Background: The shortage of nursing faculty is a significant global issue affecting the nursing profession. Faculty turnover can negatively impact the institution by decreasing the number of qualified nursing faculty and disrupting the educational process. The cost of replacing departing faculty and recruiting and training new faculty may increase. Purpose: To describe perceptions of nursing faculty of intentions to leave academia and to identify challenges that contribute to nurse faculty turnover in academic setting. Method: A descriptive naturalistic, qualitative approach is used to explore nurses perceptions and intentions to leave academia. Results: The themes identified were unexpected journey, with two sub-themes, lack of role clarity and lack of preparation/orientation, and work environment, with four sub-themes: low Salary, workload, lack of support and favoritism. Conclusion: The urgency of addressing the factors that contribute to nurse faculty intending to leave academia cannot be overstated. The results of this study have direct implications for nursing schools’ administrators, where these findings can provide them with, valuable insights that they can be used to implement best practices and mitigate the problem of nursing faculty turnover.

Leprosy and tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, respectively, are chronic infections with significant public health implications. While leprosy affects the skin and peripheral nerves and tuberculosis primarily targets the lungs, both diseases involve systemic immune responses. This study integrates transcriptomic analysis cheminformatics and molecular dynamics simulations to identify molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. Transcriptomic datasets were analyzed to identify dysregulated genes and pathways. Pathway enrichment tissue-specific and bulk RNA-seq expression analyses provided biological context. System biology networks revealed regulatory hub genes and molecular docking studies evaluated CHEMBL compounds as potential therapeutics. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations assessed the stability of top ligand-protein complexes through RMSD RMSF and MM-GBSA free energy calculations. Gene expression analysis identified 13 core dysregulated genes, including HSP90AA1 MAPK8IP3 and ZMPSTE24. Tissue-specific expression localized pivotal genes to lung tissues and immune cells with HSP90AA1 highly expressed in alveolar macrophages and epithelial cells. HSP90AA1 gene emerged as a central hub gene with 96 interactions involved in stress response pathways. Docking studies identified CHEMBL3653862 and CHEMBL3653884 with strong binding affinities (-10.16 to -12.69 kcal/mol) interacting with Asp93 and Tyr139. MD simulations confirmed binding stability with RMSD fluctuations within 2.1-3.5 Å and MM-GBSA energy values supporting ligand-protein stability. This study identifies HSP90AA1 as a potential drug target in leprosy and tuberculosis. Findings support host-directed therapy approaches and highlight the importance of computational modeling in accelerating drug discovery. The study provides a foundation for future experimental validation, including in vitro and in vivo testing to advance drug repurposing strategies for these chronic infections.

Background: The internship year marks the culmination of the nursing program across all Saudi universities, bridging theoretical learning and practical application. The significance of the internship year lies in the application of skills acquired during the preceding years of study. Understanding interns’ experiences, identifying influences, and sharing their recommendations for best practices become crucial. Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences of internship students and address the challenges they encountered in a clinical environment. Methods: A qualitative naturistic descriptive approach was employed, involving 20 purposively selected participants from internship students in two regions in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected in January 2023 through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and observation. A conventional content analysis approach was used for data analysis. Results: Four major themes were generated: 1) Transferring Shock, 2) Self-Learning, 3) Supportive Environments, and 4) Factors Facilitating Learning. Transferring Shock comprised two subthemes: feeling lost and feeling left out. Conclusion: Internship students acknowledged the utility of orientation and mentorship programs in advancing the practical skills of new nurses and enhancing patient safety. The findings also indicated that those with prior preparation and robust communication skills reported a positive experience. Consequently, integrating communication courses into the nursing education curriculum could be beneficial. Establishing a supportive learning environment for nursing interns is imperative to address challenges and ensure the delivery of safe and effective patient care.

Nursing education plays a critical role in developing students' critical thinking skills. Conventional lecture-based methods struggle to hold the attention of today's students. To tackle complicated challenges, the six thinking hats method can inspire diverse viewpoints and innovative problem-solving. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of applying the Six Thinking Hats strategy on nursing students in the "Development through Life Span" course and its impact on their critical thinking skills. A quasi-experimental research design involving a one-group pretest and posttest was employed to achieve the study’s objectives. The sample consisted of 160 s-year nursing students in their sixth level, who were enrolled in the Development Through the Lifespan course. Data collection utilized two tools: the Six Thinking Hats Teaching Strategies Students’ Opinions Questionnaire and the Critical Thinking Ability Scale for College Students. The findings indicate that the majority of participants were 20 years old, with a mean age of 19.8 years (± 0.6). Female students made up a slight majority at 56.3%. A satisfactory attitude toward the Six Thinking Hats model was observed by 71.3% of the students, while 28.7% exhibited a negative attitude. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between students' opinions on the Six Thinking Hats model and their scores on the Critical Thinking Ability Scale, with statistically significant differences noted. The Six Thinking Hats technique proved effective in enhancing nursing students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills, encouraging them to explore diverse perspectives, generate innovative ideas, and make well-rounded decisions. Furthermore, this strategy fostered improved collaboration, communication, and creativity among the students. The findings suggest that the six thinking hats approach can be a valuable teaching strategy in nursing education, fostering critical thinking and enhancing the overall quality of nursing education to improve patient care outcomes.

Background: Simulation-based education is essential for preparing nursing students for their professional roles and enhancing their learning experiences and patient care skills. However, there is a gap in understanding how nursing students perceive and engage with simulation-based learning, particularly in the context of Saudi Arabia. This lack of insight limits the ability to develop effective educational strategies. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate nursing students’ perceptions regarding attitudes toward simulation-based learning in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2023 to February 2024, involving 173 nursing students from a single university. Participants completed a structured questionnaire assessing their attitudes toward simulation-based learning, focusing on its relevance, interprofessional education opportunities, communication, situation awareness, and roles and responsibilities. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to examine correlations between variables, with a significance level of p <0.05. Results: The study found that 91.3% of participants had a favorable attitude toward simulation-based learning (Median = 4.43, IQR = 4 - 5). Age and grade level significantly influenced attitudes; younger students (under 20 years) had lower scores (Z = -2.490, p = 0.013), while fourth-year students had higher scores than third-year students, showing a statistically significant difference (H = 8.573, p = 0.014). Additionally, grade point average (GPA) was a significant factor, as students with GPAs between 5.00 and 4.50 scored higher than those in the 3.74–2.75 range (H = 25.893, p <0.001). Conclusion: The study concluded that nursing students in Saudi Arabia have a generally positive attitude toward simulation-based learning, recognizing its importance in enhancing their educational journey and clinical preparedness. These findings highlight the need to integrate simulation-based pedagogical approaches in nursing education to foster critical thinking and improve communication skills, thereby enhancing patient care outcomes.