Degree of Alarm Fatigue and Mental Workload of Hospital Nurses in Intensive Care Units.

This study aimed to determine the degree of alarm fatigue and mental workload of ICU nurses, and to clarify the relationship between these two variables. A cross-sectional, descriptive research design was used. Data were collected from 90 nurses working in four ICUs in Seoul, Republic of Korea, using a questionnaire determining their degree of alarm fatigue and mental workload. Data were collected from 6 March to 26 April 2021 and were analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The average alarm-fatigue score was 28.59 out of 44. The item with the highest score was "I often hear a certain amount of noise in the ward", with a score of 3.59 out of 4. The average of the mental workload scores was 75.21 out of 100. The highest mental workload item was effort, which scored 78.72 out of 100. No significant correlation was found between alarm fatigue and mental workload. Although nurses were consistently exposed to alarm fatigue, this was not directly related to their mental workloads, perhaps owing to their professional consciousness as they strived to accomplish tasks despite alarm fatigue. However, since alarm fatigue can affect efficiency, investigations to reduce it and develop appropriate guidelines are necessary. This study was not registered.

Development of a Health Promotion Application on Cancer Survivorship as an Educational Content for Nursing Students.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop a health promotion application for cancer survivorship (CS app) based on the adult learning and self-efficacy theories and evaluated its usability as an educational tool for nursing students. METHODS: The CS app was developed according to ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) model. It consisted of interventions involving medication, diet, exercise, stress management, symptom management, and regular medical checkup for cancer survivors on three different levels in terms of difficulty and complexity. It was designed to teach nursing students how to provide tailored care to cancer survivors as well as help survivors with their repetitive and regular health management. The Mobile App Rating Scale and the user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale were used for a heuristic evaluation of the CS app by the experts and student users. RESULTS: The CS app was developed based on literature reviews and cancer survivorship guidelines. It was evaluated by 20 student users and five experts based on a 5-point scale and obtained a score of 3.97 and 3.66, respectively. Nursing students rated the CS app positively, mentioning that they were able to "learn about appropriate nursing interventions for patients in various cases" and that they became interested in caring cancer survivors' health using the CS app. CONCLUSIONS: The CS app is an effective and user-friendly educational tool to increase the motivation of nursing students in learning cancer survivorship care. This highlights the potential of CS app as a useful learning tool for nursing students.

Tablet PC-based competency evaluation for nursing students in three Asian countries: Cross-sectional comparative study.

AIM: This study evaluated a practical competency evaluation for nursing students in three Asian countries using tablet PC-based tests. The need to evaluate practical competencies in a non-face-to-face manner continues to pose challenges in nursing education. DESIGN: This study presents descriptive comparative research on a tablet PC-based evaluation of practical competencies in three countries. METHODS: tablet PC-based clinical practice competency evaluation was conducted among nursing college students in Korea, Vietnam and Mongolia. In total, 124 students answered 65 questions for practical competency evaluation and items on its usefulness. RESULTS: Students from Korea had the highest score of nursing competencies (41.6 points; n = 59, SD 6.02), followed by those from Vietnam (26.3 points; n = 30, SD 4.97) and Mongolia (18.4 points; n = 35, SD 5.36). Scores for usability showed an inverse relationship with competency scores. Questions incorporating video showed the lowest proportion of low-discrimination items. CONCLUSIONS: This research recognized that using video which provides contextual elements can increase item discrimination. These findings suggest that incorporating video into evaluation items in tablet-PC-based tests is useful for international comparison.

The Development and Application of Drama-Combined Nursing Educational Content for Cancer Care.

With the recent increase in the number of cancer patients, it is important to educate nursing students using pedagogical techniques that nurture understanding and empathy for cancer patients. This study examined nursing students' experiences caring for cancer patients after receiving drama-combined nursing education for cancer care (DCC), which consisted of three elements: lectures, dramatic scenarios, and debriefing. The lectures dealt with cancer statistics, diseases, and nursing, and the dramatic scenarios depicted both breast cancer patients and lung cancer patients. Sixty-seven junior-year nursing students attended a 90 min DCC session developed by the authors. Focus group interviews were conducted to explore students' educational experiences, and the following three themes were derived using the thematic analysis method: 'understanding the lives of patients with severe diseases and their families', 'seeing a nursing role model provide patient-centered care', and 'projecting an image of oneself as a future nurse'. Using drama in nursing education for cancer patients provided an opportunity for students to imagine the clinical experiences of cancer patients, helping them to understand patients' points of view and reflect on their self-images as future nurses. The DCC developed for nursing students in this study is a promising way to deliver distinctive and meaningful learning experiences.

Effectiveness of Integrated Education to Reduce Postoperative Nausea, Vomiting, and Dizziness after Abdominal Surgery under General Anesthesia.

This study presents an anticipatory integrated education program for nausea, vomiting, and dizziness prevention (anti-NVD education program) for patients undergoing abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. The anti-NVD education program for nephrectomy patients consisted of the following: the causes of postoperative nausea, vomiting, and dizziness; effective deep breathing and how to use an inspirometer; postoperative nausea and vomiting; effective methods of patient-controlled analgesia; and the stepwise standing up method to prevent dizziness. A study was conducted among 79 adults (experimental group: n = 40, control group: n = 39). The degree of nausea and dizziness was measured using a numerical rating scale (NRS), and vomiting and the frequency of antiemetic use were measured in terms of the number of patients. The experimental group, which received the anti-NVD education, showed remarkably lower levels of nausea (p = 0.013) and dizziness (p < 0.001) than the control group. The frequency of antiemetic use 48 hours after surgery was significantly lower in the experimental group (p = 0.03). This study proved the efficacy of the anti-NVD education program for reducing postoperative nausea and dizziness. This program can be used as a noninvasive nursing intervention to prevent nausea, vomiting, and dizziness among patients undergoing abdominal surgery.