ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate how students perceived their learning experience when combining traditional anatomy lectures with preparatory e-learning activities that consisted of fill-in-the-blank assignments, videos, and multiple-choice quizzes. MethodsA qualitative study was conducted to explore changes in study behaviour and perception of learning. Three group interviews with students were conducted and thematically analysed. ResultsData was categorized into four themes: 1. Approaching the course material, 2. Understanding the material, 3. Consolidating the material, and 4. Perceived learning outcome.  Students appreciated the clear structure of the course, and reported that online activities encouraged them towards a first engagement with the material. They felt that they were more active during in-class sessions, described self-study before the end-of-term exam as easier, and believed that contents would remain in their memories for a longer time. ConclusionsBy adjusting already existing resources, lectures can be combined fairly easily and cost-effectively with preparatory e-learning activities. The creation of online components promote well-structured courses, can help minimize ‘student passivity’ as a characteristic element of lectures, and can support students in distributing their studies throughout the term, thus suggesting enhanced learning. Further research work should be designed to confirm the afore-mentioned findings through objective measurements of student learning outcomes.

Nursing education will play an important role in further advancing healthcare transformation in the future. The aim of this study was to assess and compare nursing education and self-reported professional competence among nursing students graduating with a bachelor's degree from higher education institutions in Europe. Data were collected using the Nurse Professional Competence Scale including 88 items and eight competence areas. In total, 752 nursing students at 11 higher education institutions in Europe participated in the study, with a response rate of 88.7%. The highest measured mean scores were found in the competence areas ‘Value-based nursing care’ and ‘Medical technical care’ and the lowest were found in ‘Legislation in nursing and safety planning’ and ‘Education and supervision of staff and students’. Nursing students in central Europe scored significantly higher on seven out of the eight competence areas than nursing students in northern and southern Europe. In order to standardize and further develop nursing education in Europe, the assessment of nursing-related competences is of crucial importance.

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This article presents a study that aimed to validate a translation of a multiple-group measurement scale for interprofessional collaboration (IPC). We used survey data gathered over a three month period as part of a mixed methods study that explored the nature of IPC in Northern Italy. Following a translation from English into Italian and German the survey was distributed online to over 5,000 health professionals (dieticians, nurses, occupational therapists, physicians, physiotherapists, speech therapists and psychologists) based in one regional health trust. In total, 2,238 different health professions completed the survey. Based on the original scale, three principal components were extracted and confirmed as relevant factors for IPC (communication, accommodation and isolation). A confirmatory analysis (3-factor model) was applied to the data of physicians and nurses by language group. In conclusion, the validation of the German and Italian IPC scale has provided an instrument of acceptable reliability and validity for the assessment of IPC involving physicians and nurses.

Objectives: To explore the intrinsic motivation of physicians and other health professionals to teach. Methods: Qualitative data from in-depth interviews were thematically analysed. A purposive opportunity sample of eight physicians and other healthcare professionals employed by our institution to teach Bachelor-level courses in health care participated in the study. Results: Four themes that suggested an internal desire to teach were identified: 1. Interest in the subject matter; 2. Interest in the students' development; 3. Interest in establishing rapport; and 4. Importance of students' feedback. Participants reported a strong interest in their field of practice and the subject matter of their instruction; they enjoyed their own learning while teaching. They stated an internal desire to impart knowledge for its own sake and showed concern for the effectiveness of their teaching. They also described a strong desire to establish teacher-student rapport and reported that feedback from students was crucial in maintaining their motivation to teach. Conclusions: This study has addressed a topic where research-based knowledge is limited: the intrinsic motiva-tion to teach. The findings contribute to a deeper under-standing of the internal desire of health professionals to engage in teaching and constitute a starting point for developing further research to explore these processes more fully. We believe that a better understanding of the factors that enhance a teacher's motivation can help to optimise educational environments

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The authors recommend the establishment of a specialist, dedicated paediatric palliative care service in South Tyrol with the international recognised values and operating standards that would render such parental 'fighting' unnecessary.

Health care systems are facing continual reorganizations in response to scientific and technological innovations as well as financial constraints. Simultaneously the rising prevalence of chronic diseases call for a kind of health care organization in which interprofessional collaboration (IPC) functions on a high level. This article describes a research project that aims to generate an empirical account of the current state of IPC in the South Tyrolean Health Trust, located in a bilingual region in northern Italy. The study will employ a sequential mixed methods' design. A survey will be followed by individual and focus group interviews. An innovative aspect of the study is that it will include participants from six different health professions (dieticians, nurses, occupational therapists, physicians, physiotherapists, and speech therapists). Qualitative data analysis will draw on the negotiated order/structural ordering approach and on the social world/arena perspective. The results are expected to generate specific recommendations to improve IPC in the South Tyrolean Health Trust and inform further research.