Development of a virtual reality program in South Korea for the measurement of vital signs in children: a methodological study.

PURPOSE: We developed a virtual reality (VR) program for use in pediatric nursing practicums to help nursing students learn to measure vital signs in children. METHODS: The analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model was employed between July 2021 and December 2021 at a university in South Korea. In the analysis phase, in-depth interviews were conducted with four nursing students, two nursing school graduates, and four experts. The topic and contents of the VR program were settled in the design phase. The VR program was developed and subsequently used and evaluated by 20 nursing students and four experts. RESULTS: The contents of the VR program for pediatric nursing practicums included the measurement of vital signs in a newborn baby and a young child, as well as an evaluation system. The mean score for the nursing students' satisfaction with practice was 4.02 out of 5 points. The mean scores for overall satisfaction with the VR program were 4.15 and 4.79 out of 5 points for nursing students and experts, respectively. CONCLUSION: The VR program developed in this study allows nursing students to practice measuring vital signs in children, thus improving the students' clinical performance in pediatric nursing.

Intention to leave among staff nurses in small- and medium-sized hospitals.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the factors associated with the intention to leave among nurses in small- and medium-sized hospitals and to determine the predictors about work environment and rewards. BACKGROUND: Compared with large hospitals, insight into the working conditions, rewards and turnover of nurses working for these hospitals is lacking internationally. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study design. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Korean Nurses Association's 2016 Welfare Policy and System Improvement Survey. Of the participants, data from 951 staff nurses working three shifts were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression to explore the predictors of nurses' turnover intention. This study complied with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology. RESULTS: The perceived pay level satisfaction was the most obvious and persistent predictor of the intention to leave. Living benefits were shown to be scarcely satisfied, rendering considerable influence on turnover intention. Concerning aspects related to the working environment, the implementation of contract-abiding working hours and nurse-friendly night shift schedules reduced the turnover intention of nurses. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses in small- and medium-sized hospitals are likely to have particular challenges in terms of professional growth. When fundamental rewards and basic working conditions are acceptable to nurses, their turnover can be reduced, and the professional growth can also be expected. Hospitals with a high nurse turnover rate need to preferentially verify these factors perceived by their nurses and to improve to increase nurses' retention. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Understanding the determinants of intention to leave can lead to the development of strategies that persuade nurses to remain employed. These findings inform policymakers, nurse managers and hospital managers of the causes of nurses' intentions to leave in small- and medium-sized hospitals. Our findings also provide empirical data on the working conditions and rewards of these nurses and suggest strategies for their retention.

An evaluation of the time for nursing activity in a hospital using a full Electronic Medical Record System (EMR).

This study was designed to analyze the time for direct and indirect nursing activity to evaluate the workload of nurses using a full Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system on practice. The result is that the mean time for nursing activity per nurse was 499.56 minutes, the mean time for direct nursing activity per nurse was 251.1 minutes (50.3%), and the mean time for indirect nursing activity per nurse was 248.42 minutes(49.7%). The time for direct nursing activity was more than the time for indirect nursing activity. There was a significant difference in the time for nursing activity according to workplace (p < 0.00*), but no difference according to nursing career. Regarding 3 duty-shifts, the time for direct nursing activity was highest in the evening shift and the time for indirect nursing activity was highest in the night shift.