To document the first application of the WHO New Vaccine Introduction Prioritization and Sequencing Toolkit (NVI-PST) in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and to describe how Iran’s National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) adapted and implemented the framework to develop a prioritised roadmap for vaccine introduction during 2025–2030.
Policy implementation case study applying a structured multicriteria decision analysis-informed prioritisation framework through a three-phase process including framework adaptation, evidence synthesis, ordinal ranking of candidate vaccines, weighted aggregation and development of sequencing scenarios.
National immunisation governance process in Iran, coordinated by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Iran’s NITAG, with technical support from the WHO Country Office.
Core and non-core members of Iran’s NITAG and key immunisation stakeholders involved in the deliberative prioritisation process.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine ranked highest in both importance and feasibility, followed by pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) for high-risk adults and seasonal influenza vaccine for high-risk groups. Two sequencing scenarios were proposed: both placed HPV first, with either PCV or influenza third after the already-approved hexavalent vaccine. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and varicella vaccines were classified as low priority for the 5-year horizon. The toolkit enabled structured multistakeholder deliberation, improved the transparency and reproducibility of prioritisation, and supported systematic integration of epidemiological, economic and programme evidence. The main implementation challenges arose from national evidence constraints, particularly gaps in adult RSV and pneumococcal disease burden, limited locally generated cost-effectiveness analyses and uncertainty in long-term budget impact estimation under macroeconomic instability, rather than from limitations of the toolkit itself.
The NVI-PST proved feasible under national leadership and generated credible, consensus-based recommendations aligned with Iran’s public health priorities and programme constraints. Minor refinements (streamlined evidence compendium, simpler weighting, stronger secretariat support) would make the toolkit lighter and more sustainable, especially for resource-constrained settings. This Iranian experience provides a replicable model for structured multi-vaccine prioritisation in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and beyond.
To examine the relationship between moral courage, personality traits and organisational climate among nurses.
A cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study.
A total of 264 nurses from three hospitals in Semnan, Iran, participated in the study. Stratified random sampling was used, and data were collected in summer and autumn 2024 through the Moral Courage Scale, Organisational Climate Scale and Personality Traits Inventory. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.
Moral courage was positively associated with a supportive organisational climate. A weak inverse relationship was noted with agreeableness, while other personality traits showed no notable influence. Moral courage was more prevalent among married nurses, supervisors and those with permanent contracts.
A positive organisational climate enhances nurses' moral courage, emphasising the need to foster supportive work environments. While agreeableness may slightly inhibit moral courage, other personality traits did not show a significant effect.
Understanding the contributors to moral courage can assist healthcare institutions in developing training and policies that empower nurses to act ethically and confidently in challenging situations, ultimately improving care quality.
Problem addressed: The study explores the relationship between moral courage, personality traits, and organisational climate among nurses in clinical settings. Main findings: Organisational climate significantly impacts moral courage, while most personality traits do not play a major role. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? These findings can inform hospital leaders, educators, and policymakers in shaping ethics-centred strategies to support nurses in clinical settings.
This study adheres to EQUATOR guidelines for cross-sectional studies.
This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting.
To explore the process of how nurses experience and deal with workplace violence based on nurses' perceptions and experiences in Iran.
An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using grounded theory approach. Participants included 17 nurses working in 4 hospitals in 2 urban areas in Iran with at least 1 year of clinical experience in emergency departments and intensive care units. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews conducted between August 2024 and March 2025. The constant comparative analysis approach was used for data analysis. This research method was carried out in five stages: open coding to identify concepts; development of concepts in terms of their characteristics and dimensions; contextual analysis; integration of the process to data analysis; and final category integration.
The main concern of participants in dealing with workplace violence was a ‘multidimensional security threat’. ‘Perpetrator response to nursing care’ (at the individual level) and ‘organisational inefficiency’ (at the organisational level) provided the context for this threat. A general theme entitled ‘tensive adaptation’ was the core category in this research and included four main categories: ‘tolerant reactions’, ‘seeking help’, ‘passive reactions’ and ‘hostile reactions’. ‘Organisational damage’, ‘nurse damage’ and ‘patient damage’ were the outcomes.
The theoretical model of ‘tensive adaptation’ provides a new perspective on ‘what’ and ‘how’ nurses experience and manage workplace violence. Effective strategies for managing violence such as effective communication, empathy, providing appropriate care, anger management, self-care, effective teamwork and requesting support can be considered by nursing administrators and incorporated into training programmes for nurses and nursing students. The adverse consequences of nurses' exposure to workplace violence should receive greater attention, as the entire healthcare system is affected by this exposure.
Workplace violence leads to physical and psychological problems, reduced job satisfaction, diminished performance, negative effects on personal and family life and decreased quality of patient care. The main concern of participants in dealing with workplace violence was ‘multidimensional security threat’. This concept includes three characteristics: ‘psychological health threats’, ‘physical health threats’ and ‘professional position threat’. ‘Perpetrator response to nursing care’ (individual level) and ‘organisational inefficiency’ (organisational level) served as contextual conditions that expose nurses to workplace violence. In ‘tensive adaptation’, nurses attempt to respond to workplace violence through strategies such as ‘tolerant reactions’, ‘seeking help’, ‘passive reactions’ and ‘hostile reactions’. ‘Organisational damage’, ‘nurse damage’ and ‘patient damage’ are the consequences of nurses' exposure to workplace violence.
The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) was used to report this study.
This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct, or reporting.