Palestine and Autism

Shawahna, Ramzi

doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102180-1

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…ASDs affect individuals from all ethnicities, racial, and socioeconomic groups [ 4 ]. Due to the increasing prevalence, ASDs are considered a public health concern in many healthcare systems around the world [ 5 , 6 ]. Much of the efforts today are directed towards helping people with ASDs and their families.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nurses also provide services to individuals in nursing homes and home care. Additionally, nurses provide services in highly specialized healthcare facilities like those providing diagnostic, behavioral, cognitive, occupational, medication, and rehabilitation therapy/management services for patients with ASDs [ 6 ]. Typically, nurses are responsible for planning and providing medical and nursing care to patients with acute and/or chronic physical and/or mental illnesses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Self-rated familiarity with autism spectrum disorders among practicing nurses: a cross-sectional study in the palestinian nursing practice

Shawahna

2021

BMC Nurs

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Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disabilities of early childhood. Practicing nurses are in a key position to help patients with ASDs and/or their caregivers/families. This study was conducted to assess self-rated familiarity with ASDs among practicing nurses in Palestine. The study also aimed to identify the sociodemographic and practice variables that could predict high self-rated familiarity scores. Methods This was a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire. The study was conducted in the period between January 2019 and May 2019. The questionnaire collected: 1) the sociodemographic, pedagogic, and practice variables of the nurses, 2) their self-rated familiarity with signs and symptoms, treatment options, and community resources of ASDs, 3) their self-rated confidence in their abilities to provide counseling for parents/family/caregivers on the drugs prescribed for children/patients with ASDs and their potential adverse effects, and 4) their willingness to receive education/training on issues in ASDs. Results The questionnaire was completed by 357 practicing nurses. The practicing nurses self-reported inadequate familiarity with symptoms, treatment, and community resources of ASDs. The mean familiarity score was 35.8% (SD: 18.9%). The nurses also expressed low confidence in their ability to provide counseling services to caregivers/families of children with ASDs. About 75% of the nurses agreed that they could benefit from taking a continuing educational/training program in the area of ASDs and about 82% of the nurses agreed that the nursing school curriculum should include courses in the area of ASDs. The multiple linear regression model showed that higher familiarity scores were predicted by having longer practical experience, having a higher academic degree in nursing, and having a continuing educational course/program on ASDs. Conclusion Findings of this study highlighted inadequate familiarity with issues of ASDs among practicing nurses. Higher familiarity was predicted by the length of practical experience, higher academic degree in nursing, and having continuing educational course/program on ASDs. Specifically designed pedagogic interventions might be helpful in increasing familiarity of practicing nurses on ASDs. More investigations are still needed to evaluate if these interventions can improve familiarity and services provided to patients with ASDs.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-rated familiarity with autism spectrum disorders among practicing nurses: a cross-sectional study in the palestinian nursing practice

Shawahna

2021

BMC Nurs

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Are medical students in Palestine adequately trained to care for individuals with autism spectrum disorders? A multicenter cross-sectional study of their familiarity, knowledge, confidence, and willingness to learn

et al. 2021

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Background Medical students are the future workforce of physicians in primary, secondary, tertiary, and highly specialized care centers. The present study was undertaken to assess familiarity, knowledge, confidence, of medical students with regard to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Methods This multicenter study was conducted in a cross-sectional design among medical students in the 3 main universities in Palestine. In addition to the sociodemographic and academic details, the questionnaire measured familiarity (8-items), knowledge (12-items), confidence and willingness to learn (5-items) with regard to ASDs. Results The questionnaire was completed by309 medical students (response rate = 77.3 %). The median familiarity, knowledge, and confidence scores were 50 % (42.5 %, 57.5 %), 50 % (41.7 %, 66.7 %), and 60.0 % (54.0 %, 68.0 %), respectively. There was a positive moderate correlation between familiarity and knowledge scores (Spearman’s rho = 0.29, p-value < 0.001) and familiarity and confidence scores (Spearman’s rho = 0.34, p-value < 0.001). Medical students who have received a course on autism were 3.08-fold (95 % C.I. of 1.78–5.31) more likely to score ≥ 50 % on the familiarity items compared to those who did not receive a course. The medical students who were in their clinical academic stage, who received a course on ASDs, and those who interacted with individuals with ASDs were 2.36-fold (95 % C.I. of 1.34–4.18), 2.66-fold (95 % C.I. of 1.52–4.65), and 2.59-fold (95 % C.I. of 1.44–4.63) more likely to score ≥ 50 % on the knowledge items. Medical students who reported high satisfaction with their social life were 2.84-fold (95 % C.I. of 1.15-7.00) more likely to score ≥ 50 % on the confidence items. Conclusions The present study identified considerable awareness and knowledge gaps among medical students with regard to ASDs. Medical students in this study reported low confidence in their ability to provide healthcare services to individuals with ASDs. Appropriately designed educational interventions might improve familiarity, knowledge, and confidence of medical students. More studies are still needed to investigate if such interventions can improve healthcare services for individuals with ASDs.

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Palestine and Autism

Cited by 2 publications

References 7 publications

Self-rated familiarity with autism spectrum disorders among practicing nurses: a cross-sectional study in the palestinian nursing practice

Self-rated familiarity with autism spectrum disorders among practicing nurses: a cross-sectional study in the palestinian nursing practice

Are medical students in Palestine adequately trained to care for individuals with autism spectrum disorders? A multicenter cross-sectional study of their familiarity, knowledge, confidence, and willingness to learn

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