ObjectivesLittle attention has been paid to the study of evidence-based practice (EBP) among nurses in Oman. Our aim was to explore knowledge, practice, and attitudes towards EBP among nurses working in Oman.MethodsThis multi-institutional cross-sectional study utilized the self-reported EBP Questionnaire with a random sample of 262 nurses working in three different health care settings in Al Dakhliyah governorate, Oman (local hospitals, primary health centers and polyclinics, and schools).ResultsA total of 202 nurses (response rate: 77.1%) completed the questionnaire. The mean age was 32.4±4.7 years. Most respondents were females (92.5%), Omani (79.1%), and holders of a diploma in nursing (73.5%) with a mean clinical experience of 10.9±4.2 years. Attitudes towards EBP showed the highest mean score of 5.5±1.2 followed by knowledge (4.9±0.8) and practice (4.7±1.2). Significant positive correlations were identified between the total years of nursing experience and knowledge (rs = 0.145, n = 198, p = 0.041), practice (rs = 0.172, n = 198, p = 0.015), and attitudes (rs = 0.158, n = 197, p = 0.026) mean scores. No significant difference in EBP scores was found among the three clinical settings.ConclusionAlthough attitudes towards EBP were positive, knowledge and implementation of EBP were low. This study serves as a baseline assessment for future evaluations and provides a basis for the implementation of strategies to promote EBP utilization among nurses in three different health care settings in Oman.

Objectives: Quality of work life (QWL) is an important indicator of job-related satisfaction among nurses; however, there is little information regarding the QWL of nurses in Oman. Therefore, this study aimed to explore factors affecting QWL among nurses working in governmental health institutions in Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate, Oman. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between September and November 2018 at 29 governmental health institutions in Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate. A total of 374 nurses employed at these institutions were recruited via stratified random sampling. A demographic questionnaire incorporating Brooks’ Quality of Nursing Work scale was used to collect data. Results: A total of 345 nurses participated in the study (response rate: 92.2%). The mean age was 33.3 ± 5.1 years and the majority were female (90.7%), married (88.7%), of Omani nationality (70.1%) and had a diploma degree (70.7%). Overall, the nurses demonstrated moderate levels of QWL (mean total score: 179.99 ± 24.17). Both job designation and nationality were found to be significant predictors of QWL (P = 0.041 and <0.001, respectively). Conclusion: The findings of this study represent a baseline for further research on this important topic. As with all healthcare professionals, the QWL of nurses indirectly affects quality of patient care and associated health outcomes. As such, identifying areas of poor QWL among nurses can help in the development of initiatives to improve their professional satisfaction, thereby enhancing job performance and employee retention. Keywords: Nursing; Quality of Life; Work Satisfaction; Occupational Burnout; Workload; Motivation; Health Workforce; Oman.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the rate and factors associated with the publication of abstracts presented by residents at Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) scientific meetings. Methods: This retrospective study was performed in February 2018. Two previous national OMSB scientific meetings at which resident abstracts were presented were identified, having taken place in January 2014 and December 2016, respectively. Independent searches of the MEDLINE® (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA) and Google Scholar (Google LLC, Menlo Park, California, USA) databases were conducted to determine subsequent publication of the abstracts. Results: A total of 68 resident abstracts were presented, of which most were clinical research (92.6%). Residents comprised 36.4% of the authors, of which 73.1% were senior residents. In 64 abstracts (94.1%), a resident was the first author. Overall, 15 abstracts (22.1%) resulted in articles published in 11 journals. Of these, 12 (80%) represented clinical research and 10 articles (66.7%) were published in MEDLINE®-indexed journals. Residents were the first authors of eight articles (53.3%). The median time to publication was 19 months. The presence of two or more resident authors per abstract was significantly associated with publication (odds ratio = 5.50, 95% confidence interval = 1.15–26.36; P = 0.03). Conclusion: The publication rate of resident abstracts presented at two OMSB research meetings was low; however, a higher number of resident authors per abstract significantly increased the likelihood of publication. These findings may influence policymakers to implement measures to support inter-resident collaboration so as to increase research productivity.Keywords: Biomedical Research; Graduate Medical Education; Internship and Residency; Meeting Abstracts; Publications; Oman.

Objective: The study aimed to establish the most common nonnursing tasks performed by nurses and its impact on the delivery of nursing care in Al Dakhliyah Governorate Oman in select government hospitals. Methods: This study is cross-sectional involving 173 nurses from June to July 2018 through stratified random sampling. The questionnaire was based on different literature specifically the RN FORECAST questionnaire utilized in European studies. The results were analyzed through the use of SPSS version 21 through means and frequency distribution. Results: Out of n=173 respondents, 164 answered the questionnaire with a response rate of 94.74%. The top five most common non-nursing tasks are answering phones and clerical (3.38 times per person), filling of items such as syringe, incontinent sheet, gauze and cotton (3.36 times), cleaning of medical equipment (3.20 times), bringing sample to the laboratory (2.96 times) and transporting of patients within the hospital (2.76 times). On the other hand, the top missed care include oral hygiene (60%) & nurse-patient interaction (60%), physical assessment (59.21%), frequent changing of position (58.87%) and proper documentation (56.68%). Conclusion: The nurses working in the government institutions in Al Dakhliyah governorate performs numerous non-nursing tasks which affect the delivery of patient care. As a recommendation, a clerk should be included as non-healthcare personnel responsible for many non-nursing tasks. To offer an assistant for nurses, a nursing aid is also recommended as a member of the healthcare team. Additionally, the medical orderly should also be oriented and updated on their job descriptions.