Factors Affecting Clinical Nursing Competency: A Cross Sectional Study

[Background] The purpose of this study was to elucidate the factors which affect the achievement of clinical nursing competency. [Methods] A survey was conducted on 717 nurses using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Their clinical nursing competency was assessed using the Clinical Nursing Competence Self-Assessment Scale (CNCSS). This study examined the factors affecting clinical nursing competency using regression analyses. A simple regression analysis was performed with the CNCSS as the objective variable. A multiple regression analysis was performed using the items for which the relationship was clarified as explanatory variables. [Results] The factors affecting the “basic nursing competency” were age, ease of taking time off, workplace with a clear vision, and good interpersonal relationships. The factors affecting the “competency in providing assistance commensurate with the patient’s health status” were total years of experience, workplace with a clear vision, ease of taking time off, and use of acquired certifications. The factors affecting the “coordinating care environment and teamwork” were total years of experience, workplace with a clear vision, use of acquired certifications, and ease of taking time off. The factors affecting the “ability for professional growth in nursing practice” were use of acquired certifications, workplace with a clear vision, total years of experience, and ease of taking time off. [Conclusion] For improvement of clinical nursing competency, the factors elucidated to be necessary were accumulation of experience as a nurse, a clear vision of goals, and a work environment with good interpersonal relationships and ease of getting days off. The way nurses make their nursing practice experience meaningful contributed toward their growth as nurses. It is important to train nurses through basic education and continued education with awareness of achievement and improvement of clinical nursing competency. Basic education should promote the ability to make clinical training experience meaningful and continuing education should enable nurses to continue to grow independently through reflection

Effects of parental attitudes on college students’ evaluation concerns and adaptation

Maladjustment may expand to college students at some point. Various preparations were considered for this maladjustment. In a few cases, however，interpersonal relationships do not go well. Personal factors, such as interpersonal fears and social unrest, are behind the fact that some interpersonal relationships cannot be carried out smoothly. Evaluation concerns are a core concept of these psychopathologies. Watson and Friend define evaluation concern as a “apprehension about others' evaluations, distress over their negative evaluations, avoidance of evaluative situations, and the expectation that others would evaluate oneself negatively.” This type of evaluation concern is thought to occur around late childhood. In college students, attitudes such as parental overprotection and severity are suggested to influence their evaluation concerns. However, few studies have focused on evaluation concerns specifically. Thus, how parental attitudes affect college students’ evaluation concerns appears to be significant. In this research, we examine how parental attitudes as perceived in childhood influence college students’ evaluation concerns and feelings of adaptation

Adiponectin and AMP kinase activator stimulate proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adiponectin is a key mediator of the metabolic syndrome that is caused by visceral fat accumulation. Adiponectin and its receptors are known to be expressed in osteoblasts, but their actions with regard to bone metabolism are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of adiponectin on the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Adiponectin receptor type 1 (AdipoR1) mRNA was detected in the cells by RT-PCR. The adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMP kinase) was phosphorylated by both adiponectin and a pharmacological AMP kinase activator, 5-amino-imidazole-4-carboxamide-riboside (AICAR), in the cells. AdipoR1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection potently knocked down the receptor mRNA, and the effect of this knockdown persisted for as long as 10 days after the transfection. The transfected cells showed decreased expressions of type I collagen and osteocalcin mRNA, as determined by real-time PCR, and reduced ALP activity and mineralization, as determined by von Kossa and Alizarin red stainings. In contrast, AMP kinase activation by AICAR (0.01–0.5 mM) in wild-type MC3T3-E1 cells augmented their proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization. BrdU assay showed that the addition of adiponectin (0.01–1.0 μg/ml) also promoted their proliferation. Osterix, but not Runx-2, appeared to be involved in these processes because AdipoR1 siRNA transfection and AICAR treatments suppressed and enhanced osterix mRNA expression, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Taken together, this study suggests that adiponectin stimulates the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of osteoblasts via the AdipoR1 and AMP kinase signaling pathways in autocrine and/or paracrine fashions.</p

Microscopic photometry and its parameterization for objective evaluation of aesthetics of woven fabrics

One of the most important end-use performance parameters for fabrics and other textile products are the fabric hands and fabric aesthetics. Our previous research attempted to elucidate the factors that affect the fabric aesthetics using factor analysis and identified two principal factors tentatively labelled as 'lustre and depth sensation' and 'surface roughness sensation'. The focus of the second step in the study of fabric aesthetics is on the investigation of the objective trends in the performance evaluation of textiles. In this study, we developed our own experimental equipment based on microscopic goniophotometric principles and its parameterization method. Subsequently, we attempted to define an index based on the distribution of the reflection intensity of woven fabrics and its characterization in order to evaluate the principal factors governing fabric aesthetics. On the basis of the results, we infer that microscopic goniophotometry and its parameterization is a more viable approach than conventional macroscopic goniophotometry for the quantitative evaluation of the principal factors governing fabric aesthetics.ArticleTEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL. 82(19):1982-1995 (2012)journal articl

Characteristics of communication skills of nursing students - Analysis by ENDCORE model and reviewing process records -

This study investigated the communication ability of university students and aimed to elucidate the characteristics of and issues related to communication skills in order to improve their communication abilities. Our subjects were 18 university students from the Faculty of Nursing, and we conducted an anonymous self-reporting survey. The survey focused on: 1） a sense of difficulty during communication with the subject; 2） evaluation of communication skills using the ENDCOREs （ENCODE DECODE CONTROL REGULATION） scale; and 3） a process report from a nursing setting titled“ Reflecting on the characteristics of my own communication”. The results from university students who experienced a sense of difficulty during communication made the following overall concerns clear: 1） It is difficult to express our thoughts and emotions; 2） We are unable to react with empathy to the subjects’ opinions and point of view or respond to situations with appropriate flexibility; and 3） It is difficult to relate to subjects. In order to improve their communication skills, university nursing students must first acquire competency in verbal and non-verbal expression and interpretation, then gain the relational competency that forms the foundation for approaching subjects appropriately and having smooth social interactions

Resting energy expenditure and nutritional status in patients undergoing transthoracic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer

This study was to assess the resting energy expenditure of patients with esophageal cancer using indirect calorimetry. Eight male patients with esophageal cancer and eight male healthy controls were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent transthoracic esophagectomy with lymph nodes dissections. The resting energy expenditure was measured preoperatively, and on postoperative day 7 and 14 using indirect calorimetry. Preoperatively, the measured resting energy expenditure/body weight in these patients was significantly higher than that of the controls (23.3 ± 2.1 kcal/kg/day vs 20.4 ± 1.6 kcal/kg/day), whereas the measured/predicted energy expenditure from the Harris-Benedict equation ratio was 1.01 ± 0.09, which did not differ significantly from the control values. The measured resting energy expenditure/body weight was 27.3 ± 3.5 kcal/kg/day on postoperative day 7, and 23.7 ± 5.07 kcal/kg/day on postoperative day 14. Significant increases in the measured resting energy expenditure were observed on postoperative day 7, and the measured/predicted energy expenditure ratio was 1.17 ± 0.15. In conclusion, patients with operable esophageal cancers were almost normometabolic before surgery. On the other hand, the patients showed a hyper-metabolic status after esophagectomy. We recommended that nutritional management based on 33 kcal/body weight/day (calculated by the measured resting energy expenditure × active factor 1.2–1.3) may be optimal for patients undergoing esophagectomy