Critical thinking disposition represents an inclination of a person to use possessed skills in relation to critical thinking. The trend of critical thinking has been described as inner motivation to solve problems and make decisions by thinking. In nursing as a practical profession, the concept of critical thinking dispositions is important component in helping to manage complex health situations and to deal with patient issues effectively. Willingness to think critically is a prerequisite for safe and subtly performance. The results of studies show critical thinking dispositions of nursing students in Asian countries are different from non-Asian countries. Aim of this literature review was to compare critical thinking dispositions of nursing students in Asian and non-Asian countries. Literature review was done in English and Persian databases. The results showed of the 795 articles published in English and Persian language that studied critical thinking, 73 ones studied critical thinking skills and dispositions in nursing education, and relationship between teaching methods and critical thinking skills and dispositions in nursing education of different countries. Fifteen of seventy three articles assessed critical thinking dispositions in nursing students. Limited studies showed that the Asian nursing students had mostly undermining score of the critical thinking dispositions, while non-Asian countries tend to positive scores. The reasons for these differences could be due to issues such as environmental, educational methods and cultural differences. However, future studies should measure critical thinking disposition by discipline-based tools.

Critical thinking is a logical, situational, purposive, and outcome-oriented thinking process. It is an acquired and evolving ability which develops individually. Such thinking process could lead to the professional accountability, personal development, God's consent, conscience appeasement, and personality development.

Background:The lack of clinical competence in nurses leads to problems in providing nursing services. Studies indicate that nurses lacking the required skills can endanger the public health in medical centers. Critical thinking is a factor that can affect nurses' clinical competence. Objectives: The current study aimed at investigating the relationship between critical thinking and clinical competence in nurses. Methods: The current descriptive-analytical and cross sectional study was conducted on 120 nurses selected by random sampling method. Data collection tools included the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI), as well as clinical competence and demographic information questionnaires. Data were analyzed with SPSS using Pearson correlation coefficient, linear regression, and t-test. Results: Pearson correlation test showed a positive correlation between the total scores of critical thinking and clinical competence. Based on the results of the linear regression analysis, the tendency toward critical thinking could predict 28.4% of the clinical competence. The nurses mean CCTDI scores were at the positive level and their mean clinical competence scores were at the average level. Conclusions: According to the obtained results, nursing authorities can organize practical workshops on the development of critical thinking of clinical nurses as one of the most important and operational strategies to improve nursing clinical competence and, ultimately, move towards optimal care.

Background: Spirituality becomes more significant and evident during crises like pregnancy; therefore, it is crucial for healthcare providers to be supportive during pregnancy through exploring and understanding the meaning of spirituality for pregnant women. This study aimed to discover the experiences of Iranian pregnant women regarding spirituality. Materials and Methods: This qualitative, inductive, content analysis study was performed in 11 pregnant women (28–36 weeks' gestation) who attended the healthcare centers of Karaj, Iran. The subjects were selected by purposive sampling and invited to participate in the study. The data were collected through semi-structured, face-to-face, and in-depth interviews and were analyzed using the inductive content analysis approach. Results: Three major themes emerged during data analysis: “permeable transcendence,” including “spiritual awareness of mother,” “spiritual light of baby,” and “personal transformation and improvement.” “Doubled responsibility” comprised two subthemes of “spiritual nourishment for mother” and “spiritual nourishment for child,” and “spiritual circumstance” consisted of two subthemes of “religious background” and “spirituality of healthcare provider.” Conclusions: Considering the importance of spirituality and religion in gestational health promotion, the results of this study can assist healthcare providers in recognizing the women's spiritual needs and valuing the protective role of religious/spiritual well-being during pregnancy.

Background: In recent decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents have increased in Iran and other countries. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of obesity and its associated factors among high school students of Karaj City, Iran. Methods: A total of 700 students in different age groups were selected by random sampling method. The study samples were divided into 2 groups of case and control and their characteristics were compared. The data were collected by nutritional frequencies and remembrance of 24 hours of nutrition questionnaires. Finally, the obtained information (BMI and its percentile) was statistically analyzed with respect to samples' nutritional pattern and physical activities. Results: The prevalence of obesity and overweight in teenagers were 13.5% and 17.4%, respectively. The obesity rate in boys was higher than that in girls. The amount of daily fat, carbohydrate, protein, and calorie intake (2700 kcal) was higher in obese students compared to normal ones. Significant differences were observed between two groups in terms of fat, protein, carbohydrate intake, and calorie consumption as well as physical activity. Conclusion: The obesity prevalence in Karaj students is high and the intake of carbohydrate, fat, and calorie should be adjusted with regard to different age groups. The relevant education should be started in school and families, by considering the importance of diet reform in lowering the rate of obesity and overweight.