Abdul Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor) Abdul Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor) Abyad Medical Center & Middle East Longevity Institute Azmi Street, Abdo Center, 2nd Floor PO BOX 618, Tripoli LEBANON Tel & Fax: 961 6 443684/5/6 Email: aabyad@cyberia.net.lb Web: www.amc-lb.com

This is the second issue this year and it is apparent that there is not much interest and research in the field of nursing in the region. However this issue is rich with papers from the region and from Australia and we look forward for improvement in the number of papers submitted from nursing teachers in the region.

A paper from UAE looked at whether proper gloving handling can decrease infections in hospital settings. The authors stressed that there is a lack of knowledge amongst healthcare providers regarding the transmission of micro-organisms that are responsible for hospital acquired infections. The paper revealed that there is a need to motivate nurses to adhere to gloving practices by providing in-service training programs.
A case report from Nigeria looked at loss of vision following severe ocular injury resulting from corporal punishment. The report is that of a Nigerian child who lost vision in his left eye following traumatic hyphema. The patient who had enjoyed good vision in both eyes prior to the incident sustained blunt trauma to his left eye in the course of corporal punishment by a school teacher. The patient was placed on conservative management and the hyphema resolved completely however the vision was nil perception of light in the affected eye due to secondary glaucoma. The need to abolish corporal punishment cannot be overemphasized so as to prevent avoidable injuries.

A survey questionnaire from Iran looked at The Role of Social and Cultural Factors in Gender inequality. The findings suggest that gender inequality evidently exists, and the most significant factors influencing gender inequality in Iranian families are gender socialization, functional role, patriarchy ideology, cultural capital, and educational role, respectively, which accounts for 97.5% of the dependant variable. The authors concluded that regarding the findings of this research, it seems that while there is a decreasing gender inequality in the family, the civil law and the stereotyped beliefs of the society, especially men towards women, must be changed.

A paper from Australia looked at Hospitalised Children: Reactions of Siblings. Hospitalisation of a sick child is perhaps one of the most traumatic events a family can face. Parents react swiftly to the trauma of a sick child, and there is a considerable body of research on the effects of hospitalisation on the child and its parents. However, there is extant research on the effects of hospitalisation, on the child’s siblings. The aim of the author was to critically review the literature in relation to the environment and the effects of hospitalisation on the siblings’ psychological and physiological health, their behaviours and attitudes, and responses to the illness of the brother or sister.

Another paper from Australia looked at Transcultural Competency in the Curricula of Nursing. Globalization and immigration are causing a rapid growth of culturally diverse populations, therefore, now more than ever, health care providers must become more aware of and sensitive to the culturally diverse meanings of health, illness, caring, and healing practice. The authors reviewed the implications of cultural and ethnic diversities on the health care system and explores the dimensions of the term “Cultural Competence” in relation to nursing practice and education.