Having critical l thinking requires a conscious personality and with power of decision-making Which is of the characteristics of self-esteem. This study aimed to investigate the relationship Between critical thinking and self-esteem in first and fourth year nursing students of Jeiroft University. This correlational study was conducted with 76 first and fourth year nursing students in Jeiroft University of Medical Sciences in 2011. The data collection tool was a questionnaire consisted of three parts : The first part demographic specifications, the second part California Critical Thinking questionnaire, the third part Rosenberg Self-Esteem questionnaire. SPSS17 Software and statistical tests of t-test and chi-square were used to test for data analysis. 81 nursing students completed the questionnaires of California Critical Thinking Skills Test. The total mean score of critical thinking was 11.5 ± 3.07. There was no significant difference between the total score of critical thinking in both studied levels, namely first yea r students 11.8± 2.18 and fourth-year students12.33 ± 2.87 (p = 0.347). The results showed that the highest percentage of students had unstable critical thinking(86.8%).73.7 percent of them had moderate self-esteem. Self-esteem in the fourth year students was significantly higher than the first year students (p <0.05) and there was a significant Relationship between critical thinking and self-esteem (p <0.05). Results showed that students with higher self-esteem have more favorable critical thinking and a Positive and direst relationship was found between these two features. Since this kind Of honking g plays an important role incorrect clinical decision making, it is needed that university Professors academics to plan self-esteem enhancement methods to promote critical thinking, Because sufficient self-esteem is essential for capable critical thinking growth.

Background: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are the most common infectious diseases in childhood. The Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains account for as much as 80% of UTIs. Objective: From a clinical perspective, it is important to know which virulence factors and antibiotic resistance properties are present in UPEC strains in pediatrics. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the molecular characterization and antimicrobial resistance of UPEC strains isolated from hospitalized patients in pediatric ward of Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran. Patients and Methods: One hundred and twenty-one urine specimens were collected from the patients infected with UTIs (51 boys and 70 girls). The urine samples were cultured immediately, and those with E. coli-positive were analyzed for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial virulence factors using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Also, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using disk diffusion methodology with Mueller-Hinton agar according to the instruction of Clinical Laboratory and Standard Institute. Results: Nineteen out of 51 (37.25%) urine samples from boys and 47 out of 70 (67.14%) urine samples from girls harbored E. coli. A significant difference was found between the frequency of UPEC strains in boys and girls (P <.05). High resistance levels to tetracycline (69.6%), ampicillin (69.6%) and norfloxacin (63.6%) were also observed. Totally, 1.66% of tested strains were resistant to more than 8 antibiotics. The incidence of genes encoding resistance against gentamicin (aac (3)-IV), sulfonamide (sul1), beta-lactams (blaSHV and CITM), tetracycline (tetA and tetB), trimethoprim (dfrA1), and quinolones (qnr) were 25. 7%, 22.7%, 83.2%, 71.1%, 19.6% and 21.2%, respectively. The most commonly detected virulence factors were fim (71.2%), set-1 (66.6%), iha (62.1), papGI (59%), usp (56%) and sen (22.7%). Conclusion: Resistant strains of uropathogenic E. coli had the lower incidence of uropathogenic virulence factors. We suggested prescription of imipenem and amikacin to treat pediatric patients infected with UTIs.