Search Results (401)

This short communication examines the intersection of academic freedom concerns and doctoral student experiences at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) during a period of increasing legislative restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Drawing from faculty observations during doctoral residency weeks at one HSI educational leadership program, this piece explores how doctoral students navigate dissertation topic selection in an environment where diversity-related research may be perceived as entering legal or political “gray areas.” The communication contextualizes these observations within the broader landscape of academic freedom challenges facing higher education, particularly at institutions serving predominantly minoritized populations. Recent data reveals that 91% of faculty across the United States believe academic freedom is under threat, with particularly acute challenges facing institutions designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions. These observations reveal a fundamental disconnect between educational practitioners pursuing doctoral degrees and policymakers, where research-based inclusive practices designed to benefit all students are misperceived as politically controversial. These observations suggest that doctoral students at HSIs face unique pressures as they balance their commitment to addressing educational equity issues with concerns about professional and academic risks in an increasingly restrictive policy environment. Full article

Background: The European Doctoral Conference in Nursing Science provides a unique platform for doctoral students in nursing and health sciences to present their research in a supportive environment. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the 2024 conference embraced the motto “looking back and looking forward,” offering an opportunity to reflect on the development of nursing science and future challenges. Results: Held at the Medical University of Graz, Austria, the conference hosted 90 participants from 13 countries. It featured two keynote lectures, three workshops, 48 presentations, and a science slam. Abstract submissions underwent peer review to ensure the quality of presentations. The presentations highlighted key challenges and opportunities across nursing practice, healthcare work environments, education and digitalization in nursing, and health perspectives. Topics included, for example, workforce retention, artificial intelligence in nursing practice, leadership in error management, and culturally sensitive care. The keynotes emphasized the importance of patient and public involvement in research and the benefits of survey data in nursing science. Workshops imparted knowledge and skills regarding funding acquisition, guideline development, and effective research presentation. A science slam introduced innovative and creative ways to present research. Conclusions: The conference showcased the evolving landscape of nursing science, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based practice, supportive working conditions, and constructive collaboration. It demonstrated the enthusiasm and readiness of a new generation of researchers to advance nursing science in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Full article

Background/Objectives: Increases in unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic and doctors’ strike have intensified job-seeking stress among nursing students, contributing to academic pressure, increased stress levels, reduced participation, and a greater risk of burnout. This study investigates the relationships between job-seeking stress, academic self-efficacy, professor trust, academic engagement, and academic burnout through path analysis. Methods: A total of 496 nursing students enrolled in four-year nursing programs in South Korea participated in this study. Data were gathered using structured questionnaires from 30 August to 13 December 2021. Results: Job-seeking stress, academic self-efficacy, and professor trust significantly influenced academic engagement, accounting for 37.2% of its variance. Academic burnout was primarily explained by job-seeking stress and academic self-efficacy, with an explanatory power of 50.4%. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy played a mediating role in the relationships between job-seeking stress and both academic engagement and burnout. Conclusions: Developing interventions to enhance academic self-efficacy is crucial. Additionally, strategies should be implemented to alleviate job-seeking stress, foster academic engagement, and reduce the risk of burnout among nursing students. Full article

Introduction/Objectives: The continuous progress of information technologies and their increasing use in the health sector have driven the integration of these technologies into the care of the population, including the progressive use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Given the rapid growth of AI, legislation and scientific evidence have been accompanying developments, clarifying the place of this technology in society. This study aimed to determine university students’ perspectives on the use of AI in healthcare, correlating them with sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: Data were collected using an original personal questionnaire to first-year students from four organic units at the University of Porto, between December 2024 and March 2025. Results: A total of 235 responses were obtained from four different Faculties, and no significant differences were found between gender, area of study, or course, regarding perspectives on the inclusion of AI in healthcare. Across the board, students view this inclusion positively, even though they trust a doctor more and do not have uniform positions regarding the system’s accountability. Conclusions: Thus, the study’s results highlight the need to deepen the debate and training on AI in healthcare, to promote the conscious, critical, and ethical integration of these technologies into healthcare. Full article

