43 research outputs found
The Evaluation of a smartphone application to assist in novice 12 lead ECG interpretation performance
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The economic contribution of recreational fishing: Waterville, Co. Kerry. ESRI Research Bulletin 2017/11
Get PDFThis research evaluates the local economic benefit arising from recreational
angling tourism in Waterville, Co. Kerry. Tourism is vital to the local economy,
and fishing is an important tourist attraction. Fishing opportunities include sea
fish angling for bass, pollack, mullet, etc., as well as lake and river angling for
salmon, sea trout and brown trout. Other sporting and cultural attractions also
exist locally and the area benefits from it situation on the ‘Ring of Kerry’.
Waterville Lakes and Rivers Trust undertook a survey of anglers between
February and June 2015. This research is based on that survey data but focuses
on visiting tourist anglers and their expenditures in the local area, both anglingrelated
(e.g. ghillie and boat hire, fishing tackle, bait, etc.) and non-angling
expenditures (e.g. accommodation, meals, drinks and groceries, gifts, etc.). The
survey includes both tourists where the sole focus of the trip was fishing and
where fishing was only one component of a trip that included other tourist
activities
Evaluation of a direct access cardiac arrhythmia monitoring service
Get PDFBackground: This paper describes the clinical outcomes from a novel direct access arrhythmia
monitoring service.
Methods: The study was carried out in the north of Scotland. Data was collected over
a 29 month period between 18 June 2008 and 8 November 2010 from consecutive cases from
two groups of patients, general practitioner (GP) direct access and ‘redirected’ consultant
referrals. Monitor test results, frequency of arrhythmias requiring further care and clinic
attendances were recorded. Statistical differences were analyzed using Χ2, Fisher’s and Student’s
t-test as appropriate with the significance taken at the 0.05 level.
Results: 239 patients were referred from 47 GP practices. There were 165 (69%) referrals
through the ‘direct’ and 72 (31%) through the ‘redirected’ route. The average age was 55.5 ±
± 16.7 years with 84 (35.1%) males. 127 (53.1%) had a patient activated event recording and
the remaining 112 (46.9%) had Holter monitoring. Of the 239 patients, only nine (3.8%) cases
required referral to a consultant cardiologist. Of these, three were directly returned to GP care
without consultant clinic review. Six patients with significant arrhythmias were reviewed at
cardiology clinic. There were no adverse events.
Conclusions: Direct access for cardiac arrhythmia monitoring seems to provide an effective
mechanism for diverting inappropriate or non-essential referrals away from the cardiology
clinic. (Cardiol J 2012; 19, 1: 70–75
A Best Evidence in Medical Education (BEME) Systematic Review of how technology is used during clinical placements to support the learning experience of undergraduate health-related profession students.
Get PDFElectrocardiogram interpretation competency among emergency nurses and emergency medical service (EMS) personnel: A cross‐sectional and comparative descriptive study
Get PDFAimsThe aim of this research study was to compare electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation competency among emergency nurses and EMS personnel.DesignA cross-sectional comparative descriptive study design was used.MethodsThis study recruited 170 participants (105 emergency nurses and 65 EMS personnel) in northwest of Iran. Data were collected during 2018 using ECG, an interpretation competency questionnaire and analysed using SPSS V.24 through independent t test, linear regression, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient. A statistical significance of p < .05 was assumed.ResultsThe study results showed a mean score of 6.65 ± 2.16 out of 10 for emergency nurses' and 4.87 ± 1.81 for EMS personnel ECG interpretation competency (p < .05).ConclusionsHospital emergency nurses were more qualified to interpret the ECG than the pre-hospital emergency medical personnel (p = .792 and β (SE)) = 0.22 (0.84). Active involvement in ECG interpretation and standard continued education are needed to develop and improve the emergency nurses and EMS personnel ECG interpretation competency
Supporting the learning experience of health‐related profession students during clinical placements with technology: A systematic review
Get PDFHigh quality clinical education is a fundamental component of undergraduate health-related professions programmes. Technological interventions offer potential to support and enhance student learning experiences during clinical placements, i.e. away from the university setting. This review aims to systematically explore, evaluate and summarise the range of technological strategies within the literature regarding support of the student learning experience during clinical placements. A systematic review was conducted using defined search terms, educational and medical subject headings (MeSH). Relevant databases were searched alongside hand searching of citations and grey literature. Experimental studies with technological strategies designed to support student learning during clinical placements were included. A modified version of Kirkpatrick's levels (Barr et al., Effective interprofessional education: Assumption, argument and evidence. Blackwell, 2005) was used to evaluate strategies. Twenty-one papers met inclusion criteria. Heterogeneity existed in terms of