three themes: factors contributing to the reproducibility crisis, its consequences, and potential solutions. These themes were further divided into eight categories. Contributing factors encompassed research methodology, various forms of bias, and contextual elements. The consequences were primarily reflected in two domains—scientific progress and decision-making in educational contexts. In contrast, proposed solutions centered on enhancing methodological rigor and reinforcing a culture of accountability and oversight in research practice. According to the findings, improving the quality and credibility of research in medical education requires a comprehensive strategy built upon three key pillars: advancing researchers’ methodological competence, institutionalizing ethical and transparent research practices, and strengthening systems of evaluation and accountability. The effective implementation of initiatives such as the development of clear research guidelines, organization of training and capacity-building workshops, and promotion of robust inter-institutional collaboration can play a vital role in enhancing the quality, reliability, and trustworthiness of medical education research in Iran

Teaching-learning is the heart of medical education in the clinical setting. The objective of this research was to develop a conceptual model of effective clinical teaching in undergraduate medical education and conceptualize its operational framework based on the best fit approach. This research consisted of three sub-studies conducted using a multi-method approach. The first sub-study was conducted using a qualitative meta-synthesis approach. The second sub-study used Clarke's situational analysis approach as a postmodern version of grounded theory. Finally, the third sub-study was designed in two stages. First, it was conducted using the expert panel, in the second step, framework of synthesis based on best fit, and the framework of Ottenhoff- de Jonge et al., which formed the basis of this study. In the first sub-study, qualitative evidence on the factors of effective teaching-learning in clinical education was synthesized into five dimensions. Based on the second sub-study, the clinical teaching-learning situation in undergraduate medical education in Iran was represented in three maps, including situational, social worlds/arenas, and positional. Finally, in the third sub-study, based on model modification and development in the expert panel, the effective teaching-learning dimensions were developed into behavioral, social, pedagogical, technology, contextual, educational leadership, and financial dimensions. In the second step, based on the framework of Ottenhoff- de Jonge et al., a three-dimensional matrix was developed concerning epistemological orientations about teaching and learning. Moving from a single teaching-centered and learning-centered orientation to a teaching-learning-centered orientation is required for effective teaching-learning in clinical medical education.

In medical education, department chairs should play a significant role. The present qualitative study was conducted to identify factors that influence the performance improvement of department chairs at medical schools in Iran. The study was conducted in Iran in 2022 and used a thematic analysis method. Using a purposeful sampling method, 20 participants were invited to participate, including medical school deans and department chairs. Focus group discussion (FGD) was used for qualitative data gathering. Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis was used to analyze data. There were 18 males and 2 females among the participants. The mean age of the participants was 45±4 years. Five overarching themes were formulated: human resource management, organizational behavior management, performance support system, leadership, and financial resources. Also, nine subthemes emerged, including performance evaluation, job and work design, educational and non-educational support, motivational efforts, organization culture, organizational knowledge management, planning for change, and financing. In this study, we found factors influencing DC performance improvement. Department chairs' effective performance may have a positive impact on department operations, processes, or outcomes.

Background The successful integration of electronic learning (e-learning) into the nursing curriculum depends on the development of nursing professors’ e-learning competencies. However, they face challenges in developing their e-learning competencies. The management of these challenges maximizes the impact of e-learning on nursing students’ learning outcomes. This study aimed at exploring nursing professors’ challenges in developing their e-learning competencies. Methods This descriptive qualitative study was conducted from December 2023 to June 2024 via conventional content analysis. Participants were seventeen nursing professors and three nursing school managers purposefully and theoretically selected from nine nursing schools in Iran. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were held for data collection and Graneheim and Lundman’s conventional content analysis was employed for data analysis. We ensured participants of data confidentiality and obtained their informed consent. Results Nursing professors’ challenges in developing their e-learning competencies came into four categories, namely managerial barriers, ineffective professor evaluation, ineffective e-learning implementation, and resource limitation. Conclusion Nursing managers and policymakers need to improve their e-learning competencies and provide the necessary facilities and infrastructures for the development of nursing professors’ e-learning competencies. Valid and reliable tools are also necessary for the evaluation of professors’ e-learning practice and facilitate the development of their e-learning competencies. Clinical trial number This was a qualitative study, and clinical trial numbering is not applicable.

