Browsing by Author "Cuschieri, Sarah"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Academic performance of nursing students in anatomy and physiology before, during and after a stability period of COVID-19
    (2022) Narnaware, Yuwaraj; Cuschieri, Sarah
    The COVID-19 has drastically disrupted nursing education globally. The present study demonstrated that the mean class average of anatomy and physiology midterms and final examinations during synchronous online teaching was significantly higher (P<0.001) compared with face-to-face teaching. However, the class average and GPA were not different between faceto-face and hybrid/flex teaching. Virtual teaching of these subjects also significantly (P<0.001) increased the students’ GPA in both courses during Covid-19 compared to before and after a stability period of Covid-19. The present study demonstrates that due to a strict lockdown and self-isolation, students either spent more time studying these subjects or took advantage of the lack of online supervision of their exams which may have increased their class average and GPA.
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    Bioscience student’s perspectives & academic performance before, during & after a stability period of COVID-19
    (2022) Narnaware, Yuwaraj; Cuschieri, Sarah
    Findings suggest that nursing students may have counter-balanced the missing active learning strategies of face-to-face learning and adopted self-directed learning during the COVID-19 period through synchronized learning. Virtual, synchronized learning by using a ‘blended, multi-modal & pedagogical’ approach may serve as a “new normal” of teaching and learning of biosciences if pandemics like Covid-19 re-emerge in the future.
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    Evaluating the knowledge acquisition of lower limb anatomy among medical students during the post-acute COVID-19 era
    (2022) Cuschieri, Sarah; Narnaware, Yuwaraj
    Anatomy is the foundation of many medical and surgical specialties yet knowledge acquisition and retention among medical students is questionable. Over the years the anatomy teaching environment and teaching modalities have changed, even more so with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to a virtual environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge acquisition of applied musculoskeletal lower limb clinical anatomy among first year medical students in Malta following the transition back to face-to-face lectures. The Kahoot online game-based quiz platform was used through a best out of four multiple-choice setting across four sessions. Scores generated by the platform along with frequencies of correctly answered questions were utilized to measure knowledge acquisition. The average scores for each question across sessions were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and student's t-test accordingly. Across the four sessions, the positive percentage response for clinical based questions remained higher than for pure anatomy questions. Anatomy knowledge acquisition appears to be subjective to clinical based knowledge rather than pure anatomy. There may be a plethora of reasons as to this outcome including the misconception that anatomy is not essential for clinical practice as well as the potential aftermath of the COVID-induced virtual learning environment. Further research is merit to ensure that students are provided with the best tools to enhance their knowledge acquisition, both as students and as future doctors.
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    Impact of content reinforcement of muscular and skeletal systems on knowledge retention in nursing students
    (2023) Narnaware, Yuwaraj; Neumeier, Melanie; Cuschieri, Sarah
    The human anatomy is regarded as a cornerstone of health care disciplines and is a pre-requisite for subsequent years of medical, allied health and nursing theory courses and clinical (Young et al., 2016). Numerous studies have expressed concern over students' ability to acquire anatomical knowledge in the first year and successfully transfer, retain, and apply it throughout their program (Narnaware and Neumeier, 2020; Narnaware, Y. 2021). Several robust interventional strategies have been employed in medicine and allied health disciplines to overcome the gap between first-year theory to senior years of theory and clinical (Manyamaet al., 2016). However, these interventions are lacking in nursing education. We have previously shown that nursing students lose anatomical knowledge by approximately 30.0% over three years (Narnaware, Y. 2022). To improve the acquisition and retention of anatomical knowledge, the present study aims to evaluate an interventional strategy that includes the content reinforcement (repeated knowledge testing) of the muscular and skeletal systems over eight weeks that will help improve knowledge retention.
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    Nursing student's perspectives and academic performance in anatomy and physiology before, during and after a stability period of COVID-19
    (2023) Narnaware, Yuwaraj; Cuschieri, Sarah
    The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has dramatically disrupted medical, allied health, and nursing education worldwide. It has created challenges for students and educators by requiring a sudden shift to online teaching and learning activities from didactic, passive teaching and learning. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of these modes of teaching and learning before, during, and after the transition through COVID-19 on the class average and Grade Point Average (GPA) of nursing students taking anatomy and physiology in the first year of nursing. Using the virtual teaching and learning modality, the present study demonstrated that the mean class average of anatomy and physiology midterms and final examinations during COVID-19 (synchronous online teaching) was significantly higher (P<0.001) compared with the pre-COVID-19 (face-to-face (F2F) teaching) class average. However, the class average and GPA were not different between pre-COVID-19 (F2F teaching) and post-COVID-19 (hybrid/flex teaching). Virtual teaching of these subjects also significantly (P<0.001) increased the students’ GPA in anatomy and physiology during COVID-19 compared to before and after the stability of COVID-19. Students’ perspectives on teaching and learning these courses using these teaching modalities indicated that nursing students prefer a synchronous, hybrid mode of learning in anatomy and physiology. The present study demonstrates nursing students’ preference for a synchronous, online and hybrid mode of teaching and learning anatomy and physiology in case of the re-emergence of a new strain of coronavirus after Omicron variant in future lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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    Physiological knowledge retention in second-year bachelor of science and psychiatric nursing students
    (2023) Narnaware, Yuwaraj; Pawliuk, Brandi; Neumeier, Melanie; Cuschieri, Sarah; Chahal, Paul
    Numerous studies have demonstrated the difficulty of retaining and applying anatomical and physiological knowledge experienced by students in medical and allied health disciplines, although few studies focus on nursing students (Narnaware and Neumeier, 2020, 2021a). MacEwan University students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) and the Bachelor in Psychiatric Nursing (BPN) programs take the same first-year physiology course. With the understanding that discipline choice potentially impacts knowledge retention, this study aimed to determine the overall difference in physiological knowledge retention between second-year BScN and BPN students and if there is a difference based on the organ system.
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    The impact of content reinforcement on anatomical knowledge retention of cardiovascular and lymphatic systems in nursing students
    (2023) Ukrainetz, Kiara; Narnaware, Yuwaraj; Neumeier, Melanie; Cuschieri, Sarah
    Medical & allied health students struggle to transfer the anatomical knowledge from the first year to the future years of their disciplines, although few studies focus on nursing students. As an intervention strategy to improve long-term knowledge retention, the present study demonstrates that repeated evaluation of the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems over eight weeks can significantly increase anatomical knowledge retention of these systems compared to the evaluation of the same organ systems in the first week. Our results show that content reinforcement can be used as an effective interventional strategy to improve long-term anatomical knowledge retention in nursing students.
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    The impact of the images in multiple-choice questions on anatomy examination scores of nursing students
    (2023) Narnaware, Yuwaraj; Cuschieri, Sarah
    Visualizing effects of images on improved anatomical knowledge are evident in medical and allied health students, but this phenomenon has rarely been assessed in nursing students. To assess the visualizing effect of images on improving anatomical knowledge and to use images as one of the methods of gross anatomical knowledge assessment in nursing students, the present study was repeated over two semesters. The results show that the percent class average (%) was significantly (P<0.006) increased with the inclusion of more anatomical images in a multiple-choice anatomy exam compared to a similar exam with fewer images and was significantly (P<0.002) decreased by reducing the number of images by 50% compared to image-rich exams. However, examinations with an equal number of images did not alter the class average. The percent score of individual questions from the examinations with images plus text was significantly (P<0.001) higher than the same questions with text only in both semesters. The findings of this study indicate that image inclusion in anatomy examinations can improve learning and knowledge, may help reduce cognitive load, recall anatomical knowledge, and provide a hint to an exam question.