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Nurse educators^, attitude and satisfactory level regarding use of students' portfolio as an assessment tool

Intessar Mohamed Ahmed and Hala Eid Mohamed²

¹Critical Care & Emergency Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Damanhur University, Lecturer

²Nursing Education, Faculty of Nursing, Damanhur University, Lecturer

drmohamed.intessarmohamed@yahoo.com

Abstract: Identifying nursing program outcomes to be attained by students is a critical but not difficult task. The challenge for faculty is to actually determine what students have learned; how they have changed academically, professionally, and personally; and whether program outcomes were met at the end of their journey through the curriculum. There is a growing national and international trend in nursing education programs to use portfolios to assess learning and competence. They have become a valuable alternative/ adjunct method for assessing student performance. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate nurse educators^, attitude and satisfactory level regarding use of students^, portfolio as an assessment tool. Materials and Methods: This study involved 70 nurse educators, it has a descriptive design and it was carried out at Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University. Nurse educators^, attitude and satisfactions regarding portfolio assessment questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire consists of 2 parts. Part I It consists of 19 statements to evaluate nursing staff performance during different 5 steps of portfolio assessment and part II includes 7 statements for to determine nurse educators' attitude towards portfolio assessment. Results: It was found that more than half of the studied group (57.9%) agreed that portfolio assessment is considered time consuming for them. (69%) of studied sample stated that portfolio assessment is easy for them, provokes their interesting to know the level of their students’ achievement, and it is very substantial to evaluate their students’ achievement. (50.7%) of studied sample agreed that portfolio assessment is unburdening for them during works. Nurse educators had positive attitude regarding the use of students' portfolio as an assessment tool. A positive attitude was more observed among nurse educators who had master and doctoral degree and those who had years of experience from 5 - 10 and from 16 – 20 years. The majority of nurse educators were satisfied in relation to steps of portfolio assessment. Conclusion: The finding of the present study showed that educators have a positive attitude towards the use of student portfolio assessment which leads to high satisfactory level of their performance. The least positive attitude during portfolio assessment was considering it as time consuming, burden task and less easy in its application. Moreover, educators with doctoral degree had the least satisfactory level regarding all steps of portfolio assessment. In addition, educators with bachelor degree had low satisfactory level regarding step of utilizing results of portfolio assessment.

[Intessar Mohamed Ahmed and Hala Eid Mohamed. Nurse educators^, attitude and satisfactory level regarding use of students' portfolio as an assessment tool. J Am Sci 2014;10(11s):1-7]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.jofamericanscience.org. 1

doi:10.7537/marsjas1011s14.01

Keywords: portfolio assessment, nurse educator, attitude, satisfactory level.

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The Ameliorative Effect of L-Carnitine on Experimentally Induced Liver Cirrhosis in Male Albino Rats

Abdel Aziz, A. Diab¹; Sayed A. Aziz²; Ahmed A. Hendawy¹; and Dalia M. M. Salim¹

¹Zoology Dept., Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Egypt

²Pharmacology Dept., Faculty of Vet. Med., Zagazig University, Egypt

dr_dalia2013@yahoo.com

Abstract: The present study was undertaken to explore the possible protective effect of L-carnitine if any against experimentally -induced liver cirrhosis in mature male rats using CCl₄. Fourty mature male rats were divided randomly into 4 equal groups each of ten. The first group (normal control group) was injected with olive oil (1.5 ml/kg b.wt.). The second group (CCl₄ cirrhotic group) were rendered cirrhotic by injecting CCl₄ (diluted 1: 7 in olive oil 1.5 ml /kg .b.wt.). While the third group were given L-carnitine (100 mg/kg.b.wt.) plus CCl₄. Whereas, the last group were given silymarin in a dose of 25 mg/kg b.wt. together with CCl₄ and used as standard. All treatments were given 3 times a week for 7 successive weeks. After the end of the study, all rats in all groups were sacrificed and their blood were collected in centrifuge tubes for preparation of serum which was kept at -20 ^oC until used for estimating various parameters. Liver function parameters (AST, ALT, ALP, total proteins, Albumin, globulins, total bilirubin, direct and indirect bilirubin). Kidney function parameters as serum creatinine, uric acid and urea. Lipogram (Triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-c and LDL-c). The obtained results revealed that cirrhotic non-treated rats showed a significant increase in serum activities of AST, ALT and ALP and total bilirubin as well as a significant decrease in serum total protein, albumin and globulins. On kidney function parameters CCl₄ afforded a significant increase in serum levels of creatinine, uric acid and urea. On lipogram, CCl₄ elicited a significant elevation in serum triglycerides. LDL-c and a significant decrease in serum total cholesterol and HDL-c. When compared with normal control group. L-carnitine when given to cirrhotic rats induced a non-significant decrease in serum AST, ALT , ALP and a significant increase in serum total proteins and globulins together with a slight decrease in serum total and direct bilirubin. On kidney function parameters L-carnitine induced a significant decrease in serum creatinine uric acid and urea compared with CCl₄ treated group and non-significant change, when compared with normal control group whereas, on serum lipogram L-carnitine afforded a significant decrease in HDL-c and LDL-c when compared with control and CCl₄ treated group respectively as well as a significant increase in serum triglycerides compared with CCl₄ treated group. On the other hand, the Co. administration of silymarin with CCl₄ elicited a significant decrease in serum AST, ALT, ALP and total bilirubin as well as a significant increase in T.P, Albumin and globulins compared with CCl₄ non treated group. On kidney function parameter, treatment of cirrhotic group with silymarin afforded a significant decrease in serum creatinine, uric acid and urea compared with CCl₄ non treated group. Whereas, on lipogram, silymarin induced a significant increase in serum HDL-c compared with CCl₄ non-treated group. From all previous results, it was clear that L-carnitine possesses a hepatoprotective activity against experimentally –induced liver cirrhosis by carbon tetrachloride.

[Abdel Aziz, A. Diab; Sayed A. Aziz; Ahmed A. Hendawy; and Dalia M. M. Salim. The Ameliorative Effect of L-Carnitine on Experimentally Induced Liver Cirrhosis in Male Albino. J Am Sci 2014;10(11s):8-18]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.jofamericanscience.org. 2

doi:10.7537/marsjas1011s14.02

Key words: L-carnitine, carbon tetrachloride, silymarin and liver cirrhosis

Abbreviation: AST, ALT, ALP, HDL-c, LDL-c and TP.

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