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Objectives: We assessed the influence of the risk of self-medication on health locus of control and the experienced symptoms – physical, psychological, and spiritual in a group of students from urban and rural regions. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a convenience sample of 200 students from urban (N=100) and rural (N=100) areas. We used 3 research tools: Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC); List of Noo-Psychosomatic Symptoms (LS-NPS); and Self-medication Risk Questionnaire (SMRQ). Results: We found a statistically significant difference between rural and urban residents in the area of the influence of chance (CHLC) on the control of health (p < .05). The correlations between the general assessment of the risk of self-medication and two health locus of control factors were statistically significant (p < .05). A greater tendency to undertake the risk of self-medication is connected to living in the city and prescribing importance in the control of one's health to others or chance. Conclusions: Predictors of the assessment of the risk of self-medication were 2 measures of health locus of control, ie, influence of others and chance and the residence of students.

Introduction Medical care in geriatrics has its own specificity, and in order to build a successful doctor-patient relationship it is important while studying medicine to learn some functioning aspects of this age group. Objective The aim of this study is to explore and describe the role of emotional intelligence in the attitudes of medical students towards elderly patients, taking into account their the place of residence. The place of residence has an impact on social relations and socialization, which could effect with disparities in behaviour towards elderly patients. Material and methods Medical University of Lublin students from rural (N=71; M=23.44 SD=1.80) and urban (N=87; M=23.34; SD=1.38) areas took part in the study. Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (INTE) and Attitude Towards Elderly Patients Questionnaire (ATEP) were used. Results There are statistically significant differences between medical students from rural and urban areas in their attitude towards elderly patients (p=0.001), but no differences were observed between rural and urban residents in terms of emotional intelligence (general result, action factor and cognitive factor). Positive correlations were observed between action factor (r=0.322), cognitive factor (r=0.311) and general INTE result (r=0.358) and attitude towards elderly patients in the group of medical students from rural area. Conclusions Medical students from rural areas are characterized by a more positive attitude towards elderly patients than medical students from urban areas. The predictors of attitudes towards elderly patients are the cognitive factor of emotional intelligence and the place of residence of medical students. The results give the opportunity to design a well-developed programme of a geriatric course which could be matched to the personal predispositions of students.

Purpose The aim of the study was to provide support for the hypothesis that there was a correlation between the subjective appraisal of one’s disease and the level of stress, as well as the hypothesis that coping styles may have a mediating role on the relationship between the perception of the disease and stress level in patients diagnosed with lung cancer. Methods The study involved 97 respondents diagnosed with lung cancer, including 50 men and 47 women. The following methods were used for the study: the Disease-Related Appraisals Scale, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Socio-demographic data were also collected. Results The results show that emotion-oriented coping (EOC) acts as a mediator on the relationship between the appraisal of the disease and stress level in patients diagnosed with lung cancer. A total of 4 multiple mediation models were tested. Conclusion The research findings provide support for the hypothesis that coping style is crucial for the way patients appraise their disease and for their stress level. It is important to diagnose individual specific needs of lung cancer patients. The research results are an important source of information for those responsible for training medical staff on how to support cancer patients in their illness.

Background Education with the use of medical simulation may involve the use of two modalities: manikins or standardized patients (SPs) to meet specific learning objectives. We have collected students’ opinions about the two modalities which can be helpful in planning and evaluating the curriculum process. Although reviews or comparisons of student opinions appear in the literature, it is difficult to find a scale that would be based on a comparison of specific effects that can be obtained in the educational process. In order to fill this gap, an attempt was made to construct a questionnaire. Methods An experimental version of a questionnaire measuring the final-year students’ (273) opinions about the effectiveness of both simulation techniques has been designed on the basis of semi-structured interviews. They were conducted with 14 final-year students excluded from the subsequently analyzed cohort. The scale has been completed, tested and validated. Results The authors developed a 33-statement questionnaire which contain two scales: teaching medicine with the manikins and with the SPs. Two factors were identified for each scale: Doctor-patient relationship and practical aspects. The scales can be used complementary or separately, as the article reports independent statistics for each scale. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the manikin scale is 0.721 and for the SP scale is 0.758. Conclusions The questionnaire may be applied to medical students to identify their opinions about using manikins and SPs in teaching. It may have an important impact for planning curriculum and implementing particular modalities in accordance with the intended learning objectives.