strategies and their usage e.g. whether synchronous or asynchronous; targeting individual students or groups A wide range of technological strategies may be employed to support the student learning experience during placements. However, none were identified as being of high quality therefore further research is required to provide stronger evidence to support their use. Consideration should be given to the underlying purpose of the strategy as well as the potential barriers for implementation e.g. acceptability and connectivity. Students should be clearly informed of strategy purpose and requirements, with opportunities to practice prior to placements. Review findings may provide insight to assist educators to develop future support strategies for students on clinical placements during challenging circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic
Quality and impact of pharmacology digital simulation education on pre-registration healthcare students a systematic literature review
Get PDFObjectiveThis review aimed to assess the quality and nature of the literature related to digital simulation-based pharmacology education. Specifically, we sought to understand the influence of simulations on the knowledge, satisfaction, and confidence of pre-registration nurses and other healthcare students participating in such educational programs.DesignSystematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. This study was registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, reg no: CRD42023437570).Data sourcesPubMed, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, ProQuest, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and CINHAL databases were searched.Review methodsThe review focused on the quantitative findings from the studies published from 2016 to 2023. Only the studies that assessed the impact of digital simulation-based pharmacology education on pre-registration healthcare students' knowledge, satisfaction, and confidence were selected for review. Data were synthesized using a narrative approach. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess the quality of the included articles. This was followed by a narrative synthesis to consolidate the themes.ResultOut of 1587 articles,16 met the inclusion criteria. A wide variety of digital technologies have been utilised, such as virtual simulation, computer simulation (2D/3D), mixed reality, and augmented reality, with the majority using virtual simulation. All studies implemented single-user simulations. The themes emerging from the narrative synthesis suggest that a digital simulation-based pharmacology course is an effective tool for enhancing students' knowledge, confidence, and satisfaction in learning pharmacological concepts. Furthermore, simulation-based teaching with a blended approach was found to be beneficial. However, the integration of the polypharmacy concept and the intra and interprofessional approach to teaching and learning was not evident in these studies.ConclusionThis systematic literature review provides evidence of the potential of digital simulation-based education in pharmacology teaching among healthcare pre-registration students. In future studies, the integration of polypharmacy content with an intra and interprofessional teaching-learning approach is recommende
Academic, clinical and personal experiences of undergraduate healthcare students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective cohort study
Get PDFBackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 has impacted upon the role and safety of healthcare workers, with the potential to have a lasting effect on their wellbeing. Limited research has been conducted during previous pandemics exploring how student healthcare workers are impacted as they study and train for their professional careers.ObjectiveThe aim of the current study was to examine the specific impact of COVID-19 on the academic, clinical and personal experiences of healthcare students.MethodUndergraduate students across three year groups within the School of Health Sciences at Ulster University completed online Qualtrics surveys at three timepoints during one academic year (2020/2021). Quantitative survey data was downloaded from Qualtrics into SPSS Version 25 for descriptive analysis of each cross-sectional sample. Qualitative survey data was downloaded into text format, which was thematically analysed using content analysis.Results412 students completed the survey at Time 1 (October 2020), n = 309 at Time 2 (December 2020) and n = 259 at Time 3 (April 2021). Academically, the pandemic had mostly a negative impact on the learning environment, the development of practical skills, the assessment process and opportunities for peer learning and support. Students reported increased stress and challenges managing their workload and maintaining a sense of motivation and routine. Clinically, they felt unprepared by the university for placement where the pandemic had an increasingly negative impact over time on learning and skill development. In terms of personal experiences, despite the majority of students taking steps to keep physically and mentally well, negative impacts on friendships, mental wellbeing and concerns for family were reported. The pandemic had not impacted upon career choice for most students.ConclusionConsideration must be given to the development of practical skills so students feel prepared for their professional careers given the practical nature of their roles. Programme coordinators should adopt a holistic approach to student wellbein
