Murad H. Taani

Objective: To evaluate the impact of an 8-hour human-centered design (HCD) workshop on nurses’ and other clinicians’ creative self-efficacy (CSE), psychological empowerment (PE), and traits of design thinkers (TDT). Background: Despite nurses’ routine problem-solving, formal training in HCD is lacking. Integrating HCD can foster intrapreneurship and innovation within healthcare systems. Methods: A mixed-methods, 1-group quasi-experimental study was conducted at a Midwestern university’s Entrepreneurship Center with VA Healthcare System nurses and clinicians. Participants completed pre-workshop and post-workshop surveys measuring CSE, PE, and TDT, and qualitative reflections. Results: Among 27 participants, statistically significant improvements were observed in CSE (d=1.23), PE (d=0.43), and TDT (d=0.65). Qualitative themes highlighted collaboration, experiential learning, and a desire for continued innovation support. Conclusions: HCD workshop enhanced nurses’ innovation competencies and empowered them to lead system improvements. Strategic partnerships with universities can address educational gaps and foster a culture of intrapreneurship in healthcare.

Background: Creative self‐concept is essential for nursing students as it supports innovation, adaptability and problem‐solving in clinical practice. The community of inquiry framework offers a model for promoting reflective and meaningful learning. This study explored the role of community of inquiry and demographics as predictors of creative self‐concept among Saudi nursing students. Methods: A cross‐sectional, correlational design was used with 394 nursing students from a public university in Riyadh, selected through stratified random sampling. Data was collected using validated self‐report instruments: the community of inquiry Survey and Short Scale of Creative Self. Results: Students reported moderate levels across community of inquiry subscales and moderately high Creative self‐concept. It was positively correlated with all community of inquiry dimensions, particularly the Resolution subscale. Regression analysis showed age, year of study, Design and Organisation and Resolution significantly predicted creative self‐concept (Adjusted R ² = 0.182, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Findings suggest that student creativity‐related self‐beliefs are more strongly associated with instructional design and organisation, and with learning experiences that emphasise application and resolution than with general engagement alone. However, the modest proportion of explained variance indicates that creative self‐concept is likely shaped by additional personal and contextual factors beyond CoI, highlighting the need for curricula that cultivate creative confidence and for longitudinal research to clarify causal pathways. Public Contributions: Undergraduate nursing students indirectly contributed by providing feedback during data collection through their responses to the survey instruments.

Background: Sarcopenia contributes to functional decline and adverse outcomes in older adults, yet little is known about nurses’ knowledge and practices regarding this condition. This study described nurses’ self-perceived knowledge, perceptions, and practices related to sarcopenia. Method: A descriptive, online survey was used to assess 109 nurses regarding sarcopenia. Results: Over half of the nurses reported limited knowledge of sarcopenia and were unsure whether it is preventable; 15.6% believed it was not preventable. Most had not received recent sarcopenia education (94.5%), were unfamiliar with diagnostic criteria (95.4%), and did not use objective assessment tools (96.3%). Nearly half overestimated the age at which muscle mass and strength begin to decline, and only 4.6% correctly identified sex-specific grip strength cut-offs. Confusion with frailty criteria was common (23.8%). Conclusion: Findings reveal substantial gaps in nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding sarcopenia in older adults. Enhanced education, clinical guidelines, and standardized assessment processes are needed to support timely recognition and management.

Objective: Limited research focuses on the relationship between malnutrition and academic achievement in primary school students in Jordan. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between malnutrition indicators, including wasting, stunting, thinness, obesity, overweight, and body mass index (BMI), and academic achievement among primary school children in Jordan. Methods: A correlational study design was used. A cluster random sample of 453 primary school children, aged 6–12 years was recruited. A structured questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were used to measure the study variables. Academic achievement data were retrieved from school records, and malnutrition indicators were calculated using Epi Info software. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression were used to analyze the study data. Results: A significant portion of primary school children were found to be malnourished, with over one‐third mildly malnourished, nearly one‐third stunted, and more than a quarter facing moderate to severe malnutrition. The multiple regression model accounted for 28% of the variance in academic achievement, with stunting and BMI identified as significant predictors. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the importance of early identification of malnutrition to enable timely intervention and the implementation of preventive strategies during the critical early childhood years. Policymakers should also prioritize nutritional interventions to enhance both health and academic achievement of children.

Nursing innovation skills and knowledge are essential to advance and further nursing practice and the profession. Innovation requires fostering an innovator’s mindset and human-centered design-thinking skills in nursing students. The 2021 AACN Essentials for graduate students include competencies related to innovation. An online Innovation and Design Thinking (I&DT) module, adapted from the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps™ program, was developed as part of a required graduate nursing course in quality and safety. Students applied innovation skills to address stubborn nursing problems. Our pre-post single cohort study evaluated the online innovation module by measuring creative self-efficacy, psychological empowerment, and the traits of design thinking instruments in a sample of graduate students. Pre- and post-test surveys were matched; post-survey results confirmed significant increases in creative self-efficacy, psychological empowerment, and for the Traits of Design Thinkers instrument, the subscale Experimentalism showed a significant difference. Student innovations demonstrated their ability to innovate and prototype practical and clinical innovations, contributing to the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of care. Findings confirmed, even with a small-matched pre-post sample (n = 45), that innovation skills can be developed using this synchronous online format and that confidence and interest in innovation skills was evident during the course. This method of including innovation content in graduate coursework can offer a valuable opportunity to demonstrate AACN innovation-related competencies.

Background: There is limited evidence on the association between psychological distress, academic stress, and burnout among Saudi nursing students. Clarifying such an association is crucial to understanding the factors associated with psychological distress and developing interventions to prevent it. Aim: To explore the prevalence and association of psychological distress with academic stress and burnout among Saudi nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used, and 237 students participated from a nursing college in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Students’ demographics; the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; the Academic Stress Inventory; and the Maslach Burnout Inventory were used for data collection. Results: Most of the participants reported no-to-mild depression, anxiety, and stress. Stress related to studying in groups, time management, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment were the significant predictors of psychological distress, explaining 52.1% of the variance. Conclusions: This study suggest implementing tailored mental health screenings and support services for nursing students, embedding mental health professionals in the program, and using telehealth or mobile apps for remote monitoring to ensure comprehensive care for nursing students. Future research should consider these predictors while designing strategies to decrease psychological distress among students.