Background: The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential to ensure infection prevention, healthcare worker safety, and reduce healthcare-associated infections in clinical settings. Innovative training approaches, such as virtual reality (VR), may enhance competency and clinical preparedness compared with traditional video-based instruction, supporting safer patient care practices. Methods: Participants were 84 students, with 42 participants in each group. The study was conducted at a public university in Saudi Arabia. The video-based group viewed a standardized educational video on PPE procedures, whereas the VR group engaged in a 13-min immersive 360° training module. Both groups completed pre- and post-intervention assessments to evaluate PPE competency. Primary outcomes included the PPE Knowledge Questionnaire and the Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning Scale scores. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS. Results: Both instructional approaches significantly improved PPE-related competency, supporting infection prevention in clinical settings. The VR group demonstrated slightly higher post-intervention scores than the video-based group (p < 0.001). The magnitude of this difference was large (Cohen’s d ≈ 0.87; partial η² = 0.163), indicating a practical advantage of VR-based instruction over video-based learning. High satisfaction and self-confidence were reported among VR participants, indicating positive perceptions of clinical preparedness, although these were not significantly associated with competency gains. Conclusions: Both VR- and video-based training significantly enhanced PPE competency, supporting improved infection prevention practices. VR demonstrated a marginal advantage and was associated with high levels of satisfaction and confidence, highlighting its value as an effective training approach to strengthen healthcare workforce preparedness and patient safety.

Pediatric obesity is a major public health concern worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, school nurses can play a pivotal role in prevention, yet their practices are influenced by multiple contextual factors. This study explored the factors shaping school nurses’ attitudes and behaviors toward pediatric obesity prevention. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 school nurses working in private primary schools in Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed using Charmaz’s process, with theoretical sampling to refine emerging categories. A focus group with three experts was conducted to confirm and validate the generated theory. Eleven participants contributed to the analysis. Three categories (Struggling, Avoiding, and Competing Priorities) and one core category (Lacking Support) emerged to collectively represent the social process, Jumping Hurdles: A Pathway to Professional Growth. This substantive theoretical model advances understanding of the factors shaping school nurses’ roles in pediatric obesity prevention in Saudi Arabia. Findings highlight the need for actionable policies and school-level support to strengthen nurses’ contributions. For policymakers and school administrators, investing in structural support, targeted training, and resource allocation may enhance nurses’ capacity to engage effectively in obesity prevention and ultimately improve student health outcomes.

Background: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is a growing mental health concern among university students, often linked to impulsivity and low resilience. However, traditional regression-based research often fails to evaluate latent measurement structures or simultaneously test indirect pathways within a single analytic framework. This study applied structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the direct and indirect associations between impulsivity, resilience, and IGD symptom severity among Saudi university students, evaluating resilience as a potential mediator and testing measurement equivalence across sex. Methods: Data from 207 students (58.9% male) were analyzed using the lavaan package in R. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) evaluated the measurement model for the IGDS9-SF, CD-RISC-10, and S-UPPS-P. Structural paths were tested with indirect effects estimated via bootstrapping (5000 resamples), alongside multi-group invariance testing to examine equivalence across sex. Results: The measurement model demonstrated acceptable fit (CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.058 [90% CI: 0.044, 0.069], SRMR = 0.063). Significant direct associations were observed: impulsivity with IGD severity (β = 0.38, p < 0.001) and resilience with IGD severity (β = −0.26, p < 0.001). The bootstrapped indirect association of impulsivity with IGD through resilience was statistically significant (β = 0.083, 95% CI [0.031, 0.149]), consistent with partial mediation in this cross-sectional sample. Factor loadings were equivalent across sex (metric invariance supported); the impulsivity–IGD association was stronger in males (β = 0.46) than females (β = 0.27; χ²(1) = 4.65, p = 0.031), though this comparison should be treated as preliminary. Conclusions: Impulsivity was associated with IGD both directly and indirectly through lower resilience. These SEM-based findings are consistent with resilience as a partial mediator of the impulsivity–IGD association, suggesting potential value in multi-target mental health interventions in university nursing and counseling settings. Longitudinal research is needed to establish causal ordering.

Background: Effective nurse–patient communication is fundamental to quality care delivery, yet language barriers pose significant challenges in multicultural healthcare environments. In Saudi Arabia’s diverse healthcare landscape, nurses frequently encounter patients who do not speak Arabic, potentially compromising care quality and patient safety. Objective: To explore multilevel factors influencing communication between Saudi nurses and non-Arabic-speaking patients, using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory as a conceptual framework. Design: A qualitative descriptive study employing semi-structured interviews analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis. Setting: Four healthcare facilities (two governmental and two private hospitals) across Saudi Arabia. Participants: Eighteen Saudi registered nurses with experience caring for non-Arabic-speaking patients, recruited through purposive sampling. Methods: Semi-structured interviews (n = 18) were conducted in Arabic or English between November 2025 and February 2026. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis, organized within Bronfenbrenner’s ecological levels. Collaborative reflexive coding and member-checking with six participants supported analytical rigor. Results: Five main themes emerged: (1) Individual-level competencies and preparedness (microsystem), (2) Interpersonal dynamics and cultural sensitivity (microsystem), (3) Unit-level resources and organizational support (mesosystem), (4) Institutional policies and language services (exosystem), and (5) Healthcare system and societal influences (macrosystem). Participants identified language proficiency gaps, cultural misunderstandings, inadequate interpreter services, and systemic barriers as primary challenges affecting communication quality. Conclusions: Communication between Saudi nurses and non-Arabic-speaking patients is influenced by complex, interconnected factors across multiple ecological levels. Interventions should address individual competency development, organizational support systems, and policy-level changes to ensure equitable, safe, and effective communication for all patients.

Background: Despite the WHO’s recognition of Gaming Disorder in the ICD-11, epidemiological data on its prevalence and neuropsychiatric correlates among Saudi Arabian university students remain limited. Such data are critical for calibrating campus mental health resources and developing evidence-based screening protocols. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in a sample of Saudi university student gamers and evaluate the clinical utility of impulsivity and resilience as case-detection tools. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey of students who engaged in electronic gaming for at least one hour per week (N = 207; 58.9% male), participants completed the IGDS9-SF, CD-RISC-10, and S-UPPS-P scales. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves to identify predictors and compare the discriminative validity of the constructs. Results: Among these student gamers, the overall IGD prevalence was 18.4%, with significantly higher rates in males (24.6%) than females (9.4%; χ²(1) = 7.71, p = 0.006). Significant predictors of IGD included sex, daily gaming hours, higher impulsivity, and lower resilience. ROC analysis revealed that a composite impulsivity-resilience index (AUC = 0.80) outperformed single-construct screening using only impulsivity (AUC = 0.71) or resilience (AUC = 0.68). Cases exhibited markedly higher impulsivity and lower resilience than non-cases. Conclusions: Among Saudi university student gamers, IGD prevalence is clinically significant, particularly among heavier and male gamers. A composite impulsivity-resilience screening index showed superior detection accuracy in this sample and warrants further validation for integration into university mental health assessment protocols.