Nurses and midwives are the backbone of healthcare systems around the world, and their contributions to professionalism, illness prevention, and the delivery of quality care are undeniable and irrefutable. Promoting professional excellence in nursing and midwifery is an important priority for strengthening healthcare systems and improving patient outcomes. This paper explored the interrelated practice, education, and regulatory aspects of promoting professional excellence and standards in both nursing and midwifery. Given the ongoing conversations and evidence used in the classroom, the paper suggested that excellence results from ongoing investments in competency-based education, lifelong learning, and evidence-based clinical practice. The paper also highlighted the need for strong regulatory systems to foster accountability, ethical practice, and quality assurance in the healthcare sector. It examined the limitations inherent in Nurses and Midwives' ability to perform optimally and attain excellence in education, practice, and policy. However, the paper identified opportunities to be realized through curriculum innovation, better clinical mentorship, and changes to the regulatory framework. The paper found that a coordinated, systemic action plan must involve educators, practitioners, and regulatory stakeholders to establish a culture of excellence. This will not only improve professional practice but also play a vital role in providing safe, effective, and patient-centered health services in Nigeria. It was recommended that policies and professional regulatory bodies implement mandatory, structured, continuous professional development programs that incorporate modern clinical and digital health skills, as well as ethical training, to maintain professional excellence among nurses and midwives.

Behçet’s disease is a chronic multisystem inflammatory disorder in which vascular involvement represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Although venous thrombosis is common, pulmonary embolism remains a rare and potentially life-threatening manifestation related to an inflammation-driven thrombotic mechanism. We report the case of a 70-year-old man with long-standing Behçet’s disease complicated by previous superior vena cava thrombosis, who was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. Clinical presentation was nonspecific. Clinical probability assessment using the Wells and revised Geneva scores guided the diagnostic approach. Electrocardiographic findings were non-diagnostic, while transthoracic echocardiography allowed hemodynamic assessment and risk stratification. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography confirmed the diagnosis. This case underscores the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of pulmonary embolism in Behçet’s disease and highlights the need for individualized management balancing immunosuppressive therapy and anticoagulation

Background: School vision screening is an effective strategy for early detection of visual impairment among children. However, shortage of eye care personnel in low- and middle-income countries necessitates the involvement of non-eye health workers such as school teachers. This study assessed the usability of trained school teachers for vision screening and identification of common eye conditions among primary school pupils in Kaduna North Local Government Area, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional analytic study was conducted among 352 primary school pupils aged 5–15 years selected from 11 public and private schools in Kaduna North Local Government Area. Twenty-two teachers (two per school) underwent structured training on visual acuity assessment using Peek Acuity and Tumbling E-chart as well as identification of common external eye abnormalities. Teachers screened pupils for vision impairment and ocular abnormalities and referred suspected cases for evaluation by an ophthalmology research team. Data were analysed using Stata MP version 14. Results: The teachers successfully screened all 352 pupils comprising 704 eyes. Eighteen pupils (2.6%) were identified as having visual acuity worse than 6/12 using Peek Acuity while 14 pupils (2.0%) were identified using the Tumbling E-chart. Teachers identified ocular abnormalities in 96 pupils (27.3%), including itching (16.8%), eye discharge (5.4%), red eye (4.6%), and abnormal whitish reflex (0.6%). Overall, 110 pupils (31.3%) were referred for further ophthalmic assessment. Subsequent evaluation by the ophthalmology team confirmed ocular conditions among referred pupils, including conjunctivitis, refractive errors, cataract, ptosis, and corneal scars. The prevalence of refractive error was 2.3%, while vision impairment was detected in 2.27% of pupils. Agreement between teacher-administered visual acuity assessments using Peek Acuity and Tumbling E-chart was high (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.804). Conclusion: School teachers can effectively participate in vision screening following structured training. Their ability to identify visual impairment and common ocular abnormalities demonstrates the feasibility of integrating teacher-led screening into school eye health programmes. This approach may improve early detection and referral of eye conditions in resource-limited settings.

Background: Hypoglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is typically drug-induced. Persistent hypoglycemia after discontinuation of all glucose-lowering agents is rare and suggests alternative etiologies such as insulinoma. Case Presentation: A 56-year-old female with T2DM presented with recurrent fasting hypoglycaemia despite cessation of all oral antidiabetic medications. Initial attribution to sulfonylurea uses delayed further investigation. Persistent hypoglycemia prompted endocrine evaluation revealing endogenous hyperinsulinemia. MRI identified a pancreatic tail lesion consistent with insulinoma. Conclusion: This case highlights diagnostic anchoring bias in diabetic patients and underscores the importance of evaluating persistent hypoglycemia beyond medication-related causes.

