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Background and purpose: One of the main goals of nursing education is training appropriate and efficient nurses. The purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of nursing students and their teachers about professional competency of academic staff. Materials and methods: In this qualitative content-analysis approach study, the data were collected through unstructured in-depth interviews [30 individual and 1 focusing (Focus Group) interviews]. The participants were chosen using purposeful sampling from Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, during July 2012 to June 2013. Formal or conventional qualitative content analysis was performed. Results: 11 categories and 4 themes were achieved. The themes included making the theoretical training efficient and useful (with 4 subthemes), gaining qualificative nursing science and skills (with 4 subthemes), making the clinical education efficient and effective for students (with 8 subthemes), and making the evaluation logical and objective (with 3 subthemes). Conclusion: This study found four basic themes of professional competency of academic staff and the indicators related to these features according to nursing students and their teachers' viewpoints. These findings can be used for designing evaluation and assessment tools for professional competency of academic staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The monitoring of the patients' hemodynamic status and vital signs is a routine practice in ICU and the use of a low-cost and soothing method to maintain stable physiological parameters is necessary. This study aimed at investigating the effect of music on the vital signs and SpO2 of patients after open heart surgery. Materials and methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial (RCT) conducted on 60 patients hospitalized in the open heart surgery ICU of Mazandaran Heart Center. Patients were randomly assigned into case and control groups. In the case group, the patients listened to the music, which they selected before, through headphones for 30 minutes, while headphones without playing any music were used for patients in the control group. Vital signs and SpO2 of the patients were assessed before the intervention, immediately, 30 and 60 minutes after the intervention. The data were analyzed using Chi-square; T -test and repeated measure statistical tests. Results: Findings showed that music led to a significant decrease in the rate of heart beat, systolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure and a significant increase in SpO2 rate (P<0.05) was also observed. But music had no significant effect on the respiratory rate and diastolic blood pressure (P>0.05). Conclusion: As a non-pharmacologic, inexpensive, non-invasive method and without any side effects, music can improve the vital signs of the patients after open heart surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Prevalence of over weight and obesity is increasing in the world. Those over weight are more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases than other individual's. Studies indicate that body fat distribution has a determining role in the identification of risk factors. Also, the relation between BMI, cardiac ischemic pains and exercise test condition in such patients, is in need further investigation. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between BMI with exercise tolerance test in patients with cardiac ischemic pains, who were referred to the Cardiac Center of Mazandaran Province, in Sari Township. Materials and methods: In this case control study considering the BMI in ischemic patients, 65 were selected as case and 65 persons as control using Tread mill and according to Bruce Protocol, results and tolerance test time was recorded. Independent T test was used for comparison of quantitative indexes mean, while x2 test using SPSS soft ware was used for comparison of the ratio of persons with the qualitative features. Results: Data indicated mean weight of 57.1 kg and height of 1.64m in the case group. Also, 58.5% had history of hyperlipidemia (Cholesterol higher than 200mg/dl) and 78.8% with history of blood sugar (higher than 120mg/dl (P<0.001). Even 63.6% had hypertension of 140/9o mm Hg. Our findings showed that BMI in the case and control groups were (26.95±3.94) and (25.95±3.49) respectively. Moreover, a significant relationship between high BMI with cardiac ischemic pains and exercise tolerance test (P<0.001) were demonstrated. Conclusion: Cardiac ischemic pains in individuals with high BMI is common. Exercise tolerance test as one of the non invasive and less expensive procedures, can be an indicator of cardiac ischemic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Coma results from brain damage and patients in intensive care units (ICU) are often more at risk for sensory deprivation. This study compares the effects of familiar and unfamiliar voices on recovering the consciousness level in comatose patients. Materials and methods: This double blind clinical trial (patient and assessor) was performed in 45 traumatic comatose patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) ⩽8 within the age range of 15-75 years, admitted to ICU training centers affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. The subjects were randomly allocated into three groups. Group A was stimulated with a familiar voice, group B's auditory stimulation was done by the researcher introduced as a nurse) and no intervention was done for group C (control group). The interventions were conducted twice a day for 1-5 minutes. The level of consciousness was measured using the GCS scale. To analyze the data descriptive and inferential statistics (Logrank Test) were used. Results: In the day before the intervention the mean levels of GCS in groups A, B, and C were 6.40, 5.66, and 5.53, respectively. Logrank test revealed significant differences between the groups in the time to reach CGS= 15 which happened sooner in group A (P<0.0001). Conclusion: Familiar voice could highly influence the auditory level of patients in ICU. Therefore, auditory stimulation programs are recommended for comatose patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Intense and prolonged exercises generate reactive oxygen species that leads to cell damage. It seems that using antioxidant supplements reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of omega-3 supplements on oxidative stress in elite karate athletes. Materials and methods: Sixteen elite male karate athletes were randomly divided into two groups, receiving Omega-3 supplements (experimental) and placebo (control). The subjects consumed 1200 mg omega-3 (720 mg EPA and 480 mg DHA) and placebo daily for four weeks. Both groups participated in increased karate training programs (three days a week for a month). Blood samplings were performed pre and post-training period to analyze oxidative stress index (malondialdehyde), antioxidative index (superoxide dismutases), and lipid profile (cholesterol and triglycerides). The student's ttest was used to analyze the data. Results: Taking omega-3 led to a significant reduction in resting malondialdehyde levels in experimental group (t= 2.38, P= 0.045) but there was no significant change in resting malondialdehyde for the placebo group (t= 0.708, P= 0.506). Also, the resting malondialdehyde levels were not significantly different between the experimental and placebo groups (t=2, P=0.065,). Superoxide dismutases rate had no significant increase in experimental and the placebo groups (t= 0.272, P= 0.792, t=1.39, P= 0.186, respectively). There was also no significant difference between the two groups (t=1.39, P=0.186). After four weeks cholesterol concentration was significantly lower in the experimental group (t=2.97, P=0.018) while this reduction was not significant in the placebo group (t=0.694, P=0.514). Also, the difference between the two studied groups was not significant (t=1.44, P=0.172). Concentration of triglyceride significantly decreased in both groups (t=0.835, P=0.428, t=1.38, P=0.217, respectively). There was no significant difference between the two groups (t=1.04, P=0.315). Conclusion: Omega-3 supplements increased the serum levels of antioxidant biomarkers and reduced the resting levels of lipid profiles in exercise-trained men, but it was not enough for exerciseinduced attenuation in oxidative stress. Therefore, more research is needed to draw accurate conclusions regarding the effects of omega-3 and exercise on oxidant/antioxidant factors on excersise-trained people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]