R. LAWA

The relationship between academic performance and clinical practice is a crucial area of focus in nursing education. Academic performance serves as a foundation for the theoretical knowledge required in clinical practice, while clinical experiences provide opportunities to apply this knowledge in real-world healthcare setting. However, bridging the gap between academic and clinical environments remains a significant challenge for nursing students globally. Several factors influence nursing students' academic performance, including stress, satisfaction with learning environments, and access to educational resources. This study assessed evaluated the influence of academic performance on clinical practice of nursing student in a tertiary institution in Benin City. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 253 nursing students from 300-500 level in the University of Benin, using structured questionnaires, and data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that 70.8% of respondents agreed that academic performance significantly impacted clinical practice outcomes. The factors influencing academic performance and clinical practice included access to learning resources (85.9%), faculty support (65.2%), peer collaboration (90.9%), and personal factors like time management and self-discipline (70.0%). Challenges faced by students included inadequate clinical supervision (58.2%), the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-life clinical scenarios (34.5%), and limited exposure to diverse clinical cases (39.2%). The study confirmed a positive relationship between academic performance and clinical competence. The hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between the level of impact of academic performance on clinical practice outcomes and the challenges faced by nursing students was not supported, hence indicating a significant relationship (p=0.03). Based on these findings, it is recommended that nursing institutions improve clinical supervision, provide more practical opportunities, and enhance resources to support students in applying theoretical knowledge efectively in clinical setting

One of the most prevalent gynaecological issues affecting teenage females, especially those enrolled in secondary schools, is dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation. In this study, female students in a subset of secondary schools in Edo State, Nigeria's Ovia North-East Local Government Area were asked about their knowledge of and approaches to managing dysmenorrhea. A total of 254 female students from SS1 to SS3 were chosen using a stratified random sampling procedure as part of a cross-sectional descriptive research design. A systematic self-administered questionnaire was used to gather the data, and the Chi-square test and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the results at a significance level of 0.05. The results showed that just 27.9% of respondents had ever heard of dysmenorrhea, showing a lack of knowledge about the disorder, while 78.7% of respondents reported experiencing menstrual pain.Many students reported absence and decreased academic concentration during their periods, and moderate to severe discomfort was highly prevalent. The majority of pain management was self-directed, with 32.3% relaxing or sleeping to relieve pain, 29.1% using heat therapy, and 34.6% regularly using over-the-counter medications. Only 2%, nevertheless, went to school clinics for medical assistance. The management strategies used and awareness of dysmenorrhea were found to be significantly correlated by the Chi-square analysis (p = 0.03). Although dysmenorrhea is very common among girls in secondary school, the study found that there is still a lack of awareness and proper treatment. It suggests enhancing access to adolescent-friendly health facilities, addressing sociocultural barriers to obtaining professional treatment, and integrating menstrual health education into school curricula.