The prevailing tradition of requiring a completed research paper, in the form of a thesis, in most higher institute of learning in the Philippines seems to be born out of an archaic tradition rather than any educational pedagogy. This editorial provides arguments for the above mentioned assertion.

Background: Stroke survivors are a higher risk for post-stroke depression (PSD) after they return home from the hospital. Given that many stroke patients have friends or family members (care partners) present after hospital discharge, this pilot study examined the utility of psychiatric nurses educating family members on how to recognize PSD. Methodology: This pilot study identified stroke patients and their care partner while they were in the hospital, to provide education on depressive symptoms, community resources, safety resources (e.g., suicide hotline), how to address symptoms of depression with their care partner. A descriptive observational design was used wherein a psychiatric delivered PSD education to the patient’s care partner (instead of the patient). Knowledge of depression was assessed immediately prior to-, immediately after-, and at a 2-week follow-up after-, the education intervention. Results: This pilot study was not powered to detect a statistically significant difference. However, among the 20 subjects (mean age 61 years), fewer scores fell in the lower range (less knowledge of depression) immediately after the education and at the 2-week follow-up phone call. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potential of multi-disciplinary nursing consultation to improve outcomes.

Background: Teenagers who became pregnant face many pregnancy difficulties as they are less likely to have enough physical development to withstand a healthy pregnancy or to give birth. Thus, health literacy and the promotion of healthy behavior among pregnant mothers are of paramount importance. This study is aimed to assess the relationship between health literacy and health-promoting behaviors among the selected teen pregnant mothers in attaining maternal health. Methods: Descriptive-correlational design was employed in this study. A total of 46 respondents participated in the study through a purposive sampling technique. The research instruments used were the Adolescent Health Promotion Scale and Comprehensive Short-form Health Literacy Survey Tool for Patients in General. Frequency, percentage, descriptive mean, and spearman Rank Correlation were used to analyze the data gathered. Results: Results showed that teen pregnant mothers have lower levels of health literacy (n=2.16) and health-promoting behavior (n=3.45). Lastly, it was found out these variables were statistically nonsignificant (rs (47) = -0.127, p =0.393) to each other. Conclusion: The study found out that there is no significant relationship between health literacy and health-promoting behaviors among teen pregnant mothers.

Background: The Philippines has been classified as highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Hence, reinforcing the capacities of communities towards the risk and adverse impacts of natural hazards is essential in order to reduce vulnerability and manage disasters. The study assessed disaster-related knowledge including (1) disaster preparedness and readiness, (2) disaster adaptation, (3) disaster awareness, and (4) disaster risk perception of the local people in a selected community. Methods: A descriptive-cross sectional study was utilized and a convenience sampling technique was used to select the 60 participants. The disaster risk reduction knowledge was assessed using the Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and univariate linear regression. Results: The study revealed that the local people in the selected community have good knowledge on disaster preparedness and readiness, disaster adaptation, and disaster awareness and fair knowledge on disaster-related knowledge and disaster risk perception. Further, age, sex, civil status, and education did not predict the level of disaster risk reduction knowledge. Conclusion: The initiatives for disaster education in the Philippines are sufficient as evidenced by a good level of disaster risk reduction knowledge among the local people in the selected community.

Background: Access to health care is considered a basic right and integral to human life. However, this still remains a challenge especially in developing countries where the majority of the poor reside and suffer from a disproportionate amount of disease. The study determined the six key components of health care access: approachability, availability, accessibility, affordability, acceptability, and accommodation, as perceived by a rural community in Taytay, Rizal, Philippines. Methods: This descriptive-cross sectional study included a convenience sample of 62 participants. The Perceived Access to Health Care Instrument was utilized. Frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and univariate linear regression were used to analyze the data. Results: The study revealed that health care access in terms of approachability was rated as good, whereas availability was rated as good, and accessibility was rated as fair. On the other hand, the affordability of health care services was rated as good, the acceptability was rated as good while the accommodation was rated as fair. It was also revealed that none of the demographic profiles significantly predicted the perceived access to health care Conclusion: Assessment of health care access is an important measure of health care equity and despite several factors previously shown to affect health care access, the results of this study showed that the participants have good access to health care in their community

The success of maternal and child health practices emphasizes on health policies, building effective partnerships, advocating for investments in maternal and newborn health, and coordinating research that focuses on improving maternal health in pregnancy and during and after childbirth. In these situations, nurses and midwives are the key resources that comprise the greater part of the health-care workforce. Nurses and midwives make substantial contributions to healthcare delivery systems especially in primary care, acute care, and community care setting. Thailand has an excellent production of nurses since they can perform duties as a nurse and as a midwife. This is what we think nurses from other countries should apply in their countries to improve health services. We can also show that our country has a low gender gap in employment not just in nursing. This paper would like to present the lessons learned from Thailand Nursing Education purposed in midwifery, maternal, and newborn nursing at Naresuan University. Specifically, the purpose of this article was to discuss the midwife and maternal and newborn education standards in Thailand and describe the experiences using reflective knowledge in order to inform current and future midwifery and maternal and newborn nursing practices in Thailand.

This paper, through the lens of ethnography, explores and analyze the Filipino concept of hulas and hiya as the context of human-connectedness and its implication to the contemporary understanding of the nature of nursing and the process of knowing persons as persons. It is argued that the concepts of hiya and hulas are social constructs deeply ingrained in the Filipino psyche and society. Both markedly influence how Filipino persons present themselves and act in accordance with their unique and complex social dynamics. As such, this paper supports the idea that between the dichotomy of social and medical sciences, the discipline of Nursing shares the paradigmatic orientation and values of the former more than the latter. It is implied that education in nursing at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels must include scholarship, research, and studies on the prevailing local cultural knowledge to shed a deeper appreciation of unique practices and concepts affecting the understanding of nursing science and its expression as a discipline.