Identifying the learners' problems is important. Besides, many factors are associated with academic failure, among which time management and stress are more important than any others based on evidence. By using a systematic review and meta-analysis, this study aims to synthesize the findings of studies about the correlation of time management and stress with academic failure to suggest a more in-depth insight into the effect of these two factors on academic failure. Four databases were searched from the inception of January 2018. Publication bias was evaluated visually using funnel plots and sized up by Egger's test. Ninety-four articles were found to be qualified for inclusion after full-text review and additional manual reference made. Of these, 8 were studies of educational interventions that were reviewed in this paper. Regarding the relation of stress and academic performance, the Funnel plot (results not shown) and Egger's test showed no publication bias in the studies ( P = 0.719). Based on this result, the estimated pooled correlation (reverted by hyperbolic tangent transformation) between stress and academic performance was found to be -0.32 (95% confidence interval: -0.38–-0.25). In conclusion, the review recognized a series of potentially mutable medium-to-large correlates of academic achievement, time management, and stress. It would be essential to have experimental data on how easily such self-regulatory capacities can be altered, and these interventions could help students enhance their potential, providing empirical tests for offered process models of academic achievement.

The current outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) across the world forced universities to suspend learning to limit the spread of the virus. Many medical schools have shifted to online education as an information delivery mechanism where the educator and learner are separated in space and potentially also in time. This systematic review aims to explore and understand the variety of distance learning strategies in medical students in the contexts of COVID-19. A systematic review was conducted in Web of Sciences, PubMed, Educational Resources and Information Center, and Scopus from December 2019 to July 2020. Eight sets of terminology were used, combining “Distance learning” AND “Medical education” AND “Pandemic.” Studies were reviewed independently by two reviewers. Data were extracted and quality appraised using QualSyst tools, and synthesized by performing thematic analysis. A total of 473 articles were identified after removing duplicates and 314 records were screened, of which 125 were included in this study. The primary articles were 52 primarily qualitative articles. Five learning strategies consisted of technology-enhanced learning (TEL), simulation-based learning, technology-based clinical education, mobile learning, and blended learning. Tools, methods, and learning resources associated with these five learning strategies were extracted from the articles. Our review highlights that TEL and simulation-based learning were more commonly used than others in distance learning in medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. These strategies have the potential to improve learners’ level of knowledge and performance through making online learning resources such as Massive Open Online Courses, virtual clinical cases, and blended sources accessible.

BACKGROUND: Education is considered as one of the most important well-known roles of nurses, which is based on the patients' needs and awareness level. Thus, training the skill to nursing students is highly prioritized. The present study aimed to compare traditional and role-play training methods on nursing students' performance and satisfaction in the principles of patient education course. Materials and Methods: The present quasi-empirical study was conducted in 2019 among 36 fourth-semester nursing students at the School of Nursing in Borujen branch. In this regard, the students were randomly divided into experimental (n = 18) and control (n = 18) groups and trained through role-play and traditional methods, respectively. The data were collected using demographic questionnaire, training method satisfaction form, and student performance evaluation checklist (30 items), among which the two last ones were researcher made. Then, data were analyzed by SPSS software version 19 and using descriptive and analytical statistical tests such as Chi-square and Mann-Whitney. RESULTS: The results demonstrated a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) between the mean score of students' satisfaction with teaching method in the control (17.15 ± 0.89) and experimental groups (19.03 ± 1.49), as well as between that of their performance in the control and experimental groups (115.31 ± 2.07 and 118.28 ± 3.59, respectively). CONCLUSION: Based on the results, role-play training method affected nursing students' performance in the principles of patient education course higher. Thus, using the method in training students and in-service training for nursing personnel is recommended to education planners and nursing education authorities for improving the skill.

Introduction Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is essential for healthcare professionals to maintain and enhance their competencies, particularly in specialized fields such as gynecological oncology. In low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs), access to CPD is often limited, and virtual platforms have emerged as a viable solution to overcome these barriers. This study uses the Kirkpatrick Model to evaluate a national virtual CPD program in gynecological oncology, focusing on participant satisfaction and knowledge acquisition. Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 104 gynecological oncology specialists and fellows in Iran. The virtual CPD program was delivered via a Moodle-based Learning Management System (LMS) and included multimedia content, interactive modules, discussion forums, and live webinars. Data were collected through pre- and post-course assessments to measure knowledge gains and a post-course satisfaction survey to evaluate participant reactions. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were used to analyze the data, with statistical significance set at p  < 0.05. Results The Level 1 evaluation revealed high participant satisfaction, with 64.42% reporting that the course content aligned with its objectives, 75% expressing satisfaction with the program’s delivery, and 82.69% finding the course facilities highly satisfactory. The Level 2 evaluation demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in knowledge scores from pretest (mean = 37.21, SD = 12.71) to posttest (mean = 42.07, SD = 6.09), with a mean score increase of 4.86 ( p  < 0.001). The effect size (Cohen’s d = -0.416) indicated a small to moderate practical significance. Conclusion The virtual CPD program effectively engaged participants and enhanced their knowledge, highlighting the potential of online learning platforms to deliver high-quality CPD in resource-constrained settings. Future research should explore the long-term impact of virtual CPD on clinical practice and patient outcomes.