This paper adds to the current debate on why it is important for nurse researchers to clearly understand phenomenology as a philosophy and research method before embarking on a study. The paper guides novice researchers on key methodological decisions they need to make when using descriptive or interpretive phenomenological research approaches.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever, caused by the highly virulent RNA virus of the filoviridae family, has become one of the world's most feared pathogens. The virus induces acute fever and death, often associated with hemorrhagic symptoms in up to 90% of infected patients. The known sub-types of the virus are Zaire, Sudan, Taï Forest, Bundibugyo and Reston Ebola viruses. In the past, outbreaks were limited to the East and Central African tropical belt with the exception of Ebola Reston outbreaks that occurred in animal facilities in the Philippines, USA and Italy. The on-going outbreak in West Africa that is causing numerous deaths and severe socio-economic challenges has resulted in widespread anxiety globally. This panic may be attributed to the intense media interest, the rapid spread of the virus to other countries like United States and Spain, and moreover, to the absence of an approved treatment or vaccine. Informed by this widespread fear and anxiety, we analyzed the commonly used strategies to manage and control Ebola outbreaks and proposed new approaches that could improve epidemic management and control during future outbreaks. We based our recommendations on epidemic management practices employed during recent outbreaks in East, Central and West Africa, and synthesis of peer-reviewed publications as well as published "field" information from individuals and organizations recently involved in the management of Ebola epidemics. The current epidemic management approaches are largely "reactive", with containment efforts aimed at halting spread of existing outbreaks. We recommend that for better outcomes, in addition to "reactive" interventions, "pre-emptive" strategies also need to be instituted. We conclude that emphasizing both "reactive" and "pre-emptive" strategies is more likely to lead to better epidemic preparedness and response at individual, community, institutional, and government levels, resulting in timely containment of future Ebola outbreaks.

This paper adds to the discussion of phenomenology as a guiding philosophy for nursing research. It aims to guide new researchers on important methodological decisions they need to make to safeguard their study's scientific rigour and phenomenological validity.

Living under the constant threat of Ebola is experienced as distressing in the physical, social, and psychological realms. In the future, prompt treatment and nursing care are recommended to minimize deaths and to reduce the widespread terror, anxiety, ostracism, and stigmatization that affected individuals and families face. Furthermore, it is recommended that the resilience of survivors and caregivers be increased to facilitate their better coping with the rampant antisocial overtones that they are likely to experience because of their association with Ebola.

ObjectivesAs the millennial generation enters the nursing profession, simulation takes on a key role in effective pedagogy. We sought to examine the efficacy of simulation versus case scenario as a teaching method for novice nursing students in the skill of nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding. We assessed the knowledge, competency, self-confidence, and satisfaction among these nursing students.MethodsThis quasi-experimental study was used to compare the efficacy of simulation and case scenarios in promoting knowledge, clinical competency, self-learning, and self-confidence among novice nursing students in the Middle East. The study sample included 69 students registered for the Fundamentals of Nursing Laboratory course at the College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, during the spring and fall 2016 semesters. Thirty-five students were assigned to the intervention group and attended a simulation, while 34 students were assigned to the control group and were given the standard case scenario used in teaching this course. The competency of the students on NGT feeding skill was measured after a simulation or case scenario.ResultsIn both groups, the majority of students were ≤ 20 years old, female, hailed from rural areas, and had a cumulative grade point average of > 2.5. Data showed a significant improvement in the mean scores of competency between the intervention and control groups (t(67) = 3.869, p < 0.001) suggesting that simulation was effective in gaining competency compared to the case scenario. There was a positive statistical significance between satisfaction and self-confidence among the intervention group.ConclusionsSimulation has an effective role in clinical education for teaching practical skills. However, in this study, there was a statistically significant difference in the mean scores between the two methods of teaching. This helped us to conclude that competency gained by novice students’ learning a skill through simulation, was better than the competency gained through case scenario. We recommend simulation as an effective pedagogy among novice nursing students.KeywordsSelf Confidence; Female; Students, Nursing; Clinical Competence; Personal Satisfaction; Oman; Enteral Nutrition; Learning.

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Background: Case study analysis is an active, problem-based, student-centered, teacher-facilitated teaching strategy preferred in undergraduate programs as they help the students in developing critical thinking skills. Objective: It determined the effectiveness of case study analysis as an effective teacher-facilitated strategy in an undergraduate nursing program. Methodology: A descriptive qualitative research design using focus group discussion method guided the study. The sample included undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the Maternal Health Nursing Course during the Academic Years 2017 and 2018. The researcher used a purposive sampling technique and a total of 22 students participated in the study, through five (5) focus groups, with each focus group comprising between four to six nursing students. Results: In total, nine subthemes emerged from the three themes. The themes were “Knowledge development”, “Critical thinking and Problem solving”, and “Communication and Collaboration”. Regarding “Knowledge development”, the students perceived case study analysis method as contributing toward deeper understanding of the course content thereby helping to reduce the gap between theory and practice especially during clinical placement. The “Enhanced critical thinking ability” on the other hand implies that case study analysis increased student's ability to think critically and aroused problem-solving interest in the learners. The “Communication and Collaboration” theme implies that case study analysis allowed students to share their views, opinions, and experiences with others and this enabled them to communicate better with others and to respect other's ideas which further enhanced their team building capacities. Conclusion: This method is effective for imparting professional knowledge and skills in undergraduate nursing education and it results in deeper level of learning and helps in the application of theoretical knowledge into clinical practice. It also broadened students’ perspectives, improved their cooperation capacity and their communication with each other. Finally, it enhanced student's judgment and critical thinking skills which is key for their success.