Background/Objectives: With the expected growth in the number of people with dementia and the effect it has on their daily life, physical therapists will be required to provide competent care across all settings for people with dementia. This study aimed to explore the effects of a competency-based education (CBE) intervention consisting of interprofessional education (IPE) and experiential learning on perceived dementia care competence and confidence among physical therapy students and to determine recruitment and retention rates of the multi-phasic study. Methods: A total of 13 sixth-semester Doctor of Physical Therapy students participated in IPE (Phase 1) and experiential learning (Phase 2) and completed the Dementia Care Competency Model (DCCM) 2.0 and Confidence in Dementia Scale (CODE) at three time points (pre-test and after Phases 1 and 2). Results: The recruitment and retention rates were 89% and 36%, respectively. The DCCM 2.0 (F-test = 10.57, partial eta squared = 0.66) and the CODE (F-test = 21.27, partial eta squared = 0.80) showed large effect sizes between the three measurement time points. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that CBE facilitates the development of core dementia care competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice and person-centered care, as well as practitioner confidence development in dementia care. Full article

Career choices of master’s students, particularly regarding the pursuit of doctoral degrees, have received limited scholarly attention. This study examines the employment pathways and influencing factors of engineering master’s students. Drawing on human capital theory, career preference theory, and the two-way selection model, we analyse nationwide survey data from 21,973 engineering master’s students collected in 2021. Using a multinomial logistic regression model, we examine their post-graduation choices, including pursuing a doctorate, joining universities or scientific research institutions, working in government agencies, or entering the workforce. The findings suggest that gender, family background, and human capital have a significant impact on students’ career destinations. Male students are more likely to choose academic sectors, while those from high-income families tend to opt for non-academic sectors. Higher parental educational attainment increases the likelihood of pursuing doctoral studies, and students with more academic publications are also more likely to pursue a doctorate. These results highlight divergence in employment intentions between academic and non-academic sectors and reveal their underlying logic. The study offers insights for reforming talent cultivation models in universities, enhancing graduate employability, and informing the development of educational policy. Full article

Background: With the growing population requiring palliative care (PC), it is essential to enhance and expand the availability of this care in Portugal. Throughout both pre-graduate and post-graduate training for doctors, there are limited learning opportunities in this area, necessitating further training to improve the knowledge and skills needed to support patients at the end of their lives. Studies conducted on doctors and medical students have demonstrated a clear need for improved training. Additionally, others have noted significant benefits for residents who underwent post-graduate training in this field while caring for patients nearing the end of life. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a basic training program on improving palliative care knowledge among medical doctors. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, carried out by sharing a questionnaire with the participants enrolled in the “Intensive Palliative Medicine Course” organized by a group of doctors in November 2021. The questionnaire was completed by participants at three moments of training (before, immediately after the course, and 6 months after the course), and it contained questions to assess the theoretical knowledge, skills, and abilities obtained. Results: In total, 93 out of 204 (45.58%) doctors responded before training, 80 (39.21%) immediately after training, and 36 (17.64%) six months after training. After training, an improvement in knowledge was observed (p = 0.014), which did not appear to persist six months after the course (p = 0.574). However, six months after training, an increase in doctors’ confidence in referring patients to Palliative Care Teams or Units (p = 0.009) and medicating patients who may be in the last months of their lives (p = 0.005) was observed. Conclusions: The results regarding theoretical medical knowledge did not seem to stabilize over time, so it may be necessary to create more specific training opportunities for the medical profession. An increase in doctors’ self-confidence in referring and medicating patients with palliative care needs was observed, which may be associated with better medical care provided. It is necessary to carry out more studies to evaluate the impact of combined theoretical and practical training on the knowledge and confidence of doctors in PC. Full article

Introduction: Prescribing errors are the most common cause of preventable patient harm. In recent years, interprofessional education (IPE) has been increasingly utilised to improve knowledge and skills through promoting interprofessional collaboration. This scoping review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of IPE interventions for pharmacological knowledge and prescribing skills in medical students and doctors-in-training. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC and Scopus were searched on 18 February 2025 for studies published since 2020. Keywords included interprofessional education, medical student, medical trainee, pharmacology and prescribing. Results: Of the 2254 citations identified, 42 studies were included. There were four main types of IPE interventions: case-based learning, work-integrated-learning, didactic, and simulation and role-plays. Outcomes were spread across pharmacological knowledge, prescribing skills and interprofessional attitudes, and all studies reported one or more positive findings at Kirkpatrick IPE level 1, 2a, 2b, 3 or 4b. No study reported outcomes at Kirkpatrick IPE 4a. Conclusions: IPE interventions targeting pharmacology and prescribing are positively viewed by medical learners. IPE is effective in improving interprofessional attitudes and collaboration, as well as pharmacological knowledge and prescribing competency. Logistical challenges can be barriers to larger-group IPE implementation; nonetheless, IPE work-integrated learning in authentic clinical settings may overcome these challenges. Full article

