The aim of the present study was to prospectively evaluate the prevalence of intestinal carriage by ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae among Portuguese students attending healthcare bachelors, and to determine the molecular features of ESBL-producing isolates. One-hundred and eleven fecal samples recovered from Portuguese healthcare students were screened for either ESBL-producing, carbapenem-resistant, colistin-resistant, or pan-aminoglycoside-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, using respective screening media. All recovered isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). A total of 17 ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (16 Escherichia coli and a single Klebsiella pneumoniae) were recovered from 16 students, corresponding to a prevalence of 14.5%. The E. coli isolates were distributed into three sequence types (ST) and seven PFGE types. The most common ESBL identified was CTX-M-1 (n = 13; 76%), followed by CTX-M-15 (n = 3; 18%), and CTX-M-8 (n = 1; 6%). The majority of the strains were resistant to sulfonamides (88%) and fosfomycin (71%). Resistance to aminoglycosides was observed at low rate, i.e. 12% for both tobramycin and kanamycin. No colistin-, carbapenem, or pan-aminoglycoside-resistant isolates were recovered. A major clone, ST10-blaCTX-M-1, included 12 E. coli isolates. The blaCTX-M-1 gene was always located onto an IncFIA/FIB plasmid type, co-harboring genes encoding resistance to tetracycline, sulfonamides, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and fosfomycin. The most commonly identified ESBL gene in E. coli was blaCTX-M-1, usually identified among ESBL-producing isolates recovered from animals. A high prevalence of fecal carriage of ESBL-producing E. coli was found among healthy healthcare students, underlying this population as an important reservoir.

Background/Objectives: Mental health challenges are increasingly prevalent among higher education students, with significant implications for academic success and personal development. Emerging research suggests that critical thinking dispositions may support psychological well-being by enhancing resilience and adaptive coping. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between critical thinking dispositions and psychological well-being and to identify key sociodemographic predictors in this context. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed from December 2024 to May 2025, recruiting 429 students from Portuguese higher education institutions via convenience sampling. Participants completed validated self-report measures: the Critical Thinking Dispositions Scale (CTDS) and the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS), assessing seven critical thinking dispositions and six well-being dimensions, respectively. Sociodemographic data were also collected. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical multiple regression were used for data analysis. Results: Students demonstrated moderate to high levels of critical thinking and psychological well-being, with higher scores associated with increased age and academic progression. Significant positive correlations were identified between critical thinking dispositions and all well-being dimensions; personal growth, purpose in life, and autonomy exhibited the strongest associations. Regression analysis revealed that confidence in reasoning, cognitive maturity, and open-mindedness were significant predictors of psychological well-being, explaining 28.7% of the variance. Conversely, inquisitiveness showed a negative association with psychological well-being in the multivariate model, an unexpected finding that warrants cautious interpretation and further investigation. Conclusions: Critical thinking dispositions reflect affective tendencies and habitual ways of engaging with thinking. These dispositions appear to protect psychological well-being in higher education students. Integrating the development of emotional awareness and reflective thinking into curricula may therefore foster resilience and academic success. Further longitudinal research is needed to explore causal mechanisms and intervention efficacy in broader academic contexts.

Enquadramento: As práticas clínicas simuladas, designadas por experiências clínicas simuladas ou simulação, são um processo formativo dinâmico e desafiador que decorre em ambiente controlado com recurso a cenários que recriam a realidade clínica. Objetivo: Estudar a satisfação dos estudantes de enfermagem com as práticas clínicas simuladas. Metodologia: Estudo descritivo-correlacional de abordagem quantitativa, com uma amostra de 223 estudantes de enfermagem. Aplicada a Escala de Satisfação com as Experiências Clínicas Simuladas (ESECS), constituída pelas dimensões: prática, cognitiva e realismo. Resultados: A satisfação média global com as práticas clínicas simuladas, foi de 7,501 na escala de 1–10. As características sociodemográficas, ano curricular e conteúdos, não foram preditivos da satisfação. Os estudantes apresentam-se em média mais satisfeitos na dimensão cognitiva e menos satisfeitos na dimensão realismo. Conclusão: Os estudantes apresentam-se satisfeitos com as práticas clínicas simuladas percecionando a sua importância para a aprendizagem, na aquisição de competências e maior capacidade de resposta no ensino clínico em contexto real. Tal reforça a pertinência do investimento, teórico, científico e prático, nesta estratégia de ensino.

Objective: to identify the profile of transversal teaching/learning skills, which allows an adequate intervention of disaster nursing students. Methods: this is research framed in the qualitative, transversal paradigm methodology, supported by inductive and exploratory reasoning. Results: it was found that there is no consensus between Nursing Education Major Coordinators/Directors and disaster nursing experts regarding transversal skills considered decisive, due to the current absence of the theme in study plans and the limited personal and professional training of professors. Final considerations: the development and implementation of teaching/learning strategies that allow the development of transversal skills, favoring students’ ability to meet this reality in a conscious, balanced and efficient way, is crucial.

Background/Objectives: Medication incidents remain a significant concern in hospital settings. Integrated medication systems, regarding organized processes, policies, technologies and professional practices are designed to enhance patient safety; however, their safety performance is still suboptimal. The use of valid and reliable instruments to assess hospital medication system safety can be a valuable resource for health care management. The aim of this study was to describe the development and psychometric validation of the Hospital Medication System Safety Assessment Questionnaire (HMSSA-Q) for assessing the safety of hospital medication systems and its processes in Portugal. Methods: The HMSSA-Q was developed through a literature review and two rounds of expert panel consultation. Following consensus, a pilot methodological study was conducted in 95 Portuguese hospitals. Construct validity was assessed using principal component factor analysis, and reliability was evaluated through internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha). Results: The instrument is theoretically structured into five predefined domains/subscales: Organizational Environment, Safe Medication Prescribing, Safe Medication in Hospital Pharmacy, Safe Medication Preparation and Administration, and Information and Patient Education. Principal component analyses performed separately for each domain supported their internal structure. The overall scale showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.97), with Cronbach’s alpha values for the domains ranging from 0.86 to 0.94. Conclusions: The HMSSA-Q is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the safety of hospital medication systems and has the potential to serve as an innovative management tool for improving patient safety.