A program to improve the electronic working environment and computer hardware.

Information technology is the inevitable product of modern society and computerized medical information provides clinic workers with more timely and instant information. Therefore, computer hardware equipment is a must to promote computerized information system. Yet, there is low satisfaction level toward the arrangement of clinical computer equipment. The purpose of this program is to improve the satisfaction level and easiness to access to e- environment and computer hardware equipment at nursing stations. Results after the improvement and rearrangement of e-environment indicated that the satisfaction level of nursing staffs has been improved by 22.4% from 41.4% to 63.8% improving the accessibility, the interactions between and among staffs and patients, and the utilization of computer equipment.

A program to enhance nursing managers' capability of operating computerized processing system.

The purpose of this program is to improve the capacities of head nurses of operating hospital information system, relevant operation of the Intranet, electronic forms, and computerized processing system through nursing information educational courses and hands-on operation. The results of questionnaires show that head nurses score averagely 4.05 on the knowledge of computerized processing system in the hospital and 3.6, the lowest, on those of schedule arrangement of nursing personnel, cashier, and accounting operation. In addition, the knowledge of the Intranet operation scored averagely 4.28 and 3.8 on the operation of electronic forms and equipment maintenance and repairing request. After collecting, analyzing, compiling information and comparing to literature review, the researchers conclude the solutions as: (1) conducting nursing information training courses to improve knowledge of head nurses on relevant computerized processing system; (2) monitoring and evaluating nursing administration to promote heads-on evaluation operation for furthering understanding of individual operation problem. After the implementation of above proposed program, head nurses score 4.99 on the knowledge of hospital information and operation of relevant intranet system and demonstrate 88% of satisfaction level indicating the importance of conducting nursing information training courses to effectively improve computer operation capacity, work efficiency, and satisfaction level.

[Strategies to improve protection from glutaraldehyde in endoscopic examination].

Safety of the working environment has emerged as an important issue in recent years. Of safe work place is a prerequisite for the practice of medicine. High level disinfection by glutaraldehyde (GAD) is the usual method for sterilizing endoscopes. But GAD is highly volatile and is an irritant. Prolonged exposure to GAD in a closed unit usually causes discomfort. Our study demonstrated that the main reasons for this are: (1) nursing staff are not sufficiently familiar with GAD, (2) high GAD concentration in the air, (3) insufficient training to use the facilities and disinfectant, (4) lack of safety precautions due to large amount of GAD in examination room. In order to diminish the dangers of unavoidable exposure, the following strategies are recommended: intensify training for the handling of GAD, decrease the amount of GAD, encourage the use of individual precautions and remove fuzzy carpets, and use appropriate disinfection facilities. Many improvements can be achieved with the introduction of these measures as, this article shows. These improvements include: (1) a 100% response rate and a 97% satisfaction rate from trainees, (2) a total reduction of 150 liters of GAD per month with atmospheric GAD markedly reduced, to 0.0054 ppm, (3) reduction in reported discomforts from between 80% and 100% to 10%, (4) a protection rate of 100% compared to the previous 10% - 30%.