Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Abstract BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of coronavirus disease‑2019 (COVID‑19) has a lot of stress on
medical students. This study was conducted to investigating the adaptation strategy with COVID‑19
health anxiety in nursing students
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was designed as a cross‑sectional study. Participants
of the study were 431 students of the Nursing and Midwifery Faculty of Shahid Beheshti University
of Medical Sciences. Inclusion criteria were studying at the time of the outbreak of COVID‑19 and
willingness to participate in the study. Data collection tools included participated in the study. Data
collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, Health Anxiety and Coping Inventory for
Stressful Situations (Short Form). Reliability of tools was assessed and confirmed with Cronbach’s
alpha coefficient. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of health anxiety was 0.76 and Cronbach’s alpha
coefficient of Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations was 0.79. Data were collected between July
2020 and September 2020. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship
between the data. Data were analyzed with SPSS 26.
RESULTS: Findings indicated that most of the participants were female, single, 22–28 years old, and
undergraduate students. The mean of COVID‑19 health anxiety was 5.59 ± 17.04. Results showed
that 19.58 ± 5.05 of the participants used avoidance‑focused adaptation strategies, 25.12 ± 3.88
problem‑focused adaptation strategies, and 19.32 ± 5.13 emotion‑focused adaptation strategies.
CONCLUSION: The COVID‑19 health anxiety was higher in female, young, and married students.
The problem‑focused adaptation strategy should be further taught so that students can better coping
with COVID‑19 health anxiety.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Planning for the issuance of professional competency examination has been put on
the agenda of professional policymakers, but the ways of evaluating and conducting examinations and
its dimensions are the main challenges. The present study aimed to explain the essential dimensions
of professional competency examination in Iran from academic and clinical nurses’ perspective.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present mixed‑method study was performed at three stages,
systematic review, qualitative, and quantitative stages. At the first stage, 56 articles and texts were
collected from PubMed, CINHAL, Ovid, and ProQuest databases, by using the keywords, namely
professional competency examination and assessment. Base on the inclusion criteria and eligibility
assessment of article, six articles and one text on regulation were selected. At the second stage,
the results of the literature review were approved by 20 nursing experts. Direct content analysis was
used for data analysis. The results were prepared in the form of a questionnaire. At the last stage,
the questionnaire was given to 2209 clinical, academic, nurse managers, and nurses.
RESULTS: Based on findings of the review literature, essential dimensions of the professional
competency examination included a central theme of the client’s needs with four categories. At the
second stage, the Professional Competency Examination dimensions were approved by experts.
At the third stage, a comparison of findings indicated that clinical nurses emphasized more on
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, client safety, and implementation of procedures, while academic
nurses emphasized on the client’s needs, client education, and clients’ physiological integrity.
CONCLUSION: The client’s need is the most important dimension in the professional competency
examination. The nurses will be successful in providing care if they can identify the clients’ needs
and provide care plans based on client needs and priorities.

Abstract Motivation is one of the key factors in educational achievement. Like any other field of study, motivation
in nursing is highly critical. The instructor’s knowledge about the teaching methods that are effective
in academic motivation of students enables them to adopt proper measures to improve the teaching
efficiency. The present paper is a systemic review of the efficiency of instructional interventions in
improvement of academic motivation in nursing students. The published papers related to the study
from 2000 to February 2020 were searched at different databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web
of Science, PsycInfo, and ERIC. To examine the quality of the articles, critical appraisal instrument
for reports of educational interventions was used. Totally, 18 articles entered the study for structured
review. The majority of the articles reported that educational interventions improved academic
motivation in nursing students. The effective teaching methods described in the reviewed articles
that led to an improvement in academic motivation were simulation, case‑based learning, cooperative
learning, learning contract, peer assessment, and self‑assessment using video typing. As the findings
showed, implementation of applied and participatory methods in teaching process improved the
academic motivation of nursing students. Therefore, using such methods, nursing instructors can
improve the academic motivation of their students.