On the basis of analyzing the current situation and common challenges in cultivating the innovative abilities of energy graduate students in the new era of ecological civilization construction, peak carbon dioxide emissions, and carbon neutrality, a comprehensive evaluation index system for the innovative ability of energy graduate students was established using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy weight method. The four main components of this system are course learning, academic exchange, innovation performance, and innovation practice. By incorporating survey data from a particular university’s 2022 cohort of energy graduate students, an empirical exploration was undertaken to identify the factors influencing their innovation ability. The findings reveal that, overall, energy discipline graduate students possess a solid grasp of specialized knowledge. However, notable disparities exist in the individual innovation abilities of these students, with doctors exhibiting significantly superior innovation abilities compared to masters. Furthermore, academic masters tend to possess a higher level of innovation ability than their professional counterparts. The insights gained from this research offer valuable implications for enhancing the cultivation of innovation abilities among graduate students in energy disciplines and allied fields. Full article

Objectives: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become an integral part of emergency, intensive care, and perioperative medicine. However, the training and subsequent evaluation of POCUS users are still not standardized. The aim of the study was to develop and validate an assessment tool for POCUS users. Methods: After reviewing the existing literature and a multi-stage expert survey (Delphi method), consensus on twelve items for the assessment tool was reached. To validate the assessment tool, a group of volunteer doctors and medical students performed a POCUS examination using simple linear probe and more complex sector probe techniques. The examination was evaluated by two independent assessors using the created assessment tool. Then, four experts evaluated anonymized recordings of the examinations. We tested the reliability and validity, including internal consistency. Results: A total of 70 examinations were included. Of these, 19 examinations were carried out by physicians and 51 by medical students. A high inter-rater reliability (Cohen’s kappa 0.78 (linear weighted; SEM 0.37; p < 0.001) and Krippendorff’s alpha 0.895) was shown for the evaluation tool. To improve discriminative power and strengthen reliability, the assessment tool was modified using Cronbach’s alpha. Modification resulted in the removal of three items (patient positioning, ultrasound mode selection, and probe selection) from the tool. The mean values of instrument and expert ratings were now 2.62% apart (46.90% instrument vs. 44.29% expert). Pearson’s correlation coefficient between tool and expert ratings showed moderate to high validity (r = 0.69; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The new assessment tool is highly reliable and a valid tool for assessing POCUS skills. It holds strong potential for integration into medical education and training to objectify ultrasound skills. Further studies are required to investigate discriminatory power and transferability to other POCUS algorithms. Full article

Background: Mental health issues among PhD students are rising, a trend believed to be driven by academic and social challenges. Method: A total of 1265 doctorate students from a large university in Barcelona, Spain (739 women; 414 men; 112 marked other options), with a mean age of 32.36 years (SD = 8.20, range: 23–67), were evaluated by means of standardized instruments. Results: Totals of 40.6% and 46.5% of the sample exceeded the cut-off point for anxiety and depression symptoms, and 57.7% for life satisfaction. The proportion of females exceeding the cut-off point was significantly higher than that of males for both anxiety (women: 43.8%, men: 34.5%) and depression (women: 49.3%, men: 39.8%), but not for life satisfaction (women: 57.6%, men: 58.4%). Arts and Humanities PhD students’ disciplines reported higher anxiety and depression scores than those in Social Sciences, Experimental Sciences and Mathematics, and Health Sciences, respectively, while Social Sciences students showed higher life satisfaction and mentoring support than the other groups. Depression scores were significant predictors of life satisfaction across all doctoral programs. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of mentoring in supporting doctoral students’ mental health and life satisfaction and can also inform policies in educational institutions, given that PhD students experiencing psychopathological disorders are at a higher risk of academic failure and dropout. Full article