Background The medical simulation environment is a specific type of work environment. It would seem essential for educators to have a tool with which they could identify its features to maximize the effectiveness of medical simulation – teachers’ workplace - and optimize their work efforts. The purpose of this research study was to construct a proprietary tool, which would help to characterize the medical simulation environment as a type of work environment and also to identify particular factors that are important in organizing the educational environment in simulation. Methods At first, six faculty members took part in semi-structured interviews, whose findings were used to develop a standardized questionnaire consisting of 30 items. The authors then validated the questionnaire in a survey among the other 32 academic teachers involved in teaching with the use of medical simulation. Results The Work In Simulation Healthcare questionnaire addresses the aspects of teaching in a simulation environment referring to technical-administrative conditions, teacher development, and the overall score. The Cronbach's alpha reliability index for the overall result of the questionnaire is α = 8.22 based on standardized items; the reliability index for the scale of ‘the technical and administrative conditions’ and ‘the professional development of teachers’ is α = 0,57 and α = 0,76, respectively. The questionnaire allowed the authors to know the ratings of academic teachers for the two scales. Conclusions The Work In Simulation Healthcare questionnaire allows educators to identify the traits of the simulation-teaching environment. It provides the potential to optimize the conditions of medical simulation, improve the quality of teaching and the overall educational process, as well as design effective faculty development programs. The authors of this study consider the WISH questionnaire the first method of this type.

Background: In order to improve the quality of courses in simulation, it is necessary to get to know the educational environment. The objective of this study was to adapt the DREEM scale and to present a new questionnaire called QuESST, that allows to define medical simulation environment as a specific type of educational environment.Methods: The DREEM scale was translated and adapted into Polish conditions. A new tool – QuESST questionnaire was developed to complete the data with medical simulation environment aspects. Reliability, t-test, Component Analysis as well as correlation between the two methods were assessed in a sample of medical science students (N=312).Results: Statistical analysis presented a good reliability of the Polish translation of the DREEM scale (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0,95). The t-test for the DREEM questionnaire was stable and reliable relevant (t=-,584, p=,562). Significant strong correlation was reported with the DREEM and QuESST tool (r=0,559, p£ 0.001). Also, moderate and high correlations were found with the overall result of QuESST and the results of individual DREEM subscales.Conclusions: The QuESST scale may be considered helpful in determining the medical simulation environment conditions and can be used to supplement the DREEM scale to create an effective educational environment with medical simulation.

Background The environment of medical simulation is a specific educational environment for teaching medicine. Medical universities are obliged to ensure appropriate conditions for conducting classes in medical simulation. In order to improve the quality of courses in simulation, it is necessary to get to know the educational environment and the medical simulation environment. It will be possible thanks to appropriately selected methods, which include important variables shaping these environments.MethodsAmong 312 medical students who had classes in medical simulation, the DREEM method (Roff et al.) and the QuESST method (Mamcarz et al.) were applied.Results The process of adapting the DREEM tool to Polish conditions and the construction stages of the QuESST tool were presented. The overall results of the QuESST and DREEM questionnaires correlated significantly. Also the overall result of QuESST correlated significantly with the results of individual DREEM scales.Conclusions The presented tools may be helpful in determining the educational conditions and conditions of medical simulation as a specific educational environment for teaching and learning medicine.

This article is an attempt of presenting feeling of threat problem as well as connecting this phenomenon with psychological components of persons functioning in dangerous work environment conditions. Subject of feeling of threat can be understood as “experiencing apprehension concerning results of potential/actual dangers”, oscillates in terminological area of anxiety, fear, stress, restlessness and it highlights a cognitive process distinctive for listed phenomenon’s. Together with technological and organization changes increases number of health problems affecting workers in different institutions. The hardest work conditions affect people working in high-risk occupation. Physical factors of work environment as well as coexisting psychic occurrence affects multidimensional functioning of worker not only in terms of working conditions. The analysis of feeling of threat and its correlates is going to be presented based on empirical study executed on group of 304 (100 firefighters, 100 miners, and 104 employees of chemical factory). Obtained results will be used to present dependence between multidimensional functioning of person in dangerous work environment and feeling of threat.