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Aim: To determine the effectiveness of capacity building program on palliative care (PC) in enhancing the capacity of the primary health care workers in need assessment and symptom management of cancer patients. Background: In India, less than one percent of people living with cancer have access to palliative care since most are from low- and middle-income groups. Accredited social health activist (ASHA) and primary health care workers are grassroots workers who are the first contact with family members and are seldom aware of PC in India. It is essential to train them to give practical and efficient care to needy people. Design: A quasi-experimental design with follow-up will be conducted using an evaluative approach. Methods: The study population consists of 1440 Primary Health Care Workers (staff nurses, ANMs, and ASHA workers) of three taluks of Udupi District, Karnataka State, India. Training on PC will be provided for ASHA workers for one day and ANM/Staff nurses for three days. After their training, they are expected to demonstrate the gain in knowledge & skill in providing PC for cancer patients by identifying and implementing PC services using a mobile app at the primary healthcare level. Discussion: Palliative home care can give comfort and reduce patients' financial burden, and this training may help to improve the quality of life of needy patients. Impact: If this palliative care training program succeeds, it can be integrated into the healthcare continuum, making it an essential component of primary healthcare delivery to achieve universal health coverage. Moreover, home-based PC supports patients who want to die at home even though it reduces hospital stay costs. Trial registration: CTRI/2020/04/024792.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has severely impacted the health status of the people and the education of the students affecting their learning process and performance in examinations. Blended learning (hybrid learning) has evolved as one of the convenient and innovative methods of using technologies with the integration of traditional methods, significantly when face-to-face interaction is compromised. This study aimed to assess perception, satisfaction, and self-regulatory learning behaviors among undergraduate health sciences students.METHODS AND MATERIAL: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out among 550 undergraduate students. The tools used for data collection were demographic proforma, perception scale, satisfaction questionnaire, and self-regulation learning scale, which were self-report questionnaires. The data were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation and Chi-square test.RESULTS: About 378 (68.7%) out of 550 students preferred traditional face-to-face learning before the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas 276 (50.2%) students chose blended learning after the pandemic. About 424 (77.1%) perceived blended learning positively, 267 (48.5%) were moderately satisfied, and 377 (68.5%) of the students had moderate self-regulation in blended learning. The study revealed a strong, positive relationship, between perception (r = 0.817, P < 0.001), satisfaction (r = 0.710, P < 0.001), and self-regulation (r = 0.722, P < 0.001) in the blended mode of learning. Age, course, year of study, and preference of learning mode were significantly associated with perception, satisfaction, and self-regulation in blended learning at P < 0.05. However, perception, satisfaction, and self-regulation among students did not differ according to gender and students' previous exposure to a blended mode of learning at P > 0.05.CONCLUSIONS: To implement innovative pedagogical techniques using improvised technological assistance in teaching and learning, building up an effective blended learning environment within every institution is essential.