Background/Objective: To assess vulnerable Romanian children’s knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding the HPV vaccination. Methods: Vulnerable children (ethnic minorities, high social vulnerability index, or low socioeconomic status) from three schools in Cluj County, Romania, were enrolled in a short educational presentation regarding HPV and were delivered a physical questionnaire consisting of 26 items. Results: 199 vulnerable school students concluded the questionnaire with a mean age of 14.62. Most participants were unaware of the HPV infection or the HPV vaccine. Following the educational program, most participants exhibited a reasonably elevated level of knowledge, which positively correlated with the intention to vaccinate. Fifty-three per cent of respondents would vaccinate in school if the vaccine were available, fifty-four per cent would vaccinate if the product were free of charge or at minimal cost, and over sixty-four per cent would vaccinate at their doctor’s recommendation. Several knowledge items, beliefs, and attitudes towards vaccination were disclosed to influence children’s preference to participate in vaccination campaigns. Conclusions: This analysis unveiled the pivotal role of knowledge about HPV in the immunization uptake within underserved, vulnerable populations of Romanian children. An intricate interplay between vulnerability, knowledge, accessibility, and the willingness to vaccinate was impacted by several beliefs and attitudes towards HPV vaccination. Most children were willing to participate in HPV immunization campaigns, whether school-based, reimbursed, or at the doctor’s recommendation. These findings act as pillars for assembling future educational campaigns in vulnerable Romanian communities of children, aiming to enhance awareness and coverage of HPV vaccination and ensure inclusive health policies. Full article

Sustainable economic growth is possible not only with physical investments but also with strong human capital that enables the training of qualified, productive, and innovative individuals. The relationship between the number of university students (doctorate, master’s, and undergraduate) in higher education was selected as a proxy for human capital, and economic growth was estimated using vector autoregressive analysis with four models for the periods 1982Q1–2021Q4. In addition, the effect of gender was examined for all levels of education. While economic growth has a stable effect at the doctoral level, it positively affects master’s and undergraduate students. A one-unit shock in economic growth does not affect gender at doctoral, master’s, and undergraduate education levels. It was determined that the master’s degree explained the economic growth variable more than other education levels. It is seen that female students explain more at the doctoral level of education, and male students at the master’s and undergraduate levels of education. In sustainable economic growth and development, it is much more important and valuable to strengthen graduate education qualitatively and increase knowledge production capacity rather than simply increasing it. Education policies should focus on strengthening education, which is the building block of human capital that contributes to economic growth and social welfare. Full article

This article explores strategies for integrating anti-racist approaches into university-level study of religion teaching on multiple levels, including curriculum design, selection of teaching materials, self-reflection practices, responses to concrete classroom situations and fostering environments that protect students of colour while encouraging “white” students to critically examine their own privileges. To contextualize this endeavour, the article first outlines the current situation and describes some challenges related to racism and anti-racism efforts within a Swiss university context, drawing on recent empirical studies. This is followed by an examination of the historical development of racial thought, culminating in contemporary discussions of neo-racism and its connection with the classification category religion. A working definition of racism suitable for academic teaching is then proposed. The article further investigates the relationship between racism and the study of religion, arguing that the discipline has a crucial role to play in addressing and combating racist ideologies. This argument is supported by some empirical data from the author’s doctoral research, as well as examples drawn from the author’s teaching experience at the University of Zurich. By combining historical analysis with practical teaching strategies, thearticle aims to provide a coherent framework for embedding anti-racist principles in higher education. Full article

The incorporation of digital health into the medical curricula is becoming more important to better prepare doctors in the future. Digital health comprises a wide range of tools such as electronic health records, health information technology, telemedicine, telehealth, mobile health applications, wearable devices, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. The present study aimed to explore the medical and biomedical students’ perspectives on the integration of digital health in medical curricula. A cross-sectional study was conducted on the medical and biomedical undergraduate students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The response rate was 37%. The majority of respondents were in the MD (Doctor of Medicine) program (84.4%), while 29 students (15.6%) were from the BMS (Biomedical Sciences) program. A total of 55.38% agreed that they were familiar with the term ‘e-Health’. Additionally, 143 individuals (76.88%) reported being aware of the definition of e-Health. Specifically, 69 individuals (37.10%) utilize e-Health technologies every other week, 20 individuals (10.75%) reported using them daily, while 44 individuals (23.66%) indicated that they never used such technologies. Despite having several benefits, challenges exist in integrating digital health into the medical curriculum. There is a need to overcome the lack of infrastructure, existing educational materials, and digital health topics. In conclusion, embedding digital health into medical curricula is certainly beneficial for creating a digitally competent healthcare workforce that could help in better data storage, help in diagnosis, aid in patient consultation from a distance, and advise on medications, thereby leading to improved patient care which is a key public health priority. Full article