Qualitative empirical research relies heavily on instruments such as semi-structured interview protocols and focus group guides to capture complex human experiences. While quantitative instruments leverage established statistical metrics for psychometric validation, qualitative data collection tools frequently lack transparent, standardized validation frameworks, leaving them vulnerable to peer-review scrutiny and researcher bias. This concept note presents a systematic, four-phase methodological framework specifically tailored for the rigorous validation of qualitative questionnaires intended for peer-reviewed scrutiny. The proposed framework integrates conceptual blueprinting, expert panel reviews for content validation, and cognitive interviewing (utilizing think-aloud protocols and verbal probing) to ensure linguistic precision, structural neutrality, and conceptual depth. Implementing this structural approach establishes a clear audit trail, mitigates structural leading bias, and ensures the generation of high-quality, rich thematic data.

Background/Introduction: Postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease is frequent despite therapeutic advances. Early ileocolonoscopy, evaluated using the Rutgeerts score, is the reference standard for detecting endoscopic recurrence, which strongly correlates with the risk of clinical relapse [1]. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included patients with Crohn's disease followed up between 2012 and 2025 who underwent an ileocecal or ileocolonic resection. Endoscopic recurrence was defined as a Rutgeerts score ≥ i2 during an ileocolonoscopy performed between 6 and 12 months postoperatively [1,2]. Results: Endoscopic recurrence was observed exclusively in patients who did not receive postoperative prophylactic treatment. No cases of recurrence were observed in patients treated with azathioprine or infliximab. Conclusion: The absence of postoperative prophylactic treatment appears to be a major risk factor for early endoscopic recurrence [2–4].

Introduction: Extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of the head and neck represents an uncommon yet clinically significant group of lymphoid malignancies arising from B-cell or T-cell lineages. These tumors are characterized by malignant monoclonal lymphoid proliferation involving extranodal tissues and frequently exhibit aggressive clinical behavior, necessitating prompt diagnosis and treatment. Because of their diverse clinical presentations and rapid progression, they may mimic other benign or malignant conditions, posing diagnostic challenges. Objective: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, radiological, and histopathological characteristics of patients diagnosed with extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the head and neck and managed at a tertiary referral center. Patients and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted including 55 patients diagnosed with extranodal head and neck NHL between January 2025 and March 2026 in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Hôpital des Spécialités, Ibn Sina University Hospital, Rabat, Morocco. Clinical records were reviewed for demographic data, presenting symptoms, endoscopic findings, imaging studies, histopathological and immunophenotypic diagnoses, and anatomical sites of involvement. Results: Fifty-five patients were included, with ages ranging from 3 to 91 years with the mean age was 52.8 ± 23.3 years (mean ± SD). There was a slight male predominance, comprising 31 males (56.4%) and 24 females (43.6%) corresponding to a male-to-female ratio of 1.29:1. The most frequent extranodal sites were the palatine tonsils (25.5%, n = 14), nasopharynx (14.5%, n = 8), oral cavity—including the palate and buccal mucosa—(10.9%, n = 6), facial bones (frontal bone, maxilla, mandible, and nasal pyramid) (10.9%, n = 6), base of tongue (9.1%, n = 5), parapharyngeal space (5.5%, n = 3), external ear and external auditory canal (5.5%, n = 3), parotid gland (5.5%, n = 3), nasal cavity (3.6%, n = 2), thyroid gland (3.6%, n = 2), pharyngolaryngeal region (1.8%, n = 1), frontoethmoidal sinus (1.8%, n = 1), and sternocleidomastoid muscle (1.8%, n = 1). Clinical manifestations varied according to the site of involvement and frequently mimicked other pathological entities. Based on the World Health Organization classification, B-cell lymphomas predominated, accounting for 49 cases (89.1%), whereas T-cell lymphomas represented 6 cases (10.9%). Following diagnosis, all patients were promptly referred to the hematology department for systemic management. Conclusion: Extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the head and neck is a rare and potentially aggressive malignancy with heterogeneous clinical presentations and a broad spectrum of anatomical involvement. In this series, B-cell lymphomas constituted the predominant histological subtype. Early recognition, timely histopathological diagnosis, and multidisciplinary management are essential to facilitate appropriate treatment and improve patient outcomes