BACKGROUND: The usage of smartphones has become common among adolescents, despite knowing the health-related problems of the user. Currently, the availability of electronic gadgets has become economical and this has an impact on society, especially on the behavior of adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was used to find the pattern of smartphone usage, smartphone addiction, and subjective health problems associated with smartphone usage. The data were obtained from 270 nursing students using the convenient sampling technique using a sociodemographic proforma, semi-structured questionnaire on the pattern of smartphone usage, Smartphone Addiction Scale, self-reported subjective health problems questionnaire, and study habits scale. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive and inferential statistics was used for the analysis using SPSS 16.0. RESULTS: The study findings revealed that most of the participants 243 (90.0%) were using 4G phones. The majority 88 (32.60%) of the participants were using a smartphone for less than 2 hours at a stretch in a day. Most uses of a smartphone were in the night 155 (57.40%). The main usage of a smartphone was for entertainment purposes 213 (78.90%). Most of the participants 196 (72.6%) were moderately addicted to smartphones. One-third 109 (40.2%) of the participants complained of headache, followed by straining of the eyes 83 (30.6%). CONCLUSION: The awareness of smartphone addiction and health-related problems associated with smartphone usage has been shown to decrease its impact. The study concluded that it is very much necessary to identify the pattern of smartphone usage, to prevent the consequences of addiction and health problems associated with smartphone usage.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe a randomized control trial protocol that assesses the effectiveness of an oral care protocol on chemotherapy- and radiation therapy-induced oral complications in cancer patients. Methods: This study is a randomized, outcome assessor blinded study. For Phase I training phase, one group pretest-posttest design will be implemented for training the staff nurses on oral care in cancer patients and for Phase II Intervention Phase, randomized clinical trial will be used to determine the effectiveness of oral care protocol. Twenty-five staff nurses working in radiation oncology areas hospital will be trained about oral care in cancer patients. Seventy newly diagnosed patients with head and neck cancer admitted to the oncology wards of a tertiary care hospital in South India will be enrolled. Patients will be randomly allotted to a control and intervention group. The primary outcome variables are oral complications and oral health assessment. Results: The results of the preliminary survey conducted among 158 staff nurses showed that 81 (51.3%) of the staff nurses had poor knowledge regarding oral care of cancer patients and majority 128 (81.0%) of them suggested for training in the specific area of oral care of cancer patients. A pilot study conducted by the principal investigator to determine the feasibility of the study among 9 participants (4 experimental and 5 control) revealed that there was slight difference found in the incidence of oral complications among the group in relation to weeks of assessment. Conclusions: The present study may give data regarding the occurrence of oral complications in head and neck cancer patients, and even, it can enlighten on the effectiveness of oral care protocol on oral complications. If this protocol is found effective, then this protocol can be made part of daily nursing care to improve the patient outcome.

Background: Oral health awareness and oral care are crucial aspects of oncology nursing practice. However, very few studies concentrate on the oral care of cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment and nursing practice in the Indian subcontinent scenario/situation. Most of the published studies have been conducted in the Western and European countries. Aims: This study aimed to determine the nurses' practice and barriers regarding oral care in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among 158 staff nurses working in oncology-related areas from four different hospitals of Dakshina Kannada district and Udupi district of Karnataka state, India. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive and inferential statistics was used by using SPSS 16 version. Results: More than half of respondents [54 (34.2%)] did not perform oral care as a part of routine duties. Maintenance of various records, lack of manpower, and lack of standard operating procedures were major barriers in providing oral care. Documentation audit revealed that nurses recorded oral care in the chart only when order was present in the care sheet, but oral problem assessment was not recorded at all. In all four hospitals surveyed, there was no protocol specifically designed for oral care of cancer patients. Conclusion: Nurses expressed that oral care in cancer patients was one of the most ignored aspect in oncology nursing. Our result highlights the need to develop evidence-based oral care intervention protocol and motivate staff nurses to attend continuing nursing educations regularly to keep themselves abreast of the latest trends in order to render comprehensive care to the patients.

Aim: To determine the effectiveness of capacity building program on palliative care (PC) in enhancing the capacity of the primary health care workers in need assessment and symptom management of cancer patients. Background: In India, less than one percent of people living with cancer have access to palliative care since most are from low- and middle-income groups. Accredited social health activist (ASHA) and primary health care workers are grassroots workers who are the first contact with family members and are seldom aware of PC in India. It is essential to train them to give practical and efficient care to needy people. Design: A quasi-experimental design with follow-up will be conducted using an evaluative approach. Methods: The study population consists of 1440 Primary Health Care Workers (staff nurses, ANMs, and ASHA workers) of three taluks of Udupi District, Karnataka State, India. Training on PC will be provided for ASHA workers for one day and ANM/Staff nurses for three days. After their training, they are expected to demonstrate the gain in knowledge & skill in providing PC for cancer patients by identifying and implementing PC services using a mobile app at the primary healthcare level. Discussion: Palliative home care can give comfort and reduce patients' financial burden, and this training may help to improve the quality of life of needy patients. Impact: If this palliative care training program succeeds, it can be integrated into the healthcare continuum, making it an essential component of primary healthcare delivery to achieve universal health coverage. Moreover, home-based PC supports patients who want to die at home even though it reduces hospital stay costs. Trial registration: CTRI/2020/04/024792.